Facial erythema

[heatherose]

Hi.Can anyone recommend any cream or advice on how to calm facial erythema please ?

It happens totally randomly, people assume it's a hot flush. I'd love to know how to reduce it, if possible.

Thank you

[honeybug]

Hi heatherose 😊🌿🌸🦋

I have facial erythema and mine gets so bad that it feels like fire 🔥 and billions of pins needles and skewers are being simultaneously shoved into my skull which causes difficulty breathing. At it’s worst when the heat and pain is beyond my ability to stand it without losing my mind I finally was seen by a 🤩 Rheumatologist specialist who prescribed Paxil (off label/usually used for anxiety etc needs) when my GP stopped my HRT ( hormone replacement therapy). I discovered that my HRT kept it down to tolerable levels. Once it was out of my system my previously mentioned symptoms increased with a vengeance. It was so bad I consulted my new Rheumatologist and she explained that through trial studies when Paxil was used it controlled these worst symptoms. It took about a month to adjust to it and build it up to current levels ( @ 20 mg @ bedtime). I’ve only had one or two episodes where I felt it slightly during the stress of losing a loved one.

I hope this has been helpful. Also it helps to reduce stress as much as possible and I also use pliable ice packs in cotton around neck and head.

Best wishes for zero or little symptoms .. take care.

Love and prayers

EJ 😊🤗♥️🥰🙏🤗🌿🌸🦋

[heatherose in reply to honeybug]

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

[honeybug in reply to heatherose]

You are most welcome hun. 🤗

[Newsystem23 in reply to honeybug]

I can so relate to this. I take hydroxichloroquine 400mg daily but it doesnt stop the rash coming on my face when im stressed or in sun or fluorescent lighting. My face feels Iike its been stung with nettles and burns. The days following it dries and peels. I use elocon and have twice had antibiotics because it got out of control. I will definitely check out paxil and thank you🌻

[honeybug in reply to Newsystem23]

Hi Newsystem23 😊🌿🌸🦋

OMGOODNESS I’m soooo very sorry to hear of your agony. You have it much worse I think. I just said a special prayer for you sweetie. Sending you my support gentle hugs love and prayers.

Let me know if this helps you. I sure am hoping and praying that it does. This is the worst experience and the unafflicted truly don’t understand what we go through.

Best wishes love.

EJ 😊🤗♥️🙏🕊🌿🌸🦋

[Newsystem23 in reply to honeybug]

I would just like to prevent the rash from happening. Keep using steroids on my skin worries me. Prevention is better than cure. It so good to here how others are dealing with similar symptoms. Thanks to everyone who has the courage to share their experiences, makes me feel supported and not so alone🌹

[honeybug in reply to Newsystem23]

forgive me I’m really brain fogging due to caregiving duties atm. Did you see a Rheumatologist/ or Dermatologist at all for this condition??? There is a star Dermatologist on our health series on our Telly here across the pond who is fabulous. I’ve watched her for years now and she has treated things on the face that are systemic with special injections to help tamp down the inflammatory response then also gives oral meds to treat as maintenance.

I understand that there are very lengthy wait times to be seen. If so in your case could a-talk with GP help???

I know going private is so very expensive but it might be worth the investment to finally rid your rash flaring constantly.

Have you ruled out allergies???

Can’t hurt to try the Paxil first I am blessed by using Paxil because it not only controls my worst flares but it really makes me so calm where I used to get to flare mode quickly from stress.

Apologies sweetie just pondering as many scenarios I could recall.

I have a medical background but with over 70 diagnoses (I average about one a year) when my fibro + hEDS + IEM +Raynaud’s phenomenon + IBS-M + MCTD flare together everything else does too and painsomnia = zero sleep and the dreaded big time brain fog. Sorry so long winded so it’s hard for me to pull up thoughts/memories quickly. Things come in slowly atm. So I will forget easily when flaring and then I’m silent for a while. I believe you call this knackered?

I’m so sorry about your suffering sweetie. As we are all individuals and experience our conditions just as uniquely it helps so many to share ours with others after all who else knows best what we endure/suffer than we ourselves???!!!!!

Like I tell my lovely BFF Blue-52 I wish I had a healing wand to cure our/everyone’s conditions so you’ll see this emoji on our replies to each other 🥢🥢🥢🥢🥢🥢🥢🥢🥢🥢🥢🥢🥢🥢

We’ve used this emoji because it was all we had back then and it makes a special bond between us. I know others see this and think we’re nuts 🥜 but that’s okay kinda have to be a little nutty to survive these days don’t we?

I’m glad to help if I can feel free to ask questions will answer if I can. 😊

Love and prayers sweetie

EJ 🤗♥️🥰🙏🕊🌿🌸🦋

[Newsystem23 in reply to honeybug]

Im fairly new to this website group, sorry if i forgot to say i have recently been diagnosed with discoid or cutaneaus lupus. I had been told for quite a number of years that i had psoriasis which was stress related. However, i work as a medical secretary at a hospital and after being in the artificial light in my office for just a short time,, my face used to get quite red and burn. The rash and burning over the past 18 months gradually got worse. I was referred to a dermatologist in Feb 2023 and whilst waiting for an appointment in October 2023 it was so bad i decided to phone dermatology and ask for advice. They were very helpful and gave me sn appointment that day and did a couple of skin biopsies. Diagnosing lupus. It was such a shock. I thought the skin flare ups would start to be less frequent when i started to apply the elocon and take hydroxichloroquine. Think i was expecting the magic wand🙄. They arent so severe but heating, having a shower, stress and sunlight/artificial light can trigger a flare up so quickly. I joined the website to get a better understanding of my condition so that i could start to manage it better and just reading the commemts have been so supportive. Thank you for taking the time to reply. Im on a journey just like everyone else on this site, nice that we are not alone 🌻

[soul22]

Hi nice to meet you 😊

I was prescribed steroids topical for two weeks initially as so inflamed.

Inflammation on face can look like hot flush but isn't

Bless you I now wear sunblock,and I'd try a after sun sensitive lotion keep in fridge try that to cool skin which in turns calms red.

Or a spritz mineral water bottle in fridge to calm it

I found both helpful now not on steroids cream

Hugs 🫂