oral steroids after IPL

[natalja]

Hi all,

I wonder; does anybody know if it might be a good thing to take a short course of oral steroids to calm the skin down after an IPL treatment that has left me very red and flushed and burning?

Any advice is highly appreciated,

Natalja.

[fut]

No. I would stay away from all forms of steroids in any way for someone who has Rosacea.

[natalja]

Thanks fut, any advice what else might be helpful in calming my skin down after IPL? I'm totally chronically bright red and flushed for more then a week now and it's getting worse by the day.

[fut]

You've been reacting this way right after IPL?

I suggest trying some FOE Aloe Vera Gel. This is one of the only topicals that has no irritation to my skin.

[DukeCity]

Hi Natalja, - "Clarithromycin" worked great for me and was highly recommended by my Laser Doc out in Oregon.

[natalja]

Unfortunately I can't use any topicals, they all burn my skin. And antibiotics always make me more red :(

Any other suggestions perhaps?

The first week after IPL was not too bad, but ever since day 7 it's rapidly deteriorating

[GJ]

Very sorry to hear about this, Natalja. Is there may be something here you have not considered?

http://rosacea.ii.net/news/2005/08/anti-flushing-protocol-controls.html

Best wishes.

[IowaDavid]

Natalja--I've found using red light therapy post-IPL is very helpful. You may find that extended sessions in front of a red light device will calm your face better than just about anything.


David

[ken972]

I find a cold compress really helps calm my face down after ipl.

[SteveYork]

Be aware that if you take 5mg or so or more of oral steroids for more then a week or two your adrendal glands will shut off (your bodies adrenal glands produce about 7.5 mg. of cortisone). Then you will have to ween yourself off the oral steroids to give your adrenal glands a chance to wake up.

Also, be aware that oral steroids can come with a whole host of side effects, some permanent, but usually the side effects are limited to the higher dosages.

Also, when you finally go off your oral steroids there may be a rebound effect, like topical steroids. That's another reason to ween.

I'm not saying no; just be careful. Some doctor had me on a heavy dose (30-40 mg) for 3 weeks following some treatments and I suffered greatly. But a short period (1-2 weeks) of a limited dose (no more then 5 mg) may be beneficial. I could see how it could break the chain of inflamation, but you could do the same with a low potency topical steroid. Talk with your doc.

Just be aware that oral steroids like prednisone can pack a ton of side effects.

Are you trying all the antiflushing meds out there (inderal; clonidine, ect.)

[natalja]

I'm on moxonidine, propranolol and mirtazapine, all worked well till the IPL to control my flushing and redness. Ever since the treatment and especially the second week things get worse by the day and I am constantly bright red and burning and sometimes flushing on top. I'm worried this will cause massive new vesselgrowth obviously, but would like my face to calm down. Topicals all make my skin burn and red, so am afraid that's not an option..

All the physicians here don't really have a clue about rosacea unfortunately. I just don't want to end up even worse then how I started and there are some warnings for (oral) steroids and rosacea

[SteveYork]

You may just want to give it a try then. It may be just the trick to break the cycle of inflamation. Take a medro does pack or two and see how it goes. I know rheumatoid arthritis folks who take 2.5mg to 5 mg for years w/o too much problems. It's a potenet antiinflamatory. A couple weeks of a small dosage may help, especially if the flushing is due to inflamation. Just make sure a doctor is onboard and monitoring you on this med. And remember to taper off the med, just like if you were using topical steroids.

You may just have to give it a try and see if it works.

The really bad side effects seem to come mostly with heavy dosage and long term use.

Make sure an MD is monitoring this medication.

[natalja]

Thanks Steve,

Do worry that prednison actually will GIVE facial flushing and increased bloodpressure. My rosacea started 7 years ago after using hydrocortison for only a week..
Will see a docter tomorrow at the hospital here and will discuss the short term use of an oral steroid with him.

keep you updated

[natalja]

Ok, saw my own dermatologist and also laser doc here in the town hospital today. He said I looked very inflamened and found it strange that I started to have such a bad reaction after 6 days instead of straight after the treatment. Not sure yet how this is linked to the treatment. He worries this aggrevation will stirr up my underlying rosacea. First I need to take a stronge anti-inflammatory (diclofenac, an NSAID) for a week, then we call again and if not improved he wants me to take oral steroids. first need is to stop this inflammation.

To be continued..

[redhotoz]

Best of luck Natalja! We'll be thinking of you and please do let us know how it goes.

Jen

[Tricia]

Hi Natalja,

Sorry you're having troubles. As you're entering the second week after treatmment you probably know by now that this is when your vessels are going crazy regrouping so try not too worry too much about it, although I know that's hard.

A couple of things that help me are first, I use those gelpacks they make for puffy eyes and have at most drug stores. Put it in the fridge and then lay it across different areas of the face, feels great!

Also, this may take too long for you to get but the Natragel face masks provide a ton of relief. You can get regular, or with green tea and aloe if your skin can handle those topicals and it not only cools the skin immediately but provides a lot of moisture which helps as well. I buy mine from www.spaelegance.com but I'm not sure where from Europe you could get them.

Have you thought about the Clonidine patch? This might provide a more constant stream of the drug.

Good luck!

Tricia

[natalja]

Thanks Tricia,

I use moxonidine instead of clonidine, so no patches for me.
I try the NSAID diclofen now, to calm things down a bit hopefully and just hope it won't make me even more red.

[RachelRose]

He said I looked very inflamened and found it strange that I started to have such a bad reaction after 6 days instead of straight after the treatment. Not sure yet how this is linked to the treatment.

My bad flush did not start until 5 days post-tx. I think it is because my face was in such total shock it didn't know what to do. I was hot and flushed and using ice packs but it wasn't until day 5 that it really starting burning all the time and tons of veins started shooting all over my face. I remember G. Nase saying that angiogenesis did not actually start until about day 3 because at first the body was trying to adjust to the new environment, it is quite a shock. Or something like that. So, maybe your symptoms are due to the angiogenesis. I can feel that mine are. The pulses in my face are throbbing.

[natalja]

Thanks Rachel, Tricia and others. I'm now more then 2,5 weeks post treatment and after 4 days of diclofenac, an NSAID, my skin seems to calm down a little bit today, LUCKILY!
Will have to continue it for another 3 days and then see how things go. I think I can only really judge my progression hopefully in another few weeks.

Nat.

[natalja]

Hi,
short update: after one week of diclofenac (NSAID) my skin has calmed down considerably. I am even thinking about asking for a longer course, to see what benefit it will have long term. Maybe this drug is helpful for others, especially to calm down post IPL flares etc. It definitely hasn't had any bad effect on my (extremely sensitive) skin and extreme flushings. It also worked as a painkiller :)

Natalja