Steroid rosacea- What is working/worked for you?
Joined: 07 Jan 2008
| Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 2:27 am Post subject: Steroid rosacea- What is working/worked for you? | |
| On Sarah's (Phlika29) recommendation, I'd thought I'd start this thread.
Check out the link below, see if there is a photo that looks like your steroid rosacea or steroid induced skin problems. List things that worked for you in dealing with the healing process. http://dermnetnz.org/acne/steroid-rosacea.html I'll go first! Mine looks most like the far left photo in the bottom row. I guess it's not technically steroid rosacea, but in the "other" category for what steroids on the face can do to your skin! My skin was very red/inflammed/burning/stinging/itching/flaking. Now it is still flaking but not quite as red. I had swelling in the areas affected as well as swelling of the eyes. That seems to be calming down a bit now, too. Over the past month I was on Prednisone for three week as well as a few antihistamines. This is what I'm doing now: Cleanser- Cetaphil twice/day Moisturizer- Eucerin Original Cream (in the tub) and Atopiclair 2x/day(prescription only) Antihistamines- Claritin and Zantac 150 in the am Atarax 25 mg at night as needed, switching to Xyal tomorrow, and hopefully getting off Claritin and Atarax and only using Zantac in the am an Xyzal at night. I'm still a long way from being healed, but the Eucerin and Atopiclair have really helped with the flaking and itching. I might try Elidel or Protopic in a couple weeks to see if it helps with the redness. ~J |
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Joined: 11 Nov 2007
| Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:58 pm Post subject: | |
| I have been going through the withdrawal process for about four months now. It is a living nightmare, but my condition has improved with time. I am currently using Hylira as a moisturizer. It has a cooling sensation that often calms my flush almost immediately. I am also on doxycycline twice a day for inflammation and for those nasty bumps. Otherwise, the only thing that I can really do is wait.
I have tried elidel and metrogel. Elidel caused my eyes to burn and water so badly that I had to quit using it. My face was also very red when I used this cream and did not improve. As for the metrogel, that was like putting lava on my face. When you are in this condition, less is more. I often wash with only water and just use Hylira. I was given something to spot treat the bumps on my face, but it does cause irritation. So, I wouldn't slather those kinds of medications on my face for the time being. The swelling, burning, flushing, and itching will improve. My face is still quite red and I have breakouts of my cheeks and chin. Yet, I would rather have that then the around the clock burning and painful flushing that I was experiencing. I've found that the swelling around my eyes resolved after a few weeks. I have only seen swelling in my cheeks after an extended bout of flushing, which has not occurred in awhile. As for the flaking and itching, I still have times when my skin feels dry and rough. A good moisturizer will help, but don't expect it to disappear overnight. |
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Joined: 07 Jan 2008
| Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:42 pm Post subject: | |||
I'm sorry you've been going through this for four months, but I'm glad to hear you're improving- it gives me hope! I'm only about a month in, and I am still having a lot of trouble with itching/flaking. It's torture! I also found that the swelling resolved after a week or two. I still have some mornings where my eyes are little puffy underneath, but for the most part it's stopped. The burning has subsided a lot for me, it's just the stupid itching that gets me the most. The flaking has gotten better with the Eucering cream, but I still get dry. I haven't had any p&p's, which is why my derm said it's not rosacea. Whatever it is, it's from the steroids, and I have so many of the symptoms that people here have with steroid rosacea, minus the p&p's, so I think this must be what I have! Hope you continue to improve. ~J |
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Joined: 11 Nov 2007
| Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 3:58 am Post subject: | |
| I did not have bumps at first, but they eventually formed on my cheeks and chin. There are those who do not have the papules and pustules from steroids, but still have the burning, flaking, etc. The skin has become very fragile from the steroids and must be allowed to heal. I guess this is a time when patience is truly a virtue. | |
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