Type 2 rosacea sufferers

I've been using metroget 0.75% 2x/day for about 5 years (metronidazole gel). It doesn't completely control it but the rash is gone and the 70 year-old teenager's skin is manageable. I have celiac and collagenous colitis, so already on a controlled diet; the only things that I don't eat are gluten and NSAIDs. I eat minimal legumes and alcohol, a mostly FODMAP diet. My rosacea is worsened by sun, over exercise (which I do anyway), and stress. Mine was kicked off by retiring and spending a lot of time woodturning (sensitive to wood dust, no allergies). Consider keeping a food log to see what foods/stress/environmental changes influence rosacea or other symptoms. Sometimes we are focused enough on one problem, we don't see others. I take probiotics every day and avoid antibiotics because my GI tract is already screwed up. Spicy foods cause some people problems because they increase blood flow to the skin, so more immune cells to attack the friendly skin bacteria that a normal immune system ignores. Treatment programs depend on they type of rosacea that one has. I was on meds over the decades for skin rashes, cystic acne (not rosacea), and other skin problems; turns out I had undiagnosed celiac and those skin problems went away when I went GF 14 years ago. Our diets and GI tracts do impact us. If you are into peer-reviewed research, ResearchGate is a good source of info.

I manage with Mediterranean diet, zinc pyrithione face soap and topical 10% sulfur gel. Stress and sun are flare
factors.

I had laser on rosacea years ago...later to be diagnosed with Lupus. Ended Rosacea. Maybe my Rosacea was really the Lupus Mask. Just my thoughts.

I keep a food/medication journal to monitor everything that goes in my body. I agree, it is very helpful! I had three unique UTIs between January and March of this year. The Cipro and Macrobid for these trashed all the work I had done to improve my gut health. I know the gut is key to so many things and I have had ongoing problems because of constipation and now a small ulcer found during my March colonoscopy. One good thing, no celiac. So, working on that to hopefully help the immune system do what it’s supposed to do naturally. I have tried many brands of probiotics without any success. My body reacts so badly, I am never able to continue taking them. I work on probiotics through foods, so kefir, Yogurt, pickled foods, and gut health bread are part of my daily diet. Wish I could do kombucha, but I just can’t get it down.🤢 As far as exercise, I was doing very well daily until summer hit. I live in Las Vegas and the ongoing 110° to 118° stopped my morning walk. My exercise now includes multiple loops through Costco, Walmart and my grocery stores. Better than nothing! I am 72 and also retired so I have time for these things. Anxiety is another problem for me and anything I can force myself to do to be more social is a positive thing for me. I also am very happy I have found skin care/medication (not antibiotics) that really helped my skin. I use Paula’s Choice Azalaic acid 10% daily and prescription Azalaic acid 15% every few days. The prescription acid is extremely helpful in reducing the scarring and discoloration caused from bad pustules. The Paula’s Choice has helped to smooth my skin, minimize pores, help with discoloration, and really does the job I had hoped MetroGel would do, but doesn’t for me. These two things have been a game changer in keeping me away from antibiotics. If my doctor had his way, I would take 50 mg of doxycycline twice daily. Not doing that anymore!! These topical products do a better job and don’t rob my stomach of the bacteria it needs. It is so hard to return a compromised gut to a good place! I desperately look forward to having a glass of wine sometime in the near future. Seriously scared for that, though! 😭😭

I will for sure check out Researchgate! Thank you so much for sharing your story and the helpful information!! Good luck to you in your journey!!

I am doing bloodwork for autoimmune problems this Thursday. I would not be at all surprised if this were the culprit. My daughter was first diagnosed with lupus, then mixed connective tissue disorder, and finally her doctors landed on scleroderma five months ago. Hers was a product of childbirth six years ago. Until then she was extremely healthy. It is a rough illness to go through! I hope you are doing well, and able to tolerate all the things auto immune throws at you. Good luck and God bless you❤️

Forgot to ask… Did you have any scarring and if so, did the laser help? I have a lot of broken blood vessels and a few pretty big scars from my first bad bout of pustules. I would love to have them removed, but I know it is costly. I don’t mind doing it if it works. Of course, the doctor says it will work but my ability to trust in doctors is a little flimsy right now.

I don't know if Silver Sneakers is an option for you, but rec centers help in these toasty times. I likely had gluten intolerance for decades before the celiac was triggered by catching H1N1 14 years ago, followed by the stress of some HS guys trying to kill me. Once off gluten, my acid reflux, rashes, pre-rosacea acne, and stomach aches went away. I've been fermenting kombucha for about the last decade; I drink it, use in in GF sourdough bread, and on the compost pile. Most grocery stuff is highly carbonated and tastes different. Yogurt and kimchi are good too. Two-three TBSPs of psyllium husk in water/juice helps with constipation (and making sourdough bread). It forms a hydrophilic gel that bulks the GI tract so things move faster, and the mix of soluble and insoluble fiber also helps feed GI bacteria. My husband drinks cranberry juice to prevent a UTI, but doesn't help once one has them. An easy test to see if one has gluten intolerance is to go off it for at least two weeks, and then eat a slice of bread. The gluten molecules in wheat, rye, and barley are very large, not completely digested, and harder on old GI tracts. Thanks for the info on Paula's Choice. I use Cetaphil; my skin is a bit sensitive to most skin care stuff.

I googled silver sneakers in my area and multiple gyms came up. Is it a program within a gym or is it its own place of business? Maybe this was google’s way of giving me another suggestion? I would be very excited to find something that targeted my age!

I have had an endoscopy recently and was checked for celiac. That was negative, but I have never been checked for gluten specifically. I think it is more than worth it for me to do your two week test as that could certainly be a problem. I do buy Oroweat gut health or plant-based bread but I don’t believe either are gluten-free. When I first got rosacea, I was over the top (At least for me!) with my food restrictions. I went fully plant-based and gave up gluten and sugar completely for four months while my first flare was healing. I looked terrible, but I felt great. I started every day with a 10 ounce glass of celery juice. I do take cranberry gummies daily, And had a colonoscopy at the same time I had my endoscopy in March. The doctor started me on Metamucil daily. It worked for about anIt worked for about a Month and sadly I am one of the few people that it appears to back up. I made sure I portion it correctly and drank it with 12 Ounces of water each time. I even tried it twice a day rather than once in smaller doses. Nothing worked for me. I’ve gone to prune juice which I have found to be pretty effective! I use Olay Hungarian water essence facial cleanser. The entire water essence line was exceptional for my rosacea, but it has been discontinued. I have about 10 bottles of the face wash.😂 I am also able to use Neostrata foaming glycolic wash every few days. I know it’s not supposed to be good for rosacea, but maybe because mine is type two, I am not bothered by it. It’s what I have used for over 20 years and it’s still very effective for me. My dermatologist was shocked that both Cetaphil and CeraVe broke me out. My skin is truly an anomaly, as was my fathers. His list of issues is pretty extensive. Again, thanks for all the help! I have not had anyone other than a doctor to talk to about this. I’m waiting at my dentist office so I hope my rambling makes sense. I’m not able to properly proofread without my classes.

Lots of great info. Thanks. Silver Sneakers is for seniors on Medicare Advantage or Medicare/other health plans ( https://tools.silversneakers.com/ ). Gyms that support it don't charge, and it is nice to go to the rec center just for weights or a quick workout. I drink a lot of water with psyllium husk, more than Metamucil calls for, and take walks. If the gluten test works for you, then going GF or gluten light may improve your GI function. My PCP and I are always battling over hypothyroid issues as well; she doesn't believe me when I say I am constipated and more tired with a TSH level of 3 than 1. Doctors also don't believe retired research scientists. My rosacea is also Type 2; it gets better if I avoid stress, hot sun, and wood dust.

I’m going to look for a gym that has this. We have a small one in my community (It’s ALWAYS busy!) so I’ve never joined one. Where do you buy psyllium husk -a health feed store or online? There are so many offered and I know little about it, so finding the best one for me has been a head scratcher. This may be TMI, but I know that the Metamucil I was taking was not functioning as it should for me when my BMs looked very unique. Eventually, the product became more binding than not. Do you think psyllium husk would be different for me? I will certainly try it if so. You have been so much help and I really appreciate you taking the time!