acne-rosaceatreatment.blogspot.com Rosacea may respond to treatment with topical antibiotics. Topical antibiotic are not as effective as oral antibiotics but may be used for initial treatment for mild to moderate cases and for maintenance after stopping oral antibiotics. Metronidazole Metronidazole Tris commonly prescribed. MetroGel, MetroCream andMetroLotion are available in a 0.75% concentration and are applied twice each day. Noritate cream is 1% metronidazole and it is effective when applied once each day. Bedtime application is usually the most convenient. Clindamycin in a lotion or gel base is used to treat acne. It is sometimes effective for rosacea.