Comments on: Metronidazole (Metrogel, Flagyl) is a popular rosacea treatment

By: amy

amy — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 04:52:51 +0000

Hi Everyone,
After 6 months of suffering, I was just diagnosed with Rosacea a few days ago at age 31. Rosacea has really taken a toll emotionally on me because my skin has alway been decent looking in the past. I had just moved in to my house and kept thinking I was allergic to my house for some reason and that was making me depressed. Tried so many oral medication and each one just made me sick. I just started on Metrogel so I am praying that this treatment works.

My question is does anyone know of any books or info on diet would help with Rosacea. I am trying to do what I can to can’t this under control. Thank you for your time and responses in advance

By: Britt

Britt — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 13:07:00 +0000

Hey all,
reading your posts as my face has also started working against me. As far as your theories about tap water being a possible cause, my derm the first time my face exploded in rosacea (also after having easy skin for most of my life), suggested it may be a fluoride allergy. We switched to non-fluouride toothpaste and he had me on the metrolotion and cetaphyll cleanser. The good news is that it cleared up right away. The bad news is that I am experiencing a little relapse 3 years later, and wondering, like you, if tap water has to do with it. As most allergies start mild then can get worse I am wondering if the fluoride in the tap water is now causing a similar reaction as my toothpaste was prior. I will try the suggestions about washing with spring water but perhaps this post will help some of you looking for the cause of these outbreaks. I know that fluouride allergies are still contested, but both my brother and I have returned to near normal after this derm’s suggestion about switching toothpaste. Hopefully non-fluorinated water will help me do the trick again this time.

By: cara

cara — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 05:32:18 +0000

oh, i forgot to mention she even said not to have FISH! (the derm!) so, i even rarely have fish anymore!!!!!!! it all seemed crazy….but i really made an effort to follow her suggestions!

By: cara

cara — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 05:26:08 +0000

just wanted to touch bases here after majorly controlling my diet since december, 2010. my dermatologist (25 yr research scientist and ucla professor) told me that my rosacea was basically a lactose intolerance. humm. well, i got off lactose, and it wasn’t an immediate fix, nor did i expect one. in fact she gave me a bunch of other things i shouldn’t have, citing reasons too complicated to recount here, but nuts, orange juice, sugar, starchy food, cold cuts, and the usuals, caffeine, alcohol, fried foods, were among them.

month by month my skin got better as i became more and more disciplined with my diet. when i fell off the diet, the reaction was clear. i am just saying that ten months later i have to wear blush for the first time in my life. i do not have the depth of the problem i once had and friends are still noticing the change and commenting. it’s funny, sometimes i forget that i have it. i still make mistakes, but two things i am really strict about is lactose and gluten. sure it’s a pain, but now it’s a habit, i try to apologize to waitresses and hosts/hostesses about my restrictions, and plan very carefully what i eat. btw goat and sheep does not have the lactose, and were it not for those i believe it might have been impossible. goat butter is to die for delicious, but for the most part i use olive oil or coconut oil.

i feel there may be a fungal component to all of this, (studied far less than viral and bacterial issues by the medical establishment) and although i don’t want to go on and on, antibiotics are a real factor in wrecking our natural balance, (probiotics are essential if doing rounds of antibiotics, and generally) and getting our balance back is imperative, and there is a mind, body, spirit component as well.

using good minerals, and enzymes, anti fungal herbs, as well as a baking soda protocol, are a few other things that should be considered, as well as having more than fifty percent of ones diet in raw foods/green juices in a day. stay hydrated.

oh and cleansing the system w enemas and or a juice fast done properly w supervision/research.

those are cliff notes……it’s complicated….wishing peace and healing to everyone who aches along this journey……xo

By: Heather

Heather — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 20:53:52 +0000

There is no known cure for rosacea. Info I found on it says it will only get worse over time without peoper treatment.

By: Heather

Heather — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 20:50:05 +0000

For those of you looking for a makeup to use I would not suggest bareMinerals. I have used the product for a long time but since developing rosacea I find that it makes my face really itchy. I have been doing a lot of research on rosacea and found that there is two ingredients in it that is on the stay away list for rosacea sufferers. Mica and bismuth oxychloride are the ingredients in bareMinerals. I know that everyone’s triggers are different so the trick is to figure out what they are. I found a company that offers an organic product that is chemical free called Rejuva minerals. I am going to order a sample tomorrow to try out. I have just started to eliminate things from my skin care regimine and I am wondering if the tap water in my area is a probable cause. I will not use Cetaphil anything as it contains a lot of alchol which dries your face out and dermatologist told me it was a waste of my money. I am going to try using spring water for my face and have found an Oatmeal Facial Bar from coastal classic creations that ususe natural ingredients I will try. They have a face bar for rosacea but I will not use it as I am 6 mos. prego and there is an ingredient in it that may or may not be safe during pregnancy. I will however try it after baby is born as customers who use it and an oil they offer for rosacea swear by it as a replacement for typical medication. I am wondering what do people use as a daily moisturizer as my face seems to be extremly dry. I know I need to figure out what foods and things I consume may trigger my rosacea but as I said I am prego so an elimination diet is not for me at this time. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

By: Amy

Amy — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 17:06:12 +0000

I have found that for the red spots that won’t go away, etc my dermatologist gave me two laser treatments that made an unbelievable difference in the appearance of my skin. All those red dots that just never seem to go away even when the face is not having a flare up – gone! My face is so smooth – in color and texture. AND have not returned, and it’s been over a year.

After this treatment, I have started using Cetaphil face cleanser, and Aveeno moisturizer with 15 spf (which I also use as sunscreen when out in the sun) Also, since taking Evening Primrose Oil, (all natural) I have not had a single flare up (in over 9 mos)…the Evening Primrose Oil helps in reducing inflamation.

By: elaine

elaine — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:17:39 +0000

Hi D,

I too am like you in that at the moment I’m lucky and don’t have Rosacea bad – it comes and goes in small flare-ups. I have found it helpful to use the metronidazole cream very sparingly until my skin calms down and righly or wrongly I don’t use it when my skin is clear. Hope this has helped.
Elaine

By: D

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 02:08:40 +0000

Hi!
I was just diagnosed with Rosacea this week, although I already suspected for a year that I have it. Most people I tested this theory on said it couldn’t be, as I am only in my 20′s… Anyway, the GP prescribed Metronidazole cream for me and said it will irritate my skin a lot at first and probably take 6 weeks for it to work.
My question is: I only have some flares of redness, itchiness and rash every three months or so and, excruciating and depressing as it may be, it goes away after about a week (for now). I have no permanent redness or acne-like spots, which is in my understanding what the cream is actually prescribed for… So should I really take antibiotics for symptoms I don’t have, during a period of time when I don’t have any symptoms at all?? Could that not just hurt my skin more??
Now, this General Practician won’t refer me to a specialist until I have tried her treatment… Considering that I’ll have Rosacea all my life and I’ve heard it will only get worse AND that I have other skin problems as well – Atopic Dermatitis and potentially another type of dermatitis on my face which she diagnosed me with (but I strongly believe she is wrong on this one) – I really want to see a proper dermatologist!! In the UK this is apparently impossible unless you have a GP referral or can splash out over £300 for a consultation with a private doctor.
It’s so frustrating that no one seems to want to help here! If you ask questions the GPs treat you almost like a criminal. Or can it be I have just had really bad luck…?
Will try to ask for a referral again tomorrow, with a different GP….. wish me luck!

By: CR

CR — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 21:29:07 +0000

Just a note of hope for you suffering with this skin condition. My rosacea showed up 2 summers ago. My eyes felt itchy and irritated. Took awhile for my dermatologist to diagnose it, in fact, I led the way with what I read on the net. Then I was put on oral antibiotics and Metrogel. It took 3-4 months for the bumpy pustule patches to subside. Then longer, almost a year, for the redness to completely go away. The redness would come back briefly whenever I washed my face. Contact with water seemed to trigger redness. Anyway, finally all gone! I treat my face very gently, wash with Cetaphil only, and use Metro Lotion in Spring/Fall/Winter, and Metrogel in the Summer, twice a day. I feel very grateful and lucky that my condition resolved. Keep with your treatments, I got VERY frustrated by how long it took my skin to heal, but it eventually did. I was lucky, and I wish you all luck too!