6 replies to this topic

[theussr]

I'm looking at getting a blood test to help narrow down what it is in my system that I may be deficient in which leads to acne. This site: http://www.flash-med.com/Lab1.ASP has a list of things to test for but I have no idea which ones are linked. Perhaps also worth mentioning that I'm 22 and have began losing my hair in the past 6 months to a year.

I'm thinking that the following tests are relevant:
blood sugar (I've read that acne is based on this)
zinc
androgens/hormones (??)
chromium
vitamin a b, b6, b12, c, e

[Me+dots]

Hi,

They can test your inflammation levels --> alot of people get clear on an anti-inflammatory diet.
They can test for candida and parasites --> These can cause leaky gut which can cause acne.
Food allergies can cause acne. They can test for these too. (Some tests are a bit dodgy)
(If you are gonna try fixing acne with a good diet)

I had a test for SHBG. If it is low then it can cause hormonal acne. (They tested mine together with hormone tests)

Hope you find your acne cause.
Still searching for mine too.

[strwberry2178]

Definitely get your thyroid checked. My hair had been falling out since June..and my whole family has hypothyroidism...so my doctor checked me a month ago..and sure enough I have it. I started medication last week to regulate the thyroid hormone. I don't know its link to acne yet...but I've heard the thyroid controls lots of other systems and hormones as well!


Me+Dots: How do you get your inflammation levels checked and what's in an anti-inflammatory diet? I get inflamed acne a lot...and have wondered what the cause is. I get huge nodules every month. Are there foods I can avoid to help with this!? Thanks!

[joris]

dont get your thyroid checked unless you are swimming in a pool of money. You having it doesnt mean theres a big chance someone else has it to.

You could go for sensitivity testing, hormone testing and vitamin/mineral testing.
You could also get the inflamation test, but I dont know if its that helpfull. Because you can eat as anti-imflamatory as you want but as long as you have a sensitivity going on it will stay high. Dont know what your budget is. But you could start of with sensitivity and hormone first. (Because a healthy diet with enough nutrition is good in general and might fix vitamin/mineral deficiencys you have.)

[cvd]

This year I finally decided to follow through with my derm's recommendation to see an endocronologist because I've had cystic acne for 40 years (I'm 59) and want to understand what's happening and also to make sure there's not some underlying serious problem since I've struggled with this for so long. Full dose antibiotics keep it under control but when I get off it comes back. Tretinoin cream and spiro help keep it under control too but if I did nothing my chin and nose would be red, inflammed and cystic (ugh!) And sometimes eventhough I'm using the tretinoin cream and spiro I get a breakthrough flare-up (very frustrating).

The past two months the endocronologist and my regular doc who specializes in allergies have had me do a number of blood tests, skin tests, and a urine test to determine allergies, cortisol levels, fructose sensitivity and hormone levels, also adrenal and pituitary function. Apparently there can be many different reasons for why resistant adult acne happens from the obvious (poor skin care) to the less obvious (benign pituitary tumor). Most resistant adult acne is due to having a sensitivity to androgens, a strong histamine response and/or facial skin cells that don't shed properly but clump together instead. That's why things like spiro and tretinoin cream usually solve the problem for most people but if regular flare-ups still happen then there's reason to test more.

Yes it's been expensive but insurance is covering most of the cost. I'm fed up with having acne and want to make sure there's not something else going on since I still get cysts and that's unusual for folks my age...actually any age after about 40.

The test results thus far have been interesting. I have a fructose intolerance. Following a low fructose diet has dramatically improved my digestion and I feel much better. I'm highly allergic to shellfish, peas, yellow squash, and celery (wierd), and mildly allergic to wheat, chicken, eggs, and some other similar things. I'm following a diet that avoids these things...it's not too hard since there's lots of other stuff to eat and it's good to try new things (my pep talk to myself...). My doc also has me on a medical grade probiotic and eating ghee which supposedly heals the gut from using antibiotics for so long.

The endocronology tests have come out fine except for two that need further testing...something to do with the pituitary gland and hormones. I may just have a "high normal" reading for these two things which would explain why I still get acne (and facial hair - spiro gets rid of that). On the other hand it may mean something else which further testing will determine. The endocronologist tried to explain it to me and I usually understand most medical stuff but this went over my head. The thing I've clung to is that she's only "mildy concerned" but wants to rule out anything more serious.

The key thing I've learned so far is that if a person's acne is partially due to hormone sensitivity or histamine response then diet can influence these things. The wrong diet causes the body to become inflamed which can make things worse. But trying to figure this out on your own is very very hard...believe me I've tried for years and years! I figured out some things like avoiding refined sugars but I never would've thought I was so allergic to shellfish or that apples (a good food) would be making my tummy so upset!

I'm hoping that all I have is food allergies/intolerances and some high but still within normal hormone levels. This would explain why I still get cystic acne and have hirsutism on my chin and upper lip. Knowing what's really going on then verifies taking spironolactone longterm to moderate androgen levels and following a diet that reduces inflammation, in addition to using tretinoin cream to restructure the skin cells.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this isn't a benign pituitary tumor excreting excessive hormones. I'll know the results in a week or two...

[acneftl777]

CVD, what did you find out from your doctors? I'm 32 and still have cystic acne and thinking about doing blood test to determine my inflamatory foods to reduce the severity of my acne.

Thanks

[AutonomousOne1980]

I'm looking at getting a blood test to help narrow down what it is in my system that I may be deficient in which leads to acne. This site: http://www.flash-med.com/Lab1.ASP has a list of things to test for but I have no idea which ones are linked. Perhaps also worth mentioning that I'm 22 and have began losing my hair in the past 6 months to a year.

I'm thinking that the following tests are relevant:
blood sugar (I've read that acne is based on this)
zinc
androgens/hormones (??)
chromium
vitamin a b, b6, b12, c, e

do you eat dairy products regularly?