cliradex and demodex persistent itching

[yarnoz]

I suffer from mild MGD and dry eye as well as some Rosacea. Dr. Tseng found a mild presence of Demodex (24/8) and prescribed tea tree oil in Cliradex toweletes. They burn when used in the eye lid edges but that sensation disappear in about one minute. However, there remains a persistent itching around the eyelids and some burning. I am only in my tenth day of application. Is this common? Will it improve once the Demodex population diminishes. Any users who can help with experience with this treatment and suggestions?
I have been suffering for one year and the discovery of Demodex was a new twist. There are no cornea problems.
Thanks.

[littlemermaid]

Hi Yarnoz, Dr Tseng probably said most adults have demodex on the skin but the eye docs are thinking they go into overgrowth when there's an opportunity. We are similar, dealing with - mgd, dry eye, acne rosacea. We are using TTO solution and the eyes and skin are looking better, but our ophth says that with rosacea we need to watch for increased sensitivity to TTO so after TTO cleaning 2/day for 4 wk, he reduced to 1/week for maintenance. I'm still looking at the lifecycle of the little blighters to see if this will work long term. He also says we need to look out for TTO toxicity on the eye surface. I was expecting burning with sensitive rosacea eyes but we haven't had it - we are using TTO shampoo solution 1:50. We haven't got access to Cliradex but do you think it's the base or the TTO that burns? I can't see how it could be demodex making you itch and burn.

[yarnoz]

Thanks for the comments Littlemermaid. Cliradex is made form the active component in tee tree oil, not whole tee tree oil. I do not get the burning/itching in other parts of the face, nose, eyebrows or forehead. When Demodex die they release B. Oleronius with its immuno- irritant proteins. If this is the case, it sounds logic that in the regions where they are dying there will be irritation. My question is specific as to whether somebody has responded they way I do to Cliradex. This treatment of twice a day with just the toweletes impregnated with 5% terpinen-4-ol is new in the market and I may be one of the first patient to go through, even though the Cliradex cream has been out a little bet longer.

[hankm9]

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[NanaDejavu]

I suffer from mild MGD and dry eye as well as some Rosacea. Dr. Tseng found a mild presence of Demodex (24/8) and prescribed tea tree oil in Cliradex toweletes. They burn when used in the eye lid edges but that sensation disappear in about one minute. However, there remains a persistent itching around the eyelids and some burning. I am only in my tenth day of application. Is this common? Will it improve once the Demodex population diminishes. Any users who can help with experience with this treatment and suggestions?
I have been suffering for one year and the discovery of Demodex was a new twist. There are no cornea problems.
Thanks.

Hello yarnoz..I've just started using Cliradex and would be happy to share my experience. First of all, I have been reading about Dr. Tseng and Dr.Safran and using tea tree oil scrubs made with macademia oil and tea tree with no success at all, except burning eyes. I wasn't expecting anything different from Cliradex so I only purchased two boxes. The first use was dramatic..burning and redness. I was sure it was an allergic reaction. Like you, within a minute the burning disappeared and my eyes felt cool and refreshed, all redness and itching gone. The second use there was almost on reaction at all. It's been three days and my eyes are the most normal and comfortable they've been in months. I'm wondering if the first reaction was a massive massacre of demodex? Because it never happened again and although I still have an itchy bump under one eyebrow, my lids and lashes are smooth and clear..it's like some sort of miracle. I'm now cleansing my face with the pads too and going back to get a few more boxes. I really "scrub" my lashes and lid margins..it's been a while since your post, wondering how you're doing now?

[NanaDejavu]

I'm also looking into having the original 5% cream compounded..have you had any luck with that? I realize I'm responding to old posts but wonder how you and yarnoz are doing now? I have ocular rosacea and have had great success with Cliradex but now would love to have the cream to maintain my now clear skin.

[NotADryEye]

I've been on Cliradex for quite a few months. Have had to reduce to 1/day because of extreme sensitivity and am now down to 1/week, for the same reason.
Have not had itching. Itching is usually a sign of allergies. You may be allergic to the Cliradex or something else.

Don't scrub too hard. If you rub too hard you can irritate the delicate skin. Just rub hard enough to get the goop on.

Some of the towlettes have more moisture then others. It's sometimes hard to get enough medication on the lashes when the towlettes are dryer and you are tempted to rub too hard. I've squeezed out some of the goop and applied to the lashes with my fingers when the towlettes are dry. But you have to be ever so careful not to get too much on otherwise it seeps into your eyes.

[littlemermaid]

We have tried Cliradex but looking at the ingredients, we've done just as well on our Paediatric Ophthalmologist suggestion as an eyelid margin cleaner - 1 part in 50 tea tree shampoo in warm water.

Reading what Dr Tseng and others are saying, it's not enough just to clean the eyelid margins, but we need to use it around the eye area. We've done well on acne rosacea using mild TTO face and hair products eg Body Shop. The Ophth thinks it's all looking good.

We cleaned daily for 2wk, then reduced to maybe 2 or 3/wk to avoid sensitivities. Plus washed hair with TTO shampoo maybe 1/wk.

Alternating various mild products generally eg shampoos, antibacterials and moisturisers has helped avoid rosacea sensitivity starting, and heal things. We also use an anti-dandruff shampoo on hair only maybe 1/wk, which seems to help.

It's noticeable if we don't do this routine, and the eyes and skin get worse. Ophth is pleased. Very grateful to Dr Tseng and company for producing Cliradex, and we like it, and it's a relief to have an ophthalmic product, but people can do well on low-cost solutions, as we have.

The key has been: what makes it better/worse (rather than pressing on with a regime that's causing more problems).

[NanaDejavu]

Noticed the uneven amount of lotion on the towelettes..I sometimes have to scrape it off the inside of the envelope and then put it on my face with my fingers. I have been cleansing my whole face with the towelettes and am sure this helps my rosacea. In my case, the itching is like hives or mosquito bites and only in my eye socket..pretty sure it's demodex, especially since after a dose of Stromectol, it's gone.
It's amazing how much better Cliradex works for me than my former attempts with 50% TTO and 50% macademia.

[NotADryEye]

50% TTO is a very strong solution. If you try making it yourself try something less strong. 5% or 10%, for example. I seem to be able to tolerate the Cliradex better, but even that over time has become too intense. And yes, cleaning more than the base of the lashes definitely helps.

A dermatologist told me that about 5-10 years ago studies of demodex and rosacea were inconclusive i.e. do the demodox cause rosacea or are the demodex more prevalent because of the rosacea. And so the pursuit of a treatment for demodex was dropped. But to me this sounds like a half study. Just because the results weren't conclusive doesn't mean demodex don't cause rosacea.

And here on the ophth side were know that demodex causes all sorts of problems and can see the results when we treat them. Go figure.

[NanaDejavu]

It amazes me that most of the research seems to have been done outside the US. And in fact, at least two of the derms I've seen weren't clear about demodex at all. One referred to it as "flora" when surely it would be "fauna"..and the other said she didn't want to bother with a scraping because demodex "couldn't be seen under a microscope" and we all know that's not true. In any case, for me Cliradex works so much better than anything else, it's now the only product I use on my eyes. And it's not imagination. The white bumps which the ophth said were blocked glands were 95% cleared after two days of use..and they'd been there for many months. Not cured but so much better I'm going to be fitted for contacts to wear occasionally. Glasses on my nose seem to irritate rosacea to the point where I need to keep taking them off. Probably because the skin around my eyes is always a bit swollen.
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