Patient information leaflet

‘How to…. Apply Dovobet® Ointment’ Dovobet® is used in the management of psoriasis. It is a Vitamin D analogue called Calcipotriol plus a corticosteroid called Betamethasone. Vitamin D analogues may cause a little irritation to the skin around your psoriasis. Should a severe reaction occur i.e. intense itching, burning or dermatitis (eczema) then you should stop using the cream or ointment and review your treatment plan with your doctor or nurse. If you suspect you are pregnant or are breast feeding you should stop applying Dovobet®. General advice for the application of Dovobet® You should not apply more than 100g in one week (this is less than the quantity in a large tube (120g)). Always wash your hands thoroughly before and after applying the cream or ointment this prevents cream being transferred to other parts of the body. Dovobet® should be applied to the areas of skin where psoriasis is present with the exception of skin folds or Tel: 020 7383 0266 Fax: 020 7388 5263 e-mail: [email protected] the face. You should also not apply the Dovobet® onto areas of the skin where you have a viral infection such as cold sores, athlete’s foot, chicken pox or any other type of infection. Treatment is applied once a day. The recommended duration of treatment should not exceed 4 weeks unless otherwise advised by your doctor or nurse. This is because the ointment contains a corticosteroid and long term use may result in unwanted side effects. Following a course of Dovobet® you may then use one of the Vitamin D analogues creams or ointments i.e. Calcipotriol (Dovonex®), Calcitriol (Silkis®) and You should have a bath, shower or wash using a soap substitute or bath Apply your emollient or moisturiser to all areas of your skin. This is not an 'active' treatment but helps to soften hard skin and plaques, reduce Tel: 020 7383 0266 Fax: 020 7388 5263 e-mail: [email protected] scaling and itch. Moisturisers also assist the penetration of other topical treatments. There are many different brands of moisturiser creams and ointments. You should use the moisturiser that ‘suits’ you best. If time permits wait approximately 30 minutes for this to soak in before applying the Dovobet®. If you do not have the time, then apply the emollients and Dovobet® treatments at different times of day. To work out how much Dovobet® treatment to use you should squeeze out the ointment or cream onto the end of an adult finger - from the tip of the finger to the first crease. This is called a 'fingertip unit'. One fingertip unit is enough to treat an area of psoriasis equivalent approximately the size of the flat of an adult's hand Tel: 020 7383 0266 Fax: 020 7388 5263 e-mail: [email protected] Apply an even layer of your Dovobet® treatment to the Rub in the cream or ointment until it has all disappeared. Repeat until you have treated all affected areas. Then wash your hands (unless your hands are the treated area). Try not to transfer cream to other areas of the body especially the face when carrying out your treatment. Do not worry if you accidentally get the cream or ointment on your normal skin but try to avoid this if possible. The treatment in the case of Calcipotriol or (Dovonex®), Calcitriol (Silkis®) should be repeated again in the morning or early evening although you may not wish to repeat Step 1. Moisturising the skin is an important part of your treatment so repeat Step 2 as often as you wish or You should use your treatment until the psoriasis plaque is completely flat and you can not tell the difference in the skin with your eyes closed. The psoriasis plaque may look a different colour for several weeks after treatment but the skin tones should eventually even out. If your Tel: 020 7383 0266 Fax: 020 7388 5263 e-mail: [email protected] psoriasis is not completely clear after one month or recurs treat the affected areas with the Vitamin D Analogue cream or ointment i.e. Calcipotriol (Dovonex®), Calcitriol (Silkis®) and Tacalcitol (Curatoderm®). Continue to use your emollient or moisturiser regularly. Tel: 020 7383 0266 Fax: 020 7388 5263 e-mail: [email protected]

Source: http://www.bdng.org.uk/documents/Dovobet.pdf