About a year ago, I bought some zinc supplements to take hoping it would reduce my acne and hyperpigmentation, since I'd always heard zinc was good for your skin. I was taking an antibiotic (bactrim -- it worked very well) at the same time. I always noticed after I took the pills, I would get a temporary nauseous feeling, or a feeling in my neck like I might have to throw up. I figured it was a side effect of the bactrim, and since it was tolerable and only lasted a few minutes, I ignored it.
Well I recently got some bad pimples/cysts that left some pretty nasty red marks, so I started taking the zinc again hoping it will help my face. I noticed the nauseous feeling came back and realized it had been the zinc all along and not the antibiotic. I went online and found out this a pretty common side effect of zinc
My question is, is this a sign.that I should stop taking it/it is doing more harm than good? Again, the feeling only lasts a few minutes at most and is mild enough to tolerate. I'm willing to keep tolerating it as long as it will help my acne/scars.
By the way, I am now taking Azithromyacin (Zithromax?). I started taking it just over a month ago...it hasn't been very effective since I am still getting pimples/cysts. But the derm told me my acne could get worse before it gets better because it brings everything to the surface. I'm also using aczone in the morning and tazorac before I go to bed.
If anyone was wondering, the derm pulled me off of bactrim after 8 months because it was making my white blood cell count low. It was a shame because my face was looking really clear (except for the red marks still lingering) by the time I got off it. Of course, within two weeks of going off it, my acne started coming back.
Of course, within two weeks of going off it, my acne started coming back.
This is why i never advocate anti-biotics. You'll be much better off trying to address the underlying metabolic cause of your acne rather than using anti-biotics, which only provide temporary relief. This can be a long journey of trial and error, but there are many things with diet you could be doing to start off with. Switching to organic, nutrient dense foods is a good start. You can also try going gluten free for a time, as well as dairy free. Avoiding processed crap foods, sugar loaded foods/drinks, and crappy vegetable oils is another great step. You might also look into a raw, whole food derived multi-vitamin, as well as vitamin D (which you can also find in whole food derived form) I say whole food derived because you don't want to be consuming synthetic vitamins. They are largely useless, and can actually be detrimental to certain body processes.
Also a few years back when i was supplementing with zinc, i also felt as though i was going to puke after taking the pills.
30 - 36 mg of zinc a day works well for me and never causes me to feel sick, I usually have a full stomache but I have alsio had it on an empty one, I don't know why but zinc just doesn't affect me!
zinc is suppose to be really good for skin nails and hair, the important one there being skin haha, which is why I take it and everyone else should definatly give it a try.
Never go above 50mg, actually, just don't take more than 30mg
Definitely always take zinc with food as it can cause nausea on empty stomach. Also you should not take it at the same time as your antibiotic. Zinc can block absorption of some types of antibiotics. As I rule of them I always took antibiotics with food unless explicitly prescribed not to and take any other supplements at a different time/meal of the day.