Antibiotic Lymecycline and side effects

[luthien]

So my doc has given me lymecycline for suspected rosacea, he hasn't done any skin tests to confirm, just looked and did some bloods, said they're all fine.

It's a months prescription, I'm two weeks in, first week went okay, second week I think there's improvements to the tiny pimples that come up but I've got all the common side effects and haven't had a flareup. At the same time it's hayfever season so I've been taking antihistamine tablets which happen to look like they're reducing the redness, which makes me think it's an allergy / sensitivity.

Help! What should I do? I want to continue on the antibiotic tablets for the course but they're giving me an upset stomach and gas. I need to take the antihistamines but I think that's not going to show just how the antibiotic works on suspected rosacea when I have my check up. If I stop taking the antibiotic then the doc wont be able to review results in a month. Aaaah

[Reduski]

If you are in the UK you can phone NHS Direct for their advice/suggestions. I have been in the same Catch-22 situation regarding this medication. Sometimes there are allergic reactions or other unwanted side-effects from lymecycline, or maybe it's not ideal for your condition. I suggest you go back to your doctor for a review. If you can make no progress with him/her, you can ask for a hospital referral. Then your skin will be examined by a dermatology consultant/specialist.

There is also the option of seeing a private dermatologist, sometimes this is even possible at your local NHS hospital where they might have a 'private patients' facility they can refer you to. It costs money, but you will get an appointment with a specialist very quickly!

[luthien in reply to Reduski]

Thanks for your advice.

I've been back for my follow up with my doc, all he's said is "the antibiotics seem to be working so keep taking them". I have an issue with this because reading up it's only one bacteria that causes skin issues; staphylococcus aureus. So taking a broad spectrum antibiotic removes all bacteria in the body potentially making other things worse. Which is the case. I'm not taking the antibiotics anymore to give my body a chance to recover all it's bacteria inside and out.

I'm looking at a second opinion at my docs and then a referral to a dermatology specialist as I don't think it's rosacea. Also my current doc doesn't seem to care about the inflammatory issues, he just passed it off as "it only responds to antibiotics nothing else will work" - research shows it isn't the antibiotic itself that helps with skin issues but the anti-inflammatory effects of the antibiotic which actually helps, so research has shown an anti-inflammatory skin cream / tablets work just as well. Which makes sense as I have endometriosis and that is an inflammatory condition so anything anti-inflammatory will help generally.

[Reduski in reply to luthien]

Hi Luthien.

Did you get any progress from a second opinion at your docs and a referral to a dermatology specialist?

These 'skin' things seem to be a mystery, even to the 'specialists'!All good wishes

Reduski

[luthien in reply to Reduski]

Hi, I had a second opinion by a GP, I asked specifically for one with an interest in skin conditions.

This one was really good, he stopped the antibiotics, started on a specific rosacea cream Rosex daily for a month then reviewed symtoms, while I kept a diary.

The Rosex calmed things down a lot. With my diary we found symptoms were now only after extreme exercise so anything that sweats a lot. Symptoms after were redness, kinda stingy skin and itching. The GP's theory that the itching caused the spots which triggered the rosacea thus causing a flareup.

I've stopped Rosex now. I take an antihistamine (Cetirizine Hydrochloride works for me) in the morning of exercise / sports days, then post exercise gently wash face, apply a sensitive skin moisturiser (non perfumed, non greasy), then hydrocortisone (prescription) on just the areas which feel itchy - no more than three times a week.

That treatment worked brilliantly for a few months, then I could reduce the hydrocortisone, so it's just an antihistamine on the day of exercise now.

I've had my recent surgery for endo in Jan this year, after that I've not noticed any rosacea symptoms.

A referral to a dermatologist is still on the list at a later date.

[Reduski in reply to luthien]

Thank you Luthien.

Glad you are having progress. And keeping a diary of events was/is a very good idea!

It's strange how such a wide range of (unknown?) things can cause us such distressing skin problems. But it seems that your systematic analysis has enabled you to track down some valid causal relationships and to adjust accordingly! Well done!

Hope all continues to go well for you.

All good wishes

Reduski