It’s what’s on the inside that counts. No, really.
Plaque psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, and there’s no simple explanation for when and why people get this condition. What we do know is that it involves an overactive immune system which causes inflammation and speeds up cell growth.
Normal skin cells grow and fall off in about a month, but when you have plaque psoriasis, this growth happens in just a few days. When the cells grow faster than they fall off, it causes them to build up on your skin in the form of itchy, scaly patches.
You might experience raised patches of skin called plaques that are sometimes covered with a silvery buildup of dead skin cells. These plaques can be itchy, painful, and flaky.
Often, plaques appear on elbows, knees, lower back, and scalp—but not everyone experiences symptoms in the same ways…
Plaques may cover a large portion of your body, or might just be a few annoying patches. Plaques may appear reddish on lighter skin tones, or gray or purple on darker skin tones.
Sometimes, your itching or flaking might worsen when you’re stressed.
Plaque psoriasis can also show up in difficult to treat places like under fingernails and toenails, or on genitals.
There is no cure for plaque psoriasis, but it can be managed with treatment. If you’ve been living with plaque psoriasis for a while, you and your doctor have probably discussed and even tried some options.
These treatments, often called systemic treatments, target plaque psoriasis where it starts below the surface of the skin:
This information shouldn’t be used to compare the efficacy or safety of these treatments. You and your doctor should work together to decide which treatment is right for you.
You put these treatments directly on your skin, typically where you see plaques or other symptoms. These include:
This information shouldn’t be used to compare the efficacy or safety of these treatments. You and your doctor should work together to decide which treatment is right for you.
Plaque psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease. That means it starts inside the body, and, as a result, symptoms like itching, redness, and plaques appear on the surface of the skin.
Otezla is a systemic treatment. That means it works inside the body, where inflammation starts, so you have fewer plaque psoriasis symptoms on the outside.
The exact way in which Otezla helps improve symptoms isn’t completely understood.
It’s more common than you think! Psoriasis affects more than 8 million people in the US
You must not take Otezla if you are allergic to apremilast or to any of the ingredients in Otezla.
Otezla can cause allergic reactions, sometimes severe. Stop using Otezla and call your healthcare provider or seek emergency help right away if you develop any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction: trouble breathing or swallowing, raised bumps (hives), rash or itching, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat or arms.
Otezla can cause severe diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting, especially within the first few weeks of treatment. Use in elderly patients and the use of certain medications with Otezla appears to increase the risk of complications from having severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. Tell your doctor if any of these conditions occur.
Otezla is associated with an increase in depression. In clinical studies, some patients reported depression, or suicidal behavior while taking Otezla. Some patients stopped taking Otezla due to depression. Before starting Otezla, tell your doctor if you have had feelings of depression, or suicidal thoughts or behavior. Be sure to tell your doctor if any of these symptoms or other mood changes develop or worsen during treatment with Otezla.
Some patients taking Otezla lost body weight. Your doctor should monitor your weight regularly. If unexplained or significant weight loss occurs, your doctor will decide if you should continue taking Otezla. For children 6 years of age or older, their doctor should monitor their growth (height and weight). If they are not growing or gaining weight as expected, their doctor will decide if they should continue taking Otezla.
Some medicines may make Otezla less effective and should not be taken with Otezla. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines.
The most common side effects of Otezla include diarrhea, nausea, upper respiratory tract infection, tension headache, and headache. These are not all the possible side effects with Otezla. Ask your doctor about other potential side effects. Tell your doctor about any side effect that bothers you or does not go away.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or planning to breastfeed.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-332-1088.
Please click here for the Full Prescribing Information for Otezla.
Otezla® (apremilast) is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of:
You must not take Otezla if you are allergic to apremilast or to any of the ingredients in Otezla.
