11 replies to this topic

[txngrl]

I'm new to this site, just signed up in fact...

 

I am trying to help my 13yo (almost 14) son, who has been battling acne for several years now.  Yes, it started when he was quite young, way younger than his peers.  He was about 8 when he got his first pimple.  I'm sure he inherited it from me, since I have had acne for most of my life... I'm now 43, and I started getting acne at age 5... no joke.  So, now I am re-living the nightmare with him 

 

Anyway, I've tried countless natural remedies... too many to list.  His diet is very good:  dairy-free, gluten-free, mostly organic, no fast food, fresh fruit, veggies, non-GMO, etc.  Meanwhile, his peers eat complete JUNK and their skin is virtually flawless... NO FAIR! 

 

It breaks my heart to look at my son... I want to help him as much as I can.  I know exactly what it's like to live with the nightmare of acne.  I was on Accutane at age 16, but now that I know how toxic it is, can I really do that to him?  I don't know.  I would much rather find a natural, safe remedy that I can feel good about.

He has every type of acne... blackheads, whiteheads, cysts, nodules, very oily skin and hair.  He also has it pretty bad on back of neck, shoulders, back, and chest.  I think part of it might be due to his chest/facial hair coming in?  I don't know.  He's my oldest.

 

So... recently I've read about people having great success clearing up their acne simply by taking Vitamin D3.  I ran out and bought some over the weekend, and today is Day #3 on it.  I'm a little confused by how much to give him... He's taking 4000-5000 IU daily.  Is this too much?

 

Please, if any of you have had great results from Vitamin D3, let me know... I need the encouragement.  I need to find a way to get his oil under control, because that must be what's causing his breakouts.  His pores get so clogged, and it's just getting worse as he gets older.  I feel so bad for him.  He is starting high school next year, and I know what an important time that is to make first impressions!

 

Btw, I ordered that product Vilantae, received horrible (or no) customer service from them... it took forever for the product to arrive, so that I thought it must be a total scam.  Well, I finally received it just last Friday, but haven't opened it.  I am planning to return it, because I don't trust it.  Does anyone know anything about Vilantae?  I'm thinking it's somewhat of a scam and must be too good to be true. 

 

Thank you.  Hoping to find a solution for him soon.    I've tried so many things over the years, only to get hopeful, and then get let down...

[RJT623]

I'm so sorry for what you and your son are going through. I too started with acne at a young age, I still battle it to this day. I have two young sons and I am terribly afraid that they will encounter the same skin troubles that I did. I think you're on a good track with starting vitamin D3. I just started last week and I'm hoping that it will help. I still have some active acne, but it's healing, and now new lesions have appeared. Tell your son to hang in there, and you too!

[txngrl]

Thank you, RJT623!   I have 2 questions for you: 

 

1.  How many IU a day are you taking?  I have heard that D3 is pretty safe to take up to 10,000 IU a day... do you know if this is true?  I don't want to give my son too much.. but I also want to be aggressive enough to see results as soon as possible!

 

2.  You said in your reply, "...now new lesions have appeared".   That alarmed me a little... was this a typo?  Did you mean to say "NO new lesions have appeared"?   I am hoping it's a typo 

 

You know, when I became a mom, I never thought about acne and the strong possibility that my kids would have to battle it one day... (it runs on both sides of our family, ouch)... I think maybe it's because I took Accutane, which helped so much that I "forgot" about it for awhile.   Well, now that my son is going through it, I think about it every day... all the time.   I hope I'm not obsessed with it, but it is so much of a problem (in my eyes) and I know other people see it too.  I'm so embarrassed for him.  He's a cute kid, and I'm not just saying that.  I hope people can look past it, because when I look at him, that's all I see (most of the time).  I'm also a very visual person (background in photography) so maybe that's why I notice it so much... plus the fact that I'm his mom.  And, he's not a very outgoing person to begin with, so it makes him even more self-conscious and shy..  ughhhh

 

Thanks for replying, and I hope you have success with D3 as well!!

[RJT623]

Oops! I should have proofread! Yes, definitely a typo - NO new lesions! I'll have to check the vitamin bottle when I get home to see how much the dosage is. It's a vitamin D3/zinc/magnesium/calcium combo vitamin, but I know the D3 dose is significant. I'll post the dosage tonight. The only downside with a combo vitamin is that if I do see results, I guess I won't really be able to pinpoint it to just one vitamin. I'm taking it because I know all 3 are supposed to help your skin. I have had times throughout adulthood where my acne cleared up, and I do forget about it, and life is great! But recently I've been having a horrible breakout on my chin, and acne is definitely in the forefront of my mind. And I look at my sweet boys' faces - my oldest is almost 5 and my youngest is 18 months - and I admire their gorgeous complexions and hope with all my might that they never get flawed by severe acne. Members of both sides of my family have or have had acne, so the genetics are stacked against them. Luckily, my husband only dealt with minor puberty-related breakouts, so maybe they'll luck out and take after him! To those who have never battled acne, it must sound trivial and unimportant. But for those of us who have lived and are living through it, we know that the opposite is true. I'm sure that's why it's so painful for you to watch your son go through this.

[RJT623]

In the combo vitamin that I'm taking, the vitamin D3 dose is 600IU, and right now I'm only taking one pill per day. It says it's 167% of the daily value. I'm not sure what the typical dosage is for folks who've seen results major results with D3. I hope your son sees amazing results!

[txngrl]

Thanks so much for the encouragement!  Yes I know what you mean about our sweet, young kids with flawless complexions... how I wish they could stay that way!   I remember a few years ago, trying to picture my son as an older teenager/young adult.. what he would look like, etc.  I never pictured him with acne!  Hmmm that's really interesting.  You would think I would have thought about it...   Maybe just wishful thinking?  haha.   His face looked better this morning when I took him to school, so we'll see what it looks like when I pick him up.  It's usually pretty oily by the end of the school day, redder, and with a new whitehead or two.. ugh.  They seem to fill up so fast during the day.. 

 

Thanks for filling me in on your dosage!  600 seems low to me, maybe because I'm giving him several thousand.. I'm sure you could increase it safely if you wanted to.  I spoke to his dr. yesterday and she said he can go way higher, temporarily, to see if it improves.  So I'll probably try that.   I really hope he sees results too, because I am SO TIRED of dealing with this.  It really is causing me stress, causing him stress, etc.  It is a thorn in our sides.... I hope you see results too!  Keep me posted!

[dave6677]

If it's genetics, your best bet could be accutane, it has been a miracle drug for some but it has also been a nightmare for others with all the potential side effects. He still might be a bit too young for it. If you've struggled with it and nothing else works down the road, then talk to him and your derm and together decide if accutane is worth the risk. 

 

Depending on how severe it is, zinc has helped a lot of people here, including myself. I take 30 mg a day.

Edited by dave6677, 29 January 2013 - 10:30 AM.

[RJT623]

I am considering upping the dose of D3, but if I do, I should buy separate D3...I don't want to take multiple doses of the combo vitamin. I think the dosages of the other vitamins in it are sufficient. I finally bit the bullet and called my PCP yesterday...I have an appt next Tuesday. I don't want to jump the gun and go into anything too serious (as far as treatment), but I need to get some professional help. I'm hoping she'll send me for lab work, check my levels on different things. Not sure if she'll refer me to a derm or not. I admire you for all that you're doing to help your son. I'm sure it hurts you as much as it hurts him. He's lucky to have you. I remember being so embarrassed about it that even if my mom brought it up and attempted to help me, I would snap at her and tell her I was "fine". Hindsight is 20/20...wish I had let her help me back then If either of my boys ever start with acne, I will share my struggles with them and do whatever it takes to keep them/get them clear...just like you're doing for your son! Keep being your son's supporter and I'm sure you will find a treatment that works for him!

[txngrl]

Oh, you are sweet thx for the support. I sometimes think I care TOO much about my son's complexion like I'm obsessing or something! I believe it's because I have been so emotionally affected by acne myself, so it is a really big deal to me. And yay for you making an appt w/your PCP! That's great, I hope it goes well. I'll be taking my son to get bloodwork done soon, mainly to check his vitamin D level. I haven't made the appt yet but got the paperwork.

dave6677- thank you for the reply. I actually took Accutane when I was 16, and can't remember much as far as how long I was on it, or if I got the infamous IB, etc maybe because its been so long cause I'm so old hehe. Anyway, I have thought about it a lot for my son, but I feel guilty knowing how dangerous it is. Still, I keep wondering if that would be the only solution for him. I prefer natural, holistic medicine in all situations whenever possible, so I guess I will keep going that route until I feel like there is no choice left but Accutane. I do think he is a bit young for it (he's turning 14 in March) but I've heard of people that age going on it. Have you taken it? He is taking 30mg of OptiZinc 2x/day, per dr's orders, but we haven't noticed a change. I'm still holding out hope for the Vit. D!

[want2letyougo]

600IU is kinda low.... i believe the daily recommended dose is 400, but it really depends on how deficient you are in it.   i think everyone should take 1000-2000IUs a day, winter time increase it because you arent outside as much to get it naturally from the sun...

 

you also have to be careful with zinc, because minerals, usually if you start taking one, it'll knock off the other mineral balance and you'll end up deficient in something else... so i would take a zinc with a mineral complex

[Ind1g0]

D3 is good for you no matter what, in appropriate doses. Start him off low- 1500 to 2000 iu. It has helped me, but definitely hasn't "cleared me" on its own. Does he have any stomach problems? (If so fructose could be the culprit too...it was for me)

[txngrl]

D3 is good for you no matter what, in appropriate doses. Start him off low- 1500 to 2000 iu. It has helped me, but definitely hasn't "cleared me" on its own. Does he have any stomach problems? (If so fructose could be the culprit too...it was for me)

 

No, he doesn't usually have stomach problems... but we did discover recently that he seems to have a leaky gut, which is why his dr. said to take him off gluten.  I'm trying to keep him off of it, but at his young age of 13, it's not easy.   He does eat 1-2 pieces of fresh fruit daily... usually it's an organic apple.