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Spiro/bcp/differin Log

Ekr150 · 2012-06-13T21:08:02Z

Hello! I've been creeping around this website for a while, and I finally decided to post in here. Acne is definitely such a stressful psychosocial issue, so I think that keeping a log and getting feedback/encouragement/tips from you guys would be beneficial. And when (hopefully) my acne clears up, maybe this log can be *inspirational* for some of you.So here is my obligatory sad backstory:I am 23 years old. I started getting acne when I was around 13 years old. Mostly big, painful, inflamed pimples on my forehead and chin, and horrible cysts on my back. I tried Retin-A, tetracycline, then minocycline, none of which had any effect on my skin. Finally, in 10th grade, I went on a round of Accutane. My skin cleared up brilliantly, but then the acne returned within a few months. So I went on a second round of Accutane. Then, like clockwork, in about three months the acne returned (though it wasn't as severe as it had been previously). Instead of trying a third round of accutane, my doctor started me on Bactrim and Spiro, as well as topical Benzaclyn and Differin gel. This little cocktail worked like a miracle- my skin was crystal clear. Not even a clogged pore. I remained on this combination til probably my sophomore year of college. (Quite a long time to be on Bactrim. I thought nothing of it then, but now, being a nurse, I know that extensive use of antibiotics is bad, bad, bad.) Anyway, in my sophomore year of college, my skin was absolutely perfect, so my derm slowly weaned my off the Spiro and Bactrim. My skin was fine for a while, but then, of course, the acne returned. This time, I was started back on just Spiro and my topicals. Perfect skin for a couple more years. Then, my senior year of college (last year), I weaned off the spiro again.I graduated college last May and had a really difficult time finding a job. I think the stress of being done with college, having to start my life as a "grown up", and having such difficulty finding a job brought on a lot of stress that eventually triggered the return of my acne. By October 2011, I had huge, inflamed pimples on my cheeks, my chin, and along my cheekbones during my period. Everything would get worse around the time of my period. I finally found a job, though, so I thought that maybe having some stress lifted off my shoulders would allow my acne to calm down. I tried a lot of over the counter treatments- Olay's acne system, some Clinique products, face masks, etc, but with little success. My skin has this cyclic behavior where it gets really terrible the week before my period, then starts to clear up after my period. Every time my skin would start to get better, I would think that maybe my acne was finally going away, but then the cycle would continue.Finally, in January I found a derm (I had moved to a new city for my job, so I couldn't go back to my usual dermatologist). It was a derm office in the city- very busy, and the dermatologist seemed like he had little time for me. I explained to him that my acne was mostly hormonally influenced, and what had worked for me in the past. Without really listening to me, he placed me on doxycycline and retin-a cream and told me to come back in three months. Two months later, my skin was horribly irritated from the retin-a, and I had developed a ton of little bumps all over my forehead and cheeks. I had never experienced this before- they weren't really pimples, just tiny little bumps filled with a hard, waxy substance. Weird. So I went back to the derm. He simply told me to come back in a few months because the doxy and retin-a hadn't taken effect yet. Annoying. I knew that my acne was mostly hormonal, and I had heard that birth control could help clear acne, so I made an appointment with an OB-Gyn and started BC- Lo Loestrin Fe.In April, I made an appointment with an Accutane specialist who I heard was really, really good. I explained my entire history to her, and she actually LISTENED and understood how stressed out and frustrated I was. She told me to immediately stop taking the doxy. She felt that since I had been on so many antibiotics in the past, the usual amount of bacteria in my body had been suppressed and I was actually possibly developing a fungal infection (the tiny little bumps on my face). She explained that she could put me on Accutane again and it would certainly clear my face, but the acne would eventually return. Instead, she explained, we would need to address the actual cause of my acne- hormones. She told me to continue with my BC (Lo Loestrin Fe), and start and Spiro (25mg daily). I also started using Ketoconazole cream (for the little fungal bumps on my face), a sulfur shampoo (like a dandruff shampoo- she explained that if there was any dandruff that I couldn't see on my scalp, it could actually get on my face and shoulders and clog up my pores), a sodium sulfur face wash (supposed to help with the bigger pimples), and another topical gel containing treitoin and clindamycin, I think. She to...

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Ekr 150

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(@ekr150)

Posted : 08/27/2012 8:59 am

It has been about five months since I started Spiro (about 2.5 months since I went up to 100 mgs), and a couple weeks since I switched to Ortho Tri Cyclen-Lo. My skin is doing great! This is the best that it has looked since before my acne re-emerged a year ago. I have a couple tiny pimples, but I know that they will go away fast. The texture of my skin is improving, and it is starting to glow. I have been able to switch to a lighter foundation because I no longer need to cover a ton of breakouts up, so that feels great too (I use Clinique Super Balanced liquid foundation- it is so light and blends perfectly. It feels great! I definitely recommend it.) I am also working on not picking at my skin. This has been a big issue with me, when I get stressed or whatever, and I know that it only makes my skin worse. I haven't picked in a couple days and my skin already looks so much better.

It is wonderful to be able to wake up in the morning and not dread to look in the mirror. I don't carry cover-up in my pocket at work anymore. It's like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I used to be so obsessive... Today, I came home to visit my parents (I hadn't seen them in a month or so) and they both complimented my skin. I haven't been told that I have nice skin in SO LONG! Feels good. I hope that my skin only gets better from here.

So, to those of you who are just starting Spiro or have been on Spiro for a few months and haven't seen results yet: STICK WITH IT! It works, but it takes time. Yes, it's frustrating and your skin may get worse before it gets better, but BE PATIENT! I really didn't start to see results until 4 months in, which seems to be the trend among girls who have written Spiro logs on here. And personally, I haven't read a single spiro log in which the person using spiro did not see results eventually. If your acne is hormonal, this IS the treatment for you. Hands down.

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Ekr 150

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(@ekr150)

Posted : 08/31/2012 11:51 am

UPDATE: All of the tiny little bumps/blackheads/whiteheads that have plagued my face for 8 months or so (see picture on previous page) are disappearing! Now that my inflamed acne is gone, I switched my regimen around a little bit to target the noninflamed acne/blackheads on my face. I started using a salicylic acid scrub by neutrogena and a topical cream as well. Both contain soy and Vitamin A to fade marks from old acne. I'm noticing that my whiteheads/blackheads are disappearing, my hyperpigmentation is fading, and my skin is just becoming soft and sort of glows. Lovely!

Also, I am just finishing my first month of ortho tri cyclen-lo. I've had no side effects, no horrible initial breakout or anything.

Getting bettterrrrr.

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Ekr 150

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(@ekr150)

Posted : 09/10/2012 3:10 pm

Still going strong with no major breakouts! All I really get anymore are [occasional] tiny, noninflamed pimples which are more like clogged pores. Right now, my focus is just on improving the texture of my skin.

Current Regimen:

Morning

-50 mg Spiro

-1 Fish Oil capsule

-1 Vitamin D capsule

-Multivitamin

-Wash face with Neutrogena Clear Pore Cleanser/Mask

-Apply Neutrogena All-in-1 Salicylic acid treatment (helps to treat pimples, hydrate, and fade past acne marks- I love)

-Makeup- Clinique Even Better Foundation

Evening

-50 mg Spiro

-Ortho Tri Cyclen-Lo

-1 Fish Oil tablet

-Wash face with Neutrogena All-In-1 Acne Scrub

-Apply Neutrogena All-in1 salicylic acid treatment

-Apply Neutrogena Ageless Essentials Night Cream if skin is dry

Annnnd I drink lots of water and try to maintain a balanced diet.

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Ekr 150

MemberMember

(@ekr150)

Posted : 11/03/2012 10:45 am

7 months on Spiro

Oh hey ya'll. I haven't posted on here in a while because I really have nothing to write about. My skin is just about perfect. No more horrible cysts. No more carrying concealer in my pocket at work. No more waking up and dreading to look in the mirror. I do still get the occassional little pimple (right now I have three little ones) but they go away in a day or so. Right now the only thing I'm working on is evening out my skin tone. I still have dark marks from past acne and some tiny little bumps that never effing go away. Right now I'm just using Neutrogena Visibly Even toning face wash and the moisturizer from the same line. My derm recommended chemical peals, but I want to wait and see if this topical stuff works before spending hundreds of dollars on that. Also, I just finished my third month of ortho tri cyclen lo so that seems to be helping as well.

Good luck everyone!

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Ekr 150

MemberMember

(@ekr150)

Posted : 11/17/2012 2:00 pm

Almost 8 months on Spiro/4 months on Ortho Tri Cyclen-Lo

Hey everyone! Not sure if anyone actually reads this, but sometimes it's just therapeutic to write in here. I'm a little bit frustrated because I'm having a pretty big hormonal breakout before my period. I've got like four pretty big actives on my left cheek, as well as a ton of gross clogged pores that will not clear up. It's just frustrating because my skin was doing so well in previous months. I feel like the state of my skin has sort of plateaued... and now took a step backwards with my period coming next week. Hopefully it will clear up next week. I just want my skin to be perfect! Even when I don't have any large, active pimples, I still constantly have these clogged pores and the texture of my skin is just gross and uneven. And now with the weather getting colder, my skin gets SO dried out after I wash it! Like it looks flakey. Ugh. I've been using neutrogena visibly even moisturizer and it doesn't seem to do much. Thinking of switching to clinique dramatically different moisturizer.

Anyway, I have an appt with my derm next Monday. Looking forward to her feedback.

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mommabear

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(@mommabear)

Posted : 12/19/2012 12:26 pm

Hello Ekr150. How are you doing?

Just wondering if your derm upped your spiro dosage?

Would love to hear an update!

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Ekr 150

MemberMember

(@ekr150)

Posted : 05/14/2013 11:36 am

Hey all! Just figured I've give a little update since there have been some changes in my regimen!

I have now been on Spiro for *over a year*! Thirteen months in fact.

So, the last time I posted, in the fall, I was on 100 mg of Spiro per day and Ortho tri-cyclen birth control. I had stopped using my Differen cream a while back because I felt that it wasn't really doing anything for my face. I would just spot treat with an over the counter salicylic acid topical and use a moisturizer. In the fall and winter, I felt that my skin had plateaued. It has certainly gotten *dramatically* better since I started Spiro (no more cysts!), but I always had at least a few pimples lingering, and I would always break out more before/during my period. I was never completely clear. On top of that, my skin just... congested. That's the only way to describe it. Like my pores were just full of crap. Bleh. I also ended up stopping my birth control because I was just experiencing too many side effects.

I ended up moving to California in February. Maybe it was the stress of the move or the climate change, but my skin started to break out a little more. I was starting to run out of my Spiro prescription, so I went to a new dermatologist last week. He was amazing! (If anyone lives in the LA area, go see Dr. Mark at Coast Dermatology!!) He went up on my Spiro dose to 150 mg (two pills in the morning, one in the evening) and prescribed Differin .1% gel and Benzaclin topical cream. He also did two cortisol injections AND a glycolic peel for free! He also scheduled me for a microdermabrasion next week (I will probably have to do a series of microdermabrasions). I don't know if the glycolic peel did a whole lot (just made my face smooth), but hell, it was free. And cortisol shots are awesome.

After going up on my Spiro dose and starting the new topicals, I did notice a bit of an initial breakout, but it went away within two days. Now all I'm noticing is improvement! The differin gel (I had used cream in the past.. and I think it was .3%?) is seriously making my skin sooo smooth, and I have NO actives on my face right now. Just a few tiny bumps/clogged pores/areas of hyperpigmentation that I'm hoping the differin and microdermabrasion will help.

I am really hopeful that this is finally the regimen that will work for my skin and get me clear!

So here is my current routine:

Morning:

-100 mg Spiro

-Multivitamin

-Fish Oil pill

-Wash face with Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Cleanser

-Spot treat with Benzaclin

-Apply Clinique dramatically different gel moisturizer

Night:

-50 mg Spiro

-Wash face with Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Cleanser

-Wait thirty minutes, then apply pea sized amount of Differin gel to entire face

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Ekr 150

MemberMember

(@ekr150)

Posted : 05/16/2013 12:17 pm

Brief update- I was a liiiitle bit aggressive with the Differin gel and jumped right into it, using it every day for about a week instead of starting slowly. As a result, my skin is a bit irritated. It looks fine, but it stings and gets a little red when I wash it or apply moisturizer. I'm going to back off a bit and use the Differin every other night. Other than that, my skin is doing well! It's getting smoother, has fewer blackheads/whiteheads, and has no big, inflamed pimples.

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