Rosacea and issues with the use of Benzoyl peroxide, Tetracycline, Erythromycin, Oxytetracycline

QUESTION: Tetracycline, Erythromycin, Oxytetracycline - Rosacea in Hair?

Sent: Friday, July 04, 2008

I have been diagnosed with this condition by my GP (we don't get referred to dermatologists for "trivial" conditions such as these!) and have been researching it... The more I do the more confusing it seems to get. From what I can tell here in the UK they don't seem to be linking the rosacea to the Demodex... I've been placed on 4 x 250mg oxytetracycline daily, but no mention of how to kill off the demodex.

Your Sulphur cream is very interesting but I have a couple of queries I hope you can help me with before I place an order. You state your Sulfur cream shouldn't be used in conjunction with Tetracyclines but to switch to Erythromycin as opposed to Tetracycline. I looked this up but it has some nasty possible side effects, plus I am on a lot of other medications for various other problems and am worried about possible contra-indications. If my GP feels that oxetetracycline is the best way to go, does this have a limiting effect on the sulphur cream. Will it still work? Will it contra-indicate? Will it just take a little longer to work (if so approximately how much longer)?

As most of the people who suffer from this horrible condition, I am desperate. Please can you answer these queries by return? I am anxious to do something about this. Also can you advise does this product contain any laurel sulphate or parabens.? I am trying to go organic as I suffer from excema also, and in fact for years thought that was what this was... I realise that it may not be something I can be "religious" about in order to clear this problem, but do not want to replace one with another!

Finally, I have suffered for years with what I thought was excema in my hair and no medication seems to clear it, I have very itchy dry flaky, somethimes scabby scalp. Could this be rosacea in my hair?

If so what can I use and will those products contain the laurel sulphate and parabens I'm trying to avoid? I hope to hear good news from you soon, Many thanks,

ANSWER: Re: Rosacea Cream - Tetracycline, Erythromycin, Oxytetracycline

Hi, My answer must have mislead you somewhere.

Our Sulfur cream certainly can be used with Tetracycline and antibiotics or any other meds for that matter.

I usually recommend people use one thing at a time purely to isolate the effectiveness of each individual product. If you use one product and get a reaction you know what caused it.

If you are using 2 or more products and get a reaction you can't tell which product caused it.

Thus: My Golden Rule: Just change one thing at a time. That way you know exactly what works and what doesn't.

Tetracyclines are preferable to Erythromycin for Rosacea but sometimes Erythromycin works better. If you use Tetracyclines for a long time you can become resistant to it and then a swap to Erythromycin may be useful. This is not common, but because there is so much individual variation between people it can be used.

My advice is to use the tetracycline for at least 4 weeks on it's own. Then if you are not satisfied with the results, add our Sulphur ointment to your daily treatment for about another 3 weeks and see how the combination goes. Rosacea is slow to respond to treatments so one step at a time is the best way to proceed.

Our Sulfur ointment is preserved with chlorocresol (no parabens or sodium lauryl sulphate).

I suspect your hair condition is not Rosacea and would try washing your hair daily for 14 days with a off the shelf product such as T-gel shampoo and conditioner. The everyday/14 day concentrated treatment usually removes scale and allows the scalp to regenerate. Hair needs to be washed at least 3 times a week when healthy to avoid scale build up. You wash your body daily and your hair can be washed daily also. This may be inconvenient with long hair but usually works. Hopefully this will help. Kind regards, David Hosking

QUESTION:

Sent: Friday, February 08, 2008 6:58 AM
Subject: Sulphur cream enquiry Dear David,

I have just purchased some of your sulphur cream for my rosacea on my chin. I suffer from papules and pustules and the irritation associated with rosacea!

Have been on tetracycline on and off for a few years although not on it now as the maintenance dose didn't appear to be doing very much. Should I be just using the cream at night and not putting any moisteriser on in the morning? Have been using the cream just a week today and have been putting on a natural moisteriser on in the morning which is very light but haven't since any improvement yet - still getting the odd bump come up which can get a head on it.

Was diagnosed with rosacea back in March 1995 but then I moved area and my new doctor just calls it acne! However if I use any pimple cream like benzoyl peroxide, it just makes it worse!!

Look forward to hearing from you,

ANSWER:

Benzoyl peroxide definitely worsens rosacea. It will take about 3 weeks to respond the the Sulphur cream and using a moisturizer in the morning is fine.

In place of the tetracycline you can use erythromycin for rosacea and I think that would be something you can ask the doctor. Many people alternate tetracycline for several months then erythromycin for several months.

I don't know about the climate where you are but hot, dry areas tend to worsen the problem as does icy cold. I hope that helps,

Kind Regards, David Hosking.

www.hoskingspharmacy.com