20 replies to this topic

[pbajsandwich]

Hello Acne.org!

 

I have been a heavy lurker for a few months and decided to make my contribution since your submissions have been quite helpful.

 

Acne has been the bane of my life for 3 years and I have tried every tropical treatment and multiple BCPs with little to no results.  Benzyol peroxide, clindamycin, and tretinoin did little to thwart the persistent cystic acne on my cheeks and jawline.  I eliminated these topicals and replaced them solely with Cetaphil daily cleanser and moisturizer in an attempt to minimize skin irritation.  It helped a little, but my acne remained.  I have an identical twin sister who also suffered from severe acne a few years prior, and assuming this condition is genetic, I decided to emulate her routine.  She basically took BCP (Microgestin Fe 1.5/30), used Cetaphil, and waited it out for 3-4 years and today has flawless skin.  I switched my BCP to my sister's prescription, but didn't see results (cysts and pimples decreased in half) until 6 months later.

 

Acne.org made me very hesitant to try oral antibiotics and hormone treatments and each day I would push it off until I finally said, "SCREW IT!" and made an appointment at my local clinic.  My doctor first recommended Accutane in an attempt to nip my acne in the bud and avoid more scarring, but I asked to try lesser measures before taking the plunge.  She prescribed me Spironolactone (50mg once daily for a week, then doubling the dosage [100mg] as tolerated) and Minocycline (100mg taken twice daily [200mg daily]).  Acne.org prepared me for the IB and waiting months for results, but I think I am one of those lucky few who experienced results at the flip of a switch!  I started taking Spironolactone and Minocycline on February 22, 2013 and today (March 10, 2013) all of my severe acne has subsided and I am left with red marks and the occasional small pimple that disappears after a day or two.  I was initially light headed and dizzy, but that faded after a few days.  Now, I am only experiencing an increase in appetite.

 

Acne is extremely variable and we are always looking for that miracle fix that worked for someone.  I know this isn't the cure for everyone, but I hope my experience will help a few.  Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures of my acne at it's worse, but I found a less severe picture with make up.  The last three images were taken today.

 

My Routine:

Wash my face in the morning and at night with Cetaphil daily cleanser and moisturize with Cetaphil lotion.

Asprin mask (5 pills) mixed with RAW honey.  Leave on face for 20 minutes and wash off.

A fresh towel on my pillow every night

Microgestin Fe 1.5/30

Spironolactane (100mg once daily)

Minocycline (100mg twice daily [200mg daily])

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Edited by pbajsandwich, 10 March 2013 - 04:32 PM.

[anotherdaypassesby]

First off, you're pretty!  I was prescribed Spironolactone but i'm very hesitant to use to. Maybe i would go for the plunge later. It suppose to help with oily skin, did you notice any difference in oil reduction? 

[pbajsandwich]

First off, you're pretty!  I was prescribed Spironolactone but i'm very hesitant to use to. Maybe i would go for the plunge later. It suppose to help with oily skin, did you notice any difference in oil reduction? 

 

Haha, thanks! 

 

I have definitely noticed a decrease in oil production.  My face would be shiny and icky halfway through the day, but now I feel no need to make a bathroom trip just to sop off the oils.  My advice to you is, don't wait.  I was also afraid (and still am), but it's best to be proactive.  I am new to this treatment, so complications may surface in the future, but I'm trying to think positively.  Good luck and I hope spiro works for you!

[anotherdaypassesby]

First off, you're pretty!  I was prescribed Spironolactone but i'm very hesitant to use to. Maybe i would go for the plunge later. It suppose to help with oily skin, did you notice any difference in oil reduction? 

 

Haha, thanks! 

 

I have definitely noticed a decrease in oil production.  My face would be shiny and icky halfway through the day, but now I feel no need to make a bathroom trip just to sop off the oils.  My advice to you is, don't wait.  I was also afraid (and still am), but it's best to be proactive.  I am new to this treatment, so complications may surface in the future, but I'm trying to think positively.  Good luck and I hope spiro works for you!

 

 

 

 

I'm just terrified that it may cause cystic acne. I'm tired of waiting..i've been waiting for a long time hoping it would go away on its own. What a waste of time! I'm going to see a holistic doctor soon. Hopefully i can fix it with natural medication and all that jazz. If not, i'm going towards spiro. I hope this will be the end of your acne journey  

 

Just wondering if you use the aspirin and honey mask everyday? Do you wear make-up?

[pbajsandwich]

I'm just terrified that it may cause cystic acne. I'm tired of waiting..i've been waiting for a long time hoping it would go away on its own. What a waste of time! I'm going to see a holistic doctor soon. Hopefully i can fix it with natural medication and all that jazz. If not, i'm going towards spiro. I hope this will be the end of your acne journey 

 

Just wondering if you use the aspirin and honey mask everyday? Do you wear make-up?

 

I was also scared that it would get worse before it bettered, but I decided to take that risk.  I gave up hoping that it would go away on it's own and gave the medication a chance.  I really hope you can fix it with natural medication as well!  Do you know what sort of treatments you're going to try?  Let me know how that goes

 

Yup, I use it almost everyday, but try not to exfoliate too intensively.  I like to let me skin breathe as much as possible, so I wear make-up occasionally.  I wear Mac Studio Fix foundation and concealer (not the best for your skin, but it covers so well).

[anotherdaypassesby]

I'm just terrified that it may cause cystic acne. I'm tired of waiting..i've been waiting for a long time hoping it would go away on its own. What a waste of time! I'm going to see a holistic doctor soon. Hopefully i can fix it with natural medication and all that jazz. If not, i'm going towards spiro. I hope this will be the end of your acne journey 

 

Just wondering if you use the aspirin and honey mask everyday? Do you wear make-up?

 

I was also scared that it would get worse before it bettered, but I decided to take that risk.  I gave up hoping that it would go away on it's own and gave the medication a chance.  I really hope you can fix it with natural medication as well!  Do you know what sort of treatments you're going to try?  Let me know how that goes

 

Yup, I use it almost everyday, but try not to exfoliate too intensively.  I like to let me skin breathe as much as possible, so I wear make-up occasionally.  I wear Mac Studio Fix foundation and concealer (not the best for your skin, but it covers so well).

 

 

Thanks, i hope so too. I'm really anxious because i am going to spend a lot of $ on something that may not work for me. I'm taking a few test too for my hormones and food allergies. I think they are going to put me on a strict diet and i guess fix whatever shows up on the test. I'll make a log soon, but i'm not going to see them til thursday! I hopefully it will work and i won't have to sit around waiting for nothing. My derm also recommend accutane. He was really concerned about my scarring and he kept saying "we could do better" lol. That was definitely last resort though. 

 

Does the mask help with your acne? I've always wanted to try it out, but my skin gets irritated really quick. I try not to wear make-up either...when i do i don't cover them really well :/ I heard a lot of bad reviews on Mac, but i guess you just have to remove all traces of it. 

 

Well enough about me! How are you feeling today? Any changes in your skin or body?

[pbajsandwich]

Thanks, i hope so too. I'm really anxious because i am going to spend a lot of $ on something that may not work for me. I'm taking a few test too for my hormones and food allergies. I think they are going to put me on a strict diet and i guess fix whatever shows up on the test. I'll make a log soon, but i'm not going to see them til thursday! I hopefully it will work and i won't have to sit around waiting for nothing. My derm also recommend accutane. He was really concerned about my scarring and he kept saying "we could do better" lol. That was definitely last resort though. 

 

Does the mask help with your acne? I've always wanted to try it out, but my skin gets irritated really quick. I try not to wear make-up either...when i do i don't cover them really well :/ I heard a lot of bad reviews on Mac, but i guess you just have to remove all traces of it. 

 

Well enough about me! How are you feeling today? Any changes in your skin or body? 

 

I definitely did the same and tried everything else before attempting a harsher approach.  Can you tell a big difference when you change your diet?  I really hope you have more luck than me!  Just remember not to push it off too long because now I'm left with some unnecessary scarring

 

The mask does help keep some little pimples at bay, but overall it reduce redness and makes my face feel fresh and clean.  My face continues to better with each day, so I hope this is a turn for the better!

 

I'll be sure to submit progress pictures every few weeks.

Edited by pbajsandwich, 12 March 2013 - 10:03 AM.

[michi31]

Hey. I'm also on mino and Spiro and it has been great. However i believe the mino is doing the work as spiro is supposed to take much longer. We won't know unless we stop the mino which I'm scared to do. How much longer are you on the mino?

[pbajsandwich]

Hey. I'm also on mino and Spiro and it has been great. However i believe the mino is doing the work as spiro is supposed to take much longer. We won't know unless we stop the mino which I'm scared to do. How much longer are you on the mino?

 

That's great to hear things are also working well for you!  Yeah, I also agree that it is probably the antibiotics doing all the work since spiro can take months to take affect, but I have yet to experience an initial breakout.  I have a prescription written for three months until I need to return to the clinic for a check-up.

 

How long have you been taking both medications?  Did you experience an initial breakout?

[anotherdaypassesby]

Thanks, i hope so too. I'm really anxious because i am going to spend a lot of $ on something that may not work for me. I'm taking a few test too for my hormones and food allergies. I think they are going to put me on a strict diet and i guess fix whatever shows up on the test. I'll make a log soon, but i'm not going to see them til thursday! I hopefully it will work and i won't have to sit around waiting for nothing. My derm also recommend accutane. He was really concerned about my scarring and he kept saying "we could do better" lol. That was definitely last resort though. 

 

Does the mask help with your acne? I've always wanted to try it out, but my skin gets irritated really quick. I try not to wear make-up either...when i do i don't cover them really well :/ I heard a lot of bad reviews on Mac, but i guess you just have to remove all traces of it. 

 

Well enough about me! How are you feeling today? Any changes in your skin or body? 

 

I definitely did the same and tried everything else before attempting a harsher approach.  Can you tell a big difference when you change your diet?  I really hope you have more luck than me!  Just remember not to push it off too long because now I'm left with some unnecessary scarring

 

The mask does help keep some little pimples at bay, but overall it reduce redness and makes my face feel fresh and clean.  My face continues to better with each day, so I hope this is a turn for the better!

 

I'll be sure to submit progress pictures every few weeks.

 

 

 

Hey how is sprio treating you? Well, i notice when i eat some certain foods, i break out..like sweets and chocolate. It's really hard to keep a "clean" diet because it's not really convenient  I'm trying to start a new diet and stick with it, but i will need to prepare lots of foods and stuff. I know what you mean about the scarring I actually took my blood pressure today and it came back below average, which makes me feel unsure about spiro because it's listed to treat high blood pressure  

[pbajsandwich]

Hey how is sprio treating you? Well, i notice when i eat some certain foods, i break out..like sweets and chocolate. It's really hard to keep a "clean" diet because it's not really convenient  I'm trying to start a new diet and stick with it, but i will need to prepare lots of foods and stuff. I know what you mean about the scarring  I actually took my blood pressure today and it came back below average, which makes me feel unsure about spiro because it's listed to treat high blood pressure 

 

Hey!  Spiro is treating me well, no new breakouts  I also tried to cut things out of my diet and didn't notice much of a difference, but I hear a lot of people have success when changing their diet.

 

Ahhh, did you ask your doctor what they think about you starting spiro with low blood pressure?

[feebedel]

Hey! I started Spiro in Aug 2011 after everything else failed me. I had cystic acne and it was awful. Finally my doc got me on Spiro. I was on 150mg until like July 2012 when my acne got worse (like I was constantly PMSing) and I increased to 200mg a day and was put on 200mg of doxy. I didnt' like how I felt and my periods were almost nonexistant. I felt that wasnt' healthy so I decreased everything to 100mg a day and after about two to three months I became regular again and my acne went away. 

I have had very clear smooth skin with almost no acne since October. I think my dose was too high. Anyway it's worked really really well for me. It's the only thing that's worked and continued to work. Antibiotics always worked for a few months but failed me eventually and my acne would come back with a vengeance. I have had not problems and only need to drink a bit more water than usual as Spiro is a diarrhetic but that's not bad for me. 

Now I just have to deal with the scarring. I wish I had a picture of my acne at its worst. I had like cysts that would last up to a month. Yikes. 

I also used to have SUPER oily skin and it's helped a lot with that. It took me a good full 3 months to see the full effects of spiro. After about 6 weeks I noticed a difference though.

Good luck!

This is my face now btw with no makeup. Still have red spots but my face is completely smooth so make up easily covers it. 

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[pbajsandwich]

Hey! I started Spiro in Aug 2011 after everything else failed me. I had cystic acne and it was awful. Finally my doc got me on Spiro. I was on 150mg until like July 2012 when my acne got worse (like I was constantly PMSing) and I increased to 200mg a day and was put on 200mg of doxy. I didnt' like how I felt and my periods were almost nonexistant. I felt that wasnt' healthy so I decreased everything to 100mg a day and after about two to three months I became regular again and my acne went away. 

I have had very clear smooth skin with almost no acne since October. I think my dose was too high. Anyway it's worked really really well for me. It's the only thing that's worked and continued to work. Antibiotics always worked for a few months but failed me eventually and my acne would come back with a vengeance. I have had not problems and only need to drink a bit more water than usual as Spiro is a diarrhetic but that's not bad for me. 

Now I just have to deal with the scarring. I wish I had a picture of my acne at its worst. I had like cysts that would last up to a month. Yikes. 

I also used to have SUPER oily skin and it's helped a lot with that. It took me a good full 3 months to see the full effects of spiro. After about 6 weeks I noticed a difference though.

Good luck!

This is my face now btw with no makeup. Still have red spots but my face is completely smooth so make up easily covers it. 

 

That is so awesome it worked wonders for you!  I hope my experience is the same  Interesting that a higher dose had a negative effect on your acne.  From what I've read on acne.org, people pine over increasing their dosage.  I'm banking on the spiro working over a few months so I can slowly stop taking antibiotics.  Yup, I too noticed a drastic decrease in my oil production and it's amazing.

 

Your face looks amazing  When your acne dissipated, did you do anything for your red marks/scars?  That's my current dilemma. 

[pbajsandwich]

UPDATE (pictures below)!

 

It's been 4 weeks and my acne is still under control. I'm left with the odd, small pimple here and there.  I have noticed a decrease in oil production and my face is feeling better than ever.

 

I continue to use a honey and aspirin mask daily and decided to invest in manuka honey based on reviews here on acne.org.  So far I haven't noticed a huge difference, but it probably takes time.  Anyone else notice a difference between regular raw and manuka honey?

 

Since it's been 4 weeks and no new breakouts have surfaced, I added Dan's aha+ to my regiment and have used it for about 3 days.  It is drying and stings at first.  I broke out a bit when I started using the cream, but I'm attributing that to my skin trying to adapt.  Anyone have advice on using aha+ on acne scars?

 

I'll provide an update in a week or two

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[pbajsandwich]

Two month update (pictures).

 

I still get small pimples near my jawline here and there, but my skin continues to get better.  I stopped using AHA+ because I broke out for a week.  My biggest concern is the red marks.  If anyone has advice, let me know

 

 

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[anotherdaypassesby]

Two month update (pictures).

 

I still get small pimples near my jawline here and there, but my skin continues to get better.  I stopped using AHA+ because I broke out for a week.  My biggest concern is the red marks.  If anyone has advice, let me know

 

 

 

 

Hey there! For the red marks, i would try some aloe gel! or if you can't find that, there is a gel called mederma which is made specifically for scars.

 

Hope everything is going well and thanks for keeping us update

[pbajsandwich]

Hey there! For the red marks, i would try some aloe gel! or if you can't find that, there is a gel called mederma which is made specifically for scars.

 

Hope everything is going well and thanks for keeping us update

 

Thanks for the advice!  I actually have aloe gel, but never tried it because I didn't want to add more variables to my routine.  I'll give it a shot this month and see where things go.  Acne.org has given it a lot of praise for red marks, so I'm hopeful

[lifeinfaith]

Hydroquinone is what my derm said will really fade red marks but some people are really sensitive to it. I have found that either glycolic or salycilic acid help them, as well as Vit C serum. I have seen a huge difference made in people who get a series of chemical peels as well.

I just started Spiro almost 2 weeks ago and am really looking forward to it decreasing my oil production and clogged pores. So far nothing noticeable.

[whoartthou1]

are you still taking the mino?

[pbajsandwich]

Hydroquinone is what my derm said will really fade red marks but some people are really sensitive to it. I have found that either glycolic or salycilic acid help them, as well as Vit C serum. I have seen a huge difference made in people who get a series of chemical peels as well.

I just started Spiro almost 2 weeks ago and am really looking forward to it decreasing my oil production and clogged pores. So far nothing noticeable.

 

I tried hydroquinone and was quite sensitive to it, but I hear it works wonders.  Awesome, thanks for the advice.  I will look into all of those and provide an update.  I have also heard Vit C serum works really well.

Keep up with spiro if you can.  My oil production has continued to lessen and my acne has disappeared (but this may be due to mino as well).  Good luck and I hope things get better for you!

are you still taking the mino?

 

Yup, I'm still taking 100mg of oral antibiotics twice a day.