Guttate psoriasis after strep throat — hundreds of spots, then slowly gone

Three weeks after a nasty bout of strep throat, I noticed small red drops on my stomach. Within a fortnight there were hundreds of them — chest, back, arms, thighs. I was 19 and completely panicked. Searching my symptoms at 2am made everything worse. The dermatologist explained that guttate psoriasis often follows a strep infection, especially in younger people, and — the part I most needed to hear — that it frequently settles down over months, sometimes for good. Creams were hopeless across that many small spots, so I was referred for narrowband UVB: standing in a light booth for a couple of minutes, three times a week. It was tedious and involved a lot of bus trips. Around week six I noticed the spots flattening and fading. By month four they were pale marks. By month six my skin was clear. I do not know what the future holds — I have read that guttate can come back or shift into plaque psoriasis, and I flag every sore throat with my GP now. But if you are covered in spots and terrified like I was: it is a recognised pattern, it has treatment options, and it is not necessarily forever. — This is an example story written by the Psoriasis People team to illustrate the case-story format while the community grows. It is a realistic composite, not one real person's account, and it will be replaced by real community stories.