Acne rosacea is a common problem, which is often poorly treated with long term antibiotics with adverse side effects.

Recently I saw a menopausal woman who has suffered with rosacea of her face and eyes – the latter being known as ocular rosacea. Her eyes were red and itchy and always looked blood shot.

She had been controlling this problem, albeit only partially, with long term antibiotics known as tetracycline drugs.

She did not realize that her rosacea was autoimmune in origin and was related to gut inflammation and food allergies. She came to see me complaining of symptoms of candida with a white coated tongue, vaginal thrush and a bloated abdomen and flatulence. She also complained of a foggy brain and felt drunk sometimes, although she did not drink alcohol. My patient had struggled with her weight for the past eight years and was not able to lose weight off her abdomen.

I did a blood test to see how bad her candida infection was; this test known as “candida serology”, showed abnormally high levels of IgG and IgA antibodies against candida species, which meant the candida infection was throughout her body and her immune system was continually fighting it. This was the result of the tetracycline drugs, which had damaged her immune system and reduced the good bacteria in her gut, which normally keep candida levels low. She would not feel well until we stopped the tetracycline drugs.

What I recommended for my patient

I replaced the tetracycline drug with cyclosporine eye drops, which worked well after 2 months to stop the inflammation in her eyes. I tested her for the genes for gluten intolerance known as HLADQ genes, and she was positive for this gene pattern – thus I put her on a gluten free diet.

I also gave her a supplement called Selenomune to help her immune system reduce inflammation and infection. To reduce her leaky gut, I prescribed glutamine powder 1 level scoop daily in water, raw juices or smoothies. To repair any liver damage caused by the tetracycline drugs I prescribed Livatone Plus capsules. Her diet was changed to eliminate sugar as this feeds the candida. The only sugar she was able to eat was that found in citrus fruits, apples and kiwi fruits. I asked her to use the Synd-X Slimming Protein powder to make smoothies for breakfast because it is sugar free and very satiating. It would help her to lose weight from her torso.

To kill off the candida I prescribed Intestinal Parasite Cleanse capsules, 2 twice daily. To help the mucous membranes in the front of her eyes (conjunctiva) I prescribed healthy fats from hemp seeds, hemp oil, ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, coconut milk and coconut oil, cod liver oil and sardines.

Within 4 months her eyes were 80% better and her face was totally clear of rosacea. Her abdominal bloating had gone and she had lost 18 pounds. Her tongue was no longer coated white. I retested her candida serology and her levels of candida species IgG and IgA were negative (less than 20 U/ml and less than 9 U/ml respectively).

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.