Rosacea!

[YadaYadaYada]

Hoping someone out there might be able to help me out. I developed Rosecea during my first pregnancy in 2006. It got so bad I went to a dermatologist who put me on Metrogel which worked great. I wasn't crazy about going prescription so I tried Prosacea which is over the counter and that worked great. I lost 70lbs in 2012 and my skin was totally clear.

Until I got pregnant in 2013 and after having my seconds son it has persisted. Tried the Prosacea to no avail, don't really want to go the prescription route if an alternative might work. I did some reading and some articles indicated Rosacea is linked to an immune disorder, another suggested it is a vascular issue. I'm pretty healthy in that I'm rarely sick, I don't eat any gluten or dairy and I've lost almost 50lbs from my second pregnancy, I thought maybe it could be linked to inflammation and as my weight went down my skin would get better. No such luck.

I'm open to any suggestions or remedies. Thanks for reading.

 

[Scandinavian]

Not really sure if this is helpful, but my skin is very easily irritated, and loves to become red.. Its very sensitive and also prone to acne. For me, using skin care products for sensitive skin helps. You might like to try for example PCA skincare. And be careful with makeup - some brands makes everything worse. Jane Iredale is ok for me, at least. For me - using too strong products makes it worse in the long run. Hope you find some products that help! And if you do, feel free to post them

 

[missy]

Stephanie, I'm sorry you are dealing with this.

I developed rosacea a little over a decade ago though I suspect I had it for much longer before I realized. I have both the flushing/burning type I and the papules of type II. The only treatment (for me) that keeps the paps away is Oracea.

I've tried everything including all topicals but unfortunately my skin is too sensitive to tolerate any of the topicals. Oracea is the only thing that helps keep my face clear. Oracea is 40 mg of timed release doxycycline. So it is works as an anti-inflammatory and is sub microbial and therefore doesn't disturb the bacterial flora and for most is safe to take long term.

There is a relatively new topical called Soolantra that you may want to ask your dermatologist if you can try. They have samples at their office usually and there is a savings card as well to keep the costs down to $25 a month. There has been positive feedback about this topical.

Do you have any other symptoms? Any flushing/burning of your face or eyes? I have lots of experience with rosacea and know a lot about it but unfortunately there is no cure but there are many ways you can keep it under control so don't despair. You have to go through trial and error to figure out what works best for you but here is a short list of shat works for many.

1. cut out as much sugar from your diet as possible and keep away from processed foods. Eat as healthy as possible. Lean protein sources, complex carbs and lots of organic foods. Stay away from the junk and processed foods.

2. cut out whatever you know to be your triggers for rosacea i.e. dairy, chocolate, peanut butter, spicy foods, tomatoes, extreme temps, wind etc.

3. always wear sunscreen whenever you go out and/or a big hat to protect your face from the sun. Many cannot tolerate the chemical sunscreens and use a physical sunscreen i.e. contains zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as their only ingredients. I use Cotz face for sensitive skin and Vanicream for sensitive skin. Both are physical sunblocks vs chemical sunscreens as I cannot tolerate any chemical sunscreen and many with rosacea cannot tolerate those either. Titanium dioxide and Zinc Oxide are usually very gentle and don't cause a reaction for most.

4. Use a minimum of products on your face as most rosaceans have very sensitive skin and less is more and treat your face very gently.

5. when trying a new product try one thing at a time so you know what works and you don't add to much to the mix.

6. be conservative and try the simplest least invasive treatments first.

7. Patience is key with rosacea as treatments may take a long time (i.e. up to 3 months) to show if they are working or not. So if you aren't experiencing a negative reaction to a treatment but not showing any improvement either you may want to give it a few months before you abandon that treatment. Patience and a sense of humor too. Don't let it get you down. It might take time but you will figure it out.

When it is freezing and windy out I wear a face mask to protect my face from the harsh elements as for me (and many others) harsh temps and wind exacerbates the flushing. Just illustrating there are ways to cope no matter what so while there is no cure you will figure it out and be OK. It just might take some time.

Let me know your specific symptoms and maybe there are other recommendations I can share. Please make sure you have/find a good dermatologist who is well versed regarding rosacea. That is key to have a doctor who knows this disease and will work with you to help you find relief.

Good luck and I'm here if I can help you.

 

[azstonie]

Missy you are so kind to post the above. I've been checking in on this thread by Stephanie because I see that I've developed mild redness on the forefront of my cheeks and I hate it. Ugh. Most dermatologist's aren't terribly knowledgeable about rosacea, the derm who was at Mayo retired dangit and he knew about rosacea because he himself had it, so he made it his business to learn and trial treatments. I'll have to find someone who does lots of rosacea around here. Thank you Missy and Stephanie for all this to work with, though!

 

[missy]

Or, you can just move here and I will happily share David.

Seriously Kristie, use me. This is one topic I know about more than I care to.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Missy,

Thanks so much for your reply. I don't have any burning, itchiness sometimes but no red eyes or anything else. It's just really an annoyance and I don't wear makeup so I kind of just live with it. Was kind of hoping someone would say throw some coconut oil on it but it looks like it's not going to be that easy

Did you find that there was something certain that made it come on? Obviously in my case it was the pregnancy but I'm curious if you're just sort of popped up out of the clear blue.

I'm going to a neurologist next week for a different issue so maybe it's a good thing I haven't treated it yet, just so they can see it although I doubt it's related but you never know.

 

[partgypsy]

A number of years ago, I had been told I had rosacea, and other than some retin a (which the insurance canceled after a year) I didn't do anything about it. This past summer I was having extreme problems with my eyes and was diagnosed with ocular rosacea. I have a regimen I follow for my eyes and got back to using the retina a for my face.
Other things that help is the aveeno sunscreen with zinc oxide, and a cheap clay mask Queen Helene mint julep also calms my face down. My bad season is the spring (allergies) and summer (hot and humid). There could be other environmental, stress, food things that also makes it work, but especially for the food it has been hard to tell.

 

[missy]

Missy,

Thanks so much for your reply. I don't have any burning, itchiness sometimes but no red eyes or anything else. It's just really an annoyance and I don't wear makeup so I kind of just live with it. Was kind of hoping someone would say throw some coconut oil on it but it looks like it's not going to be that easy

Did you find that there was something certain that made it come on? Obviously in my case it was the pregnancy but I'm curious if you're just sort of popped up out of the clear blue.

I'm going to a neurologist next week for a different issue so maybe it's a good thing I haven't treated it yet, just so they can see it although I doubt it's related but you never know.

Yes there are often events/things that trigger the rosacea and exacerbate it. It can be difficult sometimes figuring out what those triggers are but if you are lucky then your symptoms might go away once the triggers are gone.

It's a good idea to go to the neurologist as other conditions can mimic rosacea or bring them on and figuring it out can be key in finding the best treatment. Keep us posted and I will help any way I can.

 

[missy]

A number of years ago, I had been told I had rosacea, and other than some retin a (which the insurance canceled after a year) I didn't do anything about it. This past summer I was having extreme problems with my eyes and was diagnosed with ocular rosacea. I have a regimen I follow for my eyes and got back to using the retina a for my face.
Other things that help is the aveeno sunscreen with zinc oxide, and a cheap clay mask Queen Helene mint julep also calms my face down. My bad season is the spring (allergies) and summer (hot and humid). There could be other environmental, stress, food things that also makes it work, but especially for the food it has been hard to tell.

part gypsy, I love Restasis for my ocular rosacea. Have you or perhaps you already are using this ocular med. I keep it refrigerated to take away the sting. I also recommend frequent use of preservative free OTC rewetting drops like Refresh Plus. I find dairy exacerbates my rosacea too so perhaps something you might want to try eliminating if you have not already done so to see if it affects you as well.

Rosacea has many different forms and many different causes and we are all very different and that is why one thing that might help someone else might have the opposite or no effect on your rosacea.

 

[missy]

I'm going to share some helpful links fyi.
I hope this works so I can share this pdf with you.
https://rosaceagroup.org/The_Rosacea_Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=296&d=1245094901


and some other helpful links fyi.

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/rosacea.html

https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/acne-and-rosacea/rosacea

http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Rosacea/default.asp

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-3083.2005.01216.x/abstract;jsessionid=D366963248F3C65C1D426F898F809548.f02t04

http://www.rosacea.org/patients/materials/triggers.php

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1071429-overview

Important Concepts About Rosacea

Rosacea is histologically similar to acne1 and can have distinct morphologies, but the important concepts to keep in mind are that:
1. There is no diagnostic laboratory test that can confirm or exclude rosacea.
2. There is a difference between flushing and blushing.
3. Redness that stays put and does not change is not rosacea.
4. At least one or more of the following criteria for diagnosis must be met:
– flushing (transient erythema)
– nontransient erythema as a baseline
– papules and pustules
– telangiectasia
Establishing a Diagnosis

Rosacea is a clinical diagnosis simply based on history and physical exam findings.
In April 2002, a standard classification of rosacea was published in the The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD).2 This consensus publication served to report the classification and staging of rosacea as determined by the National Rosacea Society Expert Committee.
The morphological diagnostic criteria were reviewed and the committee determined the following definitions of descriptive terms (Table 1). Dermatologists often classify the stage of rosacea based on these criteria, but it is often different than acne, for which lesion counts often serve as a measure of therapeutic success.
Causes of Rosacea: Structure vs. Function

From here, the questions of a true cause comes down to the effects of the components of the skin (structure) in balance to the dynamic characteristics of the disease (function). These can be classified further by evaluating the possible combination of mechanisms.
Vascular Component

The vascular component of rosacea involves vasodilation from thermal and climatic stimuli as well as neurological input. This can explain why patients often notice flushing from weather and temperature changes, a seasonal predominance to flares, or even flare-ups experienced after a warm weather vacation during winter. Moreover, extravasation of plasma during blushing can be an additional source of vascular instability and contributing factor of symptoms. An often overlooked historical trigger of flushing or vascular instability may also be iatrogenic, specifically the use of niacin for hyperlipidemia or previous use (or misuse) of topical steroids.3,4,5
The mechanisms of rosacea involving the facial vasculature reflect a combination of humoral and neural stimuli. Changes that promote facial blood flow and flushing involve a baseline flow increased over body flow. From a structural view, the contributing vessels are typically larger and closer to the skin’s surface.
What are the correlations to a patient’s symptoms? Consider the responses to thermal stimuli such as coffee or other hot beverages. When ingested, there is an increase in the temperature of the mouth and oropharynx, which creates feedback to the carotid body and a compensatory attempt to regulate the heat. This occurs by messages sent to the hypothalamus to trigger vasodilation to dissipate the warmth. There is also a physiological response to shunt blood from face to brain for these events to occur. However, it has been hypothesized that rosacea patients lack this response, which in turn leads to flushing.
Other Structural Changes

Aside from the vascular contribution, there are other structural changes in the dermis that can be significant in the pathogenesis of rosacea. Sebaceous hyperplasia is a common finding, although, paradoxically, most rosacea patients often do not complain of being oily. Photodamage is also an exacerbating factor of the symptom complex in many patients, but can often be a limitation in response to therapy due to poor wound healing and relative loss of immune mediation. Histologically, there is gradual matrix degeneration and an alteration in the distribution of vasculature and nerve bundles.6
Functional Components

Despite these structural changes, the erythema of rosacea involves many functional components, many of which are the result of dermal inflammation. There are balances of inflammatory mediators that are at play (Table 2) that can be influenced by therapies, but without an understanding of their mechanism of action the patients’ treatment protocol may not be effective.
Patient History: Are We Asking the ‘Burning Questions?’

The history is probably the most important part of the assessment of the rosacea patient, especially when considering how many of these patients are misdiagnosed or are unresponsive to their treatments. Aside from exclusion of triggers and response to previous therapies, there should be an overall questioning to exclude or confirm the diagnosis.
Several important questions include:
1. Is a history of flushing in a central facial distribution enough to define rosacea?
2. How long does the transient erythema of the flush persist?
3. Are facial papules and pustules in a central facial distribution characteristic enough?
4. How long does the nontransient erythema persist?
According to the expert panel, the most important finding is persistent erythema of the central portion of the face lasting for at least 3 months.2
Flushing vs. Blushing

Flushing is prolonged in rosacea patients, although many people without rosacea experience evanescent flushing in response to embarrassment, exercise, hot environments, a glass of wine or other triggers. However, while blushing is often short and transient, flushing typically lasts longer than 10 minutes. Such a prolonged vasomotor reaction may help in differentiating physiologic flushing from that seen in rosacea patients.1,2
Is Rosacea a Pilosebaceous Disorder?

There are structural changes in rhinophyma that are unique both clinically and histologically. A study published by Marks et al involved histological study of rosacea patients with either papular stage (PPR) or telangiectasia (ETR). There were 108 rosacea patients biopsied, 74 of whom had papules. The results showed that only 20% of papules had follicular origin, while 51% had peri-adnexal infiltrates. While no role of P. acnes was demonstrated, Demodex was suspected as a possible trigger of dermal inflammation by inducing a hypersensitivity response similar to that seen in scabies.4
Is Rosacea an Infection?

Rosacea has been characterized as an inflammatory disorder, but questions still arise about a potential infectious agent, specifically Demodex folliculorum, Bacillus oleronius, and Helicobacter pylori.There are many theories on the role of these agents but none have elucidated a clear role as a trigger.
In another study, 38 patients with rosacea were matched with 38 age-and-sex-matched healthy subjects. Biopsy samples were taken from three facial sites assessing mite positivities, the mean mite counts in both study groups, the mean mite densities at each facial site and in the rosacea subgroups, and the mite densities above 5/cm2. The results of the study revealed that the mean mite count in the rosacea group (6,684) was significantly higher than that in controls (2,868; P < 0.05). The cheek was the most frequently and heavily infested facial region. Ten rosacea patients and five normal subjects had mite densities over 5/cm2 and the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05).3
There are several important points to remember about Demodex spp. in the rosacea patient. Demodex spp. mites are found in a large number of healthy persons, although more commonly in older patients, and they become pathogens after they multiply and invade the dermis, which creates an inflammatory response.7 Aside from rosacea, it has been implicated in folliculitis, dyschromias, pityriasis folliculorum and blepharitis. Finding Demodex is not proof of pathogenesis of these conditions, and it is the density of mites or their extrafollicular location that induces hypersensitivity.3
Helicobacter pylori is another infectious agent that was thought to be a pathogen in rosacea. In the past, patients with active gastrointestinal H. pylori infection confirmed by the urea breath test and the concomitant finding of rosacea were treated with the intent to eradicate H. pylori. However, treatment and/or eradication of H. pylori confirmed by the negative findings of the urea breath test did little more for the rosacea of patients than the placebo effect observed with the control cohort. Helicobacter pylori and its eradication in Rosacea was studied by Szlachcic A et al.8 Patients included in the study reported symptoms closely related to gastritis, especially involving the antrum mucosa, with elevated plasma levels of TNF-alpha and IL-8. The eradication of H. pylori lead to reduction of symptoms of rosacea, gastritis, hypergastrinemia and gastric acid secretion. This observation led to the possibility that extra-gastric symptoms of H. pylori infection might be mediated by H. pylori-related cytotoxins and cytokines. However, these presumed associations about Helicobacter pylori between rosacea and gastrointestinal diseases were refuted by the findings that elevations in Gastrin caused fluctuations in skin temperature and vasomotor instability, but the GI symptoms linked to hypochlorhydria, gastritis, and abnormal jejunal mucosa were no more common in patients without rosacea.8
Correlations to Topical Therapy

When dermatologists are choosing topical therapies appropriate for rosacea patients, the active ingredient, vehicle, and frequencies of application all contribute to outcomes. However, patients often forget that avoidance of triggers is probably the most important therapy.
Topical metronidazole has been traditionally one of the most frequently used therapies for rosacea by all physicians, but how does its mechanism affect the disease? Its mode of action appears to be anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant,9 which would consequently result in reduction in neutrophil-generated reactive oxygen species (ROS). This may have its primary benefit in inflammatory stages of rosacea by inducing a reduction in lesions, symptoms and erythema.10
Azelaic acid is a versatile treatment for all stages of rosacea, although the mechanisms apply best to reduction in erythema and papular component of rosacea, as well as its off-label uses in acne and melasma, given the inhibition of tyrosinase. In vitro the molecule acts as free radical scavenger, it inhibits oxy-radical toxicity to neutrophils, and as a result creates a reduction of reactive oxygen species diminishes potency of inflammation.10,11,12
Retinoids traditionally have not played a significant role in the treatment of rosacea, mainly out of concern for irritation to the labile skin of the typical patient. However, given that the prominent histologic features of rosacea involve dermal inflammation, elastin and collagen degeneration, and alteration of the cutaneous vasculature, long-term maintenance of the older rosacea patient with concomitant photodamage might include topical retinoids. Although their clinical response is delayed, often not evident until 2 or more months into therapy, the benefits of changing the architecture of the epidermis and modulating inflammation of the dermis may outweigh the potential for irritation and complicating the regimen. This could be supported by the observation that topical tretinoin promotes connective tissue remodeling in the papillary and reticular dermis and minimizes dermal inflammation with chronic therapy.1,6,13
Conclusions

Our traditional approaches to the assessment and topical management of rosacea may need adjustments to include avoidance of triggers and optimizing the mechanisms of action. The importance of a history to exclude the diagnosis as well as assess the patient for other therapies such as antibiotics, light therapies and systemic retinoids cannot be undervalued in the long-term management of these patients.



References:
References1. Powell FC. Rosacea. N Engl J Med. 2005;352(:793-803.2. Standard classification of rosacea: Report of the National Rosacea Society Expert Committee on the Classification and Staging of Rosacea. JAAD. 2002;46:584. 3. Wilkin JK. Rosacea: Pathophysiology and treatment. Arch Dermatol. 1994;130(3):359-362. 4. Marks JN et al. Harcourt-Webster Histopathology of rosacea. Arch Dermatol. 1969; 100: 683-91.5. Yamasaki K, Di Nardo A, et al. Increased serine protease activity and cathelicidin promotes skin inflammation in rosacea. Nat Med. 2007;13(:975-980. 6. Oztas MO, et al. The role of free oxygen radicals in the aetiopathogenesis of rosacea. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2003;28(2):188-192. 7. Erba_ci Z, Int Ozgoztasi O. The significance of Demodex. folliculorum density in rosacea. J Dermatol. 1998; 37:421-5.8. Szlachcic A, Sliwoski Z, Karczewska E, et al. Helicobacter pylori and its eradication in rosacea. J Physiol Pharmacol. 1999; 50:777-86.9. Miyachi Y. Potential antioxidant mechanism of action for metronidazole: implications for rosacea management. Adv Ther. 2001;18:237-243.10. Del Rosso JQ. Medical treatment of rosacea with emphasis on topical therapies. Exp Opinion Pharmacother. 2004; 5:5-13.12. Kayne, A, Intendis Pharmaceuticals, anecdotal.13. Zouboulis CC. Retinoids — which dermatological indications will benefit in the near future? Skin Pharmacol Appl Skin Physiol. 2001;14:303-15.

 

[Sky56]

Rosacea runs in my family. My face gets red sometimes, but I have it under control...mainly because I don't do some "triggers."

I don't ever drink alcohol. My brother drinks it daily and has an obvious daily red look from rosacea. I find that application of witch hazel helps a lot- I love the natural formulas sold at health food stores - my current one I splash on my face contains aloe vera, something that also tames and soothes my skin. Then I sometimes use a moisturizer made for sensitive skin by Aubrey Organics.

I notice that balsamic vinegar (something I love the taste of) really gives me an intense case of acute "red face" if I use more than a few drops. I figured out I was sensitive to sulfites. Sulfites occur naturally in balsamic vinegar.

Today, my skin looks great -(some days it doesn't, it presents rosacea)..but I think I now know maybe why. For one month so far, I've been on a vegan diet (was lacto-vegetarian for over 30 years) ...and I notice that my face hasn't reddened in days and I've taken off a lot of weight without dieting. Maybe all that cheese was reddening my face and bloating my face and body. Everyone's body is different, maybe by identifying your triggers, you can also get some relief. I take vitamin and mineral supplements.

Best wishes to you!

 

[mary poppins]

A number of years ago, I had been told I had rosacea, and other than some retin a (which the insurance canceled after a year) I didn't do anything about it. This past summer I was having extreme problems with my eyes and was diagnosed with ocular rosacea. I have a regimen I follow for my eyes and got back to using the retina a for my face.
Other things that help is the aveeno sunscreen with zinc oxide, and a cheap clay mask Queen Helene mint julep also calms my face down. My bad season is the spring (allergies) and summer (hot and humid). There could be other environmental, stress, food things that also makes it work, but especially for the food it has been hard to tell.

part gypsy, I love Restasis for my ocular rosacea. Have you or perhaps you already are using this ocular med. I keep it refrigerated to take away the sting. I also recommend frequent use of preservative free OTC rewetting drops like Refresh Plus. I find dairy exacerbates my rosacea too so perhaps something you might want to try eliminating if you have not already done so to see if it affects you as well.

Rosacea has many different forms and many different causes and we are all very different and that is why one thing that might help someone else might have the opposite or no effect on your rosacea.

I don't have rosacea but I use Restasis and Refresh Plus for dry eyes.

In case you don't already know, Restasis has a co-pay assistance program. By using it, sometimes you can get the drops at no cost. https://www.restasis.com/Savings-And-Support/My-Tears-My-Rewards

Also, Costco carries a package of 100 Refresh Plus vials for an amount that is the cheapest I've found anywhere. Even better when the product is included in the monthly savings flyer.

ETA: I keep my Restasis in the refrigerator, too, for the same reason.

 

[missy]

Good point mary poppins. As I wrote above you can get a savings card for many prescription meds that would otherwise be cost prohibitive. Sometimes you can only get them at your doctor's office however so be sure to check if you cannot find the savings card online or through the manufacturer.

Also I agree Costco has a good price for refresh plus. I will add however that any preservative free rewetting drop in single dose vial would be just as good so if you can find a cheaper preservative free rewetting drop it is OK to use. Just in case cost is a factor for anybody. This is a case where single dose preservative free drops are equal.

 

[kenny]

I just though I'd mention this.

Decades ago I had roseacea.
My dermatologist treated it for years but told me there's no cure and I'd be fighting it for ever.

He was wrong.
It went away around 15 years ago.
I have no idea why or whether it will come back.

Actually, now that I think back it went away when I was in therapy.
Maybe mine was stress related.
I used to be a bundle of conflict, nerves, and anxiety.

Just FYI.
Good luck with yours.

 

[missy]

Kenny I'm glad the cause of your rosacea went away and for sure it can and does happen for people. It just comes down to what is causing that individual's rosacea and for all of us those causes may be different. It's sad that many dermatologists don't have the proper knowledge about many diseases still including rosacea. There are some ignorant doctors out there so that is why it is so important to find a dermatologist who knows his stuff about rosacea if you are dealing with rosacea.

 

[partgypsy]

A number of years ago, I had been told I had rosacea, and other than some retin a (which the insurance canceled after a year) I didn't do anything about it. This past summer I was having extreme problems with my eyes and was diagnosed with ocular rosacea. I have a regimen I follow for my eyes and got back to using the retina a for my face.
Other things that help is the aveeno sunscreen with zinc oxide, and a cheap clay mask Queen Helene mint julep also calms my face down. My bad season is the spring (allergies) and summer (hot and humid). There could be other environmental, stress, food things that also makes it work, but especially for the food it has been hard to tell.

part gypsy, I love Restasis for my ocular rosacea. Have you or perhaps you already are using this ocular med. I keep it refrigerated to take away the sting. I also recommend frequent use of preservative free OTC rewetting drops like Refresh Plus. I find dairy exacerbates my rosacea too so perhaps something you might want to try eliminating if you have not already done so to see if it affects you as well.

Rosacea has many different forms and many different causes and we are all very different and that is why one thing that might help someone else might have the opposite or no effect on your rosacea.

I don't have rosacea but I use Restasis and Refresh Plus for dry eyes.

In case you don't already know, Restasis has a co-pay assistance program. By using it, sometimes you can get the drops at no cost. https://www.restasis.com/Savings-And-Support/My-Tears-My-Rewards

Also, Costco carries a package of 100 Refresh Plus vials for an amount that is the cheapest I've found anywhere. Even better when the product is included in the monthly savings flyer.

ETA: I keep my Restasis in the refrigerator, too, for the same reason.

They put the tear duct plugs in so maybe that is why they didn't put me on that. I was initially on a steroid drop and antibiotics, as well as the refresh eye drops and this stuff to clean my eyelids. Now I just do the refresh drops during the day and every other day the refresh eye ointment at night, and when I remember warm compress on my eyes for 20-30 mins) supposed to open the oil plugs on the inside of my eye). they also tried to sell me on some kind of procedure but it would be $800 out of pocket, so I will wait on that.

 

[missy]

part gypsy, the warm eye compresses are really helpful and can go a long way in making your eyes more comfortable. I love the Bruder eye compresses. It's easy to use and stays warmer than most of the other options I have tried.

http://www.bruder.com/eye/documents/literature-eye-compress.pdf

 

[mary poppins]

Indeed, Missy. My ophthalmologist gave me the Restasis card when providing the prescription. Just passing along information in case others' doctors don't have the card or forget to give it.

I always try to remember to ask doctor for free samples, too. Saves a lot, especially if you find you are sensitive to a certain drug. That way you don't have to waste time and money on getting a prescription that you'll end up not using.

I find some eye drops can vary a lot. Refresh Plus works best for me. Other products might work better for other people.

 

[mary poppins]

A number of years ago, I had been told I had rosacea, and other than some retin a (which the insurance canceled after a year) I didn't do anything about it. This past summer I was having extreme problems with my eyes and was diagnosed with ocular rosacea. I have a regimen I follow for my eyes and got back to using the retina a for my face.
Other things that help is the aveeno sunscreen with zinc oxide, and a cheap clay mask Queen Helene mint julep also calms my face down. My bad season is the spring (allergies) and summer (hot and humid). There could be other environmental, stress, food things that also makes it work, but especially for the food it has been hard to tell.

part gypsy, I love Restasis for my ocular rosacea. Have you or perhaps you already are using this ocular med. I keep it refrigerated to take away the sting. I also recommend frequent use of preservative free OTC rewetting drops like Refresh Plus. I find dairy exacerbates my rosacea too so perhaps something you might want to try eliminating if you have not already done so to see if it affects you as well.

Rosacea has many different forms and many different causes and we are all very different and that is why one thing that might help someone else might have the opposite or no effect on your rosacea.

I don't have rosacea but I use Restasis and Refresh Plus for dry eyes.

In case you don't already know, Restasis has a co-pay assistance program. By using it, sometimes you can get the drops at no cost. https://www.restasis.com/Savings-And-Support/My-Tears-My-Rewards

Also, Costco carries a package of 100 Refresh Plus vials for an amount that is the cheapest I've found anywhere. Even better when the product is included in the monthly savings flyer.

ETA: I keep my Restasis in the refrigerator, too, for the same reason.

They put the tear duct plugs in so maybe that is why they didn't put me on that. I was initially on a steroid drop and antibiotics, as well as the refresh eye drops and this stuff to clean my eyelids. Now I just do the refresh drops during the day and every other day the refresh eye ointment at night, and when I remember warm compress on my eyes for 20-30 mins) supposed to open the oil plugs on the inside of my eye). they also tried to sell me on some kind of procedure but it would be $800 out of pocket, so I will wait on that.

Part Gyspy, are the punctal plugs working for you?

Not sure how long you've had the Refresh eye ointment or if you stocked up, but Allergan announced a voluntary recall on that and some other products last summer. Here's more information if you want to check your supply. http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm459485.htm

DH got a hot compress for me that is similar to Missy's but made by different company (http://www.amazon.com/Thermalon-24342-Dry-Eye-Compress/dp/B004385RPS/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1457487673&sr=8-1&keywords=thermalon+dry+eye+compress). He calls it my eye bra. I love the compress. Not only is it helpful, easy to use, and very portable for travel, but it's also a relaxing part of my pre-bedtime routine.

Stephanie, sorry to hear you're dealing with rosacea. Unfortunately, it can sometimes take a lot of trial and error to figure out the right remedy or combination of remedies for you. I hope you find something that works for you soon.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Rosacea runs in my family. My face gets red sometimes, but I have it under control...mainly because I don't do some "triggers."

I don't ever drink alcohol. My brother drinks it daily and has an obvious daily red look from rosacea. I find that application of witch hazel helps a lot- I love the natural formulas sold at health food stores - my current one I splash on my face contains aloe vera, something that also tames and soothes my skin. Then I sometimes use a moisturizer made for sensitive skin by Aubrey Organics.

I notice that balsamic vinegar (something I love the taste of) really gives me an intense case of acute "red face" if I use more than a few drops. I figured out I was sensitive to sulfites. Sulfites occur naturally in balsamic vinegar.

Today, my skin looks great -(some days it doesn't, it presents rosacea)..but I think I now know maybe why. For one month so far, I've been on a vegan diet (was lacto-vegetarian for over 30 years) ...and I notice that my face hasn't reddened in days and I've taken off a lot of weight without dieting. Maybe all that cheese was reddening my face and bloating my face and body. Everyone's body is different, maybe by identifying your triggers, you can also get some relief. I take vitamin and mineral supplements.

Best wishes to you!

Do you mind sharing the name of the moisturizer from Aubrey you use? We have a really good health food store in town that carries this brand.

 

[simurgh]

In a rush but will try to post more later. Before you radically change your diet you may want to see what your triggers are - for me, sun and pregnancy but no foods. Soolantra was magic ... Literally worked overnight. Stopped as I'm preg again. Using Clini que redness solutions moisturizer and wash which have also done wonders. Everything else too harsh or had unwelcome side effects, including antibiotics, financea, etc. also like a sulfur wash called rosula but Clinique is way more effective. I use cover fx makeup to hide redness. Good luck!!