From: “Linda Sy MD”
Date: Thu Dec 7, 2000 4:55 am
Subject: Re: [rosacea] the cortisone story continues
Hi Patricia,
Yes, what a bummer. There is no easy way to manage steroid induced dermatitis. Your skin has become addicted. How does one treat addiction? You either go cold turkey (in which case, you will undergo dramatic flares not just once but perhaps multiple times); or you can go easy on yourself and withdraw gradually (in which case, you may be delaying the eventual total withdrawal).
The latter method of course, is probably more practical, especially if you are working. One way of doing this, is to decrease potency & frequency of use (ex. from daily use to 3X per week, 2X, 1X etc. etc.) and keep stretching the duration. Then start diluting the concentration with a moisturizer. Skin is resilient and can adjust. Either way, you will get flare ups, sometimes even in other parts of your body (sort of metastatic rebound phenomenon).
So, do not be discouraged or surprised when you have a flare – it is not a set-back. Just keep on your program. Meanwhile, when you do get a flare, here are some ancillary suggestions:
- Apply cool water compress on your face 3-4 times a day for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Follow immediately with lubrication. If skin gets tight during the day, keep applying your lubricant as often as necessary.
- Take an antihistamine to help contain the itching.
- Use a lubricating foundation to camouflage the erythema (for emotional support).
- Keep up with your oral antibiotics if you are on this for your rosacea. This is not the time to phase out on this.
- Last but not the least, patience and give it time.
Some good news: There is a topical medication called Tacrolimus ointment. I read that it will be available in the near future. From published reports, Tacrolimus has been impressively effective in treating the “red face syndrome” induced by long-term continuous use of steroids in atopics. So,
you may not have too long to wait…
Linda Sy M.D.
Linda Sy Skin Care
http://www.lindasy.com
Voice:Toll-free 877-Lindasy (546-3279)
Outside US: 925-256-0178
FAX: 925-939-5207
See Also
Rosacea News Articles: moisturizers, cleansers and steroids,
538 comments ↓
I have been struggling with a very red face for the last year and a half. In the beginning I went to the doctor and he diagnosed me with contact dermatitis and prescribed mometasone cream along with Zyrtec. I put this on, and my symptoms lessened but the next day it was worse. I stopped taking it. I went to a dermatologist and he gave me Elacon Cream and Hydroxyzine. Same thing happened. Then my doctor prescribed predinisone 10 mg. As guessed same thing happened. In the beginning I was told that I had tested positive for EBV and that could be contributing to my symptoms. But after a year and a half??? I have heard of chronic mono but I dont have the symptoms such as fever,severe fatigue etc.
MY QUESTION IS THIS: How do I know if I have rosacea, steroid induced rosacea, or is it just an atypical presentation of the EBV(mononucleosis virus)?
Hello, everyone:
I suffered with acne for 15 years. 10 of those 15 years it was severe. I finally found a dermatologist who prescribed me two courses of Accutane. For the first time since I was 9 years of age, my skin began looking incredible. I was very happy. There was just one problem: the small, flat, red spots my previous acne had left behind were taking an abnormally long period of time to heal. For most people they normally take 3-4 months to completely fade away, but a year came and went and mine were still clearly visible. So I decided to ask my dermatologist if there was anything she could give me that would help quicken the pace they were fading and make them heal faster. She gave me a small tube of Tri-Luma and told me it would help.
HUGE MISTAKE!
I used it the night before Christmas Eve ’07 and put it on in an upside down triangular shape on the side of my right cheek (because that’s where most of the flat, red spots are located). The next morning I woke up and everywhere I put the Tri-Luma was a dark purplish/reddish color and it felt like my face was on fire! And the flat, red spots were an even deeper color red! I obviously had some type of allergic dermatitis reaction to it.
HOWEVER, the story doesn’t end there….the first 3 or 4 days after the intense flare-up, the color faded to a light pink, but the pink upside down triangle was still clearly apparent. Keep in mind, that was THREE MONTHS ago and the pinkness still has not faded away. Now all the surface area of my skin that I put the Tri-Luma on acts like Rosacea. So imagine a large, pink, upside down triangle on the right side of my cheek that constantly flares up whenever I get hot, or anytime I’m near sunlight, or anytime I do strenuous activity, etc. It’s a nightmare.
I am scared to death that permanent damage has been done. By the way, Tri-Luma has a steroid in it as one of its ingredients (which I didn’t find out until after the fact).
*Tri-Luma ingredients:
– fluocinolone acetonide 0.01%
– hydroquinone 4%
– tretinoin 0.05%
I have heard of people who use steroid creams long-term and end up suffering with permanent damage to their skin, but I have never heard of permanent, intense damage being done to a person’s skin after only ONE use. The thought alone blows my mind and makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I even called the makers of Tri-Luma and spoke to their “medical liaison representative.” He said he had never heard of anyone experiencing permanent damage to their skin after only one use of their product either. He kept telling me not to worry and that he didn’t believe it was permanent (even though I don’t see how he can make that evaluation when he’s never even seen the current condition of my skin.)
But my question is this: If the pinkness and the flare-ups are not signs of permanent damage, then wouldn’t they have been gone a long time ago? How could I still be having a problem with pinkness and flare-ups, THREE months after the initial flare-up, if the current condition of my skin is not permanent?
Right after it happened (back in late December), I panicked and made an appointment with my derm. She told me not to worry and that it should fade within a few weeks. When I went back to see her about a month ago and told her I was worried that the pinkness still had not faded away, she got very defensive (a side of her I had never seen) and told me my face was just pink because it was still sensitive from the Accutane. BULL. I told her it obviously was due to the Tri-Luma because the discoloration and the flare-ups were/are in the exact same pattern I put the Tri-Luma on my skin. She tried to blame it all on me and said: “Well, YOU’RE the one who asked me to give you something to fade your red spots…..” Then she just rolled her eyes and said to come back and see her in June. She acted very rude and unprofessional. She was not helpful at all and the entire appointment with her was a complete waste of my time.
That said, I want to issue a warning to anyone thinking about using Tri-Luma to be careful! Try it on a pacth of skin on your arm or something first to make sure you don’t have a negative reaction to it. My derm told me to do that, too, AFTER I had already experienced the massive flare-up. By then, her suggestion was way too late.
Can anyone PLEASE help me or give me any advice on what you think might have caused such a severe reaction? Has anything like this every happened to anyone else? Do you think the damage is permanent? Do you have any suggestions on how I should treat it to help it go away?
I would be very grateful for any opinions or advice.
Thank you.
Hi Christian,
Do you think it could have caused vascular damage on your face, thus, you now have broken capillaries under your skin, which are causing the redness? That is what I currently have, on one particular spot on my right cheek. My dermatologist is suggesting that I do IPL therapy. Thinking about it… I would def. go to a dermatologist that you feel you can trust and respect, and respects you back. It made a huge difference for me. Good luck, keep your chin up.
I was afflicted with sterioid induced rosacea for close to a year before I finally found a dermatologist who knew what she was doing…Thank god! I had been applying steroid cream to my face for a year, on the advice of a derm, who I’m pretty sure went to the same medical school as Dr. Nick from the Simpsons. Anyway, the only solution is to discontinue using the steroids. This is awful because as the steroids are causing the problem, they are also keeping it in check. Discontinuing their use causes a rebound effect that for me was unbelievably painful, and encompassed most of my face. Tacrolimus is absolutely essential for speeding up the process, along with an antibiotic. Sorry you have to go through this mess I feel for you.
Thanks for the note Dan. Great to hear that you are on the other side of getting better. Do you have any more tips for stuff that helped you cope with the rebound ?
I am suffering from steriod induced rosacea. I am having a flare up right now and trying to slowly get off of the steroids. The issue I am having that is slightly different is that I am pregnant. I can’t take anything orally. Has anyone else experienced this withdrawl while pregnant? I am just miserable and depressed. My 2 year old son has also going through the same thing. We were mis diagnosed with eczema and have been using the steroids for about 18 months. What do you do with a 2 year old that has rosacea? I am really scared to treat him like I am treating myself. We have been using Finacea cream for 2 days. Does this work as effectively as the anitbiotics? If someone could answer some of my questions, maybe my mind can be put at ease. Thanks, Worried Mom
i am suffering from steroid induced rosacea.i have using the steroid cream since 14 years old because of my eczema problem and now im 19. At first i tried to stop but my face become much more worse. Than i continue with hydrocortisone 1% which is mild than elomet the one that i used before. And now i find out the side effect of hydrocortisone to my face which is it makes my skin become thinner, very sensitive to sunlight and my face become red and difficult to go away. then i discontinue from using this steroid cream but i find out the rebound effect and it fill worse ever.i fill very uncomfortable to go outside to hang out with my friends.futhermore there are some pimple come out from my face which is it never come before as i had very clean face. now im using herbal cream from hope relief product.i find out it cure a little bit but now im using for 1 week but the improvement is verryyy slow n i dont know is it worth it to use it and to wait the result or should i try another ceram.now im confused. before this i’ve met dermatologist and she gave me elidel but it make my face sunburn and my skin felt very tight and i find out that it has a very bad side effect which is skin cancer so i stop.now i dunno what to do because my skin are becoming red, very dry even i’ve put moisturizer on it 3-4 times a day. and the pimple is strt to coming out even my skin is dry.pelase please give some comment about it. and one more how long does it take to recover from rebound rosacea effect? im very woried about it!!
sorry about my english is very bad.=(
i hope u will understand
Hi
I’m currently trying to work out what on earth is wrong with my skin and the doctors aren’t helping much at all. I discovered I have an allergy to nickel which caused eczema on my face – I was given Euvomate (moderate strength steroid cream) to put on which worked brilliantly for the first 3 weeks then came the rollercoaster of trying to come off it, as well as avoiding all contact with nickel and weird horribly itchy tender spots started to erupt. They can come up anywhere on my face but the dermatologist told me that she thinks I have rosacea and it’s not caused by the steroid cream – how does she know that? I didn’t have it before and I don’t have what could even begin to be called typical rosacea pattern of spots – they appear wherever I have put steroid cream at some point but nowhere else.
I have now been off the steroid cream for 3 weeks and have had a lot of nightmare days and red flushing (particularly on my nose) and a general feeling of tenderness but (hope I’m not saying this too soon!) the reactions are not as severe as they were so I am hopeful that it is the steroid cream that has induced the rosacea and it wasn’t there all along.
Anyway – what some of you might like to know is that I have to find something to calm everything down as my derm refuses to prescribe tacrolimus (she won’t accept the steroids could have caused this new problem – duh!) so I have been making a very strong cup of green tea each morning – once cool I put some in a pot and apply it liberally throughout the day wherever and whenever I get inflamation. My face remains horribly dry but the inflammation is less and the dryness is not as bad. It’s not a miracle cure but it is helping me to just about keep sane through this unpredictable ride. Hope that helps someone and if anyone has any other tips I’d love to hear them.
Topical steriods do worsen flushing.
You have to wean off the steroid slowly, to lessen the rebound flushing.
Many drs recommend Elidel and Noritate during this.
Many drs will also put you on oral antibiotics like Clarithromycin.
Some drs will put you on accutane at 5 milligrams a day.
This approach hopefully lessens the rebound reaction. You can’t just stop the steroids cold turkey.
After the storm has passed you might want to consider getting IPL or V Beam treatments to lessen the redness and to rebuild the collagen in your skin.
I have been using a topical steriod for over a year. I went to the dermatologist because I got tired for the rash returning. She prescribed an antifungal cream. The rash only got worst. Then she suspected I might have a steriod dependency. I had red itchy bumps all over my face especially on my cheeks. My face felt like a carpet. All the makeup in the world couldn’t hide it. I was given some topical antibiotics but it did not work. Through my own research I asked my Derm about Doxycycline 100mg and Tacrolimus ointment. She agreed but prescribed Elidel instead of Tacrolimus ointment she said they were the same. Today is day four and I am happy to say 90% for the rash is gone. My face is finally feeling like mine again. Not too fund of the Elidel as per the side effects but I will use it for a short period of time.
I FIND ALOE VERA HELPS A LOT STINGS A LOT FIRST TIME BUT AFTER THAT IT CALMS DOWN A LOT NOW DAY THREE OF USING IT I FEEL GREAT STILL A FACE LIKE A BEETROOT BUT IT FEELS OK
MY STORY: I had acne when i was in grade 6. My mom took me to the doctor, BIG MISTAKE, and i was prescribed differen. Using this on my acne dryed my face out and made my face red. So we went back to the doctors, another BIG MISTAKE, and I was prescibed a Topical steriod moisturizer cream and it made my face look very nice but once I stopped using it my face got red in the location where I applied it, so a kept on using it….why you ask? I don’t know, i was a kid. It’s GRADE 9 now! I’ve stopped using acne meds but still have acne. It’s no longer a concern of mine. I go to the doctors because I find I’m having to use too much of the Topical steriod moisturizer cream multiple times a day to stop my face from looking red, blotchy, dry, peeling and flaking………….. I’m prescribed a NON-STERIOD moisturizer called ELIDEL, it helps at first but FOUR YEARS later, I’m 19 now, my ance is gone, no thx to any meds I’m sure, but i have to apply ELIDEL to my face too often to keep my face from blotching and drying JUST LIKE BEFORE. I stop using prescription creams cold turkey because i feel betrayed by a system that supposed to look after my health, not make things worse. I have lost all faith in the medical care system as far as prescription medications go. It’s horrible, i use normal moisturizers sparingly but not much helps. I tryed Skin Zinc for a few months but it barely helped and in the end it made things worse. I’m 22 YEARS OLD NOW, and this is where the time-line stops. I’ve stopped using prescription meds for 3, almost 4, years now and my face still has big red blotches where i used to apply the creams. They flare up 75% of the time and flake and peel 20% of the time. I wash and scrub my face daily because it keeps the flaking down but it makes the redness worse. ALOE VERA GEL makes my skin feel really nice. i recommend it too. its the only moisturizer i use. does anyone have any advise other NON-MEDICATED moisturizers that may help with redness and smoothness of skin? Has anyone ever tryed sueing there doctor or the prescription company? Because I am sure no one here knew the consequences of using these drugs.
pst. if anyone wants to contact me to chat about this or other things, message me over facebook.com. my name is Jonathan Dahmer(no relation *wink*). I’m the guy holding a gray kitten……. idk why i desided to google skin damage from steriod moisturizers today but im glad i did because i really thought i was the only.
If you’re looking for something non medicated to use as a moisturiser it might be worth trying: http://www.naturesense.co.uk.
As I developed perioral dermatitis trying to treat facial eczema and steroid rosacea I had to look for something I had never tried before. This site stocks 2 items which have been the only things to help me since my skin problems started. I am suffering from flushes, papules and dryness still but it is no way as bad as it was.
First item is the Earthbound Organic Cleanser and the second is Paul Richards Organic Chickweed Ointment.
I would definitely recommend using both together. That’s all I now use followed by RosaceaCare Sunscreen from Rosacea Care – also worth checking out. They do sample kits which are good but slightly too drying for me. If you can’t get hold of these where you live you could find a herbalist who could concoct something for you (the site lists the ingredients – but I guess that might be a little pricey).
Hope this helps somone.
My story is like many of yours. My hope is that I caught my steroid dependence on my face at the earlier stages. I have gone cold turkey for 17 days now. It has been a little bit of a roller coaster with the dryness, redness, and even a little weeping. Overall though, the tenderness and extreme desire to itch seem to be minimizing day by day, but progress is slow and it of course occupies so much of my thoughts.
Has anyone gone through this withdrawal long enough to really see a light at the end of the tunnel and make it through with little or no damage?
I have redness along the sides of my nose and redness in blotches on my face. The dermatologist prescribed an antibiotic and an anitfungal cream. Still red after showing and shaving. This is a crazy time. I really feel self consious going outside. Does anyone know how long til the antibiotics start taking effect. Should I take elidel? for the redness. I dont have any bumps . Just bright red. If anyone has something that cured them or help alot with the redness. Email me at tenstar1@aol.com. I would really appreciate it. Tom
Everyone must read http://www.eczema.net/AnotherRedFaceJournalArticle.pdf
I found this because of the issues I was having. I am 60 days into withdrawal and let me tell you – it is the hardest medical thing I have ever been through. I have a journal I am trying to keep at http://rebaurevich.livejournal.com
I have missed a week due to a huge flare and the holidays. My legs were like tree trunks, as well as my face and arms being swelled. I HAD BEEN TOLD TO USE TRIAMCINOLONE LIKE LOTION! “TO GET RID OF MY ECZEMA ALL AT ONCE”. Yeh, right. My skin was already addicted at that time. Anyone that would like to talk to me on this, email at reba@poollady.com and put TOPICAL STEROID WITHDRAWAL IN THE SUBJECT.
I am going to make it through this but it is tough I will not sugar coat it for anyone.
I wish everyone wellness for this new year. I wish I had someone to talk to that was going through the withdrawal cold turkey. I am in the “burning phase” today.
If I just keep one person from using steroids in the future for their skin it will be worth all the misery I am going thorugh right now.
Peace.
Reba Urevich
Thanks Reba for posting that link ‘Another Red Face’. It gives me hope that eventually my skin will be back to normal and it may answer some of my queries about what I am reacting to. One thing is clear: this is a long process and there is no quick fix.
I wish you all the best for 2010.
Ali
I have steroid induced rosacea. It was horrible, Bumps, Itching, redness. I went to one dermatoligist and they tried everything and it didn’t work. I went to another and he prescribed me ELIDEL (primecrolimus) cream 1% and within the first week I noticed a difference and the second week it was almost gone. He also prescribed tetracycline 250 mg. To me it was a miracle drug.
ZsaZoe – Could you tell us how long it took for your symptoms to completely clear up and how long you were on the tetracycline?
They gave me 100 tetracycline pills four a day however I am not good at taking medicine so I decided to try only the creme first. I am on my thrid week and it is 90% better. I am going to give it another week and if it is cleared totally I will not take the pills. But he prescribed the two together.
Also I have extremly sensitive skin and the Elidel has not bother my skin. I also have seborrhea and he is going to address that after this completely clears up. With the elidel the dryness is clearing up too.
I had been using hydrocortizone 1% throughout most of 2009 for a little patch of eczema on my face. After my regular dr. rx hydrocortizone 2.5% he referred me to a dermatologist. A month later I saw my dermatologist and was told to stop using hydrocortizone altogether. She rx me tetracycline and gave me a plan to wien myself off of the hydrocortizone in Dec 09. By day 3 of withdrawing from the hydrocortizone I had developed steroid induced rosacea. To make matters worse, sun exposure with the use of tetracycline made my condition far worse over time. I’ve tried 3 different antibiotics since, along with prednisone and pure petroleum jelly as a topical ointment to moisturize, but they do nothing to get rid of the rosacea. I recently ordered a natural remedy to detox internally and a topical cream with herbs that’s supposed to reduce and/or eradicate rosacea. Although I’m a few hundred dollars into beating this problem, I’m extremely determined to get postive results! I’ll let you know of any progress with the natural remedy once I get it. I’ll only recommend something if it actually works! In the meantime, hang in there…I too feel your pain.
.
I have been using ALOE VERA GEL in combination with VITAMIN E GEL for a few months now and the two together really help calm the redness alot. Apply aloe vera in the day and vitamin e before bed, but if you’re only going to use one get the aloe vera gel, it’s really green gold in a bottle, it feels soo nice. it helps more than any other skin product ive used and its alot less costly too. But no dermatoligist would ever agree with me since it doesnt put money in their pockets. One last thing, ZsaZoe, if i was a betting man i would put alotta money down on things only getting worst once you stop using ELIDEL creme, its just as bad as the steriod crap. but then again, im pretty baddy jaded.
i hope this helps
Jon,
So far so good but I am just keeping my fingers crossed.It just seems so much better than it was. I don’t have redness and just a few bumps left but I will keep ya posted when its all said and done. It was horrible when I went to the doctor so we will see what happens.
Tips:
Avoid: creams or serums with chemicals, Dairy, nuts, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, lamb, tropical fruits, too much sugar, stress and anything else that MIGHT trigger flare ups. Learn what triggers YOUR flare ups and avoid those things.
Do:
Wear 30spf sunblock or higher and a hat whenever you go outside. Neutrogena works best for me as it doesn’t sting when applied. It does make your skin dry so apply petroleum jelly if needed. Avoid direct sunlight by staying in shade or indoors if possible.
Drink plenty of water. I take a multivitamin, 1000mg of vitamin C, and Fish Oil – Omega 3 every day.
Use vaseline pure petroleum jelly as a moisturizer. Apply liberally over face, then dab gently with a clean, soft cloth (microfiber) for a matted vs oily look.
Cool down when flare ups come on by applying a clean, soft wet cloth (use cold water) for about 5-10 minutes. Rinse cloth under cold water as needed.
Use OTC anti-inflammatory drugs (benadryl, ibuprofen) to control inflammation and itching during flare-ups. Be careful NOT to over use these products for an extended period of time (ie., everyday for several days or more than the recommended doseage).
Try walking, Yoga and different breathing techniques to bring your stress level down. I stretch each morning and use hand weights to tone arms. The idea is not to heat up your body temperature but to lower your stress level.
Keep a journal. You could list the things you’re grateful for, what you ate, how you felt afterward.
These things work well for me, I hope they help some of you. All the best.
Sounds like a good plan Karen. I also use the petroleum jelly as a moisturizer and it helps. I think Yoga is next on my agenda.
PLEASE READ THIS IT MIGHT HELP YOU. My face turn bright red and was burning. I went to a dermatologist after reading everthing on the internet so I new that is was Rosecea and that I was going to ask him for Minocycline and an antibiotic cream. Im using bactroban and antibiotics twice a day. Take them at the same time everyday so they are effective. Dont take antiacids it effects the antibiotics. I also changed my diet and got rid of sugar because it causes flushing. I also changed facial soap to Dove. Its for sensative skin and has no fragrance. I changed shampoos to one with no SLS. SLS is to be avoided with Rosecea. I also Got rid of Fluoride . ITS TOXIC. Horrible for Rosecea. I get Gallon refill of reverse osmosis water that filters out Fluoride. I changed toothpaste to one without SLS and Fluoride. I have food allergies so get those checked and avoid triggers. Your diet is critical as well. If you want a diet that I eat email me . Tenstar1@aol.com. Get the Allergy test for food . That is was a main cause of acne and skin problems. Most people dont know what they are allergic to. Wine , Cigarettes, Sugars are bad and cause flushing. Wine is especially a trigger. Even cheese with alittle wine irritated my skin. Drink lots of water. When you shower use the Dove soap and avoid hot water. I use warm water to avoid flushing. I also researched moisturizers and I found a great one. It has no fragrance and does not burn at all. its called VANICREAM. The pharmacy will order it for you without a prescription. 5 dollars very reasonable for all of its benefits. Its been 45 days and my face has cleared up. Im a male so I shave my face . SLS free shaving gel. No fragrance. After shaving it gets alittle red but thats natural because of showering and the razor but after shaving I wait 15 minutes and put on the vanicream to moisturize and no redness. So I changed my diet , Got rid of SLS and Flouride. Avoid Flushing triggers and Allergens. Use products with no fragrance and let the face heal. I heard Jojoba two drop was really good for healing your skin if you go cold turkey of of steroid creams . Use it while your face is still wet and rub it in . Its natural and its suppose to be great. I havent used that yet because all is good. Again your diet avoiding processed food and lots of carbs is crucial. This has worked for me so far. I am going to take the antibiotic for another 10 days and then get off and hopefully all is good. I will keep you posted. Hope this helps someone it has worked great for me.
This website helped me a great deal. They have everything to avoid and diet and talk about creams and things to do it naturally. They sell a product and I did not buy the product but there info on Roseace is GREAT. I tried it and it works. I do not work for them I hadjust been looking all of the internet and this was the common denominator . They Know what they are talking about. They tell you what the Dermatologist tells you about Fluoride and SLS and hot water. I doing alot of what they say and it working. I really think the body PH balance is off and avoiding allergens and chemicals are really important. Natural . They talk about Jojoba . Which will heal your skin naturally. The toxins from fast foods and SLS and Fluoride in the water and diet stresses out the system until it shows. The website is http://WWW.Rosacea-LTD.com. Go to natural Rosacea treaments. They are right on the money. They know what they are talking about. When I went to the dermatologist they didnt talk about diet and changing water and toothpaste. I researched all this online and put it together and then I hit this site that had everything I was researching all in one place. Im willing to sacrifice drinking and a few other of life pleasure . In the long run your body will love you for it. I cut out sugar and im feeling so much better. Goodluck. My email is tenstar1@aol.com. If you have any diet questions or need anything. This Rosacea is traumatic and it woke me up . I needed a change in lifestyle and I changed . Out of something bad comes alot of good.
This whole rosacea thing sucks! Now on top of that i have the steriod induced thing going on. I used cutivate lotion(steriod cream) for about 7 months and it worked great, but then i got a horrible flar up, and the doc said it was from the steriod cream. the same cream that she prescribed me. Go figure. Now i am going thru my second bad flare up. Got a new Doc and he put me on Elidel cream. it works pretty good when you use it, but when you stop using it, it all comes back. I can’t wait until summer, the sun actually helps my rosacea.
I am 41 Years old and i had clear skin up until my mid thirtes. I did modeling when i was 32 years old. Now i could only model halloween masks. Very frustrating.
Somebody put a spell on me!!
I find the comments here very interesting. I never knew of the dangers of using steroid cream on your face. I had an allergic reaction probably caused by some new toothpastes and a dermatologist prescribed steroid cream. I used it unknowingly and it caused perioral dermatitis, which is similar to acne rosacea. In the end what helped me was to take OTC anti-histamines and get patch tested for allergies. I stopped using ALL creams and soaps and cosmetics on my face. I use only fragrance free detergents on clothes and bedding. I was going to wean off of steroids but the dermatitis seemed to clear up once I stopped using the products. I am still getting flare-ups, which is hard to deal with and difficult to explain. I take antibiotics to reduce inflammation.
I have had a rash on my face for 4 yrs. First started with Perioral Derm. Drs prescribed fungal creams, steroids topical & oral. I now have rosecea from yrs of creams & hydrocortisones. I stopped all uses of everything on face & pain was horrible. It is getting better but face still hurts after 2 weeks & is peeling bad. Very dry. I put vaseline on in shower then rinse off to protect moisture level some.. I take tetracyclines. I hope I get better soon. I will keep you updated. Good luck to all.
Hi Chrissy,
I’m sorry to hear you’re still battling after all this time…Vaseline (100% pure) is the only thing safe to use on my face and entire body. I was on tetracycline back in Dec. last year but unfortunately had a bad reaction after several days and had to stop. What I didn’t know was that it stays in your system for several weeks afterwards, which is why I’ve been having flare ups for the past few months now. Stress is the primary trigger however I’ve never had this before so I’m pretty sure it’s drug induced. I recently saw an herbalist who says it has to do with my immune system. He gave me an herbal tea to drink for the next 7 days to see if it helps. I’ll let you know.
P.S. Try applying vaseline (only 100% pure with no aloe or vitamine E etc.), several throughout the day to keep your face and/ body moist. And always apply 1st thing in the morning and before you go to bed.
Don’t apply in the shower, take a luke warm shower (not hot), towel dry and apply vaseline afterward. Just follow the 3 minute moisturizing rule…always apply within 3 minutes after drying off. Hope this helps..all the best!
Chrissy,
One more thing…be very careful with tetracycline or any antibiotic that causes photosensitivity! I had a bad flare up because I was in the sun while on that stuff. For several weeks after I stopped taking it I couldn’t be in the sun AT ALL!!! If so I would get a severe sun burn. And I couldn’t use sunblock because it irritated my skin! The last time I went to the Dr. my entire face was dark red, itchy and it burned as if it were on fire! I was told I didn’t have rosacea but a severe case of eczema that was now infected. I was given a very strong dose of Amoxacillin as I’m not able to tolerate any other antibiotic (I’ve tried 4 since Dec). That one seems to be working. Today is my last dose and the rash on my face is almost gone. It did spread to other parts of my body but that seems to be clearing up as well. I’ll start my herbal tea drink tomorrow for seven days and let you know how that goes.
Thanks KAS I will keep all that in mind. Still on tetracyclines and still have rash. I have 13 days left of treatment. Then my 60 pills will be gone.. I am getting better lil by lil.. Ill keep everyone informed best I can.
Hi all.
It is unbelievable that doctors let people use steroid creams on their faces, when they know that the side effects makes people sicker than they were before treatment. I have just found out that I was getting sick from using a topical steroid cream for more than 3 years. Because the cream worked, I continued using it. Slowly I began to develop hives, get irregular periods, night sweats and hot flashes. I thought that since I am 45 years old that it might be perimenopause. I changed my diet, cutting out sugar, coffee, tea, alcohol and started eating only organic and homemade dishes. At this time I stopped using the cream and got a terrible flare up all over my face and neck. the iching and heat wakes me up every 2 hours at night.
I began to really research what was happening to me and found that all the symptoms was side effects from the steroid cream use. I am not happy about getting an antibiotic because I have lost faith in doctors. I hope that slowly with my new diet, yoga and faith that my face will return to normal after awhile. I have been using apple cider vinegar on my face when the burning and itching has been unbearable and it seems to soften my now super dry skin. My face is much less red and I will keep you posted on my progress. May we all get better from this nightmare.
Hi Patricia – I didn’t know that steroid cream can cause all the symptoms you describe but then I can’t explain all the reactions my skin has been having and nor can the medics. I also had been wondering if it is my age – 41 but I haven’t used steroid creams since July 2009 and my skin is, very slowly, getting better but every time I think I’m back to normal I start with symptoms again – particularly the flushing and also spots but not like the rosacea spots I had initially. However, having read the link that Reba provided ‘Another Red Face’ I am persevering, taking antibiotics and using gentle skin products and telling myself to expect the flare ups.
I used steroid cream because the dermatologist insisted that I should whilst I was being tested for allergies. It turned out that I was allergic to nickel – but then the eczema wouldn’t go away even though I was avoiding nickel so the dermatologist told me to keep using the steroid cream. Looking back I can see that I started reacting to the cream within 3 weeks but was told that it couldn’t be the cream although they couldn’t explain what it was – they just said that as I was an atopic person I had to expect such problems and to continue using it. Turns out that steroid cream can even cause eczema! I ended up seeing a Professor in Cardiff who insisted that hydrocortisone was ‘as mild as milk’ so I should use that even though he said I had rosacea! And he wouldn’t accept that it had been steroid induced although I hadn’t had it before I started using the steroid cream. Needless to say I didn’t go back to him and I did tell what I thought of his outdated advice!
What I don’t understand is why the medical profession is so reluctant to admit that topical steroids can cause such mayhem even when used under the guidance of a dermatologist. So very frustrating and painful for us all.
Dear Ali.
What a nightmare you have been through, it breaks my heart to hear how you have been treated.
When I changed my diet I read Diane Schwarzbein’s book “the truth about losing weight, being healthy and feeling younger”, and although I didn’t need to loose weight, it was an eye opening book. In the book Diane advice you, if at all possible, to get off all manmade drugs, change your eating and living habits to support you immune system in order to restore health. She goes on to say that it takes time to restore the immune system, so one must be patient.
The cortisone affects the adrenals and I think creates an imbalance of hormones in the body. Maybe thats why it feels just like perimenopause. Since I have stopped the cream the hot flashes has gotten a lot better and the hives are nearly gone. I do have dry eyes, another side effect of steroid cream and my skin is still very dry and itchy. Much less red than in the beginnng about 2 weeks ago.
I use apple cider vinegar every other day, then rest my face and no lotions at all. Cold water on my face and not going in the sun.
I thought that changing my living and eating habits would be difficult, but found that it was easier than expected. When one is determent to get healthy, one has great willpower. I wish you healing and be patient. blessings to you and all other who are suffering.
Hi all.
Week 3 after the cessation of cortisone cream on my face. I am so dry and itchy and has not been able to find any moisturizer to alleviate the symptoms without getting severe flare ups. So now I only use cold water compresses and live with the dry skin. I read that it will take from weeks up to 6 month for the skin to heal itself, and it was nice to finally read that healing will happen at some point. The redness is much better and only once in a while do I get hives. I must admit that my mood has been like a roller coaster. Some days I am not so bothered and other days I am depressed about it, and these 3 weeks has seemed very long.
I stopped using apple cider vinegar on my face because that will eventually dry out the skin, but started taking 1 teaspoon of cod liver oil and 1 tablespoon flax seed oil every day. I also treated myself to a massage which really improved my mood.
I hope to hear of others who have improved or overcome this condition and may we all get better soon. Patricia.
Hi all,
the treatment that i have been given was quite different than yours.
basically i got some kind of weird rash on my cheeks and chin when i was 21, ignored it and went away by itself gradually.
Neway this reaccured every once in a while randomly, so decided to see a doc. This doc recommended betnovate ointment – it was great and although there wasnt nething wrong with my skin at the time, i used to use it all the time to avoid getting the rash or even before an event cuz it made my skin look so smoooooth. I was too stupid to not read about the side effects then, and i believe the doc shudve also advised.
so neway, continued this till i was 24. Thats when this started getting worse, and the rash starting appearing more often and on a weekly basis.
I went to see 3 – 4 doctors, they all didnt take me seriously cuz my skin looked fine when i went to see them (i work so i had to stilll used steroids to avoid flareups so my skin would look normal) and they all told me to continue using steroids – and once i realized the side effects of steroids i freaked!
one of the docs told me it was eczema and i had an allergy from dustmites – i wasnt convinced. He also said, it COULD BE rosacea but i should still continue with the steroids and there will be no side effects if im using it once a week its fine. what the hell?
By then 2 years had passed and still – steriods were the only solution.
neway, i found out about an excellent doc, he was the one who finally told me i had: steroid induced rosacea.
This is what he told me i should do for 3 months before going to see him again:
1. Stop steroids completely and yes i will go through a bad phase
2. Put me on a gel called Rozex gel (Specifically for rosacea sufferers) to be mixed with Bioderma Sensibio Rich for mornin and evenig
4,gave me all kinds of vitamins (centrum and 1000mg of vitamin C daily)
5. antibiotics tablets
6. morning and evening anti allegy pills.
My face was bad for the first 2 months, then got much better, but i still had those little bumps all over my face and couldnt put ne make up to cover it up, cuz it just made the bumps and rash look worse.
I went to see the doc again and this is wat he gave me for 4 months before i go to see him agian:
1. Roaccutane 10mg every other day
2. more vitamins
3. zyrtec (anti allergy) for evenings
4. antibiotic gel for my face + rozex gel + bioderma sensibio rich, to be mixed together and rubbed on the face before bedtime
5. 50+ sunscreen for mornings
i felt that my skin was a bit sensitive from the rosex gel (rozex CREAM would generally cause less sensitivity but this is not available where i live) so the doc told me i cud stop using it and continue with the rest. its been a month since ive done so, and my skin feels good, very tiny bumps (MUCH LESS THAN BEFORE) which i hope will go away, but generally im happy with the result.
I hope this was helpful.
P.s. I do recommend Bioderma Sensibio rich as a daily moisturiser and Bioderma Photoderm Spot 50 + as sunscreen.
Good luck
Hi all.
Week 4, and I feel and look much better. Started using coconut butter on my face and it both hydrate and soothes my skin. It is a little messy, but well worth it. For the first time I do not wake up at night from severe itching. I am still on my diet, no sugar, no alcohol, no caffein and I hope I can avoid any more pills or medicated creams. Hope this will work. Patricia.
Patricia, I am glad you are slowly getting better! I am on month 3, I am doing great! I had to shower 1-2 xs daily to remove extra dry skin.. Now, I barely peel. My skin barely itches. I found that light light light dabs of vaseline helped, I took tetracycline for 2 mos 120 pills. I also found that allergy meds plain ol Walgreens brand antihistamines stoppped itch & pain. I no longer take anything. My cheeks barely flush, or itch. I do not break out with postpules or pimples anymore. I read that the demodox mite is found in steroid induced rosacea suffers. I started changing my pillowcase every few days and make sure u wash your face at night-as the demodox mite eats bacteria off the skin in the dark. These mites live in your pores & die there turning into white liquid infecting your pores.. I do not stay in hot or humid places long, and this has really opened my eyes to my health. After battling rashes on my face for almost 6 yrs now, and learning my meds were my cause.. I am glad to see an end in sight. This had caused anziety, depression, and alot of bad days. I am happy to report to you all that it gets better! Good luck to all & I will talk to you soon
Keep your chin up
Hi Chrissy.
Thank you for your letter which brings hope to all of us. I will change pillow case also every 3 days. My skin really likes the coconut butter. I massage it into my face after warming it up in my hands first. Coconut is anti fungal, so maybe it will help kill mites. It stings a little at first, but feels great after. May we all be well. Patricia.
Hello,
I have seborrheic dermatitis and have been washing my face with Nizoral shampoo (ketoconzaole 1%). Ive been dependent on a high percentage steroid for over 2 years now.
Even when my face was clear I applied cotisone for fear of breakouts and finally realized I have steroid induced rosacea.
I was wondering if washing my face with nizoral will make rosacea worse for my face?
Btw I use aloe vera gel to moisturize my face now.
thanks for any advice, it truly touches my heart.
Hi gsk28,
2 years is a long time to be on a high strength steroid. If you want to come off it have you spoken to your GP or dermatologist? Usually people with steroid induced rosacea require antibiotics and topical ointments to cope with the withdrawal stage that is very unpleasant and it can take a long time to get through. You definitely should get medical support for this stage if you can.
I have heard that coconut oil and/or high strength Manuka honey are very good for seborrheic dermatitis – the coconut oil doesn’t really suit me (I’ve got atopic dermatitis) but the Manuka honey has been my staple topical remedy for rosacea bumps and spots. Hope you get some help very soon.
Best wishes
Ali
Dear Chrissy.
Vaseline or petroleum jelly is the key to relieve the dry skin. A friend of mine was telling me of his cure for a rash on his face by scrubbing the skin first and then apply a generous layer of petroleum jelly afterwards for a few hours, then wipe most of it off before going to bed. Hearing his story and reading your story made me try it out. I scrubbed my face, neck and chest lightly with a clean pumice stone then cleaned with water, dried my face and applied a generous amount of petroleum jelly which right away soothed my dry and irritated skin. After 2 hours I wiped or dapped my skin so only a thin layer remained on my skin and went to bed. The result was astounding. Looking and feeling 90% better the next morning. Since then I have just applied a thin layer of petroleum jelly in the morning and evening after cleaning my face with a clean cloth dipped in very hot water. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you and all who has posted on this website. May we all be well. Patricia.
Hi everyone
Amazing stuff petroleum jelly and I’m glad it works for some of you but people reading this ought to be aware that some people do have an adverse reaction to the stuff. I used it for several weeks last summer thinking that it was the answer and then realised I was developing perioral dermatitis as a result.
Also, rosacea skin usually reacts badly to any type of exfoliation so whilst it’s great that it worked for you readers should be aware that it could have the opposite effect on them. Very hot water is a complete no for many as well – not only does it often trigger rosacea symptoms it can also aggravate underlying eczema.
The general rule of thumb with steroid induced rosacea is to treat it like true rosacea and be as gentle as you can. Before trying out any new skin regime you should try it out on a small inconspicuous area and proceed with extreme caution.
Sorry if I sound so cautious it’s just that what works on one person can be disastrous on another and we should be aware of that when giving advice. I’ve lived with the aftermath of steroid induced rosacea for almost a year now and researched this a lot and one thing is clear – we are all individuals and it is rare that there is a quick fix for this.
Dear Ali,
It is very true that what might be working for one person may be really bad for another. Thank you for pointing that out. Only time will tell if this treatment is going to cure me or not. I am also treating it with other elements such as yoga, diet and vitamins. In some way we are all on our own here. Even the doctors are not sure how to treat it. Patricia.
Ali, & all:
Yes very true. Not to over moisturize. I had perioral & that is the reason I started steroids from my dr. also cortisones. Perioral is from over moisturizing, using cortisones and steroids, or bacteria- like acne. However I used Clinique moisturizer with witch hazel. Witch hazel is an anti inflamitory that works like a cortisone. I believe witch hazel caused allllll my problems. I took the tetracyclines for two months, and perioral & rosacea are little better. The dryness is horrible some days though so i barely dab vaseline made for baby when needed. Steam is the worst thing on my skin. Humid days kill me. But I am wayyyyyyyyy better than when I stopped steroids and cortisones. I noticed that fresh air helps alot. I read 80% of toxins are released respritory, and that a med size plant can clear the air in a room in 20 minutes so I have gotten plants-sounds funny but works. Getting moderate amounts of sun helps me too.
I keep my face really clean. I wash really good at night. (Mites & fungus thrive in the dark) Keep pillowcase clean. I also read that dogs carry high levels of the mite that is also found in high levels in steroid induced rosacea suffers. This is the same mite that causes mange the demotex mite. Therefore I wash my dog in stationary sink not my tub, I use gloves, and I wash up good after. I do not let animals on furniture, and try not to pet animals alot.. There are new all natural cleaners with tea tree oil. This oil kills bacteria, fungus, mites, lice, ticks, fleas etc. Not sure how good it cleans but I am going to try it soon. They have dog shampoo human shampoo & household cleaners with this.
Hope everyone is doing better by the day. Together we will get through this. God bless.
Hi all.
Update. It is now 6 weeks ago I ceased to put cortisone cream on my face. Even before that, I had changed my diet and I am a yoga teacher, so I do yoga every day. I was really breaking out terribly the first 4 weeks, with very bumpy, flaky and dry skin and I was wondering if my skin would ever be back to normal. During week 5, I exfoliated my skin while sitting in my very hot bath and right after I applied a generous amount of petroleum jelly for about 2 hours. Then I dried of most of the jelly and the next morning I looked about 90% better.
Since then I have kept my face and hands very clean and the first few day I kept using petroleum jelly morning and night, but since the skin can not breathe when petroleum jelly is applied, I would start to develop hives. I then began using my regular face cream in the mornings and a little petroleum jelly before bed. I am still looking and feeling 90% better. I still get little flare ups, but my skin is now soft and I now feel I am going to heal completely. This has been a very difficult time and I feel for every person who has to go through this period of not knowing if or how to get better. I hope my story will help somebody, and although I know that all of us has different reasons for using cortisone cream and this is not a cure for everyone, the fact that it has, so far, worked for me, gives me hope that it will work for someone else. God bless us all. Patricia.
Patricia I am very happy you are feeling better!
We will all get there together. I exfoliate my face everyday. I also use about a half the size of a pea amount of vaseline everyday not even in every spot but smear it very lightly very very lightly.. I hope soon to not use anything on my face ever again!! My skin is slightlyn dry, but much much better.
Hi Chrissy.
I am happy for you too. I have also read about dogs carrying mites and I make sure to wash my hands after I have petted my dog. No dog on my furniture either. The fresh air that you mentioned is good for my skin also: I walk the dog every day and a little sun seems to give good results. I have never had to use sun screens and I never just lie in the sun. I am trying to eat as healthy as possible and I opted not to do any kind of internal cleansing because I feel that my body needs lots of nutrition and not to be deprived further. Time, I think is the greatest healer and patience must be exercised. God bless us all.
Hi, I am glad I found this website, I think that what you have been describing sounds like me. I originally 2 years ago got a rash on my body but not my face, then I had an allergic reaction to something I put on the rash and it got severe. I started using Mometasone Fuorate ? on my skin and primarily on my neck and chest, prescribed by the dermatologist. The rash began to clear but then my face broke out really bad, got swollen, and bright red. I went for patch testing and was not allergic to very much but was given a list of products to use. I also had one steroid shot. I then switched toothpaste to one on the list from the dermatologist and began using triamcinolone on my skin. That is when I began to get severe perioral dermatitis and periocular dermatits and a horrible looking red rash with severe peeling dry skin on my face. I had never before had any of these things. By the way, I was always cautious using steroids, I did not even use them to the extent that some people do and I tried to wean off as soon as I saw improvement.
I then used some milder steroids (Hytone) on my face to clear up the perioral dermatits and facial dermatitis. Since then, I have attempted to stop steroids and got horrible rashes that were bright red, dry, itchy, burning on my whole body, but the worst on my face, neck, arms, legs and hands.
I have also noticed increased sweating where I have some of the breakouts, such as my torso and arms as if my skin is really hot and I have temperature control problems. I have never in my life been prone to sweating. I also was getting night sweats as well, something I also never had before. I had my hormones, thyroid, and blood tested and all came back normal.
I have been off of steroids for a few months now, but continue to get these horrible flares. My face will suddenly start to feel a bit itchy, then within a day it will break out, sometimes whole face, sometimes just the middle. The rash goes on my eyes, on the cheeks, around my mouth and chin. It is reddish in color with blotches of my normal skin color within it. It used to go on my neck and chest but that has diminshed but my neck is still prone to itching. The inside of my arms also sometime have broken out as well as my breasts. Then after a few days, the rash turns a duller color and begins to peel off. This continues for a few days, then my skin looks almost normal not quite, but I do not look at least like a monster. Then it returns again and again. I also seem to have sores now in the corner of my mouth that never totally go away but significantly diminish between breakouts.
Does this sound like the steroid problem? Will it ever go away? I still have hand dermatitis ont he top of my hands a wrists and not sure how to get rid of that because I react to most creams and of course do not want to use steroids. I cannot really use most creams including vanicream, cethphil and cerave. I also cannot seem to use any of the oils, I have tried them all.
This has totally ruined my life for 2 years now. I have 2 small kids and feel like I have not been able to be even a good mom or enjoy anything. Noone understands how devastating this is, unless you ahve it every day of your life. I have not had a good nights sleep in a long time.
Does anyone else have the sweating and temperature regulation problems with their skin? I notice that my torso stomach area will suddenly break out in a sweat. now I cannot even drink anything hot like coffee withouth sweating profusely. I have never had this before. I think it is connected to this syndrome.
I currently wash with Dove unscented bar soap. The only moisturizer that my skin can tolerate is Curel unscented. At least I do have one option. When my face breaks out and peels, I exfoliate it with a nylon mitt I got at the drug store. It does not seem to make it worse, I use it dry.
Please let me know if what I am decribing sounds like this issue. I do not want to take any more medicine at all. and I do not want to go to any more dermatologists any time soon. sorry about my spelling, i wrote this quickly. At times this issue has been so devastating to me I have considered suicide, when I am up all night day after day with it. I am a lot better then I used to be but it is not gone. Will it ever go away???? By the way, before this all, I had totally perfect skin, especially on my face and neck, I never had one problem even though I am a red head with a fair complexion. I feel lik this is ruining my skin and the stress of it is ruining everying else. I have begun to seen an acupuncturist who tells me my kidney is really off now..One thing is for sure, I will never use steroids again in any form…
Leslie, please go to your dermatologist and ask for some of the following; Elidel, Noritate, Clarithromycin, and /or low dose accutane (about 5 mg/day). You are having withdrawal from the topical steroids, and these meds may well ease your withdrawal until your body becomes accustomed to the new reality. Hope this helps. Laura
Thanks Laura, I am willing to try some meds but hoped to not. I also am afraid my dermo will just give more steroids and not think that I am having withdrawl. I went before during an outbreak and he told me I looked allergic to something. So I am afraid to go back. Prior to this, all the dermos that I went to told me it was some type of dermatitis and gave steroids. Are most of them open to this idea? i feel like I have had to diagnose myself. If I do not use anything for meds, will it eventually go away on its own? it seems to be diminishing a bit so if I thought it might go away, I might hold out a bit longer. Let me know if you can and how long it might take to go away.
Leslie
Hi Leslie,
The generally accepted wisdom is that it will go away, over time. From what I’ve read, nobody can say how long it will take for any individual case. The drugs I suggested are to get you over the ‘hump’ until your body adjusts to not having the steroids. If your dermatologist wants to give you more steroids for it, I’d recommend telling him you think it’s steroid withdrawal, or seeing your general practitioner instead. Make sure you tell them your history at the same time. Good luck and keep us posted, okay?
Well I am not sure if it follows a pattern of getting better, but I have noticed that although my outbreaks are actually getting more frequent, they do not seem as severe. The skin that pops out though from outbreak to outbreak is almost in the same pattern from week to week but the area affected is getting smaller. It sure is wierd, sort of like your body getting taken over by aliens..
I will think about approaching my dermatologist. I try not to go to him too often anymore, I think going to the dermatologist is what got me in this boat in the first place.
Thanks so much for your input, any is welcome with this condition. It really “gets under your skin”..
Hi Leslie.
I think that you can do it without the dermatologist. Start to eat really healthy. Protein, fats and good oils to tone your body. Skip sugar and alcohol for a while. Exercise and take walks. Maybe exfoliating the affected skin, followed by a little petroleum jelly before bed. Keep your hands and bed sheets very clean.
I am so sorry to hear how this has affected you badly, taking the joy out of the wonderful time being a mother. I do not know why cortisone cream is ever prescribed, it is a hormone and that may be why you are so hot. I am sure you will heal with time. Keep it up. Together we will all be better. God bless you and your family.
Patricia,
I have started to make some dietary changes, I am seeing an acupuncturist and she has made some recommendations.I do not know what caused my original rash, I think it was sunscreen, and the original rash was torture. but this has been even worse. I guess, I hope that there will be an end to daily suffering so it helps to find that there are people who have been able to recover from this. Thanks for your comments. My kids know too much about rashes for their ages 4 and 6. I do hope that I will resume a normal life and believe me if I am that lucky, I will treasure every moment of it.
thanks and take care.
Leslie
Leslie – what an awful time you have had. Some of what you have described sounds very similar (tempto my experience but much much worse as my problems are largely confined to my face and aren’t as bad as your’s. I had clear smooth skin as well and then developed an allergy to nickel that cause a rash on my face – dermatologist prescribed steroid cream and I quickly developed other symptoms. One of the things I discovered is that cortisones can actually cause dermatitis and I continue to have many unexplained flares of this as well as continuing reactions that are similar to rosacea symptoms. This has now been going on for a year but it is so much better than it was. I saw 3 dermatologists before finding one who was prepared to accept I had a problem with steroids so I would definitely say that it is worth educating yourself and asking around for recommended dermatologists in your area who would be sympathetic. If you live in the UK then I can give you the name of mine.
I have been on low dose Lymecycline (antibiotic) since last July and it has made a huge difference – I haven’t used any topical creams or moisturisers because I react to them all – I use Chickweed Ointment to moisturise to help the dermatitis (see my early post for details) and that has made it just about bearable. My GP says I haven’t been on the antibiotic that long for what I have and I have had no side effects at all which has surprised me. As far as diet is concerned follow the guidelines given for rosacea recommended diets and eat as many anti-inflammatory foods as possible.
You may well be able to see this off without going back to a doctor but be prepared for it to take a long time – even with the meds I have found this an agonising process psychologically and it has made me very unhappy at times. And I was only exposed to the steroid cream for a few months – the longer the exposure the longer it can take to clear and if you also have dermatitis then that seems to keep the skin permanently sensitive and reactive – it’s a difficult balance and you need to break the cycle to allow it all to heal.
I have 3 kids and sometimes that was the only thing keeping me positive and getting me up in the morning! Don’t despair – you will get through this! Let us all know how you get on.
Ali, thanks for the feedback. Hearing that you have been on antibiotics for almost a year makes me worried about trying to get this to go away without medication. Why does it take so long to go away? Is it a bacterial infection? Like I indicated, I did not abuse steroids like some people do, I must just be extremely sensitive to them. Do your outbreaks show up in the same spots ususally? Mine seem to and the skin that has healed does not seem to have a problem anymore, like my neck and chest, they have still mottled appearence but do nto seem to break out anymore.
What do people do about sunscreen? I am afraid to wear it but still want to take my kids out during the summer. I am really not sure what to do. Let me know if you ahve any advise.
I live in the US, in Michigan.
Leslie
Hi Leslie
This is not a bacterial problem generally although mites seem to be a problem for some rosacea sufferers this is a hotly debated topic on rosacea forums. Some people speculate that what is classed as rosacea will be changed as more is discovered about the condition as there are so many different symptoms and they could well have different underlying causes.
Personally I would say that mine is an inflammatory condition. I only started on steroids because of an underlying inflammatory response to nickel. The steroids increased that inflammatory response and gave me a whole new bunch of problems (increased atopic response, cold sores etc). The problems still occur in the places I put the steroid cream and have also moved to other places – which would support my theory that an over all inflammatory response was provoked. The trick is to reduce the inflammation and break the cycle of reaction.
The antibiotic dosage you would be given would not be to tackle any bacterial activity but to gradually calm the inflammation – it’s a very low dose. That is why you can generally be on the antibiotics long term and not become immune to their effects – although some people do find they stop being as effective in time and switch to another one. If you do decide to go on them make sure you are given one that does not make you more sensitive to the sun though!
I am hoping to wean myself off the antibiotics over the summer but I seem to have developed hormonal acne – steroids can mess with your hormones according to some people but I suspect my main problem is stress which has triggered my already vulnerable skin to react so I am trying to chill out a lot more and get more sleep.
Like you I have struggled with sun exposure. Up until last year I wore suncream all the time even in winter but last summer I relied on broad rimmed hats in sunny weather (yeah – I do look a bit stupid at times!) and I am now experimenting with suncream I can tolerate. The best I have found is one by RosaceaCare – found it online and I am also trying out Simple sunscreams. I sit in the shade when I can and never full sun – managed a 2 week camping trip last year and didn’t burn even with no suncream on so it can be done. Fresh air can help physically and emotionally so I try to get out as much as I can.
If you find a good suncream then let us know!
Hope this helps you but remember that someone else’s story will be very different – you have to become your own expert on this but be prepared to take advice as well. Ali
Hi all.
What did people do in the days before sunscreen was invented? They wore protective clothe and did not sunbathe. One day I heard a doctor on television tell people that they should never leave the house without sunscreen. I cant help thinking that there is a lot of money to be made from selling sunscreens and what is sunscreen made of? Many people using daily sunscreen are lacking in vitamin D because you get vitamin D from the sun.I know I have spend a lot of money to doctors and specialist and nobody could cure me. I had to find this website to finally get some answers.
I think the body is capable of healing it self with a healthy diet with lots of goods fats, good oils and well balanced.(read Diane Schwartsbeins book). Restorative yoga is excellent for reducing stress.
What did people do in the old days? Covered up most of their skin and did not sunbathe.
The sun provides the body through the skin with vitamin A & D.
I do try to get some full sun every day but do not sunbathe. However, I cannot change my genetics, and I am very fair, a redhead, and both of my parents have skin cancer, my dad, a former redhead too, has had all skin cancers repeatedly including melanoma, my mom just got diagonsed iwth squamous cell carcinoma, so I really think I need some kind of protection. If I try to cover up with clothing, it is just too hot. so I am in a bind, because I think my original rash was due to the sunscreen. I do wear sun hats but like to wear tank tops etc. Not sure what I will do this year. It is really hot in Michigan in the summer so wearing clothes to cover up is not really an option, especially since my skin is running so hot lately. please all of you continue to give me input, it is really helping me.
thanks,
Leslie
Dear Leslie.
Wow, since both of your parents have battled skin cancer, I agree that you need to protect your skin with sunscreen. When I first got off the cortisone cream, my face too was burning hot, but it has now subsided and so has the hives. In the beginning I would treat the heat with cold compresses and restorative yoga to reduce stress. Coffee, tea, spicy food and alcohol can also induce heat. Maybe antibiotics is prescribed to reduce the inflamation.
May you feel better soon.
Patricia,
I really do not like sunscreen at all, I think I originally got the severe rash from a photoallergic reaction to suncreen. I used to lather it on every day, head to toe. Now I would not do that, there were tons of chemicals in there, who knows how it affected my body having to process all those chemicals every day. Now I am deathly afraid of using sun protection but if I want to go out with my kids this summer, I cannot wear long sleeves, I will sweat like crazy, it will irritate my existing rash, and I will be miserable. I am going to check into some sunscreen options for rosacea and see if any of them look like ones my skin could at least tolerate. This scares me too since my skin has become so reactive these days. Now I am coming off my most recent flare. My face was red and blotchy for about 4 days, now it is a duller color with peeling starting. I hate looking in the mirror anymore, and I cannot tolerate pictures of myself because it does not look like the real me…
Leslie,
Sorry if my spelling is off I am in a hurry.
These skin problems you are suffering are withdraws. I believe bacteria does thrive in the pores as they are swollen due to withdraw. The cortisones and steroids are quick for our bodies to become dependant. DO NOT take any more med at all do not absolutely DO NOT put any creams on the face. Clindomyacin did not produce good results with me. I got way worse do to the alcohol in it. Dont use bar soap as it is antibacterial but not anti fungal.. It is a breeding ground for soap scum, fungus, and mold!! Use baby body wash in a bottle. Throw your exfoliating mitt away and use disposable scrubbing pads found by the cotton balls. Let you skin soak in shower good 15 min as skin is softer in the shower and scrubb your face with the exfoliating pad and baby wash. 5 min after shower use vaseline on face NOT MUCH.. Change your pillow case every 3 days tops as mites are dominate in swollen rosacea pores. The mite eat bacteria in the dark-at night so wash good at night.. Whatever you do dont put anything on face at all and stay off any meds. Doctors are not going to help you here. Good luck all I will check back soon
Also, I used steroid packs and cortisone for 6 years!!!
And after 3 mos of following these rules I am much better. I went through bright red perioral outbreaks rosacea out breaks suvere my skin was falling off! Full body outbreaks when steroid pack was gone.. Drs just say I am allergic to something and give more anti inflamitory meds.. Feeling better on them I took more.. Now I know they were the root of all my skin problems. I never use sun screen ever but I am Native American so I do not know how to help you there avoid humid days and the sun in long periods of time. Dont go in a sauna, or sit in a hot car for long periods. Steam hurts my skin BAD worse than anything my water has to be room temp. I think thats it for today hang in there it all gets better Leslie & you have soooo many similarities as I so I will pray for a full recovery.
Leslie – I got through last summer by always seeking the shade, taking the kids to the nearby woods to play where it was cooler and shady and invested in large floppy hats. I am also fair haired with pale skin (my kids are all typical redheaded Celts) and I didn’t burn at all. It is a pain but just imagine what it will be like next year when your skin will be so much stronger and resilient – my skin is still recovering but it is so much better than it was last year. I have just remembered that I also got some pillowcases from Dermasilk that are very smooth and can be prescribed in the UK for eczema sufferers. They will post to the US – http://www.dermasilk.co.uk. I have found them to be really good and still use them – they also do clothes and sheets.
Have you ever had any patch testing for allergies? Finding out I am strongly reactive to nickel has eliminated one particular symptom at least which is a blessing. It didn’t cost too much either. Just a thought x
Thanks Ali and Chrissy,
I appreaciate the comments and advice. I will feel better if what I am describing sounds like the steroid problem because it will make me think it might go away sometime.
I will try the disposable pads for exfoliating I have not seen them at the store but will look. I have had patch testing to about 115 things, I only reacted slightly to Formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers. I have to avoid those now but think I also have a problem with sodium lauryl sulfates as well. Also on my irritated skin, I can only use curel lotion and dove bar soap unscented. I literally react to everything including cetaphil, baby shampoos (as I use them on my kids and my hands sting), cerave lotion and cleanser, vanicream and free and clear, so I could use a diluted dove bar soap in a squeeze bottle with water I suppose. I am fanatical about changing the bedding about every other day already, I must have sensed it was important.
If I do not put any curel on my face it is dry as a bone. I will try vaseline but sometimes that makes my skin itch. Maybe if I use a tiny bit it will be ok.
I will let you know what happens. thanks again, this is the first time I feel like I am talking to people who might understand what I am going thru. I do not understand why my reaction has been so severe and long lasting, I did not use the steroids for as long and regularly as some people do, although one of my drs. told me it was ok to put Triamcininlone on the face as well as Topicort. I might have used them once or twice this way, but then washed them off. Now I know that the face was not the place to use them. It did not feel right. I did use the Hytone quite a bit though on my face and the stronger steroids on my neck which is right below my face so there might have been a cross reaction.
One final thing, I did remember initially the for Dr. I went to, without asking any questions about the initial rash, prescribed a few steroid creams. On my hands the one he suggested is one of the most potent topicals there is. I know that now after I did my own research. I only applied it a few times but that might have predisposed me to all this other sensitivity. From what I understand with steroids, you should always start out with the milder ones and work up to stronger ones, not start with the strongest one there is..
Leslie
Dear Leslie,
It sure sounds like cortisone withdrawals you are going through. I found relief in using coconut butter on my face. It is a little messy, but finally I got my super dry skin a little hydrated. Later after I started to exfoliate all the affected skin on my face, neck and chest I would first apply coconut gee (got it from the amish co-op), let it soak in and then apply a very thin layer of petroleum jelly before bed. In the morning I have, for a week now been able to use my regular face cream. This treatment has made me so much better. I still get flare-ups, but they are much less severe. I have used no meds at all and I do not use sunscreen. This nightmare will end. I have now been off cortisone for about 7 weeks.
PS: Coconut is anti fungal.
Patricia,
I tried Coconut Oil before and had a reaction to it. Believe me, I have tried everything, Jojoba Oil. Rose Hip Seed Oil, Coconut, cocoa butter (huge reaction on hands), Vanicream, Free and Clear, Cerave, Cetaphil, Clinique Stuff, Estee Lauder, Evan Healy, honey, yogurt, Aloe, Sunflower Oil, mineral oil, Epiceram, and Eletone… You name it, I have tried it. I have spent a fortune on skin care products. If I were to apply any of these things to non irritated skin, they would be fine, but for some reason, the irritated skin cannot tolerate almost anything. So I think that some of my problem has been exacerbated by trying new stuff all the time. I did wash my face earlier and am currently letting it breathe, nothing on it. Also, I think I should cut down on exfoliating for a few days, maybe that is causing further irritation.
I am glad you think it is steroid withdrawl, because as I said earlier, if it is that, I will likely go away some day. That would be enough to keep me motivated, just the idea that it might go away. Anyone have these cold sore like things in the corner of the mouth? They are healing back up, flare is on the downturn, but they will likely pop up again next time it happens.. Glad that you are feeling better Patricia. I used to do Yoga, I should get back into it again, it is great exercise and good for the spirit..
Dear Leslie.
I think you are doing the right thing by leaving the skin be for now. Sometimes we overdo things in trying to get better. As you said too many new products.
I did not have the sores in the corners of my mouth, but I have read that tooth paste can trigger perioral dermatitis, so I have switch my toot paste.
The cortisone cream made my hormones get totally unbalanced. I got hot flashes, hives and dry eyes. The heat made me irritable and for a while I thought that I was pre-menopausal. The stress of not knowing what was wrong with me, was the worst part and finding out through this site was the turning point towards healing. Know that healing takes time. I use a mantra every morning: It’s going to get better tomorrow than it is today, it’s going away….
God bless.
Patricia, Hi. Nothing on my face, the sores in the corners seem to be healing up as well as a blister on my lip (I feel so attractive), I am trying to leave it all alone. Last night was bad for my arms and hands, very itchy and I had a moment of weakness and scratched now I feel bad and worse then yesterday because my willpower was not good last night. I need to get back on track and let my skin heal up. but I am going to try and just keep it clean and dry and hopefully it will heal on its own. If I need to moisturize I can use petroleum jelly or Curel. Curel has been a lifesaver for me. I never had even tried it before all this but it really helps me without irritation. Re: the hormones, yes I thought the same thing, I was getting those sweats and still do but they do not seem to be hot flashes. I had my hormones checked and they were fine. I am sure the steroids messed with my system. I also hardly ever had sweating for any reason, now I sweat like a faucet. I really hope that stops someday. My son has asthma and the medication they want him to take twice a day is an inhaled steroid. I am too afraid to try it so I am trying to treat him with some other medication that I have first. I will do it if there is no other option but considering what I have gone thru I have my fears about putting him on that. I will let you know how things go. A mantra is helpful, I need to try and get a mindset back that I will get better, that is half the battle. I had sort of given up recently, sick of fighting this and you are right, there is a lot of fear and worry about what is happening to your body. It does not seem to make sense sometimes..
Leslie
Dear Leslie.
Do not give up. This is a very difficult time. I used to scratch myself raw every night even in my sleep. We cant be good about it every day and we need support. It really help to talk to someone who has an idea about how this feels and knowing that we are not alone.
I have changed my approach many times already or I have stopped doing anything for a while. I have read that it can flare up from weeks to 6 month, but reading Ali’s story, even longer. I still believe that eating healthy and yoga to reduce stress is the best you can do for your immune system and maybe treat yourself to a massage.
hugs to you from me.
Hi Leslie
I have cold sore like blisters as well! They appear not just around my mouth but my lower cheeks as well. They respond to aciclovir and I now have a kit from my GP to swab them for testing – they came up negative on a bacterial swab so I need to get a viral one. As cold sores are often triggered by eczema and stress it’s wouldn’t be surprising if I have had them. If you get any more try using aciclover – if it works then it might be worth checking exactly what they are by getting them swabbed. Horrible for you but it’s nice to know I am not alone in getting them – but I haven’t had any now for 2 months which is the first break for about 6 months! Instead I have loads of spots – Patricia’s information about the hormonal effect steroids had on her is interesting and I am taking comfort from it – hormones can take ages to settle down maybe my body is just working through it all.
Wish we could all get together for a coffee! Instead -accept my best wishes for a very good day!
Dear Ali and Leslie.
Yes I would like to hang out too. But know that we will all get stronger from figuring this out together.
This morning I read that sunscreens are causing cancer on the aol website and some also messes up our hormones. I think you will have to do a lot of research to find the right one. Hugs to both of you.
Hi Ali and Patricia,
I am taking my kids to the zoo today and it is going to be very hot. I will have to wear a sun hat and long sleeves, hopefully I will not sweat to death.
Ali, glad too that you have had the sores but they are now gone, felt like I was going crazy. I have been dabbing them with hydrogen Peroxide when they get bad. Now they are staring to heal over again. When I have them, I do not even want to kiss my kids.
Patricia, wish I could go without any sun protection, would make my life in the summer easier.
Will let you both know how I do today.
Leslie
Sorry, I did not mean to scare anybody. The site said only 39 out of 500 brands of sunscreens, are actually protecting the skin from the cancer causing sun-rays. The others just prevent you from getting sun-burned. Some has ingredients that can interfere with your hormones. Please do research to be on the safe side.
Update. This weekend I drank vine, and I surely had to pay for it with a major flare all over my face. Also had to stop with petroleum jelly for a while because it seems to irritate further. I am better than in the beginning, but certainly not healed yet. I am still able to use my regular face cream and my skin is not as dry or peeling anymore. Guess I have to stay on my diet or I will have to pay.
Hi Ali and Patricia,
I tried to post yesterday but it got deleted for some reason.
I took my kids to the zoo yesterday, despite my sun hat and being covered head to toe, we had a good time. I ended up with some blood in my urine and that put a damper on things. I do not have an infection but I think it might have been the zinc supplement I took before the zoo. It was 500% percent of the daily recomended dosage. I will not do that again. Apparently that can be a consequence of Zinc. Probably was too much for my body to process.
re: Petroleum Jelly and Wine.
I have used off and on the Petroleum Jelly with mixed results. I seem to have delayed reactions to it. It does not clog pores, contrary to common belife, but it does seems to build up on the skin eventually causing a plastic type feel, at least on my skin. That is why I rarely use it, you really cannot wash it off with water. I have also dealt with so many flares that I cannot count. I used to think that the topicals set if off or that my diet set it off including wine. For myself, I think that the flares are coming from inside my body and happen anyway. I stopped Wine for about 5 months with no changes, haphazard flares still occured for me so I started drinking it again. I try to drink organic wine with no sulfites added, but not to say it makes any difference.
Re: Sores on mouth corners. I was at the dr. yesterday about my urine issue and asked him about the sores. He said “we usually treat that with steroids”… I said no way. So I tried dabbing a bit of Polysporin in the morning. then I put on some plain zinc oxide cream. I have been drinking with a straw. It seems to be improved already.
Re: the face flares, I have yet to figure out what sets them off except stress plays a part for me. they come and go no matter what I do. I think the best thing is to put as little as possible on your face at all.
I use Dove uscented for sensitive skin soap, just a little bit to wash. I now only use as I have said, Curel Continuous Comfort Unscented if I need to moisturize. you might want to give it a try on a small spot Patricia, it has been a godsend for me and it is not very expensive.. I react to absolutely everything, I can use it. It is pretty light and if you do not like it, you can wash most of it off right away. I put a small amount to start and apply more if I really need it.
Now, I am not using anything. When It is dry, I exfoliate. That seems to be revealing some better quality skin then it used to so maybe a sign this is finally healing up. I think the dry skin is the body’s way of trying to throw off this stuff. I am starting to think that moisturizing might actually slow the process. Even though it is more comfortable for us. Believe me I have seen it all now.
Still having some sweating attacks, just trying to ride out the storm.
Leslie
Have you read this article that someone posted on this site a while ago?
http://www.eczema.net/AnotherRedFaceJournalArticle.pdf
Patricia, Sorry you cannot drink wine. I couldn’t either, or coffee, or spicy foods. I would feel my cheeks inflame instantly!! You will be able to soon keep your chin up
Leslie & Ali, I had blisters on my face too but them the puss filled bumps and pimples are now gone so plz hang in there. It is rough. I am sorry to hear your zoo day got a damper on it. I had sooooooo many depressing days. I got so sick in the cold my skin flared up so bad I had to go to the hospital when I was sledding with the kids. I know it sucks but it gets better.. Slowly but surely.
I agree that I think our skin being dry & flaking off is its way of healing. However I am nervous to leave dry skin as the demodex mite feeds of that & bacteria. I exfoliate and scrubb my face with my nails 1-2 times a day to get as much skin off as I can.
I had never had a problem with dandruff until my steroid induced rosacea problems has anyone else had this problem? My scalp feels dry too and flaky. I had also read the mite eats dry skin as well as bacteria. It lives in hair folicules as well as pores, and makes the hair fall out. The demodex mite is found in huge numbers in steroid induced rosacea suffers, and this is the same mite that causes mange on dogs & makes their hair fall out. When the mite dies its corpse turns to white liquid in our pore,causing a puss filled bump. I hope my scalp is just a little dry and will go away soon. I am allergic to dandruff shampoo. I have been using a cheaper shampoo that seems to leave less build up bc it is thinner..
Chrissy
Ali, I have read the article, it is on a website http://www.eczemabible.com? or net? I have also had private counseling by the owner of the website, an expert on eczema. She is very nice.
Chrissy,
I have also had dandruff or dry scalp problems too. I have had it all and previously none of it. I can relate. can they take a scraping and test for demodex to find out if you have a problem? We need to have faith in our bodies and immune systems to kick in and help us thru this nightmare. I had a similar experience taking my kids sledding and then having the rash pop out later that evening. Mine was not bad enough to go to the Dr. but I do remember it well.
I am currently using Burts Bees head to toe baby wash for my hair on most days and when that does not cut it, I will alternate to something different for a day or too, a basic Olive Oil Shampoo that I found. I think Tea Tree Oil Shampoo would be good too. I did not do well with dandruff shampoos because I react to formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers and they are in most of the dandruff shampoos. If I really need it, I have used regular Head and Shoulders for dry scalp sometimes. I wash my hair over the tub instead of the shower to avoid getting any soap on my neck and face.
It seems much better, my hair does not flake as much and does not itch anymore. I also skip a day between washes. I have not shed any extra hair during this whole time even when I had worse dandruff. Remember some flaking is totally normal, my hair flakes at first then as the day goes on, not as much.
Check out the dermadoctor website, she has some products on there for this problem.
It is funny before all this, I could use all products and had no skin problems. Now I have nothing but skin problems and can hardly use any products..
I am actually trying Nivea on my hands tonight. Hope I do not react to it but the Curel is not totally working on the areas on my hands. I get so stressed out to try a new product.
Also, I did not mean to imply that wine does not contribute to flares. That is why I stopped it initially but then began to drink it again when I continued to flare anyhow. I guess all of us have different trigger points. Good luck to everyone.
Leslie
Yes, I know we do have diff trigger points. I used to be so care free and use anything as well. Now All I can use is baby soap and vaseline which doesnt even work on some of you.. Hopefully through all of this it is just an eye opener to great skin health! & we will all have wonderful well taken care of skin from it all
Where did you get your tea tree oil shampoo? I read tea tree oil is the number one best natural cleaner and body cleanser. I read it is antibacterial, anti fungal, it kills mold mildew, mites, ticks, fleas, and even lice!! I am still wanting to try it but I have a 5 month old and thing are hectic sometimes. I would love to get tested for this mite but I am losing my insurance this month. So, all things I do have to be all natural..
We all talk on here everyday and I barely know you ladies. Here is a lil about me. Im a 24 yr old mother of 3 boys from Ohio. Talk to you soon.
Chrissy
Chrissy,
If you have a health food store nearby or a Whole Foods, they carry Jason Tea Tree Oil. I do not use that one, it does have sodium laureth sulfate? I used to use a really plain one, you might get it online, made by Heritage Products. It does not have many ingredients and used to work wonders on my husband’s dandruff.
I live in Michigan. I am 42 but before my skin problems hit, I looked still in my 20′s or early 30′s. I now do not know what my skin will look like coming out of this stuff. I have 2 kids, a daughter 6 and son 4.
You and I deal with the same climate, pretty brutal in the winter. It is really hard on damaged skin.
Coconut Oil, not an option for me but I think Patricia has used it, is also a very good anti bacterial and anti fungal. I used to rub Jojoba Oil into my scalp before washing my hair, that is supposed to help too. You can buy it at a health food store or if you have a Trader joes they carry it. They also have a Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo and Conditioner.
It is easy to get scared about every possibiliby during this wierdness. You might not have demodex, try not to worry too much about that if you can possibly. I have been having regular flares for 2 years, due to my original rash and then the sensitivities developed to different products, then the steroid issues. I have been very depressed many, many days. I have felt so unattractive most of the time. I am constantly praying that this will disappear and I can resume my normal life. It has improved greatly, I used to have rashes on 80% of my body, now I am mostly down to my face, inner arms and then my hands which are alwasy an issue for me. unfortunately, those are the areas that people see so I am still self conscious. I used to flare on my chest and neck so badly that I wore a scarf continously all winter, even in the house and my neck looked like I was 80 years old. Now that is finally mosly gone, I can even wear a necklace sometimes, I think my neck is about 90 normal now. Yeah….
Good luck.
Leslie
Dear all.
I have used coconut butter, not coconut oil on my face. The oil is too oily and do not have fibers. Coconut butter has the fibers intact. Right now I am using an organic Coconut ghee that I purchased from the Amish co-op. I only apply a little bit, then wipe most of it off, so the skin can breathe, right after I have exfoliated.
Dear Ali.
I just read the article, “Another red face.” Now I feel a lot more informed, and positive for my cure. Thank you for posting that. Blessings, Patricia.
You’re welcome Patricia. I’m 41 with 3 children ages 12, 10 and 7 – living in Wales in the UK.
I’ve just spent a day gardening in the sun – it was so good – last year I couldn’t have done this without paying a very heavy price with my skin. Today – so far so good – no reactions at all. This is definitely progress!
It is progress!
Nice to know a lil more about everyone. My boys are 5 yrs and 5 mos. I also have step son that is 12.
Anyone know an idea of how I will do in Florida sun, salt ocean water or chlorine? I am leaving for vacation soon and I have not taken one in 6 yrs bc of my skin problems. I am very nervous of how I will do.
Ali I am so happy you are able to be in your yard again
Its amazing what we take for granted I miss just sitting outside. I kinda can now but the sun and humidity is the worst for me..
Leslie thanks for all the detailed advice I will surely try the things you said. I might start washing my hair seperate right away. I know how you feel with all this making us look older, but it gets better
Little by little
Good luck all talk to you soon
Dear Chrissy,
If I were you I would bring airy, light clothes that covers the skin on arms and legs, stay in the shade for the most part. Bring an umbrella for the beach. I am sure salt water is better than chlorinated water. Getting a little sun might help your skin, if it is ready to tolerate it.
Reading the article “another red face,”UVA and UVB therapies were used in treatment.
Finally, have fun.
I am 45 years old and have 2 grown stepchildren and 1 grandchild.
Good luck. Patricia.
Reading this forum makes my heart sink. I have been dealing with steroid induced rosacea for 4 months now. It all started with my face getting red last summer, near my nose and eyebrows ( i also have dandruff). I started to eat better, and taking copious amounts of vitamin A pills. This was a big mistake , mistake number 1 in hindsight. Vitamin A caused drastic changes in me, i would sleep all day, dirreah, mood changes, psychotic symptoms (wanted to kill family members and family friends), hair loss, no sex drive (i still cant sustain an erection, i can only masturbate with a softie).
But i was determined to get red of the face problems. It was all in vain, the vitamin A just made things worse. So in desperation i reached for a tube of “Nystatin and Triamcinolone” .
Mistake number 2 . My mother says it works for fungal infections, (i think the private part variety). Something made me skeptical, because every time i schmeared my face with this stuff, i would start flushing badly. I did this on and off for about a month. Then holy crap, i discovered that Triamcinolone is a STEROID …OHHH NOOOO!!!! what a big mistake, and then i read youre not supposed to ever put on face. No warning label on tube, (bastards should be sued).
Mistake number 3 , i started using chemical peels to deal with the ensuing nightmare of acne, flushing, and weeping. I did it twice, salicylic acid. I got the worst sunburn of my life after i went in the sun, it was a layer of brown/reddish skin.
I cried in my pillow that was extremely warm from the heat of my toasted poor skin.
mistake number 4, ive continued taking cod liver oil (vitamin A) out of desperation to slow down the acne pustules and papules. my face is a permanent shade of red. my life goes on though. what happened? i still cant understand the series of shitty events . its been 4 months now with steroid induced rosacea, and vitamin A poisoning (dry skin, high cholesterol, permanent depression). I even got a peptic ulcer and type 2 diabetes as my doctor says. I dont care, im done with medication. Ill just exercise. if i die, then good . I cant deal with any more side effects. im just going to tough it out for a change. i use a lot of garlic now, dont know if it is doing anything . it controls the sebum output i speculate
email me vvwjog at yahoo dot com ,
Dear Jazzman.
Read Diane Schwartzbeins book “The truth about loosing weight, being healthy and feeling younger.” It tells about the need to stop medications and learning to eat healthy, in order to reverse premature aging.
May you feel better. Blessings from me.
I feel I should elaborate a bit more about my steroid experience. The weeping has abated since i went cold turkey from steroids about 4 months ago, it looked like poison ivy (i never get poison ivy but my brother does). Its horrible, its on your face, everybody sees you and your self esteem plummets. You basically hide in your room, its a good thing im unemployed at the moment (hah, humor). This has been the most difficult experience in my life. I’m still getting outbreaks of acne every other day, they are these flat papules or flat red lesions , or bumps, hundreds of them , ugghhh. And i get breakouts of acne , with small whiteheads (not big whiteheads you might get from being a teen). and they are always infected, which tells me theres always bright red around the acne which tells me there is immuno-reaction to skin. in other words your own body is fighting your skin .
Aside from the horror stories, which you can imagine there are many… lets move on to treatment. I went cold turkey. Triamcinolone acetonide is a potent steroid or midpotent steroid. My treatment involves , aside from complete cessation of steroid cream… cetaphil face wash (its very mild and non drying). This is a must to clean and soothe the flushing! And i use Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Diaper Rash Cream. It has 14% zinc oxide, not too much to dry out my face . But dont expect this stuff to be easy to tolerate, at first my face rejected it and it was itchy as hell. But its accomodating well to it. I tried 40 % zinc oxide, a little too much. and there is the standard vaseline , which helps at times. But sometimes my face starts to get red from that, feels heavy and itchy. Also i use neosporin a lot, this helps to heal the lesions which are infected, and will help with the scarring as well.
Now i alternate a lot of these things, vaseline/neosporin until my skin gets sick of that, then i use cetaphil to wash it off. then i use zinc cream. im a bit impatient you might say, i just cant look at my blown up red volcanic face and do nothing.
The good news is that the redness is starting to come down, but the acne breakouts are daily with papules. I stopped using vitamin A , and hopefully garlic will help (not easy on the stomach).
Here is the thing about cod liver oil which is basically the same thing as low dose accutane. yes it will help with the weeping, but the side effects can be permanent and i would say, try to tough it out. if youre going to use cod liver oil, one table spoon is enough for a week. i probably have enough stored for years. A better alternative is beta-carotene pills.
Garlic will help with the healing and skin breakout or infections. It helps to eat garlic with cucumbers. so thats my schpiel. maybe this experience has made me stronger, maybe not. im scared to go out of the house . that part sucks. well you gotta live with hope
If i ever heal, i hope there isnt too much scarring. this is unbelievable, i have never had acne in my life and now this at 25 . im pissed
Question:
What do you guys think about Prosacea, its a product found in Walgreens. will it make this better? speed up the recovery
i recently bought margarite zinc mineral cream. Aside from the annoying tint , it made my face breakout with red blistery lesions (i guess it irritated my papules). i found it a bit too drying. the active ingredient is sulfur plus zinc. Zinc i can tolerate, sulfur not so sure. I also get bad reaction from cutting a potatoe and putting on face. Oh ive tried everything, lemon juice from from a lemon, lime juice , apple cider vinegar, everything of course burned and i was left cursing and more depressed. the lemon juice turned my face brown, and then later red. so that was probably a really bad idea. i mean its true your skin should have an acidic ph, but i think steroid rosacea skin is a different story. acid is not tolerated well…
god, i guess i have to learn things the hard way.
I hear great reviews about prosacea. is it too good to be true? at this point im too scared to experiment. my experimenting days are over
Jazzman.. Been through all that and I feel your pain. With your story I have to say and beg you plz stop putting all this stuff on your face and stop with vitamins. I have tried almost everything and was on steroids for 5-6 yrs!! I thought the scars were permanent, but they went away
Do not pick your face though. Read about demodex mites they cause bumps in your skin that look like pimples. Keep your skin clean and do not touch it. Steroids cause strong withdraws and your face needs to learn to defend itself without an anti infamitory barrior.. You have thinned your skin. I have also tried antifungal creams of all kinds on my face bc I had rashes forever, I would turn back to all steroids not knowing they were the source. I completely understand not wanting to leave the house as I got weird looks, and ppl say whats wrong with your face & why is your face so red?? I hated it.. I agree warning labels should be stronger.. I know it will take time but try to hang in there bc it gets better, scars go away mine were Dark & Deep and faded completely!!, the itching stops and the redness stops 
We are here for you while you are hiding out in your room 
Patricia thanks I hope the sun does help. Can you put a link on here so I can read another red face? I have heard you talk about it before too. I will get an umbrella thx that will prob come in handy for me & my 5 mos old.
I hope everyone has a good day I will pray for you all. Talk to you soon.
Jazzman you posted this last post of your as I was writing mine so I just saw it.. LOL U r killin me with all the stuff u r tryin. I did to I tried oatmeal, egg and all kinda crazy stuff lol.. I am finally doing great now that I quit all stuff on my face, but I am sorry to say you need to be patient.. It takes weeks to heal from this. Best of luck. Freeridegames is a site of free games, thats what I did when I didnt wanna leave the rm. I played risk & ISPY for a month haha..Cold water is kinda an anti inflamitory maybe take motrin as an anti inflamitory for the redness and the swelling and itch. DO NOT take this long as it is a blood thinner and can irritate ur stomach read and follow warnings take for a wk.. tetracycline can help speed recovery but not much.. Antihistamines can help with the itch too but dont combine all these. .Drink lots of water to help your body get rid of impurities, and get plenty of fresh air as 80% of the bodys toxins are released respritory. Talk to you soon
Dear Chrissy and Jazzman.
Read this article.
http://www.eczema.net/AnotherRedFaceJournalArticle.pdf
It will give you a lot of information.
Hi,
Jazzman, I think you will make your skin much worse instead of better if you continue trying all this stuff. That is what I did, I tried a bunch of oils, different creams, soaps, apple cider vinegar, I took cod liver oil, you name it, supplements, etc..
I found that less is better. My face never got acne, I get blotchy red thickened skin that looks terrible, gets swollen itches and burns. It then turns duller and peels off. It has affected much of my body at times.
If you really want to get better, you need to have patience, realize it will take time, and stop putting stuff on your face, especially zinc oxide, that will not wash off and you will end up with a buildup on your skin. I thinnk I tried it a few times. Your skin will not build a tolerance to something that initially irritates it, it will just break down more. You might even block your pores this way.
If you want to try what works for me, use just a little Dove soap, unscented for sensitive skin to wash. Cethaphil acutally makes my skin worse. Then get some Curel lotion, the continuous comfort unscented and just dab a little on the dry areas. Then leave it alone. The curel will wash off if it irritates your skin and it does not block pores. Everything irritates my skin, even Vanicream and my skin tolerates the Curel just fine.
Then leave it alone and do not touch it. If it is really infected you might need some antibiotics. It sounds like you are looking for something that is going to work right away and the more impatient you are, the less positive results you will have.
Good luck. Do not overdue the garlic either, not necessary. Just eat healthy stuff, a lot of fruit and veggies, drink a lot of water, maybe green tea. Stop all the supplements currently. That is it. And stop putting a bunch of stuff on your skin.
Leslie
Hi Jazzman
If you HAVE to put something on your face then try making a cup of VERY strong green tea and camomile tea. (2 teabags in cup, boiling water and leave 30 mins). Let it cool right down – to room temperature. Soak cotton wool pads in it and just let them rest on your face. That’s what I did when it got very inflamed – it certainly didn’t aggravate it and it was soothing. Apart from that, avoid sunshine and wind and be patient.
Ali
Thanks Ali and Leslie. Youre right, zinc oxide makes my skin redder and blocks pores. And it makes my skin buildup scaly red stuff. However on my right side my face is clear, the left side is red and looks thick. The acne i was mentioning earlier isnt really acne. Its an inflamed red spot, with a tiny little whitehead, or no whitehead. Also zinc oxide has irritated some of these red papules, so they are weeping. ughhh, i will look into Curel. So cetaphil is no good? it has Sodium laureth sulfate, so that could be bad. But the neosporin has to be ok? right, crap i ran out of it. i used a whole tube of it this past month
oh yeah, benadryl seems to help with itching. however, it has a drying out of my eyes. vaseline can help with the dry skin no?
Jazzman, you should try polysporin instead of neosporin. neosporin is notorious for causing allergic reactions, polysporin works much better. Cetaphil does not work for me, neither does Cerave. I can only speak for myself, I used to use those thinking they were helping my skin and they did not do me any favors. I would try the Dove, just a little bit, it has a neutral PH. I think it is better to clean the skin rather than just warm water, so that is what I use. Anything else, use it sparingly. If you use a new product, try it in a small spot first to make sure it does not irritate your skin. The tea is a good idea, to drink too. please try and leave your skin alone. that will speed your recovery faster than anything else. Vaseline irritates my skin but some people love it. Good luck.
Leslie
Dear Jazzman,
If you read the article “Another red face” that I posted a couple of days ago, you will see how treatment is administered, what you can expect during the healing process, and some idea on how long it will take to clear.
Blessings.
Dear all,
First I want to thank this site for preventing me from doing more damage to myself, by identifying what I am suffering from. I also want to thank everyone who has posted useful information, sharing their story and ways of coping. Knowing that my skin disease will eventually heal, has made it more tolerable to bear.
I have also found that by telling people of my ailment, in order to prevent this from happening to someone else, I have not been treated any different than when my skin was perfect. We tend to be very harsh on ourselves and we need to cut ourselves some slack. This is going to be with us for a while, so we might as well get used to face the world.
Thank you all. Patricia.
TOday i was in the sun (100 degree car with no air conditioning), at first i was extremely nervous. but i got use to it a bit, tried to relax. But then my face gets itchy when I got home and i use the Cetaphil. It does seem to wash off some of the red dead skin, or exfoliates a bit. What is Curel? is that a non-comodegenic oil. Maybe i should try olive oil.
Maybe you guys can help me . i have a question. My face still itches, and when i look in the mirror I see these tiny sparkling dots near the red irritated papules (only on my cheeks where i applied triamcinolone). I think the light is reflecting the tiny weeping dots, i dont have poison ivy, but it looks just like it.
Crap, this could be eczema induced by my taking high gulps of cold liver oil over time , this after using triamcinolone cream for about two months sporadically.
there is no cure. i give up (white flag waving)…
if i dont use cetaphil then i have a lot of bacteria on my face, right? i take lots of zinc (with copper), and vitamin C. maybe i should just wash with cold water . (bright idea )
Hey , since i am among friends here, does anybody date? i am available, and if you have steroid induced rosacea i am very sympathetic and non judgemental. I will be patient while you heal, i will drive to the store and buy you your ointments and what not. and we can turn this negative experience into something positive. isnt that what life is all about ? i am 25 years old male, i have a car and i work online. i am willing to travel. i am attractive other than some cheek steroid induced rosacea . the flushing is pretty much stopped , except when i drive in 100 degree heated cars . im assuming most of the users here are female
Patience and time will cure you too.
Jazzman,
Be careful with taking supplements, maybe you should stop taking supplements, and eat really well instead.
I also had to stop putting anything on my face from time to time, using only cold water.
After a rest period, apply lightly.
Go out of the house and have some fun again.
Jazzman,
You seem all over the place. I cannot tell what direction you want to go with your skin, now you are talking about olive oil? If I were you, I would come up with a few things that you feel work for you and then stick to the routine. As all of us have advised you, you should not use too many things. Supplements included. Maybe you should go to a dermatologist. There might be some options for you that are non -steroidal. Maybe the steroid induced rosacea is not the only problem. It sounds like the ph on your skin maybe really off. You would do better drinking a lot of plain water and not putting so much on your skin.
Good luck.
Yes i stopped using the supplements, other than vitamin C and zinc and garlic ( i have to do something). im really tempted to put on some zinc cream though. i woke up today with red scaly things that are raised on my skin. and inside the redness has clear liquid, well more like a drop which reflects the light. they are itchy as hell ughh. i dont like using benadryl which dries out my eyes
this could be from using vaseline last night. i blocked all the pores
My steroid induced Rosacea/Perioral Dermatitis follows more of the pattern outlined in the article. It comes and goes, my skin breaks out then over a few days starts to resolve and peel off, then it comes back again. I never have pus filled bumps or anything resembling that. When my rash was persistent, I think it was more reactions to products I was using etc. I think you seem sort of impulsive and think that by using stuff you are speeding your healing. Look at your skin, if it is not getting significantly better, then you are doing the wrong things. Since I stopped most of the stuff I was using, my skin has drastically improved so I know I am on the right track. If you really want to get better, you will take some of this advice. Who says Zinc or Vitamin C is good? When I took Zinc, I had blood in my urine. It freaked me out and I will not do it again. Anything you put in your system, your body needs to process it. It is already trying to process the skin problems. Also, why were your gulping Cod Liver oil? It clearly states on the bottle the recommended dosage? I am not trying to be mean. Really, good luck.
by the way, vaseline does not block pores.
I notice along my eyebrows raised rough red patches ( never applied steroid cream there). This is a form of dandruff… and its itchy just like dandruff? ive had dandruff on my scalp so it reminds me of the same. Also it goes down from the eye brown along my nose these small raised red patches. Anyways, i applied some mild zinc cream, and the itching has subsided. It could potentially dry out my skin, but the zinc formula comes with lots of emollients. Its called “aveeno baby soothing relief diaper rash cream” with natural oats and willowherb (sounds delightful)… i didnt know that vaseline does not block pores, it says that on the acne forums.
I’m starting to get the red patches along my eyebrows, probably because i stopped using cod liver oil. Basically cod liver oil dries up your sebum, so no dandruff. So when i stop using it , the red patches return. But the copious amounts of garlic is probably interfering with the dandruff this time (my secret weapon)
Maybe this all started with dandruff .
Back in september i noticed that my skin would be red along my nose, before i ever heard of acne rosacea. I would wash vigorously with zinc pyrithione shampoo, but that would only help temporarily. Also it started to dry out my skin on my cheek. Then i said, ok lets use supplements. and i went on a beta cartene binge. That didnt do much except give me a nice orange glow, so finally i took the drastic step and purchased two bottles of Retinol (animal form), pure vitamin A. Thats when i also began gulping cod liver oil. Well , sure enough my red patches and dandruff diminished. But instead i started getting very red skin on my face, even my hands would flush and turn bright red. Symptoms included diarreah, sleeping all day… god i wish i had stopped earlier but i was a trooper . You know how people get attached to their treatments and ignore side effects, and im very stubborn. the hair started thinning, mood was crappy , suicidal many times. back pains , but one good thing i guess i had amazing night vision. i could take walks in the night up this mountain i live near and wouldnt need a flashlight.
In January I started to notice i simply could not take a shower, my face would hurt like hell afterwards. So i started grabbing moisturizers, and ultimately found my way to triamcinolone and nystatin . I figured the nystatin was good because i thought oh i must have a bad case of cheek dandruff. it helped for a while, my face dryness was curbed. i was like, wow, i found a secret weapon. but i started to notice this annoying red papule breakout would keep coming back if i didnt schmear the evil steroid cream once again. And i didnt know it was a steroid.
And I guess the vitamin A didnt help that i was using at the same time, i got a nasty sunburn, my cheek felt like it was on fire for 2 weeks. And on and on…
my advice, try the zinc baby aveeno. it cant hurt. I also hear great things about solar RX (14 percent zinc), which is non comodegenic and is nano zinc, so you dont get the white face. Aveeno baby diaper isnt so bad (14% sinc), because its not so parched dry that you can’t get the whiteness out. And it seems to absorb better than the 40 percent zinc cream I have… my 40% zinc cream is too drying and it just leaves a white film which you cant wash off. I dont recommend 40 percent zinc.
oh man, i might be on the wrong forum. I have vitamin A poisoning . maybe the steroid cream thing was the last straw that broke the camel’s back. thats not to say, i did get significant flushing after withdrawal of steroid cream triamcinolone. I used it sporadically for 2 months. I hated the feeling of it on my skin, and the smell of it is weird, so i would usually end up trying to remove it after i applied it . it made my skin feel warm . it helped for the sub zero degree weather here , but boy did i pick the wrong moisturizer.
I saw the pdf you sent a link for. My skin looked like that temporarily after the sunburn, and maybe after cessation of steroid cream. The truth is, i used triamcinolone before on my feet and for hemmoroids, because my mom says it works great. My mother is not well informed. She uses it for vaginal problems, yeast (she is not very tactful). I noticed on the pdf that a woman got a reaction , it seemed to spread all over her underwear area in the classic butterfly pattern. I’m tempted to throw out my mom’s triamcinolone. You know she has a nail fungal infection, could there be a link here?
It sounds like you suffer from seborrheic dermatitis. It is a form of dandruff that affects your face and scalp. IT is usually itchy and locateded in the areas of your face that you describe having a problem. You might try to treat it with some standard treatments and that might clear up at least one of your problems. I am not interested in zinc, it does not help me at all. If anything it is drying and I am trying to get some oil back into my skin. It seems like you overdo things, you might take a look at that as part of your treatment plan. Also, you should never put anything on your face unless you know what it is. My steroids at least were prescribed and I did know what they were to start with. Not that it helps..
I remember my face blowing up from the steroid cream, like doubled in size, moonface. And the persistent flushing after using it, very annoying.
Youre right, zinc will probably interfere with your healing. But i googled it, and some doctors say zinc oxide cream helps. But if you are flushing and super sensitive, probably a bad idea. I take copper to make sure i dont get zinc poisoning. Yeah i probably overdo things.
so is it possible that my mom has a nail fungal infection because she has a compromised immune system from using triamcinolone. and she also uses cod liver oil. her face looks pretty dry to me.
the zinc cream didnt really help. it blocked the red patches, clogged them up. they are now red and inflamed, and are weeping. so maybe this is what i feared, a form of eczema. what should i do? vaseline?
I dont mean to be annoying, i have left a few posts. I have these itchy red small welts on my face. They are pink, they are crusty, and are a bit oozy. My face is not flushing but it is a bit warm. The flushing has finally stopped about a month ago, 3 months after ceasing steroid triamcinolone. I am using vitamin A and D ointment , nothing else around. The vaseline jelly is more or less done.
I guess my last option is benadryl for today. it does have a weird side effect, it is has an antidepressant effect on me. but i think its tough on the liver. i dont know
Jazzman,
..
First of all, stop with all the anti fungals on your skin.. Your skin needs an equal amount of yeast (fungi) and bacteria bc they fight each other.. You will never even out your system and your infections will actually heal slower doing all that. Killing off your bodies good yeast will allow bacteria on your skin to thrive. I put anti fungals on my skin forever bc one dr said I had fungus on my face never worked for me..
Second I refuse to take vitamins even when preg. I dont recommend them. Drink oj and grape juice. Things with vit c and antioxidants. Omega 3s. Limit trans fats. Eat almonds, broccoli, spinach, walnuts, fish, basically green veggies & nuts- I heard these are good for skin health.
If you do have Steriod induced rosacea your skin is weak & putting ANYTHING foreign on it will shock it, and inflame it causing rash redness hives. (your skin is used to the steroid an anti inflamitory being like a shield) Your skin really just needs to heal on its own. I mean really pretend you find something that works like I found cortisone- your body will crave it need more n more & soon it will do nothing just like ne drug. So why even get in that cycle?? Your body WILL most likely heal. Try for one month taking no supplements, no meds, and no creams.. Believe me I know how hard it is!!! Keep busy, fight the urge!! I have tried like everything under the sun, SOMETHING has to work I thought!! Then it dawned on me I was just making it worse and keeping my body, and immune system from doing its job..
Everything I suggest are from my experience they may not work for you, if they do I am so glad to help thats all I am trying to do, Good luck.
Also where are you from Mountains sound cool I am from Cinti Ohio, go REDS
Everyone: I have gone to the tanning bed for first time in 6 yrs without being in hospital afterward, my skin is doing well.. Takes my Florida sun worries down a lot. I am very excited about this. Talk to you soon
Chrissy
Dear Jazzman,
I really feel your pain. You are so young to have to deal with this and none of us has gotten good results from going to doctors or dermatologists. Being left to ourselves to figure out how to heal is very hard and on top of that, everyone can see our pain right there on our faces.
I started to break out from using Petroleum Jelly too. First I thought it was the miracle ointment, but after a while it only irritated my skin further.
On top of that, we hardly know what to eat in order to nourish our bodies anymore, since all kinds of chemicals has been added to our food supply.
Vitamin A poisoning is very serious, especially if you go in the sun too.
I agree that you should just stop with treatment for a while, or do as little as possible. Eat organic meat, lots of butter, eggs and greens. Only moisturize every other day or so and unfortunately give yourself a lot of time.
I can tell you that you will be stronger from all this, and you will get better. You will find a nice girl. But you need to give yourself time and love yourself despite your skin. Go out of the house. Tell people what’s going on, they will understand.
All the best to you. Patricia.
Patricia:
Why butter? Is it good for your skin? I like Land O Lakes bc it has 400 mg of omega 3s per serving, and no trans fats.
I agree that its hard to know what to eat anymore. Did you know that some canned goods have propylene glycol in them to keep them from drying out? Thats antifreeze. Also, almost all cosmetics too. Shampoo Conditioner, lotion, deodorant, makeup. Propylene glycol is highly poisonous and causes kidney problems!
I had googled ingredients in things for a while there bc Drs said I was allergic to something, and I didnt know what. (Turns out I was withdrawing from steroids) Their solution steroids steroids steroids!!
Its crazy how conscious I am of things now after all this. However Id like to think this is an open door to great health for all of us.
Chrissy
Dear Chrissy,
I read Dr. Diane schwartzbein’s very informative book on nutrition. She might be a little fanatic, but the book provided me with a lot of understanding on how the body take up nutrition and how poisons works on aging the body.
After reading the book, I starting changing my diet and I have had great results. I am never fanatic and will deviate from my diet from time to time.
Organic meat and greenery is more expensive, but the benefits are saving your health.
Organic butter, meats, good fats, and oils are so beneficial in restoring moisture into the skin.
I have only had one flare since the initial flare 3 month ago, and I think that if I do not drink any wine, I will not flare anymore. Who knows!!!! So far, so good. For some reason I am able to drink a couple of beer with no reaction at all.
Look up Diane Schwartzbein on the computer, order her book and you will learn valuable information for you and your family. Good luck and hugs, Patricia.
Dear Chrissy,
To answer your question, organic butter is great for the skin. It has vitamin A and D. It is also a vehicle for other vitamins and minerals to be absorbed easier. Good fats and oils too.
What do you guys think about organic honey, its opaque yellow (not processed honey). I make a honey mask and leave it on… its very sticky but ive used it two days now. It seems to lighten my skin a bit , not as red. And the best part, it seems to reduce the lesions, acne, and papules quite a bit.
Funny thing about honey, i tried this 3 months ago right when i stopped using the steroid cream. At that time it made my face beet red and i guess i couldnt tolerate it then. SO maybe this is indicative that my skin is returning to normal? oh i hate to think my normal skin tone is red skin. the rest of my face isnt.
Do you guys think a honey mask is drying? or harsh. Its supposed to be a humectant (traps moisture), it is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory.
You guys were right about the cetaphil cleansing cream. the more i use it the more papules or small red thingy’s keep popping up in places where normally i never get them. So im thinking cetaphil is literally destroying my skin layer or skin barrier. one of the ingredients is sodium laureth sulfate. I think that dries out my skin, ruins the ph. Ok, im gonna get rid of that.
im not flushing anymore, which is good. its weird, because i expect to flush . for example today i stared stupidly into a mirror with a giant light bulb staring back at me. i got the worst headache and afterimage.
also i expect to flush when im talking to my friends, so i run to the mirror and it looks like im not flushing. hmmm, i guess thats good.
so i have steroid induced rosacea, which may be going away (i know i had a bout with it, because my face was beet red for like 2 months flaring up)… but this probably is abated. now i have to deal with post vitamin A dryness, redness, and perhaps i have acne rosacea (with SD). so i hate to think i will have to continue using this sticky gooey honey mask.
Also honey has hydrogen peroxide. thats probably why it lightens skin and reduces papules. but i wonder if that makes you more sensitive to the sun…
Jazzman,
Honey is great for the skin. The thing with steroid induced rosacea is that many times something will work, but if you continue with that same thing, it will irritate. So do this honey mask from time to time and not every day.
I use coconut ghee for the dryness, it comes on lightly and I wipe most of it off so the skin can breathe.
Be careful with the sun, since you have vitamin A poisoning, it can damage your skin further. Until your body has eliminated any excess vitamin A, you should stay out of the sun. Otherwise a little sun is helpful for steroid induced rosacea, if you can tolerate it.
The best thing you can do for yourself is to stop worrying so much about it, You will, in time be fine. Blessings Patricia.
Jazzman,
I used Honey for awhile and it did not help me. But some people swear by it.
My rash on my face seems to flare regularly. Every week to 10 days. It seems pretty close to what the article describes, mostly occuring on the central part of my face. A little on my cheeks outer edges. It does include my whole mouth area, so I am not sure if that symptom fits and my chin. It shows in the same areas over and over, starts out red and blotchy with a little itch a little swollen. Then starts to clear by turning a duller color, drying up and peeling off.
does this sound like steroid induced rosacea? I am about to go back to a dermotoligist.
Patricia, I took a look at your book online. I rarly eat meat so I am not sure that it would work for me. I always eat real butter, never did quit that. I hate milk but do eat other dairy like cheese, yogurt and ice cream. I also already eat mostly organic and also eat tons of greens, always organic.
Leslie
Leslie
Dear Leslie,
I do think that you have steroid induced rosacea. Have you tried to change your toothpaste? Some people gets perioral dermatitis from regular toothpaste.
Diane’s book also describe how to eat right if you are a vegetarian, so I think you will get a lot of good information from reading it too. Keep your head up. Hugs Patricia.
good point about the sun. The honey mask is a disaster , I mean my skin doesnt look bad (lightening), but its so sticky and it wont come off. So my face gets red just taking it off scrubbing. Finally i relented and just put on zinc cream. And then vaseline to get off the zinc cream. My god i have like inches of cream on my face. thats gotta be bad.
What do you guys think about hydrogen peroxide? i dont really have telangacia (spider veins) , just the papules…
I’m going to try this colloidal silver , its supposed to be good for the skin. A couple of people got a bad reaction,
permanent blue skin….. better than red skin right? here is a link to what im going to try . its 25 bucks for a small bottle, but they have a deal on a 4 pack. i assume its a long treatment , so it might be better to get a 4 pack
http://www.colloidsforlife.com/Products/Mesosilver-Products
Hi everyone,
I got a flare pretty bad yesterday and was very discouraged. My face turns reddish and blotchy and then starts to dull and peel. It almost looks and feels like there is some sort of residue on my skin. I am trying to take a break from exfolliating, I think that it both helps and hurts my skin at the same time.
I am trying some new skincare today. I just did not want to do vaseline and curel anymore. I spent a fortune on some laroche posay. I got it at CVS. It is pricy but the line is devoted to people with sensitive skin, they even have stuff for rosacea. I got some samples of that but am trying the face cream for very dry skin, the cleanser with microbeads and the hand cream for very irritated hands. so far so good, just decided to put it on and see what happens. Hopefully it will be ok, my skin did not seem to sting upon application.
jazzman, you already od’d on cod liver oil, please be careful with the silver. You really do not want a blue face, and the fact that it could do that, to me means I would not take it at all. but I am sure you will find out yourself.
good luck everyone.
Leslie
one more thing, if you want to try something, there is good stuff out there re: magnesium oil. Look it up. It is something you put on your skin or soak your feet it, some people have had amazing results with skin conditions. I got some but have not used it yet, will only do the foot soak, it stings my skin when I apply it.
Leslie
Dear Jazzman,
Please, please stop putting more stuff on your skin. Just wash with water. Put on compress’ of cold water and leave for a while. Rest your face. When the flare starts to dull and peel, exfoliate your skin and maybe dab a little vaseline. Then begin again, wash your face in water and cold compresses. Do that for the next month.
I think you are overdoing it and further aggravate your skin.
Blessings. Patricia.
Dear Leslie and Jazzman
I have had success with coconut ghee. It can be applied lightly and then wiped, so the skin can breathe. Look up coconut ghee, it is better than vaseline.
I put it on after exfoliation, once a week. Then let my face rest for a couple of days. Then apply again.
We have to remember that steroid induced rosacea unfortunately takes several to many month to heal, and we have to be patient.
Otherwise I think it is better to alternate between a couple of chosen moisturizers. That way there’s a chance your won’t reject it.
I hope this will help. Patricia.
I use grind’ sea salt to exfoliate my chest and face. It stings, but not worse than I can bear it. Only once a week when the skin starts to dry and peel. Then moisturize and leave alone for days.
This is my own invention. It has worked so far.
PS: I do it while in a relaxing bath tub.
Patricia,
Thanks for your suggestions. I have tried Coconut Oil and had a bad reaction so I am afraid to try Coconut Ghee. I think Coconut topically does not agree with me. Actually, I react a lot to natural stuff, having tried most of the stuff Whole Foods carries. My skin for instance hates Aloe and Vitamin E, which most people can tolerate just fine. I knew that before I even got these skin problems. I have tried Honey and had a bad reaction although I found it rinsed off just fine with warm water. I have tried all the oils, Jojoba, Coconut, Sunflower, Rose Hipseed, Olive, and even Crisco, which a lot of dermatologists recommend. My skin hates all of these and anything with sodium laureth sulfate or BHT. For exfolliation, I have used fine sugar sometimes, that works fine for me, it does not sting and makes the skin soft. I thing it is similar to the salt. Vaseline is ok in moderation but my skin seems to hate it if I use it too much, like I mentioned before, It gets sort of plastic film like on my skin. I think I need to stick to things that are water soluable, so that I can wash them off if necessary.
I used to use Estee Lauder before all this, but no longer can tolerate it. I also cannot use Clinique, Vanicream, Cerave, Cetaphil, or Eucerin (lanolin) or Aquaphor. Needless to say I have spent a fortune on Skin care. I have switched to Waleda Salt toothpaste about a year ago, it does not have any chemicals in it and I use an electric toothbrush to make it more effective.
For itching I found one thing I can use and it is very effective, Aveeno Concentrated Anti Itch lotion. Some of you might want to try it for unbearable itching. It is in a bottle near the anti itch stuff at the drug store. There is not much in it but it seems to work to relieve the itch without irritating my skin further.
I can use Curel or Aveeno Lotion on my body just my face is really iffy.. The new line I bought today, La Roche-Posay, so far seems ok so unless I start to react in the next few days, I am giving it a try. It is for people with skin problems so it is gentle and light in formula. And the hand cream seems ok so far too.
needless to say I have tried about everything. I have become somewhat of an expert at least at my own skin now even though what is wrong with it still confuses me. I will check out your book for vegetarians Patricia, maybe will give it a try.
I have not had much of a life for about 2 years now, actually having lost interest in a lot of things I used to like, cooking, yoga, walking, running, gardening, painting…Hoping I will get my life back very soon. Wish these constant outbreaks would just stop already..
Have a good rest of the day.
Leslie
Dear Leslie,
My dear Leslie,
I went back and read your first post. It seems that you have been off of the steroid cream for a few month now. You should begin to feel less hot. Alternate with the creams your face will tolerate and sugar is probably as good as salt.
You should not put your life on hold, but start doing all the things you love to do. That will heal you more than anything else. Steroid induced rosacea is not going to break your spirit. Promise me you wont let that happen. You got a wonderful family that loves and need you.
People are very forgiving if you tell them what is going on. And the people whom you do not know, you really do not not have to consider.
You are still beautiful and you will, with patience, get you skin healthy. Stop thinking about it too much and start living and doing the things you love to do.
I love you and I have not met you in person. Stay strong. Patricia.
By the way, coconut oil is much different than coconut ghee.
the prospect of having this condition for the rest of your life is scary. Oh well, there are worse things in life. Last night I had a horrible flare up, dry red skin with flushing and new weeping papules. I washed with cetaphil and then put on vitamin A and D ointment. This morning my face looks like the flushing has abated. But now i have that rosy redness again with the dark red papules.
Do girls think its cute? I read somewhere that girls find it cute , redness = vitality or vigorousness. hah, im trying to make the best of this.
Oh the flushing started because i hate heaps of garlic, because i was getting an acne attack. This is not normal acne, they are tiny red dots or bumps with or without the occasional whitehead. They are primarily found in the zone where i applied steroid cream. my self esteem has dropped considerably.
anybody have success with prosacea? im going to just not do anything except vitamin A&D ointment. my skin seems to tolerate it ok, and absorbs it. Vaseline not so much for some reason anymore.
Honey is too much for my skin i realize. It is exfoliating and at this stage in the game i cant be exfoliating. Of course the anti-bacterial aspect of it is good.
I think onions are less harsh than garlic, and dont make me flush. It also has the sulfur in it which is good for skin rosacea papules.
Jazzman,
I had horrible horrible acne during all this. Never in my life did I ever get pimples but in all this I did, and they were weird looked very infected. Tetracycline did wonders for my acne drs had me on this for 2 mos, and I felt weird on it but took it anyway bc I read so many stories of it healing rosacea and perioral what I have. (Also, if you do take it stay out of the sun, that warning is no joke. I am native american never ever burned before under the sun and I fried!!)
Leslie,
I hear you. For 6 yrs I battled with the worst rashes of my life!! I looked like I had a bright red goatee for months bc of what the steroid withdraws did to my perioral. Then I’d put steroids on my entire face so the withdraws were all over my face. It was horrible many many months I had not even got out of bed. I sat online, and stayed home. (Which I do not recommend so much bc fungi thrives in the skin and body with out sunlight) In feb I realized the steroids were BAD and I quit them so I am finally getting better. I will pray for you. I hope you do not get discouraged, its a horrible feeling. Enjoy your kids, and have a good day.
Patricia,
Thanks for all the advice I will look up that book. I will also look into organic meats. I eat pretty good other than the organic meats. Also, you might have a bad reaction to wine bc it has more yeast in it than other alcohol. I think in all this our bodies are trying to even out yeast and your bodys good bacteria, that makes up a healthy immune system. Why did you take steroids?
Hopefully when your immune system is not compromised by the steroid withdraw you can drink your wine again. I can just now drink alcohol, caffiene, and spicy foods they would flare my cheeks as soon as I put them in my mouth, weird.
Talk to you all soon
Chrissy
Also ladies,
If you feel comfort in make up which I had to use something while I got my son from pre school for some time there when I had my bright red goatee lol.. I used everything liquids are very harsh and burned. Then I tried mineral makeup Bare Minerals. It was so soft on my skin, did not burn, and I could not believe the coverage I got!! It would cover some very damaged skin, scabs, rash, redness.. You can order this online or on tv. Just a suggestion. I do not wear it anymore but I had to for few months, and I would wash it off asap when I got home.
im using vitamin a&d ointment. it sucks, but i need something for the dryness. Olive oil i dont think works, or the grapeseed oil. this ointment is a mixture of vaselin, lanolin, and some vitamins,
Hi everyone,
Patricia, you are so kind. Thank you so much for you comments and encouragement. I really hope that all of us will some day soon not have to even think about our skin. I will try to go to the library tomorrow and see if they carry the book for vegetarians you mentioned. I really am interested in giving that a try. I went to my acupuncturist today and she reiterated that coffee was really bad for me, I have been drinking it again, I fell off the wagon. Tomorrow back to green tea.
Jazzman, I thought you were giving up Cetaphil. It actually burns my skin when I use it and I know it is for sensitive skin and all, but I will not touch it with a ten foot pole. And, my opinion only, A and D is formulated for diaper rash which is not what you have. I would avoid it. It also has lanolin in it which can be a major irritant. If you want to use a heavy moisturizer, try aquaphor sparingly, it also has lanolin but it supposedly pretty gentle and also can be used for irritated skin. I suggested that you might try Dove unscented for sensitive skin for a soap if you must use one. It is really cheap and does not irritate my skin and everything else does. I dilute it with water and only use a little bit. If you need a moisturizer, look up Vanicream. I cannot use it but a lot of people like it. There are a few formulations a lite one and a cream one. These are made for sensitive skin. I am using La Roche Posay. Look it up online, it is pricey but so far so good. I bought today the cleanser for sensitive skin and I have the hand repair lotion and the face cream. For the first time, I have not had to wear gloves all day today. I am pretty encouraged. There is also a web site Dermadocter and she has tons of products on there. I would avoid anything much keeping in line with everyone else. Patricia has success with Coconut Ghee, maybe you might try that, it is antibacterial and anti fungal. I used A and D once near my mouth and regretted it right away when my rash got worse. Ever think that your rash might be worsening because of the products you are using?
Chrissy, so glad you are finally getting better from this stuff. it is really hard to go thru it, especially having small kids. I understand the embarrasment of picking up a child a preschool with a rash. I lived it for the last 2 years. I think all these moms think my skin is a total mess. They never saw me before when my skin was totally flawless. I do not think I appreciated it enough but I will if it gets back to normal again. I look at my pictures and cannot even believe how nice my skin used to be. Getting there slowly though..
Leslie
I know my skin used to be nice. Now not so much but it is getting there. Yeah I got some funny looks from the other moms and the teacher actually asked what was wrong with me.. I did not even know yet so it was not fun going through all that. I miss my skin, but I am also trying to look at the good in all this. I am alot healthier now bc of it.
Hi all.
After my happy few days gardening and doing fun stuff in the sun albeit with sunscreen on I ended up with flushing. Could also be connected with my nickel allergy though so I can’t say what the reaction is. The reaction has died down though but the temperature has also dropped. I just don’t think I am meant to live in hot climates and I am so glad the Welsh weather is so variable – I really feel for all of you living in hot climates.
I have been taking 1000 to 2000g of Cod liver oil for the past 5 weeks and it appears to have worked wonders on my atopic eczema. I am also taking agnus castus for the acne but not sure if that is really helping yet.
As far as honey is concerned – I have used Manuaka Honey 20+ or 10+ on any itchy spots or red bumps that have started to develop and it has been incredible helpful. I can’t tolerate as a mask but as one off spot treatment it can be invaluable. Manuka honey is not the same as normal honey and is expensive (although it does have the advantage of being nice to eat if your skin can’t take it – unlike other forms of face cream!). Manuka honey has specific antifungal, antibacterial and anti inflammatory properties. It is also drying though which is why, as an all over treatment it doesn’t work for me either.
My dear friends,
We are going to heal from this. It will take time, but we will heal together. We will get stronger and healthier from this. We will tell our stories so we can warn others. We will send healing love to each other and to the world. We will be strong together and go on doing the things we love to do. My prayers to us all.
Dear Chrissy,
I started steroid cream because I had gotten some insect bites that wouldn’t heal. The doctor prescribed antibiotics, but that made me break out in a rash all over my body. I went back to the doctor and he prescribed the most potent steroid cream on the marked. He did not tell me it was cortisone, either did he warn me never to apply for more than 14 days and kept prescribing me more cream. For 3 years the cream worked on the rash, but slowly I began to develop hot flashes, night sweats, getting irregular periods, and I became prone to being irritable. My hormones was so out of balance. Every time I tried to quit the cream the rash would soon come back.
I now know why!
Since I have stopped with the cortisone, all the heat has left my body, except for my face. I know my face will get back to normal, but also that it will take time, so I must go on with my life, love and forgive, myself and others.
Oh, I forgot to tell that the initial rash on my body healed quickly. But my face always seemed to have some perioral rash. Therefore I kept putting on the cortisone on my face only, thinking that, maybe, I just had to keep on with the cream for the rest of my life. In the end, I needed to expand the cortisone to my neck and chest. Exactly where my skin is now suffering. I have small flares on my arms in addition to my face.
The worst part was not knowing what was wrong with me for those 3 years and why I was feeling so bad. Now I know that even though I will have to suffer for some time longer, I will heal.
Jazzman,
I am sure some girls finds you attractive with your flushed cheeks. you are still you.
Hi everyone,
I am still trying the new stuff from la roche Posay. I felt just a little icthy yesterday but I still am trying it and my hands look a lot better, my face is also better. That does not mean anything because it can still flare again.
Last night drank too much white wine and still ok so far, not worse. Although I need to stop the wine and coffee cold turkey, I am trying to do that. I think I will stop both starting Sunday this week so I might be in a bad mood for a few days but need to go thru that to get totally better.
I made Miso soup last night, it is pretty good and my accupuncturist told me it is really good for our immune systems. I am going to eat a cup a day for awhile.
I got invited to a pool today with the kids. I really want to go but of course skin fears always surface. I am still afraid to use sunscreen although I did buy the one from La Roche Posay which is supposed to be top of the line, safe and good for people with sun sensitivitiy and sensitive skin with a top safety rating. I also have not gone in chlorinated water for a long time. I need to think about am I ready to face all these fears it would be fun for my kids and it is going to be really hot today. I will let you know later how it goes if I decided to go to the pool.
Leslie
Patricia,
Your story sounds alot like mine. I want to post my story up here but my 6 yr long battles might bore you guys, and its alot of info lol.. I am glad your rash healed and you found that you needed to quit cortisones like I did. I thought I had to continue them forever!! It was such a hassle too.
Leslie,
When I was pregnant I quit coffee cold turkey bc dr said it was bad for baby. I got head aches for months, and constipation (tmi I know) but coffee is a laxative that your body has gotten used to if you are a regular drinker like me. Also, the man at gnc healthfood store said that the antioxidants in wine are so good for you that the mediterranean ppl that drink wine everyday have been proven to live the longest. They make wine vitamins now that are a huge seller. Just something to think about. They are both beneficial in their own ways. Maybe try to wean off of them just so you are not putting your body through sudden steroid, caffeine and wine withdraws-depending on frequency of drinking. Good Luck you can vent on here through your withdraws
Also, I read that wine in rosacea might not be good because of high yeast in wine so maybe try white rum. I drink coconut Cap Morgans White rum mixed with Dole Orange Pineapple Banana juice. It is very good and gentle on your body.
I leave for Florida in 4 days I have not been in chlorine in yrs either. I know the humid hot weather will kill me but I am very excited and I will make the best of it all. Leslie, I say take the kids to the pool and have a great time
Talk to you all soon.
Dear Leslie,
I quit coffee and wine, but now I drink 1-2 cups of coffee in the mornings and that is fine. Going to the pool party, make sure you have shade.
I would not drink wine, it made me flare really badly. A little beer seems to be fine.
Wash your face, if not the whole body after you have been in chlorinated water. Let go of your fears and have a good time with the kids. Hugs Patricia.
And Leslie,
If your new cream starts to itch, maybe you should alternate it with your other cream. Just a suggestion.
Hi everyone,
I did go to the pool but for the most part stayed out of the water. I did notice the chlorine was a little drying to my skin and the wet bathing suit irritated it a bit but I decided that the kids should have some fun and they did. I bought a cover up and wore my sun hat so I did not get burned.
I do not want to dare get excited but the La Roche-Posay stuff is working!!! My skin has not looked this good in a very long time. I lost my eye cream already in my house somewhere and am stressing because it is really alleviating the dryness without irritating so far. Even my husband said he thought my skin looked much better. My hands although very red still seem less irritated and seem to be healing over. I think it will still be a slow process but I am encouraged. Although I know I might have a setback, that has happened so often. so i will not yet get my hopes up.
I suggest looking into this line if you are interested in some products. it seems to be working for me. Interesting that none of the dermatologists even mentioned it to me. I had to find it on my own doing my own research. And alot of them sell it in their offices.
I noticed that the hand and body cream have triclosan as an ingredient. it is an antibacteril and anti fungal apparently. Maybe that is what is making the difference.
Patricia, I bought the Schwartzbein book yesterday at the book store. You peaked my curiosity. I think it is very interesting. Kind of complicated though but makes sense so far. I have never been a dieter at all and have not eaten low fat diets ever. I naturally go towards vegetarianism though but I know I eat too many carbohydrates, I love bread crackers etc…and sometimes snack on potato chips etc..but I love greens, veggies, lentils, quinoa, tofu, healthy stuff etc.. ususally organic. The strange thing is, I am always skinny as a stick. I range from a size 2 to a 4. Everyone always asks me what is your secret? Do you diet? I always tell them I eat whatever I want and never gain weight. Maybe that is why? I might already be eating enough fat and protein ratio. I know I eat too much sugar though I love ice cream!!! One thing that would not work in our house unfortunately is that she seems to recommend a lot of eggs and nuts. My little boy has very life threatening allergies to all tree nuts, peanuts and eggs…I really cannot eat that stuff easily and almost do not even keep it in the house. That is a problem because I know those are great protein sources. He also cannot have anything that is made on shared equipment with any of these items. I will have to take a look at her recipe books and see what I can make out of it. Thanks for the info. I think we can make some changes at our house. I really miss having eggs for breakfast and wish my kids could have them too. I sometimes sneak a hard boiled one in my daughter’s lunch.
Leslie
Dear Leslie,
I am so happy and excited for you. Great news about the book. Of cause you can only do what is doable and not become fanatic. Ice cream is delicious. Use what you can use.
Reading the book from one end to the other made me see many things in a different light. It has changed the way I eat and the way I look at doctors endorsements or statements. It has made me smarter in the choices of what to eat and how to put it together.
Healing thoughts and love to you. Hugs Patricia
aquaphor didnt work. skin became red. im using neosporin for spot treatments of these acne breakouts. very frustrating. they come and go. i wake up with small red dots with or without a whitehead (sometimes a transparent clear head), then as the day progresses they turn into huge landmines on my face. so im getting infected for some reason. very frustrating.
Im starting to get seriously depressed. just when you think your skin is clear, bam. its back. whoever invented steroids should be shot. does this crap (steroid creams) do anything useful besides temporarily reduce inflammation, only to have it come back 10x worse. well , what are you going to do.
what do you guys think about using sulfur on the face? too irritating at this stage?
Jazzman,
I mentioned that a lot of people have bad reactions to neosporin and suggested trying polysporin instead. Also, you might be reacting to lanolin which is in A and D as well as Aquaphor. I would not put anything on your face as I and others have metioned but you still keep doing it. I do not know what else to suggest. I think the best thing is to leave your skin alone so it can try to build up its own resistence again. If it is steroid induced rosacea, that is the course of treatment that it recommended by doctors. Maybe you should see a dermatologist, they might have a topical antibiotic you could use. Actually if I remember, you were not prescribed the steroid, you just used it. so maybe a dermatologist, upon seeing your skin might have a totally different recommendation. You could even have a skin infection called impetigo, you should rule that out. as it can get serious if left untreated. look it up on the internet and make sure that is not what you have. In all my issues and there have been many, I have never had what you are describing. is the only other suggestion I have. Hope you feel better. Byt the way, many years ago, I had a terrible rash all over my body that was very severe. I followed the dermatologist’s recommendation to use 2 steroids, Aristocort and Desowen all over my body 2 ce a day. I trusted this dermatologist and followed his instructions. My rash did go away and did not return and it was pretty serious so they are not all that bad sometimes and do help people under certain circumstances. I know that you want an immediate solution or something that you will put on your skin and it will start to go away. What I found over 2 years, is that approach never works. The only other thing that you might look into are some of the oils or coconut ghee that Patricia uses. There is one called jojoba oil that a lot of people use. It has really good sucess with balancing the skin and people with acne use it all the time. Look it up and check into it. It is not expensive and is antibacterial and antifungal. the other one is rose hipseed oil but if you try these, try them on a very small area to start and see how you feel for awhile before expanding the area.
Leslie
Thanks lelsie. you know me, I am impatient. Well out of exasperation i tried prosacea. And i put on A LOT. ok, so here is the scoop since i made myself a guinea pig. It feels cooling, kind of good. It dries on contact, makes your skin feel very dry. Then the fun starts. Your skin peels off , like a sunburn. Dont freak out. well i did initially , but i applied tons of neosporin to help with that. Did it help the acne? well theres nothing left , the skin around teh acne is all gone along with the landmine papules. But i would say this is not for people with dry skin or thin skin from steroids. This is an extreme product. If youre a teenager boy/girl with fat cheeks and oily skin , this is fine i guess. If youre older with thin dry fragile skin, stay away. Some people with rosacea have oily skin , so this might work.
Good news, it clears acne. Bad news, it clears acne invasively , skin peeled off, raw red skin underneath . Now i have to heal . This is probably the equivalent of putting a raw piece of garlic on your skin. Main ingredient sulfur. go figure
Jazzman,
I hope it helps you. I think though I am trying to rebuild my skin and the normal thickness and sebum levels that I used to have so it sounds like what you put on actually took that off, the epidermis. I hope that your skin rebounds ok from that it sounds a bit drastic almost like a chemical peel which I think you already tried to no avail.
In the past I was always looking for the magic thing that would work, now I realize that it is just patience, and being very gentle with the skin that helps it. If your rosacea is actually from steroids, expect it to come back again and again until it is out of your system. I really think you should look into the line I am using. La Roche Posay. They have a product line for rosacea as well as moisturizers for very dry, sensitive skin. I was able to get some samples for free of some of the stuff to try at home before I bought it and can return it if I have a reaction. I think it would be a more gentle approach to your damaged skin.
I personally do not use products for rosacea because I think the steroid induced is a very different situation then what actual rosacea is. Mine is more perioral dermatits which affects my entire face when I have a breakout. But it is not similar at all to acne. More blotchy red, itchy and spread out.
If it is regular rosacea, then this product might just cure you.
Hope it works.
Leslie
Les, thanks for the tips. Im gonna look into it, La Roch. I also took your advice and bought a non neo-sporin cream. its just bactracyn with aloe vera, (monosporin?). Its probably not a good idea to overuse it. but im using it for now, after the skin peeling. there are some new red dots that mysteriously appeared. its like my skin is trying to piss me off. or rear its ugly head…. its only in the spot where i put on the sterioid cream. Whats funny, sometimes i wake up with two big red dots, symmetric, on opposite cheeks. most people think of pimples being random. but i get them in symmetric places sometimes. this is not normal acne.
Jazzman
If you want to get rid of acne and infection fast and want something to try.. try antibiotic tetracycline. Do u see a dr? It worked wonders for me I had 100s of pimples after steroids use and bam in a week of antibiotic they r gone. This is bc pimples & infection are bacteria, and yeast fight bacteria. All the antifungals you are putting on your face is lowering your yeast count that you need high (to kill the bacteria) therefore making your acne worse..
Also try an anti inflamitory like motrin. It will take the redness and swelling down but only use this for 14 days as it is a blood thinner. Read and follow all cautions.
Wash your face everynight, and change your pillow case every 3 days to rid all bacteria.
We really wish ud stop testing products on your face when your skin is so sensitive right now.. but I really dont think u will until u run out of options as I did.. then you will see ur face just needed to heal.
Everyone I read microderabrasion is good for rosacea, so I guess exfoliating is good. I was wondering. Its all kinda just a guessing game with your skin.
2 days until florida. I tanned today with great success even skintone for first time in 6 yrs!! I was at a birthday party with people taking pictures for the first time in yrs I dont mind my pic taken. I hope you all heal soon. I am not trying to rub anything in I am trying to give hope. When I was healing I had noone to tell me it all gets better, and that made it sooo much worse not knowing.
Much love to you all
Dear Jazzman,
Maybe you should see a doctor for antibiotics, but make sure you do not get any steroid creams. I do not know either why steroid creams are prescribed left and right, even though it is known that 8-10% are allergic to it. The worst part is that it takes so long to heal.
Do not loose faith, you will slowly get better. Hugs Patricia.
Jazzman, I said try Polysporin….I am not sure about what you got. My skin never tolerated Aloe Vera so I could not use that but, some people swear Aloe is healing to skin so maybe if you must, buy a small aloe plant and put the gel from the stalks a little on your skin, it may help. Some people say it is great for skin. Otherwise, I think you will have to do what you think it right for your skin, only you know.
Good luck.
Leslie
Update prosacea nightmare…I got a nasty red papule/acne break out, like 10 of them. Old red papules are replaced by new nasty ones. red and angry. however the skin around it looks less red (i think)… i also put on zinc oxide cream, not smart. It made my skin more dry. Good thing i quit cold liver oil cold turkey. I have some oil returning to my skin.
So if prosacea removed a layer of epidermis, is that bad? isnt it true that as humans we are constantly shedding our external layer of skin? i dont want to get giant craters.
This whole experience has been very depressing. I guess its not as bad as dying in afghanistan with clear skin (bad humor). but youre alive/
i was just thinking this , because im now obsessed with my face and i cant even look at people. im avoiding my own family (not good). but then i hear in the news how so many soldiers (on both sides) are dying in afghanistan. and they would probably love to trade shoes with me, me and my nightmarish skin…, so in hindsight this isnt as bad. Not as bad as a brain hemorrage. but i would put it as a very hard experience. the social isolation aspect for example
My right cheek has less acne than my left cheek. But my right cheek has the texture of an orange rind, . its weird looking. and my left cheek has oozing red papules, itchy, some with whiteheads some not… and the weird part is they come in a straight vertical line, not random acne . Like in triplets in a region where i put most of my steroid cream. i dont have any acne anywhere else. im at a loss, we have to educate the people about the dangers of using steroid cream. even hydrocortisone 1% , ive read people who cant stop using it or else the dermatitis acne explosion
Jazzman,
Our skin is our largest organ and the main barrier between us and the outside environment. If you mess it up, it cannot do its job properly. first maybe you should see a dermatologist. You do not have to use steroids, but maybe they could prescribe an antibiotic for you. It sounds like you need one.
Why do you keep putting zinc oxide on it? Just wondering.
Here is the link to the skincare stuff I am using. I found a place that sells it locally and as I told you got some samples of a few of the things before I tried them. I so far have had good results with everything except the body lotion. It is expensive so if you get any of it, make sure to ask if you can return it and save your receipt. Also I have already been working on healing my skin for months before I even tried this. If I had tried it a few months ago, I might have reacted to it.
Otherwise, try nothing on your skin for a few days. You keep truamatizing it. Even healthy skin would not be able to stand up to the constant barrage of products and stuff you are putting on it. So it makes sense if your skin is already badly damaged, you probably should not mess with it so much.
Not expecting you to take my advice, but that is it again.
leslie
http://www.laroche-posay.us/_us/_en/consumer/home/index.aspx?
Here is the link hope it works.
I feel bad im always leaving depressing comments. There is a silver lining in my cloudy life. Im not flushing as much as I use to. I do flush occasionally, last time i flushed really bad during chess at the brink of of winning / losing.
I flushed badly and broke out after relunctantly agreeing to hang out with my friend , which included sunny walks. Now i stay inside most of the day. Im too scared to try a sunscreen, but i should experiment. Any rosacea friendly super sensitive suncreens?
Flushing use to be a daily consistent occurence , so that aspect of it has gotten better (maybe its because i stopped the wretched cod liver oil). also summer is here, and the air is moist and warm which is easy on the skin. It does have the drawback , when it reaches near 80 (flushing temperatures) . Then I flush getting my air conditioner into the window. Air conditioners are a pain in the butt, i cant sleep with it on. BUt my computer generates a lot of heat ( i have two video cards in a desktop). so my room is usually 70 degrees plus. ive more or less adapted to it.
ALso my ears arent red all the time like they use to. When i stopped using steroid cream, my ears were beat red for months. then the red ears surfaced once again when i stupidly started a second course of cold liver oil.
My homeopathic friend drinks 2-3 tbls a day of cod oil, so i thought it was fine. He’s in great health though. i think some people cannot handle large quantities of vitamin A , it could also be something to do with the liver. my liver might be weak from all the steroid cream and i was using pot as well (which i stopped). my liver is probably a mess . i also got diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, but i never followed up on that. Im not using insulin. Im trying to eat right, etc.
so to make a long story short, my ears arent red. thats my silver lining.
crap, i just looked in my mirror. my ears are red. well not beet red. but my face isnt flushing,
and when i said, i used a lot of steroid cream, i nean i slathered it on my face. what a mistake. triamcinolone mid potent steroid cream, 20 times stronger than hydrocortisone. i used it on and off for about 2 months. i think thats why im dealing with volcanic papules/acne right now. the flushing may have abated for other reasons
Jazzman,
If you really want it to go away you will leave your skin alone. I used Triamcinilone too, but not really on my face but other areas of my rash, that is when I got the perioral dermatitis, not haveing had it before. That steroid must be one of the worst ones for this condition. You seem very impulsive and so I cannot really give you any more advice then I already have.
I hope you feel better.
Leslie
Thanks leslie for your input/advice. I guess the only other thing i need help with is finding a non irritating sunscreen. I’m wary of experimenting. I bought something from Target that says non-comodegenic , and non oil, spf 50. i also have cetaphil’s sunscreen spf 30. any experience with these sunscreens?
Jazzman,
I do not use sunscreen as I think my original very severe, full body rash 2 years ago was caused by a photo allergic reaction to sunscreen. That being said, most people could tolerate it better than me. I got the one from La Roche Posay but I have not tried it yet. I will use it on my kids if need be. A lot of them have a lot of stuff in them so I would look for a basic one. Try the web site Skin Deep, the Cosmetic Safety Database, they have a lot of good recommendations. just type skin deep in the search and it should pop up.
Leslie
Dear Jazzman,
It is depressing to have steroid induced rosacea, but it seems to go in the right direction for you. Not flushing as much. Remember that steroid induced rosacea is different from regular rosacea and has to be treated different.
If I were you I would not put on sunscreen, but stay out of the sun, in the shade, or wear a hat to shade your face. You sound like you are aware of your tendency towards too many experiments with your skin. That is a big step in your healing.
Keep up your spirit. Hugs Patricia.
And Jazzman,
How did you get type 2 diabetes?
I dont know. I went to the doctor after stopping the steroid cream. thats when i got worried.
Also because of the prosacea i now have a full blown chicken pox looking outbreak, maybe 30 on my left check, 10 on my right of volcanic eruptions (red, raised, but not really acne). And a few on my forehead, non on my chin, also a lot around my lips as well.
Maybe removing the above layer of epiduris triggered all these underlying papules to surface. I took a benadryl for the itchiness which helped a bit, and helped with my insomnia. Exercise seems to make things worse. Eh, at this point im just concentrating on being happy to be alive. My social life and self esteem is ruined, i cant stand the way i look at this point (even if a girl was forgiving). My foot skin is so nice, i wish i could replace my face skin with it in a transplant…. Wishful thinking.
when i find the doctor who invented this evil cream, im going to strangle him.
Jazzman,
try having a terrible unsightly rash all over your body for 2 years, including terrible ones on my hands, arms, face, neck and chest. That is what I have had. Mine is flaring again, it usually does about every 10 days, but each time, it seems to blow thru more quickly on my face then it used to and it is not as bad, but I have been trying to get rid of it for 2 years, every day. the rest of the rash is chronic but getting better slowly. the tops of my hands look like chopped hamburger most of the time and my stomach is all messed up as well as my face a lot of the time. I am not trying to diminish you at all but if it is just your face, consider yourself lucky. I also have 2 small kids that need to go out places and so I have to go out with them, even though I am usually embarrassed and also either itchy or in pain from my skin. Please stop putting stuff on it. by your impatience to have it go away you will make it stay a lot longer. I have often been very depressed about my appearance in the last 2 years as I previously had absolutely flawless skin. I still fight the urge to do stuff to my remaining rash and even think I exfoliate it too often, so I have stopped doing that on my stomach because the skin is just so damaged that if I even touch it, it will cause irritation and redness. I hope that you will take some of our advice, we are trying to help you.
Leslie
Dear Leslie and Jazzman,
You both have such sad stories. I am sending healing prayers to both of you. Patricia.
@Leslie. How did this happen to you? on your arms and legs? where did you apply the steroid cream. I thought people only get steroid problems on the face. i used triamcinolone on my feet a lot time ago. My mother says it worked for foot fungus. I dont know if it did. I also used it for hemorroids, but i think i moved on to other creams. This past winter i used it as a moisturizer, biggest mistake of my life.
I think its safe to say, after reading some of these comments, triamcinolone really messes up the skin somehow. And its in many female products, its included with nystatin. Something is wrong here. Maybe we should sue the company. unfortunately i wasnt prescribed this dreadful cream, but maybe you guys have a chance.
@Leslie Im starting to wonder. Ive been itching my hand out of the blue lately . i have some red spots. but i usually force myself to ignore it. or put on vaseline. I have never had itchy red spots on my hands. this is insane . just from using triamcinolone on my face (and some of it may have gotten in my mouth because i used it while i was wearing a scarf), I have upset some kind of endocrinal hormonal balance. i wish science could fix this issue. Also the red spots are spreading , up to my forehead and lower to around my lips and everywhere on my face. they are getting more numerous, kind of scares me.
Have you considered using cod liver oil. It dries up your sebum and help a bit with the itching. but if you are prone to dry skin it may make it worse. Some people use cod liver oil for eczema. i doubt using bleach water would help. thats what some people use as well. this is coming from something internal, so thats why cod liver oil might help.
it may help with the flushing , it may not. i hope something works for you. try it for a week. i cant use it anymore, i get extremely depressed from it. if you get depressed using cod liver oil, thats an indication that youve had enough (more than enough). but educate yourself on the risks.
Jazzman, I have already done bleach baths and also applied mineral oil head to toe. This was recommended to me by an eczema counselor. It did not work for me and made my skin much worse. However, some people find it effective.
I already have taken cod liver oil. I hate the taste did not noticed anything different while taking it so I stopped. My eczema counselor said that some peolple with skin problems may have a fish sensitivity so she suggested stopping cod liver oil. I do not think that is my problem though.
Originally my rash spread all over my body because of a severe allergic reaction of some sort. I think it was to sunscreen, that is the only thing I can come up with as I was applying it all over every day. I am still not totally sure about it.
Then, I applied steroids to some areas, mometasone fuorate, triamcinilone, desowen, hytone. These are some of them. I never applied a lot but I guess they did damage anyway. I also tried all sorts of stuff, like you. Now I realize, had I tried to leave it alone, I might have had better results. The problem is, the climate in Michigan is usually so cold so I could not seem to heal my skin as it was sooooo dry and damaged all the time. Then my stress level would skyrocket, and the cycle would continue with little relief. Yes, the epidermis is important and when you continuously damage it, the consequences can be serious, as you end up with irritated skin that reacts to everything as it has not protective quality to it. Little by little, my skin as improved. My legs are clear now, my hands much imrproved, my neck and chest mostly better, mind you I had to wear a scarf all day every day for about 6 months on my neck to heal that. It takes a monumental amount of patience to get over something like this. I know I am going to get better now, but there were many days I was unsure. Sure enough though, my skin is healing. Yeah….
oh, I also did a steroid shot, the dermatologist said it would help. Actullly my face broke out a few days after it in a rash with acne. i called her about it and she insisted it was not related, even though I never get acne…I am sure it was related now in retrospect.
Re: your hands, I am prone to hand dermatitis, I had it also once 8 years ago after never having it before. It came out of the blue. That time, I did not know anything about steroids and got shots in my hands several times. Now I am connecting the dots and realizing that after that my hands got much worse and took almost a year to heal only wearing gloves 24 hours a day with vaseline on my hands. Try holding down a job in a professional setting where I have to dress up every day, wearing ugly cotton gloves iwth my hands saturated in petroleum jelly . Not fun, now I also still wear gloves again.
Re: your hands, be careful not to mess with them too much and also try not to itch. Having had 2 times hand dermatitis, it is very disabling. my hands are finally healing with the new cream I am using. the results are dramatic improvement. I will be careful with my skin the rest of my life after this.
Leslie
Dear All,
Steroid induced rosacea is a nasty condition. The fact that an innocent cream can mess you up for month on end is just not right. Doctors prescribe steroids left and right and do not tell patients about risks involved.
Cortisone is a hormone and the face skin sucks in those hormones nearly as well as if you ate the cream. It also seems that doctors are in denial of cortisone induced rosacea, so people affected are totally left to their own devises.
After 3 years of struggling to find out why my hormones was so out of balance, I finally found this site.
I am a model and my skin needed to be flawless in order for me to work. In the last couple of years I became a full time yoga teacher and learned a lot about self healing and how to handle stress.
When my skin broke out in the initial super flare, I only had one modeling client left, and they had booked me a month into my flare. It was nearly impossible to cover up my bumpy skin, but from a distance it was doable.
I had decided from the beginning of my flare that I did not want to go to any more doctors and I would only put on my skin, products that I could also eat.
When my skin was burning hot, hot, hot. I would put on apple cider vinegar. After 2 or 3 times, it just seemed to dry my skin further. Then I put on coconut butter to relieve the dryness. That was messy, but worked. I then began to, once a week, exfoliate the outer layer of skin with sea salt. That really stings, but the skin feels so good afterwards. A little coconut ghee helps the dryness and then I leave alone for days.
Being a yoga teacher forces me to see people every day, and that has helped me to realize that people are really forgiving when it comes to my skin and I had to be forgiving too.
The second job I had as a model went much better. Not so many bumps, and much easier to cover.
Unfortunately a lot of you have had a more severe reaction to the steroids than me, and had to struggle for longer to find out what the problem was. Be careful with how you treat your condition, and also be careful to let this condition take over your life completely. Keep doing things you love to do.
Love yourself, skin and all. Patricia.
@Leslie… if you didnt notice anything on cod liver oil, that can only mean one thing. You didnt take enough. believe me, its a proven fact , vitamin A dries up sebum. Its the same thing as taking Accutane, except you dont need a prescription. but like i said, its risky. you could take retinol pills if youre impatient . I wouldnt take the pills (vitamin A pills retinol fish liver)
Patricia,
Thanks for your comments. If I could eat what I put on my skin, I would as I prefer natural stuff. However, everything natural I have tried I have reactions to. I know it is strange but I really need to stay away from most of the natural stuff. Perhaps when my skin heals up, I can use natural stuff to maintain it. I hope so. I cannot even use Aloe Vera.
Jazzman,
I do not need to dry sebum up. I do not have oily skin at all. My skin is severely dry. I actually need to stimulate my sebum to return to normal levels. I need my skin barrier to reform. I would welcome oily skin!!! I also do not have acne at all. I had a slight problem after the steroid shot but that is all and I only had it in high school otherwise. I do not think acne medicine would help me at all. I recently got a few zits and was happy because to me it means my skin is getting less occluded than it was. I think for a long time my skin did not have any respiration, my pores and skin seemed clogged and congested. So I think that is actually a good sign that my pores are starting to unclog and work again. But, I will not take anything in excess either even cod liver oil. Even natural things, taken at high doses can cause issues with your body. Actually I do not like to take anything at all. I am not a supplement person and do not take anything, even multi vitamins, and also try to avoid medicine if at all possible. And, I am not impatient at all, espcially when it comes to my skin. I would never take anything like Accutane, it can kill an unborn child, why would I want that in my body at all? I urge you to become more patient. If you do the right things, you will see quick improvement in your skin too. If you take things to excess, especially with your type 11 diabetes, you could cause some issues down the line. Remember, everything we take into our bodies has to be processed by our kidneys and liver, do not tax them unnecessarily. by the way, my face flare is back, in the same spots as usual but it really does seem to be losing steam, not as red this time. I think it must be steroid induced because it seems to be going out of my system more each time it pops up. Hopefully because that would mean it would eventually be gone…
Leslie
Dear Leslie,
I think you are doing all the right things for you, your flares are loosing steam, and that is exactly what the article, Another red face, describes. You are slowly healing.
I am not suggesting that you should do what I do. But maybe some of what I do will help someone else. I have been helped so much from everyone’s comments and posts.
I never would have thought that something like, steroid induced rosacea, would happen to me. A new vocabulary, I learned of 4 months ago.I have been so angry at the doctor who just kept prescribing this poison. I have been so angry at my self for using the cream for so long and never google what the ingredients was. I have been angry when I read all your steroid stories
But in order to heal I must now stop being angry and start to forgive myself and heal.
Blessings.
Jazzman,
Accutane is high in vitamin A. It can be toxic, especially if you get exposed to the sun.
You might start with trying antibiotics, I think it will help you.
Patricia,
I am not angry at anyone but I feel bad that I have lost ground and 2 years of my life. That being said, my skin is still wierd but better than it used to be. My hope is that over the summer it will improve so that by winter I will not be a mess again.
Chrissy,
Hope you are having a great trip to Florida!!!
Leslie
the itching now on my face is driving me crazy, like a poison ivy itchy feeling (its hard not to scratch). im applying vaseline multiple times. nothing seems to stop it . I know everybody is telling me to stop putting on creams, but it is on fire . And i dont think benadryl is healthy to take, i take one each night. as the day progresses new spots keep forming. And it keeps waking me up in the night, so i dont sleep well anymore. my skin is punishing me for using prosacea. i dont know. i wish i had patience like you ladies. this is definitely not my forte’.
Im sorely regretting using prosacea. It took off a good layer of skin, and there are open patches of infectious prone skin. my face is a mess. craters, bumps… maybe im caving in. just buy the hydrocortisone 1%
You guys realize that millions of people out there are dependent on hydrocortisone and stronger steroids. If they go cold turkey they will itch and itch until reapplying. Many people are private about their skin care routine, so this makes matters worse. And the doctors are always willing to give out stronger steroid preparations. Steroids are in inhalers , pain shots, you name it (even milk nowadays). Even the so called harmless cortisone 1% – 2.5% in walgreens (which is so well advertised as a quick fix). If you apply this enough times, and people lose track, its gonna lead to the rebound steroid chicken pox.
thanks guys for getting the word out. they dont put a warning label on steroid creams, this sucks. It should say in big letters DO NOT PUT ON FACE. Many anti fungal creams now add steroids, why the heck is that? A person like me (a guy who doesnt know the first thing about skin) has itchy feet, lets treat this with an antifungal. But in the process you’re getting a hefty dose of steroids. and women share these products, mother to daughter and son…Triamcinolone and Nystatin, who knew its a steroid? i didnt . i had to wiki all this….sigh, its hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Leslie said she has been dealing with this for 2 years, that scares the crap out of me. Whenever i see a light turned on in my house I’m on the move, for fear someone will see my face. my ass of a brother says i look like somebody spilled acid on my face. well , he would freak out if he had this problem (big pussy that he is).
A part of me wants every person to have this problem, that way there will be change , better warning labels. right now i look like evolution has cursed me with acne my whole life and serious scars. But ive only had this nightmarish skin for 3-4 months. read that again, i never had acne in my life, only the occasional solitary pimple. Now i have been machine gunned with red thick raised papules which are itchy and weeping. It makes my face look seriously messed up.
you might think i sound vain. im not, im the least vain person you ever met. but this is a hefty plague . like the story of Job in the bible, he relented and finally cursed god after getting boils on his skin. Im not a religious person, but i can identify with poor Job. you know when i took the triamcinolone, i remember i had a bad feeling about it. like a feeling in the gut. but i was looking for a moisturizer….i could have just used vaseline and avoided this mess. im sure a lot of people wish they could go back in time
Jazzman,
I am really sorry that you are not feeling well. It sounds like an allergic reaction of some sort going on. When you have irritated skin, it will sometimes react to things that it would not usually react to if it were normal. Re: benedryl, I think it is totally fine to take. However, I think Zyrtec is better for itching, I took it years ago when I had that nasty rash that steroids actually cured, I told you about it in the last post. Steroids are not evil, they have their place in medicine. Some people have to take them just to stay alive, I have a friend like that. She has 3 different life threatning endocrine diseases and she needs them every day. She has made peace with it and she is also a pharmacist so she understands the drug reactions etc..that being said, a mix of triamcinilone and nystain? could not be good for the face. Did you mom tell you it was a moisturizer? It seems counter productive a steroid and an antifungal at the same time. Have you had a biopsy or a skin scraping of your rash to find out what it might be? It might be steroid induced dermatitis mixed with something else. At any rate, I cannot use petroleum jelly it makes me itchy. So I cannot help you there. cant you just leave your face alone for a few days? you might find some progress happens. Look at it this way, has anything you have done helped so far? last week during my flare, I was exfolliating too much and my face got really bad again. This week I have not done that and so far it is not as bad. My skin is really dry and flaky all the time, that drives me nuts. i finally scratched my stomach tonight and guess what? any healing that had happened is out the door, my abdomen is again red and irritated. It is hard but you need to develop more mental stamina if you will get better. Me too by the way, I sometimes slip and do something that causes a setback. The eczema counselor that I have mentioned had full body eczema for many years. She had been going thru a whole jar of triamcinilone every week for many years and took 24 Benedryl every day. At the end, she claims that a differnt steroid mixed with mineral oil completely cured her. She was also doing a lot of naturopathic things as well but she finally was over it after 25 years!!!! I do not want ot ever use steroids again myself, but I do think they help some people. Some of us I think our skin cannot handle them, I am one of those people. I hope that I never get as bad a rash as I had though because it was pure torment. I tried not to use steroids for the first month but the itching was torture and my rash was not getting any better so finally I used them. Now look at me, 2 years later still dealing with it. I never would have thought it when i first got a minor itch on my neck that it would lead to this.
Leslie
by the way, my eczema counselor told me that pure mineral oil, it is usually in the laxitive area in drug stores, is inert meaning it will not cause a reaction. that being said, my skin did not like it but if you want to check into it, it is only about 5 dollars a bottle. get the one that has no fragarence, just mineral oil. It will also not clog pores although again my skin did not like it, but if you insist on trying something new, it most likely will not irritate. You can just put a really small amount on mixed with water and it moisturizes pretty well.
Dear Jazzman,
While it does take a long time to heal, it does not have to take 2 years. I think Leslie is counting from when she started with the steroids. It should slowly get better after each flare.
I must admit that I have scratched my face raw, even though it is said not to scratch. There was just too much of an urge to itch.
Chrissy’s flares was so severe, she had to start on antibiotics and that helped her, and although I do not like medication, it seems that your case is also really severe, that it might be the way for you too.
May you feel better.
yes the 2 years is how long I have been dealing with rashes, some of which were probably caused by steroids, some were allergic reactions to what stuff I was putting on. It formed a vicious cycle, I would put stuff on it like Jazzman, It would get better initially then worse, I would eventually try steroids for a few days or weeks, then it would seem to get better. I would stop steroids and then it would return. In the middle when it was better, I would take chances with my skin such as washing my hair int he shower, then the shampoo would go on my neck lets say, since I used steroids, it would not show up. then I would stop steroids and get a large rash on my face neck and chest, these were horrible, angry red skin very dry cracking and irritated. I am not sure how I got thru it.
Do not worry, if your rash is confined to your face and you treat it right, it should go away soon. you do not seem ot have any of the same issues i have. but please treat this correctly.
Leslie
by they way, even though I used different ones, I never used a lot of steroid at all. I do not like medicine so I used them sparingly and they still affected me badly and I got the perioral dermatitis even when I was not putting them on my face at all. go figure. I only used the low strength stuff on my face, the one that is approved for that use.
Leslie
On final note, I never went out of the boundaries of what was recommended for steroids. I only used the smallest amount for the smallest time frame. On my face, I only used the Hytone and again sparingly for short spurts. I knew the dangers of steroids and that they had side effects. I think what happened is that I never weaned off of them properly. I would use them till the inflammation was such that I could handle, then I would try to apply say, a lotion instead, my skin then would begin to react to the lotion about the same time the steroid began to wear off, then the skin would inflame and rash. to top it off, it is usually winter so I could not get any relief from the dryness of my skin. I tried everything. Now I am still dealing with damaged skin even now. I cannot believe that this happened and I really caution Jazzman to take my advice, I have been there and done that, it does not work. stop everything, supplements, cod liver oil, all that stuff. wash your face once a day with a very gentle ph balanced cleanser, then leave it alone, do not pick at it or touch it you will get more bacteria that way. Get on an antibiotic. You will start to get better. Here is a partial list of what I put on my skin in the last 2 years and not one thing worked (Vanicream, Vaseline, Cerave, Eucerin, Jojoba oil, mineral oil, rosehip seed oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, curel, Eletone, Epiceram, amlactin, lachydrin, clinique stuff, Apple Cider Vinegar, Aloe Vera, Evan Healy, triamcinilone, cutivate, hytone, desowen, Topicort, mometasone fuorate,) the reason: I was redamaging my skin every time I put something new on it. I really was trying to find the magical potion, and what I now realize is the magical potion is to leave your skin alone..my pores got clogged, my skin was totally blocked up with all these creams..Your poor skin is trying its best to heal, it will need at least 30 days to get back on the right track. Watch your diet, avoid processed food., drink water or green tea. Good Luck and do not make the same mistakes I made, then you will not take 2 years to heal like I have…..
Leslie
Dear all,
I think some people are allergic to cortisone creams, where it takes years to manifest in the body, and some people are super allergic to cortisone creams, not needing to use it much in order to get really sick.
The fact that we have to figure out on our own that cortisone cream has made our skin sick, and figure out a way to treat it too, I think it is understandable that we are prone to overdo our efforts, trying to heal, from time to time.
Now we know that it is steroid induced rosacea we are dealing with, and we read in a study of a hundred patients, that everyone who quit steroids, was able to eventually heal their skin. We also know that treatment was very minimal, and mostly time was involved in healing. Some patients required antibiotics in the initial stages, but otherwise it did not say much.
I wish it had told us of what milk compresses was, and if they recommended a special diet to help the healing.
OK, here we must then improvise and eat well, because that after all makes sense.
My face at this point looks like a teenagers face, but what can I do?
Is everyone elses showing up as acne? Mine is more like a blotchy redness all over my face, around my mouth, on the sides of my nose and a little on my forehead. Parts of normal skin show thru. It seems dry and after a few days it lessens in color to a duller color and then peels off. Is anyone else’s like this? It does not show at all as pimples although at the beginning I had some areas on my upper cheeks that looked like pimples and acne. That happened a few times mixed with the other type of rash.
Leslie
when i leave my face alone it gets dry, red, and itchy. and i cant help but to scratch the red chicken pox looking welts. i usually cave in and put on some kind of vaseling or antibiotic ointment. then i get itchy from that , my face feels suffocated.
I think the article suggested ice compresses. Have you tried them? or maybe try the zyrtec. what about the advil antiinflammatory? Why don’t you see a docter, maybe you have an infection? It sounds like you do.
Leslie
im trying to get my mind off it, watching movies and such. Avoid stress, that is important. but every day is so stressful, ughhh
im scared to leave the house
Dear Jazzman,
Please do not loose hope. The first months are the most brutal. You are a wonderful guy with a great sense of humor. I like you so much just from reading your posts. Do not let this become a prison for you, not leaving the house. Go out every day in the early cool morning hours and feel the air on your face, it will be healing for your skin as well as for your soul.
And my skin is also dry, itchy, and has weird patches of a different texture of skin. My face is sore, but it does not burn anymore.
I also have the problem, i sunburn really badly. I never had a problem with the sun, but now it just wreaks havoc. Only on my cheek where the cream was applied. So i have to wait till it gets dark to see the world.
Hey, i dont mean to depress you guys. I am amazed by your patience and it gives me hope. I never expected to be knocked out so to speak for so long. Even small trips in a car are now a disaster, the sunburn and then it flares up whatever is wrong with my skin. So it makes me nervous indeed. And then my spirit sinks when i look at a mirror.
You know im looking into meditation and other ways of getting my mind off this. Why are we as humans so attached to the way we look. Why is it so important. The truth is, it isnt , but we “expect” people to stare at us and this expectation creates problems. Fortunately my parents have been more understanding, well not really. I partly blame my mom who told me use it on my feet (and then i impulsively used it on my face).
For the record, the only warning on this tube says not for ophtholmic use, which i figure means dont put on eyes.
You guys should tell your friends, doctors are giving out Triamcinolone and Nystatin for common women problems and this is bad bad bad. I’m sure many women don’t have a clue. The problem with steroids is that they work too well, but you end up having to keep using it, like clockwork the problem reappears. I never got a rash on my feet using it, which is probably because i didnt use it too long. You know i did use it for a while, going back 10 years ago, for my butt. I had constipation problems. And i remember that i had a lot of issues with itchiness. This could be linked with using triamcinolone on the sensitive tissues there.
Nystatin is fine as an antifungal by itself. Some insane doctor decided to add a potent steroid . Well they call it “mild”. LOOK AT MY FACE, thats not mild. I can give you more details if you want. My mom has two big tubes of it, and i’m tempted daily to throw it out (or use it). i already threw out my hydrocortisone cream.
You know maybe i should have tapered the steroid cream instead of going cold turkey. In hindsight this might have made things more easy. And i hope i havent permanently damaged my skin. Oh, there are definitely scars and pits now.
anyways, i cant obsess over this.
and now im thinking, my story isnt rare at all. Walgreens has a whole aisle dedicated to anti-itch products that contain hydrocortisone. For everything from poison ivy to mosquito bites to whatever. and those who have severe acne, i bet they all used hydrocortisone sooner or later out of desperation/ignorance. since im a guy with little to no acne, i dont know anything about creams so i never felt the need. maybe neo-sporin .
what do you guys know about exfoliation, what is the theory of exfoliation. How is it done with wrecked skin. Maybe i should hold off on that and let things heal a bit. i would like to start sending you guys photos of myself and you can critique my condition.
so youre saying, go cold turkey on all creams. Ok i will try my best. sometimes i rub my face because the itchiness is so unbearable. but i try to be gentle about it. theres a lot of red skin, possibly dead . maybe my skin is trying to exfoliate on its own, and putting on gobs of vaseline is only making it work harder….hmmm, then i must cease and desist
For now. At some point you will find a moisturizer that agrees with your skin. I moisturize once or twice a week.
I also think you are right about your skin wanting to exfoliate. It seems to go in circles of flare, the flare dying down followed by an exfoliation.
I have an old friend who has a skin condition, eczema on her face and body. But she never acts like it bother her and just goes about her life. The way she carries herself with confidence always has made me look up to her as a strong beautiful girl and I never think about her skin.
When my skin erupted I decided to become like her.
Confidence is very attractive, more attractive than beauty. Not to worry about what other people think when they see you.
Meditation is a way to look into yourself and have a chance let this suffering teach you how to become confident and how to heal. Then you will become strong and you will able to help others.
Yoga might be great for you, it can take your mind of your face.
Jazzman
You must shade your face.
Cortisone is injected, taken in pills, smeared on the skin, and sometimes combined.
It can do wonders and it can create misery.
Cortisone has exploded on the market the last 5 years.
It is overprescribed and sold over the counter.
There are very little warning on products.
Doctors do not know about dependancy.
Ive taken you guys advice. I didnt put anything on my face. Even little neosporin dabs doesnt seem to agree with my chicken pox thingy’s on my face. when i look closely in a mirror, they are a bit raised, and a bit wet or has a transparent liquid or moist looking. probably cuz i couldnt resist touching or rubbing it, (SO DAMN ITCHY). are you sure this is going to work. im nervous. i took a benadryl, im gonna go to the store and look into zyrtec.
So you cant just put on zinc on this stuff. Its a mixture of small acne pustules, with chicken pox , they look like two little reddish squares , raised, with a little weeping. Not like any acne ive seen before. And my skin seems dry. i think this is eczema. and very itchy. i never had eczema before. Does rosacea cause itchy eczema like raised bumps ? hmm, i hope this isnt a permanent rosacea problem.
they look like small red boils , and they come in clusters . especially nearest to my nose. and they are itchy, i can feel them pounding thump thump. i do my best to resist scratching. there really isnt anything to speed up the healing. they come and go, usually last up to a week (but the red scars sometimes remain for much longer , i still have red pigments all over my cheek)
There could be an aggravating factor, whenever i eat ice cream my face gets 10x more itchy. the red spots get itchier. its hard to cut out dairy, but i think i must. not sure so much about bread . but ice cream is a killer. i think im not digesting the milk well enough, so i have lactose sugar intolerance or something. Nothing serious like diarreah, but more like itching and my dandruff on my scalp gets worse. ughh, i need onions or garlic. im gonna get on that.
@patricia. How do i shade my face? you mean, stay out of the sun? or put on makeup.
Hi all, today I had a party to go to and my skin did not look so great. I finally went out and bought some makeup and dabbed it on so I could try and forget about it. I did not look my normal self but was able to pull it off. This is a frustrating condition. Why does it produce so much shedding skin? I feel so scaly and even so it never goes back to normal. I too have wondered if this might be a permanent change in my skin. I hope not but I am sometimes losing hope that my skin will return to normal. It seems to always have areas that are peeling and dry looking no matter what I do, I hope that it has not aged my skin. I am 42 and used to look in my 20s with no wrinkles and no flaws tomy skin, now my skin is always blotchy with areas of normal within. Yuck…Patricia, your friend sounds amazing to be confindent. I agree, it is something to aspire to be like. I meditate every day. I have not stopped some of my bad habits, like wine and coffee but try to have a good diet and have other healthy habits but my skin looks like I eat Macdonalds for every meal. Oh well. I almost had a bad car accident today and luckily it did not happen. I realized that there are more important things then our skin. My kids were in the car and if something had happend to us, it would have been terrible and much worse then a silly skin condition. so lets all keep this stuff in perspective. Jazzman, I really think if you try to let your skin alone, the itching will subside. I know it is hard, but try as hard as youcan it will not go on forever. I have had intense itching with severly dry skin and I got thru it, you can too. just have complete confidence and think of all the things you will do when it is gone.
what happened to Ali? I have not seen a post from her lately.
Jazzman, try acidopholous pills, they are good for digestive issues.
Jazzmen,
I mean shade your face with a wide brimmed hat, and stay as much as possible in the shade.
The symptoms ( bumps) you are describing sounds a lot like my skin on my forehead and cheeks. Some times it seems to be worse, sometimes better. I have picked the top off of the bumps, but I don’t know if it helps or hurts.
I think because it takes so long to heal, it is easy to believe that the skin is damage forever, but skin is resilient and will renew itself, healing.
Leslie,
Thank god you did not have an accident. It really puts things in perspective.
Hugs and blessings.
Although my face does not look so good, I am feeling much better in the rest of my body. I no more have hot flashes, irregular periods, and I am much calmer, not prone to irritability.
The Cortisone was overheating my body and was causing my hormones to become totally unbalanced. I was feeling menopausal and I did not understand why.
I am sure many people are suffering from Cortisone induced symptoms without knowing it. Who knew that it could produce menopause like symptoms?
Does anyone else sometimes feel during a flare that there is a residue on your face of something that comes off during the exfoliation? Today after using the makeup, drinking wine an dthe party, my face is dry but the redness is going down because the flare is ending. The major dry peeling has begun. Each time I have a flare, it seems to clear more of the problem but I am sometimes not totally sure. this is wierd. Also, it sometimes almost looks like blocked pores. Also wierd.
Long ago when I put on the steroids all over my body for that rash, that the did help, I remember also getting some hot flashes and night sweats. I convinced myself I was getting early menopause and I was only in my early 30′s. I remember calling the pharmacist ans asking if the steroids could cause it and was told an emphatic no. Then this time, I told you I have been prone to sweating both during the day and at night and I am a person who hardly every sweats. It actually has gotton better I still have it a bit but it does not seem as bad as before. I think the steroids must be behind all of this stuff. I also never had rashes on my face, nver had perioral dermatitits, rashes on my eyelids or wierd rashes that come and go and peel before I ever did the steroids. It sometimes feels like a dark cloud is always over me, I look forward tot he day that it is gone.
Have a great day.
Leslie
You guys are right. THis chicken pox or red bumpy things comes and goes, flares up with breakout then healing. Now im in remission , its healing. I sometimes touch the red areas and i feel this crusty stuff, and it looks like dried out white or yellow sebum. And i didnt bother it this time, it healed on its own.
I hope i dont have to keep enduring this forever. the breakout is more on my left cheek than right, and it looks angry and red . The ones on my forehead are gone. It doesnt help to use neosporin i guess, it is internally healing on its own time. I think its all auto-immune.
My skin also seems to be dry. but there isnt much i can do about it, if i put a moisturizer then it just irritates the red spots. I think taking fish oil and drinking lots of water seems better.
It still feels itchy and there are patches where the skin is red, and looks like an open small wound, with yellowish and red stuff. You can just cover this with a bandaid. When you look at it, you cant imagine this will ever heal, since it looks so bad. But im hopeful. its healed in the past.
im still not sure if prosacea moved things along or made it worse. AT the very least, prosacea did exfoliate the skin (it basically peeled off an entire layer). and this lightened up the skin. But i think i have to be patient and let my skin exfoliate on its own.
There is definitely something going on, auto-immune wise. This is eczema, but i never get ecezema. Im not even allergic to poison ivy. The only thing I have is a propensity for dandruff in scalp and eyebrows, but it isnt too severe except for flaking . zinc pyrithione shampoo is the best , ive tried kezonacole and it doesnt seem to work very well . sure ketazonazole is an antifungal, but i have a lot of hair and i dont think i can shower and apply enough of the stuff to be effective. But zinc shampoo seems better relatively. i also use the conditioner.
I think it’s all Steroid induced rosacea, and my eyebrows are dry and flaky too, but not my hair. My skin, in some places, also feels like there is an extra layer of weird skin that needs to be shed in order for the healthy skin to emerge.
When my face first broke out, my glands were all swollen and sore, that has since subsided, but who knows where the poison has been building up. Under the skin in the glands? Somewhere in the tissue? In an organ? I don’t know. All I know is that out of a hundred people, all the people who quit using Cortisone, healed their skin. May we do the same. Hugs.
And Jazzman,
I am proud of you, you seem much more calm . This is a big step towards your healing. Keep it up.
Patricia,
I too have had swollen glands, behind my ears especially on the left side also under my jaw line as well. I am not prone to swollen glands at all so that was wierd. Over time they have also subsided for the most part. I also feel like my normal skin is underneath this wierd skin too. sometimes I exfolliate just to try and reach my normal skin. I admit, I am getting discouraged. I put some Cerave on yesterday and today. I am trying it again. It seemed to bother me before but maybe I was not reacting to the cream maybe it was just the problem with the steroid reactions. I am no longer sure what is causing what, I just know that my pretty skin is gone and replaced by this wierd skin that looks strange textured and an odd ruddy color. When I apply makeup it almost looks even worse. I hope my skin is not permantely damamged, it seems it sometimes.
Leslie
Thats why we have each other to help us through these tough times.
I think it is best to exfoliate when the skin already is at that stage where it wants to exfoliate on it’s own. For me it is about once a week. As I said, I use sea salt, which stings, then moisturize and then I do not exfoliate until a week later.
Our skin takes a long time to heal from this kind of poison, but I am sure it will heal and look as good as before.
Be strong.
Update. the itchy small red welts have ceased being itchy. there is some clearing up. But strangely, i have these scaly patches near my nose. I dont remember ever seeing scaly red/yellow/rough patches. Its like yellow scales , and it started peeling. Kind of looks like when you get a scrape on your knee and you scar. I first applied zinc oxide which seemed to help with the itchiness. Then i figured that wasnt doing much, so im not using olive oil. It helps , makes the skin more supple less scaly. Also i notice i have red dots all over my chin and in my beard area. Nothing going on, just small red blotchy dots. something happened there, looks like some kind of acne war was fought and won. with these red blotchy dots. Some of the red dots are tough, like scaly. some arent. And my left cheek seems to have a tough orange rind appearance with some redness. I think whatever i have, it must be putting a layer of extra dead skin on the surface. It might be dry skin, with dandruff, with steroid irritation, with…
What do you guys thing about olive oil?
I might go back and use zinc everywhere. the thing i dislike about zinc, it tends to leave a mess. it seems to dry up my skin as well, which i am trying not to. I am drinking lots of water.
but my dandruff lately has been out of control. so i guess my sebum is back to normal, or where ever it was earlier. I still dont know if i have dry skin or not. my left cheek looks windburned
I’ve been drinking lots of water, taking fish oil (not vitamin A, just fish oil) … olive oil orally. And lots of onions with some garlic here and there. i think onions are a must, and now that my dandruff is out of control, i dont have many options. except taking a shower more often, which i avoid because of getting water on my face , and more dryness.
Is it possible that i dont have dry face? even though my face looks red
Jazzman, it really sound like seborrheic dermatitis. Sometimes it seems like dry skin but is really oil with scales. If so, that is probably what you had to start with and it would have been better for you to go to a dermatologist because they have treatments for that that are not steroid based.
Leslie
olive oil seemed to make it worse. now my left cheek is redder.
i have some prescription strength ketaconazole (2%)
. should i try that?
no can do on the dermatologist. I can pay at most 30 bucks
when i put on my air conditioner it seems my face gets drier and redder (its hot and humid outside)…do you think cold air is making things worse? im going to turn it off before i go to bed.
the worst crusting is just below the eye. around my chin are red blotches. it helps when i trim my beard.
it kind of looks like this guy but less extreme
http://www.skinsight.com/adult/seborrheicDermatitis.htm
Hi Jazzman,
I looked on the site you posted. Does your skin resemble the pictures?
It looks very similar to steroid induced rosacea.
From the story you have told, I think you might have a combination of the two.
My skin was super dry to begin with. To the point of feeling like sandpaper. When the humidity started in spring, it got a lot better, but my skin is still dry.
The reason I use coconut ghee instead of an oil is that oils clog the pores and ghee can be wiped so only a little bit is left on the skin. I have figured if my moisturizer is good enough to eat, it can not hurt my skin too much.
I think you need to alternate what you are moisturizing with. Too much zinc is not good either.
I have also made sure I am really busy, so I do not think too much about my face. I have just started to go to school to get a GED, so I can continue my education and add massage to my resume.
Keep up with your research. Hugs and blessings.
Looking at the pictures and seeing doctors are prescribing Cortisone, I have come to believe that a case of dandruff, easily, can escalate into a case of steroid induced rosacea.
It looks identical to me.
Hi,
It is hard to tell the difference between some of these conditions. I wondered if i had the Seborrheic Dermatitis for awhile but none of the treatmenst for it work on my skin. also, my skin is not oily or greasy aT all just dry. Yes mine sometimes feels like sandpaper also when it clears up it always looks like there is something on the surface and it sometimes has a wrinkly appearance. Then the rash comes again and it peels. Especially around my mouth area and chin.
Jazzman, do not put stuff on your face till you know what you have. If you cannot go to the dermatologist then I am not sure what to tell you. everything irritates it.
Leslie
yeah i think you guys are right. i put on the keto, it dried out my skin further. i also have an airconditioner on, which might be drying out my skin as well.
when i go outside and look in a mirror, in the sunlight, it looks like i have red bumpy skin. but kind of pinkish, not very red. also around my nose i have this scaly crap now , but its getting a bit better. The scales have fallen off, after applying ketonozacole. im using olive oil now for the dryness, especially around my chin and corners of my mouth
at some point im going to have to go to a dermo. there are too many “could be” situations going on. Also im getting a lot of peeling at the base or sides of my nose after using prosacea , i hope this isnt permanent. i may have irritated the delicate nose skin balance.
the picture i posted is kind of extreme. i think thats seborrhea + rosacea.
can a doctor diagnose things more accurately? im skeptical about them.
the breakouts though have become less noticeable. you can still see the streak mark where i applied the steroid cream. it looks like i painted myself with a downward stroke, but in a pink kind of recessed light way.
im thinking about going back to using honey. its weird, i cant stop trying things. im addicted to putting things on my face. and i cant seem to remember what happened last time i put such and such on my face.
it sucks to live in state of apprehension about what is in store for my face now.
both cheeks look kind of sunburned, and have a rough texture to it. there isnt much i can do about it , except put on moisturizer like aloe vera. but my skin does get sick of that. ive stopped using vaseline which is good ( i ran out of it)
I have lost faith in dermatologist.
I am now relying on my gut feeling.
Honey cant hurt, but I think it is hard to rinse off.
Ghee is a clarified butter and is mostly used in India. I know of it’s healing power from Ayurveda, an ancient philosophy on health. Ayurveda is often connected with yoga, and is focussing on herbs, ointments, and mental practices to heal the body.
Stress, angers, and attachments is released and meditation, yoga, and herbs are cultivated.
thanks for the tips patricia. im looking into some buddist philosophy on happiness. here is something nice i read …
“Buddhism teaches people that the real source of happiness is inner peace. If our mind is peaceful, we shall be happy all the time, regardless of external conditions, but if it is disturbed or troubled in any way, we shall never be happy, no matter how good our external conditions may be. External conditions can only make us happy if our mind is peaceful. We can understand this through our own experience. For instance, even if we are in the most beautiful surroundings and have everything we need, the moment we get angry any happiness we may have disappears. This is because anger has destroyed our inner peace….We can see from this that if we want true, lasting happiness we need to develop and maintain a special experience of inner peace. The only way we can do this is by training our mind through spiritual practice – gradually reducing and eliminating our negative, disturbed states of mind and replacing them with positive, peaceful states.”
i respect all religions, but buddism sticks out because it focuses a lot on inner peace which i need
However im still not sure how to achieve inner peace, i guess this is an elusive thing.
im getting depressed a lot lately, my moods are never consistent. i caught up on some sleep . i have these really red lines, they emanate from my eylid near my nose to the bottom of my nose . Its not acne, its like an irritation (ezcema i suppose). The ketoconazole didnt seem to do much.
but , i know that things are getting better. but i think im getting caught in the cycle of hoping that the external (my face) will change and then getting dissapointed. at some point you have to wonder if this is even helpful, constantly hoping for change. i mean i want change but putting all your energy on it doesnt seem to make it better. not to mention i have OCD type personality. I think I am interfering with the normal time it takes to heal. Its very hard to see your face and not put something on, because it looks bad. Like any wound, for me its instinctual.
women weep when they get sad, and men just get pissed. hah. im trapped. by the way my family suffers from depression so i guess this is normal. sometimes i think i shouldnt have been born. my mother agrees with me , she never wanted kids she claims. …steroid induced rosacea depression, ughhh. the worst.
honey is sticky, no doubt. thats why i hesitate to schmear it on.
i think its weird, my face decides to flare up and give me trouble in different places in different ways. before i had hundreds of papules on my cheeks. that has gone away, now i have this giant eczema patch near my nasial folds. and its itchy as well. maybe ill go back to zinc.
Dear Jazzman,
Most people start looking for inner peace later in life. It is usually due to disease and people needs to heal both physically and emotionally. I have yoga students who has cured themselves of cancer.
Anger, stress and depressions will get much better with any kind of exercise, but yoga and meditation teaches you to think differently.
Do not listen to your mom, I am sure she does not mean what she says. It sounds like your family have a sarcastic humor.
Reading philosophy may help you a lot, in that it focus on inner peace. I have been studying and practicing yoga intensely for 4 years and it has changed my life in a good way.
Before I became a yoga teacher I used to get depressed, mostly because I had too much time on my hands in-between modeling jobs. I felt useless and exercise help me get better. Later yoga became my savior. Reading and learning how to release anger was, for me, the big turning point.
It sounds like your skin is slowly getting better, but it will still be some time until you will be healed.
You must find some outlet, some way to stop obsessing about your skin.
I understand why you are feeling this way, we have all been fooled into believing that doctors know what is best for us, and sometimes they do, but with cortisone induced rosacea we are left on our own.
Keep up your spirit and know that we will heal and become strong together.
Keep reading buddhism or yoga philosophy. It can help you. And see if you can keep yourself busy, so you won’t think about your face so much.
You have your whole life ahead of you. Hugs and blessings.
it seems my skin has took a turn for the worse. it looked really good after the prosacea experience. but now the dry reddish orange rind has taken over both cheeks. I dont want to do prosacea again. Last night i used olive oil, then honey, then zinc, then vaseline (to deal with zinc dryness), then olive oil again. It was a nightmare. my skin feels very thick, and it looks extremely dry. im out of ideas at the moment.
its very hard to sit back when you’ve made progress only to see it disentegrate. However, this may be linked with the flares, as other people describe it is periodic flaring/flushing with papules , then healing
i also feel like im losing my sanity , incrementally. it doesnt help im not talking as much to my family. and i have very little appetite . well , im trying to keep busy. studying for GMAT.
if there is a god, why does he allow people to experience such misfortune. Some people argue that misfortunes builds character. I disagree when it comes to chronic conditions. Sure falling off your bicycle as a kid builds character , no doubt. And suffering can make you more empathetic towards people with similiar problems . ok, im more empathetic now to skin problems, and people who have mental/emotional problems….However the character building point is over for me. Now im just feeling sucky and im losing character.
Hah, i guess everybody who gets into a terrible accident or situation asks “why me”…. sorry, i know this isnt a philosophical blog. But i can easily counter , using an atheist point of view , why not me? Am i so special that bad things (painful things) cannot beset me? perhaps it is immature of me, or my worldview is immature to think that i should be immune from catastrophes. Luck has nothing to do with this, even though it would seem in hindsight that youre lucky to go through life without getting hit in a car or having a skin condition. Once something happened, by physics it happened because of a series of events. Some of these events we feel we could have changed by using free will, which is debatable if that even exists. At the end of the day, we did what seemed best at the time, and thats the final cause for our behavior (the rest is physics, biology, genetics, etc). Sorry if this seems depressing, but actually i think the point im trying to make is not to feel sorry for myself. whatever happens, happens for a reason. i cant change the reason, so let it be. With that said, getting my atheist leaning stuff out of the way, im not against praying. Praying helps calm the mind. I dont pray to any particular deity, or conversely curse/blame any particular deity. I guess im sort of a pantheist prayer, praying to the universe and all its great unknowns. I learned how to pray when i practiced christianity for a while. Im glad i can still use it, it works even though i dont practice or believe christianity (as weird as that sounds) . When i say it works, i dont mean that i can heal my skin, i mean that its relaxing and puts my mind at ease.
well back to vaseline , i feel the dryness again. thanks ladies for listening to me. i can open up to you, thats nice.
I’ve sort of expanded my posts beyond steroid induced rosacea. I apologize for this. I dont know the rules of the posts, so ill just leave it at that. I accept all comments and i welcome disagreements and counter views. I am learning, i am merely attempting to share my experience , which has affected me more than just physically. I’ve been wrong many times in the past… i try not to get emotionally attached to my specific set of beliefs at any given time.
Aside from that, sorry that my posts have become lengthier than most. i type fast
Jazzman, I have been there. I used to put all sorts of stuff on my face, even recently one day, I used a few different things. It never works. This condition needs a lot of time to go away. Your skin sounds like it is getting more damamged each time you use this stuff. why don’t you find a gentle moisturizer and try it. Cerave might work for you. Obviously this zinc cream olive oil mixed with honey has not helped your skin. Cerave got me thru a lot of bad times. You might be able to get some samples from the company check their website, it is worth a try. It is very light and you can wash it off. A lot of people with eczmea swear by it. I am even using it a bit again. You could use just a little bit and see if it helps, it might.
Re the depressing times, I have been there too. I have lost a lot of quality time with my kids, that breaks my heart. I would not even volunteer last year at my daughter’s kindergarten because my skin was so messed up. I missed out on a lot. I am trying to get over that self conciousness, it does not help and you might even find out that people do not notice your skin as much as you do.
Patricia is totally right about that. Hope you feel better.
Ali and Chrissy, are you guys still there?
Leslie
Dear Jazzman,
One thing you are getting from all of this, is a lot soul searching, and that will help you get through many different things in your life.
It is also a step on the way to make sure that you are going to do some useful thing with your life.
The steroid induced rosacea is going in circles and thats why it seems better and then gets worse. Putting on all those products is only going to make matters worse, because when the skin is flaring, it does not like anything.
Keep writing you long posts, they help us all. Hugs
PS: Start talking to your family. Family is the most important people in one’s life.
Jazzman,
you mom was probably just mad when she said that. My mom used to say stuff like that too sometimes, but did not mean it. Sometimes mothers say things in frustration they do not mean.
I actually have been scratching my abdomen and now it is really bad again, inflamed, red, even oozing in places. Sounds really great doesn’t? My face is ok at the moment, but I have noticed my pores seem much more noticable then they used to be. I think my skin is so damaged now from all the horror that it needs to build up again. If I scratch my abdomen, layers of skin will actually come off, pretty gross, so I am trying to not get any mosquito bites at all. What I am saying is, even though I know that scratching is bad, sometimes I do it because the itching can be so terrible sometimes. Then I feel bad that I did it because then it is another setback.
reading positive things is a step in the right direction. Try to eat better food, especially when you appetite is low, it is still important. You cannot live on garlic and onions… Eat some hard boiled eggs if nothhing else. Drink a lot of water, that is one that I have a hard time following myself, I am not by nature a water drinker but need to constantly remind myself.
Take a hike outside at a park where noone can see you. It will help you forget what you look like. Yesterday, I forced myself out of the house with the kids. I put on a sun hat, glasses and a long sleeve shirt in the hot weather, I looked strange but we went on a 4 mile hike and I felt better at the end of it then at the beginning and my kids loved it..
Leslie
Jazzman, I agree with Patricia, I like your musings, I think you should consider writing more, maybe a blog. You seem to be really intelligent and insightful if you could possibly stop putting so much stuff on your skin I really think it will heal quickly. It is only your face so at least you are not dealing with multiple areas. I wish my face had been the only area affected. My hands are still pretty damaged. my arms and abdomen still too. it is a daily struggle to resist scratching and leave my skin alone in all these different areas. I want to see major improvement over the summer as when winter hits it is even harder. I am going to skip a shower for a few days and try to get my own natural skin oils to take over. I will just do a sponge bath and then wash my hair in the tub and only splash cool water on my face for a few days. For some reason my scalp is itchy again. Yes I have thougth many times why me? when all I want is to be the same as I was before. I have always been pretty health conscious. I have eaten pretty healthy stuff for many years, my vices were wine and coffee but even so, I do not think as much as other people have. I never had too many health problems, I cook at home. I wonder all the time why did this happen? I had beautiful flawless skin before, never breaking out or even requiring moisturizer. I do not know where it will lead me. obviously though it does not matter now, because I have it. Luckily my husband has been pretty tolerant of the situation, a lot of men would not have been under the circumstances. Many times I have sat in my room and cried or
Leslie
Dear Leslie,
I think you are doing all the right things, going out of the house with the kids.
I think it is super important to take control of your life. Kids are only going to be kids once, and it is important to do for your kids, everything that is possible now, and not later.
Do not worry about what other people think, it is not important. What is important is to heal and live your life while you are healing. Love yourself, and that love will heal not only your skin, but your soul as well, and everyone around you will benefit from that love. Hugs.
did not finish my sentence, I meant to say I sat in my room and cried or prayed all day for this to go away. Well it is a better use of time to do something constructive with your energy. Try to regain your life. Take control of your situation. That is a better way to handle this. My kids want to go on the same hike today. I am going again. Better to get out and walk. My muscle tone has slipped in this 2 years. I used to be so active before my skin had this problem. I did some yoga, walked, jogged, did work around the house. Now I have let myself go and have become a blob. I hope that I can get myself back on track.
Patricia, you have the right attitude.
Leslie
Thanks Patricia, yes, my kids need a mom who can show by example how to handle life appropriately. If they have challanges in the future, I want them to have a good example of how to handle the stress, not the example of sitting and crying which is what I have done in the past. I am trying..
Leslie
Hi – yes I am still dropping in every now and then but I am horribly busy and have given pretty much all the practical advice I can.
Interesting philosophical/religious discussions you’re having. I’ve spent a lot of time soul searching this aspect of life as well. For me it all started around the time I began training to be a church minister and doing a theology degree – so I had lots of upfront speaking to do and one to one conversations with a wide variety of people – quite terrifying and when you add steroid induced rosacea to the mix – sometimes it has felt impossible to carry on but I am still here and still plodding on. I had a phobia of public speaking before I started on this new life and that was scary enough as I have had problems with ‘image’ in the past. I am getting over it – now I am learning how to refuse to be defined by my skin when it is flaring up.
My husband has been fantastic and has been hugely supportive – not easy when your partner doesn’t even want to be touched for days on end! I find other people don’t understand so I don’t talk about it unless they have similar issues – people with allergy problems tend to be the best ones to talk to for emotional support.
I am mad at what has happened to me and can’t fathom ‘why me?’ but then again ‘why not?’ – but it does serve to remind me that I am more than my health or looks. In the past I didn’t appreciate that enough. Take care all of you x
Ali, glad to hear from you. Glad that you have support. I also have a husband who has been great and I too often back away, do not want affection because of my skin.
please keep in touch with us.
Leslie
Happy to keep in touch. Do any of you Facebook?
Hi Ali,
Try not to be mad or angry anymore, and everything will easier for you. Forgive yourself as you forgive others.
I know what you mean but I don’t blame myself at all – far from it! I was following the dermatologist’s advice to the letter. I think a certain amount of anger is a good thing though – it can also make you determined not to give up on what is important. Trick is not to stay in that place of chewed up emotion and to use it creatively….
im reading your posts and someone said im lucky that its just my face. in reply, I could tolerate this much easier if it was on my stomach and let it heal on its own time . Its the social thing that is harder than the discomfort at times. people see my face, and my mom commented on it today (which unnerves me) and my dad i noticed is giving me funny stares. i hate it, all this attention. Sometimes they try to be encouraging like, oh your face looks better….but WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT MY FACE!!!
im having a bit of success with bacitracyn zinc, which i might apply again. For those with the periodic flaring, zinc cream isnt going to do much, nor honey , prosacea, etc. Antibiotic cream can help with the healing , thats about it. I will look into the curel thing, not sure if it will help.
i was suicidal and despondent when i wrote my last post. Its the feeling that i cant live like this anymore, someone shoot me . Mix that with anxiety and feeling trapped, a gnawing painful trapped feeling and you feel like youre walking in circles all day. i dont really have anything to live for , so im in a different boat than you guys. you have families. my parents couldnt care less , they always tell me youre “better off dead” when they hear about someone’s passing.
anyways i feel a lot better today and some of the breakout has abated (but the red scars are still there, but lighter). my face is extremely dry, and i suspect this is the cycle of flares. break out red pustules, red lesions, then healing with accompanying dry skin. My skin looks leathery and red. baseball glove skin…
i dont know if air conditioners help. i slept with an air conditioner last night. is that drying?
its very easy to slip into nihilism when you have this problem. for me , i have a tendency to shut people out and suffer alone. i dont show emotions , that kind of thing. well this blog is good because i can express myself. I would never open up to people, but i did try to explain my mom that she shouldnt leave around triamcinolone/nystatin cream. Then she starts berating me and getting angry. She still thinks it works great, it “cured” her feminine problems.
The red face pdf somebody posted mentioned triamcinolone/nystatin, after sifting through pages of tedious reading (the pictures were insiteful). I guess academically you cant just write, it sucks, stop using it, and be patient when it heals.
I wish to express my sympathy for my fellow bloggers, Leslie, patricia, and ali. Try your hardest not to be a social recluse, and once you start to talk to people they forget about your appearance.
I wish i could wave a magic wand and it will all go away. You guys are lucky that you have supportive spouses. thanks for supporting me.
Question. Do you guys find yourself envying people with normal skin, or great looking skin, wishing you had that skin. I never noticed this about people, and now i cant stop thinking about it. I secretly wish everyone would experience awful skin. this would make life more bearable in a sense.
as someone said above, you experience this, it changes you, makes you stronger. Yes, it has changed my outlook on life. take nothing for granted, and i am more sympathetic to people’s pain. i also had a dream of moving to florida, and that has been suspended indefinitely. i appreciate the cold weather a lot more now.
for scratchiness, does taking antihistamine work? at this point im afraid of going to the store. then i look at my reflection in the mirror and feel panicky,
Jazzman, when I said you are lucky it is only your face, I meant it in the context of myself, I have it on my face as well as the stomach, arms, hands, etc. It has cleared a lot on the other areas that I had it which included my neck and chest and legs. So I really understand your pain. My face and hands are the worst for me because I used my hands all the time, and people see them. I purposly buy clothes that have really long sleeves so I can hide my hands if necessary. Then re: my face, I told you I did not even like spending time at my little girl’s school because of that, and it was also my neck and chest so I really looked like a total freak. Bright red blotchy peeling skin with a huge rash around my mouth and sores in the corner of my mouth with a neck that looked like I was 80 years old.
My skin looks a ton better but my hands still look pretty bad to me. What I do think is that others do not notice it as much as we do with the condition.
Re: your parents, I am sorry that you do not find them more supportive. But I have found that this is a situation that one must go alone. No matter how many times my husband might have said I do not look as bad as I think, it did not matter to me, because I felt so terrible, yes at times even suicidal at the worst moments. I am glad I passed thru it and you should also realize ” this too shall pass”. My family is not always supportive. They really do not want to hear about my problesm all the time, I had many fight with my mom who always assured me that my rash was stress related. I would tell her no it causes stress but stress is not causing it, but she would not believe me at all. She would say just ignore it and it will go away… Well , all the ignoring in the world would not get rid of this.. or I hate it when my rash was at its worst and my mom woudl pretend that I looked normal. that actually used to make me mad, because it was so not true.
Yes, many times I have envied those with normal skin 99.999% of the people I see have normal skin. In fact I never saw anyone with my problems. Do you think I like wearing cotton gloves all the time? Trust me, I am the only mom at any of my kids schoosl that wear these cotton gloves all the time. I really hate it. But i need to wear these when I am home and sometimes out to protect my hands. Talk about drawing attention to your skin.. Try explaining that, ” no I am not trying to emulate Michael Jackson”. One day, a man in another car saw me driving with my gloves on, he motioned to me as if to say what are you wearing? It was embarrasing. I have not even worn any jewelry including my wedding ring in over 2 years. so I do understand.
Patricia, do you have the Schwartzbein Cookbooks?
Leslie
One more thing Jazzman, Sometimes I wish I was single dealing with this for so many reasons. I have 2 young kids, yes it is a distraction from the skin issues but at times has not given me a break from the constant stress that one feels when I have this skin problem and 2 kids to constantly care for, I really have limited time to take breaks, naps or even meditate for 10 minutes and I have no help with my kids. . I think if I did not have the other stresses, it would be a lot easier for me. Having the added pressures in my own life has made it harder for me personally. a few months before this stuff came on so 2 and half years ago, I had my in laws staying here from India for 6 weeks, talk about stress. Then they left and immediately I had a major health issue turn up and had surgery that took 2 months to recover from, losing an ovary in the process. I was just getting back on my feet and then I got this.. so needless to say my life seems like it has been on hold for a long time. These things change us permanently. I am not the same anymore. I cannot be the old me again. I am the new me. I am more compassionate and also I do appreciate small things more then I used to. good times that happen I appreaciate them more. My husband was complaining one night about having to help with the bath for the kids and I got really mad. I told him, what I would not give to be able to use my hands easily and give them a bath myself. Really, till youcannot do something easily that you used to do, you cannot understand. think of me next time you wash your hair because for me that does not come easy. I have to wince with pain when the soap hits my hands and quickly finish it then immediately put on lotion and gloves. I have improved but my issues persist. If I cannot use steroids then I am stuck with lotion and that is limited use healing damaged hands that I used all the time. sometimes I have to bandage my hands up with medical tape and gauze bandages. I am not complaining really, I just want you to keep this in perspective. I wish it was only my face, it would be bad but not as bad as what I have had. I try to feel positive that it will go away. I meditate all the time and pray for help. I try to make myself comfortable when it hits, I try to eat right and take care of myself. After that, that is all I can do so I try to let the rest go now. May we someday all find the reason in our own lives that this happened to us. and hopefully when we do we can find peace with it.
Leslie
ali I am on facebook by the way
Hi all,
Ali, I think you are right.
Jazzman, I feel your pain,but I have never thought of ending my life over this, (my sister committed suicide in 1995), because the repercussions of such an action. My whole family suffered tremendously and my mom and dad never got over it.
The more you shut yourself away from the world, the more you will suffer. You have too much time to think about your skin. I am sure you have become defensive too, so if your mom or dad mentions your skin, it affects you negatively, regardless, even if it was meant to be support.
Everyone seems to be focussed on what other people think. Why not shift that focus.
Many people have issues, like life threatening illness’ or maybe they have lost a leg or an arm in the war. It is how we deal with our issues that makes us grow as humans.
Leslie, I do not have Schwartsbeins cookbook, but just reading her insightful book has made me make major changes.
Be very happy you have such a wonderful family, it is a true blessing.
Being able to face(literally) the world is what this disease challenges, overcome that fear and you will be very powerful. Find what is important.
I am not saying it will be easy because I know it is not.
Healing thoughts to everyone. Hugs.
Jazzman
Have you seen any doctor about this? One who has been able to say – you have rosacea/allergy etc? I wonder if you would find it easier to deal with the reactions that you get from family etc if you can simply say ‘I have …..’. I know that once I discovered what I had it was a lot easier to handle. You don’t have to follow the doctor’s advice if you don’t think it appropriate for you but just having an official diagnosis may help. Just a thought.
Patricia, yes I am so happy every day that I have my family. I did not mean to give an impression that I wasnt just that if I had more time to myself, then I could spend it on things like meditation and possibly even journaling, turning into myself, and that might have helped heal my skin. Right now, if I try that, I am usually interupted so many times that I give up. so that means only that I am usually so busy with the kids that I cannot focus on other stuff related to healing, and lets face it, 2 small kids sometimes is stressful even though I really love them so much. My husband is often travelling or lately preparing for a test so he is not home. I am usually left on my own. We have been going on long walks, another one yesterday 4 miles. It is really nice to get out and get excercise and my daughter is loving it, it is so good for her to be outside in nature, yesterday she personally spotted a white dove, a blue heron, and a turtle and she was so excited about this.. I know others who have worse health problems then me. I felt miserable for so long with this, I think because my rashes took up so much of my body, that I thought that I wanted an end to misery but I would not really do that. It was a negative thought only. by the way, my husband is supportive, but this stuff has put a strain on our marriage for sure. If we get thru this, we can make it thru anything I think.
I am actually considering trying the coconut ghee. Where do I get it? Do you keep it in the fridge? I would probably try it first on my arm and make sure I had no reaction to it before trying my face, but I really do want a moisturizer for the long term that does not have any chemicals in it. I am going to ask my mother in law about it she is indian and lives in India.
I am going to get the cookbooks because I need something like that to follow. With my son’s food allergies, I need to find recipes that will be both healthy for all of us and doable for our family. I just wondered if you had tried them and what your thoughts were if so.
Leslie
Dear Leslie,
I am so glad you have found walking together with your kids. That is a kind of meditation, and exercise too. It is beneficial to all of you.
I am sure the cookbooks will be very helpful also. Go for it!
When you are healed and your kids are a little older, you can pick up journalism again. Then you might have a lot to write about. Keep up this way of thinking. Hugs and blessings to you and your family.
Leslie, sorry about that. I agree totally its hard to have it on your hand and face and stomach. Did you have eczema before or it was induced by steroids?
My skin is clearing again, but now its very dry feeling and a bit itchy. The kind of feeling you get when you have a scar that is healing. I concurrently started using fish oil, so im not sure if this is correlation or causation. Fish oil does help with inflammation. i take like 2-3 pills a day. Dont get the enteric coated ones, just normal fish oil. i think its made by swanson. it has lemon oil in it , but you can get regular.
QUESTION for you guys. If this condition is auto-immune, wouldnt smoking marijuana help. I havent tested this , because i use to flare up. Marijuana is a vasodilator, so if you have a tendency to flush, it might make you flush. But, now that ive stopped flushing and dealing with papules more… could marijuana help with the rebound periodic nature of this skin problem.
Just an idea. I dont know how effective marijuana is at lowering auto-immunity. I did notice i was prone to colds while using marijuana. Our body is attacking our own skin.
The other approach is using anti-biotics (which you can boost up on using garlic/onions). Some people have gotten great results from using a Z pack or azithromycin, its a type of antibiotic. here let me find a link
its from yahoo answers, in response to someone asking for their view on prosacea
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060714205057AAQNbzt
So there are three approaches im interested in. Fish oil for inflammation, marijuana possibly for lowering auto-immunity response of skin, and azithromycin and 8 month antibiotic.
the only thing i am using presently is fish oil. I could potentially use marijuana, but I’m not keen on the tiredness feelings. (and i could be looking for an excuse to start smoking again).
ive been googling a bit. rosacea is a disorder of cathelcidins. it isnt an auto immune condition persay, but the inflammation response is the immune system being overactive.
http://rosacea-support.org/focus-on-cathelicidin-and-its-role-in.html
here is an interesting link how THC can help skin allergies (used on mice). im not sure if that means smoking it or getting a THC cream . you might have to go to amsterdam for the latter (or former).
http://www.medindia.com/news/Cannabis-can-Help-to-Treat-Allergies-Autoimmune-Disorders-21827-1.htm
Dear Jazzman,
I think antibiotics is what has been used to combat inflammation. I also believe rosacea and steroid induced rosacea is two different diseases, but I do not think steroid induced rosacea is an auto-immune disorder. I have based this on the fact that my experience has been the skin has been flaring everywhere I put the steroid cream and no other places.
Is that the same with you?
Hugs and blessings.
Dear Leslie,
You can get regular ghee at the health food store. Look into Ayurveda, there are many great ways to concoct natural moisturizers, may you find the right one and help lots of people.
You need very little. Hugs.
little, means you need only a small amount of ghee. It goes a long way.
Patricia, I will check Whole Foods and see if they have it. If it is not too expensive I will buy it and try it on my skin. I can always cook with it if necessary I suppose. I took another walk today with my kids, it is much better to get out and get exercise, hear me Jazzman? You can go to a park and walk where noone will see you if you want, it is better then staying in and you can forget about your face for a bit.
Jazzman, I never had a rash in my life till I got the Chicken Pox Vaccination about 7 years ago. Then I got hand dermatitis. I then took a long time to get rid of it, about 2 years total. My Dr. did not think it was related to the vaccine but I never had it in my life before. In the midst I got another full body rash that was a reaction to the chicken pox booster shot I think, that took 5 or 6 weeks to go away with thousands of hives and blisters erupting on my skin. That time the steroids did help and it did go away without returning.
I was clear until 2 years ago when I had some type of allergic reaction again. I got an itchy neck and then a full body rash again, including my hands too. I put on an anti itch cream and then had a major severe allergic reaction to the anti itch cream.
That is when I was prescribed steroids and began to use them on my rashes. After that is when I began to notice that I was getting rashes on my face and mouth and eyes that I never had previously. So I think I developed the perioral dermatitis from the steroids.
This is when I began to put all sorts of stuff on my skin hoping for a cure including steroids too. So just like you I tried so many things. Then my skin would get more irritated just like yours and the cycle would continue. And I was putting this stuff on my whole body. Then I would sparingly apply steroids to calm it down, then the cycle would start again.
So now I find myself a whole lot better then before but still dealing with areas that do not seem to heal up. So that is what happened to me.
My face is following the flares and remission pattern of the steroid induced problems so I am assuming that is what I have also on other areas of my body as the rash can travel to other areas too.
I never had eczema or other issues before all this stuff. I could use what I wanted on my skin and had no reactions at all even though I am fair skinned with red hair. but I might have had a tendency for skin problems dormant in my system that were triggered I think that is what happened to me. My mom had eczema as a kid and my Dad had a few drug reaction severe rashes and mild psoriasis so skin stuff does run in my family.
Re: your questions, I agree with Patricia, this steroid stuff is very different from Rosacea, it should not even be called the same thing as it is a totally different problem. so it should not be treated as the same condition.
Leslie
patricia, yes and no. the dry red baseball glove textured skin is only on the parts where i applied steroid cream, yes. However, i did get an acne break out on my forehead, and lots of red blotches in areas i didnt put the cream, like my chin for example.
I also think im getting acne from my forehead because my hair bangs are dirty and they touch the forehead
BUt yes, for the most part the majority of the papules, acne, and flaring has been only on the places where i put the cream. there is the odd areas a bit farther close to my ear where it turned red. my forehead though, near my eyebrows looks a bit dry, but that could be from dandruff type skin.
Im happy to say, i think the fish oil is working. My face looks better. It must be the inflammation is getter better. Im still breaking out, but the red thickened texture is getting lighter. You can still see big pores. I know this because i look at my face a thousand times a day. the olive oil and other creams probably just wreaks havoc on my face, for two reasons. First my face is expecting steroid cream , so its frustrated (sorry for my anthropomorphism, my science knowledge of this is still vague). So whenever i grease or smother my face with something, and its not of a steroid nature, it breaks out. Also most moisturizers except for the rare ones will clog up the pores. This is bacteria infected pores (focculitis, infected follicles), and it needs oxygen to heal. So its a catch 22, if you want to moisturize your skin, youre potentially going to starve the skin that is healing from oxygen. It is also has a tendency to spread, because the pores often weep in my case, the infected papules. So they have to dry , and moisturizing only will make this process longer. with that said, i still think antibiotic cream is the way to go if you’re in a full fledged breakout with weeping. I dont recommend zinc cream anymore, its too harsh , drying, and will only irritate your pores and papules. I learned this after doing it like 30 times , each time regretting it.
The process makes me nauseous to think about. Ok ill give you sordid details. I put the zinc cream on my cheeks , chin, and sometimes forehead . This makes me look ghostly white and for a while im relaxed about my appearance. Then my skin dries out- i panic and put on vaseline and excessively rub my skin to get the zinc out which feels like acid on my skin. then i panic when my skin turns red and the papules start to pop out and start weeping a clear fluid. then i use the antibiotic lotion and pray i didnt mess up my face any further. then i look for an antihistamine so i can fall asleep. i dont have any tranquilizers. i could definitely use some of that in these panicky situations. and i pretty much become a recluse for about a week, and read posts online.
well thats over , i am happy to say the zinc tube is empty. so are my vaseline cartons or thingys. i actually dont have any creams left, except eucerin which i want to return and lots of sunscreen which i dont plan on using any time soon.
of course it is still hard to resist the temptation to put something on your face. it feels dry, itchy. and it seems logical that smothering your face will make it better. my face is still begging for something, like an addiction.
So i highly recommend fish oil. and i take 3 a day at least. they also help with dry eyes, which i have (worst in my right eye). this has given much frustration with contacts in the past. I dont have blepharitis, or anything like that. no ocular rosacea. thats not to say there have been moments that my eyes have gotten deep red when i flushed , about two months ago. it made me look like i had drunk 2 pints of beer or something.
question, this seems a lot different than rosacea, because the papules or acne lesions come and go in about a week. isnt rosacea a more permanent condition?
im also eating onions and garlic. its a bit tedious to cut them and cook them
Hi, I differ from you a little, I did not start out with a rash on my face, mine was neck down. When I applied the steroid mometasone Fuorate, mid to strong strength on that rash, my face began to break out in a red swollen type rash. I did not know what it was. I then developed a mouth rash and eylid rash in addition to the face rash when I started Triamcinilone on the other rash areas and did not connect the dots with using the steroids. I switched toothpaste used chapstick etc. but it got worse and worse. Only much later did I find out it was perioral dermaitis and a side effect of steroids. I only then began to apply any steroids to my face, sparingly. I may have put on Triamcinilone a few times to my face but mostly used Hytone. So my experience with this is a bit different, my skin broke out on my face without directly applying steroid there initially. but I did get all the side effects of the steroids even so. Often my skin has had a leathery appearance and even my complexion looked golden sometimes during outbreaks. I hope that I never need to use steroids again, this has been a hard time.
Patricia, you have not mentioned lately is your skin getting better? Also, you always send hugs my way so I would like to send you some hugs too.
Jazzman, get some sleep.
Leslie
Good news. I am having great success with fish oil. the redness is clearing up. And the acne now or red dots , although a few have returned, they are must smaller and almost unnoticeable, and they heal quickly. my skin looks like it took a 180 degrees. im in shock, also a bit apprehensive if this will last. My face still feels dry. but no more itchiness or crazy scaling or red raised patches.. and the red scars that have been there for months now, are going away. even the prosacea couldnt do this .
So all i did was start supplementing with fish oil, and continue cooking large amounts of onions (with the occasional garlic, but i dont think my stomach agrees with garlic, so i skip it now) .
this is the name of the fish oil
“swanson lemon flavor omega-3 fish oil” 150 softgels with 180 EPA/120 DHA
It may not stop the steroid rosacea flares, but it will definitely help with the healing/inflammation process and make the flares a lot less severe. And best of all, the red baseball glove texture starts to lighten up.
Two softgels a day seems like all I need, great with a meal. i think its unwise to use it before going to bed, because think of it like a food (oil), it needs to digest and sleep plus digestion isnt ideal.
Jazzman,
Glad you finally found something that works. Now after your face clears up, you might want to adjust your diet if you want a girlfriend onions, garlic and fish oil does not sound like good dating food. Just kidding of course.
Patricia, went to go out to whole foods for Coconut Ghee, but my husband called me home in a panic, the basement was taking on water. By the time I got home, he had solved the problem but it was too late to go back. So I took another 2 mile walk with the kids. I will try again tomorrow. Looking forward to trying it although I am not sure if they have it. I think I might try a yoga class in the fall when my son is at school. I am really enjoying getting active again.
Leslie
Dear Leslie & Jazzman,
I am so happy for both of you, it is absolutely the best news you both have posted, fantastic.
I have good news too. My first post on this site was April 18, and that was approximately 10 days into my cessation of the Cortisone cream, where my face was in the initial and scariest flare.
Yesterday I had a job as a model and my skin was much easier to cover with makeup. Afterwards I cleaned my face, and this morning I looked fine.
My skin is 90% better. I have lots of little round scars on my forehead from all the scratching, but that, I think will disappear with time. It looks like I have a lot of big freckles.
I am aware not to drink cheap white wine, because it has made me flare in the past.
Like you, Leslie, I also walk every morning with my dog. It is so nice to feel the wind on my face and think or meditate on the way.
I know I am healing and will make a full recovery and that has taken the punch out of this disease. I also know that I could experience a setback or another flare, but even then I know I will make a full recovery.
I am so glad we have each other. Hugs and blessings.
PS: Leslie thanks for your hugs. I am so glad you have become active and taken control of your life. If Wholefoods do not carry ghee, maybe you can get it over the internet or, I would think, any Indian store. May it work for you. First I put a light application to my cleaned skin and then I wipe it with a clean cloth, so only a tiny layer stays. I use it for cooking too.
I think my yoga, and knowledge of yoga philosophy has made me not panic too much, although I was a little panicky before I read the article, “another red face”. because of my yoga, I was able to shift my focus early on in the disease. That is why I did not go through a period of trying a million different things on my face.
Working as a yoga teacher every day, made me face people every day and going to GED school has left me little time to think too much about my face.
Knowing in our hearts that we will heal from this is a huge step in recovery.
…and Jazzman, I use fish oil too. One teaspoon every morning. God bless.
Hi,
Glad everyone is doing great. Today I was a bit depressed, my hands and arms are kind of bad and I let it get to me. I scratched my arms and they are a mess again, and then they itch more. Why do I do it? I am not sure because I know it makes things worse. My hands are red and dry looking so I get a little self conscious sometimes. Every once in awhile I still get down about these daily struggles to get me skin back to where it was before this all hit. I cannot believe how absolutely dry and flaky my skin has become, what happened to my beatiful skin??
Patricia, I went in search of the Coconut Ghee. I went t Whole Foods and 3 Indian Stores. I cannot find anything specifically called Ghee, but I did see the Coconut Oil at Whole foods looked really think with fibers in it so I think that might be what it is. I did not get it today but will tomorrow. My husband is Indian and he thinks that would be what I am looking for, so it was not thin like an oil but thick and looked like there was texture to it. I want to try it on my arms right on the inside of the elbow area, that is where my arms get really bad sometimes, right at the arm bend.
Hope that you are all continuing to improve with this stuff. Really glad you are able to model again without worrying about your skin Patricia. jazzman, glad you are improving on the fish oil. Sounds like the best thing you have done as of yet. Glad you are off the zinc oxide finally.
Leslie
Dear Leslie,
I got my coconut ghee at the amish Co- op. Do not get coconut oil, because it is too greasy. Coconut butter which it sounds like you saw in the store is maybe ok, but it is messy.
There are many ways to prepare ghee, so you should look in to ayurveda, maybe over the internet. Good luck and I hope you feel better. Hugs.
youre probably going to have take a lot more than a teaspoon of fish oil to see results.
Im still getting the acne , and red dots along my chin. but they are small, and the skin is lightening up significantly. my normal skin is returning, but i dont remember what normal looked like . i mean i never looked at my skin this much before in front of the mirror.
my skin is still very sensitive. but the moisture is returning. I caved in last night and put antibiotic ointment all over my face. it was just one small red dot that i was focusing on, but i ended up schmearing it all. and to return the favor my skin has given me 3 new acne things. but they do heal rather quickly.
I hope this isnt permanent. Im starting to go out in the sun now. i hope that doesnt make it worse. only for a few minutes or so. The sun can dry out the face. Also air conditioners seem to be very drying as well. Humidity is best for the skin, but then you need to move to florida (miami) for that. Where i live the warm humid weather doesnt last too long. most of the year its cold .
Dear Jazzman,
That sounds good with a little sun. Blessings.
…..and do not overdo the fish oil!
Use alternates such as butter, olive oil, fats.
well the fish oil has helped the redness. but im still breaking out. and nothing helps that really. putting antibiotic ointment just seems to rupture more papules. I have a bad feeling this is never going to end, flare up after flare up of papules.
LESLie , i can identify with the dry itchy skin. No matter what you do, i can slather on whatever, it is still dry/flakey. The only thing that seems to help is extremely humid weather. now its getting cool again, so my skin is getting very dry.
also im starting to notice something subtle. like right before i break out in papules, my ears get red, my skin feels extra dry, and i feel hot. So there is this still periodic or something or other..
Also my youngest sister , 16, now is dealing with a acne- the type that doesnt go away (cystic i think). I’m wondering if this is linked to her doctor prescribing prednisone for poison ivy last summer. She has had chin acne for about a year now, it just doesnt seem to go away. Another sister had bad acne along her chin, for also about 2 years, she is 25 now. This is linked i believe to her asthma inhaler (another steroid), which she discontinued , only for emergencies. so im starting to see in my family a sensitivity to steroids (not just me).
my youngest sister tans a lot, to cover the redness of the acne. i think this is bad because tanning dries out the skin.
also fish oil is not good if you overdo it. im getting lethargic and headaches. so ill keep it to one a day with a meal.
doctors should NOT be prescribing steroids unless for emergency,. unfortunately asthmatics have few options, but fish oil is supposed to be good for asthma , because of its anti-inflammatory value, and allergies.
Dear Jazzman,
I fully agree with you! And there is not much information or knowledge when it comes to side effects.
Not enough, or sometimes no information on creams itself.
I think the dry skin and breakouts are going to slowly, slowly subside. My skin is much less dry and I haven’t had a bad breakout since I have been careful with what I eat and drink. I make sure I moisturize in the form of food and topically with the coconut ghee.
My thing is: I only put on skin something I can eat too.
If I had had more strength and anger, I would have sued.
Blessings.
Jazzman,
there are signs with me as to a breakout too. My face starts to feel different but it is an internal feeling. If anything touches it, it is sensitive and feels itchy. Then it is a subtle warm feeling too. then little by little I notice the breakout. I have one now, it is less noticible then it used to be but still in the same spots over and over. red and blotchy around my mouth, corners of my mouth, folds near my nose mostly and around my chin to some degree. Also, my eyes are affected, eye lids usually but this time under my left eye a bit. I do not get papules, not sure what those are, I just get reddish dry yucky blotchy skin. Re: dry eyes, I developed severely dry eyes last winter, never had that before. It was terrible. I went to the ophthalmologist to make sure my eyes were ok, part of my cornea even came off. He said they were ok but dry, and gave me drops that made my eyes burn. I have noticed over time, this is much better so if either of you have this it should improve over time. That seems to be something a lot of people notice with this condition. If you use a drop try Similison, it is homeopathic and really seems to help me. Yes I wonder too sometimes if it will ever go away. Generally my skin is less tolerant. I scratched my back yesterday and then today noticed an eczema type rash. Very frustrating. My lower inside forearms and top of hands are dry as a bone. Not sure how to fix that. For some reason my scalp is dry too, my kids told me I am dusty. Yuck.. And my left ear lobe and behind my left ear is also dry and flaky, cannot seem to get that back to normal either. I seem to be made of dead skin now. I have cut my showers in half, I think the very hot water I like might be breaking down the skin on my back right now. It is imperative that my skin barrier repair over the summer because winter will be really hard on me otherwise. I live in Michigan. Enough said about the weather. My sweating is much better though, that must be steroid related because it seems to be diminshing even though the weather is hotter, it was worse in the winter. I also do not seem to be getting night sweats anymore, I was getting those in conjunction with the general sweating before. I had my hormones and thyroid tested and they were ok. Re: flushing, not sure what that is, but last summer, I was noticing that some days if I went in the sun, later my whole face would turn almost purple, now I am wondering if that was flushing. Horrible. That does not happen anymore thank god..I think that must have been what you describe as flushing. I would turn a uniform beet red.
Patricia, what steroid did your Dr. prescribe? Were you just putting it on your face for 3 years or other areas? I am just curious which one. How often did you put it on?
Leslie
One more thing, my little boy 4 1/2 has asthma. The allergist told me he needed to go on pulmacort which is an inhaled steroid for the entire spring and summer. I was petrified. I could not seem to start the medication. I was so worried he would get this condition. I finally asked the pediatician and she told me not to give it to him unless he really got symptoms. So far thank god, he has been ok with the occasional breathing treatment. If he need the medication, I will have to use it but I really hope he will not.
Leslie
Dear Leslie,
I understand your worry. Ad I think you are in a flare at the moment. 6 – 8 flares is what most of the 100 patients experienced. It sound like you are slowly healing, getting less hot and having less severe flares.
The steroid cream I was prescribed is called: Clotrimazole and Betamethasone Dipropionate Cream. And it is 1%0.05%(base)
I still have the tube………….! I put it on once to twice a day around my mouth, chin, forhead, and later also to my neck, chest, and arm.
This cream made my life so different by making my hormones so out og balance and making me so hot and aggressive…………….
I am glad I am off the cream, and sometime in the future I will have healed from this cortisone cream attack. I have learned not to completely trust doctors anymore.
Hugs and blessings
….And my eyes were also really dry for a long time.
Well my face really popped out today, I have to admit I am pretty depressed and in a bad mood. Just got mad at my husband and not too patient with the kids today.
I feel again like a semi monster. I know in a few days I will look better but right now I feel pretty yucky. I went and got the Cerave light lotion at the store. I know that I need a moisturizer and I am going to try this again. I am not sure what will happen. I am getting pretty sick and tired of these flares.
Patricia, I have had way more then 6 or 8, I seem to have flares about every 10 days. My skin recovers from one and I have some time off, then another one starts. They range in severity but there is healed skin within the redness, which is weird. The skin seems to flare in relatively the same spots over and over again. I hope that I have not developed a chronic case of perioral dermatitis now.
I may have to try the antibiotics if I do not see more improvement soon. I really do not want to do that though.
Hope everyone is doing well.
Leslie
All:
I then went to ocean for a week and it burned my skin a little but I think just the salt burns everyone. I am satisfied with how my skin did. I strongly recommend you all to swim for a couple days straight and stick out the itch it is worth it.
Hello Leslie Ali Patricia Jazzman I have missed you all. I read most of your posts from the last 2 weeks and I think I am kinda caught up.. Florida was wonderful. Hubby 3 boys and I went to Disney, Universal, and Daytona beach. I swam in the pool (1st time in 6 yrs) It really really really burned bad and itched like crazy at first, I almost gave up but stuck it out. Then day 2 it itched less day 3 was almost better. I have not broke out, itched, flushed at all since the week in the pool sun and fresh air. Oh and my skin feels less dry, i do not have to vaseline 2xs a day now not even everyday.. I am impressed maybe you all should swim and relax for a week
Leslie,
Asthma can be outgrown try not to worry. My son Carson at 2 was told he had asthma and they wanted me to give him inhaler treatments but I did not. He is 5 and doing fine. His father had asthma and outgrew it. I am sorry you are not doing well I will pray you do better. Also I had perioral for 5-6 yrs and it flared all the time I always could see redness under the skin. I never felt pretty, I never left except to get my son from school. (Thank goodness I work from home but it got lonely, and boring) I took tetracycline for 2 mos, 120 pills, twice daily. Slowly I saw improvement from that the steroid induced rosacea and my acne. I think you and Jazzman need tetracycline. Meds scare me after the steroids but it is really quite different. Antibiotics are pretty natural, way more so than steriods. They are a fungi that kills and eliminates bad bacteria in your body that causes acne perioral and somehow it heals rosacea well. It is also an anti inflamitory and makes your skin naturally look great while on it.
I hope you all find relief soon. Much love and prayers.
Chrissy
yeah im open to the idea of tetracycline. can i bum it off somebody? if it helps with the red bumps it would be a godsend…. @ leslie, maybe papules is the wrong word. They are red bumps , kind of like small inflamed acne but without whiteheads (and itchy). Some of the bumps are small red and elevated, and it comes and goes. Right now im having another breakout. -sigh- At least the breakouts are becoming less in number than a few months ago, and they pop up in arbitrary places (now my nose for some reason, use to be only cheeks).
, i read that fish oil prevents sunburn etc).
Whats the dosage for tetracycline?
i was out in the sun today , no sun burn or anything (the fish oil is definitely to explain for that
Chrissy, did you enjoy the humid weather in florida (it like 80 degrees or more)? i think thats the best for dry skin. Its like the environment moisturizes the skin. For those who are flushing when it gets too hot, you should try to relax psychologically, and try to become one with your environment (like a reptile does). anxiety obviously makes things worse. try to visualize something positive
Also as far as asthma, try teaspoons of fish oil for your kids.
hey i just had a thought, maybe the flare is related to putting hand cream on my hands, maybe my body is reacting to that but on my face. some pretty cheap , very fragrant hand cream.
so tetracycline is the way to go. the only antibiotic i have is garlic, but its tedious to cook and there is the stomach issues i have with that. also im starting to get a reaction to this fish oil, my stomach bloats. I have to eat it with a meal .
right now im sneezing and i have allergies, also itchy eyes (especially right eye). but the worst is the itchy red bumps.
Dear all,
Great to hear back from you, Chrissy, and that your trip went so well.
Sitting yesterday with my old steroid cream in my hand, I realized that it was the biggest tube of cream i owned and if it should only be put on for 2 weeks max, it would have lasted me 3 month, if I put it all over my body. I was so dependent on the cream that I already had a prescription for 3 more of the same size creams, even though one tube of cream would last for more than 6 month. I guess the doctors and medical companies does not care how much cream people use, as long as everybody makes money.
Leslie, keep walking with your children, and feel better.
Maybe antibiotics will help you, since it seems that your situation is more severe than mine.
Hugs and blessings.
Jazzman,
The humid air has helped my dry skin.
Hi Everyone,
I am glad to hear your trip went well Chrissy. You deserve it after what you have been through. Hope that your skin continues to stay stable, it most likely will if you were able to get thru the trip without a significant problem. I am still a bit scared to do tetracycline. I had some rashes emerge the last time I did antibiotics so I am wary of them right now. If it continues I may have no choice but I want this to go away, not just come back after the meds are stopped.
Patricia, re: your steroid cream, it was definitely very irresponsible of your Doctor to prescribe that for you and to keep filling the prescription. It does not make sense that these Doctors seem to think it is just fine to be on steroids the rest of your life if you develop a rash. Like I have said before, sometimes steroids really can help. I had a really bad rash once that I used them on my whole body for a while and the rash cleared up and did not come back. That being said, the Dr. put me on milder steroids and I did not put them on my face at all during that rash. I cannot believe your Dr. even suggested that you put that one on your face at all. Every dermatologist that I have ever gone to barely looks at me before throwing steroid samples in my direction. It is as if they have been brainwashed. They do not even try to find out any details about your condition before suggesting these medicines. And who would ever suggest putting a strong one on your face. You could sue for that since you are a model and your face is one of your biggest assets. At least the dermatologists that I went to did not suggest strong usage on the face, although they did say it was ok to put the strong ones on there. I really did not do it because I was too scared but the weaker steroids did not do me any favors either.
I was reading up on Perioral dermatitis and it is suggested that flouride can set it off as well as steroids. I changed toothpastes around the same time I changed to Triamcinilone based on a list from the dermatologist. I was suddenly using Listerine toothpaste and triamcinilone and that is when I got this awful mouth./face/eye rash that continues to this day. Long ago I switched from that toothpaste to a mild salt based one with no chemicals. Now I am wondering if I might still be reacting to flouride in the shower water. I notice that after my shower I usually feel pretty bad. Usually my face rash is worse too. I am going to wash my irritaed skin with some bottled water for a few days and see it if helps. That cannot hurt, my husband went to the store to get a filter for the shower, maybe that will help me. I really hope so. Long ago, my father was in the army during World War II. He now has dementia so I cannot ask him what he reacted to, but there was something in the water that they treated it with that he developed a terrible rash from. His rash was so bad that he was hospitalized for a long time and taken out of active duty. Now I am wondering if I might have inherited some sensitivity from him. It is just a theory. There is something that is causing this. I need to find out what so I can get my life back. Likely it will be a simple solution and I will look back and wonder why it took 2 years to find it.
Talk soon…
Leslie
Thanks all I did have alot of fun and feel like I deserve it after my 6 yr struggles. I know what you all mean with drs giving us this I have 2 whole grocery bags full of steroids. I took 6-10 steroid packets orally the ones that reduce in count everyday. I got 2 steroid shots. This cannot be good in my long term health. Even after I found out what I had, went to hosp and said “I have steroid induced rosacea give me tetracycline & absolutely NO STEROIDS!!” Guess what the dr gave me, steroids! He refused antibiotics. I finally got a dr to give me antibiotic took it for 2 mos and it worked wonders. Leslie I felt funny on it, kinda itchy all over but I stuck it out bc all I read on it. I am glad I did. The weird feeling faded. I read perioral is an infection around the mouth and antibiotics work wonders on infections. I hate hate hate meds but I picked my battle & glad I took it. Jazzman do you have insurance to see a dr the antibiotic cleared my acne in a wk it took a month for perioral and 6-8 wks for rosacea. I know perioral can return but I will surely take tetracycline again if it does bc that rash sucks! I think we all need to get together and sue the steroid maker, that drug itself is dumb! I wonder if it even ever helped anyone. Well talk to you all soon. xoxo
Chrissy
ps I started tetracycline in Feb. Took it 2 mos. Feb & March. April May and June I still am recovering lightly. I see no trace of rash anymore but my skin is sooooo dry. I did not realize humid weather helps that, I felt great in Florida. Barely even used vaseline and I am trying to stop using that now. All I need now is to be dependent on vaseline!
Dear Chrissy,
I think steroids does help some people if they can get the rash resolved in a short period.
As for the rest of us, I am sure some people doesn’t even know that they are reacting to their steroids. I am talking about all the menopause-like symptoms I got while on it. Who would have thought that possible.
Somebody should sue the makers of steroid cream, but it is very difficult and time consuming. Also, you need a certain amount of anger to win. Right now, I do not have the energy or the time, and even though I am angry over our situation, I need to focus on healing right now.
Dear Leslie,
It sounds that sensitive skin runs in your family, with your farther being hospitalized. But I remembered your skin being tested and that you were only reacting to nickel. Does such a test include tap water?
I am also not too keen on antibiotics myself, because I had a reaction when I took it, and thats what started the whole steroid hell.
Try to look into an alternative approach, Like Ayurveda. I am sure you will find new ways to treat yourself. The ghee has really worked wonders for me. I know that, just because it works for me, it is not a guaranty that it will work for someone else, but I think it is worth a try.
Keep your head up and continue all the right things such as your walks with your children and act on your desires to begin a yoga practice.
Seize the moment, life is short.
Healing wishes to everyone, hugs and love. Patricia.
Chrissy, did your perioral come and go like mine does? I start to notice my mouth will get some slighty swollen areas, the corners are always dry looking. Then little by ltille the rashw ill go all over my central face, sides of my nose on the cheeks, and a little on my forehead, this time my eyes and chin. It is red and blothchy with normal skin spots within it. It also does affect my upper lip too. not my nose though. It does not seem to be papuals, mostly swollen reddish skin that has a leathery appearance, very dry. Then it will start to go down. Today the color has faded to a brownish with dry peeling skin. In two days I will look almost normal till the next time. Is that how yours was? This is a most bizarre rash. I am not sure now what it is, I had hoped it was induced by steroids but why is it not showing more improvement? Do you think I have regular Rosacea? or maybe just regular Perioral Dermatitis, not steroid induced? I am not sure. I do not think it is Seborrheic Dermatitis, but could that be? I am doubthing myself now.
It is similar to what was written in the article so that is what I assumed I had but now I am not sure. The only good thing is that each time it comes it seems to affect less skin but it still looks absolutely horrible. probably because a lot of my skin has lightened again, the contrast of the red is even worse. This last one thru me over the edge. I was pretty depressed for 2 days and did not want to leave the house. It might have been worse because I had switched to Cerave Crema again, that most likely was a mistake.. Back to Curel.
Leslie
Patricia,
I also told you of my hot flashes and night sweats. I have some good news. I convinced myself it was my conforter but I have used it recently and no sweating at all. This proves the steroids were involved. It was so bizarre, I am not a big sweater and suddenly I was producing buckets of sweat and getting heat rash, even in the middle of winter as well as night sweats. I knew something was wrong. I hope that it continuse but I really feel a lot better. I still do some sweating, that is normal espacially this time of year. So I can concur with you, this stuff affects our hormones, and I was not even on such high doeses as you were.
Leslie
update. i had a huge breakout of red infected looking bumps and lots of flaking skin. its like a whole layer of skin wants to exfoliate or something and i use the back of my hands and sort of rub it because its so itchy. this only makes things worse though.
my skin looks white-ish around the flaky spots , alongside the red bumps.
is this normal? for the skin to want to flake off in big layers? like as a part of the healing. and its not just my cheeks, i have dry flaky skin all over my face in patches, it also feels a bit sticky (and looks a bit yellowish farther away from my cheeks). the flakes look like small white little thingy’s. im going to ake a fish oil to counteract the dryness. also im taking antihistamines for the itching, well i found a cold flu liquid which has benadryl in it, along with tylenol and phenylephrine. im also sneezing a lot and sinus headache, so i guess it cant be bad .
so basically whenever i rub my skin with my finger, i get white looking skin rubs off . perhaps my skin is shedding at an accelerated rate. what gives?
more info…. the skin started shedding and getting dry-ish a few hours after taking a large dose of garlic. so im thinking, garlic being an antibiotic theres some connection. This sounds like your experience with tetracycline. have you guys ever tried Z pack, its also an antibiotic.
I have some old antibiotics in the house, cephalaxin. Probably not a good idea to use it. i guess ill stick to garlic, aside from the stomach upset aint too bad. Maybe ill try it with honey. or i can look into garlic pills. garlic is a lot more powerful than onions, it packs a punch.
unfortunately the downside to this dry skin is that it makes my red bumps look redder, and i think my hand rubbing is doing more harm as well.
i couldnt stop itching my skin so i grabbed some honey and put it on my face. it actually helped this time. it does leave a sticky mess, but it stopped the itchy. and its a lot easier to get off than zinc cream which has only exacerbated my skin in the past.
i didnt use any fancy organic honey. just stuff that comes from the store i think. still a bit itchy, and my skin feels hot and dry.
i’ve regressed pretty bad. my face is purple now, angry red bumps prominent. this is insane. there is no “healing”. its just an illusion until you get your next breakout. well i guess im going to have to adapt.
this is really sad. 20 red bumps just came out of nowhere. im pissed off . then i have to wait for it to heal, which can take up to a week.
Jazzman, if you must eat so much garlic, why don’t you try roasting it. I make it all the time for my husband and myself. Take a head of garlic, put it in some tin foil, put a little olive oil and salt on it and put it in the oven for about 45 minutes. When it comes out, it should be nice and soft and you can spread it on something. It tastes pretty good.
Sorry about your face, mine is a mess too. I have had a bad few days. I feel pretty rotton right now. I have not been taking good care of myself, not eating right, drinking too much wine etc. It is as if I have lost hope all of a sudden and all my good habits have gone down the drain. I actually feel almost self destructive all of a sudden. I am drinking wine every night and also have not even eaten much in 2 days. I have no appetite at all.
I really hope I start to see some real progress soon. Yes my face actually heals pretty well inbetween the flares. It sometimes almost looks normal and I get excited that I might actually beat this thing. All the skin peels off and my skin looks pretty good. Then it all starts again.
I am not going to use cerave again. I think that is what caused my latest outbreak to be so bad. I was trying it because I thought maybe I was not really allergic to it, and that maybe before when I seemed to react to it, it was just the other issues at work. Well, I used it for about a week and my skin seemed fine, then I developed what seems like a few hives, I was not sure and they did not itch. Then my face exploded again all of a sudden. Mine will come on fast. So then I am again beet red with blotches and dry scaly leathery skin. I went to a fourth of july party tonight but did not even want to go. The only reason I went was for my kids because they wanted to go.
I fooled with my face the whole way there applying makeup, wiping it off etc. I am surprised it did not get much worse then it did. I must have washed my face 10 times today. Makeup actually makes my face look worse because it catches on all the dry scaly areas and highlights them.
I really cannot even say I am pretty or attractive anymore and I feel like this might be permanantly ruining my skin. Sorry to be so negative today. This is just how I am feeling.
Leslie
I need to repeat this, although I know I have told all of you. I used to have beautiful flawless skin. Although I am very light and fair complected and even at my age in my early 40′s I had no wrinkles and looked still in my 20′s. I have red hair and brown eyes, so I do not even get freckles too often, so my skin was one of my best assets. Suddenly I am a total skin disaster. I know that I need to focus less on appearance, it might be shallow of me to do so, but it really does affect my self esteem. When I go out somewhere, I wear my sun hat even inside right now so people will not see me at all, and I rarely look anyone in the eye. I do not know how many more times I want to got thru theses flares. I discussed with my Mom today, and she and I agree if I go to a dermatologist I am likely to get steroids again. They do not want to be questioned or have their authority as Drs. questionneed so I am in a bind. I might try the tetracycline if I was sure if I went to someone they would be in agreement that I needed it but I feel like it will fall on deaf ears.
I think dermatologists seem to all be the same, they went to the same schools and think the same way. Chrissy you were lucky to find someone to help you. I may contact the office of Dr. Rappoport that wrote the article and see if they could recommend a dermatologist in my area to see. Otherwise I have no other options. All I know is that I never h ad one rash on my face in my life except mile acne in highschool and now I cannot get rid of all the rashes on my face. So that is wierd. and the only thing I can say I did different in my life was the steroids. here are the ones I took: Hytone, Triamcinilone, Cloderm, Mometasone Fuorate, and a few times of Topicort. I never took them in excess. I also got a steroid shot once.
Sorry just needed to vent.
Leslie
Oh I forgot I also took Desonide too. So I guess, even though I did not abuse steroids, I did use a lot of different ones.
Oh well, I wish I never did.
Leslie
Dear Leslie,
Wine can bring on, or worsen a flare. That’s what happened to me. Wine is also a depressant, so it can make you feel bad and self destructive.
Instead of focussing on what you do not have at this moment, try to focus on what you have.
I think you will get your skin back, but you will also get wrinkles because that is a natural part of aging. We can not hold on to our youth, but we must focus on the important things in life.
We know this healing can take more than a year to heal, so we must have patience, and soldier on.
Dear Jazzman,
Yes, my skin wants to flake all over too. I will take a hot bath and then exfoliate with Himalayan sea salt. Then moisturize with ghee.
Healing wishes for all.
Patricia, I really admire your ability to stay on course. It is not easy. I think I am breaking down lately due to the fact that I have been dealing with this for 2 years straight now. Little by little I have seen some improvement but at a snails pace. I hope you and Jazzman heal up a lot faster then me. I think Chrissy seems out of the woods. I am sorry that I was negative yesterday, you guys do not need that , you need encouragement if anything.
This has taken a toll on my marriage and my life in general and my fun with my kids so it really does make me upset sometimes. I am not always like that, but when the depression about it hits, I need to feel it and then it usually subsides.
Wine no longer causes my flares but it used to at the beginning of my skin issues. I used to notice that so I actually stopped it for quite a few months. Now I can drink it ok. It seems like this flare was worsened by my using Cerave. It is a cream that they sell at the store, recommended by dermatologists for skin problems. Apparently everyone can use it it is so gentle, even babies. Well, not me. I used to use it and my skin always seemed bad but I was not sure if it iwas the cream or just something internal. Now I know the cream must make it worse. I am mad ata myself for using anything different on my face. Although I was not healed before, I was improving it seemed, now I have had a major setback and feel really bad about it.
Today I do not have anything on my face. Even though it looks terrible, I will try to keep it free of products at all for a few days.
I cannot find Coconut Ghee anyhwere except the internet. I have not ordered it.
Thanks,
Leslie
Everything i’ve tried has thus far boomeranged. My latest strategy of fish oil pills, has some serious side effects including dizziness and spaciness (feeling disconnected). Just an hour ago I had a scary hiccup attack , and i started googling side effects of fish oil. it might even interfere with the healing process of the skin, who knows.
I’m done with silver bullet remedies. Im just gonna stop worrying about it. Hoping it will change and then having your hopes dashed with another breakout is like riding an emotional rollercoaster.
Has anyone tried drinking lots of olive oil (extra virgin)? I mix it with my V8 vegetable juice. i believe there are no weird side effects, like blood thinning or spaciness. And maybe i should pursue onions more aggressively. garlic is a bit harsh, but i can eat a lot more onions. It does produce some offensive body odor, oh well.
i also put two huge trays of water to make my room nice and humid. I am going to try a different route. i have the air conditioner running so my room is already dry. I might go and buy a humidifier. instead of applying a cream and watching my face breakout, maybe sitting in a nice humid room is skin therapeutic?
Jazzman,
You need to get off of the idea that more is better. Take recommended dosage of fish oil but do not exceed it. If you take anything in excess, it will likely hurt you.
The warmer weather is good for my skin so I try to get outside a bit each day. Wear a sun hat if the sun bothers you or a baseball hat since you are a guy.
Re: water in your room, that cannot hurt you and a humidifier might help but it sounds like you are low on money so maybe buying one is not a good idea, save up instead to see a dermatologist.
Re: my face, as usual it is getting better like it always does. when it is bad though it is really bad. I stayed in for a few days. Now it is on the mend and I no longer look like a mess but I think it will hit again soon so I need to make the best of my “time off”.
The wierdest part of this for me is how can my skin look so bad one day and then look so much better the next day. The article explains about how the skin trys to normalize between reactions and that is what my skin does. I am still debating about if I have the steroid problem but I can think of no other condition taht would cause this type of outbreak/healing etc…In the past, my outbreaks would not really heal, I had a chronic dry itchy yucky face. Now they heal for the most part in between but another wierd thing is the mouth rash. Each time I get an outbreak, the corners of my mouth heal up a bit more, they are not totally gone but seem to be diminishing. It is if they are linked somehow to the outbreaks. Very strange indeed.
Let us know how you are doing.
Leslie
for some reason, I came across as jazzman, I might of typed it accidentally in tye name area. Sorry, Leslie
Leslie,
You can vent and be in a bad mood lol we understand. Yes my perioral was mostly what you descibed. Red blotchy, leathery, swollen, would come and go. I noticed lotions, toothpaste on my skin not in my mouth, spicy food, makeup ( all except bare minerals), facewash, coffee, the sun, humid weather, chlorine, tons of thing irritated it. I tried everything to tame it. I tried 2 whole grocery bags of meds, none worked. I read on every site that tetracycline worked so I went to like 5 drs to get it. Finally I got it, then got pregnant had to wait a yr and then go get it again haha.. but I finally got that med and tried it. I did not see results at first, I took it for 6 wks before I saw results, and 8 wks total. Finally my rash was fading. For years I had a bright red ghoti rash. I would not leave my house I was depressed. I think you have perioral. It spread to my eyes and cheeks too. The dr said it did that bc of the length of time I had it it spread. The dr said perioral is a bacterial infection in my pores that can only be treated with long term use of anti biotics. I had perioral for 6 yrs total tried everything, and only antibiotic resolved my problem. I used to have flawless skin, and bc of antibiotics I am getting back there. Perioral and steroid use gave me rosacea, and acne. All of the above was treated with tetracycline. The sooner you guys start treatment the sooner you will be back to your old selves. I never take meds, or even a tylenol really. However, this medicine really helped my problem when nothing else worked so I took it. For two months. If I see a single sign of perioral again bc it can come back, I will surely take antibiotic again asap.
Much love to you all Chrissy
Jazzman, My skin flaked sooooo bad for months after I stopped steroids. It fades over the months. Just our bodies way of getting back to normal I guess.
I am in the middle of a flare too, maybe because of stress and wine drinking over the weekend. The flares are getting less severe though.
Chrissy, I still want to see if I have improvement not taking antibiotics. I have heard that tetracycline has some side effects and I do worry about that, but I will try to find a dermatologist that might prescribe them if I do need them. I really want to be my old self again. And, my skin also flakes and peels like crazy. right now it is my arms, my abdomen, my face and my ears. It is pretty bad when your kids tell you you are dusty…
Patricia, I have been getting regular flares for some time now. I do not have as much itching anymore, actually even though my face looks terrible during one, it does not bother me anymore really except the appearance. when the flares used to go on my neck and chest, I used to have the severe burning sensation but not anymore. I typed steroid induced rosacea a few days ago on images and asked my husband and he thinks that is what I have. there are some images of severe rosacea and I look like that when my skin is flaring. Not as much pimples and papules but thick reddend skin that feels like a leather topped with sandpaper, mostly in the central face area. Then it all peels. Right now, I look about 90 percent better then 2 days ago. Very wierd. Does your skin also peel off after a few days and then look almost normal? O can also usually feel my skin about to release another later. Very strange but suddenly my face will tighten and then I will look and see a bunch of flakes. That is usually when I exfoliate. My flares always begin around my mouth which is steroid induced perioral dermatits, but it spreads to my face, this apparently is a form of rosacea.
Another strange thing is I must have washed my face 20 times in the past few days, and my skin seemed to tolerate this fine. In fact I do not think I did any damage to my face at all. So the only bright spot is that maybe my skin is getting a little more resiliant than it used to be. In the past, washing my face used to really irritate it. I need to use the warm weather to my advantage and try to build my skin up again.
For some reason also, I could not seem to drink wine for awhile but now it does not seem to bother me. I still get the flares, but do not think wine is a cause of it. although, you might want to try some wine with no sulfites, organic maybe. I drank only that for about a year because I was too scared but now I am back to regular.
I hope you are fine, you too Jazzman.
Leslie
Leslie, now im getting that weird leather red skin. I was itching my skin because it got itchy, which only left the leather patches, but i stopped itchying because i dont think thats ready to heal. I kind of rub it with my fingers, and whatever peels loose , my crude exfoliation method. Yes this is the second time around i got these weird leather red patches. this time im not going to bother it with zinc or other things.
Im also having a severe bout of dandruff. Near my forehead, right where the hair starts it is red crusty, blood and sebum mixed i suppose. When i pick at it, it oozes something yellow or something, clear fluid. It isnt painful or anything, which is nice. It looks a lot worse than it feels, looks like a bloody mess. feels fine. Just on my scalp , the worst is where the hairline starts, and some parts near my ears , i can literally pick at it (sorry if this is disgusting). haha, maybe i should find those vitamin A pills .
Never had such a bad case of dandruff. And this is after using the shampoos. Could be the fish oil messed up the balance . im taking zinc so hopefully i see a result with that.
yes , very strange skin. right now my left cheek only has this weird leathery red part. i guess i might have used more steroid cream on my left side, or it is more sensitive. my right side looks ok , but there is some red post bumps or acne stuff all over the place. there are red patches or small scars all along my trimmed beard, near my jaw. I dont have any perioral , well unless you count the chin a few red spots, and i have a canker sore that isnt quite healing. im a mess. but no periorial acne or anything. i think women are more sensitive to periorial acne, both my sisters have serious acne near the chin. periorial is around the lips?
my problems seems to be around the nose, the cheeks, that kind of stuff, it looks like im weeping red blood or something. its raised and red leathery.
Dear Leslie and Jazzman.
Yes, I have had the same symptoms as you describe. My hairline have lots of flaking and oozing too. And I have been dusty also. I do not think there is much to do about it, only exfoliating. When I have exfoliated all the dry skin of with the sea salt, my face feels so much better, like a layer of better skin has been laid bare. Putting on my ghee makes it soft and now my face is not as dry anymore. I still have scars from all the flares and from me picking at the bumps, but I think that will slowly fade when this one day is over.
I was able to model even though I had a flare and that is a big step in the right direction.
Jazzman, do not take vitamin A. Stay calm and let the flare run it’s course. The skin likes nothing when it is flaring.
Healing wishes.
are you a famous model?
Jazzman and Patricia,
I took a look at the website again that origianlly posted the articles on steroid withdrawl. The owner of the website claims that soothing face with plain yogurt helps. I tried ti today with some greek yogurt which is a little heavier then regular. My face handled it ok. Just wanted to pass it along. I probably has some good anti bacterial properties.
leslie
Dear Leslie,
Yes, and it can’t hurt your skin because you can eat it too. The skin, after all, is the biggest organ in, or rather on, our body.
Hugs.
And Jazzman,
No, I am not famous. I have been modeling clothing in mail order catalogs since 1988, but now I only model once in a while, maybe once a month. The rest of the time I am teaching yoga. I have also been going to school and I just took the GED exam last weekend. I hope I will pass so I can go to massage school in the evening program, starting this Fall. I like to be busy and I like to make money, it keeps me going and I do not get too much time to feel bad about my messed up skin.
LESLIE:
Seriously. I never used shampoos for dandruff bc they irritated my skin.
It is good the itching and burning is getting better. I 100% believe u have steroid induced rosacea. You have every symptom as I had. I had body rashes too but only when I got shots, or took steroid packs. I never put creams on my body. Yogurt is good for yeast bc it has bacteria in it that is good for your immune system, and evens out the yeast in your body. I know you will heal but anti biotics will make it faster. However, it has its side effects. I felt a little tense like on it but healing my skin was worth that side effect. You are getting through the worst part of the withdraws so hopefully you can tough it out and not have to take antibiotics.
PATRICIA:
Geezle sucks you cannot have wine. I couldnt have spicy food, alcohol, or coffee. I thought Id never be able to again. I would flare instantly with hot sauce in my mouth. Now I layer it on my pizza! It will pass I promise. You will get better.
JAZZMAN:
I had the worst dandruff just weeks ago. Flaking so bad it was snowing haha. Itch, flakes on my clothes, sores. It was horrible. I have not seen a sign of it since vacation swimming. Spend a few days in the pool
All:
I felt great today I used to have to take mass showers a day, itch and peel off my skin. All the makeup in the world couldnt help me feel great. Now I wake up, without even washing my face and feel great! I promise you all it will get better! I know you will not trust me until your symptoms are gone. I will pray for you all. XOXO
PS Everyone, do me a favor pamper yourself today and do not worry about your skin today at all. Jazzman that means no experiments!! You will heal faster if you are happy, don’t miss out on your lives like I did. Get out of the house & have fun!!
Chrissy
Dear Chrissy,
Thank you so much for your post. You make us all feel better. Hugs to you.
Chrissy,
Thanks again for address each of our concerns. I suspect it is steroid induced rosacea for me but since noone has actually diagnosed it, I sometimes doubt myself. I know if I go to my dermatologist he will give me steroids again. In fact he is the one that said to put Topicort on my face. I only did that once, but I did look up Topicort and it is a very strong steroid. Why he would tell me to put that on my face is beyond me. So then I was thinking about having used all of those strong ones on my neck and realized our neck is also a very sensitive area so I do not think that I should have put them on my neck so much like I did, this is why my neck is still not quite normal. I leave it alone now, but it is still very dry and not as elastic as it used to be. I am hoping it will improve, it still does not feel like my normal skin and is very dehydrated. I also had developed a rash on my groin for some time, out of the blue during all of this. I never had a rash there in my life and suddenly I had this huge area that was at the top of my legs near where your underwear hits, about a 3 inch band of red itchy skin. One of my dermatologists said maybe I developed an allergic reaction to elastic. I wonder why none of the dermatologists connected dots. Apparently perioral dermatitis can spread to the groin area. Well suddently I have a rash on my mouth, around my eyes, on my face and my groin and perioral dermatitis is usually caused by steroids and I showed my dermatologist all of it. What did they do? gave me steroids for it. So then I was applying the steroids to my groin too, having never had a rash there in my life. I thought I was going crazy. I had to do my own research and figure out my own solution, like us all. I do not understand it. They should have told me what I had and treated me for it, instead of this hell. Now the groin rash has healed for the most part quite some time ago after quitting everythin on it, and only gets sensitive if I get hot, thank god but the skin is still not totally normal either.
I really now doubt all dermatologists.
Leslie
I doubt all dermatoligists too. You know I had to go to 5 to ten drs plus all my prenatal drs I saw weekly, when I finally figured out it was steroids making me sick. Drs told me for years I was allergic to mildew. I had the groin rash, and body rashes the works.. I sat in a tub the day I got the groin rash I was so convinced by these drs that I had a mold mildew allergy I barely cleaned or sat in a tub, couldn’t take a bath for the life of me. I was allergic to dust dirt mildew lotions I mean everything. It was not until Jan 2010 that the lightbulb went off, I am allergic to cold weather this cannot be right! I broke out in hives from sledriding with my son. I knew something was wrong. Noone is this sensitive, I do not want to be bubble girl my gosh.. So I knew it was my meds. I quit them cold turkey. The antibiotics seemed to heal me a bit faster and killed my acne within days. I thought my skin that used to be so beautiful would never be back. I had scars all over so deep from acne and the rash. It had gotten better. My skin wasnt elastic as you say was rubbery flaky red pores deep. IT ALL GETS BETTER!! The body rashes too. The steroid even if put on your face is in your system everywhere. Hang tight everybody
and remember have FUN TODAY!! Much love Chrissy
My dear Chrissy and Leslie.
I think there is money in doctors promoting and prescribing steroids. They may get kick backs by the makers of steroid creams. And because the steroids, initially, seem to work, we blindly believe in what the doctors diagnose and prescribe we are subjects to this expensive and painful situation. They make money while it takes years for us to discover the culprit of all sorts of side effects. The amount of money the makers of cortisone creams in mega sizes tubes, are making, is likely staggering and just shows how wrong it has gotten with greed.
No such doctor cares that many innocent people will have to suffer incredible damage to their skin and their self esteem for a long time.
Why doesn’t it say on those mega size tubes, that it is a cortisone cream??????
The skin on the face and neck are the most effective skin to absorb the hormones in the cream and therefore not recommended for the face, but everywhere I have looked it was treated with steroids.
When Jazzman posted the pictures of some other skin disease it looked like steroid induced rosacea, to me.
I first thought I had peri-menopause because I was so hot and started researching those web pages. I bet a lot of people who suffers from hot flashes in her early forties, should see if cortisone may be the culprit.
Thank God we have each other! And with each others strength, we will heal from this together. Healing energy to all of us.XOXO
Chrissy, I was just reading your post again and telling my husband about it. I also thought I was allergic to EVERYTHING!!! After my Dr. suggested I had developed an allergy to elastic I actually considered getting special underwear from the internet that was really expensive. I also had the same problem with sledding. I took the kids one nice sunny day, that night my face turned absolutely purple and blotchy and my eyes were totally swollen. I was so discouraged because we had had a nice day and then that!!! you and I have had so many of the same things. I wondered how did I go from having no allergies except the mystery one that caused my original rash (sunscreen?) , to being allergic to everything. Then, when I had allergy testing and patch testing to 113 things, they could find almost nothing that I reacted to. I did have a reaction to formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers so I do avoid them now and some irritant reactions to bee propolis and cobalt, but nothing else. It makes a person feel crazy to say the least. I do think on my irritated skin though, I do have irritant reactions then I would not have otherwise.
Patricia, yes there must be a reason that the Drs. start out prescribing strong steroids. Why don’t they start with the approch of trying to heal your skin and provide some relief thru other medications like anti-itch, special moisturizers, oatmeal baths, ice compresses and if all else fails then start a mild steroid and work up to the stronger ones? My dermatologists did not even appear interested in what caused my rash to begin with, they did not even want to try and figure it out,. Especially if a person does not have a history of skin rashes? My dr. said I might have developed atopic dermatitis but I mentioned that I never even had rashes as a child and did not have any alleriges to outside or food and still at my age suddenly developed severe atopic dermatitis? They mentioned I might have Lupus and did a biopsy which was negative. Mind you I have no other symptoms of Lupus. That totally stressed me out. The another Dr. said I might have a terrible disease called Dermatomyositis. I was so stressed about it, even though I had few if any symptoms that I could not even eat for a week. That one is a terrible disease for which there is no cure, and the only treatment is mega doses of steroids. I was terrified…
This whole thing has been a nightmare…It helps to have some people to discuss this stuff with, my family is totally sick of discussing rashes.
Leslie
Chrissy, can you give me the exact dose of the tetracycline and the make of it (just generic?). I have nothing to lose by taking it (or do I? ). it might work better than using garlic which is pretty tough on the stomach.
the red papules are less now, but now i have this raised leathery red skin, and its itchy. So i rub on it after a long day of resisting, and my skin starts flaking off or peeling. unfortunately this makes my left cheek look more red and dry and exposes the red pores. It looks like somebody took a cheese grater on my right cheek, or as my brother said – somebody poured acid on my face. My right cheek just looks better, it is white kind of dusty looking. There must be a better way to get rid of the extra dead skin than rubbing on it. If i am just patient it should come loose on its own. I bought a small humidifier . i am tempted to use zinc cream on my face again, this might help with the red leathery patches, feels like hard keratinized skin without any moisture. From past experience any cream application just precipitated another flare up recurrence. so i guess now im just lightly brushing the skin with my fingers. If i rub on it hard too much skin comes off and then it looks red and raw. all this is after i started using prosacea. So maybe prosacea jumpstarted the exofoliating process, whereby dead skin sheds easier . as opposed to it just collecting on the surface and creating a red appearance. Also my forehead is also flaking a lot, it also lacks moisture, but not as red. Kind of dusty. the normal skin re-emerges near my hair line.
I have to keep trimming my beard, because it starts getting white at the tips around the perioral area. , i have red spots right near my lip under it. it looks like i spilled ketchup or something. but when it grows and covers the red spots , it gets white stuff , thick flakey.
i cant tolerate a fan on my face, because it feels too dry at the moment.
By the way, i am wondering, are all of you fair skinned? Does tanning cover the red face? at this point i dont seem to be tanning any more around my cheeks (which would be nice if i could hide it). The rest of my body skin does tan ok, even my chin and forehead. i dont know if this is because of having applied the cream
or even before. but i was wondering if where the steroid is applied, does that interfere with normal melanin production. Its possible it does because the skin is sloughing off at such a high rate that doesnt allow you to become brown. Brown skin is skin that has been exposed to enough sunlight for long enough .
My friend always has a red face in the summer, or even year round. he also has lots of dandruff, and his cheeks have large pores . my face is only red around my cheeks , prominently my left cheek with its cheese grated look. i dont know if i now have a permanent case of facial dandruff. its possible.
Dear Jazzman,
I do not think that any of our skin problems are going to be permanent, but it will surely feel like it, because it takes so long to heal.
In the article, they promised full recovery, but for some it will take all the way up to 18 month to heal. I have been told that it might take as long to heal as how long you were on steroids. For me, that means 3 years. I am not sure I believe that it will take that long, but it just give you some idea of the snail pace it takes to heal. Therefore you can not put your whole life on hold.
You did not use steroids for as long as me, but you are surely having a bad reaction. I think, like Chrissy says, antibiotics may be helping you. I do not really like antibiotics, but sometimes you must do something to ease the severe symptoms.
Healing thoughts and hugs.
Dear Leslie,
It is really painful to read how you have been treated and how you have been suffering, only to be prescribed more steroids. I am sure there are so many of us out there suffering right now without knowing what is wrong with them. And being told by their doctor they have this or that awful disease and being prescribed more steroids. It is a crime what is going on.
Patricia,
Yes, it has been terrible and that is why I do not like Dr.s anymore. I am afraid to go back to them right now. And I was pretty careful about using steoids because I was worried but the funny thing is, the reason I was worried was more that I did not want to stifle the rash, because i did not want it to keep returning. I had no ide about perioral dermatitis, rosacea all that stuff. So really I had no idea about these side effects and develped all of them. I hope that if I can get my skin back, it will stay stable and I will never be put in a position to have to use anything again. The original rash that I had was pretty wicked and I was suffering with it for many weeks with no improvement before I used steroids. oh well, have a great day everyone.
Jazzman, sometimes the sun is good for skin sometimes not. you will have to see where you fit in to that.
Leslie
Dear Leslie,
As you said before, you think the original rash was provoked by your sun screen lotion. We put all kind of creams on our skin without knowing what they consist of.
Then with sun screen, we go out in the sun and get this concoction baked into our system. Not knowing what reaction, chemically, happens in our bodies.
Healing takes time and in the rush to heal we put any kind of cream on our faces, that doctors tell us will work! But the doctors are not telling us the whole story and they are in it for the profit (most of them), and since it doesn’t kill us, and we keep coming back for more cream, the business is thriving.
We get to pay an enormous price. And all we have to left to trust in, is our gut feeling. May we have learned that lesson once and for all.
Hugs to everyone.
Patricia,
I agree. I think maybe the sun actually triggered the allergic reaction. That is why I do not want to go on Tetracycline, I hear it can cause sun related reactions too. I think I might have a tendency for that. Anyway, now when I look at the sunscreen I was putting on, I am apalled that I used it all over my body like that. It is loaded with chemicals and it is a chemical sunscreen so it was getting absorbed day after day in my system. I might even still be getting that stuff out of my system, who knows. I used it on my face an neck a lot. Who knows, but whatever caused my original rash, I hope it never happens again, it was pretty terrible.
Ldslie
JAZZMAN:
I am not fair skinned, I am Native American. I have never burned a day in my life. However, when I would tan at first in a tanning bed (I usually tan EASY) I couldn’t get my face to tan at all. Now in the past month I tan on face very well. It must be something with this that it doesnt tan..Our skin is sooooooooooooooooooooooooo sensitive right now. All the stuff you are putting on your face is inflaming it no matter what it is. The outter layer of your skin is so thin from steroid cortisone use. The steroid used to be like a shield and protect you from inflaming (its an antiinflamitory) and when it was weak in your system your body couldnt fight off anything. This is why Leslie and I thought we were allergic to everything. And why Patricia cannot drink wine.This is why we thought the steroid worked and applied it over & over. Tetracycline dose I took was 500mg 2xs daily for 2 mos. You have to stay out of the tanning bed and sun while on it. It cleared my acne in a week.
Patricia:
I do not understand why Drs give this drug. It is insane I should post a pic of all the steroids given to me. When I would go to the dr they would say wow that is not good for you to take all them steroids.. Then they would prescribe them..Also, I took steroids for almost 6 years everyday few times a day since my son was born he is over 5 yrs old. I quit in Feb and was better by now pretty much. I still see signs but I feel WAAAAYYYYY better ya know. So I pray it does not take you 3 yrs!! It took me 4 mos. after taking it 5 plus yrs.
LESLIE:
We have alot in common we do. I thought I had lupus too. My husband started zoning out rash convos lol so I hear ya. My first rash was caused by Clinique liquid face lotion. I looked up its ingrediants, and it contains witch hazel. Witch hazel has an anti inflamitory effect like the cortisone, however it is natural. Witch hazel is a plant.
This lotion makes your skin look great just like cortisone. I ran out of it and got a rash then all this started. The cortisone made me believe I had allergies or a disease or skin problem, and I just know I felt better on what the dr told me to do so I did it..
Everyone have a great weekend XOXO Chrissy
Dear Chrissy,
Even though I can’t drink wine and my face is not perfect, I too feel a lot better. First, I finally know what is wrong with me, and second, all the menopause like symptoms are totally gone. So except for my face I feel a hundred percent better.
I tried so many different approaches to cure myself over the 3 years. I was a vegetarian for a year, did not drink any alcohol too. Went on several cleanses. But nothing would work.
I finally read Diane Schwartzbeins book that promotes good balanced eating and getting off all medications. Getting off the steroid cream, of cause, made me flare and it got worse and worse, and I decided to really figure out what was wrong with me. After a few days on the computer, I found this site. And my gut feeling, as soon as I read steroid induced rosacea, was telling me that it was my doctor prescribed cream that was causing me all this grief.
At first I was mad at myself for not googling the ingredients in the cream sooner and mad because I had put in on my face for 3 years. Not knowing if I had done permanent damage and looking absolutely monstrous, I was in a panicky state.
When I read the article: Another Red Face, I knew I would heal some day and that made me relax.
I can only see that it is greed that makes doctors prescribe cortisone left and right. I guess it works for some and becomes a nightmare for us, who have sensitive skin.
This lesson has taught me a lot. I will no more just trust blindly. And I have become much more aware
Hi,
Patricia, sounds like you tried a lot of stuff. My acupuncturist wanted me to do a cleanse. Too hard with small kids but maybe will someday. This one was pretty radical a whole month long. All this skin stuff can be scary you feel like something is going really wrong in your system. cortisone can save or prolong peoples lives. but I think it should be used mostly in that application or in very severe skin situationst that maybe do not respond to other forms of treatment. in the majority of skin rashes, an allergy is to blame and once it is eliminated the skin ususally will improve. the first thing is for the dr. and patient to try and figure out the cause, eliminated everything that might be causing it, then try other treatments first, cortisone and streoids are very overprescribed for sure. that is how a lot of people get into these chronic rashes that they have for many years, few people can handle the withdrawls and rebounds that occur.
Chrissy, Icannot use Clinique stuff at all. I tried the dramatically different face lotion, not sure if that is what you reacted to but it never agreed with me. I also tried the gel and moisture on call. those all caused major flares for me. I cannot use anything on my face right now. I am actually leaving it totally alone except occasional spritz of mineral water. so far no more flares, but really I am noto too excited. I am still using the la roche posay for severely dry hands on my hands and a little tiny bit of the body lotion on my arms. yesterday my arms and hands were hurting quite a bit.
will not post till tomorrow most likely. going away for the night. not totaly a relaxing trip but at least a change of scenery.
hope you all are doing well.
Leslie
byt the way, not sure why my ears are so flaky. kind of bugging me.
Leslie
Chrissy, i dont understand your last post. You said, your face can tan well, so that means you dont have a red face ( i wish i didnt have a red face). So the cream didnt interfere with your ability to tan. And you said that steroids makes skin thin,. I hope my skin isnt thin anymore, could be. It looks very thick right now, inflamed. Luckily i dont have telangecia or those spider veins on my cheeks, but if i remember correctly i think initially i saw a few 5 months ago. Maybe it is getting better slowly.
I do remember the jaw dropping feeling when i read how steroid cream can cause rosacea. It all started about 6 months ago when i started loading on vitamin A pills, and then used steroid cream as a moisturizer ( probably because the vitamin A pills made my skin so dry). The steroid cream worked so well to make my dry cheek skin from looking red, so i felt like i discovered a miracle cream (and kept this information to myself). When i started flushing, then i though oh boy, i have rosacea symptoms. thats when i discovered steroid rosacea , and lo and behold I had been using a steroid. Bad news after bad news. I thought the cream i was using was an antifungal, and i even researched Nystatin. But some very unscrupulous doctor decided to combine a great antifungal with a 500x strength of hydrocortisone called triamcinolone. Now anybody who has used triamcinolone, as far as I know, gets acne. My sisters got it from their steroid use, very intense cystic acne.
I still could have rosacea or something. I have dry eye, and there was a period for about 1-2 years or so that my nose was red. My dad has a rudolph red nose, but only during the winter. it gets brown in the summer. My nose is always brown. But there were a few times during this “healing” that my nose got sort of pinkish, covered in red dots. i have a few small telangecia near the base of my nose, but lately i havent seen them perhaps due to the fish oil or something. But my dad has no acne on his nose, my mom has no red goatee, but she does have dry skin (not red, just kind of dryish looking). i think my dad had dandruff when he was younger.
By the way, i just ate a garlic laced meal, and my face looks so much better and isnt itchy ( put lots of garlic, almost a whole clove crushed). I’m pretty sure that garlic cures rosacea symptoms, particularly the dandruff type which I have. It makes sense, people use sulfur shampoos for dandruff, so that could be helping me internally. To give you an idea of how my face looks, i have these red patches on my cheek parallel to my nose in a vertical way… it starts near the top of my nose near the inner eyelid and come down to the base of my nose… it looks like i have been crying for a long time and somehow made my skin inflamed. Its red thick feeling skin, no elasticity, dry. well the other areas where the steroid was applied farther away from nose has lightened up, kind of dusty looking. But im afraid this red stuff is permanent.
Maybe the steroid cream exacerbated the dandruff i had before, but it was a very mild case which has now been blown out of proportion.
anyways, garlic is the natural way to go as far as antibiotics. im going to look into pills for garlic. Tetracyline does have a photo-sensitivity. For going out in the sun i chew a bit on the fish oil pill , then suck a bit of the oil (not all of it) , and throw out the rest. trying to lower dose. it helps so much with anxiety , depression. Im not getting depressed as much, or anxious. of course it’s still unsettling to look into mirror.
I just thought of something, you can tell yourself when you look in the mirror. Ok, its true that your skin doesnt look its best. BUt , its a big improvement from what it was in the past. This is a fact, and you should focus on this fact when the mind starts dwelling on the negatives. It is an improvement, and that’s that. Sure, not everyone else knows it. But you know it, and what matters is your perception on the matter.
From afar it looks like i have like a sunburn that doesnt quite heal, its like a pink red at this point (much of an improvement over bright red). Its not the end of the world. i can start doing things again. and live my life.
My tips for you guys, drink lots of water (i keep a giant cup of water by my table all the time, just to get in the habit of drinking). Supplement a bit with fish oil, doesnt have to be much ( a small amount goes a long way). too much = spacey and dizziness, so you know right away to lower dosage.
And eat as much garlic as you can possible (no known side effects). ive read many anecdotal reports of people claiming to stop rosacea in its tracks with garlic. its quite possible, its such a strong antibiotic. and the nice thing about garlic, your body doesnt build up a tolerance. Which means each time you eat garlic, its like the first time. Unfortunately some people get heartburn, so start small and gradually increase. I did have some abdominal discomfort at first, now i can pretty much eat as much garlic as possible. If you get serious heartburn then it may not be for you. garlic is proven to lower blood sugar, and some anecdotal success with ulcers. i bet science at this point can narrow down ingredient by ingredient wrt what does what, so ill do more research. I believe allicin is the main ingredient though
Somebody posted they use salt to exfoliate. that sounds like it would be harsh on the skin. Maybe you shouldnt use salt, and just let the skin exfoliate/peel on its own. I’m starting to regret even touching my face at all period, even rubbing it a little bit makes my face look red and inflamed for a few hours after. Here is one way to chip away at dead skin. Take a Q -tip, lick it, and then softly pick at the dead skin. sometimes a dead skin flake can be itchy, i understand. I cant use salt, my skin is way too darn sensitive i think. BUt maybe im wrong. I guess it would be like taking a dip in the ocean.
Dear Jazzman,
What a positive post! You are definitely getting better and your attitude has changed. Good for you!
I am the one exfoliating with sea salt and yes, it is harsh, even painful. My skin seem like it has thickened in places, and not thinned, and it is this thickened extra layer skin I am trying to peel off. The salt really, really stings and my face is bright red afterwards. But at the same time the skin feels softer. I then put on the coconut ghee, soothing and moisturizing, and the next morning everything is calm again and my skin has normal color.
I do not know if this treatment is for everyone and you sure have to deal with the stinging, but my face is not dry anymore, but that could also just be because of time.
When I was on the steroids my eyes got severely dry too, it is a side effect and it will go away by itself.
A dip in the ocean is properly a great healer, so if you have an ocean nearby, go take a dip.
I like your natural healing with the garlic. As you said it has no side effects.
Hugs and healing wishes.
And Leslie,
I totally agree that cortisone should only be used in severe cases, not for every little rash.
my dose of the steroid cream was triamcinolone 1 gram, thats 1000 mg , mixed with nystatin. no idea why this cream is used for “fungal” problems. Doctors are prescribing these out like candy for yeast infections i believe (not sure how my mom has 3 tubes of it). I think the reasoning they have is…if you dont use it more than a week it is well tolerated by most people. However there is no warning about not using it for more than a few days, so in theory there are millions of women who keep returning to triamcinolone and nystatin for female problems.
This cream effectively nukes your skin. First the antifungal goes after the fungus, then the steroid nukes it.
And not just women. A lot of men i believe also get hooked into steroid creams, for a fungus scrotum or red scrotal sac. Then the scrotal sac thins, and the red scrotum that you could have healed with just air and time, is now a full blown “red scrotum syndrome”.
i think doctors should follow the golden rule for patients. Give out prescriptions only what you would prescribe for yourself in a similiar situation.
Also maybe we should start a website about steroid cream sensitivity , which is NOT as rare as these doctors seem to be imagining at all. Just a simple website with a giant cautionary message. There are varying degrees of steroid cream sensitivity, the longer you use steroid cream the more atrophying of skin. The pdf someone posted above had a scary picture of a woman who’s arms were very thin , almost down to the bone.
I also think doctors should STOP mixing creams. Antifungals and steroids should not be mixed. they deal with different issues entirely.
my mom said she has a prescription, and she just did refills.
Yes, we should start informing people of the dangers of prolonged steroid cream use. Maybe lobby for warning labels on the creams themselves.
Unfortunately money and greed is driving the need for so many variations of creams, so we got a big battle on our hands.
But that doesn’t mean it is not worth it.
I found my old prescription dated 3/18-10. 3 refills of 45 grams super potent cortisone cream.
On the tube itself it says: Usual dosage: Apply a sufficient amount of cream to the affected and surrounding skin areas twice a day. See package insert for full prescribing information.
Thats all.
Do I have the insert? Of cause not!
JAZZMAN:
I used to tan well on my face but while on steroids and while recovering I couldnt get a tan for nothing how weird we had that in common.I just started tanning again within the past few weeks. The sun would just irritate me and my skin would swell before. When I had the rashes I would go to tanning beds with face tanners trying to tan the rash and hoped a tan would make me look better. No good, I wouldnt tan.. Also, our top layer of skin is thin, this makes our lower layers of skin more sensitive and inflame when they come in contact with anything. Them swelling makes our skin look thick. Our top layer is thin and sensitive. I read that online. Our top layer of skin is what protects our inner layers, and it being thinned by steroids makes the inner layers more sensitive. I hope that makes sense.
~Chrissy
Hi all,
I looked up the steroid cream I was prescribed on the internet. The sites did mention all the side effects and that 1.6 % percent of patients experienced side effects, but did not mention how severe or how long healing would take. It also said that it was meant for Jock itch or athletes foot. Not for face or diaper rash. Everywhere it said, do not use more than 4 weeks max.
I got prescriptions for 3 years!
Hi,
Patricia, that is scary that your Dr. recklessly gave you that potent medication. If a steroid was actually needed, then the Dr. should always start with the most mild one, Hytone, and work up to stronger ones. Actually though I only really used Hytone on my face and still got this problem but I really think it was caused by the other stronger steroids, Mometasone Fuorate and Triamcinilone. I think the steroids that I used on my neck and chest caused the facial outbreak initially. then I used the hytone after that on my face and it just made the problem worse for me.
My face is better. Just doing nothing not even getting it wet and now just exfoliating a few times a day just to get any dead skin