Help with rosacea

[scuttlemama]

Hi all,

My DP has rosacea and has been taking oxytetracycline (an antibiotic) for 10+ years now. He is having some tummy troubles (lots of toilet trips) and although the rosacea is under control, neither of us think this is the best way to continue.

Does anyone have any suggestions of alternative therapies, face washes / creams etc?

I’m really grateful for any suggestions.

Ask the GP for Soolantra cream - it contains ivermectin, commonly used as a mite treatment for sheep (!). It pretty much got rid of my pustular rosacea, but what really seems to have cleared it up is cutting right back on sugar.

High factor 50+ suncream every single day without fail works for me. Even if I'm indoors and go near the window without suncream I'll get a flare up.

If he's been on oxytetracycline for all this time then he might also need to reset the bacteria in his gut with a course of probiotics - I was recommended kefir by a friend and have taken it ever since. (I really, really loved the pearly skin I had when on oxytetracycline but like your DP, I just didn't think long term AB use was a good idea.)

I have had Rosacea for about 20 years, was prescribed Soolantra it has been life changing. I was prescribed antibiotics again at the same time, lymecycline, but haven’t needed to use them.

I used Purple Emu Redness and Blemish Control after various antibiotics had no effect. It cleared up the rosacea, which I'd had for several years, and it has never reoccured.

Soolantra seems to have really good clinical results, but don't think was available at the time.

Thank you all so much for the replies. Next time he needs to go to the doctors he’s going to ask if he can try Soolantra.

He is very uneasy about trying creams as years ago something made it worse but it’s got to be worth a try rather than be on an antibiotic for even longer.

What’s started this chat is I popped in to a local health food type shop and I ended up mentioning the antibiotics; theguy reeled off various side effects and my DP has a lot of them. He’s been taking a probiotic now the last few days so hopefully he’s now sort of on the right track.

Hi, iv had the rosacea with pustules and oxytetracycline gets rid of it but then it kept coming back as my gp wouldn't let me take the antibiotics continuously. I'm now clear and using sulphur soap and ointment. Really cheap to buy too. Have taken antibiotics since February.
Iv also been recommended efracea (doxycycline) but my GP wouldn't give me this. Apparently its a low dose antibiotic for rosacea and doesn't cause the side effects. You can go on it indefinitely. I'm on a FB group for rosacea and get lots of info from there.

Sorry meant to say that I haven’t taken oxytetracycline since February

I had to Google pustules as I didn’t know what that was but that’s exactly what he has on his face when the tablets aren’t working / he doesn’t take them for a couple of days. I think it’s a vicious circle, but hopefully if he can try some of these suggestions and come off the antibiotics permanently. He hasn’t taken any for a couple of days now but he knows it will flare up soon. Hopefully we can find something from the suggestions that works for him 🤞

DD uses something called Kalme. It's a skincare regime and she also uses a high factor zinc based sun cream every day. Alcohol, spicy food, tomato and citrus seem to make hers worse too.

The cream is based on Caper berries which is the secret apparently.

Might not work for your DH but worth a try I'd say.

here

There are a lot of useful threads in Style and Beauty about rosacea - plenty of great suggestions about skincare, although it's all a bit trial and error, sadly, as what works for some people doesn't for others.