Nystatin A Potential Seborrheic Dermatitis Treatment

Article Discussion
32

Hey Joakim,

Hope all is well with you. Thank you for taking the time to engage on here.

Agree with you 100% there. It was definitely hard not having anyone to really talk to about my skin.
It felt embarrassing and I really felt doomed since the common idea is that the condition is for life.

When things got bad, the easiest thing to do was simply hide away and keep searching the internet.

The endless supply of poor and incomplete information on this subject was quite a hurdle to get through.
Hopefully others can benefit from all the information that accumulates here.

Thanks again and all the best.

33

Hi Vero,

For the apple cider vinegar on brows, is it 1:1 apple cider vinegar and tea tree oil?

34

Hi Kepi - and thanks, Michael for the Sudocream tip - will buy some today.
For the eyebrows, dunk a cotton ball in any apple cider vinegar and rub over eyebrows - and slightly over and under. From my experience, this lasts a bit. Sometimes, when the eyebrows seem to tingle, I do it again. No more than once every 10 days or so. But this is too harsh on the rest of the face for me.

I have discovered (subjectively, they seem to be good for my facial SD) 2 more products

  • for the inflamed red parts: a very cheap drugstore (Boots in the UK) branded ‘Boots Magnesium Sulphate’ Paste. It is for skin boils and infections and you just dab a very tiny bit, the size of a pin head, on the effected area overnight - stops the irritation and the flaking.

Another hopeful discovery is plain Listerine mouthwash. I rubbed my face with it last night and it did not sting like apple cider vinegar or tea tree oil or salt solution. Then put a mild oil-free moisturizer on (still not happy on the moisturizer front - any suggestions?) and the effect was very very good. Listerine contains not just anti-bacterial properties but also anti-fungal ones - so works on the oiliness of the skin as well. Will wait for the Nystatin and report back.

35

Hi Vero,

The Sudocream was best of the corners of the mouth when I had issues there. For larger areas it was quite difficult to wipe/clean off.
It would typically leave white residue on my face. Unless I washed it off with soap, but this would then bring back the SD quicker.

Haven’t heard of the Magnesium Sulphate paste stuff before. Might be interesting though.
The anti-fungal aspect of that is likely why it works well for the seborrheic dermatitis.

In terms of the Listerine, I’ve actually come across that approach as well.
However, I never attempted using it though. It seems like it’s the anti-fungal aspect at work here as well.

Look forward to hearing your update with the Nystatin.
Thanks again for updating and best of luck.

36

Any updates with Nystatin users?

And JOAKIM, even though you show no signs of SD, do you still apply the Nystatin cream on a daily or semi-daily basis? Im just trying to understand if you applied it initially, healed your SD, and now your not applying it at all now?

Adam

37

Unfortuntenly it doesnt work on me but I have been using suplements for 1week (biotin 10mg/ MSM 8g / capryl acid 2tabs and probiotics (acidophilus)) and my seb derm slowly disappears. If i’ll have more time I’ll write more information about this (my english is poor so I need time to write sth:P).

38

Hi Adam,
yeah, I still apply it on a semi-daily basis. I don’t know that I’m cured, because I keep applying it. I will run out of my first tube soon, though, and I might just stay off and see what happens. If I relapse I guess I can always just go buy another tube and have it disappear again - unless the new, recurring SD would develop a resistance to nystatin!!! Hah, that’s my worst nightmare o.O
So basically, I don’t know - yet - what will happen if I stop using it. I think it would come back over time. Especially since I’m not doing anything else to keep it away anymore: No saltwater cures, no strict diet, no nothing. As far as I know, it’s an ubiquitous yeast that is the cause of SD, so I don’t think there is any getting around it. At some point or another I will have it back on my nose, and my immune system wont know what to do. That’s my guess at least.

39

Hey Maciej,
that’s concerning news, I think. I’m sad to hear it didn’t work for you. Did you end up buying it from Germany, or did you have your friend make it? I just want to make sure that we have been using the same thing :slight_smile:

40

Hi Maciej,

Sorry to hear that it didn’t work out for you. However, glad to hear the biotin combo is working.
When I gave a similar combo a try (zinc-l-cornisone, l-glutamine, msm, biotin), I had some strange reaction to the biotin (rashes and itchy skin all over).

Not sure if you have read over my most complete post, here.
The methods that finally helped me (at the bottom) seem to have worked for a few others as well (check the comments).

Thanks for taking the time to write, I understand it takes you time due to language barriers.
Look forward to any updates and hope things work out.

41

Hey there. I just wanted to do a little update on the nystatin. Last week I had my first flare-up since December. I think it was sparked by stress and probably also my bad habit of forgetting my daily appliance of the drug. Now, a week later, after paying more attention and never skipping a daily appliance it’s completely gone again. For a moment I was worried that the effect was wearing off, like others have experienced with other products. But I am still convinced that nystatin is very worth a shot, if you a still looking for a cure.
I’m still looking forward to responses from those of you, who posted that you bought it. How are you doing? Are you seeing some results?
Anyway, I wish you all the best in the search for your solution :slight_smile:

42

Hey Joakim,
Thanks for the update. Hopefully some of the others manage to get good results as well. That should help in finding out if its applicable to everyone.
All the best.

43

Hi Joakim
Re: feedback on Nystatin. Thanks, Joakim, for the tip and for the photo of the product: Nystatin Lederle. Having ordered it (see earlier posting) I tried it for a week on the SD spots - chin, jawline, etc twice a day, morning and evening, and liked it very much.
It did not irritate the skin and I could use other products (moisturizer, blemish treatment) over it. The SD went after about 2-3 days, I continued using the cream for a week. The last evening, I just put moisturizer on without Nystatin and the SD returned in the morning so then I went cold turkey and did not put anything on these SD spots, except for using a mild soap. No moisturizer, no blemish treatment, no Nystatin. After that the SD went away completely after 2 days so I am keeping the Nystatin in case it returns. It has been over a week now without SD so that is great.
It worked well for me and there is a certain amount of relief that I have it on hand in case of an outbreak.
But it was the non-irritating qualities that I liked. Anyway, that was my experience. I had ordered a 50mg tube - so that could last me even with some light re-use for over a year.
It was a great tip so thanks very much.

44

Hi Joakim,

Thanks for the detail. I used Ketaconozole for a while but I guess my skin got used to it becuase I had to use it daily.

Seems like the same thing happened with your Nystatin. I stopped using Ketaconozole because I didn’t want to use creams and wanted to use homeopathic / natural treatments like sea salt or apple cider vinegar that wouldn’t cause long term damage.

My question: is Nystatin bad to use long term like hydrocortisone or Ketaconozole? Will it thin out skin like these other products?

45

Read a lot here, nice to find you all. I think the answer is out there but the dermatologists won’t tell us. I bet we find it though. I tried the listerene protocol last year and killed my scalp sd for months…but fall came and so did sd…and I can’ t get a handle on it again. ( I put listerene on scalp, put shower cap on and left it several hours). As a female I have lots of hair these protocols screw up trying to get at my scalp. Do NOT trust presc. Strength Nizoral…it fried my hair texture (actual side effect). Any Nystatin for scalp treatment…oral?

46

Hi Vero,
sorry, I didn’t notice your reply until now! I am so happy to hear that it worked for you. It’s very nice to get some positive feedback, so we know it works for more people than me :wink: I’ve also been reaching out to people on Reddit, and just like you they have had positive results as well. So I’m more confident recommending it now!
I am happy to help. Hopefully you can keep it under control. My dermatologist said that I could use it indefinitely - unlike hydrocortisone, which you should only use for 2 weeks at a time - so if you do have outbreaks then I think it would be okay to apply it daily. That’s what I do at least. But I understand if you want to keep it at a minimum :slight_smile:
All the best to you and your new, pretty face!

47

Hello Mr. President :slight_smile:

I don’t think the effect wore off in my case. I guess it was simply because I became too confident, thinking that maybe I was cured and that the SD wouldn’t come back if i stopped using nystatin. It did though :slight_smile: But, like I said, after a week of using it properly again the SD disappeared and I have had zero problems since then. So so far I’ve only experiences that one outbreak since December when I started using it.

I’m still using it almost daily, so I really, really hope that it doesn’t cause long-term damage! But my dermatologist told me that I could use it daily and that I basically couldn’t use ‘too much’, so I don’t believe that the continued use is an issue. It even says so on the box from the pharmacy: “Can be used for a prolonged period of time against chronic rash in face”. Roughly translated :slight_smile: In the note that comes with the nystatin it says that you can apply it two to three times daily. It also says that the effect should be visible in 6 days, and that you should use it for 8-10 days afterwards to be sure to be rid of the infection. It doesn’t really say if there is a maximum of recommended use. Only that you should do, as your doctor has told you. And in my case he said ‘go ahead’.

So I think it’s fine. In any case it is nothing like hydrocortisone. And it doesn’t feel rough on the skin like my ketoconazole-shampoo did. Like Vero said in the post above it feels non-irritating. That and the fact that my doctor and pharmacy both know that they are treating a chronic disease makes me say that you can use it long term.

Do you know where to get it if you decide to try it?

48

Hi Valerie,

Thanks for checking in. Strange enough I’ve never actually tried the listerine myself. However, I have heard of others using it.
Definetly agree with you on the Nizoral. That stuff is intense. After just one single use I knew that it was overkill. It felt like I just nuked my skin and killed every single living organism on the surface. Hair felt like dry hay.

Is your seborrheic dermatitis strictly limited to the scalp?

Thanks again for checking in.

49

Hey Joakim,

Thanks for checking in and keeping up to date on the comments. Glad to hear the Nystatin got things back under control so quick.

Similar to you, I almost had a strange rebound a few weeks ago. The spots that had issues before became inflamed for a few days. Personally I got a little scared. For me, it seemed to be trigged just by being overwhelmed from school/work/life. Fortunately I was able to quickly bounce back and everything is back to normal now.

Still working on a more integrated discussion part to the site. Haven’t had time with work, but hopefully I can add it soon. Will let you know as soon as it’s up.

Also I’m slowly starting to write a post discussing the potential psychological part of seborrheic dermatitis. Do you think it’s possible that our strong belief in our current methods can play a role in how effective they are for us. Also on like how when things were bad, we were always second guessing ourselves, thus bringing stress and inflammation into our daily lives.

Or do you think it’s a just a simple bacterial infection that we have managed to control?

All the best and thanks again.

50

Hi Michael,

it’s an interesting discussion, and the easy answer is that there is probably not a simple explanation :wink:

I read a comment on one of the other discussion boards that basically said that all the stuff we try and apply to our faces doesn’t work, and that you should only worry about being happy and try new stuff. In that particular post watching good TV shows could make your seborrheic dermatitis go away. That’s not entirely untrue, but in my opinion there is so much more to it than just a state of mind.

It is true that it helps: I experienced it in the Philippines on vacation, but aside from my mental well-being I think it was the sun and saltwater that did the trick. And I’ve also often seen a correlation between stress and aggressive flare-ups. So, it does make a difference. I think I’ve also heard stories that cancer patients who believe they will win the fight have a better chance of actually surviving cancer, rather than just giving up and giving in. This is also the reason why I looked into meditation when I was still unable to treat the seborrheic dermatitis. So I definitely think that the body and mind are connected on a level we don’t fully understand, but to say that it is the only factor is also naïve in my opinion. Modern medicine may have it’s short-comings, but to completely deny everything they have shown is a ballsy move.

The body is a complex structure where many, many, many parts of the machine can malfunction and a lot of parts are connected in a chain, so that if one cog isn’t spinning like it’s supposed to, then it will impact something further down the line. I’m thinking genetic predisposition in one way or another to the yeast Malassezia, proper development and functioning of the immune system, healthy gut flora, proper hygiene of the skin, and probably also a calm, optimistic state of mind.

I was very skeptical when my dermatologist handed my this ‘miracle drug’ and told me the SD would be gone in one, maybe two weeks time. I had already tried this approach and it didn’t work. So at the time I was actually looking for a cure to the root of the problem, not just treat it when it appeared. My point is, it wasn’t my optimistic, strong believe that made nystatin work in the first place. I’m a strong believer now, and the knowledge that I now have a reliable tool to treat the SD probably gives me a more relaxed mindset that, at the end of the day, is a more healthy one that will contribute to keeping the SD down.

I’m not convinced that it’s only a matter of psychological well-being, but I guess it comes a long way. There is some microbiological stuff going on right under our noses, so to speak, and nystatin is known to bind ergosterol, which Malassezia apparently needs in its cell membrane. I believe in the scientific facts, but I am also very open-minded and fascinated by the alternative treatments, be it natural remedies or meditation and psychological well-being.

Fun story: When I was little I hypnotized or meditated a foot wart away. I have heard that they are usually really difficult to get rid of and the treatment is quite rough (it was back then anyway), so my doctor suggested that I try to meditate and focus my mind and imagine all sorts of unpleasantries on the wart. Every night I would sit for 10-15 minutes and wish it away. Within a couple of weeks it disappeared and I haven’t had any rebounds. So I do believe in the power of the mind, but in this case with the SD I tried just about anything and nothing worked except nystatin. (except lots and lots of sun and saltwater :wink: )

That’s my two-cents!
Thank you for running the site, Michael. It looks like a lot of people are finding helpful information here. It’s a good community.

51

Hi Valerie,

I’m not sure that the is a nystatin treatment specifically for the scalp. One guy on reddit, however, told me he had used the creme in his ears and on his scalp, where he could apply it. I think he had good results. So I guess you can just apply it where-ever is accessible.

I don’t know about the oral treatment. I think it is different at least. I wouldn’t be allowed to donate blood if I used the oral treatment at least. But it’s outside my knowledge, so I can only guess. I recommend talking to a professional :slight_smile:

For me, I never had to use it on my scalp. I applied it to my face, and somehow that made the stuff on my scalp and on my chest disappear as well. I only use a shampoo containing zinc pyrithione and climbazole and a conditioner also for sensitive hair and scalp.

All the best.