Skin/Acne

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Joined
Jan 4, 2012
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Hi everyone.

New here to the forum, I have been diagnosed for 5 odd years and have had a part of my small bowel removed.

Since then im on Pentasa which leads me to my problem...

I'm 27 and am well beyond my teenage ache years but in the last 6 months my face, upper arms and the top of my back have been getting lots of spots and ache appearing.

I use several skin cream products like Freederm and a face scrub to help but my face in particular is just covered and looks very patchy with red areas.

I get spots just come up randomly all the time and I don't know what to do?

I (sorry for the detail) have to pop them etc and as the days pass my face looks more like a pizza than a human face and it's really affecting my confidence at work and socially.

Has anyone got any advice as to how to address the problem? I was on steroids a few weeks back and my skin was fine (had to go on due to a relapse) but since coming off and im back to just pentasa its getting worse.

am i using the right products or can I do more?

thanks in advance guys appreciate any replies.

Thanks

Vinny
 
Hi Vinny and welcome! I'm so sorry to hear that you're having trouble. However, my GUESS is that it is not acne. There are a variety of rashes that people with Crohn's Disease can be affected by and we have a skin forum you may want to peruse to see if anything fits what you have.

Have you been tested for any B vitamin deficiencies by chance? How much of your small bowel was removed and where exactly? Terminal ileum?

Again, welcome!
 
Hi David

Thanks for the warm welcome.

I'm on quarterly B12 injections as the part of the bowel removed used to absorb this vitamin.

I think between 20-30cm was removed in the end, I don't have a technical name for its location but it's my right side right at the bottom, kind of above my groin. (sorry for the useless description!)

I will re-post in the skin forum, thanks for the help.
 
Hi Vinny,

If you're on B12 injections, I strongly suggest you find a quality B complex vitamin to take. The University of Maryland Medical Center advises people taking long term B vitamin supplements to make sure to take them ALL as just taking one can create imbalances and issues. One symptom of various other B vitamin deficiencies is rashes. If you do take the B Complex please be sure to let your doctor know as if they ever switch your main medication, there are a few that interact with folate (vitamin B9) and doctors need to know about that.

Due to the nature of your resection, I would also act the doctors to monitor your fat soluble vitamin levels: A, D, E, K with an emphasis on D and K being most important.
 
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I hadn't heard of the term pizza face before till a few weeks ago, but recall seeing this article about the problem with a possible idea to try for getting rid of it. Hope it helps. I know for me avoiding wheat, along with doing a few others ideas helped my guts health. Good luck!

"Pizza Face: How wheat can ruin an otherwise perfectly fine teenager"

http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2011/...an-ruin-an-otherwise-perfectly-fine-teenager/
 
Thanks for the advice David.

I'm also anaemic if that makes a difference?

Whenever I've had blood tests generally my B12 levels have been high/normal but I'll definitely follow up on your advice.

It's horrible that since coming off the prednisolone(spelling??) these spots have appeared. My arms and upper back are at least covered up but my face is exposed obviously and when you keep getting people commenting it can really be demoralising.
 
Thanks for the article Beach, i'll have a read when I get home from work.

Will try anything to get rid of spots at the moment.
 
You're welcome.

As was mentioned in an earlier post, something else to consider that possibly could help is taking vitamin D3 and vitamin K2. Prenisone (if that is what you took), being a steroid anti-inflamatory, is thought to lower bone density from what I've read. The two supplements of K2 and D3 can help with skin conditions, lower inflammation and help with strengthening bones.

Not to give to many articles but a few might be of help.

"Vitamin D - Skin disorders"

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/health-conditions/skin-disorders/

Just a small mention of skin health in this one, but thought it a decent article on K2 found in cows grass fed butter and supplements.

"Vitamin K2, menatetrenone (MK-4)"

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2008/06/vitamin-k2-menatetrenone-mk-4.html
 
when poorly I took Prednisolone 5mg for 6 weeks and I've never felt better

Whilst taking them along with Pentasa I took (am still taking until they finish) Adcal D3 vitamin D supplements so my vitamin D in theory "should" be ok.

It's a pain as my skin is naturally quite dry but then I check the mirror a few hours later and in places it's oily and I now have new whiteheads (sorry for the graphic description) that need attending and as a result I then have more soreness and red patchy skin as it seems once you address one spot then the next day another area of my face/neck gets affected :(
 

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