Treatment For Red Lesions Due To Stomach Upset?

Posted on Thu, 6 Feb 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 6 Feb 2014 Answered on

Tue, 4 Mar 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : I am a 51 yr old male. I have two issues, one is I take Omeprazole 20 mg for acid reflux n heart burn. Now it works but I also have a bad case of rosacea and I really believe the two r connected. When my stomach acts up the following morning I get very bad breakouts of papules and red blotchy skin. My bowel movements are either very loss or constipated. Have not had normal one in years. I been to dermatologist for years tried metro gel, metro cream, finances and so on. Sometimes they help but the side effects are worse at times. Oral antibiotics etc. The only thing that the two had in common was,when my stomach acted up so did my skin. Never fails. That's why I think related. Yesterday I had oatmeal for the first time in a long t one. I went from loose stool to constipated in a matter of hours and next morning my forehead had red blotchy Papules all over. Then I treat with topical n all the sides act up n almost make it worse Hopefully u can help XXXXXXX

Answered by Dr. Johny Chacko (41 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Rosacea management Detailed Answer: Hello Mr. XXXXXXX Welcome to healthcare magic. I understand from your history that you suffer from gastritis and rosacea and are wondering whether those two are related. Yes, there have been several studies establishing a link between chronic gastritis due to Helicobacter pylori infection and cutaneous rosacea. Helicobacter pylori or H. Pylori is an organism which causes chronic active gastritis. This lies in the stomach and can also be confined to the oral cavity( mouth). Studies have shown that eradicating this organism by anti - HP therapy can markedly decrease the symptoms of rosacea. Anti H. Pylori treatment includes a 1 week oral treatment with Omeprazole 30 mg twice a day, Clarithromycin 500 mg twice a day and Metronidazole 500 mg twice a day, plus gargling and application of metronidazole paste in the oral cavity.( to remove H. Pylori from the mouth). I understand that you are already on omeprazole. You could get the above regime prescribed after discussing with your GP. In addition,avoid all types of rosacea triggers sunlight, spicy food, alcohol, hot beverages and extreme emotions. Always use a broad spectrum sunscreen every 4 hours even while indoors and on cloudy days. Hope I have answered your query. If you have any more queries, I will be glad to assist. Regards, Dr. Johny Chacko

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Johny Chacko (2 days later)

Thank you for your answer. How common/what are the odds of a 51 year old US suburban male having this condition? Is it common in every living situation or only in certain countries/living situations? Also, how receptive might a doctor be if I tell him about your recommendations?

Answered by Dr. Johny Chacko (9 hours later)

Brief Answer: Rosacea management Detailed Answer: Hello Mr. XXXXXXX H. pylori infection is quite common all over the world including US. Most of the studies, however are from european countries. I would not categorically say that this is the cause in your case. But since you have observed a relationship between your gastric symptoms and rosacea flares, we could consider that as a possibility. Rosacea still remains as an inflammatory disorder for which causal relationships are only hypothesized. There is no 100% cause-effect relationship proved as yet. But since many studies show that eradicating H. pylori has improved rosacea in 2-4 weeks time and eradicating H. pylori does not involve any invasive procedures, it could be worth trying in your case since you have repeatedly noticed a connection between gastritis and rosacea flares. As far as your question goes as to how receptive a doctor might be to my recommendation, I can only say that you need to discuss with him/ her and see how it goes. I am sure if your dermatologist is open minded and is convinced about your symptom relating gastritis and rosacea, he/ she will also think on similar lines. Hope this helps you. Wishing you good health, Dr. Johny Chacko

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar