New to Group - Q. on Skin Alllergies & Ros

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I'm new to this group but have been reading the posts on and off for

quite a while. I was diagnosed several years ago as having rosacea

and believed this to be so for years. During that time I was treated

with, amongst other things, tetracycline and Metrogel.

The symptoms, redness on my nose, the sides of my nose and above my

eyebrows, and dandruff including flaking skin on the above areas,

were on and off, mostly off, and it was hard to get a sense of how

much any treatment was helping. There were no dramatic lasting

results.

Last year, ago, my new doctor rediagnosed me. He said that what I had

was not rosacea but skin allergies. Tests proved I'm reactive to

dairy products, fresh cut grass, dust, molds … some of the basics.

Since that time I've been staying away from dairy products (pizza,

ice cream, butter … very difficult!) getting allergy shots on a

regular basis, and also using nasal anti-allergy medication and

homeopathic solutions for dairy allergies.

Also, using Cortaid and anti-allergen sprays around the house. Having

read through several forums, I have switched to natural facial care

products without fragrance, particularly HomeHealth's Unscented

Everclean Antidandruff shampoo, Kiss My Face Fragrance Free Shaving

Cream and Curel Fragrance Free Moisturizer.

I have several reasons for writing at this time. I hope information I

post may help others as your posts have helped me to keep learning

and becoming more proactive towards this condition.

Also, even since my rediagnosis, I'm not sure my current diagnosis is

completely correct either. My condition has improved by virtue of

something I've done but I'm not sure what. But it hasn't gone away so

I've returned to find out more. I'd be curious to hear from anyone

whose experience took them from skin allergies to roseacea or vice

versa. The symptoms are so close and it all seems to involve the same

pool of variables: oil gland overactivity, bacteria, etc.

I want to explore more treatment options --- My condition has gotten

better but I believe there is a " magic bullet " out there that will

get me and many of us the rest of the way. I've read of solutions you

all have tried and it seems like you'd have to be a millionaire

devoting your time 24/7 to fighting this to try them all. So if

anyone reading this can suggest a next step that might be helpful,

please do. I've watched commercials for a product called Proactiv

which I naturally distrust because they sell it on TV but plan to ask

my doctor about it. Even though it's for acne, it seemed from the

photos and testimonials that it might work for ros/all/SD sufferers

as well.

I've always thought of this as a rash that some particular thing must

be triggering and if I could get rid of the trigger, it would go

away. I say that because there are times when I go through the day

with no redness at all and my skin looks perfect and I feel, for a

short time, like me, the confident person I was before all of this

started. Have you found this too?

I plan to do a four day fast some time in the next month to detox my

system and see if that takes me to the next level. That would be a

further indication that some particular food trigger --- maybe dairy

in even the small amount I still intake or something else, can be

eliminated from the equation.

The other thing I wanted to check out is, it seems like there should

be a network for socializing or dating for those who have symptoms

common to any of these conditions. Because we're all in the same boat

after a fashion. I don't talk to people outside of my family about

the challenges I face with this including friends or dates. And it is

The Thing that I feel stops me from wanting to meet new people or

start new relationships.

But it's always there for me even if it isn't and it would be nice to

meet people who are going through the same thing --- I assume this

has been as troubling for many of you as it has been for me. Anyway,

if there is anything like this social network, please let me know. I

live in the Los Angeles area and would be happy to come by with punch

and pie.

The anxiety this has caused me has lessened over the last year but it

has not gone away. I find today, I can go out 98% with either nothing

or a little bit of concealer on and feel reasonably good. (I'm not a

big fan of this option by the way – I'd prefer to leave make-up on

men to stage professionals – but it's the best I've got) Before

that, I didn't know from the time I left my house to the time I

showed up at work how my face might change. I'm sure many of you can

relate.

Anyway, thanks for hearing me out. Anyone who wants to respond can do

so at tmcclus@.... Peace