I just want the acne GONE!!

Domino · 10-18-2009, 04:10 PM

Hi ladies

I was diagnosed with PCOS 2 years ago. Back then I only had very mild hirsutism (dark blonde hairs on my belly). Yup, that's it. And I've never had acne as a teenager. Sounds nice, right?

However about a year ago, my skin started getting worse. Like, I had acne all over my cheeks and around my mouth. By that time, hirsutism got worse too -- dark blonde hairs got brown and I started getting a few hairs on my face and chest too (my legs are a whole different story). Since then I've gained some weight also but my BMI is still less than 20.

Here's my question: What on earth can I do to get rid of this acne?? I'm happy with my weight, I have always had a 28-days-long cycle, I can pluck and bleach a few hairs...but having acne really makes me depressed. I'm not ttc by any means, but I cannot take bcps either because all of them make me vomit nonstop for 2 days even after I stop taking them! (lol that could help with weight gain

) Every derm I've been to treats this like teen acne, which of course doesn't help at all.

Please help, I'm so depressed about this that I cry almost everyday

Happy Wife · 10-18-2009, 04:28 PM

What kind of meds are you on for your PCOS? I was diagnosed in August. I had more acne then I did as a teenager, I'm 35. I was put on Metformin and within a couple of weeks my acne had cleared up, I still get a pimple now and then but my cheeks and chin are not covered all the time. My facial hair has also thinned and the growth has slowed.

Domino · 10-18-2009, 04:34 PM

I'm not on any meds

I'm not in US so many of the meds you ladies are using are not available here.

Happy Wife · 10-18-2009, 04:40 PM

Metformin is also know as Glucophage it is a diabeties medication doctors here and other countries use to treat PCOS and insulin resistance.

Domino · 10-18-2009, 04:44 PM

I don't have IR, do you know if using it would cause bad side effects?

Happy Wife · 10-18-2009, 04:49 PM

I think there are some women on here with PCOS who have been put on it that don't have IR. I don't know how it works for those who don't have IR. You may want to try posting another thread asking if anyone is on met that does not have IR and see what they have to say. Good Luck and

Domino · 10-18-2009, 04:55 PM

Thank you!

Merigreen · 10-19-2009, 12:56 PM

Have you tried eliminating certain foods from your diet to see if that helps your skin? My acne improved 99% after I stopped eating dairy and grains, and started eating low-carb. Some people have allergic responses to dairy and gluten.

Payton · 10-19-2009, 04:40 PM

I use Cleocin-T gel and it has worked very well for me!

jessical · 10-19-2009, 08:12 PM

Hi Domino

I had to reply to this one because you sound a lot like i was a few months back. I too never had acne as a teen and the hair i have is more like bum fluff than dark but i am sooo scared it will get worse. I have dark (pubic like) hair underneath my navel down to my knicker line but apart from that the rest is pretty light (but definately thicker than normal).

I tried every antibiotic going for my acne and refused to go back on BCP's as i am sure that is what cause me to develop PCOS. In the end i saw a new gynacologist and told her i was trying to conceive so i could get put on Metformin. Where are you based? I am in the UK and it is available here you just have to insist on it being prescribed and tell them you have been triying to conceive for 6 months with no luck.

I started the Met in May and had 4 periods in a row (hadnt had any for 2 years) and my acne has improved 90%. I missed a period last month but am hoping it was down to a stressful time at work so i have a few spots on my jawline and one or two on my cheeks but nothing like as bad as it was and am just waiting now to see if this month anything happens. I was never diagnosed as having IR and all my blood work came back normal.

I have actually gained a bit of weight on Met but am still well withing healthy BMI (125lbs with more than average muscle mass and 5'4") I cant be sure it is the medication, i may have been indulging a bit more so am trying to be more strict with my diet and am also considering cutting carbs to see if that improves my skin even more as i have heard great things about it.

You could also try Trimethoprim and Differin together? I saw some success with this before the met kicked in but they take about 12 weeks to notice improvement so its not quick! The trimethoprim is an antibiotic but you dont build resistance to it and so can be on it long term. Differin is a type of Retin-A cream you have to put on at night time. Ask your doc about them and insist on Metformin!

Good luck hun.....I hope you find your cure soon.

Hugs
JessicaL

Domino · 10-20-2009, 08:24 PM

Thank you all for your replies.

Currently I'm on a paleo diet, which means eliminating all kinds of grains, beans, diary, sugar and refined stuff. I love it, I have a lot more energy since I started it

However, it doesn't affect my skin at all...maybe faster hair growth (both good and bad).

Payton, what are the key ingredients in the Cleocin-T gel you mentioned?

Jessical, I'm afraid antibiotics don't work for me :/ Well, they work when it comes to giving me yeast infections every time but other than that, they don't affect my skin at all. I think my main problem is clogged pores, rather than bacteria. I never get inflamed pimples, I just get pinkish or colorless bumps. But my skin looks really congested, (sorry if TMI) there are tiny rice-grain-like stuff in my pores when I try to squeeze

I tried a tretinoin treatment about 2 years ago but...I didn't have much luck with it. In fact, I had never gotten a pimple in my cheek area before trying it so I've always blamed retin-a for changing my skin :/ Do you think I should try again, can it make things worse?

The derms I've been to all try to treat me like I have teenage skin (I'm 18) but I don't and benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid don't work for me, I end up with only dry skin

They haven't even heard of PCOS...

jessical · 10-21-2009, 08:18 AM

Hi again Domino

I too had little to no luck with antibiotics tht are usually prescribed for the skin (i.e. tetracyclines) but Trimethoprim is usually prescribed for thos who get repeated urine infections and so it is quite gentle I think because of its use as a long term antibiotic. It does take about 12 weeks (3 months) to really get going though. Like i said i used it in conjunction with Differin cream which is also renowned for giving you horrid skin before it gets better. It basically works by making your skin cells turn over at a faster rate so all of the pimples that are lurking under the skin end of coming out all at once and once that happens (usually after 8-12 weeks) your skin gradually repairs itself. I have uneven skin tone now because I had the horrible lumps and bumps for 2 years or more and I am older than you so my skin is probably not as good at renewing as it was 10+years ago.
Glad to hear the diet is helping with your energy levels, it may well still work for your skin too. Unfortunately there is definately a lot of patience involved when trying to rid yourself of Acne.
Have you tried to ask for Metformin again? Maybe do some research online and cite some articles that discuss the effect of Met on thin, non IR ladies with PCOS?

Good luck hun...am routing for you!

JessicaL

Merigreen · 10-21-2009, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Domino

Currently I'm on a paleo diet, which means eliminating all kinds of grains, beans, diary, sugar and refined stuff. I love it, I have a lot more energy since I started it

However, it doesn't affect my skin at all...maybe faster hair growth (both good and bad).

That's the sort of diet I eat, too. How long have you been eating this way? It may take several months to see improvement.

Domino · 10-21-2009, 06:04 PM

Merigreen, I've been on this diet since june. I don't think it affects my skin at all

Jessical...to be honest, I'm kind of trying to avoid antibiotics. I always get the worst side effects. Did your acne get worse with pms? My skin is weird really...right now (cd2) it's clear, around cd14 it breaks out, heals completely during the week after and then breaks out again around cd22. I'm tired of this cycle, whenever I feel good about my skin a pimple pops up the next day. Maybe I should try tretinoin one more time...but I'm so scared

jessical · 10-22-2009, 06:53 AM

Hi Domino

My skin before i went on the antibiotics and Met was pretty much bad al the time with hard and painful bumps appearing daily. When i first went on Met coincided a little with the antibiotics and differing (I thnk i had been taking the drugs for about 5-6 weeks when i started Met) so unfortunately I cant be sure which one (or all) of the drugs kickstarted the improvement in my skin, but i know it happened more or less bang on 11-12 weeks after i started the antibiotics.

Anyway, when it cleared (And by this i mean i wasnt getting new spots daily) I used to just get 1-2 spots in the same area on my chin around the time of my period. Unfortunately with the job I do, August is always mega stressful and it messed with my cycle so I think my skin hs kind of gone a little backwards in that i have more than 2 spots on my face and they pop up whenever they waant to. My cheeks and forehead are clear but i have a patch under my jaw that is just starting to heal and keep getting one in the same place on each cheek intermittently. GRRRR

I am considering having a chemical peel when i get home to the UK (Am working abroad at present) but i need to see a dermatologist to check what stage my acne is at now. I hope it is no longer 'active' /inflamatory and that something can be done.

Sorry I cant be of much help to you....you dont say what you intend to do about the Met? This is not an antibiotic and isnt hormonal so hopefully shouldnt mess your system too much?

JessicaL