Skin issues got better when on antibiotics? What could this mean?

[dervmai]

I was on antibiotics for about a week. Doxycycline 100 mg.

I realized it actually helped me eczema and itching...

What could this mean? Bad gut bacteria? SIBO? Dysbiosis?

 

[Bioenergy_Space]

Doxycycline is used for acne. It means that your skin is colonized by some bacteria your body mounts an aggressive response to. These bacteria may not be pathogenic, but they trigger a heavy immune response. Alternatively, you could have bacterial overgrowth that leads to inflammatory bacterial metabolites getting absorbed.

 

[dervmai]

Doxycycline is used for acne. It means that your skin is colonized by some bacteria your body mounts an aggressive response to. These bacteria may not be pathogenic, but they trigger a heavy immune response. Alternatively, you could have bacterial overgrowth that leads to inflammatory bacterial metabolites getting absorbed.

I think you are on to something. I sweat more than the average person, and ever since I've had my first eczema breakout a couple years ago, I've stopped washing with soap as frequently. I had very infected eczema a couple weeks back and I tried to stop washing as much when I had that breakout which did not help. I washed with soap for a couple days straight and did sea salt baths and my eczema flareup died down... Interesting... So do I actually need to be washing more? But with gentle non over stripping soaps?

 

[EustaceBagge]

I think you are on to something. I sweat more than the average person, and ever since I've had my first eczema breakout a couple years ago, I've stopped washing with soap as frequently. I had very infected eczema a couple weeks back and I tried to stop washing as much when I had that breakout which did not help. I washed with soap for a couple days straight and did sea salt baths and my eczema flareup died down... Interesting... So do I actually need to be washing more? But with gentle non over stripping soaps?

With these issues, unless you fix your gut and metabolism, it is a never ending battle. At least that's my experience.

 

[ladyofthelake]

I think you are on to something. I sweat more than the average person, and ever since I've had my first eczema breakout a couple years ago, I've stopped washing with soap as frequently. I had very infected eczema a couple weeks back and I tried to stop washing as much when I had that breakout which did not help. I washed with soap for a couple days straight and did sea salt baths and my eczema flareup died down... Interesting... So do I actually need to be washing more? But with gentle non over stripping soaps?

Eczema and acne go beyond simply washing. There is a very important thing that I seldom see recommended or discussed and that is proper exfoliation. Usually people with these issues have the problem of rapid new skin growth combined with slower or absent exfoliation.
So also when you sweat a lot, your pores are opening up. Sweat usually contains bacteria. When you have a layer of oil and old skin cells on top (and whatever funk or dust or dirt) , when you cool down and your pores go back to normal they are going to trap all that extra gunk in there and cause acne and other skin issues. By exfoliating properly you will be removing all that buildup. If you don’t open up those pores and exfoliate, soap is really not going to do much other than contribute to dryness.

Are you male or female and where do you get your eczema and breakouts?

 

[bbmccorm]

Eczema and acne go beyond simply washing. There is a very important thing that I seldom see recommended or discussed and that is proper exfoliation. Usually people with these issues have the problem of rapid new skin growth combined with slower or absent exfoliation.
So also when you sweat a lot, your pores are opening up. Sweat usually contains bacteria. When you have a layer of oil and old skin cells on top (and whatever funk or dust or dirt) , when you cool down and your pores go back to normal they are going to trap all that extra gunk in there and cause acne and other skin issues. By exfoliating properly you will be removing all that buildup. If you don’t open up those pores and exfoliate, soap is really not going to do much other than contribute to dryness.

Are you male or female and where do you get your eczema and breakouts?

what type of exfoliation do you recommend and how often?

 

[ladyofthelake]

what type of exfoliation do you recommend and how often?

This depends on what your specific issue is, your skin type, and where your skin is (body vs face).
Generally on most people a simple soak in a hot bath with Epsom salts and baking soda followed by a decent rub down with a wash cloth once a week will show noticeable results.
For the face, once a week is a good place to start with an extremely fine textured face scrub. The key is to always use on wet skin and start out with extremely light pressure and slow movements. There are also chemical exfoliants but this needs to be specific to your skin type/problem.

 

[bbmccorm]

This depends on what your specific issue is, your skin type, and where your skin is (body vs face).
Generally on most people a simple soak in a hot bath with Epsom salts and baking soda followed by a decent rub down with a wash cloth once a week will show noticeable results.
For the face, once a week is a good place to start with an extremely fine textured face scrub. The key is to always use on wet skin and start out with extremely light pressure and slow movements. There are also chemical exfoliants but this needs to be specific to your skin type/problem.

thanks for the input, I'm no stranger to the world of exfoliation so i was curious about your opinion since you seem so adamant about it.... i have very dry, fair, sensitive skin so exfoliation has always been a bit tough for me. i do find that taking an epsom salt bath does wonders for my skin so i wish i had a tub at my house. for face I've been using dr. bronners the past few weeks due to doing hard labor work outside and getting really dirty and I'm finding it to work decently (though a bit drying even with applying a natural moisturizer). now all i can think about is having an epsom salt soak..... dang

 

[ladyofthelake]

thanks for the input, I'm no stranger to the world of exfoliation so i was curious about your opinion since you seem so adamant about it.... i have very dry, fair, sensitive skin so exfoliation has always been a bit tough for me. i do find that taking an epsom salt bath does wonders for my skin so i wish i had a tub at my house. for face I've been using dr. bronners the past few weeks due to doing hard labor work outside and getting really dirty and I'm finding it to work decently (though a bit drying even with applying a natural moisturizer). now all i can think about is having an epsom salt soak..... dang

I also have very dry, fair and sensitive skin. Regular gentle exfoliation has helped a lot with keeping my skin well moisturized as I feel my products can penetrate deeper now.
Another life changing thing for me is using the oil double cleanse method. Use a neutral skin oil like argan or jojoba, massage all over your face, and then cleanse with your preferred soap.

 

[Bioenergy_Space]

I think you are on to something. I sweat more than the average person, and ever since I've had my first eczema breakout a couple years ago, I've stopped washing with soap as frequently. I had very infected eczema a couple weeks back and I tried to stop washing as much when I had that breakout which did not help. I washed with soap for a couple days straight and did sea salt baths and my eczema flareup died down... Interesting... So do I actually need to be washing more? But with gentle non over stripping soaps?

Washing more often could be counterproductive because the skin produces many antibacterial and bacteriostatic compounds that check bacterial growth. The sea salt baths probably helped because salt is anti-inflammatory and antibacterial (via osmotic stress).

 

[Vileplume]

Doxy also temporarily solved my white coated tongue and chronically low libido, when nothing else has been able to resolve those things. I think your skin issues and my issues both stem from a dysfunctional gut and bacterial issues, probably dysbiosis. I wonder if a longer-term treatment of doxy could permanently eradicate the problems.

 

[golder]

Doxy also temporarily solved my white coated tongue and chronically low libido, when nothing else has been able to resolve those things. I think your skin issues and my issues both stem from a dysfunctional gut and bacterial issues, probably dysbiosis. I wonder if a longer-term treatment of doxy could permanently eradicate the problems.

Did the doxy get rid of those symptoms for good? Out of curiosity what dosage and duration did you use? Thanks!

 

[Vileplume]

Did the doxy get rid of those symptoms for good? Out of curiosity what dosage and duration did you use? Thanks!

No, the improved libido lasted a week or so afterward and then worsened again. I took 100 mg of doxy for 5 days along with a probiotic. I've done this two times, and both times it's helped with my white tongue, mood, mental clarity.

Maybe a longer course would eradicate the bacterial issues for good.