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[bumpinthenight]

I moved states, and am temporarily without health insurance. Between that and being concerned with some health risks associated with Yaz, I decided to use this time to see if I can clear up my (cystic) acne without Yaz. I have been on Yaz for six years, and the last year I was on continuous Yaz with inactive pills only being taken every four months. Yaz cleared up my cysts to the point that I only had 0 to 2 at any given time. I suspect I have an either immune system or hormonal imbalance issue running through my mom's side of the family, but have had no help what so ever from doctors in trying to figure out if any of the issues I have are related. I have had to treat everything separately. Cystic, adult acne has been one of those things.

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My skin was extremely clear for a week after stopping Yaz. I began making homemade whole wheat bread and started eating a lot of it. I began having huge cystic outbreaks with 1 to 3 showing up each day. These cysts have stayed with me for the past month and a half, going through a cycle of dying down into hard, flat lumps, before erupting once more into huge cyst mountains, with new ones showing up in intervals. After some reading, three days ago, I decided to try cutting dairy and wheat out of my diet.

I have known since high school that commercial milk upsets my stomach. It also breaks me out, and seems to worsen other issues for me. I seem to handle (no hormones/no antibiotics) raw milk and goat's milk much better, but if I start eating three yogurts a day with milk in my cereal...I do have a breaking point so to speak. I've known for a long time that beer and coffee break me out, but that liquor does not. I looked it up, and found out that coffee can trigger gluten sensitive people, so decided to try no gluten/wheat for at least two weeks. I want to test my tolerance level for dairy too, so I made that no dairy and no gluten/wheat for at least two weeks.

Day One: All current cysts were still painful and an angry red.

Day Two: No new cysts emerged.

Day Three: Still no new cysts. Current cysts look less inflamed and red. They are not throbbing with pain. No pain even if pushed on.

I'll try to update this daily.

[bumpinthenight]

Day Four: No new cysts. Old cysts have flattened out considerably. Redness has lessened, and cysts are closer to skin color. No pain.

[bumpinthenight]

Day Five: unable to fall asleep til after 5:30 am last night, but only got one normal zit (I typically get at least one cyst after not getting appropriate sleep). No new cysts, old cysts are almost completely flat and very close to skin tone now.

[bumpinthenight]

Day five part two: Got a weird cluster of hive type bumps high on my cheekbone (an area I do not get acne on), and old cysts became inflamed. Food today was:
-rice cereal with coconut milk
-bunch of blueberries
-carrots
-chili
-nibbled a bit of the coconut/pumpkin pie with walnut crust I was making for tomorrow. I noticed hive type bumps about two hours later.

Monitor reaction to walnuts as I don't usually eat them and may have reacted to them. May also be environmental instead of diet.

[bumpinthenight]

Day Six: Hive like bump cluster disappeared. Old cysts died back down. Zit from yesterday tried to promote itself to senior executive cyst overnight. Still fairly small, but painful. Otherwise clear.

[bumpinthenight]

Day 7: several old cysts are back from the dead and fully inflamed. Newer cyst has practically gained sentience. All are painful. Bleh.

Edited by bumpinthenight, 18 March 2013 - 12:20 PM.

[bumpinthenight]

Day 8: Really, really gross, depressing day. Five cysts are actively inflamed and very red/painful. No new ones, but with cysts like these, who needs 'em?

Edited by bumpinthenight, 18 March 2013 - 12:20 PM.

[bumpinthenight]

Day 9: No new cysts, old cysts seem a little less angry today. Wonder if walnuts could wreak such havoc, or if food has anything to do with my cystic acne.

Edited by bumpinthenight, 18 March 2013 - 12:22 PM.

[bumpinthenight]

No new cysts. All cysts except for one grand-daddy getting less red and less painful. All are flattening out.

[bumpinthenight]

Day 11: No new cysts. Pain and inflammation dying down further. More small zits than normal in chin area, so wary of cysts planning a surprise attack.

[bumpinthenight]

Day11 part 2: I was craving biscuits and made this recipe with some alterations. http://simplygluten-...e-biscuits.html I used a bit of chickpea and millet flour instead of straight rice, added some vinegar instead of straight coconut milk, added a bit of cinamon, and froze some small pieces of non-dairy spread to add at the last minute for better texture. The tapioca starch makes this have an actual crumb to it! I had tried making millet/rice biscuits with an egg to hold them together, and they were so crumbly and bad I couldn't eat them. This new recipe was actually good in flavor and texture. Had one biscuit with a salad for dinner and one biscuit with strawberries on it for a makeshift strawberry shortcake dessert. Even if this restricted diet doesn't help my face, it is quickly dropping my weight. I had shot up 9 pounds immediately after stopping Yaz.

Roomate had chicken fingers though, and I lusted.

[bumpinthenight]

Day 12: crap sleep last night (3 hours), two cysts threatening to emerge in chin area.

[bumpinthenight]

Day 13: my chin looks like crap. So crowded with bumps I'm not even sure what is what on it anymore, but new cysts appeared for sure. Had fun today regardless.

[bumpinthenight]

Day 14: no new cysts, but plenty of old ones. They aren't very painful or inflamed though.

[bumpinthenight]

Day 15: no new cysts. Old cysts are tame, flat, and painless today. Broke my no dairy diet yesterday in order to drink a glass of local, raw cow's milk. No regrets on that!

[bumpinthenight]

Day 16: No new cysts. Two new nodule type things on chin that came to a head by nightfall. Not painful on the level of a cyst at all. very little pain, but some irritation old cyst wise. they are flat but a but red today. some old acne scars ar a bit res too oddly. Ate four pieces of orange chicken tonight that may have had a wheat breading, but it was worth any cysts that may come.

[bumpinthenight]

Day 17: No new cysts.

[bumpinthenight]

Day 18: Face looks and feels amazing today. All old cysts extremely flat, no pain. Wish I could find reasons why I can either wake up to this or to a cyst convention. Will start recording diet and other details.

Yesterday:
-gluten free brown rice crispies with strawberries and coconut milk
-carrot
-peppermint tea
-strawberries
-apple
-cheated and had a dark chocolate Milky Way bar (unlike with the raw milk cheat, the taste was NOT worth it)
-large salad with egg, almonds, peppers, tomatoes, red lettuce, spinach, mushrooms, basalmic vinegar
-gluten free biscuit with lots of homemade blackberry/bandy jelly.

Went for walk. Got fair ammount of sun exposure. Was unusually hungry (not for me in general, but since starting this diet) today.

Allergies were acting up terribly with burning feeling in eyes and sneezing. Took usual half a sleep aid/antihistamine pill. Fell asleep early for me, got over eight hours. Lots of stress dreams though.

Edited by bumpinthenight, 27 March 2013 - 11:25 AM.

[bumpinthenight]

No new cysts, old ones still flat. Noticed TMJ in jaw is less terrible. Jaw joints still crack and jaw can't open smoothly, but the normal squelch caused by tendonitis is gone. Have had tendonitis present for the last few years with no break in it, so that seems very positive.

Yesterday's food:
-hard boiled eggs (2)
-pear
-one marshmallow
-brown rice cereal and raw cow's milk (cheat on the no dairy, but raw milk is sooo good!)
-peppermint tea
-scallops in a wine and tomato sauce over gluten free pasta

Got about 7 hours of sleep, and sleep was deep. Had hives on eyelids again yesterday, and allergy related congestion.

[bumpinthenight]

Day 20:
No new cysts, one pustule appeared last night, but already is on its way out. During lunch, and for about two hours, jaw tendon could be heard scraping against sheath, but now squelching is gone again. Will have to test to see if something like the milk yesterday caused it to flare up a bit.

Yesterday's food:
-brown rice cereal in raw milk
-peppermint tea
-pear
-Botun rice candy (mmmmmmmmmmm)
-hard boiled egg
-scallops, gluten free pasta with tomato wine sauce
-one tomato
-two marshmallows
-1/4 cup of coconut milk icecream, mint flavored
-gluten free hot dogs in gluten free baked beans

Early to bed, 8 or more hours of sleep. Allergies were minimal yesterday with no noticeable hives.

Edited by bumpinthenight, 29 March 2013 - 10:53 AM.