Pink/red flushing for no apparent reason across facial cheeks and nose even when not having been outside.

[Spicer21]

Hi,

I am undiagnosed but, amongst other symptoms, I get pink/red flushing for no apparent reason across my facial cheeks and nose...but often it's just one cheek, with or without my nose flushing too. Sometimes it lasts most of the day, other days there's no flushing at all and on other days it occurs for a few minutes to an hour or so and then disappears. It happens mostly when I'm indoors - even when there are no lights on in the house - and I haven't been outside in the sun...and at any time of the year. The flushing always feels warm to (sometimes) very hot to the touch and looks like sunburn (but isn't, of course) whilst the rest of my face remains relatively cool.

Is this familiar to anyone and, if so, have you been diagnosed with lupus?

Thanks in advance.

[Barnclown]

Yes, although my version of this is symmetrical and does happen daily 24/7. I've been living with this for longer than I can remember.

My feet & hands flush this way too 24/7, sometimes one foot flushes more severely than the other....usually the right foot is worse.

As I understand it, there can be many reasons for this sort of thing....my version is said by medics to be mainly due to simultaneous secondary raynauds & Erythromelalgia....my primary SLE & EDS are the vascular type, and I think that predisposes me to these sort of probs. But I think My version of sjogrens is involved too

But often there is no apparent reason for my version of this

The other day I learned on a legit lupus website that the classic lupus facial rash is also sometimes considered a type of repetitive flush...and that one characteristic feature is that the redness doesn't affect the facial labial folds...certainly my facial labial folds are not covered by my version of this

Will be following this discussion with interest

🍀🍀🍀 coco

PS are you taking photos of your version of this? Can be vvv helpful at consultations...

[Spicer21 in reply to Barnclown]

My labial folds aren't involved either, Barnclown - the flushing always ends at the folds and doesn't go any further.

Someone suggest that it my flushing might be Rosacea, especially as I went through a period of my eyes being dry and irritated and I experienced about a year of blepharitis which can, I understand, be caused by ocular Rosacea. I have floppy eyelid syndrome too. And transient livedo reticularis on my right knee.

P.S. Have taken some photos but they haven't come out very well. Will keep trying to get a better shot to show my docs.

[Heatheric]

I found, particularly when I was still working (I'm retired now) that the fluorescent lights made me flush - but not immediately - it was often a day or too. Took me a long time to work that out! So think about the couple of days before this happens - you may have a solution there.

[Spicer21 in reply to Heatheric]

Thanks Heatheric. I do remember getting it badly a couple of days after I went to the eye hospital I'm under...lots of strip fluorescent lights in there. Will see if it happens again after my next appointment in August and post up again if I do. Didn't know you could get a delayed reaction like that and so I dismissed the possible connection. Are you diagnosed with lupus? (I'm still seeking a diagnosis for all of my symptoms.)

[Heatheric in reply to Spicer21]

Yes, I do have lupus but luckily it's fairly 'quiet' at the moment. I just put factor 50 lotion on my face everyday, winter and summer and that seems to help. The only thing now that seems to set it off is alcohol - but I havn't yet gone on the wagon!

[Spicer21 in reply to Heatheric]

It seems then that my particular 'brand' of facial flushing might be a symptom of my having lupus...I shall keep pursuing a diagnosis for the flushing plus my other lupus-like symptoms. It's an uphill struggle as blood tests have been so far negative for it.

I have terrible trouble with sun lotion; the high factor ones, even when they are hypoallergenic and I've read they've been used successfully by lupus sufferers, make my face swell. (I used to be able to use any suncream until the last few years.) The only one I've found I can use is the Green People one, which is only factor 30

I haven't drunk alcohol for 17 years now...and the last time I had a drink it was only a half pint of shandy; however, I remember that alcohol often used to flush my face way back then...even before I got other symptoms indicative of lupus. It's amazing what you can put up with and kind of think nothing of, when there are no other symptoms at the time.

Glad to hear your lupus is fairly 'quiet' at the moment - long may it continue to be so.

[Heatheric in reply to Spicer21]

Thanks, and good luck!

[lotsoissues in reply to Heatheric]

Good info. So what I'm hearing is that an alcohol related flushing may be a sign of lupus? If so, my mom used to get this a lot and couldn't tolerate alcohol because of that. I will bet money that in the near future it will be determined that the flushing or redness many of us get will be deemed autoimmune related ...I think there's a lot that medicine just hasn't put together quite yet or just many doctors pass off I'm thinking