Can anyone help? I have Ancanthosis Nigricans under my arms and its sooooooo embarassing. I can't wear anything sleeveless and I hate for anyone to see me. I was wondering if anyone else has dealt with it and if so is there anything that I can do that would help. I would go to a dermatologist but at the moment I am in school and don't have health insurance so its kinda not in my budget at the time. If anyone can help I greatly appreciate it.
hi...i have it on the back of my neck and it's from being insulin resistant. What has helped mine tremendously is lowering my fasting insulin levels. It used to be about 4 inches wide and now it's about 2 inches and the distorted color is diminishing. I would suggest finding out how insulin resistant you are and then getting on metformin, that has saved my life. good luck.
__________________ "Your adversities can make you BITTER or they can make you BETTER"
Hi I just wanted to let you know that its probably good to make sure with an m.d. (when you get insurance that is) that it is actually agricans. I thought I had it too as I have these spots on my back, armpits and under my breasts now for 4 years. Sometimes they get somewhat better but they never go away. At their worst, they "climb" up my neck so that if I were to wear my hair in a ponytail I look like something off star-trek (with spots up one side of my neck) I went to a dermatologist and they did a look under black light and scraped my skin and looked under microscope. Turns out it can be linked to pcos but it was over flourishing yeast...and it was called pityriasis versicolor (tinea versicolor) there are other types of pityriasis as well but mine can be controlled with selsun blue shampoo applied to all affected areas daily x2 weeks and it gets a lot lighter. I also tried OTC antifungal creams, no help (doctor had me try that first) They also recommended trying to stay dry (yeah right with my pcos sweating) and getting more light to the areas (preferably sunlight) if I am not happy with the results I am getting I can always try an RX antifungal oral med but I never got around to it before my insurance ended. I suggest going on google.com and typing in agricans on one search and view photos and then pityriasis and view photos and check out which is closer. Good luck and don't give up
Juliben...I did a search for agricans and came up empty handed. This condition is called Acanthosis Nigricans and looks MUCH different that the other condition you mentioned, pityriasis. I have Acanthosis on the back of my neck and when I looked it up and saw the images that is exactly what I have. I have not heard of Agricans and when I did a google search for that it asked me if I meant to type "Africans" LOL.
__________________ "Your adversities can make you BITTER or they can make you BETTER"
Thanks guys for the info, I am going to go check out google and see what I can come up with. Its just so aggravating having to deal with all this pcos stuff LOL. Thanks again!!!!!!
I have been thinking that maybe If I lost some of my weight which I have been trying to do but my weaknest of course if coke's. I have changed over from regular cokes to diet coke w/ lime and doing really well. I think if I can handle that then I can give up all my other sugars. Thanks again guys and if you have any dieting tips PLEASE let me know.
I too have AN. My spots under my arms and on the back of my neck are a tan color and the skin had ridges. Fortunately there are no ridges on the "tanned" areas under my breasts and on the inner thigh/groin area. I also have a peachy tannish color on my eyelids as if I were wearing eye shadow. It's embarassing to me and I never wear my hair up or wear sleeveless outfits.
The way AN was explained to me is my body has become desensitized to insulin so my pancreas just keeps making more until my body finally responds and utilizes it. That makes for tons of insulin in the body and the excess insulin spills over into the skin causing the thickened ridges and discoloration.
It did fade dramatically (except in the groin area) after 3 months of low carbing and losing 30 pounds but it came back when I started gorging on carbs again.
I even tried over the counter skin lightening creams with no success. They're not really a solution anyway. They work by blocking the bodies pigmenting abilities. AN is not a pigement issue but an insulin issue.
Some have said that metformin has helped regulate their insulin and as a result lightened the spots to some degree. I'm not on metformin though.
It seems to me from my experiences and reading those of others that losing weight and watching carb intakes and keeping insulin levels balanced are the biggest factors in making the spots lighten or go away.
Edited to add: I saw a very heavy girl in the store yesterday who had at least a 1 inch band of AN all around her neck. It almost looked like someone tried to strangle her with a rope or something. For years I never knew what these strange patches on my body were and no doctor ever mentioned them. I wondered if she knew the cause and so desperately wanted to talk to her about it.
Is it just me, or does anyone else ever look at people and recognize their physical symptoms and just want to run up to them and talk to them about PCOS?
I always wants to run up to people and talk about things that I might notice about their body or something that yells at me that they have pcos or insulin resistance. I really want to go on a talk show and tell people about it because it's hardly ever talked about.
__________________ "Your adversities can make you BITTER or they can make you BETTER"
I've had this on my armpits for several years. (Doctor diagnosed it.) A few months ago, someone told me to use a good antibacterial soap and some Lotrimin on it. My underarms are completely cleared up now and have been for about 2 months!
Thanks ITSJUSTTAMMY,
I was wondering do you use antibacterial body wash or just regualar bar soap and what exactly is Lotrimin? I know I have heard of it but not sure what it is. Again, thanks so much for the info.
I have been using Dial antibacterial bar soap and also the Walmart brand antibacterial bar soap. Lotrimin is a fungal medication for athlete's foot. It's a little tube of cream.
Help!!! Ancanthosis Nigricans 
Agricans? 
I just wanted to let you know that its probably good to make sure with an m.d. (when you get insurance that is) that it is actually agricans. I thought I had it too as I have these spots on my back, armpits and under my breasts now for 4 years. Sometimes they get somewhat better but they never go away. At their worst, they "climb" up my neck so that if I were to wear my hair in a ponytail I look like something off star-trek (with spots up one side of my neck) I went to a dermatologist and they did a look under black light and scraped my skin and looked under microscope. Turns out it can be linked to pcos but it was over flourishing yeast...and it was called pityriasis versicolor (tinea versicolor) there are other types of pityriasis as well but mine can be controlled with selsun blue shampoo applied to all affected areas daily x2 weeks and it gets a lot lighter. I also tried OTC antifungal creams, no help (doctor had me try that first) They also recommended trying to stay dry (yeah right with my pcos sweating) and getting more light to the areas (preferably sunlight) if I am not happy with the results I am getting I can always try an RX antifungal oral med but I never got around to it before my insurance ended. I suggest going on google.com and typing in agricans on one search and view photos and then pityriasis and view photos and check out which is closer. Good luck and don't give up 
