Switching to Differin from Retin-A micro

Mathisk · 09-04-2003, 12:14 PM

I feel like its my cyster responsibility to report that I am having trouble with Retin-A-Micro. It seems like 3 mts to the day I started having breakouts on my forehead. It also seemed to keep me oily and even the Derm said it should not make you more oily. Very frustrating cause i did not get any cysts while on it but got bad ( regular acne) on my forehead. This is not ok so I am putting myself on differn cream until i go to the derm in october. In three days off Retin-a-micro my forehead is almost clear and Im not so oily. It seems that whenever I take a drug it causes me the exact problem Im trying to solve. I'll update on differin soon.

frenchiebull · 09-06-2003, 02:25 PM

i had the same problem with the retin a micro but i also got headaches from it because your does absorb some of it into your system so i also was put on differen and the same thing with the headaches happend but the oiliness stopped.So this one will probably be better for you.As for me i amnow trying something called Finacea(azelaic acid).This is the last thing my derm can give me cause im sensitive to everything else.Im starting to give up on the whole dermatologist thing.There has to be another solution out there for acne besides these expensive creams.Im gonna have to get my eating habits in check and see how far that gets me with the acne.I've also heard that drinking green tea helps because of the antiandrogens in it.Well anyway good luck with the differen i think you will like it better than the retin a.

AdoreMsK · 09-06-2003, 03:38 PM

Hi,
I too have very sensitive skin, so my derm put me on Differin and Azelaic acid..I used them together and it worked really well. Azelaic acid also helps with the fading of scars so your getting 2 benefits in one. The oily skin was controlled a little better as well.

Mathisk · 09-08-2003, 04:43 PM

Frenchibull I am with you. These costly treatments are sometimes more trouble than they are worth. I have read in other posts about your headaches. I am still getting forehead problems with differin so i will just stop using it there. Otherwise i am less oily and its not too drying to my skin. I hope I can get by using it this way cause so far i would say i like it. Good luck ladies with your treatments.

Mathisk · 09-10-2003, 02:50 PM

So far so good. Differin is a lot different than retin -a- micro. It seems to be working but it does not give you that baby new look to your skin like the other. But wow, i am so much less oily now. I am flaky too so maybe I better get a buff puff for once a week use or something. Overall I like it better and no zits so far.

Mathisk · 10-01-2003, 11:56 AM

I have just about had it with these creams. THe differin made my so dry i couln't stand it plus i was breaking out. After almost three months on the Retin-A Micro i should not be breaking out. I tried retin a again every 3rd day and yuck my skin is so oily and all my proes are opened up. Its awful. Im back to the derm. Then on top of it my gyn saw me recently for a bladder infection and she says stop the antibiotics cause i am prob. getting too resistent to them. Well what the heck is left then??? Maybe the oral accutane that I originally went to the derm for? Hello... Now after hundreds of dollars Im gonna end up where I began . Having skin problems and asking for accutane. And now its winter and I don't want to take it in winter. Again. thats why I went to her in summer time. THis kind of crap makes me mad and Im helpless to do a thing about it. The day i first went in i got a bad feeling in my gut when she told me to use the topicals first. I guess I knew inside that that was not going to work out. In spite of all the negative I have not had a cyst in months so something is helping.

stephy · 10-02-2003, 01:46 PM

Hi, Mathisk.
I'm sorry to hear about the differin.
I have been learning alot of great stuff about acne on different
websites that I go to. Acne.org, healthboards.com, and
absoluteacneinfo all have taught me alot. So you could try some more things before resorting to accutane. I took accutane 3 times
and it only gave me health problems that I feel never go away and worse skin in the long run.
What I am doing now is many different things that seem to all help in there own way.
I am trying to eat gluten free and low carb.
I did 9 smoothbeams.
I am using vinegar and copper for the scarring (and the smoothbeam)
I am having great results on my back and chest acne by taking
zinc supplements.
And the best topical i have used for the remaining acne which is
mostly small to medium sized whiteheads is Azelex.
I love this stuff. It's gentle, antibacterial, it bleaches redmarks,
anti inflammatory, and it gets the plugs out somehow.
And its an anti androgen so i might help with the facial hair.
It stings slightly when you first get used to it but now my face
loves it. And its moisturizing so good for winter.
When the people on the healthboards compared this with
differin 8 out of 10 preffered azelex.
Let me know if you have any questions or need any help.
I know how frustrating this all is.
Stephy

Mathisk · 10-02-2003, 03:21 PM

Thanks for the ideas stephy. Somebody else mentioned that azelex is moisturizing. Maybe another board.. healthboards.com. I also read many posts about zinc..Tell me what kind i should be buying. I will take it and try it out. I also have come to conclude that antibiotics are less risky than accutane. My derm told me that if i get resistant to one type and change to another one for six months, i would then go back to the first type and it would work again after the six months. Uhm..? My other dr. is afraid that if biological war started ( this all came up during the anthrax scare) that i would need antibiotics and they wouldn't work. Well all i can say is that in my gut i don't feel my life is going to end that way. Maybe im wrong but who knows??? I have to live for now and if the antibiotics help then so be it. I also went on HRT ( i am 44 years old) recently. BCP's are too strong for me but this is ok so far. It takes about 2 weeks for me to determine if i can handle a drug or not. If hrt works i think it may help to reduce breakouts and then i would definately not take the accutane. But also know that i took accutane in my 20's with very little side effects. THats why i am ok with taking it again. Im rambling. thanks again i will consider all your advice and read those boards.

stephy · 10-02-2003, 05:13 PM

Mathisk,
I'm allergic to almost all antibiotics from taking them too much so
I am really in trouble in case I need them for other reasons.
I take 20mg of opti-L-zinc 3 times a day on an empty stomach.
I am 37 and I go to a naturopath dr. They recently recommended
NPC to me and said that it would help with all of my symtoms
including my acne by balancing my hormones.
Have you ever tried NPC?
If you have any problems with the HRT you might want to try the
NPC instead.
Alot of women on the alternatives forum rave about it and it
will probably be something I eventually do since I have
terrible reactions to all meds including BCP's.
Good Luck with the Zinc.
It can make you a little nausous when you first start taking it
but that goes away in a couple of days.
I also found a good article that Kat posted about how good zinc
is for PCOS.
Stephey

stephy · 10-02-2003, 05:19 PM

Mathisk,
I'm allergic to almost all antibiotics from taking them too much so
I am really in trouble in case I need them for other reasons.
I take 20mg of opti-L-zinc 3 times a day on an empty stomach.
I am 37 and I go to a naturopath dr. They recently recommended
NPC to me and said that it would help with all of my symtoms
including my acne by balancing my hormones.
Have you ever tried NPC?
If you have any problems with the HRT you might want to try the
NPC instead.
Alot of women on the alternatives forum rave about it and it
will probably be something I eventually do since I have
terrible reactions to all meds including BCP's.
Good Luck with the Zinc.
It can make you a little nausous when you first start taking it
but that goes away in a couple of days.
I also found a good article that Kat posted about how good zinc
is for PCOS.
Stephey

Mathisk · 10-20-2003, 11:20 AM

I went to my derm a few days ago. She gave me the azelex so i have used it two times now. A little burning but not too bad. I can't take the HRT anymore. It makes me crazy in the head so I went off that. I will try the NPC. I am going to take Even Primrose Oil and Vitex too since synthetic hormones are not for me.
Derm said that maybe the base product in the Retin A micro was causing the problems for me. She said some folks can only use generic retin-a or something like that. I was so greasy and oily ish and my forehead broke out I couln't stand it. She said azelex is not that good for stopping acne. She has nobody on it right now but she agreed that maybe it would be good for me. Since I only get one per month maybe its ok for me. I may try the retin a again too, not micro though. It really does make your skin tone even out and it plumps up the skin which is good for scarring. I am still on the rollercoaster but i have a hard time giving up so I won't.

stephy · 10-22-2003, 06:21 PM

I hope the azelex works for you.
I really like it.
I've always wanted to go on retin-a but my face is so red and
sensitive it just makes it 10 times worse.
I do think it would help with the scarring.
I am still going slowly but surely with the vinegar. For some reason this helps more with my forhead scarring than my chin
scarring.
let me know how it goes with the NPC and EPO. I've also been
thinking of going on those! The NPC was recommended by my
naturopath docter.
I'm glad your off the HRT. I was worried about that.
Stephy

Mathisk · 10-23-2003, 10:02 AM

Thanks for the tips and concern: 5 days now with azelex. I do like it. I am definately less oily and i love that. It seems to agree with me. Yesterday i filled an rx for generic retin a. I only used it last night on forehead. With the retin a micro, immediately i started to get bumps on my forehead. This morning...nothing, no problem at all. I am encouraged. Do you think i could use azelex in the daytime and retin a at night? I am taking 1000 mg. day of EPO. I do like it but I don't know yet if it is helping. I am taking 1000 mg. day of vitex and don't know yet if it is helping. I decided i will give this routine one month. NPC is ok. I have been feeling a little PMS but it could be that I am still coming off the HRT. Guess what ? I had a hot flash yesterday am. I read somewhere to start slow deep breathing when it happens and I was surprised but it did go away. If that works then the only thing i have left to deal with is irritability. I hope these other supplements will help with that. I also ordered a book on cognitive behavior to control anxiety. i think peri has brought on more anxiety. Im still losing weight and maybe that will help too. Good luck in your routine stephy. I go to my gyn 11-17 and after that maybe i will know how this routine will be working for me.

stephy · 10-23-2003, 12:34 PM

You could do that with the azelex morning and retin a at night.
What I was thinking of doing if I did it is retin a one night and
azelex the next because my skin is so sensitive to retin A.
I might even wash it off after an hour because I hear thats what
people with sensitive skin do.
I'm thinking if I do the NPC and or retin a I may wait until January
just in case anything happens it won't be over the holidays.
Definately keep us posted and I'll keep you posted!
Stephy

Mathisk · 10-24-2003, 09:24 AM

My second day of using retin a generic ( forehead only) and no bumps on the forehead. Oh my gosh, with the micro i would be bumpy by now. Im glad i took the drs. advice on this one. Just wanted to mention it.