Generic Name: Mirvaso (brimonidine-topical)
Mirvaso Reviews
For Rosacea "Medicine works for me for about 4 hours. I was experiencing terrible rebound redness after that, however (which gets much worse when using Mirvaso multiple days in a row). What I've found, similar to others on this list, is that by using a very small amount (about half of what's recommended) and applying it along with sunscreen or moisturizer, I'll get most of the benefit without the rebound. The other thing that I do is frankly use it infrequently and try not to use it for more than 2 days in a row. So while I'm not getting a constant benefit, it helps when I need it to for public events."
For Rosacea "Within half an hour, the redness starts to decrease, and the flushing in my cheeks and nose disappears. This medicine has been incredibly helpful for my redness and swelling on my face from Rosacea. I wish I could thank the folks at the manufacturing company personally, it's made a terrific improvement in my skin. I've been using it in the morning and Metrogel at night, and it's been a terrific combination. The medication is also non-drying, goes on quickly, and is not shiny or oily."
For Rosacea "Absolute garbage. Used it for maybe a week. The first time my redness (which was very mild) completely drained away, to which my fiancé told me I looked really ill. Any time after that, it didn’t really make much of a difference. That was until yesterday afternoon when I went as red as a postbox, and it has not died down since. My face is burning hot, redder than it has ever been... I’ve tried all I can think of, but it’s not going anywhere. I have a pot of sudocrem next to me, which I’m just reapplying constantly. Even an ice-cold shower didn’t help. I am so angry that I was stupid enough to use this and am utterly terrified that it might never go away. I’ve ruined my face. Do not ever use this monstrous product."
For Rosacea "My doctor gave me some free samples. I researched it and saw pictures. I also took pictures before & after. I was very impressed. About 1/2 hour after application, my face looked normal with no redness. I had forgotten what my face looked like before Rosacea. I couldn't stop looking at my face. I could now see my freckles very clearly. My only question is how does it interact with moisturizers/make-up and if the effect is diminished by other creams used on top of Mirvaso. For now, I can say I'm excited about this product and that finally there is something out there that actually makes a difference. Too bad it doesn't last all day."
For Rosacea "Like others that commented here, I experienced immediate results when I began the use of Mirvaso. However, it worked so 'well' that one of the physicians I work for asked if I was feeling okay, as my skin was so devoid of color. Also, like others here, within several weeks of beginning use, suddenly my nose and cheeks would be sunburn-red in the middle of the day. I tried using only a tiny bit, and this seemed to have helped with that redness. The main reason I decided to keep going with it is that my pores seem much smaller with use, so I do believe the surface of my skin is less inflamed, even if there is some red kickback once in a while. I like the suggestion of mixing it with a bit of moisturizer...that may help even more."
For Rosacea "Do not use this cream. It’s not worth it. I don’t have rosacea, but I blush several times a day, uncontrollably. Before using this cream, the redness would usually go down after school/ when I wasn’t stressed. The first time I used this cream it felt like a miracle. It felt too good to be true. I thought to myself *did this cream actually just get rid of my blushing*? It did the first day. I felt so confident, so great. But 2 days later, after the cream stopped working after many hours, my face looked so red and blotchy. I’m now red in places I normally haven’t been before. My forehead and both of my cheeks look horrible and I feel just as horrible. I had to stay home from school today, because I felt so disgusted of my face, and I wouldn’t be able to handle even more uncomfortableness and insecureness than I already did before I started using Mirvaso. I’m SO terribly afraid that the redness won’t go away if I stop using the cream."
For Rosacea "Mirvaso works... even the bad reviews state that it works in the beginning. You HAVE to experiment to find what amount your skin will tolerate. I have been using it for 3 years, and I love it. Use it on day 1... if you can still see paleness on day 2, do not add more to your face, wait until the effects have completely gone before using it again. Only use a small amount (you need to experiment with that as well). Also, another great thing about this (maybe why I have success with it) is after 2 hours of applying it, I wash it off because it does not mix well with makeup, and I still get the same good results & stay away from redness triggers (sun, alcohol)."
For Rosacea "Avoid- believe these negative reviews! I used it once and had amazing results- my face looked nearly unflushed! I used it again the next day but 12 hours later I look at my face in the mirror and it looks like I've got second degree burns. It made my rosacea worst and made it appear in places I'd never had it before (the side of my eyes). I took a cold shower and it went down. 36 hours later and my face is tingling, I look like I'm more sunburnt than usual and my face is tingling."
For Rosacea "I have only used this once, so I am not sure about ongoing side effects, but it is absolutely amazing stuff. It made my skin red-free, and I felt like I was looking at my face for the first time. It lasted for the evening, then I washed it off. My skin became blotchy and stung a little bit, but this morning it is at its normal redness and not worse. I've been trying cures/remedies for rosacea since I was 19 - I'm so relieved right now, although a little bit wary because I still don't feel like something this good can be true. Looking forward to using it again today!"
"I only used it twice but now have what looks like may be permanent redness (like deep deep redness) on my face. It’s been like this for months. I’ve had to quit school because of the emotional trauma of bullying. I can’t go to work and I hardly ever want to leave my house because of the staring from people. Because of this hideous cream I’ve lost everything. DO NOT USE THIS PRODUCT!! The person who made it is awful l to allow it to still be out there when most of its users have had problems."
For Rosacea "I have mild/moderate rosacea with no bumps. My dermatologist recommended I try a new topical gel called Mirvaso, and I started using it every day in January 2014. At first, everything was going awesome. Would reapply when redness/heat would start. Side effects gradually took hold. Rebound redness was 10 times worse than originally. My face would randomly flush. It would burn so bad and go completely cherry red. My original problem was nowhere near that bad. Eventually, I got weeping, rashy patches all over my face. The gel reduced in effectiveness to the big mess it caused. I finally weaned myself off this vicious cycle in September 2014. Had to walk around looking like a freak. Took forever to return to normal. NOT WORTH IT!"
For Rosacea "I was prescribed this medicine to help with my rosacea. Just like others, the initial response was amazing. Face looked pearly white. I used it for about 3 days, mornings only and a tiny drop. All of a sudden, on the 4th day, I'm sitting at work and begin to feel this tingly feeling in two parts of my face. I looked at myself in the mirror and couldn't believe my eyes. The two areas were swelled up, so bright red it was almost purple! Swelling did not subside until the next day. This medication was very expensive, I will be calling them to try to get my money back. I shouldn't have filled the prescription, I just got so excited when the sample worked, was afraid the pharmacy may take a long time to fill the prescription."
For Rosacea "Initially, super impressed. Really seemed to reduce redness. After a couple of days, my skin reacts almost immediately and feels like it is on fire and looks severely burnt where ever the cream has been applied. It looks so bad that I cannot contemplate leaving the house looking like this."
For Rosacea "Stay away from this medication. The 1st day used, I was impressed, but 2 days later I had a rebound and my face was burning like hell. I waited like 4 days to re-apply and see what happens, but I lost sensation on my lips and they got swollen. Then, after 24 hours the rebound got worse and was like two weeks after my skin stopped burning. I still don't understand how this product was approved by the FDA."
For Rosacea "I really wanted this medicine to work. My doctor gave me a sample and I tried it for a week. Then I got my prescription filled. After two more weeks me face started turning red in the middle of the day. I don't mean a little pink, I mean red, almost purple. It would take several hours to subside. My nose was affected worst. In order to determine if the Mirvaso was the cause, I started using it on only one side of my face. Sure enough, the side with the Mirvaso turned extremely red during the day. I am going to stop using this medicine. It was very expensive, but did not work for me."
For Rosacea "Do not use Mirvaso for rosacea!! The first time I took Mirvaso, it was a miracle. I felt like I never had rosacea. But each day after it got worse and worse and I began to have flares daily and my face has became more red than before even beginning this medication. The thing is... Mirvaso almost forces you to apply it every day or else the day you don’t apply you look extra red. What once was redness mainly on my cheeks is now extending onto my nose as well. I have decided to stop taking this and I pray that tomorrow won’t be as bad as other’s experiences."
For Rosacea "The same for me my dermatologist prescribed me Mirvaso the first day I put it in my face it made my face worst plus my face color was not just red it looked purple. It was expensive! It felt like my face was burnt! Do not recommend this product."
For Rosacea "I have always had red cheeks, when I was really young I loved having rosy cheeks, I always thought they maked me look healthy. But as a got older the redness increased 100% and I would try every type of makeup and green concealer to cover my cheeks. I was so disgraced by them and could never take my makeup off in front of my friends, even close family. I went to the dermatologist and they suggested Mirvaso, I have been so much happier ever since using it. My redness goes away completely after an hour and stays perfect for the whole day, my skin is so sensitive and it doesn't irritate it or burn, but recently my skin has broken out horribly and I have hundreds of small bumps all along my cheeks. You can't see them inside but in natural light they seem to multiply and look 100 times worse. I don't know if it is from this product but I hope it's not, because I love having pale non red skin."
For Rosacea "I too wish I had read the reviews first. I had the same terrible reactions and am now sitting in my NEW DERMATOLOGIST office waiting room for a follow up visit to continue treating these horrible side effects. I would participate in a class action lawsuit this should not be on the market. DO NOT USE Mirvaso!!!!"
For Rosacea "I am battling papulopustular rosacea and been on doxy for 3 months. Recently new derma suggested Mirvaso. Applied a tiny amount on both cheeks and nose. Within 20-30 minutes saw miraculous results. Amazed, started googling; read your reviews in horror, went to bathroom to wash my face 10 times. So Mirvaso was on my face for an hour. But I reckon that it absorbs fast since you are supposed to wash your hands immediately after applying. After 10 hours I washed my face and It turned much redder than it was to start with. Next day redness somewhat subsided, and had tingling sensation like sunburn. The day after, redness gone, but in places where I applied Mirvaso it looks like skin recovering after sun burn, with one layer gone. It’s much lighter than rest of face in those areas. I read some people had chemical burn from this thing. The danger is that it blocks the blood vessels, so there’s no way for us to know if there’s any irritation immediately. Please don’t try it"
For Rosacea "I am 50 male and have had issues with Rosacea on and off for the past 5 years. I have tried many different products to try and control the redness that Rosacea causes to my face but none had any lasting effect until I tried Mirvaso. This product is Excellent as it clears my redness within 15-20 mins. I have used it for the past 6 months and I have to say it works miracles for me. As I travel a lot I make sure I always bring a tube with me. I understand that different products work differently on different people and I am sorry to hear that this product might not work for everyone but for me when anyone says they have a problem with Rosacea I highly recommend this product. It's Fantastic!"
For Rosacea "If this could be marked in the negative I would be marking it as so. My gp gave me a sample as it costs $85 in Aust. I ask what the warnings were on this product and he said I'm not sure but the leaflet should tell you. In my opinion if Drs don't know the basics of what they prescribe or even look it up, then don't prescribe it!!! I used it for nearly a week and then all ofva sudden it felt like my cheeks were on fire and my face went itchy. In the last 24 hours my face which had mild roseaca and pustules, has exploded into a burning, itchy mess. I have been in tears all day andcnow knowing when I put makeup on so I can leave the house burns even more I am devistated. I need to take and pick up my son from school..how can I face people."
For Rosacea "I've had mild facial redness for as long as I remember, but in the past few years its gotten worse. I mentioned it to my dermatologist and he prescribed Mirvaso. I started using this on Saturday morning and noticed when I first woke up before applying it (Sunday) that my redness was much worse than it had been before (it was almost purple on one side of my face). I applied it and it went mostly away. I had discoloration and blotchy red spots but the extreme redness was gone. Used it again Monday, same thing but the redness came back even WORSE by noon. I quit using it and today (Tuesday) I cannot get it under control. I look like I have the worst sunburn of my life. I'm beyond frustrated and I'm afraid it wont go away."
For Rosacea "My Rosacea has responded wonderfully to a combo of metrogel and doxycycline. At my last dermatology appointment, she gave me a couple samples of mirvaso - she said it would help with the redness. I was willing to give it a try, even though my redness wasn’t that bad anyway. Well....it took me a while to figure out that this cream was WORSENING my redness. I thought, how could a cream that is meant to take away my redness cause it!?? Every day for the past two weeks, I was panicking thinking that my medications weren’t working anymore.......I started breaking out and becoming redder than I have EVER been on this face cream. I also experienced extreme facial stinging and pimples on my nose and forehead. After skipping two days in a row of using this horrible cream, my face is now clear as can be and it doesn’t even look like I have rosacea. HOW IS THIS DRUG ON THE MARKET?? Will be complaining to my derm about it on my next visit."
For Rosacea "DO NOT USE! I tried this product for two days. On day three my skin went purple on my cheeks and became very painful, like severe sunburn. I read a report from the company who make the stuff and they said that patients forget what they looked like before which is why they think it is worse! I took before and after pictures and I look like I've been burned! TERRIBLE STUFF! I rarely used to flush and now it won't go away!!!!"
More about Mirvaso (brimonidine topical)
- Check interactions
- Compare alternatives
- Pricing & coupons
- Reviews (178)
- Side effects
- Dosage information
- During pregnancy
- Generic availability
- FDA approval history
- Drug class: topical anti-rosacea agents
- Breastfeeding
- En español
Patient resources
- Mirvaso drug information
Professional resources
- Mirvaso prescribing information
- Brimonidine (Topical) (AHFS Monograph)
Related treatment guides
- Rosacea
