Help me with my **possible** perioral dermatitis

Welcome Cory.....sorry about the dreaded PD!

Hmmm......when I first included myself in this discussion a few months ago I mentioned briefly that I had been on antibiotics for a dog bite but I never really felt either way about antibiotics being the cause. I just wanted it gone. Now after reading so much more about certain people on this forum wondering about it being a link, I am paying more attention..

Back in August of last year I had huge doses of intravenous antibiotics over weeks and then more taken in capsule form at home. However, I have taken antibiotics almost consistently for ocular rosacea for a few years and I had never had a reaction of any kind ( I'm painting a really lovely picture here...roasacea and PD around my chin and nose....It's been a great year). Anyway, I am wondering also now after reading Cory's comment if it is caused by a certain "strain" of antibiotic???

I really hope there is a difference when it comes to PD because I have been holding out hope that doxycycline will finally get rid of it as it did for Lisa.

Blah, blah, blah....sick of this thing. Sound like a broken record but try the zinc Cory and see if it helps!

Thanks for the reply Fiona -

I have been on Doxycycline for roughly 9 months.

It seemed to help minimize it, but, it would come right back every time. Hopefully others have better reactions to it.

In 2 days of literally applying nothing to it, mine is actually going down!

I've drink lots of water (I had about 80oz yesterday), I ate gluten free, and sugar free. Wegmans holistic section is your friend here. I drink a shot of RAW (and that's important) Apple Cider Vinegar.

If it's processed, don't eat it.

Also, I'm receiving a shipment of probiotics that would hopefully combat Candida from within, and I can attack it on multiple angles.

Hi Cory,

Thanks for your comments. I'm interested to hear of your progress with your proposed plan because I'm taking a similar route. I have a prescription for Doxycycline which I haven't filled. I've heard so many reports of it being only a temporary fix, and I'm worried about the side effects. I too am thinking that I have to treat this internally, suspecting yeast might be the culprit. For the past four weeks I have eliminated all sugar, dairy and wheat from my diet. I was eating some fruit, but now for the last few days I've even cut that sugar out. This I believe has helped a lot. (Plus, unexpectedly, I've lost 12 pounds!) I'm also taking a strong probiotic - 60 billion CFU's. After using neem soap and experimenting with calendula cream (no great effect), for the past 12 days the only think I've put on my face is probiotic yogurt mask. No soap, no moisturizers, no oils, just yogurt and water. I use whole greek yogurt with a probiotic capsule mixed in for extra measure of the good stuff. This has really minimized the appearance of my rash, however yesterday, out of the blue I had a bad outbreak. It was not a good night for me. Today, however, I'm trying to get back on my horse and continue my plan. I think unfortunately for me, hormones are also a big contributing factor making any cure that much more difficult.

Please keep us all posted. Thanks again to everyone who posts their experiences and shares the tips and insights.

Jennifer

I did a yogurt mask yesterday, and effectively have the largest outbreak I've had to date. A large portion, probably a 2x2 inch area being effected, and then some other random areas along my forehead. It hurts really bad, and looks terrible.

I didn't even want to leave the house this morning... but, job calls. I'd rather just be home alone.

Hi Cory,It is so miserable isn't it- I feel for you.

Have you been referred to a dermatologist ?

Have you had bloods to check for anything like diabetes,thyroid etc (I have been reading about this recently and low calcium being a factor in some cases)

Are you on any steroids oral or topical?

I also was put on Doxycycline for just a month and it worked for me.

I had also 'stupidly' putting steroid cream on my damaged skin and this of course made it worse as my PD loved steroid cream and thrived on it.

I am also now on probiotics, and I was taking black cohosh to regulate my periods and this caused a hormone imbalance I think.I stopped this also and the combination of everything worked.

It does not make sense as I had skin swab that showed no bacteria/viral infection- yet antibiotics worked.

To contradict this I feel yeast had a part to play too.

I finished the antibiotics and knowing this had probably wiped out my 'good' bacteria started on probiotics to get my 'balance' right for want of a better term.

You are already taking these which is good and I wonder if your body has got too tolerant of the Doxycycline or the dose and perhaps a higher dose or another antibiotic-Tetracycline (500mg) ?

I used a clotrimazole cream which definitely helped, other people say zinc cream,and as I have said before pimecrolimus cream (Elidel cream) which is marvellous.It is on prescription in UK and available in US but I don't know if you can buy it over the counter there.This cream was really helpful.

Keep us posted

My hope is that this is just a "gets worse before it gets better" sort of thing for the bacterial war raging inside my body.

I did just order some zinc cream that people commented/rated on helping them with their PD, so I'm hoping it helps reduce it while I get my biotics back in shape.

I no longer have any Doxycycline simply because of that reason.

No steroids - luckily I haven't exposed myself to these during my PD life.

I actually think my outbreak might have also been a reaction to some food I had at applebees. I tried to stick with just meat and veggies, but who knows what's actually in their steak seasoning.

Won't be going back there again either.

I'll keep you posted! Thanks for your thoughts!

Hey Cory.....I remember those explosions...I had one that happened literally in the course of an hour. I absolutely could not believe how quickly it took over my face.

Please don't wait for your order of zinc cream to arrive.....just buy a cheap tin of diaper cream (Penaten or whatever kind that you can find) until your order arrives. I just can't see how it worked so well for me and would not work for you. Just plaster it on your face when you get home and keep on applying it.

Also if you have any interest, look into upping your vitamin C and minerals (iron,zinc, magnesium, etc). They are paramount to healthy skin and it's not hard to work them into your diet.

I feel for you and I know what it's like when you just want to shut yourself away when it erupts! Figures that it would happen on a Monday morning when you have to go to work.

P.S. As to Lisa's comment about Elidel Cream and how it has helped her....Elidel cream contains Zinc.

I ordered my cream through Amazon with prime - it should only take a day for it to arrive.

I work in a cubicle all day, so I can easily duck my head down for 48 hours to cope.

The hardest part is trying not to itch my face, it's sooooo frustrating.

I know it is. Sit on your hands....you don't want scarring on top of it. Good Luck! What kind of zinc cream did you order?

I ended up going to the store to grab some Desitin - 40% zinc oxide - hopefully this helps...

Hi all. I just read through this entire forum with tears in my eyes. I've had PD for for four years now. When I was first diagnosed, I went to a derm who gave me hydrocortisone + metro to use on my chin. I used it for three years, without knowing how bad it was. I stopped a year ago, and since then, I have not had one day without a bump. I've tried antibiotics, creams, ACV, demodex treatments, washing only with water, a three-month diet that removed foods I'm sensitive to (I got bloodwork).... NOTHING has made a difference.

Does anyone have the same type of bumps as me? My chin area and the skin above my mouth is slightly red, and every once in a while I get small blisters. But the biggest complaint I have are the small whitehead-like bumps. I can very easily scratch them off, but I am constantly getting new ones.

I see zinc seems to have worked for many, but I also read mineral oil, petroleum, etc (in typical zinc creams) are known triggers. It's just so hard to know the right path.

I honestly don't know what to do. Currently I'm rinsing with water, trying not to scrape off the little bumps, and wearing no makeup whatsoever. I'm also in the midst of a 6-day herbal cleanse, after which I will remove dairy, gluten, etc. I'm thinking about doing a candida cleanse after this.

At the risk of sounding crazy and totally desperate, can someone help? It's been a year of experimenting, and a year of not having ONE day without a new bump. I'm spending sick amounts of time online, looking for the "cure," and honestly, I'm feeling pretty broken.

Welcome Kimberly.....It's going to be okay...everyone on this site has all been through what you are going through. It isolated me..I never wanted to leave the house and it really did a number on my confidence.

After reading the nightmare stories about people using steroid creams on PD and the aftermath I am so thankful that I found this site before I resorted to making an appointment with my own derm. It may have turned out alright but trying to heal the damage done by steroid creams would have put me over the edge.

I was literally paranoid of "anything and everything" that I touched, applied to my face or put in my body at one point. I was totally dumbfounded and frustrated...It just would not go away and yes it was exactly how you describe....small blisters, whitehead bumps that only produce clear liquid, red beard around your nose, chin and mouth.

I sound like a broken record again but please, please, please just try zinc oxide....diaper cream, or anything that has zinc in it. I eventually bought zinc oxide powder and mixed it with my own choice of cream and IT IS THE ONLY THING THAT HAS HELPED. I have had everything but the kitchen sink on my face since October of last year and it really is the only thing that I ever had any success with.

Every once in a while I have bumps that reappear and the only thing that gets rid of them is the zinc oxide. It's great that you are doing a cleanse and getting blood work done and going gluten free (I have drastically cut back too) and everything that you are doing but why not see what zinc will do for you?

I have been researching this plague since November of last year and have read of countless success stories using zinc and it has worked for women on this site as well. Look up results for yourself... I would like to give you links to these but this forum won't allow me to.

There has been much mentioned here about antibiotics being the cause of PD and I am leaning towards that idea as well but I have no definite proof so I am trying to just keep it at bay at the moment.

Anyway Kimberly, I really think that you have come to the right place because everyone on this site it so helpful and the forum is set up better than any others that I have looked into....Welcome and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!

Fiona, thanks for your kind words. Way back when this all started, I was using a sulfur + zinc cream combo, and while it totally helped calm the bumps that are there, it never prevented them... I always woke up with new whiteheads. Did you apply the zinc nightly in the area, and did it help prevent? I just worry because my regular old zinc cream also contains mineral oil and petroleum... which many sites say are also triggers. I see you mix powder with your own lotion... I'm so scared of mixing it with something that can turn out to be a problem. Not sure if I should use the zinc to treat the spots once they appear, or slather it all over in the hopes it helps prevent.

I'm just so confused. So many people have been able to determine their "trigger" like SLS, fluoride, etc, and it went away. I am down to the most basic of routines and am paranoid about the fluoride in the water being what I use to wash my pillow, sheets, etc. Not to mention the soap used to wash the dishes I eat off of, the chemicals left in my non-SLS, non-fragrance shampoo... I could go on and on. It just scared me that it's been a year and I've seen no improvement, despite SO many changes in my daily routine. But as far as the cause, antibiotics would totally make sense in my case. I've taken them in the past for acne, and semi-regularly for UTIs. Not to mention my derm rx'ing THREE different types, saying they ALWAYS take care of PD. Provided this is the cause, I'm hoping an anti-candida cleanse will help.... that's next.

One more question: In your experience, does popping the small whiteheads cause them to spread? I'm having a really tough time walking around with them on my face, and when I pop them, they go away so quickly...

Hey Kimberly,

I know this is very confusing and it is so hard to figure it out. For me, I just had to know what the triggers are...when I read that it could be, for example, SLS' or fluoride, I literally smeared my whitening/fluoride toothpaste over my lip OR after I did laundry with bleach, detergent and softener, I would watch carefully for an outbreak so that I could definitely eliminate them as triggers. I was also so desperate that it could be shampoo that I tried the NoPoo method.....no way that that was going to work for me but I still gave it a shot just to see. I also worried about my water and I wondered how I was going to get around that one.....bathe in bottled water?! I was really crazed about what the cause could be.

When I tried something new that I read about....Drinking ACV OR applying ACV (stupid... nothing that burns that much can be doing anything helpful), baking soda, turmeric, violet extract, not using moisturizers, OCM, just washing with water...I would give each one enough time to satisfy myself that it was or was not working.

I remember one woman on a site said that she had used and old Chapstick that she had found in the bottom of her drawer and she was convinced that that was how she contracted PD.....Well wouldn't you know it?...I Did the SAME THING a few weeks before with an old lip balm and I convinced myself that that was what caused it. I'm just trying to get across how paranoid I was too.

What was most frustrating was all the different sites that I went on that totally contradicted each other... I could never get a handle on it until I tried them out for myself which was excruciatingly time consuming and heart-breaking if they did nothing or made it worse. It's typical when you say that you read that petroleum and mineral oil can make it worse when I remember reading that petroleum was something that was recommended. Ugh.

I would never think of recommending something that I have not already tried and I just do not believe that PD sufferers are so physiologically different that one thing can react so differently for so many. There has to be some sort of common denominator and I happen to believe that zinc deficiency contributes to my outbreaks. I don't know what CAUSED it for sure (strong possibility that it was high doses of antibiotics) but zinc definitely got rid of the worst of it by far.

One night I read that a woman got so desperate that she tried using an old sunscreen that she had in her cupboard and it helped her almost immediately so I tried the same with an old sunscreen that I had and sure enough by the time that I awoke it had significantly improved, From there I went to Penetan cream (which contains petroleum and mineral oil) and it just kept getting better. Then I looked into Zinc Oxide powder which someone on this site recommended and I ended up mixing it with CereVe cream and NO MORE EXPLOSIONS. What I did was slather it on when I knew that I didn't have to leave the house...afterwork, before bed and on weekends. I still get the odd blister so I just smother it in zinc cream and it's usually gone in a couple of days. But I have never had a full-out break-out since.

As to squeezing them, yes I really squeezed them at first because I thought they were regular pimples. They did burst easily enough and I also remember thinking that it would make it spread but the truth is that I don't know. I really think that it's just going to be there whether you squeeze them or not. I stopped because I didn't want anymore scarring.

Wow...I really have probably saturated your brain with all of this info! I should have just summarized but one thing lead to another.....One question...Even if you get rid of the blister by squeezing it, don't you still have the red beard around your mouth, chin and nose afterward?

I cannot believe that I posted so much! Hope it helps!