82 replies to this topic

[heyybrighteyes]

Hello to anyone reading!
I'm starting this blog in hopes of generating discussion and support for one another.
And to hopefully help anyone who is dealing with the same conditions as I am.
I feel safe sharing my story on here, for all of us dealing with acne know what it's really like to suffer day to day.

This is my journey with acne.

I've had acne since probably my sophomore or junior year in high school. I am now 22 years old. And I am a female.
So that's give or take 6 to 7 years.

Around the middle of my senior year I was diagnosed with appendicitis and had to have my appendix removed, which up until recently I never really thought twice about cause the doctors told me it wasn't a very necessary function to the body anyway.
My acne remained consistent thereafter.
For years! Years and years! I ate poorly! In high school I would usually skip breakfast, and at snack time munch down on a huge bag of hot cheetos and other junk food. For lunch I liked to eat fried chicken strips and fries with a soda, and for dinner my mom usually made spaghetti.
I was basically depriving myself of any and all nutrition.
When i started working at jack in the box from 2008-2010 I would eat tacos, burgers, and ice cream nearly everytime I worked. And I was working full time.

Long story short, I was obviously doing a lot of damage to my body for a lot of years.
And not to mention all the sugar I was consuming, I believe, has definitely taken a toll on my body (I never passed up dessert).

Now to more personal stuff..
I can't say how long, for lack of a decent memory lol, but for years I have had certain symptoms that I never really understood.
I'll list em off
Hair loss (especiallyalong my hair line near on the sides of the forehead)
Dark hair growth on my chin and around my belly button
Uneven, and oddly shaped breasts
Fatigue
And other things ... I don't want to mention lol

I recently discover these are signs of PCOS
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Acne is another sign...

If you have any of these symptoms, and havent heard of PCOS, I suggest looking it up.

To try and treat this, I've been eating a clean diet. Taking supplements such as: Saw Palmetto, Cod Liver Oil, Zinc, Cinnamon, and Milk Thistle (cause I believed my liver was damaged as well).

For a few days I've been washing my face with African Black Soap, and moisturizing with Jojoba Oil.
Sometimes, when I'm going to wear makeup, I use Simple's Light Moisturizer.

Ive also recently started drinking water kefir (about 3-4 days), but I think i drank too much in the beginning when it wasn't finished brewing and it wreaked havoc on my skin. The next morning my skin looked irritated and red. So I've cut back to like a shot glass a day.


My skin was clear when I started this (about a month ago of clean diet, excluding christmas), but now it seems to be resorting back.
I'm hoping these new, natural additions will help me out.

I'd love to hear anyone else's journey with clearing holistically or struggling with PCOS.
Thanks for taking the time to read all this, if you did
I know it was long!

Edited by heyybrighteyes, 04 March 2013 - 09:47 PM.

[Lilacink]

Hi, I'm 17 and I'm pretty sure I have PCOS. I have severe acne, haven't had a period in 4 months! And my period is always like that I have several other symptoms of PCOS and two doctors suggested I have it, well they wanted to get an ultrasound to see if I have cysts but I worried it cost too much so I didn't get it.

[heyybrighteyes]

Hi, I'm 17 and I'm pretty sure I have PCOS. I have severe acne, haven't had a period in 4 months! And my period is always like that I have several other symptoms of PCOS and two doctors suggested I have it, well they wanted to get an ultrasound to see if I have cysts but I worried it cost too much so I didn't get it.

It's scary to have it! but if you think that you do, it's best to treat it sooner than later. do you have the hair growth issue as well? or no?
i've been on this vegetable cleanse for a couple days now, my active acne hasn't subsided much but i havent gotten any new pimples.
and just yesterday i found out about a pill call Clearetto. which has primarily Saw Palmetto in it (which helps with PCOS) and other really good vitamins for the skin.
it's pricey.. but it looks very promising! it's on this site, you should look at the reviews! they're very good!
if it does cost too much, you can Saw Palmetto for very cheap! i've been taking it for a few weeks now and i'm noticing a lot of improvement. and it's all natural
I'm a big believer in clearing my skin the natural way!

[Lilacink]

I have extra body hair. Quite a bit. And I will look into Saw Palmetto. What is it for?
Soulcysters.net is a good website for PCOS.
Diet has helped with my acne but I want to clear it! I have severe acne and and irregular period (I haven't had one for 4 months now).

[heyybrighteyes]

I have extra body hair. Quite a bit. And I will look into Saw Palmetto. What is it for?
Soulcysters.net is a good website for PCOS.
Diet has helped with my acne but I want to clear it! I have severe acne and and irregular period (I haven't had one for 4 months now).

I have irregular period as well.
i get them every month though.. just always late by about 5-10 days depending.
the beginning of last year they started towards the beginning of the month and gradually shifted to the middle/end of the month
but i still get symptoms in the beginning? its really weird.. and bleh.

Saw Palmetto blocks Androgens in your body from being converted to DHT which produces an excess amount of male hormones into your body.. resulting in smaller breasts, excess hair growth in unwanted places.. and other symptoms from PCOS. It also helps to regulate your period in the long term..
i've been taking it for a few weeks now and i really have noticed a difference.

[WishClean]

I have extra body hair. Quite a bit. And I will look into Saw Palmetto. What is it for?
Soulcysters.net is a good website for PCOS.
Diet has helped with my acne but I want to clear it! I have severe acne and and irregular period (I haven't had one for 4 months now).

I have irregular period as well.
i get them every month though.. just always late by about 5-10 days depending.
the beginning of last year they started towards the beginning of the month and gradually shifted to the middle/end of the month
but i still get symptoms in the beginning? its really weird.. and bleh.

Saw Palmetto blocks Androgens in your body from being converted to DHT which produces an excess amount of male hormones into your body.. resulting in smaller breasts, excess hair growth in unwanted places.. and other symptoms from PCOS. It also helps to regulate your period in the long term..
i've been taking it for a few weeks now and i really have noticed a difference.

I'm thinking of trying saw palmetto too because I am suspecting high androgen levels and also have PCOS, although my periods are quite regular. Do you think saw palmetto is more effective when taken with milk thistle, or can I take it on its own first and see how I respond to it?
How much saw palmetto are you taking, and what brand would you recommend?

[Lilacink]

I have extra body hair. Quite a bit. And I will look into Saw Palmetto. What is it for?
Soulcysters.net is a good website for PCOS.
Diet has helped with my acne but I want to clear it! I have severe acne and and irregular period (I haven't had one for 4 months now).

I have irregular period as well.
i get them every month though.. just always late by about 5-10 days depending.
the beginning of last year they started towards the beginning of the month and gradually shifted to the middle/end of the month
but i still get symptoms in the beginning? its really weird.. and bleh.

Saw Palmetto blocks Androgens in your body from being converted to DHT which produces an excess amount of male hormones into your body.. resulting in smaller breasts, excess hair growth in unwanted places.. and other symptoms from PCOS. It also helps to regulate your period in the long term..
i've been taking it for a few weeks now and i really have noticed a difference.

I'm thinking of trying saw palmetto too because I am suspecting high androgen levels and also have PCOS, although my periods are quite regular. Do you think saw palmetto is more effective when taken with milk thistle, or can I take it on its own first and see how I respond to it?
How much saw palmetto are you taking, and what brand would you recommend?

Here Saw Palmetto is cheap. I might get it. I think I have too many male hormones. Excess body hair, acne, at least 4 months without a period, but around my period my skin got better and perhaps it was because of the extra girlie hormones that come into your body when you have your period?
What do you think? I have no idea what I'm talking about.

[WishClean]

 

 

I have extra body hair. Quite a bit. And I will look into Saw Palmetto. What is it for?
Soulcysters.net is a good website for PCOS.
Diet has helped with my acne but I want to clear it! I have severe acne and and irregular period (I haven't had one for 4 months now).

I have irregular period as well.
i get them every month though.. just always late by about 5-10 days depending.
the beginning of last year they started towards the beginning of the month and gradually shifted to the middle/end of the month
but i still get symptoms in the beginning? its really weird.. and bleh.

Saw Palmetto blocks Androgens in your body from being converted to DHT which produces an excess amount of male hormones into your body.. resulting in smaller breasts, excess hair growth in unwanted places.. and other symptoms from PCOS. It also helps to regulate your period in the long term..
i've been taking it for a few weeks now and i really have noticed a difference.

 

I'm thinking of trying saw palmetto too because I am suspecting high androgen levels and also have PCOS, although my periods are quite regular. Do you think saw palmetto is more effective when taken with milk thistle, or can I take it on its own first and see how I respond to it?
How much saw palmetto are you taking, and what brand would you recommend?

 

Here Saw Palmetto is cheap. I might get it. I think I have too many male hormones. Excess body hair, acne, at least 4 months without a period, but around my period my skin got better and perhaps it was because of the extra girlie hormones that come into your body when you have your period?
What do you think? I have no idea what I'm talking about.

If you think you have PCOS, then excess body and facial hair (hirsutism) is one of the possible symptoms, and also a sign of androgen/ testosterone excess in the body. My skin gets better during my period too, but all hell breaks lose when I'm PMSing. My periods have been regular for a few years, but the blood flow is irregular (initial spotting for a few days, then nothing for a day, then spotting again, then blood flow). Not sure what that's about.

[WishClean]

Hi, I'm 17 and I'm pretty sure I have PCOS. I have severe acne, haven't had a period in 4 months! And my period is always like that I have several other symptoms of PCOS and two doctors suggested I have it, well they wanted to get an ultrasound to see if I have cysts but I worried it cost too much so I didn't get it.

It's scary to have it! but if you think that you do, it's best to treat it sooner than later. do you have the hair growth issue as well? or no?
i've been on this vegetable cleanse for a couple days now, my active acne hasn't subsided much but i havent gotten any new pimples.
and just yesterday i found out about a pill call Clearetto. which has primarily Saw Palmetto in it (which helps with PCOS) and other really good vitamins for the skin.
it's pricey.. but it looks very promising! it's on this site, you should look at the reviews! they're very good!
if it does cost too much, you can Saw Palmetto for very cheap! i've been taking it for a few weeks now and i'm noticing a lot of improvement. and it's all natural
I'm a big believer in clearing my skin the natural way!

 

 

Heyybrighteyes, I ordered clearetto too. I figured I will start using it when I run out of saw palmetto, since its main ingredient is sp. Are you seeing results with clearetto???

[Flawlessfinish]

I am so glad someone is talking about this! This is new to me I actually just read about this. I thought to myself this might be the reason I can't clear my skin. I started having bad acne in hs I'm now 30 and it's still here. I don't have the hair symptoms or irregular periods but my skin does clear up around that time of the month which for some reason annoys me lol. It's like terrible skin when I'm not on my period and clear skin when I feel like crap! I also am VERY moody and get depressed easily. I read this might also be a symptom. A friend of mine recently gave me two bottles of herbs from this place called dhealthstore.com. One is the mooncycle formula and the other is the female hormone formula. When I saw this post I looked at the back to see what was in them and saw palmetto was one of the ingredients. So I'm excited about these pills now! I haven't been diagnosed with this but I am certain something is going on with my body to cause acne. I wouldn't be surprised if it were this. My friend used to have terrible cramping and I witnessed her blacking out and throwing up during her cycle on several occasions. Since she has taken these pills she hasn't had any of those systems. I kinda feel like she might of mentioned a cyst in the past too. I'll have to ask her. In the meantime I'm going to see if dhealthstore has something more specific for this and see how I can change my diet! Thanks for this post!

Edited by Flawlessfinish, 23 January 2013 - 07:03 PM.

[heyybrighteyes]

 

Hi, I'm 17 and I'm pretty sure I have PCOS. I have severe acne, haven't had a period in 4 months! And my period is always like that I have several other symptoms of PCOS and two doctors suggested I have it, well they wanted to get an ultrasound to see if I have cysts but I worried it cost too much so I didn't get it.

It's scary to have it! but if you think that you do, it's best to treat it sooner than later. do you have the hair growth issue as well? or no?
i've been on this vegetable cleanse for a couple days now, my active acne hasn't subsided much but i havent gotten any new pimples.
and just yesterday i found out about a pill call Clearetto. which has primarily Saw Palmetto in it (which helps with PCOS) and other really good vitamins for the skin.
it's pricey.. but it looks very promising! it's on this site, you should look at the reviews! they're very good!
if it does cost too much, you can Saw Palmetto for very cheap! i've been taking it for a few weeks now and i'm noticing a lot of improvement. and it's all natural
I'm a big believer in clearing my skin the natural way!

 

 

Heyybrighteyes, I ordered clearetto too. I figured I will start using it when I run out of saw palmetto, since its main ingredient is sp. Are you seeing results with clearetto???

WishClean28, I've been taking Clearetto since last Wednesday, so about a week and two days now. I bought it because I was looking for something easy to take when I traveled.. So far so good to be honest. I noticed though it's not as strong as the saw palmetto I've been taking, which is just a gnc brand. BUT! I've also been off my diet this last week and two days... Eating healthy while on vacation with my beau was not easy. We ate countless cookies and ice cream and burgers and fries... haha, I tried eating a salad every now and then but overall i've been way off track. Starting tomorrow, since I just got home today, I'll be back to eating right. I've been getting some acne on  my forhead, hairline, cheeks and neck... OH and I also started my period like 4 days ago.. haha! So the Clearetto hasn't really had a fair chance! But the acne i've been getting does dry up very fast.. I'll update in a few days/to a week on how the Clearetto is working and a clean diet with more water. I have high hopes for it ! 

 

How I use Clearetto:

I take 2 with larger meals

1 with smaller meals

If I'm having a dessert at the end of my meal (which I won't be doing now) I take the Clearetto before the dessert, after the meal, and 1 cinnamon pill after the dessert to control my insulin levels.

 

Hope this helps!

1

I am so glad someone is talking about this! This is new to me I actually just read about this. I thought to myself this might be the reason I can't clear my skin. I started having bad acne in hs I'm now 30 and it's still here. I don't have the hair symptoms or irregular periods but my skin does clear up around that time of the month which for some reason annoys me lol. It's like terrible skin when I'm not on my period and clear skin when I feel like crap! I also am VERY moody and get depressed easily. I read this might also be a symptom. A friend of mine recently gave me two bottles of herbs from this place called dhealthstore.com. One is the mooncycle formula and the other is the female hormone formula. When I saw this post I looked at the back to see what was in them and saw palmetto was one of the ingredients. So I'm excited about these pills now! I haven't been diagnosed with this but I am certain something is going on with my body to cause acne. I wouldn't be surprised if it were this. My friend used to have terrible cramping and I witnessed her blacking out and throwing up during her cycle on several occasions. Since she has taken these pills she hasn't had any of those systems. I kinda feel like she might of mentioned a cyst in the past too. I'll have to ask her. In the meantime I'm going to see if dhealthstore has something more specific for this and see how I can change my diet! Thanks for this post!

 

Well if anything you'll at least help regulate your periods. I've only been saw palmetto for a little over a month and I got my period the same day as last month which hasn't happened in the last 6 months! So I definitely believe its  helping. And when I take it directly after food I notice that my skin feels calmer and I don't feel like I'm going to break out from the food or anything Although I still sometimes do.. Especially when I eat sweets or really salty food.

[WishClean]

Great, keep us updated! I haven't received my order of clearetto yet, but hopefully soon. I'm taking saw palmetto standardized extract until I receive clearetto, and then I will switch. I have cut back on sugar, dairy, and a lot of other yummy stuff, so hopefully this drastic diet change will pay off.

Also, if you send before and after pics, they send you a free bottle of clearetto....which I will try to get because it's so expensive.

Edited by WishClean28, 24 January 2013 - 06:36 PM.

[heyybrighteyes]

 

 

 

I have extra body hair. Quite a bit. And I will look into Saw Palmetto. What is it for?
Soulcysters.net is a good website for PCOS.
Diet has helped with my acne but I want to clear it! I have severe acne and and irregular period (I haven't had one for 4 months now).

I have irregular period as well.
i get them every month though.. just always late by about 5-10 days depending.
the beginning of last year they started towards the beginning of the month and gradually shifted to the middle/end of the month
but i still get symptoms in the beginning? its really weird.. and bleh.

Saw Palmetto blocks Androgens in your body from being converted to DHT which produces an excess amount of male hormones into your body.. resulting in smaller breasts, excess hair growth in unwanted places.. and other symptoms from PCOS. It also helps to regulate your period in the long term..
i've been taking it for a few weeks now and i really have noticed a difference.

 

I'm thinking of trying saw palmetto too because I am suspecting high androgen levels and also have PCOS, although my periods are quite regular. Do you think saw palmetto is more effective when taken with milk thistle, or can I take it on its own first and see how I respond to it?
How much saw palmetto are you taking, and what brand would you recommend?

I just got my saw palmetto from gnc.  heres a picture of the one i've been taking: http://gnc.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pGNC1-2331788dt.jpg  it really does help a lot! especially if you really believe you have pcos. I never really believed my acne was caused by hormones, but now i think it's the biggest cause. I just didn't fully understand hormones before, since it only really made me think of puberty. But our hormones can be out of whack or whole lives if we don't learn to manage them. Before clearetto i took saw palmetto after breakfast and dinner since the bottle says only twice a day, and then to compensate for lunch i'd take a cinnamon pill. but with clearetto i can take 4 a day, so its easier to just pop one after every meal.

[WishClean]

 

 

 

 

I have extra body hair. Quite a bit. And I will look into Saw Palmetto. What is it for?
Soulcysters.net is a good website for PCOS.
Diet has helped with my acne but I want to clear it! I have severe acne and and irregular period (I haven't had one for 4 months now).

I have irregular period as well.
i get them every month though.. just always late by about 5-10 days depending.
the beginning of last year they started towards the beginning of the month and gradually shifted to the middle/end of the month
but i still get symptoms in the beginning? its really weird.. and bleh.

Saw Palmetto blocks Androgens in your body from being converted to DHT which produces an excess amount of male hormones into your body.. resulting in smaller breasts, excess hair growth in unwanted places.. and other symptoms from PCOS. It also helps to regulate your period in the long term..
i've been taking it for a few weeks now and i really have noticed a difference.

 

I'm thinking of trying saw palmetto too because I am suspecting high androgen levels and also have PCOS, although my periods are quite regular. Do you think saw palmetto is more effective when taken with milk thistle, or can I take it on its own first and see how I respond to it?
How much saw palmetto are you taking, and what brand would you recommend?

>I just got my saw palmetto from gnc.  heres a picture of the one i've been taking: http://gnc.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pGNC1-2331788dt.jpg  it really does help a lot! especially if you really believe you have pcos. I never really believed my acne was caused by hormones, but now i think it's the biggest cause. I just didn't fully understand hormones before, since it only really made me think of puberty. But our hormones can be out of whack or whole lives if we don't learn to manage them. Before clearetto i took saw palmetto after breakfast and dinner since the bottle says only twice a day, and then to compensate for lunch i'd take a cinnamon pill. but with clearetto i can take 4 a day, so its easier to just pop one after every meal.

 

 

How many mg of saw palmetto are you taking a day? I'm taking 600mg, split into 2 doses.

What does the cinnamon pill do? I drink cinnamon tea, but it's probably too mild to do anything...Ginger and cinnamon are supposed to help with digestion, right?

[heyybrighteyes]

 

 

 

 

 

I have extra body hair. Quite a bit. And I will look into Saw Palmetto. What is it for?
Soulcysters.net is a good website for PCOS.
Diet has helped with my acne but I want to clear it! I have severe acne and and irregular period (I haven't had one for 4 months now).

I have irregular period as well.
i get them every month though.. just always late by about 5-10 days depending.
the beginning of last year they started towards the beginning of the month and gradually shifted to the middle/end of the month
but i still get symptoms in the beginning? its really weird.. and bleh.

Saw Palmetto blocks Androgens in your body from being converted to DHT which produces an excess amount of male hormones into your body.. resulting in smaller breasts, excess hair growth in unwanted places.. and other symptoms from PCOS. It also helps to regulate your period in the long term..
i've been taking it for a few weeks now and i really have noticed a difference.

 

I'm thinking of trying saw palmetto too because I am suspecting high androgen levels and also have PCOS, although my periods are quite regular. Do you think saw palmetto is more effective when taken with milk thistle, or can I take it on its own first and see how I respond to it?
How much saw palmetto are you taking, and what brand would you recommend?

>I just got my saw palmetto from gnc.  heres a picture of the one i've been taking: http://gnc.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pGNC1-2331788dt.jpg  it really does help a lot! especially if you really believe you have pcos. I never really believed my acne was caused by hormones, but now i think it's the biggest cause. I just didn't fully understand hormones before, since it only really made me think of puberty. But our hormones can be out of whack or whole lives if we don't learn to manage them. Before clearetto i took saw palmetto after breakfast and dinner since the bottle says only twice a day, and then to compensate for lunch i'd take a cinnamon pill. but with clearetto i can take 4 a day, so its easier to just pop one after every

meal.

 

How many mg of saw palmetto are you taking a day? I'm taking 600mg, split into 2 doses.

What does the cinnamon pill do? I drink cinnamon tea, but it's probably too mild to do anything...Ginger and cinnamon are supposed to help with digestion, right?

 

600? seems like a lot compared to myself. i took 160mg twice a day. so a little over half your dosage i guess..

Clearetto has 650 mg of saw palmetto berry extract per capsule, which i've read isn't as strong, but i didn't look into that at all..

perhaps i should..

i take the cinnamon pill to compensate because it controls my insulin levels. it keeps your pancreas from producing too much insulin in your body, which too much can cause acne.

but i heard its bad in the long run to take cinnamon daily because it can cause liver damage. so i try to take it sparingly now, and only when i have dessert or anything with a lot of sugar.

OH and forgot to mention i take milk thistle as well, i had a huge breakout on my forehead and milk thistle cleared it up sooo fast and cause i had other signs of liver damage. i love the stuff

[WishClean]

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have extra body hair. Quite a bit. And I will look into Saw Palmetto. What is it for?
Soulcysters.net is a good website for PCOS.
Diet has helped with my acne but I want to clear it! I have severe acne and and irregular period (I haven't had one for 4 months now).

I have irregular period as well.
i get them every month though.. just always late by about 5-10 days depending.
the beginning of last year they started towards the beginning of the month and gradually shifted to the middle/end of the month
but i still get symptoms in the beginning? its really weird.. and bleh.

Saw Palmetto blocks Androgens in your body from being converted to DHT which produces an excess amount of male hormones into your body.. resulting in smaller breasts, excess hair growth in unwanted places.. and other symptoms from PCOS. It also helps to regulate your period in the long term..
i've been taking it for a few weeks now and i really have noticed a difference.

 

I'm thinking of trying saw palmetto too because I am suspecting high androgen levels and also have PCOS, although my periods are quite regular. Do you think saw palmetto is more effective when taken with milk thistle, or can I take it on its own first and see how I respond to it?
How much saw palmetto are you taking, and what brand would you recommend?

>I just got my saw palmetto from gnc.  heres a picture of the one i've been taking: http://gnc.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pGNC1-2331788dt.jpg  it really does help a lot! especially if you really believe you have pcos. I never really believed my acne was caused by hormones, but now i think it's the biggest cause. I just didn't fully understand hormones before, since it only really made me think of puberty. But our hormones can be out of whack or whole lives if we don't learn to manage them. Before clearetto i took saw palmetto after breakfast and dinner since the bottle says only twice a day, and then to compensate for lunch i'd take a cinnamon pill. but with clearetto i can take 4 a day, so its easier to just pop one after ever

y meal.

 

How many mg of saw palmetto are you taking a day? I'm taking 600mg, split into 2 doses.

What does the cinnamon pill do? I drink cinnamon tea, but it's probably too mild to do anything...Ginger and cinnamon are supposed to help with digestion, right?

600? seems like a lot compared to myself. i took 160mg twice a day. so a little over half your dosage i guess..

Clearetto has 650 mg of saw palmetto berry extract per capsule, which i've read isn't as strong, but i didn't look into that at all..

perhaps i should..

i take the cinnamon pill to compensate because it controls my insulin levels. it keeps your pancreas from producing too much insulin in your body, which too much can cause acne.

but i heard its bad in the long run to take cinnamon daily because it can cause liver damage. so i try to take it sparingly now, and only when i have dessert or anything with a lot of sugar.

OH and forgot to mention i take milk thistle as well, i had a huge breakout on my forehead and milk thistle cleared it up sooo fast and cause i had other signs of liver damage. i love the stuff

 

 

I did some research and also based on some suggestions on this forum form other people, and it seems that around 450- 600mg is the dosage of standardized saw palmetto needed to see results. Not sure what percentage of the berry is standardized in clearetto, but I'm guessing not too high if they are recommending up to 4 pills a day. Is your acne severe? I just got my clearetto order, and on the bottle it says that 4 is the dosage for severe acne. Mine is moderate to severe (depending on the time of the month lol) but I only took 1 today, and will start with 2 a day to see what happens.

How do you take milk thistle? As a tea, or in pill/ tincture form?

[heyybrighteyes]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have extra body hair. Quite a bit. And I will look into Saw Palmetto. What is it for?
Soulcysters.net is a good website for PCOS.
Diet has helped with my acne but I want to clear it! I have severe acne and and irregular period (I haven't had one for 4 months now).

I have irregular period as well.
i get them every month though.. just always late by about 5-10 days depending.
the beginning of last year they started towards the beginning of the month and gradually shifted to the middle/end of the month
but i still get symptoms in the beginning? its really weird.. and bleh.

Saw Palmetto blocks Androgens in your body from being converted to DHT which produces an excess amount of male hormones into your body.. resulting in smaller breasts, excess hair growth in unwanted places.. and other symptoms from PCOS. It also helps to regulate your period in the long term..
i've been taking it for a few weeks now and i really have noticed a difference.

 

I'm thinking of trying saw palmetto too because I am suspecting high androgen levels and also have PCOS, although my periods are quite regular. Do you think saw palmetto is more effective when taken with milk thistle, or can I take it on its own first and see how I respond to it?
How much saw palmetto are you taking, and what brand would you recommend?

>I just got my saw palmetto from gnc.  heres a picture of the one i've been taking: http://gnc.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pGNC1-2331788dt.jpg  it really does help a lot! especially if you really believe you have pcos. I never really believed my acne was caused by hormones, but now i think it's the biggest cause. I just didn't fully understand hormones before, since it only really made me think of puberty. But our hormones can be out of whack or whole lives if we don't learn to manage them. Before clearetto i took saw palmetto after breakfast and dinner since the bottle says only twice a day, and then to compensate for lunch i'd take a cinnamon pill. but with clearetto i can take 4 a day, so its easier to just pop one after ever<

/p> y meal.

 

How many mg of saw palmetto are you taking a day? I'm taking 600mg, split into 2 doses.

What does the cinnamon pill do? I drink cinnamon tea, but it's probably too mild to do anything...Ginger and cinnamon are supposed to help with digestion, right?

600? seems like a lot compared to myself. i took 160mg twice a day. so a little over half your dosage i guess..

Clearetto has 650 mg of saw palmetto berry extract per capsule, which i've read isn't as strong, but i didn't look into that at all..

perhaps i should..

i take the cinnamon pill to compensate because it controls my insulin levels. it keeps your pancreas from producing too much insulin in your body, which too much can cause acne.

but i heard its bad in the long run to take cinnamon daily because it can cause liver damage. so i try to take it sparingly now, and only when i have dessert or anything with a lot of sugar.

OH and forgot to mention i take milk thistle as well, i had a huge breakout on my forehead and milk thistle cleared it up sooo fast and cause i had other signs of liver damage. i love the stuff

 

I did some research and also based on some suggestions on this forum form other people, and it seems that around 450- 600mg is the dosage of standardized saw palmetto needed to see results. Not sure what percentage of the berry is standardized in clearetto, but I'm guessing not too high if they are recommending up to 4 pills a day. Is your acne severe? I just got my clearetto order, and on the bottle it says that 4 is the dosage for severe acne. Mine is moderate to severe (depending on the time of the month lol) but I only took 1 today, and will start with 2 a day to see what happens.

How do you take milk thistle? As a tea, or in pill/ tincture form?

 

Are you going to continue to take the saw palmetto?

my acne is... moderate id say.. i have more hyperpygmentation than anything else.. like everywhere :/

keep me updated on the clearetto

and i take milk thistle in pill form.

[WishClean]

I'm going to keep taking saw palmetto, but reduce the dosage so that I can also take 1 clearetto pill a day until I ran out of the saw palmetto. When I ran out, I will start taking 2 clearetto pills a day, maybe 3 on bad days. I started with 1 clearetto pill yesterday and my stomach got really upset even though I had it with food. Have you had that reaction or any other side effects? I also felt a bit dizzy after taking it, and had trouble focusing.

What brand of milk thistle do you take by the way, and how many pills a day?

[heyybrighteyes]

I'm going to keep taking saw palmetto, but reduce the dosage so that I can also take 1 clearetto pill a day until I ran out of the saw palmetto. When I ran out, I will start taking 2 clearetto pills a day, maybe 3 on bad days. I started with 1 clearetto pill yesterday and my stomach got really upset even though I had it with food. Have you had that reaction or any other side effects? I also felt a bit dizzy after taking it, and had trouble focusing.

What brand of milk thistle do you take by the way, and how many pills a day?

hmmm, at what point are you taking it? before, during, or after food? i take mine directly after, with less than half a glass of water. i usually dont drink a lot with my meals.

i dont recall any reaction like that though, i felt fine.

 

not sure if its the saw palmetto or something else, but for about a month now ive had a lot of noticeable tension on the bridge of my nose, it feels like its gonna break out horribly.. but never does.. its weird. and uncomfortable, do you have anything similar or you?

this is the milk thistle ive been taking : http://www.amazon.co...ils_o05_s00_i00

and i take like 2 or 3 a day. i'm not very strict on it anymore. but when i was i would take 2. 1 in the morning, 1 at night.

[WishClean]

I'm going to keep taking saw palmetto, but reduce the dosage so that I can also take 1 clearetto pill a day until I ran out of the saw palmetto. When I ran out, I will start taking 2 clearetto pills a day, maybe 3 on bad days. I started with 1 clearetto pill yesterday and my stomach got really upset even though I had it with food. Have you had that reaction or any other side effects? I also felt a bit dizzy after taking it, and had trouble focusing.

What brand of milk thistle do you take by the way, and how many pills a day?

hmmm, at what point are you taking it? before, during, or after food? i take mine directly after, with less than half a glass of water. i usually dont drink a lot with my meals.

i dont recall any reaction like that though, i felt fine.

 

not sure if its the saw palmetto or something else, but for about a month now ive had a lot of noticeable tension on the bridge of my nose, it feels like its gonna break out horribly.. but never does.. its weird. and uncomfortable, do you have anything similar or you?

this is the milk thistle ive been taking : http://www.amazon.co...ils_o05_s00_i00

and i take like 2 or 3 a day. i'm not very strict on it anymore. but when i was i would take 2. 1 in the morning, 1 at night.

 

Oh, that is weird. Do you mean like sinus pressure? How long does it last for? I haven't experienced any tension on my nose, but have been feeling a bit dizzy since starting the clearetto 2 days ago...so I try to eat well before taking it.

Does milk thistle interact with other herbs, or is it safe to take? I know that some herbs interact with others (E.g. vitex and saw palmetto) but I don;t think I heard anything about milk thistle's interactions.