11 replies to this topic

[kitty121]

Please. if anyone could help i'd be so grateful. I had been on Dianette for approx 15 years, and recently stopped taking it, about 3 months ago. My doctors won't let me stay on it, due to all the risks of this pill. Since i stopped my skin has gone bad again, it is oily, and covered in spots again, i am 30 now and can't cope with this again!
Has anyone been on Dianette and stopped taking it? My dermatologist said my skin should calm down after my body adjusts to being off the dianette but that hasn't happened yet. How long did it take for others for their skin to calm down after stopping Dianette? Does anyone know?

I am currently on Lymecycline and using Skinoren cream. I have also been prescribed differin cream but haven't used it yet.

Any help would be gratefully recieved, please help.

[Zenergy]

Please. if anyone could help i'd be so grateful. I had been on Dianette for approx 15 years, and recently stopped taking it, about 3 months ago. My doctors won't let me stay on it, due to all the risks of this pill. Since i stopped my skin has gone bad again, it is oily, and covered in spots again, i am 30 now and can't cope with this again!
Has anyone been on Dianette and stopped taking it? My dermatologist said my skin should calm down after my body adjusts to being off the dianette but that hasn't happened yet. How long did it take for others for their skin to calm down after stopping Dianette? Does anyone know?

I am currently on Lymecycline and using Skinoren cream. I have also been prescribed differin cream but haven't used it yet.

Any help would be gratefully recieved, please help.

Hey, I'm in the same boat as you. I went off Dianette about 3 years ago, and I'm still trying to get my skin completely under control. Several things have helped though. First, saw palmetto capsules (the berries, not the extract)...these made a noticeable difference in the oiliness of my skin and the break outs. I take 1000 mg in the am and 1000 mg in the pm. I tried the extract as everyone states that's the most effective, but I saw no difference with it. Also, after reading people's experiences, I noticed people using the berry capsules were the ones noting improvement, whereas, the extract didn't seem to work. Second, cutting out dairy. Third, 500 mg of Pantothenic Acid (B5) with a B-Complex...I don't believe in megadosing and I noticed decent results with just 500 mg. Lastly, using a baby brush when I wash my face in the shower really helped with the tiny bumps I got all over my face from the reemergence of my oily skin. So, these are the things that have noticably helped me. After coming off Dianette, my skin got a lot worse than it was before...I, personally, believe that saw palmetto alone would have worked for me prior to taking Dianette, but, unfortunately, I didn't know about it at that time. Hope this helps and let us know if you find anything else. Peace.

~Zen

[darlin]

This happened to me as well. I waited three years and my skin didn't settle down so I went back on it and it didn't work very well.... so I added spironolactone and retin-a and got clear again. If you want to be on a birth control pill you could try cilest, which is what they use a lot in the usa for acne and pcos I believe (I think it's the same as ortho cyclen). If you don't want to take a pill again you could try vitex agnus castus which helps the hormones to rebalance, and if your skin is still bad in a few months, ask for spiro and take it alongside the agnus castus.
I have also heard good things about saw palmetto although I haven't tried it myself.

[kitty121]

Its been 3 months approx now since i came off dianette, and my skin seems to be getting worse each day. How bad did it get for you guys? will it not calm down at all?

[Zenergy]

Its been 3 months approx now since i came off dianette, and my skin seems to be getting worse each day. How bad did it get for you guys? will it not calm down at all?

I don't want to upset you, but for me it's still a battle after 3 years. The saw palmetto really did help a lot...I still get a few cysts/breakouts, but the saw palmetto has reduced the severity greatly. I wish I could help you more, but each person's skin/body is different, so you might have better luck than me. After starting Diane 35, I cleared up within a week, so I believe finding the right hormonal balance is key for me -- easier said than done though. I'm considering ordering some liquid saw palmetto extract and trying it topically by mixing it with my lotion -- if I notice any improvements I'll let you know.

[kitty121]

My GP has now prescribed me Yazmin, I haven't started taking it yet though. I have tried it before and i didn't get on with it, although im not sure whether it was actually the pill that was the problem or not. Basically i suffer from anxiety and it got worse on yasmin, but i think i may have scared myself by reading about yazmin in the internet!

[all_about_eve]

hey kitty,

i was on dianette about 4 years and then switched to yasmin this year, i have been on it about 8 months now. It was a hard transition the first month or two with my hormones adjusting, i was moody and weepy but now i feel great on it! i lost some weight and i know i am sooo much healthier, plus if yasmin works for you you can be on it untill menopause. use it with a topical or even an antibiotic and things should get under control. dont be scared of yasmin, the side effects of diane are far worse!

[brenmc]

I do not think you should listen to your derm telling you that your skin will just get used to being off diane. You, like me, were on diane for a reason: ACNE, and in order for your acne to be controlled you still need to take something. I tried coming off diane and it was a nightmare, worst time of my life. I would suggest explaining your feelings to your doctor, pressing him or her about how you feel fine on diane, if you do/did, and that there is no reason to change regimine, unless you have problems. There are commercials on tv right now about the negative side effects of yaz, not diane. I am taking spiro, and that helped me get completely clear w diane, I would suggest asking for that if your doc refuses to let you take diane, but take it with another bc, since spiro is most effective when taken with bcp.

[kitty121]

Thanks all about eve, glad you have been ok on yasmin.
Brenmc, thanks for your post, I cannot get diane again, I have tried but I was on it for 15 years, and they won't let me have it anymore now because of the risks. In the UK where i am doctors cannot prescribe it for longer than 6 months now.
Spiro I can't get either because of the fact I am on anti-depressants and spiro messes with them.

I have taked 3 days now of yasmin, at night, and my skin seems to be getting better already, is that even possible? or coincidence? side effects have been nausea, tiredness, acheing, dizziness. Not nice, im going to take it in the morning see if it helps at all. any advice would be great, I don't know what to do, do i stop taking it as the side effects are not nice, also i am scared it will make my acne worse after reading reviews, or do I stick with it? could it have improved m skin so quickly? please help

[brenmc]

Hi Kitty, that is interesting that they won't give you spiro, but they give you yasmin, becase I have heard that they contain the same medical ingredient for fighting acne, yasmin just in a lower dose than spiro. The bc situation can be a rollercoaster, I would suggest investigating spiro, perhaps seeing a hormonal specialist. It has been the only thing that has truly changed my skin in the last 10 years I've struggled with acne. Good luck!

[shashamane369]

Hey Kitty... over a year has passed since you wrote this - so I guess you may well have found a successful way to manage your skin. I just wanted to write because I know what you were going through. I developed Acute Adult Acne when I was 27 (in 1999) and a dermatologist put me on Dianette combined with Erythromycin (an antibiotic). The dermatologist told me at the time that it was likely I would have my skin condition all through my adult life (he said maybe things would change if I became pregnant or hit menopause due to hormone changes, but possibly not even then).

Within 3 months my skin had noticeably improved and within 6 months my skin was 100% normal with no sign of oiliness or blemishes. I stayed with this treatment for 11 years with no reoccurrence of Acne, then my GP wanted to take me off the meds to see if I still had a skin condition or if it had naturally settled with age. First I came off the Erythromycin - there was no change at all, then nearly a year later, like you I was refused Dianette by my GP because of the risks involved. That was 6 months ago. I was praying that there would be no change, but sure enough my skin started gradually reverting to it's pre-treatment state 12 years ago: oily, itchy, sore and covered in painful blemishes and cysts.

I spent a lot of time doing some research and reading what a variety of dermatologists around the world have to say about long term Dianette use. As you know, opinion is divided and there is negative press about the risk factors connected with Dianette (particularly in the UK). However equally there is a strong argument that if you are a healthy weight, don't smoke or drink heavily, have normal blood pressure, no history of heart or circulatory problems within your close family and you experience no alarming side effects; then there is absolutely no reason why a woman should not continue taking Dianette until the menopause... and beyond! Some sources claim that there is no concrete proof that Dianette has any greater risks than the majority of oral contraceptives.

I too am based in the UK and cannot find any GP who will prescribe Dianette. However I have found that there are a number of websites from which you can order Dianette - you get an online consultation (they do ask what meds you've taken in the past, but not for how long) and if you're approved, you buy it by mail order in 3 or 6 months supply. It's a lot more expensive and works out about £10 per month. For me I decided it was well worth it. I have never felt bad at all on Dianette in all the years I took it and my skin was flawless.

My GP was telling me to ignore my skin problems and think about my inner health - but at age 39 I didn't feel I could cope living with this condition - it's not about vanity, it's just totally demoralising and affects my whole life in an extremely negative way. I don't want to encourage you to take something that may harm you, but if you need Dianette try: (there are many other websites offering the same service) - I'm now back on Dianette and getting better every day!

[shashamane369]

Sorry... they won't print the website (I guess it's aginst the rules) just type 'buy Dianette online' into google...

Edited by shashamane369, 13 July 2011 - 09:39 PM.