| Antibiotics | | | | antibiotics would not have been a long term solution. |
| People suffering from rosacea and who are treated | | | | Perhaps the garlic tablets were then the equivalent of |
| with antibiotics over a prolonged period are more | | | | the 'straw that broke the camels back'. On their own |
| prone to yeast infections. The use of antibiotics over a | | | | before the other treatments, they may not have cured |
| long period can decrease normal bacteria populations | | | | the rosacea. This is speculative, they could have been |
| and increase the number of yeast. | | | | effective. Clinical trials are needed to answer this |
| Most treatments have side effects, these vary from | | | | question and also identify if the garlic produced a long |
| person to person and depend on a number of factors | | | | lasting cure, which is expected to have been the case. |
| including diet. A treatment that works for one person | | | | Garlic like many natural herbs and spices that are |
| with minimal or no side effects will not work for | | | | antibacterial, do not affect 'good bacteria', which is why |
| another person. Dosages also vary from person to | | | | most people can eat and enjoy herbs and spices. |
| person and are also affected by a number of factors. | | | | Therefore the person who was now going to take the |
| Diet: | | | | garlic tablet long term should have been able to do so. |
| Typically one person may enjoy or eat a type of | | | | 2) The garlic dose was controlled by use of tablets. |
| yogurt, which helps maintain the bacteria balance in | | | | Consider eating slices of garlic pizza; having 2 slices |
| their diet and so may help the decrease in bacterial | | | | instead of 1 will double the dose. This would be the |
| population of the gut. Another person may be able to | | | | equivalent of the person taking 18 tablets instead of 9. |
| eat small quantities of herbs and spices which are | | | | One chef may add three times the amount of garlic |
| known to have anti bacterial properties. Garlic is well | | | | than another. This combined with the above would be |
| known as a natural antibiotic and antibacterial with | | | | the equivalent of a person taking 54 tablets instead of |
| reports going back through history. It has been | | | | 9 |
| suggested that it might help fight acne, and a report on | | | | One chef may use concentrated garlic out of a tube, |
| its use for rosacea also suggests that this may be the | | | | another may use pressed garlic cloves. Again the |
| case. | | | | quantity of garlic in a slice will vary significantly. |
| Herbal remedies work for some people: It is suggested | | | | The active ingredient of garlic cloves will also vary |
| that a significant problem with herbal remedies for | | | | depending on when and where it was grown and the |
| rosacea sufferers may be the variable 'natural dose' if | | | | 'variety'. All plants and fruits have different varieties, for |
| the herb or spice is not made into a tablet with a | | | | example consider the different varieties of apple. |
| known dosage. | | | | The use of garlic tablet enabled to the dose to be |
| Garlic | | | | accurately maintained over the first week and then |
| A person with severe rosacea for about 5 years had | | | | accurately reduced by 1/3rd |
| pulsed light treatment, antibiotic treatment and | | | | Garlic seemed to help rosacea that affected the eyes: |
| eliminated gluten from their diet. The elimination of | | | | The person had really bad rosacea and had horribly |
| gluten got rid of most but not all the rosacea. The | | | | bumpy cheeks at the worst point, it also affected their |
| person then had a nasty infection and started taking | | | | eyes and they were using moisture eye drops for five |
| nine garlic tablets a day for about a week and then | | | | or more times a day. Since the garlic tablets, they |
| cut back to 6 per day. They say "The rosacea is | | | | have hardly needed to use the moisture eye drops. |
| pretty much gone and they even went on a gluten | | | | There may be a reason for this related to the way |
| binge at thanksgiving - and drank red wine without | | | | onions and garlic smells can make the eyes water. |
| having a flare up" | | | | If a person eats a lot of garlic, the smell can actually |
| Analysing why this worked for this person: The Gluten | | | | 'come out of the skin' and that person can have a |
| free diet: Various articles on the internet suggest that a | | | | 'garlic' smell. |
| gluten free diet helps where the digestive system has | | | | Therefore it is likely the garlic in the body will manage |
| been affected by antibiotics. Therefore this may have | | | | to find its way into the skin of the eyelids and perhaps |
| helped because the person was on antibiotics. It is | | | | into tears or the tear ducts, in which case the sensitive |
| suggested a gluten free diet helps return the gut to | | | | nerve ending on the surface of the eye (which react |
| normal after antibiotic treatment. | | | | when your peel onions and this smell touches them) |
| Garlic Tablets. | | | | send a message to the brain which 'makes the eyes |
| Exercise caution if trying garlic, it is reported as a | | | | moist'. |
| trigger for around 10% of sufferers. | | | | Addendum: Another rosacea sufferer who was |
| It is suggested that the garlic tablets worked for a | | | | warned that garlic might be a trigger says "I feel that |
| number of reasons:- | | | | garlic doesn't really bother my skin. It may be that I eat |
| 1) The use of garlic tablets following the antibiotic | | | | it mostly as part of an olive oil salad dressing. At any |
| treatment and gluten free diet may be significant. | | | | rate, I've been wondering whether the garlic might in |
| Perhaps after the other treatments had made an | | | | fact be helping since it's known to have some |
| impact but not cured the rosacea. They use of | | | | antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. |