Does metronidazole really help rosacea?
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010 at
12:31 pm
I’m pretty sure I have a mild case of rosacea, because my face is red around my nose and on my forehead and when I blush I can feel my whole body heat up. I’ve heard that metronidazole helps treat rosacea, and if it does I was wondering if there are any treatments that are over-the-counter? Like a topical treatment or something? Thanks!
Filed under: Rosacea Treatments
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Finacea (15% azelaic acid) is much more effective than MetroGel (metronidazole). MetroGel seems to help some patients, but many complain that it stops working or doesn’t help much at all. MetroGel is an antibiotic, and bacteria are not the cause of rosacea. Rosacea is now suspected to be caused by an over-production of certain inflammatory proteins in the skin, with no relationship to any kind of infection. Certain oral and topical antibiotics help because they have anti-inflammatory properties.
If your skin is oily (or normal), a prescription wash called Plexion can also be beneficial. If your skin is dry, it would probably also be beneficial, but you might require moisturizer. Washing with a bar called ZNP, which contains pyrithione zinc, can be helpful for some rosacea patients, especially those with very sensitive skin. (Pyrithione zinc is a common off-label treatment recommended by dermatologists for rosacea and doesn’t require a prescription — you can get it from your pharmacy; it’s usually kept behind the counter.)
Oral medication options include doxycycline (an antibiotic with anti-inflammatory properties — which is what makes it effective for rosacea) as well as Nicomide, a prescription formulation of B-vitamins, copper, and zinc which has anti-inflammatory properties. Both of these are proven oral remedies for rosacea, but both require a prescription.
There are virtually no over-the-counter treatments that are helpful with rosacea, unfortunately. I wish there were. Rosacea requires the assistance of a dermatologist to treat effectively. Without treatment, it does become worse because rosacea is a progressive condition that spreads and intensifies over time.
All metronidazole creams are by prescription only, and yes they do help with rosacea–that’s what they’re for.