Re: ACNE
From: Chris (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Sun, 11 Nov 2001 09:04:07 -0600 (CST)
Hi Jackie-
I feel your pain! I have been suffering with acne for years myself, and
have been put on every med known to man. (Except Spironolactone, which
I have just started this week!) Anyway, Differin was one topical that
did reduce the cystic type acne for me. I still use it. But at about
3-5 weeks of using it, I broke out pretty badly. It cleared up in a
week or so, and my skin was much clearer from then on. It has NOT
cleared up my skin totally, in fact compared to most women my age the
number of breakouts I have is ridiculous. However, it has improved what
I had before.
A couple of questions...do you have very oily or sensitive skin? There
are different formulations of Differin, a gel and a solution that may be
better than a cream for you. Also, are you using it on your neck and
chest? If so, that would explain the breakout. Keep using it for at
least 6 weeks before you decide to discontinue it.
I read a very interesting study that in PCOS women who get acne, the
number of spots on the face are directly related to the condition of the
ovaries. That is, if you get acne as a symptom of PCOS, it will tend to
get worse the more cysts you have on your ovaries. (The number of cysts
can be changing all the time.) I can certainly get you a link to the
study if you want it. Anyway, the point is that there is a hormonal
aspect to acne in women who are past adolescence, and that needs to be
treated. Particularly since you have acne on your chest, I would see an
endocrinologist and ask about going on an anti-androgen, and having an
IGTT to check your insulin levels. Metformin has helped some women on
this board with acne and hirsutism. And I have heard many, many people
say Spiro cleared up their skin.
Good luck!
Love, Chris
At Wed, 7 Nov 2001, Kimberly wrote:
>
>Hi Jackie - What medications are you taking to control your PCOS? Years
>ago before I was diagnosed I asked my dermatologist WHY I had acne at 26
>yrs. old and if it would ever go away. She said it was due to
>underlying androgen/horomone issues and that those were not her
>specialty so she could only treat the symptoms. I was on an antibiotic
>(don't remember which one) and a couple different topical ointments
>(almost no results from either). It is my understanding that Differen
>is for non-inflammatory acne - which means it's mostly for blackheads
>and whiteheads and people whose acne remains under the skin. If that
>pertains to you, I also believe it takes about 6 weeks to start working
>at it's maximum. I had seen all the commercials when they started
>promoting it a couple years ago, and I did a lot of research. I
>remember finding that it has been around a long time (they promoted it
>as if it were new) and I think the aggresive promotions have had a lot
>to do with dr.'s prescribing it so much now. (I worked for a company
>that produced products for drug reps to give to dr.s and it's kind of
>scary!) Anyway...there is a lot of research out there if you want to do
>more.
>
>I have read in several places that there is NO actual cure for acne.
>There are only treatments that help control it. I sometimes need to
>remind myself of that when I get frustrated.!
>
>I have done drastically better since I started on Met and for awhile I
>was on ortho-tri-cyclin which helped a lot, but made me an emotional
>wreck - so now I have ordered the anti-androgen birth control pill
>Diane-35 off the internet and have been on it three months and am
>looking pretty good. (it is said Diane takes about 6 months to reach
>it's maximum in helping acne.) I realize that would not be an option for
>you if you are trying to concieve of course, but if you are not you
>might want to try it. (you can't get it in the US - but can get it over
>the internet for less than $8 a month) From all my research I kind of
>came to the conclusion that Retin-A was the best treatment for adult
>acne - but I think many dr.s are not inclined to prescribe it because it
>is not covered by insurance in many cases and it causes dry, scaly skin
>sometimes (which I would rather have than painful acne!) It's worth
>asking about if you don't see results soon.
>
>I have no idea why you would have broken out elsewhere on your body.
>
>Oh, also I have recently tried doing at home glycolic facial peels - and
>my skin has really been looking better in general with that too (you can
>also do them on other parts of the body). My dermatologist recommended
>them when I went to her, but I couln't possibly afford the 6, $75
>sessions. Recently on Ebay I found a company that sells a glycolic peel
>kit affordably and am really impressed with my skin texture and
>appearance after just 2 treatments. The company name is
>GlycolicPeel.com. You might want to try something like that too, I
>don't think it's possible that they can hurt you (besides stinging a
>little! :), but you might have to stop using other meds while you're
>doing them. (the online store on Ebay is cheaper than their website if
>you're interested)
>
>Well, I don't think I answered any questions directly - but sometimes
>sharing information helps a little bit. I think it's most important to
>treat the PCOS first, and I hope you have a good dr. who is helping you
>with that. Good luck and hope your skin feels better soon.
>
>At Mon, 5 Nov 2001, Jackie wrote:
>>
>>I've been put on erythramiacin and Differin cream. I've been on for a
>>month with no results. I actually broke out extremely bad on my neck
>>and chest a week ago. The Dr. doesn't know why. Anyone else had same
>>experience or had effective treatmentwith other drugs?
>>
>>--
>>Jackie
>>
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