Help me with my **possible** perioral dermatitis

No wait....It dawned on me (while I was doing my housework, I swear) that I got it wrong...I EAT the yoghurt and mix the turmeric with SOUR CREAM and put it on my face. It's a good thing that these things that I'm mixing up aren't toxic or they'd be carrying me out of my messy house feet first.

Also, I missed the bit about running out to get live yoghurt that Laura posted which means that all along I should have been putting it on my face as well as in it. Oh well, I have had much luck with the zinc....I just wish that the leftover bumps would go away. AND I missed my appointment with my doctor last month because we got snowed in AGAIN. Ugh. Still wondering what the doxycycline will do.

That's it! I'm not even going to open up this laptop for the rest of the day.

Hello all!

I'm so happy to find this site with a live discussion of this condition! I've enjoyed reading all your posts and the shared information.

I developed PD in November of last year after having a Mirena (hormonal) IUD inserted to help control my heavy periods. Wow, what a big mistake! After four days this weird "acne" appeared around my mouth. Alarmed by the sudden onset of symptoms, I had the IUD removed after only 3 weeks, but the acne /rash persisted. It took at least six weeks for me to self diagnosis my condition from the internet, and on Christmas Day I began home remedies in earnest. I cycled through the ACV/ yogurt masks/ no soap with some success, but nothing cleared my PD. Since that time I have been alternating between using black soap from Osmia organics and Neem soap and have introduced A LOT of supplements, including blood cleansing herbs. Right now my healing is focusing on detox. I've eliminated all sugar, dairy, and wheat and have begun a detox diet called the Clean Cleanse. I have yet to go the antibiotics route because I'm worried about destroying my body's natural balance any further. I feel my own case of PD was brought on by a reaction to the synthetic hormone in the IUD, and so I hope to flush any remnants of this toxin out of my body.

Other remedies that I have tinkered with, but not long term enough, have been violet extract, Zinc oxide in the form of organic diaper cream, and Calendula Cream. California Baby Calendula Cream is of particular interest to me at the moment because my 12 year old son had a nasty case of irritant contact dermatitis on his legs from his soccer shin guards (after a long season of indoor soccer). It was inflamed, scaly and angry red, covering many square inches of skin. The California Baby cream has completely healed the rash in a matter of days. Quite miraculous!! I feel encouraged to give that particular cream another try in spite of the fact that I have read over and over again on PD sites that any moisturizer will irritate PD.

This has been a tough long winter for me. I am a homeschool mom with three teenagers and being stuck at home all day with this rash staring back at me in the mirror has taken its toll. I just want to thank you all for taking the time to post your experiences with this condition and your insights. It has felt like a very lonely business to me, and I appreciate the opportunity to share with this special group.

Best wishes,

Jennifer

Hi Jennifer ,Very quick post to say 'Hi' and mention I too had a Mirena IUD fitted too in spring last year.I had it removed as I could feel it and it had moved into cervix......wont be going there again.

I did not start getting PD though till the September-makes you wonder if Progesterone has link in it's own right to all this eh.

Just wanted to add that I too, did not want to go down antibiotic route especially as swab test results showed I was virus/bacteria free.

but...I did and it did get rid of it.

Mine was all over my face in the end and I was worried I would frighten young children! Pretty tough when I never had spots, let alone acne in my life before.

I always felt yeast had a part to play in all this so it was a contradiction for me to take antibiotics but I would have taken just about anything by this point to try and eliminate it.

I do take probiotic tablets that have four good bacteria in.I started these as soon as the last antibiotic was taken.

I have noticed that I do not get so bloated too.My skin looks brighter I fancy now, maybe it is reacting to be looked after so carefully as like others have said, I so took it for granted before.

I also cut out most breads and sugar,never ever use steroid creams and also black cohosh all I felt contributed to my PD.

Hello Jennifer and welcome to the discussion.

I just thought I would update on my trial of zinc. The powder only arrived yesterday but it was put to immediate effect. It was pasted on last night. I was told I looked like a panda - hmm, I'm overweight but not that big! I mixed it with a thickish moisturiser by Faith in Nature and today before work I put the same on again but made sure it was well rubbed in before leaving the house!

I haven't noticed a difference in the appearance yet but I certainly haven't needed to 'scratch' any itches at work, which is positive. My Faith in Nature moisturiser has now finished so I have a thick cream by Lavera which I bought to use on my nether regions if I ever went cycling. I KNEW it would come in handy for something .

I'm feeling positive about the calming effect so far and will update you all in a few days.

Hang in there Jennifer! It HAS been a funny sort of house-bound winter, hasn't it? Laura is really sure about the Live Yoghurt working and I've had luck with the zinc so that should be a little encouraging. We've all been guinea pigs in one form or another so you're that much ahead of the game.

MissMc made me snort with laughter. Too funny. Keep us posted!

I've been meaning to ask Emily how this all started....how did they turn your initial query into this forum? I can't see them creating a forum for every issue. Just wondering.

What a relief to find out I am not alone. My PD started last summer after a total hysterectomy, I am 43 at the moment. So, for me it definitely seems to be hormone related. I also have iron deficiency anemia... another possible cause. Like many of you, I have tried so many things, but will do everything in my power to stay away from pharmaceuticals. For a long time now, I have been using fluoride free toothpaste, non-SLS facial cleanser and laundry detergent. So, I cannot say that SLS or fluoride contributed to my skin condition. I also have not been on any antibiotics for a very long time. To top it all, I'm vegan and very health conscious.

So far, it seems that when I remember to put freshly squeezed organic LEMON JUICE (also great for wrinkles ) on my skin every morning and evening, I have gotten the best results. It will "clear" it, but will return as soon as I forget to apply it. I definitely know not to scratch - it seems to spread quicker when I do. I have also stopped using a facial moisturizer and only use organic coconut oil. Last night, I started adding violet extract to my treatment plan. I did not see any difference in my bumps this morning, but will give it a few days. I am thinking of trying zinc oxide cream next as recommended by many of you - thanks! and grape seed extract caps.

Things that I have tried that has NOT helped me: Tea tree oil, ACV, 12 days on the Master Cleanse detox, hydrogen peroxide, Argan oil...

Thank you for all the advice!

Hi!

I'm Michaela and I stumbled across this thread frantically trying (yet again) to find a cure to my PD. I have PD a few years ago and it just went away on its own after a couple of months but it's not budging this time round. My symptoms started around November last year (2013) and have got progressively worse. I have tried eveverything: topical antibiotics (which stung and dried my skin out so much that I couldn't persevere), coconut cream (didn't do anything), Avene Cicalfate (again, didn't work), oil cleansers, milk cleansers, oils- the works! I should probably mention that I am a skin care junkie and spend a fortune on products so i'm clued up on 'good' and 'bad' ingredients. I am currently using Ren evercalm milk cleanser and moisutriser- I have always had sensitive skin and have used this for years it never aggravated it. I was reluctant to change my cleansing routine since the PD seems to have a mind of it's on. The skin on the rest of my face is clear and well balanced and i'm not going to start messing with that as well.

I share all your frustrations. The GP's here are absolutely useless- they don't know what PD is, they won't refer you to someone who does and, frankly, they don't care. By way of background, I have suspected IBS. I have had gastroenteritis 8 times over the past 2 years and countless urinary tract infections and viruses not to mention daily abdominal pains, nausea and gastro reflux. I understand, through my limited research, that over 50% of PD sufferers have some gastro/ bowel issues. It's about time that dr's sat up and took this condition seriously instead of palming us of with the first medication they find whilst flicking through their books before booting us out because we've taken more than 5 minutes of their time. If they don't want to listen then refer us on to someone who does because, as you can all appreciate, living with this isn't fun. It has been the cause of periods of great depression for me and again, my attempts to reach out to a GP about some possible counselling or CBT, was rejected flat out. Instead, I was handed a leaflet with some websites I could go to. Helpful.

I am now at my wits end with it all. About a week ago I started to use some pure organic argan oil on my skin as it was so dry and i just needed to give it something (I know the use of oils are generally a no no for PD). I was amazed, the PD virtually cleared up over 3 days. But then, it came back with a vengeance. I have absolutely no idea why. I have reduced my dairy intake significantly as well as carbs. I retraced my food consumption over the past week and all I had eaten was lots of fish and veggies. I have, however, on recommendation from the dr, started to take iron tablets as well a gluten and lactose free probiotic capsules and high fibre drink sachets. All of which an attempt to control my gastro problems. I have no idea whether this could be irritating it or why the oil cleared it up and then it came back worse than before?

I have booked an appointment with the dr next week and am going to demand a referral to a dermatologist. I just want someone to take the time to listen to ALL my symptoms and start to work towards a solution to relieve all of them. Currently GP's have a 'one symptom policy'. Last week my dr said to me, 'let's just deal with this today shall we, otherwise we'll get all confused'. I felt like saying, you're confused? aren't you the dr? aren't you suppose to have the answers or at least provide some guidance? I'm the one having to live with this everyday and guess what, I can't pick and choose which symptoms I suffer from so why are you asking me to pick which ones to deal with? Aren't dr's suppose to adopt a holistic approach? I honestly have given up with the NHS. I have no private medical care and can't afford it so I guess hat means I should just suffer in silence.

It's nice to know there are others out there than can relate to what i'm going through- any advice would be appreciated

Hi Michaela and Janine, Welcome,You can also follow this conversation which means you get email alerts when someone posts.

If you read through all the messages you will see there are many triggers and what will work for one won't necessarily work for another.

Having said that, we all tend to think Yeast has a part in this and many have tried zinc in creams with success.

It is interesting Michaela that you mention digestive symptoms being a link, as this sort of links back to yeast again and the good bacteria v bad bacteria.

For me steroid creams played a part and I think Black Cohosh too (which I was taking instead of HRT as I felt I was in the peri menopause stage)

Creams/shampoos and fluoride did not trigger my PD.

I was given Dalacin (topical antibiotic) which did nothing.I had a facial skin swab taken which was negative for bacteria or virus.So I thought antibiotics were not for me.

As I said I was convinced yeast was the culprit and still do but it's tricky.

I eventually took Lymecycline which is an antibiotic for a month which worked -thank goodness.

I also used Elidel cream which is marvellous stuff.

However,I could not give up on the yeast theory and I have been taking probiotics from Holland and Barrett (strong ones containing 4 good bacteria) since finishing the antibiotics and my PD has not returned as yet.

I too suffered bloating and IBS symptoms and they too have gone.

Good Luck!

Hi Lisa!

Many thanks for your prompt reply, it's nice to know there is someone else out there to talk to! I too have done a little bit of research in respect of PD's link to yeast/candida and found some interesting information. From what I gathered, there are studies currently being undertaken to explore this but at present, it is all speculative. I did ask my dr whether she thought reducing yeast from my diet and high sugar foods would making a difference and all she said was that it was a 'load of tosh'. Given my gastro issues, however,I think this may be highly likely. I have also suffereed from yeast 'patches' on my arms for years- perhpas it is all connected?

I too don't think that shampoos/ toothpastes trigger mine either though I do use fluoride free toothpaste just as a precaution. I have been on several courses of antibiotics over the past couple of years so that could have caused it but most likely is that I used hydrocortisone a couple of times since I used to suffer from eczema. What the trigger, it is going anywhere anytime soon so I am just trying to manage it. Since I think the PD is connected to my gastro issues, I need to address both and I'm doing it on my own since the drs don't seem to have a clue.

You say you have had swab tests- did you see a dermatologist then? Would you say it was useful?

Re specific meds: I used Erythromycin/ Zinc last year for a couple of weeks and it just made my skin so dry. Have any of you tired this- does it require perseverance?

I believe I have been prescribed Elidel cream- it actually says tacrolimus monohydrate (0.03%) on the tube- is this the same thing? I understand that this is more a preventative treatment. I had no directions as how to use it or how often- any tips? It has a vaseline type texture so is quite hard to wear during the day. Ido a lot of client facing so need to wear make-up.

Also which probiotics are you using? I use the boots ones with calcium but only for the past week.

My skin is just so dry and so I'm always temped towards oils- any that anyone has found to help/ aggravate. I've tried both rosehip and argan (both organic) with great results- only to then discover the PD to come back even worse that before. Any theories on this?

Sorry to bombard with questions- I just have so many!

Thanks again so much for bothering to reply- it is really greatly appreciated!

Michaela

You are welcome Michaela, Yes I hear what you are saying about research. I started research too and found that fungal infections are linked to all sorts.

My GP diagnosed my PD as mass cold sores, which kept returning every month growing more and more severe.I did some on-line research and realised it was PD but GP wouldn't listen.

We have emergency walk GP here based at hospital,so I went there and convinced another GP it was PD and he took the swabs. He prescribed Dalacin but as said it did not work for me.That said,by this time I was smothered and it was a little late to be trying topical treatments.

My own GP then decided it was PD after all. The swab results came back as I said negative and then the GP said he would put me on oral antibiotics for a month.I questioned why antibiotics when I was bacteria free? He said PD was poorly understood and antibiotics worked and no one quite understood why!

Hmmmm,I then asked If we were treating the symptoms what was the cause and the GP curtly said they do not fully understand why some people get PD.

So,as said I started searching myself.

My GP has said he will refer me to a dermatologist but the waiting list is forever.

The steroid cream is a definite trigger for me and it sounds as if it was for you too. Apparently Elidel cream is particularly good in steroid induced PD.

Elidel is a pimecrolimus, cream which is a type of medicine called a skin-selective inflammatory cytokine inhibitor. It is used to decrease skin inflammation in eczema.

Tacrolimus, which is a type of medicine called a topical immunomodulator. It is used to decrease skin inflammation in eczema.They do sound similar and both help in eczema.

People have seemed to have most success with zinc oxide in creams which has antiseptic properties.

Regarding oral antibiotics Tetracyclines are oral antibiotics often used to treat skin diseases:

Tetracycline:

Oxytetracycline:

Demeclocycline:

Doxycycline:

Lymecycline:

Minocycline:

I have not heard of Erythromycin being used but that might just be me.

I take Mega Potency Acidophilus Capsules from Holland and Barrett and I am very happy with them.

Now I am free of PD I use La Roche-Posay Effaclar DUO[+] anti-blemish cream morning and evening which is expensive but I feel it is worth it.It works well as a primer too.

I'm so happy I found this forum!! for yearsssss (I'm talking 4 long years) I have been fighting an uphill battle with this skin condition, and I'm just now finding out TONIGHT what its called! I've tried everything from

soaps, to baking soda, to fading cream, honey, and even had doctors prescribe my medications that

appeared to make things worse!

Ok, so 4 years ago during the time I was preggo with my daughter, I was fine, my skin was glowing, and I

barely had breakouts, UNTIL I started taking these prenatal pills, and decided I was going to take a stroll to the beach for the day!! The next day I started noticing discoloration under my bottom lip, and I'm brown, so

it showed up kind of pinkish, and looked like I had been healing from a burn. It was itchy, and it had a bad

odor to it. The discoloration then proceeded to spread from the bottom of my lip, to under my chin, and

made its way up to the sides of my nose. It soon turned black, and it looked like someone smeared mud

all around my mouth. And I noticed that when I skipped 1 face washing routine, I had to play "catch up" to

ensure that it wouldn't completely take over again.

After I had her it seemed to have subsided, but every now and again it rears its ugly head. Like now; my

face is tingling as I'm typing this! I have to make sure my pillow cases are switched or washed every 2-3

days, and the same with my face towel. If I happen to do someone's hair and it is not clean, my face will

PERFUSELY itch and burn, and I have to immediately wash it.

I've tried over-the-counter intifungal cream, and I thought it worked, but it didn't, but I DID in fact

find the Ambi beauty bar soap, it doesn't take it away, but it makes it less noticeable. If I could show you

guys a pic of what my skin used to look like, you guys WOULD-BE-FLOORED! I would like to try vitamins to see if that would help out. I heard Biotin works! I guess I'll have to take a chance, because waiting to see a dermatologist is going to take an additional thousand years!

I was SO excited that I wasn't alone about this condition that I didn't get a chance to even read all the

comments, so if anyone has any success stories and or remedies that would help me, I'd greatly appreciate it!

Hey Channel....just a quick note to say that I went through the pillow washing and paranoia, thinking every little thing could set it off.....please do yourself a huge favor and read through the posts. We all went through the same thing but have had success with a few things.....Four years is way too long to have to deal with this thing. Read through the comments and good luck! My "cure" is the zinc oxide but there are other success stories as well.....Hang in there!

Hey all!

New to the website - this is my first post.

Back to the subject at hand though -

I have been struggling with PD for roughly a year now. I am a New York resident (which most of us oddly have in common), 25, and male. I believe my PD came about after a series of foot surgeries I had, followed by a few doses of antibiotics. I am allergic to your common spectrum of antibiotics (penicillin, amoxicillin, etc) so I'm often put on the "weird" ones. This is obviously all an assumption on my part, but after reading about Candida/yeast overgrowth, it makes perfect sense.

I am switching my diet around, and working on flushing my system out with lots of water, ACV, and introducing probiotics. I am working towards avoiding carbs and gluten, as well as many other contributors to yeast growth. I'm on day 2, so I'll let you know of my progress!

Also, I'm going try some zinc applications as well... fight it from the inside and the outside!

Thanks,

Cory.