Recentyl diagnosed with Rosacea, help!?

gdybe · 1st June 2009, 05:32 PM

I've been diagnosed with rosacea last week, it just started suddenly last month. A year ago I was misdiagnosed with crohn's disease. I took corticosteroids medication for 5-6 months. I am off these meds , I noticed I got rosacea a few weeks after I stoped the meds, Can there be a connection? My symptoms are mostly upper red cheeks ( near eyes ) with very dry flaky skin and little red dots that look like pimples. I also have a very bad burning sensation, much like when someone gets a sunburn and my skin feels very rigid. This year I've also bulged 2 discs in my spine due to an accident ( talk about bad luck ) and I have been doing physio therapy. The physio requires me to extend my head upside down on a table, when I do so I get extremely red, can this be aggrivating the situation or actually causing the rosacea?
My dr. put me on metrogel. I put it once and it made my face worst, on top of that I had the worst burning sensation ever so I am a bit hesitant to try it again.
I'd like to know what types of soap or mosturizers I can use to clean my face ? Any over the counter stuff that really helps? I use dove soap for sensitive skin, it helps with the redness a bit but it makes my skin very dry. Any suggestions?

Melissa W · 1st June 2009, 06:00 PM

Hi and welcome to the RF.
I am sorry about all that you are dealing with right now.

If the rosacea was triggered by your steroid use the good news is you may be able to recover from that and go back to the skin you once had. That will take time though so in the meantime you must treat your face very gently and use a minimum of products on it and keep your face well moisturised.

What products are best depends on your individual reaction so trial and error is the best way to determine that. I suggest trying any new topicals on a small area of your face before applying to your whole face in case of any adverse effects.

Here are some helpful links to get you started

http://rosacea-research.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

http://rosaceagroup.org/The_Rosacea_...ad.php?t=10597

http://rosacea-support.org/articles/cleansers

I would stay away from soaps that dry your face out and stick with gentler cleansers. I use Eucerin redness relief cleansing gel for irritated skin but as I wrote previously what works for someone may not for someone else as it is very unique to the individual.

As for bending your head down and getting redder that happens to many of us so I would suggest if you can do your best to avoid any position where your head is bent down. Don't worry though if you cannot avoid that position while doing your physiotherapy.

Best wishes,
Melissa

Melissa W · 1st June 2009, 06:04 PM

ps forgot to mention that perhaps the flakiness is due to seb derm so you might want to check out this link as well.
http://rosaceagroup.org/The_Rosacea_...ad.php?t=15978

And if the metrogel is irritating to your face there are other products that might be more gentle. I know I was unable to tolerate metrogel.
There are also different forms it comes in that may agree with you more- metrocream, metrolotion. Then there is noritate which is a similar and more gentle (according to some people) topical. Again, it comes down to trial and error. If you do also have seb derm you might want to try Clarifoam which is a prescription topical. Ask your doctor about these meds to get their input.
Good luck.

gdybe · 1st June 2009, 07:06 PM

Thanks for the response, very helpful. I'm a bit overwhelmed about all these products I don't know where to start! Does the Eucerin act as a soap? Actually my questions is, how do you apply a moisturizer, do you apply and then clean your face just like soap?
( Forgive me ....i'm a guy )

A little new at this...Any other products like Eucerin that you can recommend in case that one doesn't work for me?

Btw, forgot to mention, if this helps: I am using Patanol for eye allergies/redness and as a sunblock im using Neutrogena 60spf ultra sheer oil free which is working quite good.

Melissa W · 1st June 2009, 07:26 PM

No problem.

To wash my face I apply the Eucerin cleansing gel and massage it gently on my face and then rinse with water. I dry my face gently and I then apply my moisturiser. Some people wait 10 min b/w washing their face and applying moisturiser but I apply immediately after washing and drying my face as my face is dry. After my moisturiser dries (a min or 2) I then apply sunblock if I am going outside (unless it is evening LOL). I hope that helps.

Regarding other cleansers there are many in the link I provided for you in my previous post. I have only used the Eucerin cleanser myself since diagnosed with rosacea. Before that I used to use Cetaphil but switched after I was diagnosed. I cannot remember why though LOL but Eucerin works for me.

For moisturisers I like both CeraVe and original Eucerin moisturising lotion and cream. Again, all of this is personal and everyone has their preferences so there is no right and wrong but instead what is right for you. Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions.

Best wishes,
Melissa

gdybe · 1st June 2009, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melissa W

If the rosacea was triggered by your steroid use the good news is you may be able to recover from that and go back to the skin you once had. That will take time though so in the meantime you must treat your face very gently and use a minimum of products on it and keep your face well moisturised.

Really? glad to hear that, is this actually for certain? It would make sense that this triggered the rosacea, then again, its probably a coincidence that it started just a few weeks after I stoped the meds...

Melissa W · 1st June 2009, 11:55 PM

There is no guarantee and you don't know for sure if that triggered your rosacea but if it did you have a good chance of recovering after time. Unfortunately there are no givens regarding rosacea but find a great derm and do not stress. In the meantime there are many ways to manage your symptoms. Hang in there.

Best wishes,
Melissa

gdybe · 2nd June 2009, 04:19 PM

True one step at a time I guess...I saw a derm , the day after I had a million questions running through my head that I forgot to ask him, its always like that ...
It got me thinking, what about gels or creams that are used to relieve sunburns? Would that work in the same way? If I think about it, I am experiencing more of an after sun burn effect rather than acne. The main problem I have is redness and very dry burning skin. What about aloe vera gels or creams? I tried my sister's daily face cream - complex 15 oil free. It made the dryness go away but made the redness worst. I remember using a cream to relieve sunburns a while ago and I remember it working.

Melissa W · 2nd June 2009, 10:09 PM

Some people swear by pure aloe vera. They say it is very soothing and calming. You can get it at a health food store or just buy a plant and get it from that. If you try it do a spot test first in case you have a negative reaction.

Re the doctor and your questions I find it is helpful to write them down before I see him and then use it as a checklist when I am with him. He doesn't mind at all and it is a useful tool.

Best wishes,
Melissa