Rosacea flare up - please help!

[sparrowlegs11]

Hi everyone,
I am having a rosacea flare up right now. I have had rosacea for years but generally it's been pretty mild. However the past few days I have been waking up with very RED flushed burning cheeks and it's really worrying me. I don't have any bumps though.

I don't know what is causing this flare up as I haven't changed anything in my routine recently. I use very gentle skincare (Avene range) and mineral makeup. I never drink alcohol, eat spicy food, sit in the sun etc. The only thing I can really think of is that I am feeling quite anxious about next week - I'm a medical student and will be starting full time in hospitals.

I have found the GP to be quite useless. I cannot tolerate the cream medications they give me - they all irritate my skin very badly. I am currently taking a course of oxytetracycline antibiotics.
I guess my questions to you are: what do your flareups look like? and what do you do to calm them down again? Will my skin ever return to normal?
I'm so scared, and I feel so unattractive to my partner, even though he says he doesn't really notice or care.

Thank you so much! I feel so low right now :(

Poor you. I had it for years and my flare ups were very red and very bumpy, I never knew what caused them but I had a stressful job like yours so maybe that. GPs were absolutely useless too. I couldn't really do much to calm my skin down and I tried everything. I even gave up sugar for a year (didn't work). I found dead sea mud mask soap helped a bit (£4 boots), and the clinique anti-redness moisturiser helps a little if you are feeling rich.

How long have you been taking the antibiotics? I cured my rosacea by trying different kinds of antibiotics, in the end I found one that completely got rid of it. I don't think it was oxytetracycline that worked for me. If your antibiotic doesn't work ask your GP for a different one.

I know exactly how you feel sparrow, but you can get rid of this horrible condition.

I have rosacea too and my prime trigger for flare ups is stress. I try my best to avoid physical triggers during this time - spicy food etc and try to relax. Easier said than done I know!

Thanks for the replies ladies.

I think stress is my major trigger too, but the condition itself stresses me out so I end up in a massive stressed-out cycle.

Could you describe your 'flare-ups'? For me it feels like the skin is burning and on fire! I am currently sitting in front of a fan and it will still not stop! Usually I range from being pale to having a bit of pinkness in my cheeks, but this is something else all together.

I have only been taking the antibiotics for a week or so. I have taken them before on occasion with no problem so I doubt this is a reaction to them.

I have to go out and meet my mother for lunch soon, and I just feel like hiding myself away and crying! I know that sounds pathetic. I should consider myself lucky really, considering this is the only real problem I have. Sigh. xxxx

My flare ups used to feel like ants on fire were crawling under my skin, this gave me panic attacks which did not help.

You need to take the antibiotics long term, I think I took mine for a few months. But do change antibiotics if they are not working, rosacea can completely go away if you get the right one for you.

I vividly remember meeting my mother for lunch when I had the most terrible flare up, I cried as soon as I saw her. It was a horrible time for me so you don't sound pathetic at all OP. Hope you managed to have a nice day.

Spray cold green tea onto your face, it's very calming?

I know you said you don't sit in the sun, but be careful and ensure you wear some sun protection, even walking around. cyclines are prone to make you photosensitive. I found that out when I sat in the sun and felt my skin prickling as though thousands of pins were being pushed into the skin.

My flare ups were redness on cheeks near my nose, and mountainous spots of puss - not nice. I have tried to compensate for this by wearing something distracting when I went out hoping people would not look at my face