267 replies to this topic

[seb_derm]

Hey everyone!
Before i start rambling about the terrible side effect i got frm one of the topicals i used let me tell u a lil abt me. Im 21/m frm india. The climate out here is really hot and humid. I started gettin acne arnd 2004 i had got my acne nearly cleared by gettin glycolic peels and microdermabrasions done in 2005-6. In 2007 arnd march i went to my derm she prescribed me a cream called deriva-c gel (its got adapalene and clindamycin in it) was to be applied for every whole night. She said it'll make my skin smoother. Well im always in for clear n smooth skin. So i started the application 1st night when i applied it felt very cool as if ive applied ice on my face i kept it on my face for abt 15 mins 2nd night for 1hr and 3rd night i kept it for whole night. 4th day was terrible day in my life my face had become completely horrible with my skin peeled off like anything, rough rash burning itching scaling all over my cheeks and nose. It looked like someone spilt acid on my face! its been 6 months thinking tht things would get better with time but no major improvement. My present concern is tht my nose stays pink all the time ive got many white dead skin which is visible after my shower, in the day my face is quite dry by evening my face becomes very oily, ive got a lil redness on my cheeks too, i breakout into 2-3 pimples in a week or two but my pimples go away real fast. ive showed to many derms they say ive got seboherric dermatitis with mild rosacea and mild acne. Finally ive found the right derm after my visits to 7 derms. She has prescribed me mino 100mg, elidel cream and a hydrocortisone cream called fucidin-h. What do u guys say should i start with this ??? has any1 tired any of these medications plz let me know with details, thanks in advance and im really sorry for the long post hoping to get some replies....

[chaseryder]

well if it makes u feel any better im in the same boat, except i got it fromt aking accutane...my derm is starting me off slow with just a niazdol shampoo body wash thing, and then will see how i go from there...maybe starting me with oracea later...i guess i developed a few skin conditions which is great but what can ya do other than look ahead...oh well...good luck

[seb_derm]

chaseryder - thanks for readin my post n replyin
my skin has become very hyper sensitive im very scared to start off with anything...ok tell me which areas of ur face the problem mostly triggers...
have u tired fluticasone cream by any chance basically its for seb derm. Wht is oracea? How does it help???

[Ihsahn]

you have everything similar to me even though i think you might not have rosacea and your redness flare up is eczema,thats how it usually is with SD and ur medications given is for eczema but your doc prob knows better.

There is 2 things you have to change and see the first is the diet, indian diet is one of the worst present as far as health goes.You have to cut down the oil and check and you should diff go for a cleansing/detox prog.Limit your sunexposure -use snblock and cap,you might have contact dermatits so u have to be careful with sunblock.Avoid using any harsh cleansers.

SD can only be controlled somewhat like acne,if you will look closely you will always have flakes(or most of the time) even when you look good and normal.

I dont know much about antibiotics but i personally think antifungals work much better like nizoral, difflucan, sporanox but just go with what the doc says.Fucidin is prob the best spot acne treatment (atleast for me) and as far as Elidel goes this is very tricky pls make sure u limit your sun exposure this is a topical immunodulator,besides the couple of days of stinging this will totally clear you up (unless you are allergic to it),try and use it as short term as possible,there is a risk of cancer involved do your research in google and ask your doc about it.Hope everything gets fine soon.

[seb_derm]

buddy i like the way u express urself ur very straight forward...
first of all my diet is totally under control i completely avoid oily and spicy food, i eat lots of fruits and veggies, i drink min 5 ltrs of water daily, its not frm today ive been on this since last 4 yrs. I even try not to skip my workout...but sumtimes bad skin day i dnt feel like goin...i avoid goin out during daytime...
let me tell u something i was nearly clear 6 months back except for a few red marks which i was really worried abt inorder to clear tht i screwed up...some wht blame goes to my derm too...whom ive already left after this...
well since then ive visited 7 derms and now im totally confused whos med should i follow...my main fear is tht my skin has now become very hyper sensitive im scared to use anything coz i think my skin will react to it...god knows whats gonna happen...i jus know 1 thing i went to overdo sumthin and this is why i screwed up...i jus want sum1 to help me select the right prescription or advise me wht is to be done...i cant think coz watever i think it doesnt happen it goes the other way round...

[Ihsahn]

when you have SB it is natural you will have a flareup once in 6 months - 2 years and a bad one,for some even more often and this happens to some sort of over use of products on the face,weather,allergy to some food various other reasons.When you have a flareup the proper treatment is lower-to -mid potent steroid on face for 5-10 days,antibiotics or antifungals ,antihistamines, and once our skin clears up in 7/10 days you do a maintanence prog with immunomodulators like elidel or protopic for about 3 weeks but doctors do it longer and reports are if used for long term can cause cancer,there have been many reports.So what your doc gave u sounds fine but i dont think you have the severe flareup you used to so just go with it and hope everyhing goes fine,just dont use anything,not even a moisturizer and make sure u limit sun exposure.

A normal person i think takes 27 days for the healthy cells to come to the surface of the face but with ppl who have SD our cell turnover is messed up ,our cells turn over within 3-5 days so we always have some kind of excessive peeling/scaling of dead skin.

You diff had a flareup up then for using differin exccesv. the proper way should b in my opinion leave it every night 2 hours the wash it off,2 nd week every alternative day,from 3rd week you can keep it on whole night,i feel this is the proper way for ppl with SB,Rosacea or sensitive skin.

[seb_derm]

thanks buddy i appreciate ur suggestion...
but dude at some pt u got me wrong i used to suffer frm acne, my acne got nearly cleared...i went to my derm coz i was worried abt tht lil redness, so she put me on a gel based cream called deriva-c gel its generic version of differin and duac both...i had used it properly 1st nite 5 mins, 2nd nite 15mins, 3rd nite 1hr, 4th nite whole...on the 5 day i got a severe allergic reaction frm it and after 6 months now, i yet have it but not soo severe but when i showed it to the derms they say its SD...since then ive been trying to find a perfect treatment for my problem...im thinkin il start off with elidel and fucidin h...have u tried fluticasone propionate cream...is it good...coz sum other derm has prescribed me tht...i told u right ive visited 7 derms regardin this...
thanks for readin my posts and replyin

[chaseryder]

well its hard to pinpoint my areas...i say my whole face can get red...yet its mainly under eye and cheek area...its triggered to heat/changes in environmental temp., anxiety, blah blah regular stuff...Oracea is a low dose of doxycycline (10mg) which helps for redness, adn acne like bumps that come from rosacea. He said if this wash doesn't help then she will consider trying me on this. My skin is hypersensitive- its too bad that this happend to our skin, but there isn't much we can do. I say be very gentle with it and find a good dermatologist that will give his/her time in order to figure out your specific issue. It si very difficult to find one, its like a needle in a haystack. I have just found one that truely cares, and I have seen over 10 diff. derms in my lifetime. So be gentle and patient, you will get over it in time.

[Ihsahn]

do you have a picture of how you look now? i think i could prob tell better then.If you currently do not have any eczema /SD flare up and just the very mild redness and some dryness i think just using elidel or protopic will clear you in 7 days but when you stop it its bound to come back just not nearly as bad as before.Elidel and protopic will sting bad and itch so make sure your not allergic and its just the usual irritation,what i fear is this is very controv. med-lots of docs say we can use it for lifetime but many after using it a year long have died using this but they have taken it for a year long.Theres also the theory that its a problem for ppl below the age of 9 since their immune system is not fully developed.

If you are interested you can check out this site www.protopiclawyers.com for some controv and ppl suffering from cancer after using elidel/protopic from long run,you can see their videos as well.

The fucidin i used was an antibiotic spot treatment for my acne but my acne has never been anything more than a pustule.I don't think Fucidin H is the same.

fluticasone propionate is the steroid i use occasionally ,the brand name is cutivate cream (form).It is about 200-300 more potent than hydrocortisone (which hardly does for most ppl). In recent studies it has shown that cutivate is much more safer and effective than any other med steroid.c-steroid.Infact now they even say that to use cutivate 2ce a week for manitanence,i dont do this but if i have a party i usually apply it couple of days before an i wont have even a millm of redness/flakes,i even use it sometimes to reduce inflammation from acne but i dont advice this some ppl might have very thin skin and over applying might cause atrophy -though this happens very rarely unless u apply over a month straight.
I personally believe that instead of using a low potency steroid which will take 15 days for complete clear up like hydrocortisone it is much better to use something in the mid range which should clear you up in 5-7 days.Just be careful of the eelashes area as it absorbs 30% while the rest of the face 7 %

Antibiotics make ur skin very suspectable to the sun ,so thats why i dont like using it with something like elidel then u may have a larger cancer risk.But anyway just follow one doc i think thats the best and do your research on the net.The proper treatment for flareups are steroid first then immunomodulators so that it doesnt totally come back again-with antibiotics/antifungal also antihistamine.Just be v careful of the sun wear a cap and cover up etc.

You prob had Sd from before but didnt notice till you got the flare up from differin.Maybe you rubbed or used harsh cleansers along with it? were in the sun ?.If its an allergic reaction there are other brands and other forms to exfoliate.Hope everything gets better you have to be patient.

[timmoore]

what sodium suflacetamide wash, i heard it helps reduce p .ovae fungus and is also an anti-inflammatory for rosacea. anybody use or heard of this?

[seb_derm]

Thanks for all the info you guys are giving...
Ishahn - u asked for pics of my problem here are they :
1. before - http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php...i&img=25313
2. after - http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php...i&img=25312

[Ihsahn]

thanks for the pics,even though i cant clearly see everything since SD flakes are not that visible unless ur looking from close.
It looks like your forehead is quite clear but the nose has some,the cheeks look alright to.I would put cutivate for 3-5 days in the areas where you have inflammation(but u barely have any) and flakes which should clear everything out and then apply elidel for maybe 2-3weeks so that just incase it doesn't come back.The prob is these med dont cure the root of the prob but temporarily surpresses the prob ,unfort there is no complete cure all we can do is try and control it .Usually once you are done with your course with steriosd /elidel etc it doesnt come back for a while and when it does its usually very less-(kind of like roacutane) or when you have a all of a sudden bad flareup due to allergy weather etc.

You can talk to your doc about antifungal tablets like nizoral,difflucan,sporanox,ive tried all 3 and only nizoral to some extent seemed to help.Antifungals however help ppl with only who have it thru fungus and that to in limited numbers<if yours is genetic it wont do much>

[seb_derm]

thanks buddy for having a look at my pics...did u see the before pic of mine, in tht pic did u notice tht i dint have any signs of sebhoherric dermatitis before, i just had a few red marks on my cheeks inorder to clear tht i started w/ differin and duac jus 4 nights of application has made my skin so worse and my life hell...whenever i think abt this scene i get so fuckin frustrated and i think why did this happen to me? i was so fuckin happy awhile ago, its all fuckin my mistake i shouldnt have started it, now i get this pt "excess of everything is bad", i shouldnt have over done soo much inorder to get clear...sorry for being so cynical... 6 months passed since the incident, been finding the right med and sum1 to advice me who has been there and gone thru this sd and tackled it successfully and thts u Ihsahn thanks for all the info uve given me buddy...i hope clear skin wishes for u buddy...thanks once again il keep u in track abt my progress.

[Ihsahn]

well dont worry about it,Sd is quite easy to control unless its chronic.Your face looks pretty much clear.Just dont go to too many docs follow only one doc,if you have any doubts maximum 2 docs.They all give the same type of med just with diff names/brands but the actions are pretty much same.

We all have made mistakes ,i have made many mistakes myself until i researched and talked to docs.Don't do anything out of the ordinary(in cream form) or take med which are not fda approved(even fda has some issues).If you really want to clear your face i assure you within 3-7 days u wont have any flakes nor redness if you use cutivate and it really doesnt look like you will get it back you seem have it mild.Dont be upset you have no idea how horrific skin diseases and facial problems are there that thousands have to live with every day,atleast you have a treatment to control your problem.Hopefully everything will be great.

[seb_derm]

thanks a ton buddy for all the info and time uve given me...i have only 1 last confusion hope u dnt mind...if u were in my place which prescription would u go for (im sorry for asking the same qs again and again)

by 1st derm
minocycline 100 mg 15 days
fucidin h cream 7days
elidel cream 1mnth

by 2nd derm
sum multivitamin tab
fluticasone cream 7days
metrogyl thrice/wk 20days

my main confusion is fucidin h or fluticasone which 1 should i go for if i start with fluticasone i will have to follow tht prescription only. see im planning to start on fucidin h wht do u suggest is it good! have u tired it or heard sum misconceptions abt it...let me know...i would like to thank u 1s again buddy for ur time and patience uve given me by readin my posts and replyin me with all those helpful info...

[Ihsahn]

NP,sd is a very bothersome issue i would like to try and help as much as possible.

It is a bit confusing.I dont know the strength of fucidin H.And Metrogel is for rosacea,now if you have rosacea its a diff story.
The antibiotics is not necc unless you have moderate to severe Sd.Do you have severe dandruff?.
Im sorry but this might be a it more confusing,but as far as my knowledge and exp i would go with fluticasone (is this cutivate ?) multi vitamins and elidel ,it becomes a mix of both doc.I wouldnt take antibiotics and elidel together as youll be more prone to sun issues.

Personally i think you should follow just one doc and ask your doc about all the potential risks etc. as for me,i would go with multi vitamins which you should take anyway.Cutivate then elidel. If you will go with first doc pls ask about antibiotics and elidel,then start,if you cant visit pls atleast call and check.Sorry i might not be able to guide you with this dec of which doc to choose,diff doc prescribed a bit diff from each other.

And im not sure about fucidin H ,if its hydrocortisone it will barely help and you are bound to get it back,you will need something a bit stronger to avoid re-occurance.

[seb_derm]

nah! i dnt have rosacea i guess the pinkish-redness is due to sd.
the strength of fucidin is 2% and hydrocortisone 1%.
no i dnt have dandruff.
antibiotic is for my mild acne.
its not cutivate my 1 is flutivate if i start with this il have to follow the 2nd prescription as i told u.
sun issues doesnt conflict in my case coz i completely avoid goin out during the day.
ya even i think ur right i should stick with 1 derm only even i would probably love to start with flutivate and then elidel there is only one multivitamin tab im takin it covers all vitamins frm a to z. i cannot ask the 1st derm again and again ive been to her 3 times already she's gettin wild on me now coz im not startin on the med ive asked her many times if there are any side effects she only says 1 thing tht she gives these meds to kids less than 2 yrs...shes told me to do a patch test on my chin for 3-4 days and then i should decide.
since ive started goin to gym again my skin is improving (touch wood). well i think my sd shouldnt come bck (i wish so it doesnt)...its jus tht i need to cure it atleast 1's. im not in a mood to take any risks i wana be 100% sure on wht im doin ive already been in a mess 1s not again plz...
i cant even go for any treatments like microderm,chemical peels or ipl my skin is very sensitive even the doc told me wait for a while and then we'll opt for these treatments.
ok tell me 1 thing is a antifungal tab as effective as these topicals, the antifungal tab im talking abt it is fluconazole its strength is arnd 150mg. wht do u feel abt this...
in 1 of ur post u posted this link http://www.geocities.com/mall_lago/ they say...
"metronidazole (T)-- this antibiotic is used topically primarily for its reported ability to reduce skin inflammations. It's widely prescribed for rosacea and sometimes SD as well"

[Ihsahn]

i checked on flutivate it seems like its the same as cutivate,its very safe and very effective when used appropriately.If you use flutivate im pretty sure your sd/inflammation will be 90% clear by 3-4 day.

If you dont have mod-severe dandruff you prob have mild Sd.If you have mild acne i dont think its necc to go on antibiotics.The worry here is when you use antibiotics with elidel ,it can be risky even if you dont go in the sun.

I think sweating is excellent for the skin in general,since ive started jogging and running my face has a very nice glow from he 3rd 4th week,but if you are inflammed sweating isnt advisable.

Ive used fluconazole (Difflucan) once a week for a month it did nothing for me,i tried sporanox as well did nothing ,the only one which helped atleast my dandruff cleared completely was by nizoral (ketoconazole) 10 days.But my sd is genetic,and usually antifungals do not do the trick for most sd patients but its still something docs try.If yours is not genetic you may see it as an option.

As far as metronidazole about 5 years back i used to use elyzol which was very effective for me then i stopped it -recently i tried dumozol (forgot the spelling) and it inflammed me badly so i stopped it,as far as i know these are used for rosacea patients and that time i had no clue about tretments ,i used to use whatever was prescribed to me.

In my opinion peels will do nothing for you so even when you are clear i suggest you stay away from these,the only useful thing is fraxel but even then its very exp and the improvement might not be upto to the mark you will spend or expect.

Rite now im using protopic myself ive had a bad flareup 2 months back,im still in dilemma about topical immunomodulators,ive used elidel for a long time in the past without the knowledge of potential cancer risk,im really hoping nothing happens.

[seb_derm]

when u used elidel did u initially notice any side effects like burning,stinging and itching etc because ive read these are common side effects when u start using elidel.
ive done a couple of glycolic peels and microdermabrasion in the past when my acne was bad (arnd yr and half bck) i was very much impressed with the results believe it or not i was absolutely clear.
ok forget the past i cant go for any treatments presently as my skin is hypersensitive.
i searched abt fraxel but its only useful for those who have acne scars,age spots/brown spots,melasma,wrinkles but i dnt know how much does this help with redness and sd.
well for now im gona take fluconazole tabs for a mnth 1 tab every week i hope this works.
and tell me does cutivate help reduce redness, scaliness did u get any side effects when u started using it.

[Ihsahn]

yeah elidel will sting you ,make your face itch etc but it should be only for the first 2-4 days,if you have severe redness from it stop it you may be allergic to it.

Doing peels may give you flare ups but if it has helped your acne then your the best judge,but if its just acne your trying to treat ,normal creams can help you,i thought you were looking for a treatment in acne scars.Fraxel will help the redness -skin tone but it wont do much for SD it may even give you a flare up but fraxel is the best amongst any other more extreme procedures.

Diflucan didnt do anything for me and it is mainly used for vaginal fungus but if your doc has given you then give it a shot hopefully it will work for you.Pls dont try it from your side you may cause some internal problems & you said you dont have dandruff etc then the creams given to you by your doc should clear you up easily but if your doc has prescribed you the antifungal tablets then its fine.

Cutivate will clear every single thing in your face related with SD unless your allergic to it and then usually elidel or protopic is given for maintanence.I had no side effects using cutivate and very rarely does one have unless used way more than given instructions,you just have to apply it thinly its really a magic med for inflammation and flakes etc..

Hope everything goes well keep us posted and let us know what you're taking and how the progress is.