Does anyone have Rosacea??

[getmeouttahere]

I have just been diagnosed with Rosacea by my GP.

I noticed a couple of months ago that my nose was quite spotty and red. I am 42 and always had good skin, never suffered with spots even as a teenager. DH found it highly amusing and said "have you been at that red wine again ?"

Anyway, the Dr has prescribed Zineryt which is a lotion consisting of zinc and erythromycin which is an antibiotic.

Anyone any experience?

My husband has also been diagnosed with it.

He was in his early 40s, and was told that he'd need medication for life to avoid disfigurement!!

He has a load of things to take, topical creams, antibiotics and so on, and we've also found the dermaolgica skin wash to be really effective.

Thanks Truly

It is hardly life-threatening is it, but has potential to be very unsightly and not good for my rather vain self esteem .

I've had it since I was a baby, but it only manifests as some redness and a reaction to just about everything. I've never taken anything specific, but am very very careful with the cosmetics I use.

It's definitely better when I'm off (or on limited) caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, etc.

my mum suffers with it and shes told me it flares up in strong sunlight and when its windy. I know she takes some form of tablets but not sure what they are. Like IB she is really careful with cosmetics etc

your MUM shelley ???

WAHHHHHHH !!!

yes my mum.

Sorry, just made me feel old there {sad]

I wouldnt feel old my mums older than you are

I think diet is the best way to control it if possible. My dad and older brother both get rosacea and with both of them it gets worse when stressed, drinking too much or eating too much crap. My brother is on a health kick at the moment and his skin is much better. He has also found putting an aloe vera product on it has helped too.

I'm 30 and have been suffering with it for the last 2 years and when I say suffering I mean it quite literally. It covers the whole of the right side of my face from just below my eye socket down to about an inch above my jaw line. Not only is it often bright red but sore and itchy with pustules that form underneath the skin, thse even sometimes bleed. I was prescribed an antibiotic gel (rosex) which I still use but the improvement was only minimal. About a month ago I was prescribed tetralysal oral antibiotics and the improvement has been amazing. In fact if I carefully apply my makeup with a foundation brush and layer it gradually it looks like I'm just wearing a bit of blush now whereas before I sometimes wouldn't want to leave the house (don't want to sound vain, I know there are people who suffer more than me with perhaps burns or birth marks but I can't help feeling down when I look in the mirror sometimes). I think the thing is with rosacea, and I think acne sufferers are probably the same, the sufferer always thinks it looks worse than other people do because people are their own worst critics.

Your hubby may have a point with the red wine comment as apparently it is a trigger along with vinegar and spicy foods but tell him that it doesn't stop you from cracking open the white

Anyway sorry for the ramble.....follow the following link. This website is the one recommended by my gp after he slapped my wrists once for googling too much....he lets his patients use this one.

www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23068815/

I was diagnosed in my early 30s with this.
I needed some oral antibiotics to clear up the worst of it, but now i just use Rosex cream. This was less drying than the gel for me, and didnt flake under make up. I also use mineral make ups and have to be really careful what poducts I use.
Triggers for me are red wine (although other alcohols can do it, red wine is worst), hot drinks, sunny days (wear a sun screen and hat a LOT), windy days, spicy food, really cold frosty days, hot baths, excercising.
It's horrible and makes me so self conscious!

Thanks for that ramble worrybum. Yours sounds worse than mine, the red bumps are confined to my nose at the moment. Hopefully we have stopped it getting any worse. I agree we are our own worse critics, but then I am particularly vain

My GP said if the lotion didn't improve things that he would put me on oral antibiotics.

Thanks all for your thoughts.

I think WB's right - my dh is always far more conscious of it than anyone else. he says it can get quite painful, with pustules that bleed and have loads of puss in (nice!). He's just been prescribed a new antibiotic because his old one reacts with sunlight and makes the condition worse. Unfortunately this antibiotic means he cannot drink at ALL - and we live in Burgundy!

TMD, I totally sympathise with your DH. Mine has a tendency to become papopustular too, and I have been left with some threadveins on my cheeks.

Hi, I just wanted to say I suffered for many many years with what I thought was rosacea and was told by my GP, my school years were awful and at onepoint my teacher thought I was glue sniffing as it was so bad. It had come from the side of my nose all the way down to my chin my (as if in a goatie style beard) it was bright red, dry, itchy and pus like spots under the skin. This went on for many years and eventually just cleared up although every now and again I would experience a redness around my nose or on my chin even now the skin on my nose is very sensitive. When I was pregnant with my second child I refused to go to work because I had a massive flair up and was so conscious of it, awfully vain, but it is a horrible horrible condition. It was at this point my brither was in New Zealand and also suffered with this but not to the same degree as me and he had just been told it was not rosacea but Peri oral dermatitis, before I found this out I had already paid to go to Bupa and see a dermatologist who diagnosed the same, it seemed like a weight had been lifted and I finally knew what it was and that it would clear up, although it may come back I knew how to treat it. I was prescribed Tetracylcine in oral form and havent had to use it for 5 years now. I just wanted to explain what I had in case it helps anyone who is experiencing anything similar because I am aware just how much it can effect your life.

hi, i think i might have rosacea but im not sure. i have had since i were a teenager a red nose with spots also that sometimes weep...the redness is permanent now and gets worse when it gets cold.i wont even answer the door without foundation and powder! my mum had rosacea so i guess it could be it. i might make an appointment with my gp, but dont want to go to the surgery without makeup ill scare everyone off! lol

I think I've got it as I have bad spots on my cheeks and they refuse to go away and they can get VERY red, especially in cold wind!
My mum has it and it started when she was in her 40s (same as me)
But I think it is the price (in my case) for having no spots as a teenager.
They only came along in my 20s!

There are a number of us on MN! Several threads. I've always been a bit 'flushy' and started to get a bit worse in my 30s. I use rosex cream and sunscreen and avoid obvious triggers - red wine and beer, and hot drinks (let them cool) and (if possible) hot rooms. For some reason I can get away with spicy food, also chilled white wine generally okay, unless I'm in an overheated restaurant or pub. It is a PITA, but it is generally manageable once its been diagnosed.

for me its the thread veins i have now that are the worst. i really hate them. and i live in a hot country so that just exacerbates it. i have found though that being very careful with what products i use and my diet does make a difference. i dont have caffeine, nicotine or drink alcohol and use mineral makeup. i also hate how in photos i have reverse panda eyes. like i have been suntanning with sunglasses on.

Help please. I am an old Mum and have developed Rosacea in my 60s. Quite a shock. I have had gel from the doctor which has worked previously but not now. The worst part is the area in the crease on each side of my nose which is bright red, scaling and crusting. Horrid. I am trying everything at the moment and probably making it worse. I do also have some spots and the odd bump. The patch all around my nose is red. Looking back at photos I can see that I have had a red nose for a number if years but the nasty spots and the peeling and crusting at the side of my nose are relatively new. Does anybody have any ideas for what to use to help and to cover it up when I go out.