Corticosteroids for Psoriasis

As symptoms improve, your doctor may recommend a milder cream or may recommend that you apply it less often (such as weekend use only).

High-strength corticosteroids are used for short lengths of time to reduce the risk of side effects.

Corticosteroids taken by mouth (oral) often lead to severe rebound psoriasis (psoriasis that returns and is worse than before treatment) when you suddenly stop taking the drug. Oral corticosteroids are rarely used to treat psoriasis.

Occlusive dressings (such as DuoDerm) moisturize the skin and reduce the redness, thickness, and amount of scaling of the skin. They help remove scale and increase the effectiveness of corticosteroid creams. But occlusive dressings also increase the risk that the drug will be absorbed into the body and disrupt the body's hormonal system. Regular follow-up with a doctor is needed whenever these products are used with corticosteroid creams.

Exfoliative psoriasis, in which the rash covers the entire body, may occur after long-term use of high-dose corticosteroid creams or pills.

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