Hi stacy! agh shitty to hear your skin is acting up. i know the feeling. that's awesome you're getting into some cool science in college tho. so hmm yeah i was thinking about what you mentioned in your post. i know i should probably refrain from giving you suggestions or saying what i would do in your situation, since i am no doctor but im going to blab anyway cuz maybe it will help at least support wise.
Periods can be irregular, esp when you deal with any hormonal issues and you're young and not on bc, that's pretty normal. So that's prolly what's going on with your cycle and maybe is aggravating your skin too. To answer your last question, I would say ppl take spiro w/hormonal bc to further regulate and stabilize hormones. Does anyone else know other reasons this is done?
Bc is literally introducing estrogen/progesterone into your body, while spiro, as far as I understand, 1 helps block androgens, which will promote estrogen/progesterone balance and increase them, 2 contains weak progesterone properties, and 3 contains indirect estrogen boosting effects. So when you really think about it, spiro is a lot like birth control, the method of controlling hormones is just different. bc doesn't specifically block androgens like spiro but both reduce testosterone and promote a functional balance of female hormones. Using both would essentially provide a stronger defense in balancing hormones, imho. I would probably up my spiro to 100 mg and consider introducing a bc, but again, just me, you have to do what feels intuitively right! anytime you're changing anything, upping spiro, introducing bc, it is still a change that can have effects, but my attitude is kind of like, if they're shitty now, why don't I try something and see if it helps. Have you spoken to your doctor about upping spiro? from what i've understood, you might have to be on quite a bit more before you see improvements.
As far as your mild hair loss, this happened to me quite a bit with pcos, and I hated it, and maybe thought I was dying. But it was temporary (my hair is a lot better now) and for me is a lot less of an issue than acne. I have heard that when testosterone lowers, your hair gets less thick because testosterone encourages thicker hair and more hair growth, so try to look at it as a natural thing--you're not losing hair cuz you're sick or anything, its just adjusting with your hormone levels (?) (pseudo science alert). Once things stabilize and your body gets used to spiro, I would imagine the hair loss would not become an issue.
From looking at your skin, it is very similar to the acne I have, except I think I have more bumpy clogged pores. For me, I had to start putting something stronger on it because it just was not budging and actually getting worse by the day either not washing or just using something very mild like aveda green science. Treating whats going on inside is so important, but at some point treating the outside starts to look pretty appealing too, IF you find the right thing. For me like i've said a bunch of times african black soap helped my skin tremendously; maybe getting some tropicals (lol just realized i wrote tropicals...topicals) would help..even salycilic acid and a good cleanser could calm things down.
I know this is kind of out there but have you been checked for vitamin d or iron levels? If those two things are low it can make you feel shitty...those are two supplements i feel have quite a bit of efficacy. I read some psuedo science thing about low levels of vitamin d exacerbating/causing excessive sebum production, cuz your skin is trying to produce vitamin d on its own, idk. i've been taking 5,000-10,000 IU's a day and I like it.
Wooh how's everybody doing?
I love reading your posts Kelseylee, you sounds as if you could talk for hours on this sort of thing! I really appreciate this and thankyou for taking the time to write!
I, too, think that maybe they take the BCP along with the Spiro to balance out the Estrogen, Progesterone and Testosterone. I am thinking about upping the dosage to 50mg, I think I may give it another 2 weeks first though. I see my doctor on Wenesday so we will see how it goes.
I am still in the middle of this major breakout but I don't think it helps that my period has still NOT came. Also, I picked up a prescription for another round od Spiro and it has been the brand name Actavis I have been using but they have given me Genesis so Im hoping the different brand does not have any altering effects!
Wow that's quite a high dosage of Vit D you take, I do take Vit D and have been taking between 1,000iu - 4,000iu for the past month and 2 month now 
thinking of taking 5,000iu but I have not been tested for a defficiency - however I do come from Scotland and never go out in the sun so Im pretty sure I would be defficient right? The most sun I get in the course of a year is probably a total of 4 weeks!
ALSO I should let you know that I ordered African Black Soap 
it says with Oats, Aloe and Vitamin E. I am pretty nervous trying it, it does smell nice though, I just hope it does not do any harm than good!
Take care
Day 35 (week 5)
Evening guys! Thought I would give you a wee update on me.
I have been pretty busy with college work the past few days so I haven't payed tooooo muc hattention to my skin, although I am still avoiding mirrors a little. From what I see though I have a few really inflamed papules around my jaw and mouth and a few or several infact on my frigging forehead - I took a few photos actually if you want to check them out.
My chest acne is practically non-existent, just a few tiny pimples, which is good, the skin is actually smooth. My back is still improving too, not as good as my chest though.
Im still NOT happy with my skin however, Im trying to grin and bear it, since people like confident people and are attracted to people that can laugh off their flaws and see the beauty inside themselves...I hope anyway!?
Physical wise, okay Im really having a lot of dehydration at night! And I'm urinating pretty damn frequently - like possibly 8-10 times a day. Thats about it right now.
I have the docs tomorrow and am thinking about talking to her about upping my dose to 50mg. But I will see what she things. Hope you are doing great and will let you know what the doctor says 
x
So the doctors went well today. She took blood from me to test out my kidneys and check my hormones again. I always get really nervous at the doctors, like I am dying to ask for a copy of my hormone results from the last time, but can they do that? I tried to see the numbers - I did notice the number at the top was 7.3, I think that was to do with free androgens...but obviously she just stated that they were "within normal range" as per.
Still not too kean on my skin. I also spoke about upping my dosage and we have decided to wait another few weeks before doing that. Its weird she totally does not really know much about Spiro, so it seems all the onus is on me to research and research about it, which I have done. She did tell me that it is off-liscense or something, meaning that we are using to treat acne but it isn't actually meant to treat acne or something.
I am also wondering, since the pharmacy gave me a DIFFERENT brand of the Spiro is it possible for them to change it to the one I have been taking?
Anyway hope you are all keeping well, look forward to hearing from you guys
x
Right Im kind of freaking out and thinking that maybe I should go to a dermatologist now, I have found this http://www.rosaceans.com/pf.php and it seems to look like my skin, and even when I google image "Pityrosporum folliculitis" the images look identical to my skin. Im kind of worried that perhaps I could have some sort of fungal/yeast infection thing going on which has contributed to my acne then again I obviously do not know for sure...perhaps Im just totally getting paranoid right now.
Hi Guys! Nice to hear some good updates. I totes second what sierra said about getting a lab report. Strangely I never felt all freaked out around doctors until I had significant health problems. I actually like stole my lab report before my naturopath got a copy of it ha ha. I went and got a copy as soon as the results were in and went a little nuts seeing the testosterone etc.
I have had some big pieces of the health puzzle align for me recently. My acne is getting better because of the stuff I™ve been putting on externely (afb and recently, jojoba oil) which means that its purging quite a bit like I™ve mentioned. But for the last week I STILL feel/felt like my body was not working correctly. So basically still felt like I was treating the symptoms (acne, I also have eczema ) and not the actual problem. So so frustrating. It finally dawned on me that everyday when I wake up, I feel like crap. I am tired as f*, even if I sleep 9-10 hours, and usually the brightness of the daylight gives me a headache for the first hour. I feel like a vampire, not in a good way. My skin looks grey and greasy and I look sickly. Then I have stomach issues for the first like 2+ hours I™m awake. I guess I was attributing a lot of this to pcos, but I have started to get smarter in the last little bit and realize that I have MULTIPLE ISSUES GOING ON. So yeah, pcos, but also digestive issues. But I didn™t know what digestive issues; I don™t feel like I have IBS, I just know my digestive health is like basically a piece of crap and it used to be so good that I literally did not even think of the concept of digestion until I started having these problems. And it has been going on awhile. I guess I thought birth control, antidepressants would help this along but it seems there is an isolated stomach issue.
Anyway I remembered the naturopath said she thinks I definitely have low stomach acid. I didn™t think that much about this, because there was multiple things happening, mainly pcos, which I was focusing more on. Then I googled the symptoms of low stomach acid (cuz I have to google qualify everything a doctor says) and I had a lot of the symptoms and it started coming together. I have: adult acne, eczema, poor digestion, food feels like lead slowly moving through my stomach and digestive system, feeling like I™m not properly breaking down food, not feeling good despite eating a really healthy diet, only craving food that is really easy to digest, not absorbing nutrients, multiple food allergies, fatigue etc. Suffice it to say that I started taking acid supplements (apple cider vinegar and digestive herbs) and I can feel a huge difference. You can also take straight up stomach acid but I™m gonna try the other stuff first cuz those stimulate stomach acid rather than replace it. Also I read that 75% of women w/pcos are vitamin d deficient, often severely so, and I think that has helped things as well. Apparently if your levels are below 50 your body has trouble performing basic metabolic functions¦.even tho 50 is w/in œnormal. Mine was like 30.
Here is a really, really, really creepy picture of my forehead acne. It's not that bad here, I spared u. But u can see the trend. I took this to track black soap progress, but thought it would be nice to put a forehead to a name.
ps Stacy i'm really excited you got black soap!!! It can help sooo much externally. I actually realized I wasnt using the right black soap, mine has a bunch of castille soap in it, wish is kind of a harsh soap, esp for the face. Its in a weird liquid form and I think is supposed to be for the body. So I ordered some new PURE black soap with no "soap" and am so excited. Let me know if you have q's, if you use it just once a day it shouldn't do anything intense and you can see how it feels
Hi everyone! I've had a chance to talk to some of you about the spiro journey and I'm so grateful there are other women out there to swap stories/ advice with. I'm about 10 weeks into my spiro journey taking 100mgs. My forehead and right side of my face are pretty clear, just scars fading, but for some reason my left cheek/jaw cannot catch a break. Has anyone else experienced this one-sidedness? Also after 10 weeks I'm still fairly oily, not blotting every 10 minutes but still blotting 
is that common?
Also, does anyone recommend a good foundation/cover up that is effective, but gentle for the skin. I prefer mineral foundation and have used EveryDay Minerals, but don't think it does a great job hiding the problems.
Stay strong ladies... we are more than what you see on the surface!
-Theresa
Hi Guys! Nice to hear some good updates. I totes second what sierra said about getting a lab report. Strangely I never felt all freaked out around doctors until I had significant health problems. I actually like stole my lab report before my naturopath got a copy of it ha ha. I went and got a copy as soon as the results were in and went a little nuts seeing the testosterone etc.
I have had some big pieces of the health puzzle align for me recently. My acne is getting better because of the stuff I™ve been putting on externely (afb and recently, jojoba oil) which means that its purging quite a bit like I™ve mentioned. But for the last week I STILL feel/felt like my body was not working correctly. So basically still felt like I was treating the symptoms (acne, I also have eczema
) and not the actual problem. So so frustrating. It finally dawned on me that everyday when I wake up, I feel like crap. I am tired as f*, even if I sleep 9-10 hours, and usually the brightness of the daylight gives me a headache for the first hour. I feel like a vampire, not in a good way. My skin looks grey and greasy and I look sickly. Then I have stomach issues for the first like 2+ hours I™m awake. I guess I was attributing a lot of this to pcos, but I have started to get smarter in the last little bit and realize that I have MULTIPLE ISSUES GOING ON. So yeah, pcos, but also digestive issues. But I didn™t know what digestive issues; I don™t feel like I have IBS, I just know my digestive health is like basically a piece of crap and it used to be so good that I literally did not even think of the concept of digestion until I started having these problems. And it has been going on awhile. I guess I thought birth control, antidepressants would help this along but it seems there is an isolated stomach issue.
Anyway I remembered the naturopath said she thinks I definitely have low stomach acid. I didn™t think that much about this, because there was multiple things happening, mainly pcos, which I was focusing more on. Then I googled the symptoms of low stomach acid (cuz I have to google qualify everything a doctor says) and I had a lot of the symptoms and it started coming together. I have: adult acne, eczema, poor digestion, food feels like lead slowly moving through my stomach and digestive system, feeling like I™m not properly breaking down food, not feeling good despite eating a really healthy diet, only craving food that is really easy to digest, not absorbing nutrients, multiple food allergies, fatigue etc. Suffice it to say that I started taking acid supplements (apple cider vinegar and digestive herbs) and I can feel a huge difference. You can also take straight up stomach acid but I™m gonna try the other stuff first cuz those stimulate stomach acid rather than replace it. Also I read that 75% of women w/pcos are vitamin d deficient, often severely so, and I think that has helped things as well. Apparently if your levels are below 50 your body has trouble performing basic metabolic functions¦.even tho 50 is w/in œnormal. Mine was like 30.
Here is a really, really, really creepy picture of my forehead acne. It's not that bad here, I spared u. But u can see the trend. I took this to track black soap progress, but thought it would be nice to put a forehead to a name.
ps Stacy i'm really excited you got black soap!!! It can help sooo much externally. I actually realized I wasnt using the right black soap, mine has a bunch of castille soap in it, wish is kind of a harsh soap, esp for the face. Its in a weird liquid form and I think is supposed to be for the body. So I ordered some new PURE black soap with no "soap" and am so excited. Let me know if you have q's, if you use it just once a day it shouldn't do anything intense and you can see how it feels
That ain't a "creepy" picture Kelseylee, it is nice to put a forehead to a name, I agree 
And plus that is not a bad forehead, not as bad as you think it is. I wish my foreahead was like yours. I really really hate mines at the minute 
did you find the black soap to be helping this though?
I have been using the black soap this full week and I do notice it is kind of drying, I use it once a day around 6pm ish and then put some ACV on an hour later then sometimes apply tea tree oil or just wait until morning to do that. I haven't noticed a significant difference yet but my skin isn't as red I must say.
What is afb? Sorry to hear you have low stomach acid Kelsey 
I have heard alot of people getting good results by taking a glass of ACV in the morning diluted with water, I actually used to drink about a couple Tspn of it with hot water from the kettle and some honey in it too - it was an aquired taste but made me more regular.
You could maybe even try hot water and some lemon slices too first thing in the morning.
Hope you have a good weekend, and are feeling better today
Hi everyone! I've had a chance to talk to some of you about the spiro journey and I'm so grateful there are other women out there to swap stories/ advice with. I'm about 10 weeks into my spiro journey taking 100mgs. My forehead and right side of my face are pretty clear, just scars fading, but for some reason my left cheek/jaw cannot catch a break. Has anyone else experienced this one-sidedness? Also after 10 weeks I'm still fairly oily, not blotting every 10 minutes but still blotting
Also, does anyone recommend a good foundation/cover up that is effective, but gentle for the skin. I prefer mineral foundation and have used EveryDay Minerals, but don't think it does a great job hiding the problems.
Stay strong ladies... we are more than what you see on the surface!
-Theresa
Good evening tmueller thank's for chiming in! Did you just start at 100mg or did you work your way up to it? That's amazing that your forehead is clear, I wish that were the case for me. It has only been 10 weeks so perhaps within the next couple month this one sidedness will hopefully start to clear too, if your forehead has cleared then I'm sure the rest of your skin will clear up too!
I can't offer too much advice on make-up since I don't have any, but have you thought of maybe asking one of the beauticians at the make-up stores?
Hope you have a good weekend!
hellllllllllooo. heh yeah I have lots more pics that I will post eventually, tracking the great pore purging process. afb = african black soap yeah i haven't found it too drying except on the lower part of my cheeks a little, cuz that is the part of my face that isn't as oily as the rest. I try to just wash my chin, forehead, nose, temples and well everywhere that isn't my lower cheeks lol because that is the part that doesn't need de-oiling. but when you have cleanser running all over your face its kinda impossible. do you have any good moisturizers?? the green science (aveda) moisturizer always works for me, although i rarely use it anymore cuz I use shea butter. But for day to day use, the aveda moisturizer is way more practical so I would recommend that. It has never broken me out or anything and is very non oily.
Each clogged pore is still clearing one by one, sometimes they hang like part the way out my skin (wtf) and i've become so obsessed with not touching my face that I just leave it. other times they flatten out which is obv preferable. I read on the lovevitamin that if you use jojoba oil for 2-4 weeks you will start seeing your pores purge the same way. i found black soap to be faster tho and it just feels kinda gross to put jojoba oil on during the day because i already feel like my face is gross and shiny, and it basically just adds to that, even though that is the whole point.
yeah I haven't been feeling super great stomach wise, I don't even know if i'm right about the stomach acid thing---i'm so confused between "natural" medicine, conventional medicine, and what my mom says lol. Basically today the naturopath told me over the phone, as she was giving me a referral for a gastrointestinal specialist, that they wouldn't really "recognize" low stomach acid as a condition at all. I don't really get it---why is there so much disparity between holistic medicine and conventional medicine? and more importantly, which one can explain my freaking issues?? lol. and then my mom chimes in to say that she googled low stomach acid and it was "not discussed in any legitimate medical journals or webmd etc". so I feel kinda like an idiot for falling for every witchcraft ailment I'm convinced I have from the naturopath or internet. I drank some coffee today and my stomach felt a lot better so who knows ha. Oh and apple cider vinegar is good! at first I hated the taste and thought it was burning holes in my esophagus, so i got some capsules and those are better.
oh im switching my bc! I think mononessa is way too high in hormones and gnarly for me. my chest is growing and I just feel weird. Honestly i'm super freaked the drastic change in hormones will give me spider veins, I got a few really small ones when I went off bc the first time and my hormones went all nuts. It makes me sadder than acne even, they're the WORST
Mononessa is the same as orthocyclin, but i was on ortho tricyclen lo forever and am gonna go back to that. anybody else felt weird on high dose hormonal birth control or am I imagining it? I think its the extra estrogen but don't know.
Day 41 (week5) on 25mg
Morning people, just had some coffee (yes, with milk ) - I suck at trying dairy free, I guess it is a good thing that the only dairy I have IS milk, full fat but I'm thinking of switching to skimmed, and it is literally only because it is easier since my mother buys about 3x4pints of it for my family for a full week. My new ACV will be coming today which I ordered from Amazon it is the RAW brand, so I will have that in the morning from now on anyway - just need to resist the Mocha's at college!
Right, the past 2 weekends have been great, sleep wise. I have slept amaaaaazingly well which is great in my opinion. Therefore I have had good productivity at work. I feel less stressed and enjoy going to bed now and do not have that nagging anxiety about sleeping in for work or not falling asleep. The only thing I still struggle with is eating junk food at weekends, since I am tired from being on my feet all day and sometimes I struggle with binge eating I guess you could say, which makes me feel really really shitty.
My skin has settled alot the past week, I have been using Afb (African Black Soap) once per day and actually enjoy using it. The redness of my skin has calmed alot, which is fantastic. Some of the tiny bumps on my forehead have changed to papules which I can now obviously treat with Tea Tree oil and things. I am never using that Bentonite clay mask again since it is really toooo drying and just makes my skin super sensitive, and breaks me out. When I purchase a good honey (possibly Manuka) I may infact use that as a mask. But yea Im not soo bumbed about my skin right now.
My period on the other hand is over 3 WEEKS LATE. I am freaking out. Im definately NOT pregnant (haven't had sexual intercourse in 3 years) It will be a year in April the 12th sicne my period came back naturally, so I suppose since it had ceased for 22 months I can't expect miracles right? I have actually been reading up alot about the woman's cycle and have learned that Estrogen is the main hormone which is usually dominant during ovulation, so the first half on the cycle, and then Progesterone is the dominant hormone during the second half. Now without the dominance of Progesterone an egg cannot be released, since you neeeed that balance of these two hormones. This can be a symptom of strogen dominance, which can make periods eratic and irregular - one reason for PCOS too.
I understand that Vitex Chasteberry helps too, since it favours helping Progesterone levels rise. Which is why I am considering taking this herb again. In the hopes that it will increase my Progesterone levels thus overtime allowing my period to regulate. Hopefully.
Here is an amazing link about Estrogen dominance, Im not saying that I have it but it seems that it could possible well be in all of us since we are susceptible to increased Estrogen levels through drinking caffeine, using plasting bottles etc.. http://www.drlam.com/articles/estrogen_dominance.asp - please read! I will admit though it is LENGTHY article. (5 pages but useful information if you are interested in that sort of thing)
In other good news, I got accepted in the oil and gas industry for an apprenticeship, but need to go for an aptitude test soon, so fingers crossed!
Hope you are all well
Hello ladies,
I wanted to stop in really quickly to let you know that I'm pretty darn happy with the results of the salicyclic acid peel I did last Wednesday. I only have 3 active pimples on my face right now!! That is BIG news for me. I'm kind of in shock. It also helped fade my post acne marks a bit too.
Pros: Skin is significantly more clear/pimple free. The texture of my skin is much smoother. Slight fading of post acne red marks.
Cons: On the third day after the peel I was PEELING like crazy. It was too much to go out in public. But the really bad peeling only lasted one day. On day 5 I am barely peeling anymore.
One thing I'm a little bummed about is that my esthetician did the peel, but she also did extractions that I wasn't completely happy with. It seemed like she wasn't thorough - ie she didn't always get all the gunk out and she missed some of the clogged pores. These past 5 days I had pimples that were caused by only half extracting the acne. Kind of annoying but they did go away quickly.
That's the update!! Hope you all are doing well.
xo
Sierra
Hey Sierra thats amazing how you are feeling, Im very very happy for you
So can you get these peels whilst also having active acne? Did you also notice if your skin was quite sensitive afterwards? I have heard alot of mixed reviews about these peels, but they do quite appeal to me, however I think my skin is too bad atm to try them
Ive never had an extraction before but thats terrible that she did not do them properly for you at least you are much happier with your skin thats all that matters
hellllllllllooo. heh yeah I have lots more pics that I will post eventually, tracking the great pore purging process. afb = african black soap
Each clogged pore is still clearing one by one, sometimes they hang like part the way out my skin (wtf) and i've become so obsessed with not touching my face that I just leave it. other times they flatten out which is obv preferable. I read on the lovevitamin that if you use jojoba oil for 2-4 weeks you will start seeing your pores purge the same way. i found black soap to be faster tho and it just feels kinda gross to put jojoba oil on during the day because i already feel like my face is gross and shiny, and it basically just adds to that, even though that is the whole point.
yeah I haven't been feeling super great stomach wise, I don't even know if i'm right about the stomach acid thing---i'm so confused between "natural" medicine, conventional medicine, and what my mom says lol. Basically today the naturopath told me over the phone, as she was giving me a referral for a gastrointestinal specialist, that they wouldn't really "recognize" low stomach acid as a condition at all. I don't really get it---why is there so much disparity between holistic medicine and conventional medicine? and more importantly, which one can explain my freaking issues?? lol. and then my mom chimes in to say that she googled low stomach acid and it was "not discussed in any legitimate medical journals or webmd etc". so I feel kinda like an idiot for falling for every witchcraft ailment I'm convinced I have from the naturopath or internet. I drank some coffee today and my stomach felt a lot better so who knows ha. Oh and apple cider vinegar is good! at first I hated the taste and thought it was burning holes in my esophagus, so i got some capsules and those are better.
oh im switching my bc! I think mononessa is way too high in hormones and gnarly for me. my chest is growing and I just feel weird. Honestly i'm super freaked the drastic change in hormones will give me spider veins, I got a few really small ones when I went off bc the first time and my hormones went all nuts. It makes me sadder than acne even, they're the WORST
Mononessa is the same as orthocyclin, but i was on ortho tricyclen lo forever and am gonna go back to that. anybody else felt weird on high dose hormonal birth control or am I imagining it? I think its the extra estrogen but don't know.
I like the "afb" abbreviation btw is there a Purging Period/Initial Breakout with this soap? As I have noticed alot of tiny spots accumulated on my cheeks like at the bottom and around my jaw area, also just under my ears on my neck 
and that is where I rub it on. Hmm. I actually do not have a moisturiser I have never found one that doesn't break me out or give me clogged pores so I tend to just leave it or "tone" with ACV.
I know EXACTLY what you mean about the differences and views of holistic medicine and conventional medicine, its so weird. For example things like Leaky gut is I guess a "holistic" term which kinda gets a bad rap from more conventional treatment folk you know? But the thing is these said "holistic" diseases ARE real. I believe so anyway.
Are you feeling any better now?
Aw, I don't think spider veins are that bad, mind you I don't actually have any though lol, is there not anything you can do for them?
Now I was on BCP's for a good 4 and a half years. For about 2 years it was Microgynon (SP?) and the next couple years was Dianette. I cannot really remember much apart from having shorter, lighter periods. But more recently I have been looking into things, in particular Estrogen Dominance...now Im not 100% sure I have this but it seems plausible that MANY MANY women COULD have it since estrogen is in ALOT of things, even in the environment. It seems that after the industrial revolution when pollution came more about woman actually started menstruating earlier eg. between the ages of 12-13 instead of 16-17. Also more and more women experienced weight gain and pms, weight gain mainly around the thighs, hips and stomach - indicating perhaps a surge in estrogen sicne estrogen mainly deposits fat around this area. It also can slow metabolism.
Now estrogen dominace occurs when the hormone Progesterone is lower than this and cannot be raised higher than the estrogen levels...women even with LOW levels of estrogen can STILL have estrogen dominance (so I've read). I have been freaking out because the past week or so Ive noticed my shape has changed a bit, and I am experiencing a bit of a more womanly figure, which I fucking hate. I don't want to gain weight, it is still a major fear in my eyes. Also with estrogen domincance periods can become ERRATIC and IRREGULAR and can STOP. Mines is now more than 3 weeks late - WTF! This is becuase I don't have enough Progesterone in the Luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (which naturally acts as a diuretic btw) to release the egg. So I am thinking about supplemeting some kind of natural progesterone, I have purchased a tincture of Vitex Chasteberry to try.
Some symptoms of ED are digestive and stomache issues, and considering we have been on BCP's then it could be possible that we may have this, who knows. I am still looknig into things though since I want to know how Testosterone comes into the mix of female hormones you know...
Sorry for the long winded post lol
Hi Guys! Nice to hear some good updates. I totes second what sierra said about getting a lab report. Strangely I never felt all freaked out around doctors until I had significant health problems. I actually like stole my lab report before my naturopath got a copy of it ha ha. I went and got a copy as soon as the results were in and went a little nuts seeing the testosterone etc.
I have had some big pieces of the health puzzle align for me recently. My acne is getting better because of the stuff I™ve been putting on externely (afb and recently, jojoba oil) which means that its purging quite a bit like I™ve mentioned. But for the last week I STILL feel/felt like my body was not working correctly. So basically still felt like I was treating the symptoms (acne, I also have eczema
Anyway I remembered the naturopath said she thinks I definitely have low stomach acid. I didn™t think that much about this, because there was multiple things happening, mainly pcos, which I was focusing more on. Then I googled the symptoms of low stomach acid (cuz I have to google qualify everything a doctor says) and I had a lot of the symptoms and it started coming together. I have: adult acne, eczema, poor digestion, food feels like lead slowly moving through my stomach and digestive system, feeling like I™m not properly breaking down food, not feeling good despite eating a really healthy diet, only craving food that is really easy to digest, not absorbing nutrients, multiple food allergies, fatigue etc. Suffice it to say that I started taking acid supplements (apple cider vinegar and digestive herbs) and I can feel a huge difference. You can also take straight up stomach acid but I™m gonna try the other stuff first cuz those stimulate stomach acid rather than replace it. Also I read that 75% of women w/pcos are vitamin d deficient, often severely so, and I think that has helped things as well. Apparently if your levels are below 50 your body has trouble performing basic metabolic functions¦.even tho 50 is w/in œnormal. Mine was like 30.
Here is a really, really, really creepy picture of my forehead acne. It's not that bad here, I spared u. But u can see the trend. I took this to track black soap progress, but thought it would be nice to put a forehead to a name.
ps Stacy i'm really excited you got black soap!!! It can help sooo much externally. I actually realized I wasnt using the right black soap, mine has a bunch of castille soap in it, wish is kind of a harsh soap, esp for the face. Its in a weird liquid form and I think is supposed to be for the body. So I ordered some new PURE black soap with no "soap" and am so excited. Let me know if you have q's, if you use it just once a day it shouldn't do anything intense and you can see how it feels
That ain't a "creepy" picture Kelseylee, it is nice to put a forehead to a name, I agree
And plus that is not a bad forehead, not as bad as you think it is. I wish my foreahead was like yours. I really really hate mines at the minute
I have been using the black soap this full week and I do notice it is kind of drying, I use it once a day around 6pm ish and then put some ACV on an hour later then sometimes apply tea tree oil or just wait until morning to do that. I haven't noticed a significant difference yet but my skin isn't as red I must say.
What is afb? Sorry to hear you have low stomach acid Kelsey
You could maybe even try hot water and some lemon slices too first thing in the morning.
Hope you have a good weekend, and are feeling better today
>Hi everyone! I've had a chance to talk to some of you about the spiro journey and I'm so grateful there are other women out there to swap stories/ advice with. I'm about 10 weeks into my spiro journey taking 100mgs. My forehead and right side of my face are pretty clear, just scars fading, but for some reason my left cheek/jaw cannot catch a break. Has anyone else experienced this one-sidedness? Also after 10 weeks I'm still fairly oily, not blotting every 10 minutes but still blotting
Also, does anyone recommend a good foundation/cover up that is effective, but gentle for the skin. I prefer mineral foundation and have used EveryDay Minerals, but don't think it does a great job hiding the problems.
Stay strong ladies... we are more than what you see on the surface!
-Theresa
Good evening tmueller
I can't offer too much advice on make-up since I don't have any, but have you thought of maybe asking one of the beauticians at the make-up stores?
Hope you have a good weekend!
My derm started me on the 100mgs right away because after two rounds of accutane and all other topicals/antibiotics in the last few years I told him to go after it hard!! I definitely think I'm one of those that come the 3-4 month mark I will see much more significant changes. At almost 11 weeks, I'm having clearer days, but I'm afraid to get my hopes up too much. I feel like for every one good day, I have 5 bad days. Do you feel that way?
As for the make-up I did go to the store and they recommended bare minerals which I'm not crazy about... guess I will keep looking!!
Hope everything is going well for you!
Helloooo everybody! I have been reading about estrogen dominance lately too, its an interesting concept. I hope ur period comes soon, ed sounds totally likely and maybe spiro is wreaking havoc on it too? U were having regular periods before you started it right? Being on bc is kind of funny cuz I™m using it for absolutely nothing related to contraception. I feel much better on ortho tri cyclen lo, almost instantaneously I felt less nutty. Probably mostly placebo, but still whoa. It™s kinda funny cuz a lot of ppl seem to really hate ortho lo.
Ugh spider veins. They™re seriously the worst. I literally freaked out when I saw one on the back of my thigh. It feels a lot like having an acne scar. You just loathe how it looks and are really frustrated/traumatized about how it got there. I™ve convinced myself I will get them to go away, the internet says that is unlikely to happen, but as it has been wrong many a time before, I will fight the internet on this haha. I think if you don™t make changes (substantial) with your health and body, they will not likely go away. And of course, if you™re in your 50™s, 60™s, 70™s its not as big a deal and prolly harder to beat. But yeah seeing them was actually the first huge wake up call that something was wrong with my health. As I™ve gotten healthier they have gotten slightly better, so that helps put me in the right direction toward realizing what I need to do. I think they were caused by drastic hormonal shifts and eating too much sugar. Sugar¦..such a sweet substance, so many problems.
Ah yes African black soap purging. A good tip I have is try not to apply it too much to areas that are not oily, because it makes literally everything come to the surface (not right away but eventually). So things that maybe are invisible and would die down on their own are purged by the black soap and this can be confusing, so, I really hope it doesn™t seem like its making it worse. The best thing is nothing it has brought to the surface for me has left any kind of mark whatsoever, its pretty much the opposite as in the skin looks perfect there. Do u use once a day or more? If you use twice a day it will speed up the purging a little, and more potential for dryness in areas that are naturally less oily. Do you find when it purges that it makes an actual pimple, or is it just the clogged bit coming out or flattening? hopefully it's the later! I think there's some good info on acne.org on black soap as well.
I had a fun experiment with food allergies the last few days. I elicited about 8 whiteheads from my face (one big the rest smallish) through testing out some foods I was having allergies to. Needless to say the allergies were proven right. It came up that I had a medium allergy to almonds, but since I have it in my mind that they are such a healthy food, I thought maybe the allergy had subsided and wanted to try it. So for like 2-3 days in a row I ate some with trail mix and holy shit. Oh and I ate a little (like half an ounce but whose counting) of cheese, oops. I miss cheese. Anyway. My skin went berserk. What I mean by that more is my eczema which went insane. I itched for like four hours and it was worse on the last night. And then I got those whiteheads. Some of them might have happened anyway, obviously you guys know, sometimes its hard to know for sure what caused each zit. But it seemed pretty directly correlated. Anyway, food allergies are weird, I™m thinking they will be temporary but as I learned I™m not out the woods yet.
I totally am confused/skeptical about leaky gut syndrome & things like low stomach acid. On the one hand it makes sense to me, on the other hand it almost seems based in scare tactics and bad science & medical science doesn't take it seriously. I™m going to see a gastroenterologist and will def ask about that. I want to know the real deal. Oh, and my digestive issues got a bit better after I upped my antidepressants, feeling like it might be due to anxiety, and hopefully hormonal issues like u mentioned. I really like the apple cider vinegar. Started taking a small amount of psyllium fiber, but it hasn™t been the miracle cure that everyone says it is (I already eat a lot of fiber anyway). I feel like ppl overhype fiber as being a digestive miracle. Anyway
ps i should prolly start my own log, i feel like a doofus for writing so much in yours
I'm almost at week 12 and I'm having clearer days, but it's far from how I want it to be.
I've been through the spironolactone process before and I remember it took a while...my acne also wasn't as bad as it is now though. Anyway, just wanted to give you some hope. I know when it's been so long and you don't see results it's hard to keep your hopes up. I have heard it taking up to 10 months to really start working! I know that's not fun to hear, but it also gives me hope and reminds me to be patient with my body.
I'm going to get my second round of tests tomorrow to see where my hormones are at. I'm anxious to see the results. I've noticed that my body has become very curvy and plumper in these past few months that I've been on spiro and BCP. I don't mind it that much, but it is a bit alarming that it changed so dramatically. It feels like it takes more exercise and a stricter diet to lose weight. Anyone else notice this?
Hope all of you are keeping your chin up this week!
Sierra
10 months?? Can it really take that long to start working? Sierra I can relate in a way about the change in body shape...I thought it was just me, although it does not help that I can a kind of binge moment at the weekend there and know that I have been eating a little bit more than normal, but I am gettign a little hateful about my body. It is really upsetting me actually, I mean Im 5ft1 and about between 117-120lbs (I hate weighing myself though) so Im not overweight, but I remember that I was a STEADY 110lbs like half a year ago for a good couple years. I actually don't like looking this womanly however I guess men like curves don't they? My breasts are not too huge but I have quite a wee booty lol and my thighs - ugh! I just want to half them. It is really shit actually, I need to start watching what I eat now. I'd love to lose at least 5lbs.
The thing is though it is the hormones I believe, mainly estrogen that does this. Have you found that you have actually gained weight or has your body just changed? Estrogen generally proportions the body to distribute fat around the middle and the thighs.
I'm almost at week 12 and I'm having clearer days, but it's far from how I want it to be.
I've been through the spironolactone process before and I remember it took a while...my acne also wasn't as bad as it is now though. Anyway, just wanted to give you some hope. I know when it's been so long and you don't see results it's hard to keep your hopes up. I have heard it taking up to 10 months to really start working! I know that's not fun to hear, but it also gives me hope and reminds me to be patient with my body.
I'm going to get my second round of tests tomorrow to see where my hormones are at. I'm anxious to see the results. I've noticed that my body has become very curvy and plumper in these past few months that I've been on spiro and BCP. I don't mind it that much, but it is a bit alarming that it changed so dramatically. It feels like it takes more exercise and a stricter diet to lose weight. Anyone else notice this?
Hope all of you are keeping your chin up this week!
Sierra
10 months?? Can it really take that long to start working? Sierra I can relate in a way about the change in body shape...I thought it was just me, although it does not help that I can a kind of binge moment at the weekend there and know that I have been eating a little bit more than normal, but I am gettign a little hateful about my body. It is really upsetting me actually, I mean Im 5ft1 and about between 117-120lbs (I hate weighing myself though) so Im not overweight, but I remember that I was a STEADY 110lbs like half a year ago for a good couple years. I actually don't like looking this womanly however I guess men like curves don't they? My breasts are not too huge but I have quite a wee booty lol and my thighs - ugh! I just want to half them. It is really shit actually, I need to start watching what I eat now. I'd love to lose at least 5lbs.
The thing is though it is the hormones I believe, mainly estrogen that does this. Have you found that you have actually gained weight or has your body just changed? Estrogen generally proportions the body to distribute fat around the middle and the thighs.
I really hope it doesn't take 10 months to clear... I'm getting married in six I want nothing more than to have clear skin and feel confident on my wedding day. Here's hoping!
As for the weight gain... I notice I have more binging moments, but look into the 17 day diet. I've been doing it for the last few months now and I really love it. It starts off as a cleanse, but then slowly re-teaches you how to eat. I am so much more aware of the foods I buy now and how I prepare my meals. if anyone wants more information or is interested, I'm happy to share!
xoxo,
Theresa
Day 45 - week 6
Im really hating on life today, I dislike the way I look. I hate my skin and I hate my body, god I hate these days. I feel obese, and feel as if Ive gained so much weight. My period still hasn't arrived and that is now 4 weeks late tomorrow. Is this why I am bloated?
Following my research on the fact that when Progesterone levels are low and estrogen levels are high. My Vitex chasteberry tinvture arrived today and I will be taking about 5ml of that everyday to see if it maes a difference at all. I hope it does help to increase my progesterone levels.
So my skin is freaking out somehow and it is not nice, like I have a myrad of fucknig spots everywhere, especially on my forehead. Im getting really tired of it.
Helloooo everybody! I have been reading about estrogen dominance lately too, its an interesting concept. I hope ur period comes soon, ed sounds totally likely and maybe spiro is wreaking havoc on it too? U were having regular periods before you started it right? Being on bc is kind of funny cuz I™m using it for absolutely nothing related to contraception. I feel much better on ortho tri cyclen lo, almost instantaneously I felt less nutty. Probably mostly placebo, but still whoa. It™s kinda funny cuz a lot of ppl seem to really hate ortho lo.
Ugh spider veins. They™re seriously the worst. I literally freaked out when I saw one on the back of my thigh. It feels a lot like having an acne scar. You just loathe how it looks and are really frustrated/traumatized about how it got there. I™ve convinced myself I will get them to go away, the internet says that is unlikely to happen, but as it has been wrong many a time before, I will fight the internet on this haha. I think if you don™t make changes (substantial) with your health and body, they will not likely go away. And of course, if you™re in your 50™s, 60™s, 70™s its not as big a deal and prolly harder to beat. But yeah seeing them was actually the first huge wake up call that something was wrong with my health. As I™ve gotten healthier they have gotten slightly better, so that helps put me in the right direction toward realizing what I need to do. I think they were caused by drastic hormonal shifts and eating too much sugar. Sugar¦..such a sweet substance, so many problems.
Ah yes African black soap purging. A good tip I have is try not to apply it too much to areas that are not oily, because it makes literally everything come to the surface (not right away but eventually). So things that maybe are invisible and would die down on their own are purged by the black soap and this can be confusing, so, I really hope it doesn™t seem like its making it worse. The best thing is nothing it has brought to the surface for me has left any kind of mark whatsoever, its pretty much the opposite as in the skin looks perfect there. Do u use once a day or more? If you use twice a day it will speed up the purging a little, and more potential for dryness in areas that are naturally less oily. Do you find when it purges that it makes an actual pimple, or is it just the clogged bit coming out or flattening? hopefully it's the later! I think there's some good info on acne.org on black soap as well.
I had a fun experiment with food allergies the last few days. I elicited about 8 whiteheads from my face (one big the rest smallish) through testing out some foods I was having allergies to. Needless to say the allergies were proven right. It came up that I had a medium allergy to almonds, but since I have it in my mind that they are such a healthy food, I thought maybe the allergy had subsided and wanted to try it. So for like 2-3 days in a row I ate some with trail mix and holy shit. Oh and I ate a little (like half an ounce but whose counting) of cheese, oops. I miss cheese. Anyway. My skin went berserk. What I mean by that more is my eczema which went insane. I itched for like four hours and it was worse on the last night. And then I got those whiteheads. Some of them might have happened anyway, obviously you guys know, sometimes its hard to know for sure what caused each zit. But it seemed pretty directly correlated. Anyway, food allergies are weird, I™m thinking they will be temporary but as I learned I™m not out the woods yet.
I totally am confused/skeptical about leaky gut syndrome & things like low stomach acid. On the one hand it makes sense to me, on the other hand it almost seems based in scare tactics and bad science & medical science doesn't take it seriously. I™m going to see a gastroenterologist and will def ask about that. I want to know the real deal. Oh, and my digestive issues got a bit better after I upped my antidepressants, feeling like it might be due to anxiety, and hopefully hormonal issues like u mentioned. I really like the apple cider vinegar. Started taking a small amount of psyllium fiber, but it hasn™t been the miracle cure that everyone says it is (I already eat a lot of fiber anyway). I feel like ppl overhype fiber as being a digestive miracle. Anyway
ps i should prolly start my own log, i feel like a doofus for writing so much in yours
Day 45 - week 6
Im really hating on life today, I dislike the way I look. I hate my skin and I hate my body, god I hate these days. I feel obese, and feel as if Ive gained so much weight. My period still hasn't arrived and that is now 4 weeks late tomorrow. Is this why I am bloated?
Following my research on the fact that when Progesterone levels are low and estrogen levels are high. My Vitex chasteberry tinvture arrived today and I will be taking about 5ml of that everyday to see if it maes a difference at all. I hope it does help to increase my progesterone levels.
So my skin is freaking out somehow and it is not nice, like I have a myrad of fucknig spots everywhere, especially on my forehead. Im getting really tired of it.
Helloooo everybody! I have been reading about estrogen dominance lately too, its an interesting concept. I hope ur period comes soon, ed sounds totally likely and maybe spiro is wreaking havoc on it too? U were having regular periods before you started it right? Being on bc is kind of funny cuz I™m using it for absolutely nothing related to contraception. I feel much better on ortho tri cyclen lo, almost instantaneously I felt less nutty. Probably mostly placebo, but still whoa. It™s kinda funny cuz a lot of ppl seem to really hate ortho lo.
Ugh spider veins. They™re seriously the worst. I literally freaked out when I saw one on the back of my thigh. It feels a lot like having an acne scar. You just loathe how it looks and are really frustrated/traumatized about how it got there. I™ve convinced myself I will get them to go away, the internet says that is unlikely to happen, but as it has been wrong many a time before, I will fight the internet on this haha. I think if you don™t make changes (substantial) with your health and body, they will not likely go away. And of course, if you™re in your 50™s, 60™s, 70™s its not as big a deal and prolly harder to beat. But yeah seeing them was actually the first huge wake up call that something was wrong with my health. As I™ve gotten healthier they have gotten slightly better, so that helps put me in the right direction toward realizing what I need to do. I think they were caused by drastic hormonal shifts and eating too much sugar. Sugar¦..such a sweet substance, so many problems.
Ah yes African black soap purging. A good tip I have is try not to apply it too much to areas that are not oily, because it makes literally everything come to the surface (not right away but eventually). So things that maybe are invisible and would die down on their own are purged by the black soap and this can be confusing, so, I really hope it doesn™t seem like its making it worse. The best thing is nothing it has brought to the surface for me has left any kind of mark whatsoever, its pretty much the opposite as in the skin looks perfect there. Do u use once a day or more? If you use twice a day it will speed up the purging a little, and more potential for dryness in areas that are naturally less oily. Do you find when it purges that it makes an actual pimple, or is it just the clogged bit coming out or flattening? hopefully it's the later! I think there's some good info on acne.org on black soap as well.
I had a fun experiment with food allergies the last few days. I elicited about 8 whiteheads from my face (one big the rest smallish) through testing out some foods I was having allergies to. Needless to say the allergies were proven right. It came up that I had a medium allergy to almonds, but since I have it in my mind that they are such a healthy food, I thought maybe the allergy had subsided and wanted to try it. So for like 2-3 days in a row I ate some with trail mix and holy shit. Oh and I ate a little (like half an ounce but whose counting) of cheese, oops. I miss cheese. Anyway. My skin went berserk. What I mean by that more is my eczema which went insane. I itched for like four hours and it was worse on the last night. And then I got those whiteheads. Some of them might have happened anyway, obviously you guys know, sometimes its hard to know for sure what caused each zit. But it seemed pretty directly correlated. Anyway, food allergies are weird, I™m thinking they will be temporary but as I learned I™m not out the woods yet.
I totally am confused/skeptical about leaky gut syndrome & things like low stomach acid. On the one hand it makes sense to me, on the other hand it almost seems based in scare tactics and bad science & medical science doesn't take it seriously. I™m going to see a gastroenterologist and will def ask about that. I want to know the real deal. Oh, and my digestive issues got a bit better after I upped my antidepressants, feeling like it might be due to anxiety, and hopefully hormonal issues like u mentioned. I really like the apple cider vinegar. Started taking a small amount of psyllium fiber, but it hasn™t been the miracle cure that everyone says it is (I already eat a lot of fiber anyway). I feel like ppl overhype fiber as being a digestive miracle. Anyway
ps i should prolly start my own log, i feel like a doofus for writing so much in yours
Before I started the Spiro I definately wasn't having regular periods. They have been unregular since they came back last April
I really am hating on everything right now, like my skin is terrible and my body is just disgusting to me. I hate it. I have been using the ABS for over a week now, only once per day, but I never had oily skin it was mainly dry to begin with, do you think it is this? My skin is a bit inflamed and alot of my small bumps have surfaced into larger papules...however I have these tiny tiny, not-even-pimple-looking things on my foreah too, mainly around my hairline. My face is a MESS right now it truly is.
Thats brilliant that you actually too ka hands on approach to finding your allergens, its weird I always feel after I eat Peanut butter my skin seems a bit worse. Thankfully I finished the jar yesterday so Im not gonna buy it for a couple weeks and see.
Haha your own log could be useful but I don't mind you writing in mines
Keep your head up!! You're only on week 6 and I remember for me it was right after the one month mark that I thought my skin was the worst it had been since starting spiro. Right now I'm almost at 12 weeks, and one side of my face and forehead are just healing with only one side with more active pimples, and I think that may even be just because I'm about to start my period. I keep trying to tell myself that around 4 months there should be a significant change, so I think it may just be too early to tell for you. I know that right now everything sucks, but I believe it will get better for you! Try not to stress too much, I know that's easier said than done, but take time to breathe throughout the day and not think about your face.
Are you working out and drinking enough water?? I know that I have to remind myself to drink water a lot through out the day and that seems to help my bloating, as does drinking green tea... I try to drink 2 cups a day and it may just be in my head, but I think it's working.
Stay strong!
Theresa
ello everybody. er, been a rough couple days. skin is pretty much the same, pores still purging but there's so many its hard to make a lot of progress. mostlly having trouble being positive, had a few days in a row where i looked in the mirror at midday (brightest light) and felt...really down, sort of revolted about the state of my skin. i stopped washing for a few days, or only used a super mild aveda cleanser once every other day, my skin seemed slightly irritated, but today it looked so bad and i'm back to using black soap. I guess i feel like the acne makes me look sickly, like i'm diseased. i know that's not probably something i should be saying here, it's just how I feel when i look at myself, especially staring into bright light w/o preparing myself.
Going on a lower bc has made me lose some weight, also feeling down has made me eat less. For me it seemed like taking a bc w/high estrogen made me feel some of the same symptoms as having high testosterone. Like the general hormonal imbalance, although quite different, had some of the same effects. Just thought I would mention this in light of estrogen dominance. Of course some things are different, no extra hair w/high estrogen, but symptoms of hunger, weight gain, acne etc,,emotional confusion have been the same.
I got an amazing book today called When the Body Says NO: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection. it's by a doctor and even just several pages in I am mindblown by what I'm reading. there's some simliarities to this and texts like skindeep, but this is compelling me on a whole other level. It's a good incentive to really be mindful and pay attention to the things I let occur in my mind, and also the feelings I do or do not pay attention to and process. Anybody been pondering the psychosomatic connections of these journeys? I know some emotional events a few years ago really took a toll on me, and I'm basically attempting to face it all and all the self-criticism & anxiety that has arisen out of those unprocessed emotions, if that makes sense.
Sierra your skin looks great. Yay.
ello everybody. er, been a rough couple days. skin is pretty much the same, pores still purging but there's so many its hard to make a lot of progress. mostlly having trouble being positive, had a few days in a row where i looked in the mirror at midday (brightest light) and felt...really down, sort of revolted about the state of my skin. i stopped washing for a few days, or only used a super mild aveda cleanser once every other day, my skin seemed slightly irritated, but today it looked so bad and i'm back to using black soap. I guess i feel like the acne makes me look sickly, like i'm diseased. i know that's not probably something i should be saying here, it's just how I feel when i look at myself, especially staring into bright light w/o preparing myself.
Going on a lower bc has made me lose some weight, also feeling down has made me eat less. For me it seemed like taking a bc w/high estrogen made me feel some of the same symptoms as having high testosterone. Like the general hormonal imbalance, although quite different, had some of the same effects. Just thought I would mention this in light of estrogen dominance. Of course some things are different, no extra hair w/high estrogen, but symptoms of hunger, weight gain, acne etc,,emotional confusion have been the same.
I got an amazing book today called When the Body Says NO: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection. it's by a doctor and even just several pages in I am mindblown by what I'm reading. there's some simliarities to this and texts like skindeep, but this is compelling me on a whole other level. It's a good incentive to really be mindful and pay attention to the things I let occur in my mind, and also the feelings I do or do not pay attention to and process. Anybody been pondering the psychosomatic connections of these journeys? I know some emotional events a few years ago really took a toll on me, and I'm basically attempting to face it all and all the self-criticism & anxiety that has arisen out of those unprocessed emotions, if that makes sense.
Sierra your skin looks great. Yay.
Hey Kelseylee, your thought are EXACTLY mines today. I hate my skin, I fucking hate it.
Is skindeep a book? So is your current bcp one with higher estrogen? How exactly is the state of your skin?
Honey you are NOT diseased, and far from it. You are a very smart and beautiful human being, we all are..its just hard sometimes for US to see it. Infact I know I feel ugly today, and acne can make you feel like this since it isn't the "norm" to look like this you know. I wish they showed people on tv with acne and stuff, then I guess we would at least feel a BIT normal.
The psychosomatic connection with acne intrigues me somewhat. It really does, since I genuienly believe that OUR thoughts create OUR reality. You ever thoguht of someone who you have not spoken to in a while, maybe a family member or a friend from long ago...and then all of a sudden within say a week or so, you hear from them out of the blue!? Or hear of them!? This is The Law of Attraction - very good reading up on that btw. It stated that. that which we think of all day long affects us in so many ways. Also that we can get watever we want, as long as we feel grateful for having it. Sometimes people will want money for example, they want the money because they want to feel "happy" or "secure" - they may not infact receieve this money though, but they will recieve a form of happiness or security within their lives, since that is what they wanted in the end and not the money. You know what I mean? Dunno how this could relate to acne though.
In one of my books it says: Acne - Not liking the self/dislike of the self .
I know it so so so hard to stay positive and I know nothing I say can make you feel any better but all I can do is share my comfort and give you a *hug* because I feel the EXACT same way.
Day 47 (week6)
Hey people. Im totally disgusted with my skin today. Its in a terrible mess, a really bad state.
Its that bad that Ive been toying with the idea of stopping Spiro? Thinking that it may not be working for me? Im trying to be patient though.
Another thing that I have recently done however has been taknig Vitex - a kind of progesterone boosting herb, I bought a tincture of it and have been consuming 5ml for 3 days with water. Also I have been taking Evening Primrose oil in a pill form for 4 days, BUT I noticed that it contains nuts. Now I always notice that when I consume peanut butter I kind of break out.
Aw man, maybe Im doing too many things at the one time? I dunno, Im just soo upset about my skin, it is truly shit. Like I have spots EVERYWHERE right now. Some are large cysts, on forehead and chin and sore and some are papules, mainly red and around my chin.. Also just tiny wee spots red or just skin coloured places. Im fed up.
Ps, period is STILL LATE.
Keep your head up!! You're only on week 6 and I remember for me it was right after the one month mark that I thought my skin was the worst it had been since starting spiro. Right now I'm almost at 12 weeks, and one side of my face and forehead are just healing with only one side with more active pimples, and I think that may even be just because I'm about to start my period. I keep trying to tell myself that around 4 months there should be a significant change, so I think it may just be too early to tell for you. I know that right now everything sucks, but I believe it will get better for you! Try not to stress too much, I know that's easier said than done, but take time to breathe throughout the day and not think about your face.
Are you working out and drinking enough water?? I know that I have to remind myself to drink water a lot through out the day and that seems to help my bloating, as does drinking green tea... I try to drink 2 cups a day and it may just be in my head, but I think it's working.
Stay strong!
Theresa
Ive been hunting ALL morning for naturopths in Scotland and have emailed about 5 good ones which sound promising, I am hoping that at least one of them gets back to me and hopefully can set up an appointment. I just want to have a full on evaluation of my hormones and things you know.
Ps. another effect of the Spiro that I notice is have less greasy hair, like I can go about 4 or 5 days without washing my hair before it gets oily.
Hello Hello Hello. I thought I would write since things are looking up a bit. That only started about an hour ago, lol, so until then it was the down slope of yesterdays continuing on. I washed my face tho and was pretty surprised when I looked in the mirror and my skin looked okay-kinda good. I am still avoiding certain mirrors/lighting because it does nothing but make me feel worse. So in my favorite downstairs bathroom lighting, I took to it with the black soap. Same purging continuing and my skin looked really good after I had washed. I have about 10 or more little clogged pores that are pushing a visible thing, interesting. All of this keeps reminding me over and over and over how big of a concept patience is with things like acne. And I guess health. Seriously, skin improvements seem to move at about a snails pace. Not to mentions more steps backward than forward. Our mind, the frustration and the fear, however, move at a million miles an hour. So I guess theres really no point to worry. I need to stop playing the mental game of my skin will never look better, I will never look better, it got this way and it is stuck this way forever. Your skin will get better and so will you if you keep trying. I think its as simple as that. That doesnt mean that trying isnt a bitch and entails crying and dead ends and its definitely harder for some than others. Im at the point where Im like, if it helps you, and makes you feel better about your skin, f*** do it and be proud of it. I have zero judgement. Waxing poetic about this makes me feel better I guess.
Im going to see my old family doctor tomorrow. Im pretty nervous, and insecure and embarrassed about it actually. I guess she feels more like a family friend than a doctor cuz she saw my mom and I for years. But I need to tell myself that doctors have seen it all, and they really arent very judgemental. Hence their inability to understand emotions sometimes. Its their job to look at things from a scientific, clinical perspective and they arent going to think less of you as a person for having a health problem. The last time I was in to see her I was probably 16 with perfect skin and zero health problems, so I just feel kind of like a train wreck walking in there now with my wonked out blood test and slew of issues. I guess I almost feel like she will be disappointed in me and my bad health. I guess Im breaking up with the naturopath. Kind of awkward, but yeah really not feeling that treatment protocol. I have taken some aspects of what Ive learned from the experience, but other than that I guess I dont really feel confident in her care and trust her to fully help me. Just a gut feeling that Im going with. I realized that the only reason that I was going to my most recent appt with her was she basically forced me to schedule it and I was going out of guilt to not make her feel bad. So I cancelled it. And said I would call back, havent called back and she called me and left a minute long voicemail. I feel like she is very eager for patients and for them to see her a lot, which hey, this shit aint cheap and I kind of feel like I am not getting my moneys worth at all. So sorry to her. But stacy I think thats awesome youre making a naturopath appt-if you find the right one it could be amazing and fix everything up. I just had a weird experience. & thank you for your words of encouragement. Just remember it gets worse before it gets better and that the only place to go from rock bottom is up, and you will never go back!
I FOUND A GOOD TIP AND THING FOR ZITS. K dont know if you guys already know this or not but have you ever applied Neosporin or polysporin to active pimples? Sorry if you have. But holy shit it reduces a mark by A LOT. I read on an old post of a veteran member about how to deal with a cystic pimple, and she recommended doing this. She also said that before she started doing this, every cyst would leave an indented mark and obviously a red mark. After she started applying Neosporin/polysporin they have not left any indented mark and the red faded faster. I did the same thing, applied it to all my whiteheads and as sort of a ghetto experiment, I saw that it worked. This is because I get the same kind of whitehead in this section on my forehead repeatedly. Theyre kind of bad. The first one left a small boxcar scar because an ESTHETICIAN popped it ---(THANKS) and she went after it way too aggressively. It really hurt, which zits dont usually hurt that bad when they pop unless theyre a cyst, so she fd it up. It barely needed pressure to pop and she like attacked it. Careful with those estheticians. The next white head left a legit red mark because I popped it, but no indentation. And the last one where I used nesporin left nothing but a small pinkness and it only appeared like a week ago. I also did not pop it, it kind of removed itself. But please try this if youre getting marks, it might seem unnecessary or you might be worried about the Neosporin being greasy but it hasnt caused any extra zits, I havent had any new ones since applying.
Also I am on a lower bc now ortho tri cyclen lo. The mononessa was a generic version of OrthoCyclen. Orthocyclen has 35 ug Estrogen/day whereas ortho lo has 25 ug and slightly less progesterone as well. However I think it was the higher estrogen that didnt agree w/me. I was also on ortho lo on and off for 8 years w/no probs.
Day 49 (week7) - FIRST DAY on 50mg
Hello guys!
I just wanted to take a minute and thank everyone for their kind words and support throughout this log, seriously, without this log I would be so lost and just...I don't even wanna think about it. I don't what it is about writing or typing even about your thoughts and feeling, it just feels like a release, like a PURGE.
Righty, I decided to up my dosage, so that is me now at 50mg. My doctor actually wanted me to wait until I got the results of my kidneys back but I just want to try it and see if 50mg might be the answer and work for me more. What dosages is everyone else on atm anyway again??
Side-effects I have noticed currently is literally just the less greasy/oily hair. This is very noticeable though. Also my hair is a bit thinner, BUT it is long, so if it was shorter it might be thicker, I don't know.
I also have noticed a bit of a more womanly shape to my body. I am generally bottom heavy (Booooty!) but I have broad shoulders - I kinda have the body of a gymnast, that figure aside from the lean-ness of them, at the moment. I am aiming to lose some weight, or inches and have been exercising a little more, Im probably between 117-120lbs at 5'1- however this easter I did eat alot of chocolate, OOPS. I have actually ate a bit of chocolate everyday for the past week tbh, so maybe this is why it seems more inflammed?? Yea proabably.
My skin state right now is hell. Seriously. My. Skin. Is. Shit. I have acne almost everywhere, with a rough texture to it. I had been using ABS (african black soap) once per day for a week and a half but took a break from it yesterday, it is very drying and I think it has made me purge like crazy.
Also I have been taking 1000mg of EPO (evening primrose oil) for 5 days, and I wonder if these have something to do with the inflammed spots? They actually have nuts as an allergy. Its probably the amount of sugar Ive consumed though, so lets just wait and see howI am in a week of healthier eating.