Allergic Reaction to Proactive
by Kirstie
(Ventura, CA)
I started out with a couple of pimples here and there and so I ordered Proactive to get rid of the acne problem. The Proactive burnt my skin when I first used it and I thought maybe it is just working and it is supposed to do that. Wrong! I kept using the Proactive and a couple days later the skin on my face was red, itchy, and peeling really badly. I looked horrible, not to mention that all of the sudden I broke out into this combination of hives, clustered blisters, and maybe some pimples as well, and my skin was extremely itchy. I had hundreds of bumps along my jaw line on both sides of my face. Therefore, because of this reaction to the Proactive, I hid in my house for a week. I have never had pimples that itched before.
I then called Proactive and they told me to use the wash and oil free moisturizer. My rash was so inflamed and gross but I did as they asked for three days. I called them back again and told them that the rash is painful, itches, and is swollen. It felt like I got beaten with a crowbar! Every time I moved in my sleep I would wake up in pain. My husband would come home and find me in tears. I was a prisoner in my own house and it was so depressing.
After calling Proactive back, the woman on the other end of the line told me that I was allergic to the Proactive and to stop using it. However, I should switch to the gentle formula instead. I quit using the Proactive but the side affects just seem to be getting worse. It feels like I have a heavy person sitting on my chest, my throat was tight, my eyes burned, and I was so swollen with this rash along my jaw line. So, a couple days went by and I could not take it anymore and I called my doctor. She gave me a Cortisone type shot on my butt and the next morning all the swelling on my face was down, but I still had red marks, bumps, and a smaller rash area.
I tried Benadryl to combat the skin rash symptoms and it made me too drowsy to keep using. A couple of days went by and I had to go shopping for food and so I picked up Cortisone 10. This medication is making the itchiness stop and it seems to be calming it and this is only the second day of using it. I also have an appointment with a dermatologist in two days.
I still look awful and I am seriously upset and down, but I am hoping that in a week from now this will be a thing of the past. I am fine with going back to my two pimples, but my jaw line is caked in red marks, I have a couple of hives and a couple of clustered blisters left. I might also have a couple of acne spots, but the rest itches and burns. In the long run I have done serious research and now I am eating nothing but organic foods, juicing carrots, apples and bananas, and drinking a ton of water. I am trying my hardest to flush the components causing my allergic skin reaction on my face out. I am not a doctor but I am trying my best to solve this skin rash problem. I want to feel pretty again and confident. I miss my gym and my friends since I have been hiding out for two weeks now, but my house is clean and it gives me time to do research on this skin rash problem.
