switch from protopic to desonide?
I have severe sebderm on my face which doesn’t respond to dietary
changes, coal tar, dandruff shampoos, herbs, frequent or infrequent
washing patterns, wishful thinking, vinegar, lots of sleep, no sleep,
lots of water, no beer or cheese, etc. Over the years, I’ve tried it
all, except for corticosteroid lotions. One thing that worked was
Ketoconazole cream, which pretty much "cured" me for 3 months, then
stopped working completely. Then I found Protopic. Protopic has been
a wonder drug for me, and it has given me the closest thing to normal
skin I’ve had since this whole condition really kicked in.
Now my derm, who is conservative, believes that the risks of Protopic
causing cancer are real, and he has stopped prescribing it completely.
He says that he believes that it will eventually be found that the
whole cancer scare has been overblown, but until then, he wants his
patients to stop using it.
He thinks that I should try the corticosteroid lotion since I never
have. He says that the side effects are exaggerated, and that his
patients that use the ‘roid creams are really pleased with the
effectiveness. He says that he believes that I will like it even
better than Protopic.
What are everyone’s thoughts on the subject? I’m particularly
interested in hearing from people who are using or have used Protopic,
also folks who have used ‘roids. Am I going to start gaining weight
and getting angry with people for no reason? 
Seriously, though,
thinning skin and rosacea aren’t thrilling prospects, but he says he
just doesn’t see it happen often. Thoughts?
November 24th, 2005 at 12:12 am
on Protopic :
says not for long term use.
mix ketoconazole with Desonide.50-50
doesnt suprise me that ketoconazole alone didnt work
November 24th, 2005 at 2:53 pm
Is your face oily? About a year ago my skin changed dramatically
with my face getting very oily every day. Strangely enough no acne
problems developed but I developed SD on my face. I went through
all the creams (Protopic, Elidel, Nizoral, Desonide, Clenia wash,
etc.) and none were very effective except the Desonide (steroid). I
tried to convince my derm the problem was stemming from the oiliness
and asked for low dose accutane, which he shot down. My wife
suggested I use Clean and Clear oil absorbing pads a few times a day
to take off the oiliness on top of washing. Within a couple of days
using them and using Nizoral, my symptoms disappeared. So far so
good as I have not had any relapse, knock on wood. If oiliness is a
problem for you I suggest trying the pads along with an anti fungal,
or since your Protopic worked so well a combination of the two. It
did wonders for me.
I don’t recommend using steroid creams except sparingly and to
control a flare-up. I used them pretty regularly when I first
developed SD and I found my skin became addicted to the stuff which
created a rebound effect. Funny that your derm is taking you off
Protopic to give you steroids! Good luck. Jay
November 24th, 2005 at 10:14 pm
Is that safe to do? I actually think I still have a tube of that
ketoconazole lying around somewhere…
November 25th, 2005 at 6:39 am
funny my derm said that rebound effect occurs with eczema
not sebderm . is this true ?
November 25th, 2005 at 6:32 pm
Thanks, Jay! Actually, my face is really oily (but with no acne),
and I’m already totally hooked on those oil absorbing pads. Those
things are great!! I keep a pack in the purse, the car, the
bathroom, etc. Unfortunately, controlling the oil doesn’t help my
sebderm, it just keeps my face looking nice and fresh. Thanks for
the kind words, and I hope your remission continues
November 26th, 2005 at 2:57 am
yes. ive also seen tests on in it Medline medical database.
im using Mometazone with Ketoconazole which is stronger.
anyone ever have problems with it as a stronger steroid ?
November 27th, 2005 at 3:47 am
When he found out that I had been using Desonide pretty regularly to
control the SD he freaked out and told me to stop using it immediately
because of rebound effects, thinning skin, etc. I guess it’s true for
both?
November 27th, 2005 at 1:56 pm
Sorry it doesn’t help more. It seems the meds I used were
ineffective until the oil was under control. I’m going to try and
go off the Nizorol in a few more weeks if I keep having success, or
at least cut down on it and only use it if needed. I hope it
works. As for Protopic/Elidel cancer risks, my derm thought it was
blown out of proportion and just SOP for the people that issue the
black box warnings. I guess every derm is different! Jay
November 28th, 2005 at 5:42 am
hi, i previously used cortisone for a long period of time. when i
stopped the cortisone my skin went out of control and it took a long
time to settle down (about 9 months) of absolutely crap skin.
the trouble as i see it is that in a short period of use your skin
become addicted, so in a short period of time you don’t know if you are
treating the sd or the addiction. (they both look so similar)
if you are going to use, use only hydrocortisone, as little as
possible, and infrequently as you can.
personally i wouldn’t use it ever again as i feel it has actually
spread my sd (but i guess that the normal run of things your sd
spreads anyway)
November 28th, 2005 at 4:10 pm
Desonide is pretty weak.
do a google search on "topical steroids" and strength
and
you"ll see them grouped.
temovate like the A bomb of steroids and
topical cortizone is the weakest.
November 29th, 2005 at 2:00 am
looks like i’m going to be in for it with ketoconazole and
metamatazone.
actually my doc said it must be tapered off.
reduce it gradually.
dont go cold turkey or the sebderm will return.
December 1st, 2005 at 12:37 pm
He’s wrong.
Eric