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"Nowadays the oral contraceptives available having a combination of estrogen with progestins of the second generation like ethynodiol diacetate, norethindrone, levonorgestrol or the third generation such as desogestrel, norgestimate, or gestodene. The third generation progestins are preferred as these progestins have the lowest androgenic activity."
And this
"Those that block the production of androgens are your best choices if you’re prone to acne.
These include:
Desogestrel - ORTHO-CEPT®
Norgestimate - ORTHO-CYCLEN®, ORTHO-TRICYCLEN®
2) Progestins That Produce A Moderate Androgenic Effect:
Norethindrone - MICRONOR®, BREVICON®, OVCON-35®,
MODICON®, ORTHO-NOVUM® 7/7/7, NORINYL®1/35, TRI-NORINYL®1/35
Ethynodiol diacetate - OVULEN®, DEMULEN® 1/35
3) Progestins That Have The Strongest Androgen Effect:
Levonorgestrel - TRIPHASIL®
Norgestrel - OVRAL®
Norethindrone - LOESTRIN® 1/20 or 1.5/30
These will have unwanted effects on your acne"
So it basically is saying that "desogestrel" which is found in desogen is a good pill for acne right? So why isnt it ever recommended?
But then this says:
"Progestins with most potent androgenic activity:
Methyltestosterone (50): Upper limit reference
Gestodene (8.6)
Levonorgestrel (8.3)
dl-Norgestrel (4.2)
Desogestrel (3.4) "
So this is telling me that desogen (which has desogestrel) is a very androgenic/potent progestin and bad for acne. So Im getting confused. Why does one say good and another say bad? And there are many things you can read that contradict like this. My dr told me that desogen IS a progestin dominant pill and it CANT help for acne. So why does the first quote above from one website say it IS good, along with many others, like this one :
"http://www.wdxcyber.com/ncontr13.htm"
I read all over that website above and it says
"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. "
Ok so that makes no sense because the chart it has on the right side towards the bottom of the website lists desogestrel's androgenic potency as 3 compared to a 1 for norithendrone
And then you read the chart about which pill is better for what at the bottom of the page and it makes no sense really because the same pill listed for "less androgency, less progestin... or higher of each" is found in another category where it says the exact opposite?!?!?!
And all these various websites all say stuff just like it. Its confusing. They contradict each other and themselves.
An example, on the website above at the bottom chart it says that Yasmin is good for breast soreness and it is listed as "lower estrogen, lower progestin potency" and below that Yasmin is listed as good for severe menstral cramps and that it is "higher progestin potency"... how the hell can yasmin be listed in the lower progestin and higher progestin cartegory??? Which one is it?
Heres another....demulen 1/50 is good for acne, and below that it lists it is also good for break though bleeding. Yet zovia, which is exactly the same drug as demulen is only listed as good for break through bleeding. And demulen is listed in the "higher estrogen, lower androgen potency" section and also the "higher estrogen, higher progestin potency, lower androgen potency."
I just dont see that as possible or as making sense. High progestins cant be lower androgency.... according to all the other websites and according to every derm Ive seen??? Im confused
Lastly, the chart on the right in the middle of the site that lists androgenic potency.... well the only ones listed as a 0 are drospirenone which is found in yasmin and ethynodiol diacetate which is found in zovia (demulen) so how come if zovia contains ethynodiol diacetate which has no androgency then why isnt it listed as a top acne pill nor recommended in the acne cures of any website? And desogestrel had a 3 for androgency.... so that sounds pretty bad... but this progestin is listed as a third generation progestin and one of the best????
