DITCHING THE ITCH PART II: LORATADINE TABLETS

LORATADINE 10MG ANTI-HISTAMINE TABLETS (30 TABLETS): 3/10

So after the failure of the last product I tried to get rid of my night time itching hell I asked the doctor what she would recommend. I specifically needed something that was non-drowsy, I had tried a really powerful anti-histamine from my dermatologist once & it worked a treat, probably because it knocked me so far out that there was no way I'd be itchin' in such deep sleep. However that was in my student days... Unfortunately I am now (considered by society) a responsible adult who only gets an opportunity for a lie-in once a week so I need something that's not going to make me sleep through my alarm clock and be dozy for the rest of the day. 

She told me that this worked really well for her severe hay fever. 

Not so good for my psoriasis I'm afraid doc.

Ok so I'm not too sure how long you're supposed to give these tablets to kick in but I've had a few experiences where I've suddenly & randomly woken up (usually around 4am) by a bout of itchiness. I've then taken a tablet which I keep by my bedside table, moisturise whilst still in bed cause I'm too tired to move and then attempt to go to sleep. Instead, however, my itchiness more often than not continued and it would usually take a good hour or so to get back to sleep. And even then I probably only got back to sleep out of pure exhaustion rather than comfortableness.

I must admit there were a few nights where I took this before I went to bed & before I got all itchy and I slept through- but it's hard to tell if that was thanks to the anti-histamine or whether I just wasn't itchy that night. 

To conclude, solely using this as an anti-itching agent didn't work for me and if your dr. says anything about prescribing this for you I would recommend asking for something stronger. It also scored less than the Eurax because as it is a tablet there is nothing to slightly soothe your skin even if it doesn't work to completely take the itch away. 

DITCHING THE ITCH: EURAX LOTION

-EURAX LOTION 100ML : 4/10
Night time can sometimes be hell for me. I can be absolutely exhausted but my itchiness will often prevent me from getting much needed rest. One of the many cruel ironies of psoriasis: a good sleeping routine is said to be beneficial for the immune system but it's very hard to get one when nightmare itching is actually a reality. 
I normally just reapply my moisturiser over and over and over again but find it to be ineffective if I'm just itching it off again so I'm on a mission to find a product to help...unfortunately my first attempt wasn't too successful, but not a complete disaster.
First, I must say that the lotion form isn't that great to apply when it's 3:00am and you don't want to leave the confines your comfy and warm bed to alleviate the itching fit that has suddenly overcome you. Both the consistency and smell reminded me of camomile lotion meaning it went everywhere when I tried to apply it whilst remaining horizontal...it left me with greasy looking bedsheets.
Also I must point out that psoriasis isn't listed on the front as one of the things it stops itching for but I thought I would give it a go (it was also in the clearance for £2 so why not?).
As I had already started the itching before applying I often had lesions that were bleeding or cut and I was then subject to an EXTREME stinging which was very unpleasant and is one of the main reasons I wouldn't recommend this product. 
On the other hand, for some reasons it's effects were rather arbitrary, some night it worked really well and I would kiss the bottle goodnight before falling into a deep continuous sleep. Some nights though I would still be tossing and turning for a few hours feeling even more uncomfortable with the stinging sensation. 
It's good value for money but it's results aren't consistent and can't be relied upon which isn't ideal for psoriasis sufferers. I think I will try the cream version of this as I think it will be more psoriasis friendly. 
(http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eurax-493361-100ml-Lotion/dp/B000KU93HQ) £4.40

WEEK #3: MANUKA ME BETTER

I must say that I've had a good week with my skin, some lesions are starting to get lighter in the middle, less raised & I noticed that around some of the spots the skin was white which I believe is a good sign. I'm still very very itchy but hopefully it'll continue to improve as even after a whole five months I've not head anything about an appointment with a dermatologist, very frustrating! Anyways last week I went manuka honey mental on the advice of a lady at Holland & Barrett's...again I've not included a review of the shampoo as that was done in week #1 but read on for my reviews of the other products. 

-DR ORGANIC MANUKA HONEY SOAP: 100G : 5/10
I found this to be neither good nor bad. It didn't sting or overly dry out my skin, it had a nice smell & it's good value for money especially given that it is likely to last a long time. On the other hand I would like it to provide a bit more moisture. I personally think that Johnsons baby soap is better & cheaper as I didn't really benefit from the manuka side of things with the soap.
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/dr-organic-manuka-honey-soap-60083594?c=dr%20organic%20manuka%20honey £2.99


-DR ORGANIC MANUKA HONEY SKIN LOTION: 200ML 6/10
Very strong smell, not particularly unpleasant but lingers on all your clothes. I really liked this but would've liked the moisture to last a little longer. I ended up incredibly itchy at night which was a bit annoying. Also it's on the pricey side. I bought two tubes of this (luckily it's buy one get one half price @ Holland & Barrett's but still not cheap) and it didn't see me through a whole week meaning I had to get some more which is annoying. I reckon I can get better for my money to be honest. 
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/dr-organic-manuka-honey-skin-lotion-60083591?c=dr%20organic%20manuka%20honey £7.49

-TIPTREE MINI MANUKA 10+ HONEY: 28G: 8/10
Manuka honey is not cheap so I decided to go for the smaller pot since I'm only trialling it at the moment. Manuka honey was recommended to me because of it's healing properties so I thought I may as well as try and apply it on directly in it's raw form. It was a little sticky but you can lick your fingers with this one so it's all good. I still had some left in the pretty little pot after a week of applying topically which made me happy given it's size. The only problem with this is it sticks to your clothes. The white outline of my lesions began to show after I started using this so I would like to try it again for a longer period next time. I also think eating it in addition to applying it would be beneficial.
https://groceries.morrisons.com/webshop/product/Tiptree-Mini-Manuka-10-Honey/289467011?from=search&tags&param=MANUKA+HONEY+&parentContainer=SEARCHMANUKA+HONEY_SHELFVIEW £1.35