Acne.org Products
Hi everyone, just re-read this whole thread again, really interesting.
Well i should be receiving my first bottle of B5 from www.b5supplements.co.uk Its the Evolution-X brand (So i only need to take this, no B-complex etc)
My main worry is that I will get a big breakout once taking B5, or simply get even worse skin (which is moderate at the moment)
So did everyone get a big breakout within the first week of taking B5???
Also what are peoples experiences of taking a lower dosage of B5? The evolution-x pill recommends 5g for the first 3 days, then 10 grams "until clear". I am more than willing to take this megadose, but if anyone can advise that a lower dose can be affective then i would consider this.
And lastly, would the use of glycolic/ SA products be okay to use while on B5?, I'm just starting to use a 10% glycolic moisturizer which will prepare me for a 30% glycolic peel...would this be okay?
Thanks.
Hi everyone, just re-read this whole thread again, really interesting.
Well i should be receiving my first bottle of B5 from www.b5supplements.co.uk Its the Evolution-X brand (So i only need to take this, no B-complex etc)
My main worry is that I will get a big breakout once taking B5, or simply get even worse skin (which is moderate at the moment)
So did everyone get a big breakout within the first week of taking B5???
Also what are peoples experiences of taking a lower dosage of B5? The evolution-x pill recommends 5g for the first 3 days, then 10 grams "until clear". I am more than willing to take this megadose, but if anyone can advise that a lower dose can be affective then i would consider this.
And lastly, would the use of glycolic/ SA products be okay to use while on B5?, I'm just starting to use a 10% glycolic moisturizer which will prepare me for a 30% glycolic peel...would this be okay?
Thanks.
Jonny,
I didn't get a breakout within the first few weeks of my B5; things went really well for the first few weeks, but I got a big breakout at about one month in, which I'm still recovering from at the moment. It's been good again since then though, just will take a while to heal, as always!
)
I'd stick to the dose that's recommended, start with the 5g for the first few days then begin on the 10g - there's no need to take any more than 10g after that. The big dose is there for a reason - after the three months you can ramp down the dose to something smaller.
I couldn't really comment on the glycolic/SA question as I don't use that kind of thing myself, but I'm sure other people have done so.
Hope this helps.
Hey guys,
I see a lot of unanswered questions in here. Unfortunately I dont have time to go through and answer them all.
Again my email address is [Removed], please feel free to email me if you'd like answers from a regular B5 user.
I have been taking vitamin B5 for 4 years now and I dont even wash my face anymore and my skin is completely spot free.
I will start keeping an eye on this thread trying to answer people's questions.
To anyone starting out on B5 - DONT GIVE UP. It takes at least 2-4 weeks to even begin to work and up to 3 months before spots stop all together.
If you're on anti-biotics you are making your spots worse in the long run, and as soon as you stop taking them you will get your worst breakout ever.
The way I understand the science (but I am no scientist) -
I read this at http://www.pantothenic-acid.com/acne_vulgaris.html :
- Vitamin B5 is needed for enzymes (to break down fats) and hormones
- When it is used up producing hormones (during puberty) OR when you dont absorb enough from your diet your digestive system can't produce the enzymes needed to break down the fats that cause oily skin
- By supplementing vitamin B5 in massive doses your body can sufficiently produce enzymes needed to break down these fats. Then there is no oil to cause oily skin and block up the pores.
- Antibiotics merely kill off the bacteria in your face (along with all the good bacteria in your body), they do not stop the problem causing the acne.
And one thing i've learned. Antibacterial face washes may claim to work on the bottle, but they dont.
Duncan style_emoticons/
RE: low dose B5. I have yet to find anyone on these boards that has had success with less than 10g, but I've seen quite a few success stories on other boards with people having success with as little as 3g, and a lot of people taking 5-8g. I'm currently taking 6 grams, but I'm only a couple of weeks into it, so I'll keep you all posted as to how it goes.
I would love to try B5.... but I'm so scared... I will die if I break out anymore.I don't know what to do...
I hope it is the initial break out..How long did you have to wait to see any improvements? It's almost the 4 week and my acne is pretty much the same, maybe worst.. ( I keep telling myself it is no that bad.. but mmm
I don't think I ever had an initial breakout while taking Vitamin b5 caps. I used it for a few months gradually increasing to 10 grams a day. I did notice my pores on my cheeks looked a little (not a lot) smaller. The pimples cleared up on my face and back. However, my hair started thinning is the reason I stopped taking them and I didn't think I needed them anymore because I went through treatments of photodynamic therapy.
I believe my hair was thinning though because I lost like 20 pounds (185# down to 165#) in about 3 months. I still am having a problem gaining my weight back without gorging myself on junk food. If you take the high dosages of vitamin b5, you will lose weight, so be careful. Also, I hear you should take biotin with Vitamin b5 , which I didn't do for the most part. I don't know how much biotin to take though. Also, DON'T STOP TAKING VIT B5 ALL AT ONCE, like I did. I lowered the dosage down just before my last PDT treatment and stopped taking Vit b5. After the last PDT treatment, I started breaking out on my chin area so I started taking the b5 caps again and got up to 10 grams a day when I really noticed my hair was thinning, so I stopped taking vitamin b5 altogether. Just like you gradually went up to 10 grams, you should gradually go down as well. What happened to me was that my body (I guess) got "stressed-out" and I broke out on my back, chest, stomach, and on my chin area. Also I got some white hairs on my head from doing this. That really sucks. This was about 3 months ago. I still have the white hairs (although I've balanced out my vitamin supplements more, so Im hoping and praying they turn back blond. I think zinc is suppose to help get the color back in your hair. Well anyways, for now, the white hairs are kinda hidden underneath my other hair). The zits on my stomach and chest cleared up (Thank God). My back is doing much better, but I still have a few pimples there mainly because I normally had some problems with zits back there. And finally my chin and face look like the pimples will be gone soon (Thank God). As it turns out, the acne on my chin which I thought was rosacea was some strep? or something that I was re-infecting it everytime I shaved, so says my dermatologist anyways.
Also a warning would be that your skin on other areas of your body might get dry. I noticed I was getting a rash-type redness on my forearms, stomach, and chest-area. I think I may have been overdoing it on the antioxidants (vitamin C and turmeric) while I was taking the Vitamin b5. I know the turmeric spice was giving me a rash-type redness and I stopped taking that. I also stopped taking high doses of Vitamin C (I was hoping it would help boost collagen formation), because my skin was drying out.
Oh and my hair is gradually getting thicker again (Thank God). It's a daily struggle though. Because when I go to bed I may weigh 175 pounds, but when I wake-up I weigh 170 pounds. I believe once I get my natural weight of 185 pounds back my hair will be great again.
As for me, I won't ever take 10 grams of Vitamin b5 again. I might take 500mg of Vitamin b5 once a day or every other day and biotin with it, just to see if it will clear up my back better and to maybe see if that will keep the extra fat off my abs.
I read another post somewhere that said he cleared up his acne in about 3 days just by taking a teaspoon of creme of tartar a day with some juice. I'm trying that now. Right now, it is inconclusive. I would try that over 10 grams of Vitamin b5 first.
I hope my experience will help you make a better informed decision.
I've been on b5 I think for three weeks now...I didn't want to say anything until several weeks went by to see if it was a fluke or not. Also I started bc a week ago, so I wasn't sure if it was that which is helping, but that seems a little too fast for that to kick in. While I haven't really seen any improvement on my face yet, (could be because the regimen I was using was freaking out my face but I'm off it now) my back is clearing up and probably only half the amount of acne it was before. (my back I haven't done anything different so I know it has to the b5) However I'm only taking 5g a day, as I wanted to see how my body would handle it first. Maybe I need to up the dosage to see results on my face as well. I am taking a vitamin drink that has the other b vitamins to make sure I am not deficient and I take a multivitamin as well. So far I haven't seen any really bad side effects, but I have noticed if I don't eat with the pills my stomach can get upset.
i'm on week 4 and just suffered one of the biggest pimple outbreaks. As for weight loss, i don't know how this happens to people, just eat and workout and taking supplements. I hope this stuff works because im losing hope. The outbreak was so bad....i was always afraid ppl were lookin at me...
Hey, I just got B5/Pantothenic Acid ( the GNC brand) and a B-Super Complex with Vitamin C, I am wandering the difference between the 25-50-100 complex and the super complex, will the super-complex work? here is the link: http://www.naturesbounty.com/vf/labels/013168nb.pdf
thanks all for the help!
Mr. Panto,
First I want to thank you for your valuable information. Today was my first visit to this web site. I have been at home for 8 days now because of my embarrassing acne problems. Since the start of this year I have missed a total of about 6 working days because of my acne. I also have experienced some depression as a result of my acne. After reading your posting along with many others I am trying to see if my symptoms qualify me for the vitamin B5. I never had acne growing up and up until about 2 months ago I never had acne such as this. I am debating on whether I fit the profile to use vitamin B5. This is why I am asking for some input........I read a lot of different forums today and went to all the different links to educate myself on this topic. Like I stated I rarely have acne but when I do it is the kind desribed as a cyst. Usually I only get one of these (which is one more than I wanted) at a time but I am at a loss on what to do. Should I try the vitamin B5?? I do not know if maybe a change in my eating habits or diet might have caused these sporadic occurrances or even stress or what??! Any advice or pointers you or others can provide is much appreciated. Your article was very very helpful and I again thank you for your input. I guess today was a good day since I did find this web site!
I have noticed a large amount of posts pertaining to vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), with usually the same questions asked over and over agian. Therefore I have decided to make a thread with hopefully all the information someone would need to go on the supplement.Dosage
First off, the thing that irks most people is the very high dosage that is needed of B5. In Dr. Lit-Hung Leung's study the dosage that was mainly used is 10 grams. This is ideally how much you should take to get the best results. However, do not begin taking 10 grams right away. Your body needs to get used to the high intake of B5.
Since you will be taking 10 grams a day, it is best to buy Vitamin B5 in capsules that are 500mg each. 1000mg (milligrams) is equal to 1g (gram). Therefore, 2 pills is 1 gram.
-For the first 3 days, you will want to take a dosage of 5 grams a day. This is a total of 10 pills a day. It is good to have it spread out throughout the day, so it might be good to take 5 pills in the morning, and 5 pills at night.
-When the 3 days are up, you will be moving up the full 10 gram dosage. This will mean 20 pills a day. Again, you will want to have a steady supply of B5 throughout the day, so taking it in intervals is important. You will be taking 5 pills, 4 times a day. It is very key to be as consistent as you can.
-Keep taking the vitamin B5 for 3 months. I saw results after the 1st week, some people see first results after 2 weeks. After 3 months you should hopefully have clear skin. Make sure you take the b5 consistenly and EVERY DAY for 3 months. (Note: Some people have an initial breakout. This can be caused from pre-existing pimples that are just pushing through. But keep with it, it WILL help you.)
-After your acne has finally cleared up, you will still want to continue taking B5, but not in such high doses. Maybe drop down to 5 grams a day. If you get more acne, increase your dosage immediately, and then adjust to a dosage where you do not break out. Overtime you can keep decreasing.
-Another point I would like to mention is to make sure you take vitamin B complex vitamins. Taking this much vitamin b5 might cause a deficiency in the other b vitamins. I just take 1 pill of the complex twice a day.
Possible Side Effects
The good thing about B5 is that it doesn't really have many side effects. Here is what most people have reported:
-Stomach irritation
-Mild or severe diarrhea
-Frequent bathroom visits
-Hairloss (rare) Some cases on message boards have reported hair loss but it isn't something I would worry about, and it definetly shouldn't keep you from taking B5.
-Increased appetite (I seem to always be hungry, I am eating lots more than I ever have before)
-Chapped lips
Personally, I had some stomach grumbling for the first few days. I went poop frequently, and farted a lot. But this pretty much went away after 5 days. It is VERY GOOD to take your B5 with food. This will minimize diarrhea or stomach troubles.
B5 is water-soluble, so it is impossible to overdose on it. It is very, very safe. I read that it might not be the best idea to take it while pregnant or breast feeding.
How it works
Basically what the high doses of B5 do is create high amounts of Coenzyme-A. People with acne are lacking in the metabolism of fats. This is because they do not have enough Coenzyme-A in the body. The fats do not break down, but get deposited in your sebaceous (oil) glands and get secreted as sebum (oil). The p.acne bacteria feeds off of this sebum, and creates acne.
With all of this extra Coenzyme-A, all these fats can be broken down, and you do not have oily skin. Since you have a minimal amount of oil on your skin, no acne is produced (Hurray). Accutane also minimizes oil production, but it does so by shrinking your oil glands. The pantothenic acid doesn't need to shrink your oil glands, because it causes there to not be oil there in the first place. An extra bonus from pantothenic acid (B5) is that is makes your pores smaller. This results in making your skin smooth and good looking.
Where to get it
This is a department that some people have trouble in. You probably won't find it in super markets, or stores like CVS. You will need to find it in shops that are specialized in drugs or vitamins. This means stores like GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, etc. I personally get it from a local Vitamin Shoppe. Many times it will not be under the name B5, but Pantothenic Acid. Here is a Vitamin Shoppe link of what their brand looks like. You can order it on their site if you want too. Note how it has 500mg capsules, and there are 300 of them. Make sure you buy a lot because they get used up quickly. Many people do not like the price, but it's worth it to get rid of your acne. So KEEP AT IT, clear skin is just around the corner.
I will probably update/edit this post where I see fit, or if I get asked to. Feel free to add any/all useful info.
Useful Links
http://www.clearskin.net/viewtopic.php?t=1907
http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze3f978/B5.html
http://www.freewebs.com/krg/b5.html
http://www.b5supplements.com/General-B5-Qu...ne-Prevent.html
http://gmuntz.tripod.com/b5.html
Mr. Panto,
First I want to thank you for your valuable information. Today was my first visit to this web site. I have been at home for 8 days now because of my embarrassing acne problems. Since the start of this year I have missed a total of about 6 working days because of my acne. I also have experienced some depression as a result of my acne. After reading your posting along with many others I am trying to see if my symptoms qualify me for the vitamin B5. I never had acne growing up and up until about 2 months ago I never had acne such as this. I am debating on whether I fit the profile to use vitamin B5. This is why I am asking for some input........I read a lot of different forums today and went to all the different links to educate myself on this topic. Like I stated I rarely have acne but when I do it is the kind desribed as a cyst. Usually I only get one of these (which is one more than I wanted) at a time but I am at a loss on what to do. Should I try the vitamin B5?? I do not know if maybe a change in my eating habits or diet might have caused these sporadic occurrances or even stress or what??! Any advice or pointers you or others can provide is much appreciated. Your article was very very helpful and I again thank you for your input. I guess today was a good day since I did find this web site!
I have noticed a large amount of posts pertaining to vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), with usually the same questions asked over and over agian. Therefore I have decided to make a thread with hopefully all the information someone would need to go on the supplement.Dosage
First off, the thing that irks most people is the very high dosage that is needed of B5. In Dr. Lit-Hung Leung's study the dosage that was mainly used is 10 grams. This is ideally how much you should take to get the best results. However, do not begin taking 10 grams right away. Your body needs to get used to the high intake of B5.
Since you will be taking 10 grams a day, it is best to buy Vitamin B5 in capsules that are 500mg each. 1000mg (milligrams) is equal to 1g (gram). Therefore, 2 pills is 1 gram.
-For the first 3 days, you will want to take a dosage of 5 grams a day. This is a total of 10 pills a day. It is good to have it spread out throughout the day, so it might be good to take 5 pills in the morning, and 5 pills at night.
-When the 3 days are up, you will be moving up the full 10 gram dosage. This will mean 20 pills a day. Again, you will want to have a steady supply of B5 throughout the day, so taking it in intervals is important. You will be taking 5 pills, 4 times a day. It is very key to be as consistent as you can.
-Keep taking the vitamin B5 for 3 months. I saw results after the 1st week, some people see first results after 2 weeks. After 3 months you should hopefully have clear skin. Make sure you take the b5 consistenly and EVERY DAY for 3 months. (Note: Some people have an initial breakout. This can be caused from pre-existing pimples that are just pushing through. But keep with it, it WILL help you.)
-After your acne has finally cleared up, you will still want to continue taking B5, but not in such high doses. Maybe drop down to 5 grams a day. If you get more acne, increase your dosage immediately, and then adjust to a dosage where you do not break out. Overtime you can keep decreasing.
-Another point I would like to mention is to make sure you take vitamin B complex vitamins. Taking this much vitamin b5 might cause a deficiency in the other b vitamins. I just take 1 pill of the complex twice a day.
Possible Side Effects
The good thing about B5 is that it doesn't really have many side effects. Here is what most people have reported:
-Stomach irritation
-Mild or severe diarrhea
-Frequent bathroom visits
-Hairloss (rare) Some cases on message boards have reported hair loss but it isn't something I would worry about, and it definetly shouldn't keep you from taking B5.
-Increased appetite (I seem to always be hungry, I am eating lots more than I ever have before)
-Chapped lips
Personally, I had some stomach grumbling for the first few days. I went poop frequently, and farted a lot. But this pretty much went away after 5 days. It is VERY GOOD to take your B5 with food. This will minimize diarrhea or stomach troubles.
B5 is water-soluble, so it is impossible to overdose on it. It is very, very safe. I read that it might not be the best idea to take it while pregnant or breast feeding.
How it works
Basically what the high doses of B5 do is create high amounts of Coenzyme-A. People with acne are lacking in the metabolism of fats. This is because they do not have enough Coenzyme-A in the body. The fats do not break down, but get deposited in your sebaceous (oil) glands and get secreted as sebum (oil). The p.acne bacteria feeds off of this sebum, and creates acne.
With all of this extra Coenzyme-A, all these fats can be broken down, and you do not have oily skin. Since you have a minimal amount of oil on your skin, no acne is produced (Hurray). Accutane also minimizes oil production, but it does so by shrinking your oil glands. The pantothenic acid doesn't need to shrink your oil glands, because it causes there to not be oil there in the first place. An extra bonus from pantothenic acid (B5) is that is makes your pores smaller. This results in making your skin smooth and good looking.
Where to get it
This is a department that some people have trouble in. You probably won't find it in super markets, or stores like CVS. You will need to find it in shops that are specialized in drugs or vitamins. This means stores like GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, etc. I personally get it from a local Vitamin Shoppe. Many times it will not be under the name B5, but Pantothenic Acid. Here is a Vitamin Shoppe link of what their brand looks like. You can order it on their site if you want too. Note how it has 500mg capsules, and there are 300 of them. Make sure you buy a lot because they get used up quickly. Many people do not like the price, but it's worth it to get rid of your acne. So KEEP AT IT, clear skin is just around the corner.
I will probably update/edit this post where I see fit, or if I get asked to. Feel free to add any/all useful info.
Useful Links
http://www.clearskin.net/viewtopic.php?t=1907
http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze3f978/B5.html
http://www.freewebs.com/krg/b5.html
http://www.b5supplements.com/General-B5-Qu...ne-Prevent.html
http://gmuntz.tripod.com/b5.html