How I am controlling my Seborrheic Dermatitis so far...

[Jeff]

Hopefully, this winds up as a valuable thread and becomes a "sticky."

I have had seborrheic dermatitis since around March 6, 2010. I became worse until I just wanted to scratch my face off. My face was glowing red, dry, itchy, flaky and peeling. Picking off the flakes aggravated the problem by making my skin weep and crust over. My right ear lobe was swollen and scaly. I could pull small sheets of skin from it.

Here it is May 31, and I am in great, great shape. I just started a program on Thursday night, May 27. That evening, I was really messed-up and looking for anything anywhere, when I found this site. 4 days later, and I feel almost completely cured! I look cured, too.

I have heard so many stories about years of suffering, and how there is no cure and such. Well, I hope I can help. Here is my story, and I will also give my regimen.

If it works for anyone else, by all means post your results. Post even if it doesn't work. People need to know more about this to see if I have really found something.

No prescriptions needed. No doctors, No crazy diets. And.... I am not selling anything for me or anyone else. I just want to help because my doctor said there was no cure, and I know the suffering this stuff causes.

Okay....

Itching began March 6, 2010.

Within days, I was irritated. I had tried moisturizing creams and hydrocortizone 1% ointment during this period. No relief.

I kept trying to keep my face clean over the following weeks. No help. I used various moisturizing creams to try to hide the flaky, peeling face, but even then, my face was still red, irritated, itchy and burning. I was having a time, to say the least.

Sunday, May 16, a culmination of research led me to believe I had a fungal infection. (I had not yet learned the name of this condition was "seborrheic dermatitis.")

I did a lot of research into anti-fungals and found the following: There are lots of over the counter ointments, many of which fit into either the categories, azoles or allylamines. You will see many people with seb derm say they are taking ketaconazole, clotrimazole, and xxxazole (you fill in the xxx). The azole group is an antifungal that interferes with yeast growth. However, it does not do much to kill existing yeast.

Allylamines, on the other hand, have fungicidal properties. They kill live yeast.

Why do I focus on yeast? Because yeast is growing on you if you have itchy, flaky, peely, scaly, irritated skin. The yeast mostly associated with seb derm on the face is called Malasezzia furfur. Look it up. You'll see.

Anyway, I found medical studies that showed patient group testing indicates that allylamines work more quickly than azoles. I also found a study that concluded the allylamine, butenafine, is stronger than the more common allylamine, terbinifine.

I decided then I would try something with butenafine. It turns out the active ingredient of Lotrimin Ultra is butenafine.

So, Sunday, May 16, I bought Lotrimin Ultra from Wal-Greens. Within 3 days, I thought I found my cure. I was in good shape. I was applying it sparingly but rubbing a fine coat in thoroughly twice a day. (The underlined phrase will be important later.) By the following Friday, however, the irritation was coming back, and within a couple days, it was in full force again.

On May 26, I stopped the butenafine, thinking the infection had grown resistant to it. I gave up and went to a dermatologist. The dermatologist told me I had seb derm and there was no cure. She said she could try various things until I could be made more comfortable with it. She prescribed ketaconazole.

The ketaconazole was important to me because (1) it confirmed I indeed did have a fungal infection, which I had previously thought (meaning seb derm is fungal-related, if not fungal-caused), and (2) I was disappointed because I had learned that research studies showed allylamines worked faster than azoles.


I obtained the prescription 2% ketaconazole right after my appointment.

My disappointment in being told there was no cure and having been prescribed an azole made me go back to thinking about the research I did on systemic yeast imbalance and proper nutrition and supplements. I spoke to my dad, who likes to study holistic approaches, and asked him his thoughts by first telling him I was sure I had a yeast infection. He then advised I take: (1) probiotics, (2) caprylic acid, (3) garlic, and (4) sovereign silver (colloidal silver). What he said rang familiar to me, as I had remembered all these things mentioned as I was feverishly researching what, if anything, I could do. So, I went that evening to the Vitamin Shoppe and bought all these things ($115). I started taking them right away. More on dosages later.

I also began applying the ketaconazole 3 times daily as directed. I made it through the end of the next day and determined it was not helping (perhaps I gave up hope too fast, but I was getting worse!).

So, Thursday night, May 27, I researched some more and found this forum. I began reading about success with honey and was willing to go that route. I was in pain!

You will see my posts, as a new user, here, beginning at May 28 in the wee hours (I was in pain). http://www.rosaceagroup.org/The_Rosa...=20548&page=25

That evening, I didn't think I would be able to sleep the irritation was so bad. I went back to the butenafine (Lotrimin Ultra). Within 20 minutes, I had relief and went to sleep nicely.

Follow my progress in the posts that follow from the link above. I had stellar results!

Was it the butenafine? Was it the supplements? Incidentally, I did reduce sugar intake a bit, but not much. I also cut down on drinking diet cokes and started drinking more water. I did not eliminate diet drinks, nor did I eliminate sugar. There has been no radical change in eating habits. I still ate hamburgers, fries, Chinese food, Mexican food, etc.

Was it the diet? I doubt it. Was it all of the above? Possibly.

I tend to want to attribute the greater part of my progress to the butenafine (Lotrimin Ultra). But I can't narrow anything down for sure.

So, here's what I did during these last few days to make remarkable improvement:

(1) Sovereign Silver: 1 teaspoon in the morning and 1 teaspoon in the evening. http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/e...jsp?id=QI-1007. I am told this is good for ridding the body of bad bacteria.

(2) Caprylic acid. 3 capsules in the AM. 3 capsules in the PM. http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/e...jsp?id=VS-1742. This is found in the women's section, and it is known to reduce systemic yeast overgrowth. The idea is that a systemic overgrowth of yeast results in yeast infections on the skin. If you treat the skin and not the system, it will keep coming back. You've not attacked the source. And, yes, guys.... men get yeast infections. We just call them "fungus," but yeast is a fungus.

(3) Garlic. 1 capsule in the AM and 1 in the PM. http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/e...jsp?id=VS-1184. Garlic is known to have anti-fungal properties.

(4) Pro-biotics. Udo's Super 8 High Potency Probiotics. http://www.udoerasmus.com/products/p..._super8_en.htm. Incidentally, this is sold at the Vitamin Shoppe, too, but the web site is not showing it. You must refrigerate the probiotics, so I refrigerated everything.

(5) Butenafine (Lotrimin Ultra). http://www.walgreens.com/store/catal..._sku=sku372776. Apply 3 times daily. Generous application. I think I applied it too thinly before. The 24 gram tube is almost $18. I was trying to make it last the first time by being sparing with it, and I am thinking that might have been a mistake, because yeast is known to grow resistance to various anti-fungal treatments. This round, I applied generously, but not wastefully. I got a nice, oily coat on my face, neck, forehead, and ears. I did not rub it thoroughly in, but instead, rubbed it in just enough to make it invisible. It left an oily coat.

(6) Shave closely every day. The yeast gets in the beard's hair follicles. I shaved both directions to get the closest shave.

(7) Apply cream only after face is completely dry. Apply everywhere - face, forehead, neck and ear lobes. (Maybe not eyelids, unless necessary). I have found recently that the yeast infects areas beyond just the redness. So over-cover with the cream by applying beyond just infected areas. The idea is to get it all - even the little amounts you don't see or feel so much.

(8) Do not clean face with anything but water when bathing. Lukewarm-to-cool water. Not cold. Not warm. Not hot. Do not scrub face. Do not scour. Gently rub off any flaking with fingertips. GENTLY. Take your time in shower (best to rub under streaming water). It might take 10 minutes, but worth it.

Like I said, I hope this is something the frustrated and/or almost hopeless will try and then, provide feedback on. If this works for many others, people need to know it. There are many people who will look through what seems a hundred thousand possible treatments and be so confused. I was there. I think people who try this should post their results in this thread so we can see if there is a favorable pattern.

I am not saying I'm 100% cured. More like what seems to be 97%. But that's pretty darn good, considering a treatment which requires no prescriptions and does all this in just 4 days.

Good luck!

[LadyBee]

Interesting. Would you mind posting updates of your progress every few days? With pictures?

I'm always hesitant to be optimistic too early because in the past I've thought my face was better only to have it get worse again a couple of weeks later (as is currently the case with raw honey It's very upsetting because a week ago my face was looking so beautiful and now it's rashy and hideous again!) - if your face stays clear for a month or two then I'd say you're onto something. I'll be watching this - please do keep updating.

[Jeff]

Pics would be useless at this point. There is nothing really to show. I do have two stubborn, small spots at my left sideburn and the bottom of my right earlobe. They are not all that bad, but the fungal infection was deeper in those two spots.

I will keep you updated. I am well aware of people claiming to have found cures, only to be posting again within a week or two, asking for help.

I have nothing to sell, so I'll tell it like it is. The only thing I want is to kill this crap for good. My main concern is that if it is not a cure, I have to stop taking butenafine in a few weeks. I can't just apply it permanently. So, I worry what will happen when I stop using it. Maybe the supplement regimen will have kicked in full by then. Maybe it already has. I don't know.

I'll keep you updated.

[Jeff]

Here is my left side. There is a small spot at my sideburn area.

[Jeff]

Here is my right side. There is a spot on the bottom of my right earlobe.

[Jeff]

Thursday night, 4 1/2 days ago, I was like legendsneverdie. Here is a pic he posted of himself. I am obviously much better. I was more flaky and leathery than him. He shows no signs of flaking and peeling, like I had.

http://www.rosaceagroup.org/The_Rosa...4&postcount=30

[LadyBee]

Hmm is there a reason why you can't apply the cream permanently?

I'd have thought as long as it doesn't contain steroids (and I don't think it does?) or have any undesirable side effects then it can't really do any harm. If it works well, I would keep using it as long as you can but space out the applications little by little and see how infrequently you can get away with applying it!

From what I've read here and elsewhere, seb derm seems to require some level of maintenance treatment - I don't know of anyone who has actually got it to go away and STAY away forever. But it seems to be possible to control it to the point that it rarely rears its ugly head and just stays below the radar so you don't have to worry about it.

Good luck anyway I hope it works out for you. If you're still successful in a few weeks I'll be putting a tube of that cream on my list of Stuff To Try! :]

[Jeff]

I am not sure why not permanently on the lotion. It just says 1-4 weeks, so I'll go with that.

On the pics, you can click on them for larger view.

Note: There is no SD inflammation on my cheeks - zip, zero, nada. Cameras seem to be dependent on light and angle. That is my normal color. Skin is supple, not irritated in the least.

The only spots are the sideburn and earlobe. If you look closely, you can see the darker red at sideburn. The earlobe is not noticeable, but I feel it. When I was at doc's office last week, doc saw it and said "You poor thing." It was BAD!!!

Notice the skin between cheek fold and nostrils. Clear. Those were some very bad spots. Crusty, flaky, red.... Now, clean, smooth and cool.

[phlika29]

Jeff I am glad that you are getting success with your anti fungal. I think that it is important to recognise that this product may not be suitable for everyone. This may be especially true for members that have both rosacea and seb derm.

Over the years I have tried antifungals for my co-existing seb derm and found that they either havent worked or have aggravated my rosacea.

[Jeff]

I have tried others, too, such as Clotrimazole and Ketaconazole. Obviously, they are different products. I guess all I am saying is butenafine worked for me (so far). So, be cautious about knocking unless you've tried it.