Examples: Diabetes, cellulitis, edema, cardiac issues, DVT
From the Editor
The PRP Survival Guide is designed to be a repository of experiences and insights shared by PRP patients and their caregivers. Collectively, the PRP community possesses a wealth of practical knowledge about pityriasis rubra pilaris. Only we are best positioned to harvest that knowledge.
Share what you have learned about living with PRP and comorbidities. Share articles you feel might be worth reading or websites worth visiting. Here is the first question we ask.
How has a comorbidity affected your version of PRP?
Bill M (Plano, TX)
“Comorbidity describes two or more disorders or illnesses occurring in the same person. They can occur at the same time or one after the other. Comorbidity also implies interactions between the illnesses that can worsen the course of both.” [Ref. NIH]
I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in September 2004 at the age of 58. In the years that followed I was able to attain consistent A1C results in the 6.0 to 6.5 range with a combination of medication (Humalog, Levemir, and metformin), diet and exercise.
In August 2012 a red spot appeared on my forehead. Initially misdiagnosed as seborrheic dermatitis, I was prescribed ever-increasing amounts of prednisone until my hospitalization in early November. Once I was correctly diagnosed with pityriasis rubra pilaris and under the care of a dermatologist at the University of Texas Southwestern, a treatment plan for my PRP was initiated.
My A!C in January 2013 was 12.4. No matter what I did, the 90-day tests continued to be terrible.
I was declared in remission in April 2014 and gradually got back to my A1C norm: 6.0 to 6.5.
IMHO — a patient with PRP can be consumed by the disease and neglect other maladies. If I could turn back the clock, I would have made an A1C of 6.0 to 6.5 a part of my PRP treatment plan. A treatment plan is not a spotlight on one disease. It should be an umbrella covering all ailments.
Judy F
How do you “sweat out a fever” if we can’t sweat (anhidrosis)?
