My Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Story: How I Found Relief
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Dayna was in her senior year of college when what should have been a carefree weekend triggered the start of a chronic condition. βI was 21, in my senior year at UCLA. At that age, you donβt think youβre going to be diagnosed with a chronic skin condition. I went to Coachella as a 21-year-old does, and after Coachella, I started experiencing red dots on my back,β she says.
At first, she brushed it off. βI looked it up on Google and it told me it was bed bugs. I figured in two weeks it would go away. My primary care doctor thought it might be contact dermatitis because I had been lying in the grass,β she recalls. But the spots spread, and by the time Dayna finally got to a dermatologist, her symptoms had escalated. βWhen I finally got to my appointment, it was red, burning, scaling. It feels like your skin is on fire, on my back, my legs, my arms and it was starting on my chest.β
A New Diagnosis
One she was diagnosed with psoriasis, Dayna learned the condition was more advanced than she expected. βThereβs a measurement called body surface area, or BSA. Ten percent is considered severe, and I was at 40 percent. It was on my scalp, my face, in my ears, all of my intimate areas, my groin, my breasts. At one point, I could only see a fourth of my nipple because it was covered in psoriatic plaques. My legs, it was everywhere, and I felt disgusting,β she says.
The emotional toll was just as heavy. βEverywhere I went, I would get stared at. Even when people were well-meaning, asking if everything was okay, it was a constant reminder that I wasnβt normal. At the gym, when I had the energy to push through the pain of sweating, Iβd get weird looks. People donβt always realize psoriasis isnβt contagious.β Sleepless nights, painful workouts and having to delay her medical school applications added to the strain.
First Relief
Dayna tried and failed with multiple topicals before her dermatologist started the insurance process for a biologic. The waiting was difficult. βI remember crying in my dermatologistβs office because it was one month after one of our visits and she told me, hopefully by then we can either get an approval or a sample so you can start the medication. But she couldnβt get a sample, and there was no news about my insurance approval. I just lost it,β she says.
When she was finally approved for Skyrizi, the change was dramatic. βWithin a month, my skin went from fully covered to completely clear, which is wild,β she recalls.
A Secondary Concern
Clear skin brought temporary relief, but soon another problem emerged. βI developed psoriatic arthritis in my axial jointsβmy back, shoulders and feet,β she says. At first, she thought it was normal back pain from studying all day, but it escalated quickly. βIt was getting worse every day and it interfered with my sleep. There were nights when it took me seven hours to fall asleep. I often couldnβt walk around for long. It was miserable.β
The Treatment That Worked for Both
Her rheumatologist recommended Bimzelx (bimekizumab), a biologic recently approved for both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. βThe medication Iβm on now is called Bimzelx. I use it for my psoriasis and my psoriatic arthritis. I couldnβt believe I got insurance approvalβthat was the best day of my life,β she says.
The results came quickly. βWithin a week, I was already feeling a little bit better. Within a month, I was back to playing volleyball, going to class, hanging out with people and sleeping more. My life was just so much betterβall because I finally had access to a medication.β
Expert Insight
New York dermatologist and rheumatologist Saakshi Khattri, MD, explains why Bimzelx was the right fit. βBimzelx is a first-in-class biologic medication that blocks both IL-17A and F, cytokines that are implicated in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Itβs approved for both, so itβs an excellent choice when a patient has skin and joint symptoms at the same time,β she says.
She notes that while some patients may feel results within weeks, βfrom an arthritis perspective, they do have early data, as early as four weeks of being on the medication, which is just one first dose. The clinical trial data is looking at week 16, so thatβs about four months. So, I do tell my patients in the real world that letβs give the drug four months because thatβs the primary endpoint of clinical trials, but they could start to see something as early as four weeks.β
Moving Forward
Now thriving in medical school, Dayna admits thereβs still uncertainty that comes with relying on a costly biologic. βLiving with a chronic illness with no cure and having an expensive biologic, you never feel fully at peace because your medication just might stop working. Or if you change insurances and youβre approved, you might have to start the whole process over again. So I try to live in the present,β she says.
Her advice for others: βYou are not alone. Starting conversations and sharing stories helps. There are millions of people living with this, and support programs and foundations that can help. If you have the energy, reach out. If you donβt, thatβs okay too. Give yourself grace.β
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