Finacea

[hisightes]

Had another appointment with my dermatologist. She is very understanding and wants to help, but I believe she is stuck in the mode of prescribing topical solutions to treat the rosacea.
I told her that I dont' have any acne like symptoms, just the flushing and burning sensations.
She prescribed Finacea. Has anyone had this prescribed and is it worth the effort and time to take?
She said if this doesn't help the next step is Retin-A, which I will not go on and then lasers, which I have had several IPL treatments.

Patrick

[snwbdrloco84]

Hey Patrick,

I tried to answer a similar question about finacea in other forum. This was my post...


Finacea works for some especially if they have papules and pustules and non-reactive/sensitive skin. Many others have a negative reaction to it and take weeks if not months for their skin to recover. Personally, I could not tolerate it other than on my forehead(worked like a charm for the acne there). Since the redness has gone down considerably, you are probably seeing the blood vessels under the redness while the surrounding areas are pale. Those blood vessels are permanently dilated and will not go away unless you seek an IPL practitioner. If it caused redness and irritation in the entire area you put it on, that would be a negative reaction. By your description, it doesn't seem like your having a negative reaction to it at all since you have been using it for over a month.

However, if you want to try something else that is well tolerated by most rosaceans, try Noritate(maybe after a few more month's of finacea). It can be used to maintain the clearance(reduced papules and pustules) you are getting from finacea. I have been using it the past two years and it has kept the papules and pustules at bay pretty well. Also, try taking zinc gluconate at 30mg once a day. It is cheap and you can get it at most health food stores and even Walmart(I get mine there and just split a 50mg pill in half). I figure it is close enough to 30mg.

If you have the money, pick up a copy of Dr. Nase book found on his site, drnase.com. Most people on this site have a copy of it and it is around $40. It was one of the most worthwhile investments I have made and it has literally saved me hundreds of dollars. It gives you a clear and concise game plan and more on beating this disease.

Goodluck,
Ray

Ok, in your case Patrick, you may want to try noritate and take a pass on the finacea. Noritate is tolerated very well with most rosaceans. The reason I would take a pass on the finacea would be b/c you are experiencing burning sensations. Finacea could irritate the underlying condition thus increasing your burning sensations. If you have sensitive skin, that would be another reason to take a pass on finacea.

Another drug to help with your flushing would be clonidine at .05mg 2-3 times daily or even .1mg twice daily. There are many options you can consider with your doctor.

If you have the money, check out Dr. Nases book. It is a great resource plus when you are seeing the doctor, you can educate them about rosacea and get the medication you need. By the way, smart move on not trying the retin-A.

Goodluck,
Ray