What works for Ocular rosacea

[Guest guest]

Hello and Jan, I have had mild to moderate rosacea with ocular

problems for a number of years and have had to figure out the best treatment

for myself from my own research and from working with one very knowledgable

opthalmologist.

Here is my program for control of ocular rosaca and blepharitis

1) See an MD opthalmologist who can prescribe medication as needed, and give

you a definitive diagnois, not an optometrist.

2) You may need to use an inexpensive, but medically prescribed antibiotic

ointment on your eyelids, or even in your lower lid for awhile. Bacitrian or

generic Ak-tracin work great. For serious flares the physician may prescribe

TobraDex, an antibiotic eye drop which also contains some cortisone. Works

wonders, but you don't want to use any cortisone eye drop for prolonged

period, as there are other risks. Voltaran drops are an anti inflammory which

have fewer long term risks associated, but still for occasional use only.

3) Using the warm compresses followed by gentle eyelid scrubs is necessary

and has never bothered my rosacea. You could do each eye separately to avoid

more contact with skin if you wanted to. This is very important to loosen the

crusts that form. If you can find one, and old fashioned eye cup would work

well. You can use a large, eye sized plastic tablespoon to cup the eye also.

4) How I scrub: Take a 2 oz paper bathroom cup, add a little hot water, then

a few drops of 's baby shampoo, (use 's brand), more warm water

to about 1 oz, stir, and then scrub each eyelid, upper and lower, gentlely

with a q-tip. Rinse well with warm water cupped in your hand. At night follow

with the antibiotic ointment to eyelids.

5) For control of the dry eye problem that can lead to corneal erosion begin

from the inside by taking oral EFA oils. I have found that taking Borage oil,

(1300 mg) or Black Current Seed oil works best, along with some Flax seed

oil(1000mg).

The Vitamin Shoppe, available online, has the best prices and good products.

It can take up to 2-3 months for the oils to begin to help with eye

lubrication, but it really works! Many on this list have found help from the

oils. Also add in good fats such as olive oil to your diet. I take in at

least 2 tablespoons of olive oil most days, in stir fries, salads, and as a

dip for bread instead of butter. This is very anti aging for the skin too!

Be aware that many physicians are not aware of the use of Borage for the

eyes.

6) Lubricate your eyes as needed with quality eye drops such as Refresh. Use

the individual vials, best price is Walmart. Carry with you and use during

day as needed, especially if you live in polluted city or work on computer a

lot.

7) Discuss with your physician an initial course of oral tetercycline, then

move to a low dose regime, if needed. I maintain very comfortably on 250mg

of tetracycline three times per week, MWF. This is a different use of

tetracycline and is basically for the anti inflamatory effect. It also helps

control the rosacea. Be sure to take a good acidolphilus and eat yogurt to

keep your stomach and gut healthy. If you use the oils and follow with the

scrubs and drops you may not need this. I have had the complication of iritis

and have to be more vigilant personally.

8) Muro ointment is helpful if the cornea is irritated and eyes are very dry

at night. As I understand it the problem with lanolin and mineral oil is

their effect on the pores of the skin and they should not bother the eyes,

unless you have a specfic allergy. Muro takes a little time getting used to

and your vision can bebriefly blurry in the morning. Turn the heat in your

bedroom down and humidify the air in the winter, for additional help.

9) Keep your body hydrated. Drink 8 glasses of good water daily, without

fail. Other liquids don't count. When traveling by air, hydrate in advance,

and carry water bottle with you on plane. Avoid alcohol and caffine when

flying.

9) Don't try to wear contacts unless the opthalmologist clears you for use.

Dry eyes and contacts don't go together.

10) Do not drink any alcohol when you are in a flare with your eyes. If you

want to drink at other times experiment to see what works for you. Sake, made

from rice, has no sulfites and is often tolerated better than other wines for

those with rosacea. For some reason I can usually drink Coors lite but not

other beers.

11) Keep a diary and watch to see what foods, places, perfumes etc bother

your eyes.

When I travel to a midwestern city where one of my children lives, my eyes

have repeatedly flared. I have gotten to know the opthalmologist there very

well! He tells me that the pollution form the corn and soy factories there

bother many people, so you never know!

And, my opinion only, metrocream was worthless for me, and it is not made to

use around or in the eyes! Hope this helps, know it sounds like a lot, but

this has worked for me. Regards, Kate

[Guest guest]

Hi Jan, I need to find my book on oils, to see if flax and safflower can be

interchanged, but I will go ahead and answer your other questions. EFA stands

for essential fatty acids. Borage oil comes from a plant, black current seed

oil from black currents, and flax from flax seeds, all natural plants. Some

products are organic and some are not. There is also a difference in how the

oil is pressed out and processed. The Vitamin Shoppe products which I use

contain, borage 15 calories, and flax 10 calories. I have a very healthy diet

which include tuna, salmon and other fish up to 3-4 times per week. I rarely

eat beef, pork or deep fried foods, maybe several times per month, so the

calories in the oils dont worry me. To the best of my knowledge while fish

oils have been shown to help with inflammation in the body, they dont have an

impact on the eyes, in the same way as borage. In general, the low fat craze

of recent years has had a down side for many people. Good fats are necessary

for the skin and the production of hormones. A few women on the list have

reported changes in their cycle when they take the oils.

Taking borage oil did more for my ocular rosacea than any thing else. I took

it for 5 years, was having no problems with my eyes and decided I didn't need

it anymore. After 5 months of being off the Borage I had major problems with

my eyes again. That proved it for me!

I have taken 400 mg of Vitamin E for 15 years, but that does not do the work

of borage. It is important to include it in your supplements, and has many

other protective aspects for the skin. I also find that Selenium 200mcg is

important for the eyes and should be taken along with the E.

A woman chiropractor told me about borage about ten years ago. It seems to

liquify the oil in the glands in the eyes, allowing the eyes to again produce

the natural lubrication. That is how the hot soaks work too, liquifying the

secretions that get " stopped up " . An opthalmologist told me to gently

massage around the eye, using little circles, before I get out of bed every

morning for the same reason. Get a book on acupressure and also hold the

acupressure points around the eyes. This stimulates the eye oil glands.

One other thing which I forgot in my earlier post is watch out for eye makeup.

When your eyes are flaring don't use any. Also throw out mascara every 3-4

months. I recently used some old mascara for a special event and was I sorry!

Had to go back to the antibiotic ointment for several days. I use Almay

products when I use mascara but am on the lookout for other good eye makeup.

I am convinced that skin care is an inside job. Yesterday the girl at the

local health food store was reluctant to give me the senior discount, which

is very gratifiying! Regards, Kate

[Guest guest]

, you asked what I take on a daily basis:

Centrum silver, multi vitamin

400 mg E 200 mcg Selenium

400 mcg Folic acid 500 mcg B-12

100 mg B-6 50 mg Coenzyme 10

Feverfew 455 mg Acidophilus daily

Borage Oil,1300 mg Flax Oil, 1000 mg

Calcium Citrate 300 mg, with Magnesium 150 mg

Extra C 1000 mg, only as needed, in form of Emergen-C

250 mg Tetracycline, 3 X week MWF

HRT, low dose in patch, with natural progesterone

Sam-e 50-200 mg, as needed, the higher dose in winter

Does look like a lot, but is worth it to control the rosacea and ocular

symptoms and fun getting carded for senior specials! Kate

[Guest guest]

Sorry - Trying to say borage my spell checker and I don't always get along.

Re: Re: What works for Ocular rosacea

>

>

> > Hello Maida, I take one soft gel 1300 mg cap of borage per day. It

> contains

> > 260 of GLA or Gamma LInolenic Acid, 465 of Linoleic Acid and 195 mg

Oleic

> > Acid. When I find my book on oils I will explain what these are

> >

> > Capsule contains gelatin, glycerin, water. Remember that it can take up

> to

> > 2-3 months to feel the effect of the borage oil on your eyes. Kate

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Sorry - Trying to say borage my spell checker and I don't always get along.

Re: Re: What works for Ocular rosacea

>

>

> > Hello Maida, I take one soft gel 1300 mg cap of borage per day. It

> contains

> > 260 of GLA or Gamma LInolenic Acid, 465 of Linoleic Acid and 195 mg

Oleic

> > Acid. When I find my book on oils I will explain what these are

> >

> > Capsule contains gelatin, glycerin, water. Remember that it can take up

> to

> > 2-3 months to feel the effect of the borage oil on your eyes. Kate

> >

> >

> >