can antibiotics mask inflammation from the metros too?

[Guest guest]

If you're taking oral antibioics and applying a topical treatment at

the same time, how can you know if the antibiotics are masking the

irritation and inflammation caused by the topical treatment itself

(say Metrocream), just as antibiotics can mask inflammation caused by

skin care products?

Marjorie had stated in a previous post:

" One common mechanism for worsening rosacea as antibiotics are

weaned/discontinued: their anti-inflammatory action mask the

irritation caused by skin care products, then when antibiotics are

withdrawn the irritation/inflammation manifests unchecked. "

Here's why: Whenever I've tried to use one of the " metro's " when I

haven't been on antibiotics, my skin is always in such poor

condition, I can't really tell whether the metro is helping or

hindering. (I suspect they may have been a little irritating, but I'm

really not sure.) So then I'll take antibiotics and use a metro at

the same time - with the hope that I'll be able to come off the

antibiotics and maintain some kind of " remission " of my symptoms for

a while by just using the metro. But that hasn't worked out.

As long as I'm on antibiotics and use a metro, my rosacea is better,

but as soon as I stop taking the antibiotics and just keep using the

metro, my skin becomes worse again. (The same cycle happens if I just

take antibiotics alone.) How can I know if the antibiotics are

masking irritation and inflammation from the metro itself?

I would like to test other topicals to see if they could help me

maintain some kind of remission of symptoms when I wean myself from

the antibiotics, but I know that initially, topicals without

antibiotics are not strong enough to initially control my rosacea.

How can I test other topicals to see if they could be more effective

for me - since I suspect the antibiotics would just mask any

irritation and inflammation from the new topical anyways?

In fact, does anyone use this technique (combination of oral and

topical) successfully to maintain remission? I know from an article

that Matija posted by Dr. Wilkin (rosacea expert), that he uses this

method for his patients - and is able to maintain remission on

topicals alone for some period of time for many patients.