Please help me with my routine

[André Pereira]

Sorry for posting in the middle of the discussion of you. But I am excited about my treatment and I know that many people have dry eye due to ocular rosacea. I started reading some articles and I could see that part of the inflammation that you have is due to the same mechanism that causes inflammation in post-lasik. Uncontrolled inflammatory cytokines.

I read it in this article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9373119

I do a treatment with vitamin D modulates the immune system and balances the production of this substance, thus avoiding the exaggerated inflammation. As demonstrated in this study link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16517748

Anyway, I came in here and posted because I had MUCH success with this treatment and I think he can help other people, and this is a topic that has gathered a lot of people with ocular rosacea. I think it's worth trying.

I'd like to read my topic. http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showt...-Great-Results

Again, apologies for appearing suddenly.

[unicorn]

Thank you to all for your useful and interesting advice.
My rosacea is more of the flushing type - some mild permanent redness around the cheeks and occasionally very mild red bumps. Dry skin. I don't get much 'debris' around the eyes but am cleaning carefully with boiled cooled water & cotton balls daily. I've been using Sterilid gel for the last 10 days or so too, no effects really, adverse or otherwise. (It has tea tree oil in, so good maybe for Demodex? not that I have any evidence I have these)

I have never noticed any sudden flushing after food, unless it's thermally hot or I'm otherwise too hot (winter and central heating is a nightmare). I have been keeping a food diary for the last 3 weeks while excluding all the foods spmcc mentioned above (btw thanks for the food diary link!) - like I say, no improvement, so I think I will start reintroducing them one by one. Don't think I can keep it up for 3 months! Too restrictive. I am keeping my weight up reasonably well so far but it's hard work. I'll continue with the food diary and look for any reactions.

For those of you with food triggers how long did it take to discover them? and was this by an exclusion diet? Do your eyes get worse immediately after eating these triggers or is it a delayed reaction?

The only flushes I really get these days are after a hot bath - but it doesn't seem to make my eyes any worse. Actually my experience is that my eyes are quite often just the same - some slightly better or worse days, but nothing drastic. Just mgd that doesn't seem to be responding to treatment I don't really have eye pain, 'just' a lot of discomfort, esp in difficult environments (anywhere warm, dry, stuffy, etc).

Not sure if it's relevant, but I tested positive for H Pylori towards the end of last year and took a hefty dose of antibiotics to treat. I have also just been on 100mg of Doxy for the last 12 weeks. I'm taking probiotics to try and re-establish some good bacteria but I should think it'll take a while.

On a more positive note, I have been doing warm compresses for the last couple of days and yesterday was a much better day for me, eye-wise. Oh, and I had salmon for dinner (first time in 3 weeks) and it was bl**dy lovely

[spmcc]

Hi Unicorn,

You could be my sister from another mister! heehee. I also have the flushing type of rosacea, occasional small pustules (NO red papules), and dry skin. I tracked when pustules turned up... like clockwork, it was always the day after a *big* flush or uber-stress. The goals were to minimize flushing (VERY difficult because I even flush when I brush my teeth!) and NEVER get any more pustules.

So, try to track your skin (if that makes sense) and piece together if you experienced a big flush, ate a certain food, etc. the day before. I know that I react (flush) to pretty much all of the foods listed on the NRS website... plus more.

This is easier said than done, but try to reduce dry skin as it can trigger rosacea. Unfortunately, I haven't found a topical that I tolerate (just the act of applying topicals irritates my skin). But perhaps you can hydrate.

Anyway, I know my blood vessels are super-hyperreactive now. I was diagnosed with facial rosacea in the mid-1980s. Back then, people always complimented my youthful, rosy cheeks. But it got worse over the years. So, try to control as much as you can to avoid worsening.

Also, have you considered treating for seborrheic dermatitis too, just to be safe? It just means using medicated shampoos and letting the suds sit/wash over the face. Hot spots for seb derm include behind the ears, nasolabial folds, in the ears, eyebrows. Like you, I don't have visible flakes/debris, but I still treat.

As for H pylori, have you been re-tested to see if it's gone? There has always been chatter about a link between rosacea and gut (incl SIBO, H pylori, etc.). I don't know what I believe... I always lean towards a hyperreactive nervous system affecting the blood vessels. But what do I know?!?

Good luck with everything.
Sheila

[soaps]

This is strange. I assume she agrees that thermally hot and spicy foods trigger rosacea (i.e., cause flushing)? For me, I react (flush) just as quickly to lemons, vinegar, strong cheeses, some tomato dishes and more. On the other hand, my reaction may be a little delayed with foods like avocado, yogurt, and more.

I kept a diary for half a year. Here is a copy just in case it could be useful: [ATTACH]466[/ATTACH].

I figure that every time my face burns with a flush my eyes are getting worse. My diagnosis is ocular rosacea so I assume that's a logical assumption.

Thanks for all the yummy food ideas, LaDiva and Soaps.

Yes, I hope some of this helps you, Unicorn.

Thanks for diary looks great. i don't have facial rosecea diagnosis but very easily flush . i know wat u mean it looks rosy but can b painful like it burns.

yeah dietitian works in a very good allergy intolerance public clinic so umm... i don't know ..
But she was very compassionate and not judgemental which won me over.


Since Im lasik case i am finding that as i slowly begin to heal Im reacting less to food and smell. reaction can b immediate or delayed thats y i prefer to add things slowly to confirm any doubts.

Unicorn : can u soak ur food in oils like macademia oil to add fat. it has low omega 6 which i think is pro inflammatory. also polyjoule powder can b added to foods as a supplement. but best to check with dietitian.

[unicorn]

So, try to track your skin (if that makes sense) and piece together if you experienced a big flush, ate a certain food, etc. the day before. I know that I react (flush) to pretty much all of the foods listed on the NRS website... plus more.

Thank you so much Sheila for your advice. Yes, our skin types do sound very similar! But I don't think I experience quite as much flushing as you. I never really react to food unless it's (thermally) hot and/or I'm in a hot room, am stressed, etc. In the summer I'm usually a lot better and it's mostly only hot baths at the moment that trigger a flush - not a really bad one, either. I'm keeping a food and symptom diary at the moment and will look closely for any reactions. I've had rosacea for about 10-12 years, and having managed to figure out early on what made it better/worse, I haven't got any worse, really. But the eye thing is new - just over a year, probably triggered by an allergy I had to my contact lens solution.

You're right about getting the small pustules when the flushing's been worse for a while - I've noticed that. Topical-wise, the only stuff I've reacted badly to is anything with AHAs in. Otherwise I'm generally fairly tolerant of skin care, although I do always use very gentle products. A nice moisturiser is Oilatum Natural Repair face cream, and I cleanse with homemade oil cleanser. A fantastic thing for when skin is hot and flushed is spritzing with Avene Thermal Water - very cooling and soothing.

I haven't considered seb derm as I don't have obvious symptoms - what shampoos do you use?

Regarding H Pylori, I was retested but the NHS have managed to lose the results despite my GP chasing them up several times! Fingers crossed it's cleared as I never want to take antibiotics that strength again - it was awful.

Unfortunately I got very down and stressed yesterday, was crying most of last night and this morning. Eyes look and feel terrible, and my face is red and blotchy. So it's cold compresses for me today. Rosacea is such a b******!

[spmcc]

Hi Unicorn,

I'm happy that your skin isn't too hyperreactive. Since you can use topicals, if/when needed, you can always try a metronizadole preparation (metrogel, metrocream, metrolotion) which is a first-line treatment for rosacea (along with an oral tetracyclines). I've got a water spritzer which I love, and I'll look for the moisturizer that you recommend.

As for seborrheic dermatitis, dermatologists have told me and other family members to

1) buy bottles of all 5 active ingredients of dandruff/medicated shampoo (e.g., zinc pyrithione, coal tar, selenium sulfide, ketoconazole, salicylic acid -- you can also add a 6th, tea tree oil).

2) cycle one each day - DO NOT skip days - wash EVERY day. To kick start treatment, wash TWICE a day for a week to 10 days.

3) do not use other shampoos (cycling through the medicated shampoos is done to avoid developing resistance to the active ingredients).

4) scrub (yes, scrub) the scalp, behind and in ears, eyebrows - let suds sit on face - let stand for 2 minutes. The goal is to remove debris from all over head and face.

5) avoid perfumes/scents . Because some shampoos (e.g., H&S) have perfumes, you can get an Rx from your derm for a compounded shampoo that is zero-perfume/no scent.

6) you can also get an Rx for higher concentrations of the active ingredient.

I'm sorry about yesterday. Hope it's better today (and tomorrow... and the next day...).
Sheila