Is your glass half full?

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Is your glass
half full?

Why think about alcohol use if
I have psoriasis?

Alcohol affects psoriasis flares directly by increasing inflammation in the body. For this reason it is useful to think about how your drinking habits may be affecting your skin health.

Many of us are drinking more alcohol than we realise. Maybe having psoriasis is a useful reason for you to take a look at your drinking habits.

What does this mean for me?

The benefits of making small changes to your drinking habits, even if you don’t drink much, could be huge for you. It can lessen your chance of a flare and improve your general skin health, your mood and your waistline!

It is worth thinking about why, when and where we drink alcohol. For many of us the ‘why’ is about relaxing with friends. However, some of us drink more to help us to feel better or to sleep.

Having psoriasis can be stressful and some people with the condition use alcohol to cope. The tricky thing is that alcohol can worsen psoriasis flares, worsen your mood and reduce your quality of sleep.

What does this mean for me?

It’s up to you to decide if this is the right time to cut down the amount of alcohol you drink. Sometimes thinking of reasons to change are useful:

I want to do the best for my skin health
My dermatologist thinks that using methotrexate may help to treat my psoriasis
Alcohol is very high in calories, and weight loss is important for psoriasis. (Cutting down how much you drink can be an easy way to lose weight which won’t leave you feeling hungry)

How much is too much?

If you have psoriasis there is no simple answer to this question. Drinking less alcohol may mean your treatment options are widened as some medicines can’t be offered if you are regularly drinking alcohol. Many dermatologists are reluctant to prescribe medicines such as methotrexate in people who drink alcohol.

What does this mean for me?

If you don’t feel like you can reduce your alcohol at the moment, be honest with your doctor. You may need to discuss an alternative approach for treating your psoriasis.

Patient’s top-tip

Looking after my skin health means thinking about my alcohol use. I managed to cut down by trying different things:

Using a smaller glass
Deciding before I go out what my limit will be
Having a non-alcoholic drink in between my glasses of wine
Finding alternative ways to relax and look after my mood

Nurse's top-tip

There are some great apps and easy resources available online for helping you to manage your drinking.

What are your
drinking goals?

Psychologist's top-tip

Remember, what you DO is influenced by what you THINK and how you FEEL. Make a note of your thoughts and feelings when you reach
for that extra glass.

Make notes

Use this section to note down what you think about alcohol and your psoriasis.

Have a look at the examples below
to help you make a plan to reduce
your alcohol and stick to it.

THEN

I will distract myself with something else that I enjoy like reading

As a result

I will feel more in control

IF

I am tempted to drink too much alcohol at home...

THEN

As a result

Use the blanks for
your own ideas

THEN

I will remember cutting down could improve my psoriasis

As a result

I will
think/feel/do

IF

I am tempted to drink too much alcohol when I am out

THEN

As a result

For further advice or information please consult your healthcare provider or psoriasis patient association in your region