I have been getting Rosacea on my face for the past 15 years and treatment from the doctor has kept it stable but over the past one or two it has got worse. Doctors treatment is no longer working.
The medication I get from my doctor is
OXYTETRACYCLINE Tablets and
METROGEL Ointment
These worked when I was just having flare-ups but now it has become permanent.
I would be grateful for any help. Thanks.
http://www.rosacea.org/patients/faq.php
MetroGel is no longer really the treatment of choice for rosacea. Finacea (15% azelaic acid) is a much better option now, based on research from the past few years. In a head-to-head study comparing Finacea to MetroGel, Finacea was shown to be more effective and continued to have a therapeutic effect even after eight weeks of treatment. (You can look up this study on WebMD.)
Essentially, bacteria are not the correct treatment target in rosacea. The most recent studies have indicated that an over-production of certain inflammatory proteins in the skin are responsible for rosacea. This is actually why certain antibiotics, like tetracycline and doxycycline have a therapeutic effect on rosacea — because they also have an anti-inflammatory component — not because rosacea has a bacterial cause.
I would also advise asking about switching from your tetracycline to an oral medication called Nicomide. It’s a combination of b-vitamins, copper, and zinc which has been demonstrated to be effective against both acne and rosacea, due to its anti-inflammatory action.
I would further recommend trying a prescription wash called Plexion. However, if your skin is dry, this may cause your skin to be more dry. It’s a very good option for rosacea patients with oily skin, combination skin, or patients who have both rosacea and acne.
Finally, laser treatments are providing some long-term benefits for rosacea patients — specifically, a treatment called PDL, pulse-dye laser treatment. A couple of treatments have benefited most patients with rosacea. These treatments are not that expensive, especially as compared with many, many years of drug therapy and special over-the-counter cleansers and lotions for sensitive skin, make-up, etc. I would consider it worth investigating.
Good luck!