Rosacea - Does anyone deal with a rosacea prevention diet

[Nazgul Girl]

   I had a very bad experience on Wednesday night and I do fit the profile of someone with rosacea.   I have an appointment this coming Wed., and will have to be formally diagnosed, but the redness, swelling ( my eyes almost swelled shut ), pain, scalded feeling of my skin, etc. pretty much have me in the rosacea category.   

   I've gotten better, and am starting "rule-out" food trials.   Unfortunately, a trigger is my beloved diet Pepsi (Aspartame), so that's got to go.

   The best relief I've had so far is rubbing alcohol all over my face.   There is a connection between some rosacea sufferers and demodex mites.    All humans have demodex mites ( I guess these are not the same as dust mites ), and the best way to kill them is to submerge yourself ( really douse everything but your eyes and innards ) in rubbing alcohol.   There is a study that some blepharitis is really misdiagnosed demodex mites colonizing peoples' eyelashes, especially in the elderly.

   When I "washed" my face in rubbing alcohol very carefully, the itching and redness lessened.   My eyes became less puffy.   But there is a food connection too, due to some allergy symptoms I've had from English muffins, pizza dough, and the diet cola.   The doughs' symptoms were pre-attack with swelling in my mouth, and the diet cola was post-attack.
Soy may also be involved.

   I had a previous attack last summer, after dreaming that my face was on fire, waking up, and finding that it was indeed on fire ( bright, Martian red, and very painful ).   It gradually went down over three or four days.   The doctors weren't too sure what had happened.

   This time, it was worse, and we have pictures to show my doctor.   I will probably wind up in derm  at my hospital, but it takes six weeks to get an appointment.

   If anybody has any input or ideas, I would be very interested in their experiences.   Thanks   from Martian Girl.

[The Captain]

Nazgul Girl - I have a very difficult to treat case of plaque psoriasis.  In addition I have a mild case of rosacea (nothing like yours!)

When my rosacea flares up I do two things.  I wash my face every day with the same coal tar shampoo I use on my scalp (for psoriasis), and I make sure to moisturize well afterward.  That helps in my case.  It was suggested by my primary care physician after the ointments from the dermatologist only made it worse. 

www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/12/26/dandruff-shampoo-clears-face/

Good luck!

[Deleted]

I definately think skin issues can be related to food. 

I know my friends son has tale tell red face when he has eaten gluten.

I think giving up aspartame is a great idea! 

Just FYI, when I got hives this fall, I used coal tar soap, and about a week after the hives were gone, but I still had a residual rash, I realized I was actually then breaking out from the soap.. Grrrr. So while it's a good thing generally, I'd still make sure to watch because it's not impossible to have a reaction to that as well...

[plugginaway22]

Sounds like you need an allergy work-up more than a dermatologist.

[Nazgul Girl]

    Thanks for these ideas.   I'm going incorporate some of them.   Poor DH is sentenced to Selsun Blue.   He's been very supportive of me and is working on some rosacea diet charts.   He's laughing at some of the lists of "acidic" foods, though.  I told him that a lot of these charts are compiled by trial and error, and are not necessarily supported by actual science, plus some people are triggered by different things than others.  

    One chart listed all meats, plus fish, as "highly acidic."   He said that's just not so.   

    I trust his chemical and pharmaceutical background  .   That being said, I am giving up processed meats for good.   The pizza was the last straw.  

[gacpa]

I have rosacea as does my sister.  I think I have passed it on to my son.  I agree you probably need an allergy workup, it sounds like you may have had an allergic reaction.  I see a dermatologist for my rosacea now.

My rosacea has come to the point I use Metrogel on it daily.  There is also a sulpher based cleanser that helps but it is very drying.  Two other ointments, Bionect and Finacea are available and they do work, but are expensive.  There is also a low dose controlled release doxycycline pill called Oracea that has helped me tremendously.

I have had laser treatments on my face to reduce the red spider veins.  That helped my appearance but is also expensive and not covered by insurance.

Whatever you do, use sunscreen.  Once you get the rosacea under control, the sunscreen will prevent flare ups, honestly.  Buy sunscreen with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide and use it religiously.  The sun is not your friend. 

[Nazgul Girl]

Jan 18, 2014 14:32:50 GMT -5 plugginaway22 said:

Sounds like you need an allergy work-up more than a dermatologist.

Sorry, I meant to write " allergist " rather than dermatologist.   It must be the rosacea  , if that's what it is.

[Nazgul Girl]

Jan 18, 2014 14:51:16 GMT -5 gacpa said:

I have rosacea as does my sister.  I think I have passed it on to my son.  I agree you probably need an allergy workup, it sounds like you may have had an allergic reaction.  I see a dermatologist for my rosacea now.

My rosacea has come to the point I use Metrogel on it daily.  There is also a sulpher based cleanser that helps but it is very drying.  Two other ointments, Bionect and Finacea are available and they do work, but are expensive.  There is also a low dose controlled release doxycycline pill called Oracea that has helped me tremendously.

I have had laser treatments on my face to reduce the red spider veins.  That helped my appearance but is also expensive and not covered by insurance.

Whatever you do, use sunscreen.  Once you get the rosacea under control, the sunscreen will prevent flare ups, honestly.  Buy sunscreen with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide and use it religiously.  The sun is not your friend. 

Thanks for the tip.  I'll order some sunscreen with one of those two incredients right now.   We leave for Florida on Friday.  Luckily, Amazon Prime will come thru for me. 

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

As the parent of 2 children with life-threatening, anaphylactic, food allergies, the mouth swelling concerns me.  That is a classic symptom of anaphylaxis -- especially paired with skin issues.  

I suggest you run this by your primary care physician very soon -- before your trip -- and ask for a prescription for a TWO PACK of epinephrine (and you and your DH should learn how to administer it).  Just because you didn't go into full anaphylaxis this time, doesn't mean it won't the next time.

Your allergy testing in a few weeks will either confirm or rule out that diagnosis.  In the meantime, you are better off safe than sorry.  Many first responders are not allowed to carry epinephrine, never mind administer it, and the sooner someone having an anaphylactic reaction gets epinephrine, the higher the survival rate.   

For more information regarding food allergies and anaphylaxis, check out Food Allergy, Research, and Education's website at foodallergy.org.  

Keep us posted how you are feeling and what's happening.  

[Nazgul Girl]

Okay, GRG. I see my primary doctor on Wed. a.m. and will discuss the epinephrine with her.    The whole thing is very scary, whatever it may be.  

[Bonny]

I've really only had one serious break out that was properly diagnosed as Rosacea. My first dermatologist misdiagnosed me and gave me something that made it worse.

I'm another fan of Metrogel. Expensive as hell but I've never had another break-out the way I did 6 years ago.

[tloonya]

There is cactus pear.
Do not touch it with bare finger, it is going to hurt.
Take it with paper towel or plastic bag.
Cut the piece and apply to your face.

Women told me she spent thousands of dollars to cure her rosecia and cactus pear was the thing that finally cured her.
Innexpensive, natural...also huge laxative. I am thinking like sugar free gummy bears.  Eat it on weekends.
Google it. And take care!

[Nazgul Girl]

Yes. I live in an area filled with excellent hospitals and medical clinics. I go through my employer for health care, which is a nationally-known institution.  Unfortunately, everybody else besides me wants care from the allergy and derm clinics, too, so that's why I'm starting with my regular doc., in the geriatric clinic there.    I'm intersted in seeing what she thinks of the pictures from last Wed. night.  

Today has been better, but my face is still sore and somewhat red again, as of this evening.   The swelling is down a lot now, though, so that's a relief.   

[justme]

If they do give you the epi pen, there's a way to get it free right now. My allergist has a ton of the brochures with the little card, but I would assume you could get it online too. Definitely try that, they didn't have it when I got it, and they were damn expensive and I haven't used one yet.