ive been on dianette for 4 months and it's worked really well at reducing the oiliness of my skin (not stopped me breaking out though ) but this last week ive noticed that the oil is reappearing in the places on my face where it was worst...

has this happened to anyone else?
has the dianette stopped working or something?

Okay, posted this to the wrong forum originally, gonna try it here now:

So, I am thinking of going back on Ortho Tricyclen. It is the ONLY thing that has ever consistently worked in the 15 years I have been struggling with acne. I had to go off it a while ago b/c my insurance switched me to the generic, which was a nightmare and made my acne worse than ever (TriNessa--stay away). That turned me off to the pill, plus I have cervical issues, but that is another story. Anyway, I am picking up my OTC today, and I wondered if anyone had any experiences with this or other brands of pills to share? How long did it take before you saw results? Where were your breakouts?/are your breakouts? (mine are in the jaw/lower cheek region, which is the area that indicates hormonal imbalance and issues with the reproductive system/uterus/ovaries)

Hi

I'm hoping someone can advise on what's worked for them after coming off Dianette/Diane 35.
I've been on it since last March and it has worked really well for me, clearing up my acne.
However by doctor told a few months ago that I have to come off it as in the UK you're only
allowed to take it for a set period. I've got hormonal acne so need something that works in a similar
way to Dianette. My GP is very vague and hasn't given very good advice. I'm on my last pill packet.


THANKS!

Hi, I started taking Microlite (birth control pill) three day ago, to see if it helps my skin and I have a few questions about birth control..firstly..

• Has anyone else used Microlite, and if so, did it work?
• How long on avarage does it take before you see any improvement? (if there's actually gonna be any, of course)

If anyone can answer them questions...or even just tell me what their experiances were on birth control, I'd be very grateful!

Thanks,

Tysha

Anyone have luck with Yaz for acne? Did it effect your mood?

Well, here goes.. I haven't had a period in 5-6 months so I went to get a checkup today. They did their exams and all, then told me that if I wanted more regular periods, I could take birth control pills or some form of hormone replacement or just live with irregular periods. They wanted to wait for a prolactin test result sent over from a different place I had two years ago to see if that was normal (I didn't remember I had that test) before making any decisions. My thyroid levels are fairly normal since I've been taking thyroid pills. They said they might put me on Provera (I think that's what it is) to try and induce a period..

So anyways, I was wondering if anyone is in a similar situation and if hormone replacements/birth control pills worked and if it did anything to your acne? What brand/pill do you take?

Thanks very much. I'm not sure what to do yet..

I took the birth control levlen and my face was clear by the fourth month.. i continued to take it until 6months and after the 6th month, i stopped thinking my acne has finally went away... my acne slowly came back worst then ever!! .


so i started taking my bc again hoping it will clear my acne..

i am on month 5 (second time around) and my acne is still present and isnt getting any better...

should i wait it out until month 6?

and if it worked the first time, it should work the second time??? shouldnt it?


please respond with any of your expereince of stopping and starting the pill again.. im going through hell with this!!

and the ironic part is i WORK AT PROACTIV!! i cant continue to go to work with my face like this.. i would quit, but i have bills to pay. im stressin out badly

For those of you who have tried both, which did you prefer for clearing up your skin?

I am on 25 mg of spironolactone and have an appointment tomorrow for a blood draw to check my levels, to clear me for a higher dose. I talked to and read on another forum site some over-the-top responses. These women I chatted with were in 50mg twice a day and their acne is GONE. You MUST see a doc for this script because it is a potassium sparing duiretic and is normally for people with heart conditions (it lowers BP). So you must be monitered on it because if you a have a pre-existing condition or are not careful with other drug interactions and diet (i.e.; banana's are a no-no) you could have cardio difficulties. Be aware of this for those of you thinking about it.

I went off Ovcon (which did improve my acne) because it was giving me constant headaches, just got put on Portia. Does anyone have experience with Portia? Is it known to help with acne?

What pills would be better for ...?

In order to classify an oral contraceptive as an estrogen dominant, progestin dominant or androgenic pill, you must multiply the actual dose of the components times the relative potency of that component. Keep in mind that these are relative classification and do not always hold from one woman to another. For different oral contraceptive side effects, you might consider switching to the pills indicated in the table below to minimize those side effects. Current Pill Problems and Choice of Pill to Switch To

Side Effect/Problem Principal Pill Suggestions

Acne higher estrogen, lower androgen potency Yasmin®, Demulen® 1/50, Othro-Tri Cyclen®, Ortho-Cyclen®, Yasmin®, Brevicon®, Modicon®, Necon®, Ortho Evra®, Mircette®


Which pills have higher progestin side effects or cause more acne and hair growth?

Each progestin has a different potency, milligram per milligram, in terms of progesterone effect to stop menstrual bleeding or androgen effect to stimulate acne and hair growth. However you must remember that a higher potency progestin may be used in a much smaller milligram dose and thus be equivalent to a larger milligram dose of a less potent progestin. For example, desogestrel is a very potent and androgenic progestin but its usual oral contraceptive dose is 0.15 mg instead of 1.00 mg for norethindrone. Its progestin potency compared to norethindrone would be 0.15 X 9.0 = 1.35 times. For androgenicity, it would be 0.15 X 3.4 = .51 or half as androgenic as a pill containing 1 mg of norethindrone.
Progestin Potency of Different Oral Contraceptive Progestins*
Progestin Progestational Activity
(relative to 1 mg of norethindrone) Androgenic Activity
(relative to 1 mg of norethindrone)
norethindrone 1 mg 1.0 1.0
norethrindrone acetate 1 mg 1.2 1.6
ethynodiol diacetate 1 mg 1.4 0.6
levonorgestrel 1 mg 5.3 8.3
dl-norgestrel 1 mg 2.6 4.2
norgestimate 1 mg 1.3 1.9
norelgestromin 1 mg** 1.3 1.9
desogestrel 1 mg 9.0 3.4
drospirenone 1 mg 1.5 0.0


Alesse has 8.3 androgenic activity?? Why is it prescribed for acne then?


http://www.wdxcyber.com/ncontr13.htm

I just got a prescription for Orth Tri-Cyclen-Lo, which I will be taking for birth control reasons (have not started taking it yet). I ended up just going to planned parenthood because even though I have insurance, I do not have a primary doc yet (the insurance is new) and it was going to take up to 6 weeks to get into a regular doctor. I did not feel like the nurse practitioner I saw was very helpful- she didn't really explain anything to me and just handed me some pills and sent me on my way, so I am concerned that maybe this brand is not going to be the best for me? I am especially concerned that it will make my acne worse (I am FINALLY pretty clear), and I don't like that I can't skip periods with OTC-Lo.

So I guess my question is, what have been your experiences with OTC and acne?

I am trying to decide if I should just start taking it and see what happens, or if I should wait till I can get into a regular doctor and see if there are better options for me. Waiting would of course mean continuing to rely only on condoms for birth control, which makes me nervous......

Hi,

This question is for girls taking diane-35 for cystic acne and who are nearsighted. Have any of you noticed any changes in your vision (e.g. having to get stronger eye glasses or contacts) after taking diane-35 for a while?

When I was taking diane-35 (from june 2003 to july 2005) my vision was changing like crazy. I had to go to the optometrist every 6-8 months to get stronger lenses because my eyes were hurting so bad. When I went off diane-35 my vision seemed to stabilize a bit or wasn't changing as rapidly. But now I'm taking it again and I'm afraid of what it might do to my vision.

I asked my optometrist about this and he said that he didn't think the change in my vision was due to diane-35. I'm not so sure though and want to be on the safe side. Do any of you know of any other anti-androgenic birth control pills that may be milder than diane-35? My sisters take Allese and are nearsighted like me and haven't had much change in their vision (one is 25, the other is 21. i'm 23). Is this a good alternative do you think?

Thanks for your help!

Hey everyone! Well basically a bit about me to begin with. I'm 16 years old and started to develop acne when I was about 14 so Ive dealt with it for over 2 years now. Its about mild-moderate acne - espically my forehead area covered in pimples and whiteheads, yuck.

My history on acne.. well Ive been on tetracylines, BP products, Differin, loads of OTC products and some over topicals that never seemed to work on my skin. Its very weird because acne doesnt really run in my genes, my older brother and younger sister dont had it, neither did my dad when he was younger..and I think my mum had it mild though not too sure. So I guess its just my bad luck that I have it lol.

Anyways.. on my nect doctors appointment Im going to asked to be refered to a derm because they deal with acne experienced than doctors and might be able to, if Dianette doesnt work, to prescribe me something much more better for my acne.

So right now Im on Month 3, Day 8..

The first two months it made my acne ALOT worse. But hopefully *touches wood* its going to start to improve

So thats where I am at the moment and will keep posted everyday on my progress with Dianette. Feel free to post if you like.

Keli x

hi,

i have pretty mild acne... my derm just prescribed me spiro, ortho, and taz to use all in conjuction at my very first derm meeting. i'm really worried about going on the BCP and spiro... i've read about all the side effects on this forum, and he didn't mention ANYTHING like it... i asked about weight gain, and he merely shrugged and said it shouldn't be an issue. he didn't mention any other side effects or precautions or ANYTHING...

it's my first time going on any oral form of acne treatment not sure if i'm brave enough to do it, lol. i've only been on benzaclin so far... i have mostly comedonal acne - flesh colored bumps - and some red marks...

is this the right way to go? btw, i'm 17. i really want to clear up before i start college next fall!

have you been on bc with or prio to spiro cuase ive been bc 5 mnts no improvment also were you hormonally tested thanks

hey guys..well i went to the derm. and she prescribed me Yasmin birth control..my acnes not TOO bad but it does bother me..there are a few cysts too. its mostly around my chin/a tiny bit on my jawline, and basically on the lower half of my face. --does this mean it's hormonal?-- im 15.
do you think i should give it a try? im sort of afraid because some people have said that its horrible, but then on the other hand people have said its the best. i do NOT want to make my acne worse =( !
thanks guys

I just finished my second week of birth control and i think I'm already beginning to see an improvement on my bacne. Is it possible that it is taking effect that quickly, or am I imagining things? What's the range of time to see acne improvements while on BC?

WELL I picked up a prescription for Yasmin today..BUT IM SO SCARED TO USE IT!! I dont want to make my acne worse!! I dont even have really bad acne...just...cysts around my chin, and those normal inflamed ones that turn into whiteheads around my mouth///lower half of my face..SHOULD I USE IT..AHH so scared.
thanks luvvs

I've been on bcp for about 7 or 8 years. I started with ortho-tri cylen and then after a couple years my ob/gyn switched me to the lower does version, ortho tri cyclen lo. I've had acne mostly in my college years and after, so adult acne primarily. I get breakouts around the chin and along the jaw bone so it's most likely hormonal from what I read all over the boards. I've been doing dan's regimen for about a year and just started using green cream in the last couple of weeks in the evening, instead of the bp. Dan's regimen definitely improved it and reduced the number of cysts and the bigger bumps. I'm still getting breakouts usually right before my period and then about a week after it starts again. It is so frustrating and I feel like it is so obvious, even though my husband says it's not bad. I am due for a annual exam in a couple of months so I was thinking of discussing changing bcp with my ob/gyn but I'm afraid I'll get one that makes it worse. I don't know what to do? The ob/gyn I just started going to last year since i moved away from my other one and I haven't actually talked with her yet, I just saw a nurse practictioner last time. How do eeryone else's ob/gyn react when you mention switching your bcp? I imagine she will have some ideas of good ones to try but does anyone else have similar experiences to me with ortho-tri-cyclen lo?

Thanks,

Christine

i'm 15 and have had acne since.. oh, i don't know? 10? over the years i've tried almost everything. topical treatments either didn't work or stopped being effective shortly after. i found out two weeks into minocycline that i was severely allergic to it; erythromycin did nothing; birth control didn't seem to improve my skin and made me a raving lunatic. the only thing that's been effective so far is accutane, which i've used twice, the first time for 2 months and the second time for 6 weeks. both times i stopped mid-course because i honestly didn't feel "myself" and started having suicidal thoughts, etc, etc.

right now, i'm starting to get moderate-ish acne again after stopping accutane at the beginning of october.. my face is an oil slick by 10am, and my breakouts don't seem to have any rhyme or reason with regards to my monthly cycle.

anywhoo, i'm really curious about spironolactone. i have a dermatologist appt. for the 15th of january, so i'd be starting then.

the main reason i'm hesitant to take spiro, though, are the side effects i experienced when i was on the bcp.. i took diane-35 around this time last year, and that was a particularly painful time for me thanks to the wicked bad crying spells and mood swings i got.

so my question is, have any of you experienced moodiness on spironolactone? what about OTC? i'm considering trying ortho, maybe i'd have better luck with a different type of bcp?

thanks to anyone who takes the time to read & reply to all this.

i know accutane has more "serious" potential side effects than BCP, but it seems like for most people, the acne comes back (with a "vengence") as soon as you get off the pill.. while people who took accutane... their acne is often "cured" or put into long-term remission (and doesn't come back as bad). of course you could take the pill for years, but eventually i couldn't do that say, if you wanted to get pregnant.

i wanted accutane, but my derm suggested the pill instead... i dont know if its worth taking it or not.

also is BCP > antibiotics? i refused to take antibiotics cuz i knew it'd be only a temporary solution that u can't keeping taking forever.

Does the birth control pill help with back, arm, chest acne? Or just acne on your face?


Thanks much

I was on Accutane for 6 months and earlier this year I stopped.

My acne started to come back and I've been put on the Dianette birth control pill.

I've been on it for a month and my skin is even worse.

Has anyone got any experience of this? Will it go away? I'll stick with it if its one of those gets-worse-before-it-gets-better things. I was just joping someone would be able to help me..?

Thanks

Hey ladies,

I have just swtiched from Ortho Cept to Ortho Tri-Cyclen. (Just got the prescription today!) My doc said that I can get the generic, Trinessa, but I found some horrible comments about it when I googled it. I was wondering if any of you have experience with taking one and switching to the other, or any insight as to which one I should use. FYI, my acne is probably considered mild, although to me it is AWFUL because I had perfect skin up until last year. Thanks in advance!

Hey, I'm 16 and have had acne for around 2 years now. Im on my 3rd month of the BCP Dianette and I havnt seen any results so far, the first month it made me break out real bad - not sure if this is normal. But does anyone know how long it takes to see results? Please help, Im really desperate.

hey guys..well i went to the derm. and she prescribed me Yasmin birth control..my acnes not TOO bad but it does bother me..there are a few cysts too. its mostly around my chin/a tiny bit on my jawline, and basically on the lower half of my face. --does this mean it's hormonal?-- im 15.
do you think i should give it a try? im sort of afraid because some people have said that its horrible, but then on the other hand people have said its the best. i do NOT want to make my acne worse =( !
thanks guys

My new insurance doesn't cover my birth control, and I have to shell out quite a bit of money to pay for it. My insurance also doesn't cover any acne treatments, because it's all considered cosmetic. Where can I go to get some. I'm on Yasmin.

Hello there,
I'm 27 and I've suffered from acne ALL my life. At some point it got so bad that one day as I was walking a lil girl tugged on her fathers pant leg and asked him, "Daddy, did a lot bees sting her on her face"......agh!!! Well, suffice to say that I've tried everything from Retin-A, Accutane, Minocycline, Tazorac, Benzaclin, Benzamycin, Birth Control Pills (alleviate the problem while on it but once off, I fLARE up badly). So I finally decided to visit an ENDOCRINOLOGIST. And of course he told me I had too much of the male hormones...he thought that prescribing me Spironolactone would help me greatly.

Well, I just started taking Spironolactone (25mg 2x Daily). Has anyone taken this amt. of medication 2 x day and has it helped you?

Also, Have you gained any wieght from being on it???????

Thanks
-C