Perioral dermatitis

[yasxcat]

So I'm pretty sure I've got perioral dermatitis.

I've had it before and it went away on it's own after trying herbal tablets and Caneston as well as other antimicrobial creams.

This time I'm pregnant and it's not going away. I've ordered antifungal creams online to avoid going to the doctors as they are hopeless.

I've read up loads on perioral dermatitis. I've been taking probiotics too this time but no luck and it's been months now.

Seems like the only thing left to try is antibiotics or topical antibiotics. So I called the doctors this morning and got an appointment. As soon as I said perioral dermatitis she kind of laughed at me and said oh have you been looking online. (Don't think she'd heard of it by her reaction, as if I was challenging her) Then said she'd prescribe me hydrocortisone cream. I knew that was coming! I did say I'd read that this was going to make it worse but she said oh I've been working in dermatology and pharmacists are reluctant to give hydrocortisone out but in her experience it works great.

I didn't want to argue with her so just said thanks and took the prescription. But now don't even want to use it. Should I just go online and purchase the topical antibiotic cream? I seen I can order Fucidin on the online pharmacy. (Also read make sure it's not fucidin H as that has hydrocortisone in with it)

Just hate going to the doctors about this as it's always as if they take offence when you don't agree with them. I've put on the hydrocortisone cream a few hours ago but not going to use it again going by the amount of info online warning people with PD to avoid it.

Any advice is greatly appreciated thanks.

Well, you know not to use that hydrocortisone!

I suffer on and off. Daktarin gold really helps, but tbh, it doesn't shift it.

When it's at the drier stage, I really rate the la Roche posay toleraine to help. But not till it's at the drier stage.

Daktarin is what I've been using. It does seem to help if I only use a tiny bit consistently but as soon as I stop using it it comes back worse.

Think I'm definitely going to try the topical antibiotic as heard lots of good things about it clearing it up.

I'll also need to try the la Roche posay too thank you.

I had this on-off for months, it really knocked my confidence and was so frustrating. I found that the only thing that shifted it was zerobase emollient? I used to cover mouth and chin with it at night (really generously). It worked so well for me that I now keep a little tube in my handbag and chuck some on at the first sign of it returning and it’s kept totally at bay. Might be worth a try?

Brilliant thanks I'll order some of that too.

Don't use hydrocortisone on your face - it actually causes the little blisters and red patches. I struggled with this for three years using HC and it finally went away in three weeks after I stopped using it.

I would absolutely swear by dermol cream/lotion (I prefer the texture of the lotion). You can buy it in big bottles from the pharmacy and it is brilliant stuff. It is antimicrobial and is designed for 'good patient compliance' according to the nurse practitioner's dermatology catalogue. That means it doesn't smell, has a light texture, works as a really decent moisturiser and doesn't cause any other problems eg blocked pores. It helps to soothe the itching/burning of the spots and means you are less likely to pick at them.

I don't know whether it actually cured mine or just made it feel better while nature did it's work but I would recommend it to anyone as it does no harm and seems to do good.

Just thinking out loud here so it may be rubbish. It sounds like you're saying perioral dermatitis may be caused by a fungal infection? If this is the case then I have recently discovered that the vast majority of moisturisers, including gentle unperfumed ones, contain fatty acids chains of a length that 'feed' fungus and make the irritation worse. I had been using Aveeno on my face for seborrheic dermatitis (fungal) for years combined with anti-fungal cream and hydrocortisone and it never got better, just went through cycles. I found a moisturiser in the baby section that contained a shorter length fatty acid chain and within a couple of days it was 80% better and stayed that way. If you think it's worth a try, this website about seb derm talks about fungal infection on the face and how to choose a moisturiser that doesn't contain ingredients that will make it worse.

www.dandruffdeconstructed.com/treat-facial-seborrheic-dermatitis/

Brilliant thank you.

Yeah definitely not going to use the HC. The doctor prescribed me a moisturiser but can't remember what it was called. I've to collect it tomorrow as wasn't in stock so will see if it's any good. If not I'll have a go with the one you suggested. Thanks.

Lanishouselot..

That's really interting I had no idea some creams could encourage fungal growth. I'm not certain PD is caused by fungal infections as there isn't too much definitive knowledge about it yet but it's definitely within the list of possible causes. I'll need to have a look on that website though thank you.

Also what was the baby moisturiser you found called if you don't mind me asking? Thanks.

It was one made by CeraVe called Bebe moisturising lotion, but I bought it abroad and haven't got round to looking to see if it's available in the UK yet. Caprylic/capric triglyceride was the key ingredient though.

Try head and shoulders shampoo for washing your face twice a day with when it’s really bad and your hair with a couple times a month. It’s the same anti fungal properties and really helps me - my dermatologist told me that and it does help. It’s horrible, hope you get some relief from it.

Make sure you are not using any products with SLS in it, especially toothpaste. I cut out SLS and it cleared pretty soon.

My daughter had this and hc cream definitely made it worse. I'm not sure what made it finally go away, I think we just left it alone.

She's sensitive to toothpaste so we have to make sure we wash her face properly after brushing her teeth and she hasn't had it again

I thankfully got diagnosed by a brilliant gp. He gave me 6 weeks of mild antibiotics and cold turkey on steroids. The other thing that really helped though was zinc. I got pure zinc powder online and made into paste with water. I read about it on the online support groups. When I stopped the hydrocortisone cream, the rash initially spread over my entire face in reaction. It didn't last long though. The antibiotics dose was really small from memory.

Oh and I also ditched all my make up for minerals (bare minerals and lily lo). I ditched boots number 7 face cream for la Roche posay

I got rid of mine by using an acid toner (either salicylic or glycolic) and sls free toothpaste. And sls free shampoo.

The toners were Johnson and Johnson clean and clear lotion or Superdrug radiant toner.

Apple cider vinegar was another thing people swore by.
But the zinc based creams were best for me. Avene was another brand.

Thanks everyone. Lots of brilliant info and things to try.

I always thought mines can't be linked to toothpaste as it always started around my nose but you never know it's worth a try so I'll definitely switch that too.

It’s worth a try. I got mine from Green people.

Be very careful with moisturisers etc. My son had this and the gp (also background in dermatology) told us to avoid any moisturisers and any scented products as they can cause it or make it worse. The only thing that shifted it for him was zineryt lotion which worked so quickly after him having it for months.

I was prescribed an antibiotic cream plus a really greasy moisturiser for mine, possibly epaderm ointment?

Just googled zineryt lotion. Looks like a good antibiotic topical. I've just ordered the fucidin one but will give the zineryt a go if it doesn't work.

Ooh yes, I had zineryt once and it was magic. Absolutely couldn't be arsed to get an appt for it the second time though and dermol did the same job and I got it from Tesco.

Gosh this is giving me flashbacks - had this badly in my twenties and recognise so much of what you’re all describing including the spreading/flaring when trying to come off steroid creams. Also had three months on pretty powerful antibiotics and it just came back afterwards.

What shifted it for me finally was an anti-candida diet (lots online but basically no sugar at all - I was pretty hardcore as desperate by then); I also used ‘natural’ toothpaste to avoid SLS, and applied tea tree oil topically to dry it out - sparingly at first.

I believe daily meditation also helped me - it took the ‘flare’ out of it. But I know not everyone’s up for that!