Rosacea and Antidepressants

Anyone know if antidepressants can exacerbate rosacea???
I've had an awful time of it since treatment for cancer, and the only thing offered by dermatologist is oral antibiotic which I can't tolerate, or topical stuff which doesn't really work.
I'm scared to try another antidepressant as effexor and prozac made my face a minefield. So bad that I thought it was some other awful skin disease.
Comments? Similar experience?  Solutions?
Ann

[loiloi]

Hi.
Interesting! I was prescribed Effexor (Venlafaxine) for my depression, which was caused mainly due to my having acne! It worked really well to stabilise my mood and did not increase my acne. Rosacea and acne are not listed as side effects for Effexor, but are reported by 1% of patients. It is difficult to prove a causal link since acne and rosacea are so common in the general population -the increase in patients using Effexor is not statistically significant.
I would recommend Effexor for people suffering from major depression or anxiety. The only downside, for me, was that it was difficult to stop taking them, You have to reduce the dose gradually and even so I was physically ill for a week when I stopped taking them. However, the discontinuation symptoms did resolve after a week and my depression has not returned -I took them for a year and a half and stopped taking them 11 months ago.
Best Wishes, Eloise.

[29sillygirl]

Thanks for sharing your experience.  Isn't it odd how side effects can differ?
As I mentioned,  Effexor worked well for about a year, maybe more ,before exacerbating Roseaca.
I have often heard the words "this is a rare side effect" from doctors.
Even the cancer I had was so rare that it wasn't diagnosed for too long!
Like you, I believe Effexor is the best for major depression and anxiety.
It did seem physically addictive, but I weaned off slowly.  Remember I was on lots of meds going through treatment.  Oxycontin (sp?) was one I took myself off too fast, but that is all behind me.
My face looks better now than it has in several years, so I am blessed.
Now to get the weight off:)