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 the complications you have encountered. Share articles you feel might be worth reading or websites worth visiting. Here is the first question we ask. What complications had the most profound impact during your version of PRP? 

Bill M (Plano, TX)

The journey from onset to remission is rarely a straight line. Along the way we encounter obstacles and road hazards. These complications can sometimes bring us to the brink.

Like many PRP patients, the skin on the soles of my feet became thick, then cracked and bled. It was to painful to walk. For a time I was bedridden. Swollen feet made wearing sneakers impossible. I was relegated to slippers and my way of moving was best described as the C-3PO shuffle. In fact, I was convinced that Christmas 2012 would be my last Christmas. My lack of mobility had extended from mid-October to mid-January 2013.

Whether it was the acitretin, daily “slathering” of Clobetasol and urea lotion, the passage of time, or a combination of all three, my feet improved. The “Milestone of Healing” was the day I could once again wear my sneakers. That was January 2013.

Of all the symptoms I have suffered on my PRP journey, the most debilitating symptom was impaired mobilit