I've been on the regime for roughly 5 months and it has cleared up my acne. But I'm left with red itchy and dry skin, I switched from the acne.org moisturiser to another called zerobase emollient cream and it seems to be fine for me skin I've been using it for just under a month. I still had itchy skin on the acne.org moisturiser. I've been reading on the forums and wonder if I have a fungal infection as I used antibiotics for a few months about 2 years ago and I think my tongue is white (i included a picture). When I was younger I was on antibiotics prescribed from my doctor for a looong time to help with my acne, maybe 2-3 years without a break. I think it was a mistake on their part because when I finally saw a doctor she said it wasn't great I was on them for so long anyway Im not sure if thats relevant but I've suffered with acne for about 15 years. I also had a fungal infection on my private parts about 2 months ago, I was using rubbing alcohol a few times a day and it cleared up eventually whether or not that is relevant either I don't know.
Yes, you probably do have fungal acne if you have a white tongue. Itchiness indicates fungal acne as does a white tongue.
You probably have fungal acne, not ordinary acne, and that why the regime for ordinary acne is not clearing your "acne".
Fungal acne is caused by taking antibiotics and some other meds. Fungal acne can also be caused by hormonal issues just as ordinary can be.
You can control the fungal acne by doing the following -
1. Buy clotrimazole topical antifungal cream and apply it to the areas with "acne" 2-3 times a day. Topical antifungal creams are TOTALLY safe and some/most (depending on country) are available without a prescription.
2. Wash your hair in an antidandruff shampoo.
3. Do NOT apply any moisturisers or organic oils to the areas with acne. Moisturisers and organic oils feed one type of fungal acne and all fungus loves moisture.
If you get back to me with answers to the questions below, I can provide targeted information to control your "acne" ..
Have you taken antibiotics (yes) or other meds. Can you remember which antibiotics you took ?
Do you have one or more of the following (as well as the acne) - white coating on your tongue (yes), dandruff, flaking skin, toenail fungus, itchy and/or painful skin, red rash/es, unexplained tiredness, headaches, "brain fog", stomach or gut problems, sinus problems.
You may need a more targeted antifungal cream to control the "acne". I can provide information about this after I hear back from you.
I look forward to hearing back from you.
Atom Wheel
Ignore my comment about hormones - not relevant to your situation.
Yes, Atom Wheel. You could have a fungal skin infection, which is not causing acne, but is causing itchiness etc. Your whitish tongue and the fungal infection in your "nether region" indicates that you have a fungal condition.
I sugest that you do the following -
1. Buy some clotrimazole topical antifungal cream and apply it to the the itchy, dry areas of skin a day. Topical antifungal creams are TOTALLY safe and some/most (depending on country) are available without a prescription.
2. Wash your hair in an antidandruff shampoo.
3. Do NOT apply any moisturiser or organic oils to your skin, because fungus loves moisture. If you skin becomes very dry, then you may need to apply some moisturiser but try not to apply any moisuriser except the antifungal cream for a week or so.
Your skin is dry because of the fungus.
Let me know how you go.
I can provide information about more targeted antifungal creams if applying the clotrimazole cream does not solve your problem (but I think it will).
Thanks for the reply Aussie Scientist.
I can order someclotrimazole cream it's listed "Clotrimazole 1% Anti Fungal Thrush Ringworm Nappy Rash Cream 1 x 20g"I hope 1% is enough. However,I will waitfor your reply as I have answered some of the questions you listed before perhaps your recommendation will change.
Are you sure about not applying moisturiser, my skin is so dry and flaky on my face I'm worried about damaging it.
Sorry I forgot to answer your questions before:
Have you taken antibiotics (yes) or other meds.
Can you remember which antibiotics you took ? I think Doxycycline and tetracycline seems to ring a bell but I can't be sure I could ask my doctor if you need specifics?
white coating on your tongue. Yes
flaking skin. yes extreme, I was doing mild exfoliating with a wash cloth as I thought it was just the Benzoyl peroxidedrying out my skin and it seemed to help. But I've stopped and there seems to be a build up of dry skin.
Unexplained tiredness. Yes
Brain Fog. yes
Yes to the gut problems.
Sinus problems. yes
I was thinking about the gut problems, I read that it could be related to fungal issues but I had no idea. I've been dealing with stomach issues for years and made many changes to my diet as a result. Do you think the antibiotics have interfered with my gut bacteria in some way? After all this time is there some way to address this issue, perhaps pro biotics or some other treatment.
Again thank you for your reply, and all your help on this forum. I'm not too sure of your qualifications but you really seem to know alot about these issues and its so kind of you to put this knowledge to use in helping other people with a difficult issue such as acne.
Atom Wheel
I am scientifically highly trained, but I am not a medical scientist. However, I have spent more than 2,500 hours reading virtually all the scientific literature about fungal skin conditions, effects of antibiotics on skin and gut etc.
The 1% clotrimazle cream will be fine. Apply that twice a day to the areas of your skin that are dry, itchy, flaking etc. I understand your concern about your dry skin. Your skin is dry and flaking because of the fungus. The problem is that the fungus that causes the flaking and dry skin feeds on the organic oils on moisturisers. See how you go with applying the clotrimazole cream with no moisturiser for a few days.
Obviously, you don't want your skin to crack, so if your skin stays very dry, then see if you can get an oil free moisturiser.
Do NOT use benzoyl peroxide or anything harsh on your skin. Do not exfoliate, as this destroys the skin barrier and allow the fungus to invade.
Doxycycline and tetracycline both cause fungal skin conditions, including fungal acne, as well as gut problems (and tiredness etc. - see below) and sinus problems.
Your skin problems, the white coating on your tongue, your gut problems, your tiredness and brain fog and sinus problems are caused by overgrowth of candida fungus. Overgrowth of candida fungus is caused by taking antibiotics, because the antibiotics kill the good bacteria which control the fungus, and antibiotics also damage one's immune system.
Candida in the gut makes aldehydes (which are the same chemicals as cause hangovers). The aldehydes cause brain fog and tiredness. Gut candida also causes gut problems.
Your skin problems are most likely caused by the combination of candida fungus and malasezzia fungus. Flaking and dry skin are caused by malasezzia fungus, which also "overgrows" as a result of taking antibiotics, for the same reason as candida overgrows when people take antibiotics.
You can fix your skin, gut and tiredness/brain fog problems (and your white tongue) by doing the following -
SKIN
1. Apply the clotrimazole topical antifungal cream to the the itchy, dry areas of skin a day.
2. Wash your hair in an antidandruff shampoo. Antidandruff shampos are antifungal. If you can get it, wash your hair in Mustela Foam Shampoo for Newborns. This shampoo is very gentle and you can use it on your skin also (unlike other antidandruff shampos which can irritate skin)
GUT AND TIREDNESS/BRAIN FOG AND WHITE TONGUE
1. Buy some oral NIlstat, if you can get it. Oral Nistat is VERY safe. Oral Nilstat will control the candida in your gut and hence will fix your tiredness, brain fog and gut problems. Oral Nilstat is sold to treat mouth candida (= thrush) which you have, as indicated by your white tongue. You are supposed to swallow the oral Nilstat, so make sure you do that. It will fix your stomach problems and you tiredness and brain fog.
If you cannot buy oral Nilstat, get back to me. There are some alternatives, although oral Nilstat is the best for treating gut problems (and therefore tiredness etc) caused by overgrowth of candida in the gut.
2. Also buy and take probiotics. Probiotics can only replace SOME of the types of bacteria that antibiotics kill, but they usually will help with your symptoms to some extent.
SINUS PROBLEMS
Sinus problems are usually caused by candida, again as a result of taking antibiotics which kill "good" bacteria which control candida. I have found sinus problems hard to treat. Try using a nasal spray with eucalyptus oil in it, and see how that goes.
I look forward to hearing how things go with you.
You may need a more targeted topical antifungal cream (also totally safe) for your skin problems, if the clotrimazole does not work. But try the clotrimazole cream first, as it is a good, broad spectrum, topical antifungal cream.
Which country are you in ?