Psoriasis and Alcohol: 4 Reasons to Drink Less

If you have psoriasis, you’ve likely experienced itchy, scaly, discolored patches on your skin that can be annoying and uncomfortable. Psoriasis symptoms can disrupt sleep, and the condition is linked with psoriatic arthritis, which can cause pain and joint stiffness.

Because of its symptoms, psoriasis can impact how you feel not only physically but also emotionally. Research suggests this challenge has led many people with the chronic autoimmune disorder to turn to alcohol.

“Does alcohol make psoriasis worse, or does psoriasis make people consume more alcohol? It’s much easier to demonstrate the latter than the former,” Dr. Lebwohl adds.

“Studies to date have been mixed, but it’s been observed by many dermatologists who treat psoriasis that people with the condition become fairly ill after binge drinking, and part of that is that their psoriasis symptoms worsen,” Lebwohl notes.

In addition, many people with psoriasis also have other health problems — from overweight or obesity to high blood pressure or heart disease — and “drinking alcohol doesn’t make any of those things better,” he adds.

Here are four reasons to limit alcohol consumption if you have psoriasis.

Although the exact cause of psoriasis remains a mystery, what is known is that the condition involves problems with the immune system and inflammation.

Alcohol affects the function of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, which impact your behavior and body’s responses, including the immune response.

Meanwhile, recent studies have shown that alcohol may negatively impact the skin barrier, the outermost layer of the skin that functions like a brick wall around the inner layers, preventing moisture from escaping and allergens and viruses from entering.

This could worsen the symptoms of psoriasis, research suggests.

Alcohol may also limit the effectiveness of certain psoriasis treatments and reduce a person’s adherence to their treatment regimen.

“[Biologics] are the newer and better drugs we have to treat psoriasis,” Lebwohl says.

Part of the reason for this is that people with psoriasis who drink are less likely to adhere to their treatment as prescribed.

Comorbidities are medical conditions that coexist with another diagnosis and may affect your health and treatment as a result.

Because of psoriasis’s effect on the immune system, people who have it are at an increased risk for certain comorbidities.

Here are the most common comorbidities associated with psoriasis and their potential relationship with alcohol consumption.

“People with psoriasis tend to be overweight or obese, which means their lipid levels tend to be higher,” Lebwohl says. “That’s why they are at higher risk for fatty liver disease.”

Lipids are organic compounds in the body that include fats and cholesterols.

“By themselves, these drugs are no more harmful for the liver than many others we use all the time,” Lebwohl says.

But some drugs, including methotrexate, can lead to hepatic fibrosis when used in combination with alcohol.

This could lead to serious health complications, including cirrhosis.

Numerous studies have shown that people with psoriasis often have depression, and a significant percentage have anxiety, sometimes along with depression. Depression and anxiety are often related and are themselves comorbidities for each other.

If you’re concerned that your alcohol intake is affecting your mood, your psoriasis, or any other part of your life negatively, talk to your doctor about alcohol use disorder treatments. Options include therapy programs, support groups, medication, and, often, a combination of these.

• If you have psoriasis, cutting back on alcohol can benefit your skin and your overall health.
• Alcohol can interact with some commonly used psoriasis treatments and lower the chances you’ll follow your treatment regimen.
• Alcohol raises the risk of heart and liver disease and may raise your risk of psoriatic arthritis.