Severe facial flushing

It can be related to thyroid problems. An internist or endocrinologist may be
helpful. Thyroid scan and check for parathyroid hormones as well.
Did the rheumatologist run a full battery of tests? Have they reviewed the
side effect profile of all your meds.?

Have you ruled out laundry detergent or laundry additives? I had this happen while using tide. Test it out by using a mild detergent that you would use for babies. The other thing that did this to me was dandruff shampoo. I used apple cider vinegar to rinse my hair and my clothes. I also added it to my bath water.
For shampoo I used Tea Tree Peppermint Moisturizing Shampoo with Organic Mint and Jojoba $10.95 at Amazon. It was very soothing to my skin.

Thank you! I really appreciate your response. Standard Thyroid tests have all been fine. Not sure they checked parathyroid hormones. I’ll mention that. My pcp is putting a referral in for endo.

Rheum I saw wasn’t interested and told me it looked cosmetic. I think a 2nd opinion might be a good idea.

Med side effects are cleared and I’d been on all meds for longer than a year at that point.

Thank you! We have always used All free and clear with no dyes or fragrances. Nothing with detergents, soap, shampoos etc has changed. I may try the mint though. That sounds nice.

Good evening, @ebs1126, and welcome to Connect. I don't know if the cause of your face flushing is similar to mine, but I can't just go to bed and not worry about you. A few years ago, I had identical skin issues. My dermatologist put me through the official tests for atopic dermatitis. (see picture of tests).

I had to eliminate Tide for laundry, plus my shampoo and bath soap, kitchen soap, and other incidental creams and liquids. My dermatologist gave me a 22-page booklet of all the products free of skin irritation, including laundry and cleaning supplies. Perhaps your provider has a similar reference. I was also found to have neuropathic "itch" as well as atopic dermatitis.

Here is my new list of products.
For bath, hair, and toiletries, I use the following.
"Vanicream" lotions, creams, shampoos, and soaps are all available on Amazon.
Dermeleve scalp lotion for itch problems.

For laundry of bedding and clothing, I use these:
Seventh Generation fabric softener and laundry soap.

To get started, I removed all the bedding down to the mattress and washed it in the Seventh Generation. I also did all my washable clothes, pajamas, and underwear.

Getting everything changed over was quite a task. However, it sure was worth it. I have had no flaming cheeks or itchy scalp. The picture below shows the "test" you wear for a few days to find out just what the culprit might be.

Let me know if you have any other concerns. In the meantime, be safe, protected and free from inner and outer harm;
Chris

I can get this red facial flushing from being out in the sun for just a few minutes. I also can wake up in the middle of the night with it and we keep our bedroom very cool. It takes me a while to cool down. I do not have it on my arms. I've had this for years, but, endocrinologist does not seem concerned. I also have mild rosacea. It can take me 1-2 hours to cool down from this. It looks like I am sunburned.

I have both thyroid diseases (Graves & Hashimotos) and question if one of them is causing this for you. Hashimotos (Hypothyroidism) was not diagnosed through the normal TSH, T3 & T4. It showed up in my Thyroid antiglobulin & Thyroid Antibodies testing.

The rheumatologist has been back and forth as to whether I have Lupus or not for me as facial flushing is a sign of lupus.

Does your skin itch? That would lead me to wonder if it is more allergy related. I agree about the laundry detergent. As we age, we can become allergic to different things that didn't bother us before.

Praying for you. Blessings..

Thank you so much Chris! I don’t have any itching at all but will try some of these ideas.

Thank you! I don’t itch at all. Allergist has ruled it out as an allergy. My histamines are always in normal range. Curious about thyroid additional testing.