Carol
Boy! Do I know where you are coming from with the rosacea problem. I have had it for 14 years now and have done just about everything that is humanly possible to get rid of this disease. I have litterly spent thousand of dollars on Dr.'s and also medications, both external meds and internal meds. I now have it pretty much under control as I know what my (TRIGGERS) are. Are you familar with TRIGGERS? There is also a Society called the Rosacea Society that deals with people with Rosacea, and it is very informative. I don't know if your Dr. has discussed TRIGGERS with you or not, but, if you truly have rosacea, you must stay away from certain foods, like: cheeses, yogart, raisens, red plums, bananas, anything with caffeine in it, (coffee, tea, soda, chocolate, etc.) Anything hot, like salsa, or tabasco sauce, also red spagetti sauce gives me a terrible reaction. Alcohol is especially a major trigger for me. I could go on and on, but if you try to document what triggers your breakouts and avoid these foods, you will surely see an improvement. Not all triggers effect everyone the same. So you really have to keep a close watch on what you eat. If you want anymore information, e-mail me and I will help you as much as I can. I really know what you are going through, as I sometimes just want to stay in the house and cry my eyes out. Metrogel, or metrocream does help. I personally like the cream, because it is not as drying, and you can put makeup on over it and it doesn't clump up on your face. I have become quite an expert in making up my face. Also, I don't know if any of your dr's have given you cortisone cream, but if you have a really bad break out, after putting on the metrogel or cream, put some cortisone cream over that at bedtime, and that usually helps a great deal. You must be careful, however, and not use the cortisone cream to much, I think you can only use it for a week or two, then go off for a while. Hope this has helped you, and if you need some support, please e-mail, I am only too happy to try and make you feel better about yourself.