Her advice is to continue using the Quellada Scabies Lotion just once a week as a maintenance against the demodex mites. She said I could use the Lyclear but I reminded her that I was a bit irritated by the formaldehyde in the cream although once a week as maintenance would not be an issue for me as it was when I was using it daily.
She said that there is no need to switch to SooLantra. It does the same job and the Quellada is 70% less expensive.
My advice to anyone who has found my page:
- Ignore my earlier posts and go straight to using a dedicated scabies treatment - either Lyclear or Quellada. Use it every evening and eventually the demodex mites will be eradicated.
- Only once the mites have been eradicated will it be worth assessing the damage to your skin and determining a course of repair as in IPL (Intense Pulsed Light).
- The science is here to support it and dermatologists the world over now agree that the pimple and pustule rosacea is caused by demodex mite infestation (or over-colonization) so don't be afraid to broach this subject with a dermatologist. It is interesting to note that ophthalmologists came to this conclusion a lot earlier linking blepharitis and occular rosacea to demodex mites.
- Don't fall prey to companies (or individuals) with outlandish claims of a magic cure. There are a lot of people making a lot of money because of rosacea. If it sounds too good to be true, avoid it! When I was experimenting in my earlier posts, I was enticed to try a bit of pseudo-science (apple cider vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, undiluted tea tree oil etc) and I am the first to admit that the feeling of desperation can override usually good common sense.
Finally, be kind to yourself and be gentle on your skin. Don't be sad about the damage, the skin has a remarkable ability to repair if you gently (and patiently) help it along.
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| Right side of face. May 17, 2016 |
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| Left side of face. May 17, 2016 |
Kate
Hi Kate
ReplyDeleteI have spent the past few hours reading through your detailed blog, and have to thank you greatly for your informative diary. It certainly is in my opinion quite 'pioneering'. I have been suffering from P&P Rosacea since early adulthood (i.e. for about 15 years now), and have tried every conceivable remedy. My derm is not very open-minded and antibiotics appear to be his only solution. I am not willing to be a guinea-pig with long-term antibiotic therapy.
Strangely enough - diet has not played a great role in my disorder either. I eat insanely healthy and clean (i.e. no sugar, no wheat or any gluten, no processed foods etc.) and have been eating about 2 to 3 times my RDA in vegetables and low-sugar fruit every day (inspiration from Terry Wahls's protocol to cure chronic autoimmune disorders). I have even tried eliminating dairy completely for a few months, as well as the paleo and ketogenic diets etc. etc. Any improvement or change in diet unfortunately had only had a marginal effect on my skin.
I have also exhausted every alternative and natural medicine avenue. I only recently became aware of the (very important and hugely overlooked) role of the demodex mite in this disorder, and suddenly the dots are connected between the itching and nightly 'crawling' sensations on my face, my overly dry and sensitive skin, and the P&P and persistent redness! I am super excited to try this new therapy!
Just for interest - when I went onto my ketogenic diet, all rosacea flushes stopped, and none of my usual triggers had any effect on me. However, the persistent redness continued, and my face's production of pimples became ridiculously pronounced (I counted 23 white-heads on my face one morning!). This went on for months and months with no improvement, until I kicked that diet out of the door. Would be an interesting study field for somebody one day to look into, as it has been proven that mitochondrial-based parasites such as Candida flourishes on ketone-bodies. I am sure that there is a link between Candida and demodex infestation / intolerance.
Unfortunately Soolantra is not available in my country yet, but I am most certainly going to follow through with your recommendations. And here is hoping that I will see significant resolution of my symptoms that have been plaguing me since my tweens (and driving my confidence down to zero). Your skin looks absolutely awesome, and I would be completely ecstatic if I could look anything near to that!
Thank you again for your inspiring journey. I am sure that your blog will help me as it has helped countless others on this very difficult and often depressing journey.
Regards, Liza
Hi Liza
DeleteThank you for taking the time to write about your experience with P&P Rosacea. Your 15 years of trying to solve the issue is 15 years far too long!
I agree that diet does not seem to play a role in controlling the demodex imbalance. Your observation regarding the ketogenic diet (or a link with Candida) is interesting however my own flushing tended to be brought about by sudden changes in the skin's temperature or mild exertion and would remain flushed for an hour or more at a time.
The IPL has gone a long way to minimising the flushes but occasionally I'll see some small flush on my cheeks and will immediately splash my face down with cold tap water and leave it to dry on the skin. Thankfully, it subsides quickly these days but I am conscious that each episode of flushing contributes to damaging the fragile capillaries in the vicinity. My dermatologist is confident that an annual once-off IPL appointment will refresh the skin.
Yes, Soolantra has only recently become available in Australia but my dermatologist doesn't think it's necessary since the scabies lotion I've been successful with is significantly cheaper to buy. I'm not sure which country you are from but since scabies is a worldwide problem, there will be something affordable and easy to obtain at your nearby pharmacy.
Thank you for your lovely compliment about my skin. I know exactly what you mean about being driven to having zero confidence! Take heart that with each week, you will see an improvement but be prepared for 6 months of applying the lotion to eradicate the mites. In the early weeks, some days will be bad, but it's all about breaking their very complex breeding and hatching cycle. After that, it's just weekly maintenance and your confidence will soar!
Keep in touch if you like, Liza. I'd love to know how you are going!
Kindest regards
Kate
Hi Kate,
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful clearance. Congratulations and thanks for making a photographic blog.
What is the active ingredient in the Quellada product? I googled it and found two different products. One with 1% (m/m) gamma benzene hexachloride and one with Permethrin 5%.
The first one (matches your box design) seems to have a higher risk profile.
I am trying to decide which one to trial. I am also considering Ivermectin.
Thanks! And fingers crossed your recovery is maintained:)
Hi, thank you and everything is still going great with my skin. It fascinating to read your post because my current bottle states that it contains Permethrin 50mg/ml (and preservatives:
DeleteMethyl Hydroxybenzoate 3Mg/Ml, Propyl Hydroxybenzoate 0.5Mg/Ml, Imidurea 2Mg/Ml. I've also used the one with the 1% (m/m) gamma benzene hexachloride (and preservatives: methylparaben 0,25% (m/m) and butylparaben 0,02% (m/m).) and they seemed identical to me. Both preparations are available in Australia and both appear to have the same packaging other than the listed ingredients. Take a look at the Perrigo.com.au site where the Consumer Medicine Information PDF is contained. Here is the link: http://www.perrigo.com.au/upload/product/document/QUE03296F_CMI.pdf
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ReplyDeleteHi Vivian, no changes - just happy skin! It may be too early for the SooLantra to have done much to break the demodex life cycle but have you noticed any improvement/changes after 19 days? I'm curious to know because I would have loved to have been able to compare SooLantra to Quellada.
DeleteCheers
Kate
I've been on Soolantra now 25 days its help bumps pps but slow progress I use vasoline unscented morning night bc skin was becoming hypersensitive... There is a youtuber name Jennifer Brown rosacea using soolantra iv asked for update anything No response
ReplyDelete:( thank you sooo much keeping contact advice truly all heart means a lot.. Very emotional depressing exhausting diagnosed in may recently
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ReplyDeleteHi Vivian
DeleteYes, definitely use the SooLantra twice a day until the demodex mite cycle is broken and then go into maintenance but this could take at least three months so be patient. My advice would be to stop using the vasoline lotion as it could be "feeding" the problem. Keep your face oil free using a gentle cleanser like Cetaphil.
The life cycle of the demodex mite is hard to crack but being persistent will do it.
Understanding the cycle may help you: Mating takes place in the follicle opening and eggs are laid inside the hair follicles or sebaceous glands. The six-legged larvae hatch after 3-4 days, and the larvae develop into adults in about 7 days. It has a 14-day life cycle. The total lifespan of a demodex mite is several weeks.
Vivian, my heart goes out to you but believe me you will beat this and in a year you will look back and be amazed. If you have a blog, please let me know and I'll create a link on mine for people to follow your progress.
Cheers
Kate
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ReplyDeleteThat's really interesting because I get that too! I didn't think to mention it in my posts because I wasn't sure if it was related but around 4 months ago I started using Neutrogena T/Gel shampoo once a week and it really makes a difference. I lather it into my scalp and leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing. It's got an odd sort of tarry odour but once you've rinsed your hair and followed with a conditioner the smell is barely noticeable.
DeleteIf you have another brand of anti-dandruff shampoo at home, definitely try it and see if it gives you some relief. Different brands have different active ingredients of course but it's worth testing what you have in your cupboard.
Cheers
Kate
Hi Kate,
ReplyDeleteI couldn't really see a clear picture of the demodex mites did they have little white pus on them that itched and you could pop them and they would stop itching?? When you used the permethrin did it get worse or better? And how did you know you had demodex mites did the Dr do a scarp test?
In very simplistic terms, the mites themselves are microscopic. They live in the pores of the skin and feed on the sebum produced there. The pustules themselves are not related specifically to the mite but to the death of the mite when bacterium in the dead mite's body infects the pore in which it has died.
DeleteI admit to popping the surface pimples (and cleaning the area) which seemed to heal up quickly but avoid touching the deeper and hotter ones because this will cause damage to the fragile capillaries which are already under stress from the swelling.
Initially, using the permethrin caused my pimples and pustules to worsen but this was to be expected because it was doing what it was supposed to do - kill the mites.
My dermatologist didn't do a scrape test to make the diagnosis. The theory that demodex mite plays a role in p&p rosacea was in its infancy. By the time I had done some experimenting on my skin and then pushed to be treated for demodex infestation Galderma had announced that SooLantra was approved by the FDA and released data about the successful trials.
Cheers
Kate
Dear Kate,
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful service you have done for us all in publishing your battle with demodex mites. You are so fortunate to have had an open minded GP, but s/he was greatly aided in having an objective, patient, and scientifically minded client. Testimonials like yours will help the rest of us make headway with our physicians who would otherwise dismiss the notion that bugs are at work or that anything we read on the Internet is worth their attention. Many thanks.
Nice with an advice for dealing with rosacea!
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