on Metrogel 1% for 5 weeks now, and still no sign of improvement

[secondopinion]

Thank you flushedbean... and Melissa. It is getting harder and harder to simply "go on."

Here's my latest crap...

I call the derm's office and can't get in til October 4th, even though I'm not a new patient.

So I call my regular doctor's office and can't get in til Monday.

It's unreal how pathetic this medical industry has become. I remember a time when I could see my doc the SAME DAY. Are we generally becoming much, much unhealthier, as Americans? What is going on?

I have a big purple bump in the middle of my forehead, which I feel is obviously a boil. I have tried hot compresses and nothing is helping it. It worries me because I read that boils can be a result of a staph infection. Awesome.

My bumps have gotten much worse since trying Ghost's HP/Borax/TTO treatment. I have many more now, and my face is the worst it's ever been. I will attach some new photos. Actually two from the 2nd and 4th days of Ghost's treatment, and then from Monday (the light in my kitchen is much worse than the other photos, so my P&Ps look ten times worse).

Here are the things that I've done RIGHT in the last few months:
- went fully vegan, with a LOT of veggie and fruit consumption. I am not allergic to any fruits or vegetables
- hit my ellipitical 3 or 4 times a week, plus body weight training and dumbbell weight lifting
- slept more than 7 hours a vast majority of the time
- had the Metrogel on from June 7th to July 25th or so, then tried Ghost's treatment... now I have a purple boil on my forehead (as seen in the photos), then started on the Metrogel again
- every day, I used the 5% sulfur 10% sulfacemide (or whatever it's called)... prescription face wash... leave on for ten minutes, rinse off... shower, while washing my face with Cetaphil in the shower.... then, Metrogel before work, and before bed.
- last few days, since Monday, I've taken Turmeric pills and sprinkled turmeric on my veggies, as it is supposedly a natural antibiotic

I don't know what else to do, other than BEG my regular doc to give me a Finacea and Oracea prescription (I don't know if he can, but I'm certainly not waiting til October 4th to try new treatment)...

I also plan on doing a detox/cleanse starting tommorrow (if I can, if it doesn't conflict with Finacea or whatever)... my friend who's a fitness dude told me I should do a 7-day mild cleanse to detox my colon and liver and whatever else... so, I'm trying all that.

Any other tips? Please help. I am still at my wit's end. I don't think I'll do anything stupid, but every day that passes, it is making me feel uglier and uglier and uglier and uglier. I was dating someone briefly but had to end it because I can't get over my disgusting face, and she got tired of hearing me complain about it.

It's totally ruining my life.... and I know all of you have been there, too.

ANY help is greatly appreciated.

[secondopinion]

IMG_2954.JPGIMG_2945.JPGIMG_2949.JPG

the first photo (where you can see how pale I am) is from Monday, August 6th. The others are day 2 (7-29-2012) of the Borax/HP/TTO treatment which I've since ceased, and day 4 (I did the Borax thing for a week, but stopped as soon as I saw I had a boil and got many more bumps).

[arb161]

Hi
I don't know where you live, but try going on rate md to see if you can find a good dermatologist in your area. I agree with Melissa that you would probably do well with an antibiotic. I know that a lot of people think that you can cure this diet, cleanses etc. Sometimes you do need meds You asked about protopic. I really don't have much of a pimple problem- I'm a flusher, but when I do I find that protopic helps pretty quickly. But everybody is different, also some doctors do not like to prescribe it. I know that this condition can cause a lot of anxiety. It did for me and that is a horrible feeling. Some mild anti anxiety meds can at least help you to calm down a bit until, and during you begin a course of treatment.
Arlene

[secondopinion]

Hi arb... I never mentioned protopic in my posts... what is that?

The derm I see is very highly-rated, as is my regular doctor. I just don't know why everyone basically SUCKS when it comes to rosacea diagnosis and TREATMENT.... I feel so alone when it comes to this.

[arb161]

sorry about the protopic, thought that the question was on this thread. It's a gel like topical and I like it because (again for me maybe not you) it acts fast and helps with the itchy pimples I get. Suppossed to be used very sparingly. But as long as I take an antiobotic I only get a pimple here and there. My laser doctor (who I love but sometimes has some strange opinions) thinks that it is not good for you. I really forget the reasons. I live near new york city and there are lots of doctors who get very high ratings in all kinds of publications. I found that most of them just have very good publicists who get them in all all thes publications. I like ratemd.com because patients rate the doctors. Believe me their reality is way different then the magazines. Unless I really have to, I won't put up with waiting 2 hours in a waiting room and doctors who are arrogant and don't listen. But a good doctor is useless if you can't get to them. I suggested the site as a possible way that you could find someone sooner, and I think it was strange that the doctor you went to did not start you on antibiotic.
Arlene

[flying_er]

Try to get your derm to write you a script over the phone, my derm has done this for me. Let the office know the metrogel didn't help, you've gotten much worse and need something today. If they don't believe you, email the picture. You need something to get this under control and then you can figure out what best works for long term treatment. If I were you, I'd want Minocyline and Finacea. You can't take Mino forever but it can help in the short term until the Finacea takes effect which can be 6 weeks or more. Minocycline is the more powerful cousin of Doxycline, and for me easier on the stomach.

Good luck,
Dave