I've been suffering with perioral dermatitis for 4 months now. It started beside my mouth and then spread to the sides of my nose and under my nose where I felt burning even on tbe inside of my nostrils. It got wayyyy worse in the past 2 weeks when it spread to one eye. This week it spread to the other eye. It is really severe around my eyes to the point where my I can't fully open one eye - it's so inflamed and swollen and dry. I am getting some relief from natural tears eye drops and ice packs. I tried 'every' topical cream or treatment under the sun but it kept on getting worse. Standard treatments such as metrocream (metronidazole) didn't help at all, nor did popular home remedies or natural treatments such as apple cider vinegar, calendula creme, zinc supplements or zinc baby rash ointment, hydrogen peroxide, or any type of 'organic' , low ingredient moisturizers. Finally this week I went on minocycline as prescribed by my dermatologist - one capsule per day for at least 6 weeks and possibly as long as 4-6 months. I have been taking minocycline for all of 4 days now and just wondering, does anyone know how long it takes to START working? - even a little. At this point, even a fraction of improvement would feel like a breakthrough to me!
Perioral dermatitis - how long does it take for minocycline to start working?
Question posted by LauraS345 on 9 May 2013
Last updated on 10 November 2015 by suzanne66
Answers
Perioral dermatitis is a common facial skin problem in which groups of itchy or tender small red papules (bumps) appear around the mouth. They can also develop on the sides of the chin, and then spread to include upper lip, cheeks, eyes and nose. The surrounding skin may be pink, and the skin surface often becomes dry and flaky.
The good news is that perioral dermatitis usually responds well to treatment. Systemic antibiotics including minocycline are prescribed in severe cases. It may take a few weeks before there is noticeable improvement. Stop using all face creams. Wash the face with warm water alone. Liquid sunscreen is all that should be applied while the rash is present. Good luck!
Related topics
dermatitis, minocycline, perioral dermatitis, burning, mouth, nose
Further information
- Minocycline uses and safety info
- Minocycline prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Minocycline (detailed)
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