Ive had acne since i was 14 I absolutley HATE it! Ive tried so many things. I follow a strick organic all natural diet and drink a whole lot of water.I just started taking regular ortho tricyclin/ tri nessa the cheaper one. and started using retin a and clymiicin or something. I noticed results in just a week. is hat possible? my skin isnt as oily and my pores look smaller. i really hope this continues and i hope that my bc dosen't make it worse (knock knock knock) I will seriously go crazy if my skin gets worse.

Don't look at my ratings, prescribed pill, haven't taken any yet.
I went to the doctor today. Both Me and my sister saw a doctor at the same time. We both have Cystic Acne. I get deep cysts and her's aren't very deep. I was on Minocycline and Differin gel(had to discontinue use because after taking for about 2 months the medicine stopped working for me and gel really dried out face and my face and neck burned when I worked out at the gym when i sweated) up until today.
Today I was prescribed Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo( I read on a website that it shouldn't be prescribed for acne and hasn't yet been studied with acne?! anyone know anymore details?) I was also prescribed Trimethoprim, also called Teva,(an antibiotic combination) and Tretinoin (Tret-i-noyn, facecream)to take everyday. The ortho Tri-Cyclen is taken with the teva and the teva is taken twice a day. Does anyone else take teva, or also take teva with the Lo pill? How's that work for you?
I haven't taken any of these pills yet, because i have a question about menstration. I am close to the end of my cycle and its friday, should i take it on this Sunday or next sunday? ALso, the dialpack, when you turn it on sunday then set the pills in there, its all set? or is there a certain sunday or other day you set it on the pack?
I have a real problem with taking any kinds of pills, i hate the acne the same amount i hate the pills so either way I lose. I think after i begin taking my pills i'm going to get checkups to look for any kinds of liver damage or if I experience a side effect i'm gonna give up, but if i don't prescription medicate my acne I'll have huge cyst blotches all over my face, oh, I also get backne-cystic backne too. I was wondering if anyone has any comments on my post or take the same medicine i do or have a real issues with taking pills. COuld you please answere my question about the dialbox and period thing fast, Thank you. I really like this website it looks like a good one for acne support and information.

I am on my third month of ortho tricyclen lo and while it has cut down my period time from 8 days to 4, my face is full of cystsic acne. The pimples just don't want to go away. It's been about a month and a half like this, so i would say it started 1 1/2 after i started the pill. I'm trying to wait it out but i'm really worried about the scars i will probably have and continue to get as i wait it out. I'm thinking of changing over to the regular one- Ortho tricyclen.

I've always had a problem with oily skin and acne. I started out on retin-A and minocycline, but my acne was stubborn and I went through two treatments of accutane. Accutane wasn't fun, but my skin was beautiful after both treatments. Eventually the acne/oily skin came back and I went on ortho tricycline to keep it under control after seeing a friend whose skin cleared up on it. It seemed to work alright, the only side affect I had was a little weight gain, 5-10lbs. However, I decided to go off of it (just wasn't sure if it was really that healthy) but got really bad migraines when I took myself off of it the first time. The second time I succeeded in getting off of it without migraines. Now that I am getting older it is not so bad (I'm 22) but I have noticed that my skin is getting oily again after 1-2 years of being off of birth control. Thinking about going back on it just for this reason, but not sure if it's worth it. It's about $45 a month for me, and from hearing other experiences on this message board, afraid to try a cheaper one. So I'm not sure what to do. Besides the acne, does anyone notice skin that their skin is dramatically less oily? It's been so long I can't remember if it just cleared up the acne or if it really did help with the oiliness.

Ive been on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo for 6 months, and it is causing me to have cystic acne and grow facial hair. I have never had acne trouble like this before, and I am 26. Not pleased with this pill...am wondering if my reactions could be due to the fact i have allergies and its my body not liking it (sensitive to everything).

Its done its job at not getting me pregnant, but its pricey even after an insurance co-pay.

I've taken Ortho Tri-Cyclen lo for about a year..and i also broke out a lil when i first started..and i got the nasty cystic acne that wouldnt go away for like a month..but after a few months..my skin got better than ever..i rarely break out and my skin is alot less oily..

So for others out there that are breaking out after a few days taking the pill..i would be patient and wait a few months before deciding to get off.

ive tried almost everything to clear up my mild to moderate acne and this seems like the only option left to me. im going to try the regular ortho and just pray that it doesnt mess me up worse then before in anyway

I've been on Tri-nessa for 2 or 3 years. im only 17, and i was cursed with really bad acne. My Doctor prescibed some acutane for my acne, so i guess i don't know if the pill did the clearing. but, all i know now is that my face is beautiful and clear. But.. One thing i don't like about the pill im on is i have no sex drive. bummer.

I think you all are missing the boat on acne and birth control pills. Most acne is caused by hormonal changes, thus when you start any birth control there are changes in hormones, which prevents pregnancy. I too had cystic acne, I had even gone to the ER one time because I couldnt get into my Dr, and was running a huge fever and they were concerned. I have since I started Ortho Tri in 2000, had major breakouts, had a baby, and have taken accutaine. Accutaine and Ortho together have cleared up my acne. I now have gorgeous skin but just remember switching products every few months will not be the answer to your problems only cause them.

I've been on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo for over a year now, and I can say that it definitely has improved my skin, but wasn't quite the miracle cure I hope it would be. I had mild acne throughout high school (almost always one or two visible pimples but rarely more than four, some barely perceptible ones). The summer after I graduated, I broke out like crazy for no apparent reason and had many large pimples. I looked horrible and had to start loading on the makeup and more topical treatments, but nothing worked. I tried Proactiv and it did nothing to improve my skin despite the celebrity promises. Finally, I got a prescription for OTC Lo, hoping that stabilizing my hormones would end this nonsense. It did, but I'm pretty much back to where I was in high school skin wise--mild persistent acne. My sister has had the same experience, where going on birth control (I'm not sure which kind) cleared up her worse acne but where she still gets breakouts. I've also experienced a lot more moodiness since being on the pill, but it's a side affect I'm willing to take in exchange for generally clearer skin, no pregnancy, and being able to predict my periods to the hour. I get OTC Lo for $10/month after being subsidized by insurance, so it's pretty cheap. I recommend trying birth control for several months and using topical treatments simultaneously, like Dan's Clear Skin Regimen gel. The birth control will probably take care of the major breakouts and the topical treatment will help with the rest. Birth control definitely does not work instantly, though, so be sure to remain on it for four or more cycles so that you can see what your side effects will be and if it will improve your skin at all. I saw overall improvement after the first two months, but it got even better over time.