Question: Which Medicines can Worsen Psoriasis?
Some drugs can worsen psoriasis and should be avoided in those who have this disease.
Answer:
Several drugs or classes of drugs have been shown to worsen psoriasis. The major players in this phenomenon are:
Beta Blockers, such as propranolol. Used to treat high blood pressure patients and those who've experienced a heart attack, these drugs can worsen psoriasis within several weeks of starting the drug.Lithium, used to treat bipolar disorders, can worsen psoriasis and even trigger psoriasis in people previously undiagnosed, sometimes as long as 15 months after starting the drug.
Antimalarials are drugs such as hydroxychloroquine, and they are typically used for the treatment of lupus or arthritis. Worsening of psoriasis has been reported with their use as early as 5 weeks into treatment.
Interferons, such as those used to treat hepatitis C, can aggravate existing or trigger new cases of psoriasis -- and the condition may not improve after stopping the drug.
Other drugs that may worsen psoriasis include calcium channel blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (for high blood pressure), the antifungal terbenefine, and the smoking-cessation pill bupropion.
More Psoriasis Q&A