45 replies to this topic

[lindsayb1]

Hi Everyone!

A little about myself. I have always had acne as a child, early teens and etc. When i was 24, i went on DESOGEN birth control pills. My sister also went on it same year, she was 21. Last year, she was 27 yrs old and decided to get off of it and she had MAJOR acne (she NEVER had acne before she got on the pill) and she was very scarred from it. It took her exactly 1 year and 6 months for the acne to completely disappear, although she was left with some red marks, which is easily treatable over time. Her self esteem improved tremendously. NOW- Since I wanted to no longer put synthetic hormones into my body and at 29, i decided to get off the pill too. However, rather than quitting BCP cold turkey, i started to lower my dosages little by little each month. This meant that i would cut my bcp pill dosages wiht a small razor. SO first two or three months, i took a quarter off the pill, 4th-5 month, took another quarter, so on, so on until i was left with a quarter of the pill each month, down to nothing. i thought weaning my body would be less traumatic with the hormonal balance not being out of wack. Tomorrow is EXACTLY 30 days since I have stopped the pill and so far- NO severe acne yet. I am terrified though because i have heard that acne can start within 2 months getting off the pill. I am taking VITEX/ DONG QUAI every day since i've stopped the pill and I am hoping this is keeping my hormones balanced. In addition to the weaning off the pill, perhaps this might be the best case for some people who are NOT sexually active but wanting to get off the pill (by weaning urself off and getting NATURAL herbal supplements to get your hormones balanced) of course, eat a healthy diet bc i have PCOS so my periods don't come easily. I would love to hear some success stories of people who's acne disappeared after BCP???

P.S.- i have been spreading PLAIN greek yogurt all over my face at night before i go to bed. It STOPS pimples from forming. I've heard it works wonders!

Edited by lindsayb1, 03 January 2011 - 11:51 AM.

[ERock66]

thanks for posting!! i will try yogurt.

also, i'm STARTING birth control in a few days. this will be my second time starting it. i'm alson Spironolactone now for hormones.

however, i did minocycline and yaz for 6 months and while it cleared most of my acne, i stopped cold turkey one time and my acne came back bad.

so, this time around i'll take your advice and cut my bcp and wean off of it.


please keep posting updates and come back in a few months, 2. thanks!

what are the herbs you're using??? where'd you get them? would they be helpful to take WITH birth control pill and spironolactone?

[Jessicauofw]

I've been off the pill April 2010 after being on it for 3+ years...........I had no major breakouts coming off, and no major breakouts to this day.........I get a few spots every now and then, but nothing I can't handle (they come mostly around my period)..........sometimes my face is crystal clear, just depends. I use no acne medication (skin is too sensitive for that)...........I wash twice daily with Cetaphil and moisturize twice daily with Avene.
Good luck!

[lindsayb1]

I've been off the pill April 2010 after being on it for 3+ years...........I had no major breakouts coming off, and no major breakouts to this day.........I get a few spots every now and then, but nothing I can't handle (they come mostly around my period)..........sometimes my face is crystal clear, just depends. I use no acne medication (skin is too sensitive for that)...........I wash twice daily with Cetaphil and moisturize twice daily with Avene.
Good luck!

Thank you so much! This provides SO much hope for me!!

[lindsayb1]

thanks for posting!! i will try yogurt.

also, i'm STARTING birth control in a few days. this will be my second time starting it. i'm alson Spironolactone now for hormones.

however, i did minocycline and yaz for 6 months and while it cleared most of my acne, i stopped cold turkey one time and my acne came back bad.

so, this time around i'll take your advice and cut my bcp and wean off of it.


please keep posting updates and come back in a few months, 2. thanks!

what are the herbs you're using??? where'd you get them? would they be helpful to take WITH birth control pill and spironolactone?

Hello,

Yes, please try the plain yogurt as it works wonders for your face! Do not buy anything like the flavored yogurt as those might irritate your skin from the added sugars. I was like you as well as I once stopped BCP cold turkey a few years back and started getting severe acne right away. I did not know how to handle it so I immediately got back on Desogen BCP. That is why I thought of weaning myself off from it this time around. So far- so good! I will definitely check back after a few months to keep everyone of my progress.

In regards to the natural supplements I take, you can purchase this at your local vitamin store such as GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, or LuckyVitamin.com (which sells name brands for so much less). I got the Vitex Chasteberry (which balances your hormones) and Dong Quai. I would NOT take this with your birth control pills as I have heard it might make your pills ineffective. However, I would keep the supplements in mind should you ever decide to get off the pill. I started those natural supplements once I was completely off the pill and no longer wanted the synthetic hormones in my body. Good luck!!

[brenmc]

Omg! This is the post I've been searching for. I quit bc cold turkey two years ago and had the worst acne outbreak, ten times worse than pre bc. So I had no choice but to go back on. Now I want to try and wean myself off and I'm looking for advice. I was considering just skipping a dose a week for a month, then skipping two doses a week for a month and so on, but maybe cutting the pills is a better idea. Could you explain more clearly how u went about it and how long you took to wean off in total?
Thank you very much!

[lindsayb1]

hi there,

it took me a good 6-7 months to completely wean off the pill. i didnt want my body to go into complete shock when i stop cold turkey. Basically, i just cut off a quarter off the pill for the first 2 months, another quarter next few months and so on until the last month, i was barely taking in any bcp every day.. Then i decided to stop entirely as my body was most likely not dependent on the bcp's. like my previous post, i've taken vitex and dong quai to get my hormonal balance back in check.

i wanted to let you know during the times i've reduced my bcp, there were some minor breakouts but FAAAR less than quitting cold turkey. yes, you get oily but you can totally control that.

right now- i am 35 days OFF the bcp pills. SO FAR- so good =)

i'll try to check in weekly so i can provide updates. GOOD LUCK! in my opinion, with all these horror stories of people getting off bcp and breaking out like crazy, i think weaning off the pill is a real solution to some people.

[brenmc]

Thank you. I'm going to try this. Please do update us and I will as well.

[lindsayb1]

hey guys.. this is DAY 42 that i am off the pill and my update is so far so good so i hope this provides hope!!!

i am taking dong quai + vitex and i really believe weaning off the pill worked WONDERS!

i still do the yogurt mask DAILY and try to eat healthier. WHAT a difference than the first time i got off the pill cold turkey a few years back (when i immediately started to break out)

just wanted to show my progress!

[lindsayb1]

Month 2!!!

Hey everyone...

well, surprisingly, my getting off the pill or weaning off of it has completely helped!!! I don't break out TOO much, it's all maintainable, no cysts!

i RELIGIOUSLY put plan yogurt on my face at night and it STOPS pimples (even the ones that are forming) halfway and stops it dead on its track

i just wanted to post this to tell everyone that there IS hope... i've gotten off the pill 3 years ago and broke out SEVERLY in CYSTS almost 3 weeks after, which is why i went back on the pill a month later.

Weaning it off, taking dong quai + vitex, plus yogurt at night has been a godsend.

I hope people who suffer or are terrified of getting off the pill, this gives you hope

[Kristabel]

Hi lindsay can i ask what brand yogurt you use and do you leave it on your face all night? Are you using anything else on your face?

[lindsayb1]

Hi lindsay can i ask what brand yogurt you use and do you leave it on your face all night? Are you using anything else on your face?

Hi,

I use PLAIN greek yogurt daily after I remove my makeup and shower. As silly as it sounds, i spread it over my face and sleep with it on!! I've been doing the for the past 2 months and also drinking lemon water before i sleep.

I was on the pill for so many years and right now, i am 29, it is a relief that even people who've broken out bad after the pill (like me when i was 27 and got off then) there is HOPE.

Good luck to everyone. Perhaps weaning off the pill did the trick?

regardless- plain yogurt!!! no sugary, flavored ones. good luck!

[brenmc]

The yogurt seems weird to me, wouldn't that clog your pores? Can you tell us more about these supplements, how much you take, side effects, what they actually do, etc?
Thanks!

[lindsayb1]

The yogurt seems weird to me, wouldn't that clog your pores? Can you tell us more about these supplements, how much you take, side effects, what they actually do, etc?
Thanks!

Hi.. i originally thought yogurt was SOOOO weird too! thinking it would clog my pores but my sister (who got off the pill a year earlier than me did so much research on how the 'good bacteria' in plain yogurt helped her skin tremendously) so i gave it a shot.

Please make sure it is plain, no flavored or sugared ones and if you research this, it has amazing benefits, especially with acne sufferers.

Now- regarding dong quai and vitex.. i take 500 mg of EACH plus 1000 mg of extra virgin coconut oil pills. I swear this has helped me maintain my hormones since i have YET to break out in severe cysts as I've done previously... but i really believe weaning off the pills did wonders bc it allowed my body to readjust the hormones being less and less when i cut the pill dosage each month.

With the natural herbal supplements i take daily, i've had NO side effects and it has helped me get my period the past 2 months ON TIME. I have PCOS and it was very hard to get my period so this helps me flow.

OH- when i was weaning off BCP, i started to notice my periods got lighter and shorter, almost to the point where i had no period. Vitex/ dong quai has helped!!! GOOD LUCK!!!

[l'eremita]

lindsayb1, thank you so much for posting about this - it made me feel the slightest glimmer of hope that I too can get off bc pills! I've been on them for 11 years, am 29 now and still get acne! I don't know why I'm taking it if it's not even keeping me clear, and the side effects that come along with it are horrible. Please keep us updated with your progress!

[brenmc]

Hey lindsayb1,

Did you notice weight loss from weaning off the pill? If so, how far along? Did you notice any weight gain from taking your supplements?
Thanks!

[lindsayb1]

lindsayb1, thank you so much for posting about this - it made me feel the slightest glimmer of hope that I too can get off bc pills! I've been on them for 11 years, am 29 now and still get acne! I don't know why I'm taking it if it's not even keeping me clear, and the side effects that come along with it are horrible. Please keep us updated with your progress!

OH MY GOSH! i was in the same boat too while taking desogen for 8 years! i still got minor pimples so i felt being on the pill was ineffective. Plus i want to get my body back in order so i can hopefully get babies! I would really recommend you try weaning off the pill, even if it took you one full year to do it, at least you can take smaller dosages until your body doesn't need it anymore. However, be warned that while reducing your dosages, i started to get oily hair and skin. NO cysts but i think it was because of my lowering the pill dosages. Right now, i don't get the oily hair though. Good Luck!

[lindsayb1]

Hey lindsayb1,

Did you notice weight loss from weaning off the pill? If so, how far along? Did you notice any weight gain from taking your supplements?
Thanks!

Hi,

HONESTLY, i think i probably only lost .5 lbs. That's it. I WISH i lost more weight being off the pill but that wasn't the case for me. I do feel better that i dont put chemicals or fake hormones into my body though. =)

As for the natural supplements, i've NEVER had any adverse reaction/ weight gain or loss from it. i really think it's helped me get my period on time.

UPDATE: i am 84 days off the pill now. NO major cysts and occassional pimple here and there but it's totally doable. such a far cry from the first time i got off the pill a few years ago when i started to majorly break out within weeks (even on my back, which was gross that i needed to cover it up with makeup)

so- i still take the supplement pills religiously. my second period i was exactly 6 days late but it still came! so i'm hoping these are signs that my body is getting back on track.

i will follow up once a month to let everyone know of my progress. I truly believe there are ways to beat the horrible breakouts after the pills and i hope this provides hope for everyone too.

[tk112233]

lindsayb1, did you tell your dermatologist first that you were gonna wean off of the bcp?? did your dr say weaning off would be helpful? cause i might tell my dermatologist that i wanna try weaning off the bcp eventually

[lindsayb1]

lindsayb1, did you tell your dermatologist first that you were gonna wean off of the bcp?? did your dr say weaning off would be helpful? cause i might tell my dermatologist that i wanna try weaning off the bcp eventually

hello,

no, i did not tell my dermatologist i weaned off it. i just figured that rather than going cold turkey which would put my body at a shock without all those hormones from the pill, i would gradually allow my body to adjust to the lowered dosage.

Honestly- so far, with the help of the supplements i am taking, it has been a godsend. Yes, i get 1 or 2 pimples occassionally but never any full blown cysts as I had before when I was off the pill cold turkey 4 years ago.

you have to be patient when weaning off as that was what i did for at least 6 months, so my body did not depend on the bcp any more.

good luck!