Nov 4, 2021
Did you know that about 10% of people using Dupixent develop awful face and neck dermatitis?
This issue (more officially called Dupilumab Facial Redness (DFR)) wasn’t flagged during the randomized FDA trials, but has some dermatologists concerned because DFR can be incredibly severe, just as it was for one of my clients.
Since Dupixent is a biologic drug used by some with Eczema and Topical Steroid Withdrawal to ease symptoms, this new problem isn’t ideal.
Rather than just assume that the person has a sensitivity to Dupixent, new research is showing that this may be a different problem — Malasezzia hypersensitivity.
If you recall, Malasezzia is a fungal organism that normally lives in your skin’s microbiome.
It really shouldn’t be causing an issue like this, but something about the way that Dupixent interacts with your immune system along with a compromised skin barrier could play a role.
Here are the current papers discussing this topic so you have something to bring to your prescribing dermatologist so you can get the help you need if you are experiencing this!
In this episode:
- Facial + neck redness that occurs in about 10% of Dupixent users
- What current research on what may be driving this weird “side effect”
- Treatment options listed in currently published articles
- The blood test marker that could be helpful in getting a clear diagnosis
- What to do if YOU have face + neck redness from Dupixent
Quotes:
Approximately 10% of Dupixent users develop red, inflamed, dry, scaly and itchy face + neck rashes requiring antifungal medication treatment.
Dupixent Facial Redness was never described or mentioned in the Dupixent clinical trials for the FDA (which is surprising considering that it impacts approximately 10% of patients).