Rosacea, just the worst ever - please help

[goofygoober]

I've had rosacea for around 6 years. It's never clear and sometimes very angry with very sore, red lumps. I am bf my baby, so anti biotics aren't an option. I've tried researching it and I don't have a clue what my triggers are. I don't drink alcohol, rarely eat spicy food, stay out of sun. I have high anxiety and crippling self-consciousness Some days I can't even bear to mix with anyone because it is just hideous. It's also very painful. Please, can anyone advise me of anything I can try? I am so grateful for any tips.

I'm sorry you're going through this. I think Lisa Eldridge has a video, hang on.....
Yup, here you go video
I'm sure someone more helpful will be along shortly.....
Hope it clears up soon.

I would start by going to the GP. Treatment does not need to be antibiotics. I developed rosacea while pregnant whilst avoiding most of the so called triggers. I suffered for years before finally seeing my doctor. He was an old grump too but could not have been more sympathetic. I really wish I went earlier.
My rosacea is under control right now but what works for one doesn't necessarily work for others. Search the web as there is a lot of support groups and advice out there.

How old is your baby? if there are antibiotic treatments that are known to be effective then why don't you stop BFing and use them? I know BF is best and all that, but seriously, how miserable are you prepared to allow yourself to be, just to keep on BFing? Is it worth it?

Have you tried aloe vera? It's seems to be a wonder cure for eczema so it's got to be worth a try.

Hi op
I used to suffer dreadfully with rosacea but it's now calm and comfortable despite looking a bit pink now & then.
I spend literally thousands on every conceivable product but narrowed it down to:
Cetaphil gentle Skin cleanser (at boots - in pharmacy section - or online)
Cetaphil moisturiser (in tube)
Estée lauder double wear foundation

Good luck - rosacea is really upsetting

It's a crappy condition isn't it? Mine gets worse with stress and anxiety too... and I have GAD. I find the clinique redness solutions range works better than anything. I went to the GP and got some cream that made it sting like the bejeesus.
Having suffered for about 9 yrs with it, the thing that seems to work best is to eat an anti-inflammatory/candida fighting diet. This includes loads of veg and nuts and healthy fats, some fruit and grains and fish. Low on the meat and chicken. No dairy, sugar, processed food or alcohol. This is just not realistic for me at the moment but I am trying a modified version that has some alcohol and dairy. This could be tricky if you're breastfeeding. Your hormones might be going a bit doolally which could be making it worse at the moment.
Sorry, I'm probably not being much help at all. Everyone seems to be different when it comes to treatments that work, I'd try your gp first.
Good luck

I use Avene Extremely Gentle Cleanser, and Avene Skin Recovery cream, very calming and soothing.
And Bare minerals or Lily Lolo foundation.
But I think you need to see your doctor if it is really bad and get some serious treatment first.

It sucks!! You can use Finacea gel or cream whilst BFing. It's good for helping both spots and redness as well as that very sore feeling on your skin. Makes skin texture more normal.

You could try metrogel but I don't recall if it's ok when BF. And not many find it useful but worth a shot.

Dermalex cream helps soothe that burning feeling too.

Try everything suggested on thread one by one. It's so individual what actually works.

I don't have food triggers either. In fact I couldn't tell you what makes mine worse. It isn't sunshine either. Although strong cold wind does burn.

Avoid makeup with too many ingredients. Try a simple mineral make up with 3/4 ingredients. Might help the spots.

Also bear in mind acne can coexist with rosacea (great). So it could be both. Finacea works on both. I do recommend giving that a go. And apply over a moisturiser at first it it will sting until your skin is used to it.

I used to have this so you have my sympathies.

I found that avoiding the following helps: stress, sunlight, hot drinks, alcohol, spicy food, hot food, wind, the cold, caffein and sugar. So pretty much everything that makes life worth living!

I used a low level topical treatment prescribed by my GP which she also suggested for treatment of mild acne too. It worked. It was a mild peroxide solution.

I also found that very gentle exfoliation twice a week helped enormously too, followed by a face mask and moisturiser. A lot of it was trial and error though. It seemed to stop completely when I had laser treatment for spider veins on my nose.

Goodness, thank you all so much for your responses! I'm going to work my way through each point and see what works. I feel better simply having some options and some sympathy, as often friends or DH will say that they don't notice it (believe me, you'd look at me twice because of it). I am going to see what works one by one, and try not to get too worked up - somehow. Thanks again X

Have you tried a zinc supplement? This cleared mine up for a while. I also apply sudocream at night which is zinc based. Though mine has flared up again now and I have concluded it's stress related.

I found that regular (2x daily) use of a Clarisonic, using the Clarisonic Refreshing Gel cleanser) and following with anti-rosacea medication from a dermatologist, got completely to the bottom of it and it has never returned.

There are antibiotics which are compatible with BF. I took a couple of kinds for mastitis, and the advice was to go on feeding meanwhile. Might be worth discussing the options with your GP? Sympathies, I have a bit of rosacea too and it's a pain.

I've managed to get an appointment to see the doctor this week, hoping for any sort of improvement. I'm not able to give up bf just yet, but I will ask about the anti-biotics. I took a mild dose following dental work and they dramatically improved my skin. Failing that, I shall try each of the other tips you gave me. Thank you all

I've recently started using finacea and, fingers crossed, it really seems to be making a difference.

I also second the Avene recommendations above.

FWIW, I found the clarisonic the worst thing ever on my skin - my over zealous twice a day regime coincided with the start of my rosacea.

I am struggling to find a sunscreen that doesn't make me flare up - I am dreading summer as the sun makes my skin really bad and sunscreen even worse.

Sorry to hear about his. I can really sympathise. Mine flares up with stress and dairy was real trigger whilst I still ate it.

If I'm having a flare-up, the thing I find helps the most at the time the bumps start to appear is cooling the area with ice cubes wrapped in a plastic bag. makes it less sore and reduces the duration of the attack.

On a day to day basis, since I started started smoothing a little organic castor oil on the areas most frequently affected (after cleansing/toning/serum but before moisturiser). Just a tiny, tiny dabs really, but it has really reduced the ongoing redness and also the frequency of flare ups. I use the fushi one

I am under the impression that some forms of rosacea are being treated with an insecticide as it is considered an over population of the Demodex mite that naturally lives in our eyebrows and eyelashes. There may be nothing licensed for use yet but I heard a news report on the radio a few weeks ago about this and would explain why it's hard to treat.

The Demodex theory of rosacea is what led me to try very thorough cleansing (Clarisonic).

Yup, frumina and bonsoir demodex theory prompted the use of the castor oil- natural insecticide.

I think you could use a tea tree product to similar effect- it certainly works to eradicate demodex based blepharitus
articles by optometrists on treating demodex blepharitus here and [[http://optometrytimes.modernmedicine.com/optometrytimes/content/tags/blephex/different-approach-treating-demodex-blepharitis?page=full here]]. Interestingly, one of the things they look for when they suspect demodex caused blepharitus is whether the patient also has rosacea.

Watching with interest, I'm so fed up with having crap skin. Have just started antibiotics and they make me feel so sick I'm not sure I can keep taking them. Has anyone been referred to a dermatologist for rosacea?

There are do many different types of Rosacea, I think that's why it's a difficult condition to treat.

Mine came on in my late teens and I have never been able to sort it really even though I've had lots of laser treatment over the years and tried every diet and lotion.

I get burning hot cheeks. Mainly brought on by tiredness/ activity/ heat and cold/ food/ alcohol/ stress/ emotions. If I sit on my backside all day my face is absolutely fine. If I'm active then it flares in the late afternoon/evening. I used to get terrible acne too but this has gone since the birth of my son.

I have found that I can control it to an extent with diet but my god it's difficult to be so strict. Low carb, no sugar, small portions. If my blood sugar stays balanced it definitely helps.

I wish I could tell you what will clear it up but like I said, I've just learnt to live with it to a certain extent.

Thanks for the articles on demodex theory. Both my mother and I have rosacea and blepharitis. Very interesting.

I was treated by a dermatologist abroad for demodex infestation which had been causing me to have noticeable rosacea for years. Since then my skin hasn't caused me any issues. I can even use normal products, creams etc Well worth finding a dermatologist who is well versed on this topic.

I thought it was well known that this is caused by a mite that lives on your skin, crawls out at night to mate and when it dies it releases a bacteria that you are sensitive to triggering inflammation and infection.

I'm surprised that you haven't gone to your Gp and got a dermatologist appointment. No one should have to suffer with rosacea. It's god awful to have bad skin on your face especially - saps confidence.

There are treatments now to kill off the populations of these dermodex mites. There's a drug called invermectin that's going to be licensed in the UK to get rid of it.

Try and contact Dr Nick lowe, of londons cranley clinic, if your Gp doesn't know anything or is stalling you with A/Bs.
He seems to know what the most up to date research is.