cea at early age Re: Derm visit.....

[Guest guest]

I have to chime in that rosacea or pre-rosacea in the teens is not

unusual. As a child, I used to blush a lot and at 14 I developed bad

acne. My local derm tried a few things (including a sunlamp!) and

when nothing he did helped, he referred me to Stanford U.'s acne

clinic since they could be more helpful. To make a long story short,

the topical products they gave me like retin-a and 10% benzoyl

peroxide burned my face and made my acne worse. I was given

tetracycline. When that didn't work, I was given erythromycin. When

that didn't work, I was given another antibiotic. I think it was

minocycline, but I don't know for sure. That didn't work for me. I

was told that my acne was not in the typical pattern of teenage acne

since it was concentrated on my chin, my nose and the front part of

my cheeks. I was also told it was unusual because I had no blackheads

or whiteheads. Also, I was extremely red and inflammed all the time

which was another unusual sign. I think I had pre-rosacea because

the topicals I was given made my skin so much worse.

Galderma has a few paragraphs devoted to pre-rosacea on the link

below. It almost sounds like pre-rosacea may occur as a first step

for some of us leading to full blown rosacea. I don't think it is so

unusual at all, and it sounds like they say it should be treated

correctly or the person will develop even worse rosacea. I think the

idea that pre-rosacea or rosacea first strikes those in the 30s/40s

may be an old medical view from before the last five years.

http://www.infoderm.com/scc/disease.cfm?diseaseid=2

Take care,

Matija

> >

> > , acne rosacea in a 20 year old is possible but very rare --

> > far, far more common is acne vulgaris. Also far more common is

> > chronic flushing/blushing that doesn't have a disorder associated

> > with it, is just a characteristic of the person, perhaps an

> inherited

> > tendency or trait.

> >

> > Both acne and easy blushing/flushing occur so commonly in the

young

> > that there's no compelling reason to link them together. Having

all

> > the symptoms of a condition doesn't mean you have that condition,

> not

> > by a long shot.

> >

> > Plus, if there's any question on a diagnosis, the better medical

> > management would favor the conditon that is more amenable to

> > treatment (in your case, acne vulgaris), then to jump immediately

> to

> > the condition that has no great treatment -- especially when the

> > first is so common in the patient population, and the second is

so

> > rare. Does that logic make sense to you?

> >

> > Clindagel is a topical antibiotic, like Metrogel commonly

> prescribed

> > for rosacea, just a different antibiotic (clindamycin rather than

> > metronidazole). Why are you sure it will irritate you -- have you

> had

> > bad experiences with topical clindamycin in the past? Topical

> > antibiotics are anti-inflammatory, but only clindamycin will kill

> off

> > the bacteria that commonly causes acne vulgaris. (cea isn't

> > thought to be caused by bacteria).

> >

> > I know nothing about photoderm treatments. Why is he recommending

> > them for you?

> >

> > Marjorie

> >

> > Marjorie Lazoff, MD

> >

> >

> > > Hello y'all:

> > >

> > > I just went to the top rated dermatologist in Nashville and

> > he

> > > said that at my age(20) rosacea is almost impossible to have

and

> > that

> > > what I have is some acne and a flushing/blushing predisposition

> > that

> > > can be helped by Zyrtec. He prescribed me the Zyrtec and

> Clindagel

> > for

> > > the acne. I'm worried. So many people say that people my age

can

> > get

> > > it, and I do have all the characteristic symptoms of

> rosacea....is

> > this

> > > another clueless derm? He also advised getting photoderm at his

> > clinic,

> > > likely at a 550 wavelength. I'm sure the clindagel will

irritate

> > > me...I'm confused. Any advice would be appreciated.

> > >

> > > -