Heading to the dermatologist..

catsnack · 04-09-2007, 09:56 PM

Well, I finally made the call to a dermatologist... I've never been to one before so I'm not quite sure what to expect/ how to prepare.

First off, I've had little bumps on my forearms for the past few years that never want to go away. Then of course, there's the PCOS acne and facial hair. And now i'm getting itchy flare ups on my joints like back of knees, hips etc. I just feel like my skin is irritated in general lately... Of course, my appt is a couple weeks off, so I'm sure I'll be all better by then.

Any insights on what to expect?

mip1500 · 04-10-2007, 02:07 AM

Hey - I went a derm years ago just for an overall check (I am sure I will develop melanoma - I get sunburnt any and everywhere despite sun screen - but its just too damn hot sometimes to wear head to toe clothing!). He was really nice and just kind of asked what my current, if any, concerns were, did I have any specific questions, etc. Then he said he'd examine every part (pretty might "every" was right on - but I kept on my underwear!) of my body to check for signs/symptoms of anything that needed watching or treatment. I have a couple of dry/itchy/white patches on my upper outer arms - he suggested a topical cream... it wasn't a bad experience for me at all. Hope you get some relief!

catsnack · 04-10-2007, 11:14 PM

Ok, that's a good start to know... I was wondering how thorough it would probably be... I have one mole I really don't want him looking at, because it ain't never gonna see any sunshine!

Otherwise, I can deal with that I guess.

This guy is supposed to specialize in hair type problems too, so I thought he'd be a good candidate for treating someone with PCOS. Maybe he can confirm what my GP said about me having a mild case of vitiglio (sp?) I'm more curious than anything on that.

TomorrowIsAnotherDay · 04-11-2007, 02:23 AM

Hey CatSnack...lol cute name.
I'm planning on calling to make an appointment with a derm tomorrow. I've never been to one either. I'm hoping to finally get some relief from my PCOS acne and the marks it has left behind. I wish you luck girl! Let me know how it goes

christyc82 · 04-13-2007, 11:14 PM

Mine was really cool. My derm is like 70 and has been practicing for like 50 years. I only had two things I wanted him to check, a mole on my back, and my acne. He glanced at the mole, said it was good to go...then look at my face..stepped back and goes..."you have pcos". Im like dude you're the first doctor to believe me..lol. So he put me on Spiro for the hair problems (i told him i had been losing it for a while), and solodyn for the acne. Spiro was 50 mgs and solodyn was 125. Told me to come back in 3 months..he ups spiro to 100 mgs, and solodyn stays the same and put me on vaniqua. Let me tell ya, Ive said it before but the solodyn is a lifesaver. I had horrible horrible acne that never went away and makeup couldnt even hide...my face stayed red and infected all the time. Now...you cant tell Ive ever had an acne problem! My skin is clear...cept I have a few scars..but some of that is due to tweezing hair. The hair on my face is gettin thinner and startin to grow slower ( never really had much to get rid of, just a small area on my chin really). I go back in May...and he's gonna put me on a BC and Im going to ask about met. I asked him to refer me to a pcos specialist in the area..and his reaction to that was, why waste your money. I can treat you with the same meds they will, and Ill actually listen to you, lets see if I can get this under control first...and if not, Ill find you someone good who can. He didnt want to start me on too much at first..just to see what would work and what wouldnt....so Ill hopefully add 2 more prescriptions to the bill each month...and thank god for insurance...the solodyn alone would be $540 a month if I didnt have it!!!

catsnack · 04-23-2007, 09:48 AM

Well, I'm off in a few mintues to the Dr. Hopefully he'll have some suggestions for me. I'm not as itchy as I was, but I still have a couple spots, so hopefully he can see what I'm talking about at least. The "good" news is I'm in the middle of a wicked break out, so I'm pretty much worst case scenerio all the way around!

I'll follow up with what I learn later.

catsnack · 04-23-2007, 08:48 PM

ok... first of all, let me just say holy frijoles... be careful what you wish for! My trip to the dermatologist seemed to go well. He was a nice guy, though a little annoyingly chipper for 8:30 in the AM.

I had 3 main questions for him. The itchy spots on the back of my knees, the bumps on my forearms and my face acne (thank you PCOS). I walked out of there with 4 perscriptions, 2 over the counter perscriptions, and a ton of doggie bags full of samples for the various parts of my body.

It's kind of like getting diagnosed with PCOS... it's good to know you're not crazy and there's something to work on, but it confirms that something actually is wrong.

I showed him the cream my GP gave me before and he immediately said it was just trash they perscribe when they don't know what's wrong. He figured the back of my knee problems were a form of ezcema, and knew immediately that my arms had the KP/kerotisis stuff.

So here's the list:

Face:
Differin Gel
Nicomide (which is actually a vitamin he's using instead of antibiotics to clear up my face - it takes a 12 week cycle)

Legs:
Topicort - use after misting skin with water
Cera Ve Lotion - OTC lotion to use after topicort

Arms:
Salex cream or lotion
Replenix exfoliation scrub - OTC, only available at his office

He asked what soap I used, and when I said Dove he said that was good. He also said that I had to quit using fabric softner for now, to see if things cleared up easier since it leaves residues on the clothing that can be irritating, even the "free" kind.

I'm off to research all these things now... I think they're going to cost a ton of $$...

Anyone have any first hand experience with any of these?

Future Doc Cyster · 04-29-2007, 04:26 PM

Hey ladies!

A few weeks ago I went to the Dermatologist to have a few moles looked at. They turned out to be nothing, but the Dr. of course asked what I'm doing about my acne. I was disgusted and frustrated because I have literally tried almost every over the counter acne treatment, including Pro-Active (which worked for about a month and then gave me chemical burns. . .even though my skin was full of acne, it's always been sensitive). I'd also gone to the Derm at 16 where I was given oral antibiotics (which caused yeast infections. . .TMI), and a whole regiment of prescription washes and creams, most of which contained Benzoil Peroxide. This lead to an allergic reaction and swollen face not long after starting. The only thing that ever worked was using Dermalogica products and going for facials (which I can't afford since I haven't worked since starting Med School).

Anyway, I was once again irritated by this question, somewhat hurt, and a bit reluctant to try yet another prescription treatment. My new dermatologist reccommended washing my face with a gentle cleanser (I use Cetaphil for normal/oily skin), and applying Klaron lotion 2X/day (antibiotic of 10% sodium sulfacetamide), and Differin Gel at night. He told me to play with how often I use each because I'll see how much my skin can take without getting excessively dry. On my face, I use the Klaron in the morning and at night and the Differin every other night. I also use Differin on my back, arms, and chest every other day. My arms have not looked this good since I can remember!!! My face isn't flawless, but it's a lot clearer than it ever has been! I just hope my skin doesn't totally dry out or get burned again!

catsnack · 04-29-2007, 09:46 PM

I've been using the stuff about a week and so far so good. My face is getting a wee bit tender though, so I'm thinking I should use a light moisturizer as well. The stuff for my arms seems to be working well though. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to go back to the office for their special exfoliant. I can find it online too, but it's a little cheaper at the office I think.

I'm hoping the vitamins work out well, at the very least they won't hurt!