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I have been battling acne since age 12. I'd say I fall between mild to moderate acne. I've tried many different things--mostly topicals. I've been prescribed antibiotics but didn't stick with them because of the gastrointestinal side effects they can cause. Right now I am on birth control, Duac in the AM and Differn in the PM. I'm about 2 weels into the Duac and Differin regimen and was pretty much cleared up but my skin was becoming tight and red and burned like fire, so I skipped a couple days of Differin and broke out of course. I am frustrated. 12 years of acne and Im 25 now. Enough is enough. I am depressed and it's hurts to even look in the mirror. I saw a new dermatologist and he recommended two things: 1) Accutane or 2) Levulan and Blu Light. I initially was feeling positive about the Levulan treatment possibly fixing this acne problem. The gastrointestinal derm said it may help a year or two or forever. I researched a bit and found many people disappointed in the Levulan. Has anyone here with mild-moderate acne had success with Levulan and Blu light treatment? I made an appointment to have this done on Jan 7. But meanwhile Im wondering if Accutane is how I should go. Im worried about the side effects-- particularly the potential for bowel diseases. And I hate to shell out $350 two times for the Levulan treatment to have it fail me. My acne just seems unrelenting. I am very depressed from it and have considered suicide because of how I look. I need something that will help me. Accutane or Levulan and blu light?
I apologize for any typos. My phone likes to add words.
Please omit "gastrointestinal derm" from above. I simply meant derm. Silly phone.
What birth control are you on? Many birth controls make acne worse. Many doctors, unfortunately, don't have a clue about which are good and which are bad for acne. I can't tell you the number of people who've come on here on a new birth control from their doctor, only to find out it has a form of androgenic progestin...which makes acne worse...
Honestly, and I know you don't want to hear this because no one does, but as a woman your hormones are what most likely cause your acne. All the other treatments won't do squat unless you address your hormones. Take a gander around the Hormonal subforum on here and see what others have already said. Many women go on 3-4 courses of Accutane and the acne always comes back...because the hormones don't change.
I have my own expensive blue light box collecting dust on the shelf. Do you want to buy it from me? 
Something else I forgot to mention. When i was at my pcp before she referred me out to the derm, I asked her about spironolactone since i read good things about it online. She said since i didn't have excess hair growth then my androgen levels were fine and it wouldnt do amything for my acne. Is this true? I may ask my derm about this on the 27th when im there preparing to start accutane. I always did think my acne was hormonal since it always got bad at my period and when i was pregnant i had flawless skin.
Something else I forgot to mention. When i was at my pcp before she referred me out to the derm, I asked her about spironolactone since i read good things about it online. She said since i didn't have excess hair growth then my androgen levels were fine and it wouldnt do amything for my acne. Is this true? I may ask my derm about this on the 27th when im there preparing to start accutane. I always did think my acne was hormonal since it always got bad at my period and when i was pregnant i had flawless skin.
I don't have excess hair. I never knew my hormone levels before starting spiro. Yet spironolactone cleared me 100%. One person's normal is another's abnormal.
It's a pretty mild drug, your doc isn't going under a lot of risk to prescribe it off label for acne. But if you're not adamant about it, she's just going to do what she wants to do. Remember it is your body and your money.
Doctors are just people, and some are arrogant ones at that. They don't want to do anything that wasn't their idea. I basically had to call up some doctors and ask them over the phone if they prescribed spiro for acne all the time. Finally found one who did and didn't have an ego complex about it.
So would I benefit from Spiro perhaps? Now lets say I go on Spiro and it works, will I have to remain on it for long term? Do people tend to break out again after going off it?
I want to use whatever is going to work and produce the longest lasting effect. That's why I initially thought Accutane would be the way, but I have heard of Spiro before and peoples success with it.
What do you think of Spiro and a Levulan Blu Light treatment?
My appt with Derm is dec 27th and it's to discuss Accutane so I want to throw the Spiro idea by him as well. My cousin who is 30 and had acne like me just got off Accutane and her skin is perfect aside from scars.
So would I benefit from Spiro perhaps? Now lets say I go on Spiro and it works, will I have to remain on it for long term? Do people tend to break out again after going off it?
I want to use whatever is going to work and produce the longest lasting effect. That's why I initially thought Accutane would be the way, but I have heard of Spiro before and peoples success with it.
What do you think of Spiro and a Levulan Blu Light treatment?
My appt with Derm is dec 27th and it's to discuss Accutane so I want to throw the Spiro idea by him as well. My cousin who is 30 and had acne like me just got off Accutane and her skin is perfect aside from scars.
Is your cousin also on birth control? I believe that many women who are "cured" by Accutane actually went on the a good anti-androgenic hormonal birth control which is keeping them clear and/or their hormones leveled out with age. Does work for some people, just throwing that out there, though. All women who go on Accutane are required to go on two forms of birth control at the same time. It's hard to say Accutane cured them when they also have a hormonal birth control in the mix.
I have my own blue light, it helps some, but I wouldn't waste the money on it personally.