Tag Archives: metronidazole

Metronidazole Topical for Rosacea?

This is a note-taking blog for purposes of education – not for specific directed medical advice.

Metronidazole is a treatment available for Rosacea

  • Topical application of Metronidazole (meanning applied to the skin surface)
  • Metronidazole also comes as a pill form but this isn’t usually needed or indicated for Rosacea
  • Metronidazole is an antibiotic
  • Flagyl is the name a brand of metronidazole in pill form
  • As an antibiotic, Metronidazole is effective against anaerobic bacteria and protozoa.  It is a drug used for treating clostridium difficile infection (c. diff).
  • Topically, it comes as cream or gel
  • Metrogel is a brand (Metrogel 1%) as is Rozex.  And there are generics available for metronidazole gel or cream.
  • Many patients use metronidazole topical twice a day
  • Many patients of ours at Surgical Artistry, Modesto, report some dryness with the product and use it with a moisturizer.

Other uses of Metronidazole

  • Orally it has been used in Crohn’s disease
  • And orally, it has been used as part of the treatment for peptic ulcer disease

Obagi Rosaclear

  • a system designed by Obagi Medical for treatment of Rosacea
  • Metronidazole topical is part of the kit,
  • available as part of the rosaclear kit is a cleanser, toner, and a special tinted sunblock

What is Rosacea?

  • Some forms of it seems to be a skin infection which is related to blood vessel dilation and redness
  • Central facial redness, burning and stinging
  • visible red veins
  • bumps or blemishes
  • tight or itchy facial skin which may swell
  • Cause is unknown

What can our office in Modesto, do for Rosacea?

There are many treatments available for Roscea

  • We have Rosaclear available from Obagi
  • We have many Rosclear Sunscreen – tinted specially to hide and blend in the redness.
  • We have a vascular laser (Dornier 940, Germany) which is good for targeting the red vessels.
  • For some patients we can also prescribe clindamycin topical for rosacea