[Battwenue]

So, I've had rosacea since my teens. It actually wasn't diagnosed as such until it took a nasty turn toward the severe end of things a few years ago in my mid-thirties. I had 4 sessions of IPL and various topicals and antibiotics and was well on my way to looking and feeling much better until the end of 2010 when I developed seborrheic dermatitis, which is apparently a fairly standard progression in rosacea sufferers and by spring 2011 had started to suffer life-crippling, exceptionally painful facial flares triggered by small changes in temperature which included swelling as well as burning, itching and temporary disfigurement. Took ages to get on top of the SD with various topicals and some heavy-duty anti-fungals while the insane flaring has been mostly under control with 3x daily off-label use of antihypertensives. So, i'm finally getting back along with my life, back to work, and went on holiday a few weeks ago only for my eyes to go insane. Luckily I was in Germany whose healthcare system is clearly better than the NHS, because I was immediately directed to a specialist eye hospital emergency room (on a Saturday, in and out within one hour!) where I got to see an opthalmologist who told me my symptoms (hugely swollen eyelids upon waking, crusty skin, weeping eyes and itching, massive black circles under eyes) were not an allergy or infection but dry eye syndrome which is again, like the SD, simply a common progression of rosacea. Apparently the oil glands in the edges of the eyelids get blocked or don't function and the protective oily covering of the eyeball is destroyed and the eye begins to dry out. So I got eye drops prescribed for this which seemed ot help. I've tried to replace them OTC until I see my dermatologist for my next scheduled appointment in May when I'm going to see what else they can do for me regarding this. I'm also doing eye scrubs as directed but find it's hard not to end up irritating the eyelid skin more. Sigh.

So, my point in relaying all this exciting information is to ask if anyone else suffers from all this dry eye nonsense, roascea-related or otherwise) and how they deal with it, drug or routine-wise. Or just to see if anyone wants to commiserate about having rosacea, which sucks fetid balls when it gets severe.

[art_fan_12]

My major issue when I get an outbreak of blepharitis is the itching and swelling. The only thing that makes that go away for me is steroids (I think it's methylprednisolone). Certain products will set it off (usually this is a surprise, however, i.e. "surprise! this new eyeliner!"). After the swelling subsides, I get the dry, flaky skin on the eyelids that can last for several weeks. I can tolerate using Gold Bond lotion (the healing one, with aloe in it) in modest amounts on the eyelid and will often put some on at night before I go to bed. I wear contacts 24/7, so I use Optive drops every day anyway, and just continue to do so if I get a blepharitis outbreak.

[Battwenue]

Ooh, a reply!

Yes, I get terrible itching and swelling too. I feel like pulling my eyelashes out sometimes. I don't really wear any eye-make up these days because it just seems to exacerbate it 9 times out of 10. I've got various steroid-based creams but I find it's really tricky with the skin on my eyelids and can often just make it worse for whatever reason. It's very annoying. I saw my GP yesterday and he gave me some greasy dry-eye ointment called Lubriderm which is supposed to go IN my eyes but actually ends up oozing all over my eyes and it actually seemed to help with the dryness and soreness.

[art_fan_12]

I don't think I could do a steroid cream. That would drive me bonkers! I'd rather just take the pills and sit on my hands. Ha! There have been times it's been so bad I'll go 2 or 3 months not using any makeup on or near my eyes. I had an outbreak about 3 weeks ago, but it was my own damned fault. I bought some beauty/anti-wrinkle treatment thing and just foolishly put it on my eyelids. It had been a while since I'd had an outbreak so I guess I thought I was magically immune now!

[Battwenue]

Sorry, I just jumped to the conclusion that you meant cream for some reason. I've had courses of oral steroids in the past and they help tremendously with any skin inflammation to the point I would happily live on them if it weren't so bad for you and no doctor would allow it. I had a long course of them last year when they were trying to figure out the SD thing. I might speak to the doc about another short course if I can't get any relief that lasts with topicals.

It had been a while since I'd had an outbreak so I guess I thought I was magically immune now! Yeah, this is why I'm usually terrified to experiment with skincare. 95% of stuff is just going to trigger some reaction. I know I can't use anything with plant oils because they have high oleic acid levels which boosts skin yeast growth which in turn triggers SD ... I tend to stick to known mineral-oil based everything for facial products but even then sometimes stuff just stops working. I find I end up rotating the same few products over time. It's a red letter day if I find a New Thing that's safe for me and works.