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Meet Sarah
When Sarah noticed the flakes, redness, and dry patches on her scalp and elbows, she thought she’d have to give up her favorite pastime of fly-fishing.
The creams and shampoos her dermatologist prescribed for her plaque psoriasis weren’t fitting with her lifestyle, and she knew there had to be another option. That’s when she saw a commercial for Otezla. After weighing side effects and benefits with her doctor, she decided to give Otezla a try.
After 4 months, Sarah achieved clearer skin and was pleased with the results. There was less redness, and less flaking after 4 months. Most importantly, she was able to get back to fly-fishing and enjoying the great outdoors.
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Meet Charlie
Charlie struggled with plaque psoriasis since he was a child. He tried to cover up, but the plaques on his arms, legs, and hands would crack and bleed, making it difficult to play with the other kids. And as an avid video gamer, his symptoms were getting in the way of his hobbies. Through most of his life, Charlie was embarrassed and believed his plaque psoriasis defined him.
By the time he was an adult, he felt he’d tried everything—topicals, home remedies, phototherapy. Every day he would wake up wondering if his plaques would be there. So when a doctor recommended Otezla, Charlie felt skeptical that a pill could help, but he gave it a chance and began a sample Starter Pack his doctor gave him.
Charlie has been on Otezla for over a year now and has clearer skin. He now wishes that he would have tried it sooner!
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Meet Jillian
Jillian was in college when she first started noticing red, itchy patches on her skin. At first, her doctor thought it might be an allergy, but after 3 years of cutting out perfumes and changing her diet, she was diagnosed with plaque psoriasis.
The worst symptom was the itching. Jillian found herself digging her nails into her skin just to avoid scratching off the plaques. She was managing her condition somewhat, but felt like she was using topicals all the time. She knew there had to be something different. After talking to her doctor, Otezla seemed like a better fit for her lifestyle.
Thanks to the help of the Amgen® SupportPlus team, getting on Otezla and signing up for the co-pay program was easy. Overall, Jillian has had a good experience with Otezla, and most days she says she doesn’t have to cover up her skin.
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Meet Pat
When Pat first noticed a red, itchy patch on his back at age 18, he had a hunch it might be plaque psoriasis since his mom also had the condition. Turns out his hunch was right—he was diagnosed with plaque psoriasis shortly after. Because he grew up swimming and surfing, covering up felt weird at first, but by the time he was in college, Pat had simply gotten used to wearing clothes that hid his plaques. Over the years he’d experienced a lot of trial and error with different doctors and topical treatments, but the idea of switching to a systemic treatment was scary.
After moving cities for a job, Pat was on the lookout for a new dermatologist, though at this point he’d learned to live with his symptoms, including pitting in his nails and head-to-toe plaques. But this time, something was different. His doctor told him about a pill called Otezla. Pat was tired of sticky ointments and scared of injections, so this sounded like the right choice.
At first he had some stomach side effects, like diarrhea and nausea. But over time they went away, and he’s glad to say, he started seeing clearer skin after 4 months and has now been on Otezla for 6 years.
