Struggling

[rattled]

Hi there,

I had cystic acne throughout my teens which I finally knocked out with a two year course of accutane. There were a lot of side effects but it paid off as my skin was crystal clear - people would even comment that my skin looked airbrushed. I never had any Rosacea-like symptoms.

But then I went to a Bikram yoga class (which is yoga done in an intensely hot room with high humidity). I only did one class but it was a cold day and I think that the heat, sweating and intense exercise, then walking home in the cold and wind and hopping into a hot shower afterwards really did damage to my skin. The next day my skin was red, there were burst capillaries and lots of tiny bumps which have become more inflamed since. I saw a dermatologist who confirmed that I now have Rosacea and that the Bikram yoga had triggered it.

I am absolutely devastated because I understand this is a chronic condition that doesn't have a cure as such. I've spiralled into depression and had to take stress leave from work and am currently housebound. I'm just wondering if anyone else has been in a similar situation and can offer some advice? I am 24 and have no family history of Rosacea. Because this was triggered by just the one event, I'm wondering if the right treatment can send it into remission? What treatment would that be?

Any advice would be appreciated

[fanny]

hi and welcome
I am so sorry for your suffering. You do not say what the derm prescribed for you? Metrogel and finacea are standard topicals and oracea or doxycyline are standard antibiotics prescribed, are you using any of these? I cannot believe that one session of bikram yoga caused rosacea, it just seems not believable. Remission of rosacea is attainable. It would seem that heat is a trigger for you, many rosaceans keep a trigger diary, noting food, drink and environmental triggers. Be gentle with your skin, use a gentle cleanser and moisturiser.
Take heart , you are not alone, please do not let this disease take control of your life, get out there!
Best wishes
Fanny

[spencer]

Hi,

I agree with Fanny. It seems very unlikely that one Bikram class could have triggered rosacea. If anything, I think it was probably the straw that broke the camel's back after years of exposing yourself to other triggers (e.g. accutane). In many ways, rosacea is a disease we cannot control. We can only control how we respond to the symptoms. With the right treatment your symptoms will improve. It is impossible to know when that will be, but in the meantime be kind to yourself. You are more than just an "airbrushed" face. And when your symptoms improve, you will look back on this experience and realize how far you've come (spiritually, emotionally). There's nothing better than rosacea to put life into perspective. For me, rosacea helped me empathize with other people who were suffering with other conditions. Working in the health field exposes me to people with many health challenges much worse than my own. But don't get me wrong, it totally sucked at the time. I went into depression myself, had sleep problems, anxiety, etc. I just wish I hadn't let the disease control me to the extent that it did. And that's my advice to you, try and relax into the process a bit. Don't resist it. Seek out answers. See a counselor and find a good dermatologist or alternative health practitioner that you trust. You will get through this and you will be stronger and more resilient when you do; in other words, more able to cope with change. I wish I could suggest one treatment approach that could fix it all, but your best bet will be to find someone who knows your full health history and can then figure out the best course of action. Let us know how it goes!

[rattled]

Thanks spencer and fanny for your replies I really appreciate the support.

I was on a pretty high dose of accutane for those two years which probably did make my skin really delicate, I should have taken better care of it. But as you say what's done is done and I can't change it unfortunately! I would just caution anyone else on this forum against Bikram!

My derm prescribed Duac gel for the acne and clarithromycin which has reduced the inflammation slightly. It leaves me a bit nauseous and with a metal taste in my mouth but I have just been pushing through the side effects in the hope that it clears my symptoms up. So far I'm still getting new pustules/papules daily but my skin doesn't look as red as before. She also used some kind of laser thing to unclog blocked pores which worked but has left red marks where they used to be.

She suggested I would need three IPL treatments that would clear up about 80% of the redness/capillaries but I'm just nervous about that because I think they were caused by heat from the Bikram air vents, so applying more heat to treat them doesn't make sense to me. Given my skin is so delicate I'm worried the laser would do more harm than good. Any thoughts on this?

[rattled]

Also, is it normal for rosacea sufferers to get hot flushes all over their body, not just the face? I'm getting them to the point that I feel nauseous and really overheated. Or maybe it's a symptom of the anxiety I'm feeling over the diagnosis?

[fanny]

Hi
Firstly, ipl really does not apply heat, it is a diffused laser. If you do ipl please make sure you go to a dermatologist that has been recommended.
As far as all over flushing, I have only experienced flushing in the face and it is very unpleasant. When that happens I do feel hot all over though, I get an ice cube, apply it to my cheeks and then suck on it.
take care
Fanny