Navy with Psoriasis and Humira Prescription

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NavyPsoriasis

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Registered Member
Making my introduction, so hello all.

Diagnosed with Psoriasis in January 2020, prescribed topicals.
Revisit AF Derm Doc in February 2020, topicals not working, psoriasis getting worse. Prescribed Humira at this point.

This is when I started researching Humira, eventually found out that the Navy (and Military) consider it a service-limiting medication (due to it being an immunosuppressive.)
Now I'm trying to figure out what's going to happen next... Will the Derm Doc recommend a Med Board? Does this get triggered automatically somehow from within the med system? How will I find out if I've been recommended for a Med Board? How long can I "fly under the radar" while taking this med until I am recommended for Med Board?

Any Navy or MC been dx with PSA and have any experience with my situation?

Thanks all!
 
I’m Air Force but in the same boat with you for psoriasis and Humira. I was on it for at least 6 months before my doc put me in for a med board. I’m in the early stages of it right now so I don’t know if they will return me to duty or retire me yet. Although most posters on this board with similar circumstances seem to be getting med retired
 
eerf123 said:
I’m Air Force but in the same boat with you for psoriasis and Humira. I was on it for at least 6 months before my doc put me in for a med board. I’m in the early stages of it right now so I don’t know if they will return me to duty or retire me yet. Although most posters on this board with similar circumstances seem to be getting med retired
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Thats the final result I've noticed from reading posts on here as well. Im nervous about the timeline because I am coming up on my next PCS.
 
Hmmm that might be problematic since that would come up on your medical clearance review. At least thats how they do it in the AF, I’m sure there is a similar process for Navy. I flew under the radar as long as I Could with mine. Unfortunately I needed to get a waiver for my pt test and thats When they finally put me in for the med board at the same time.
 
I was sent out to specialty and when I came back for my follow up with my pcm(a few days later) they immediately put me up for MEB. They asked me would I stop taking the medication and I declined. So good luck.
 
Army experience: I was allowed to take the medication for six months to ensure it was the proper treatment. Once it was confirmed to be the treatment for me (actually happened around the nine month mark during the annual health assessment), I was referred to the board. Prior to Humira I was on Otezla but did not see any benefits.
 
At least for the Army - it's 100% dependent on the provider who writes the profile, your MOS, and how they interpret 40-501.

You can be separated for the condition (sic) "not being controlled after 12 months" or for the medications "requires frequent health care visits or medical supervision".

This means that if you ended up on Remicade it's 100% MEB. But since Humira can be self administrated, if you're in a job that doesn't deploy, or a unit that doesn't deploy, or a job that has access to cold chain.... LOTS of providers just let you stay. Because the reg is designed to weed out those that can't be sup[ported forward either with their med, or with treatment if they get a severe infection. So if you aren't going anywhere.. it's not hard to stay in.

So providers are super letter of the law though and won't want to have that convo, or are to busy CYA to have that conversation with you. I spent 3 years extra in while on Remicade because I didn't deploy and my Command was happy to keep me.

So IF you want to stay and your on these medications it "can" work (for the Army) but its dependent on the things above and your ability to have intelligent non-emotional conversation with a health care provider. If you come at them with a hammer, they'll get their breeches in a bunch and you're SOL. Come at it from "Hey I like the Army, I want to keep serving, can you work with me to find a way to stay? My current assignment doeskin require deployment, so is this doable? (Though because we are in a pandemic you could be totally screwed regardless unfortunately =/ )
 
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