Facial Flushing - is it Rosacea or something else? UPDATE 3/3 - Its Not Rosacea

[KarenStep]

Hi - I'm hoping someone out there can help me. For the last 10 months or so I've had these episodes of facial flushing. It started happening when I'd get hot, take a hot shower, or blow dry my hair. It took me about a month to figure out it was from the heat, I thought it might be an allergic reaction to lotion, cleanser, makeup - but I was able to rule all of those out and determine it was from the heat. The redness was only ever on my face, mostly the cheeks.

I've been having episodes much more often now, always after a shower (even a luke-warm shower), after any exercise (even very mild exercise), after alcohol (which never used to happen) and sometime when I'm just sitting watching tv or working on the computer. It usually fades after a few hours, but sometimes there are days when it is a little bit red all the time even when I don't do any of the usual triggers. I've also had episodes where it itches intensly - usually along my jawline. Most of the time it just itches a little and I can ignore it, but other times it itches so bad. I've also had severe itching in my forearms since this has started - during the day it's fine but at night my arms itch like crazy.

I've tried to do some research online and was beginning to think it was early stages of rosacea. Does anyone have this? Does this sound like what it could be? I've also noticed that when I get flushed, its not like a hot flash - I actually feel cold! It feels like I have a fever, my body is cold (sometimes even get chills, shivers) but yet my face is bright red and hot.

I was talking to my mom the other day and she mentioned it could be thyroid related - since it all seems to have to do with regulation of my body temperature? I did some reading yesterday but didn't find much. It seems like this started last January when I started taking my son to the Y for swimming lessons - it was SO hot in the pool area that I couldn't stand to sit in there and watch the lessons, I started getting flushed. After being in there a few times, the flushing started at home, after showers, etc. Maybe just coincidence.

I'm 34 years old with 2 young kids and it is so difficult - every day I worry if it's going to flare up. Right now I'm sitting here, waiting for my face to cool down so we can leave the house. There are days I don't want to even leave the house it looks so bad. I'm so worried about the upcoming holidays and how it's going to look, if I get warm at all I know I'll get red. I do everything I can to not trigger it, but some days it just happens no matter what I do. Not sure if I should call a dermatologist or my family doctor, but I think it's to the point where I need to call someone. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[dinade]

high blood pressure!!!! This is a sign of hbp! I started noticing it after showers and stuff first about your age. Then I cut my salt intake way back and it's gone. Exercise, cut your red meat and salt intake and see if it doesn't improve. :) Good luck.

[434Teresa]

your hormones can cause this..I start doing it to when I was about 36 and it got worse after my twins were born..I had my tubes tied and I still have to take birth control to control my hormones because of this and a few other things that were going on...things were really out of wack if you know what I mean...the red hot face still happens from time to time but not near as much..

[KarenStep]

Originally Posted by dinade high blood pressure!!!! This is a sign of hbp! I started noticing it after showers and stuff first about your age. Then I cut my salt intake way back and it's gone. Exercise, cut your red meat and salt intake and see if it doesn't improve. :) Good luck.

Thanks for the advice - I've never had high blood pressure, even through both of my pregnancies. I had a physical in April and it was fine - under 120/80, which is always is. I could definitely have it checked out again though, just to be sure. I really don't eat much red meat at all...a burger now and then but I certainly could reduce my salt. Thanks!

[KarenStep]

Originally Posted by 434Teresa your hormones can cause this..I start doing it to when I was about 36 and it got worse after my twins were born..I had my tubes tied and I still have to take birth control to control my hormones because of this and a few other things that were going on...things were really out of wack if you know what I mean...the red hot face still happens from time to time but not near as much..

Yeah, my first thought was that it was hormonal - like pre-menopause hot flashes, but after some reading I dont' think I have an actual hot flash - I'm not hot! My face is, but my body is cold, there are times I have to wrap in a blanket I'm so cold while my face is hot and red. I did have had issues with hormones during pregnancy and post-pregnancy - hormones got really out of wack - I stopped breastfeeding after 4 weeks due to severe hot flashes (waking up drenched with sweat during the night, I'd go through 2-3 sets of pj's a night just wringing wet!).

Thanks for replying, it is nice to hear I'm not alone with this issue and others have dealt with it too! Hopefully I can find a solution soon!

[zydeco]

If you think it's rosacea. Stop using all creams and soaps on your face and only use a mild scrub. The very worst thing you can do is use a wash cloth! Simply use your finger tips with a scrub. Rosacea will try and eat your face off! And it does leave scars. There is no cure so you can only do your best to control it. A doc can give you pricey creams and gels but I found they really did very little. I take an OTC Vit A. Actually it's better to take Beta Carotene. (Vit A will build up in your system. Beta Carotene does not.) There are 2 foods I know that will triger my own out break....grapes and bananas. :shrug7: It might help to keep a log of the foods you are eating to see if there is any connection.
HTH

[KarenStep]

Well, it's been 3 months since I originally posted this, and I finally went to the doctor yesterday. The last 3 months have been...well..odd. The flushing episodes have been happening a little less frequently and now at different times. I rarely get a flush after showering anymore, although I have learned to take a luke-warm shower and wait about 30 minuites before drying my hair, but I rarely get flushed anymore from that, and if I do it is very minor and disappates in about 30 minutes.

The week of Christmas and New Years I had maybe 1 time each week where I got a little red, and it started happening whenever I would start to feel cold (which is all the time - I'm constantly cold and usually wearing layers and wrapped in a blanket, and we keep the house at 70 degrees and I'm still cold). I go to bed cold, wake up cold, have goosebumps all of the time.

The last 2 weeks however, I've been having these flushing episodes almost every night, right about the same time, about 7:30 to 8:00pm - right after I get my kids to bed and sit down to relax a bit. It's like clockwork - as soon as I sit down, I feel a little chilly and grab a blanket to wrap up, and the flushing starts. If I'm up, moving around and doing stuff - no flushing. A couple nights we played Wii after the kids went to bed and it didn't happen at all, since I wasn't cold, I was up and moving around. I've also been exercising lately on my elliptical and I do not get flushed at all while I'm exercising or even afterward. And alcohol no longer triggers it either - I didn't have any drinks for about 2 months because I was getting flushed from them, and on New Years I decided to have a drink and I didn't get red at all. The last few weeks I've had maybe 1 drink a week and still no flushing from it.

So, the doctors office took several vials of blood yesterday and I'm anxiously awaiting the results. The doctor seems to believe that it is some sort of reaction to a cold or temperature intolerance, but not sure what is causing it. (They are testing for thyroid, both my mom and grandmother had thyroid disorders). Which made me wonder - was my initial flushing after the hot shower a reaction to the hot shower itself, or a reaction of me being cold after the shower? I'm am so puzzled by this I really hope they are able to figure out what it going on with me. Maybe I'll have some answers soon!

Thanks to all who have read this and offered advice!

[scentednights2002]

Originally Posted by zydeco If you think it's rosacea. Stop using all creams and soaps on your face and only use a mild scrub. The very worst thing you can do is use a wash cloth! Simply use your finger tips with a scrub. Rosacea will try and eat your face off! And it does leave scars. There is no cure so you can only do your best to control it. A doc can give you pricey creams and gels but I found they really did very little. I take an OTC Vit A. Actually it's better to take Beta Carotene. (Vit A will build up in your system. Beta Carotene does not.) There are 2 foods I know that will triger my own out break....grapes and bananas. :shrug7: It might help to keep a log of the foods you are eating to see if there is any connection. HTH

I use Metrogel on my Rosacea and it works wonders. My complexion is much much worse without it. I've had it for about 20 years now.

[meems]

Speaking of blood pressure..I get all over the rest of my body "mottling" patches..it's from low blood pressure! Especially when I'm cold. When I have no color, it looks awful! A tan does wonders to cover it up..

sorry..doesn't help you, but just an obvservation..and who knows someone else might have the same thing..

[rbunnymom]

Originally Posted by meems Speaking of blood pressure..I get all over the rest of my body "mottling" patches..it's from low blood pressure! Especially when I'm cold. When I have no color, it looks awful! A tan does wonders to cover it up.. sorry..doesn't help you, but just an obvservation..and who knows someone else might have the same thing..

Thanks - this does give an explanation I have often wondered about not for myself but a family member.

I get facial flushing from food allergies. My family will often ask okay what did you eat now...you look like a lobster I have a reddish complexion already, always have. Mine is not rosacea.