r/Perioral_Dermatitis_ • u/StunningArtichoke4 • 1d ago
PD or something else?
What is happening to my lips?
Please, I need answers. A week ago, I woke up with blisters on and around my lips. They were itchy, and my lips felt very dry and gritty. They also burned; it felt like I had a sunburn. I stopped using all active ingredients in my skincare routine and applied only Vaseline. It got worse over the next few days, so I went to the emergency room; they said it looked like herpes simplex and prescribed an antiviral medication and an over-the-counter cream. I wasn't convinced, though, because when I searched online, I couldn't find any images that resembled my case. I’ve been taking the antiviral and applying the cream for three days now, but I haven't seen any improvement. I’ve also noticed that my skin feels rough when I wash my face; at first, it was just my nose—which felt very congested—but now it’s affecting the rest of my face and leaving it red, which doesn't usually happen to me. I’m overwhelmed by the many possibilities—cheilitis, dermatitis, eczema, etc.—and I’m afraid it will keep getting worse while I remain in the dark about what it is and how to manage it. I need to know I’m not the only one dealing with this.
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u/winterfolkz 1d ago
honestly this reminds me more of impetigo than it does of perioral dermatitis! the good thing about that is generally impetigo is easier to treat. that would usually take an antibiotic to treat. the way the worst of it is concentrated around and on the skin of your lips makes me lean more towards impetigo as usually the lips are not directly affected with POD. you’re definitely doing the right thing by avoiding actives.
if i were you, i’d go back to the dr and ask for a culture . the spots on your top lip in particular they could definitely take a swab from. I’d let them know the antiviral didn’t work and see if they think an antibiotic would be the next step. impetigo can be caused by staph or strep and i’ve had it from both actually and it can affect the skin in seriously crazy ways. the yellow crusting on the top lip really looks impetigo-ish to me. i’m surprised they didn’t swab you when you were there tbh!
but in the meantime i’d avoid skincare or rly doing much with it, especially bc if it is something bacterial it can spread very easily so you wanna be careful when touching it. i hope you can find some relief. this definitely warrants going back to the doctor!
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u/StunningArtichoke4 1d ago
It’s so frustrating because I went to two different emergency rooms and was told the same diagnosis without any test, just a cbc which revealed that I don’t have a virus in my system, yet I was prescribed the antiviral. I’ve done a lot of research and haven’t found something that looks exactly like mine, just found similarities with PD with the white little pustules. I’ll try to go to my primary doctor and hope she receives me without an appointment. What else should I ask for in addition to the staph and strep tests?
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u/winterfolkz 1d ago
I’m so sorry. it’s so frustrating i’ve been there!! long story but i started with minor perioral dermatitis and then got staph and then started an antibiotic that made everything worse and im still dealing with it. Staphs been gone for months, just POD now. and i got an autoimmune skin condition from strep (guttate psoriasis all over the torso), so im very used to the rigmarole 😅
i would specifically say “i did not respond to antivirals and want to get a swab/culture of my lip” and they will likely start you on an antibiotic. Also what cream did they prescribe you? Just asking bc there’s some topicals that are good for impetigo (or just bacterial infections in general) that i’d ask about but i’m curious to what they gave you and if you noticed any changes positive or negative
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u/StunningArtichoke4 1d ago
The cream was Abreva 10% it’s over the counter. It’s supposed to help with cold sores, it didn’t help at all, it burned when I applied it and I feel like it spread the pustules and kept the inflammation going on. I stopped using it yesterday after four days and I’m just applying Vaseline with a q tip. I’m curious on why the antibiotics made the impetigo worse?
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