This link has better pictures from the report. Click on the link below then click on item #3 to see the better pictures.
Click on Item #3 Link After You Click Here
Those are the most definitive pictures I've ever seen concerning acne scar repair. While the women's scars are hardly deep, it's quite obvious idented marks have dramtically improved.
You have to ask yourself whether the self-esteem issues experienced from tramatic acne scarring is worth the alleged side effects. It's surprising--I would have expected this thread to have reached 100 pages by now with hundreds of members attempting to cross the Mexican border and obtain their own pills. These results sure as hell beat laser resurfacing and any other chemical peels procedures.
Drugs are dangerous substances...anything unnatural in your body will cause side-effects, especially ones that the side effects from ppl who are not disease are relatively unknown.
Who knows which chemicals are going to interfere with which in someone's body as ppl have different responses to different drugs.
So until I see real benefit in before/after pictures from an actual user here, not from some medical "website", I 'd rather not run to Mexico and get the pills.
Guys, I have an idea to find out more about this drug:
Why don't we join an epilepsy or migraine support group and ask its members if they have used this drug and if they've noticed any additional benefits (skin appearance, tissue,tone,ect. ) ?? I bet topiramate is a very popular drug in their lives and they can give us useful advice.
After seeing those pictures I was like wow! this drug does do miracles!! I'm a very doubtful person sometimes, but i believe it's a credible study. And I also think they are undoctored and untouched pictures.
The only problem is that the sample size (10 patients) is way too little. It should have been taken to a greater scale. So if we join one of those forums I'm sure we can dig more imformation.
I just wonder if topiramate consists of many things or if topiramate is not a mix of different things.
Because if it was a mix of different things it should be possible to find out exactly what parts of the drug makes the effect on scar-tissue.
Do you find that possible?
And by the way: The fact that this drug works, in some way indicates that we only have scars because the brain keeps replacing scar cells with new scar cells instead of new good skin. Topiramate must in some way affect the brain to think that the scar tissue should be replaced with skin cells. Doesn't that sound plausible?
That is also why I hope that the "Bodi Tek Blemish System" could help my scars. Maybe the galvanic current could "confuse" the nerves and thereby send other messages to the brain. Hopefully. I'll tell you guys when it arrives.
IDBNVS2, did you tell your doctor that you were suffering from migraines? That is pretty powerful medication. Or did you tell the doc that you wanted to treat acne scars with it? I'm just surprised that you were able to get a perscription so quickly and readily. Usually, even if you WERE suffering from migraines, a doctor would start you out on less intense medications, and you would work your way up to something like Topamax.
Keep us updated, ok?
)
IDBNVS2? Did you not read my post? I think its important that we share this information with each other....
I plan on sticking to the low dosage of 25 mg.
do you know what dosage the pateints were taking when they saw their scar improvement? were they taking high dosages?
if so, 25mg might not be effective?
you might have to take high dosages to see scar improvemnt, and therefore deal with any possible sideffects.
the fact that it's used to treat bi-polar disorder is somewhat alarming. it's an antipsychotic drug, used to stabalize moods, which means it manipulates brain chemistry! i don't mess with brain chemistry!
olbarn,
In Shapira's study it was starting at 15 mgs and then going to 30 mgs if no side effects were seen. In Rakesh's study (the one with alot of acne and chicken pox scarred patients) it was a daily dose of 25 mgs. I am sticking to 25 mgs and don't plan to take more to avoid any complications with the side effects.
I really want to find out more about this drug and I just joined an Epilepsy support group and a Migraine forum. I'm going to ask the members there if they have noticed any other benefits in addition to brain-nerve balance. Just in case, I also joined a menopause support group (I found out that many women during this stage also suffer from migraines) and I'm going to ask the lovely grannies if they've seen any improvement in their skin appareance.
I'll keep you guys informed
The acne scars don't look that improved, IMO. The surgical scars do, however that could've been natural healing and they are different from acne scars anyway.
I hope I'm wrong and it works....with minimal side effects.
If by "that improved" you mean "not completey erased," then yes. But has anyone come across any photos which better capture facial improvements? I haven't. Take a pill once a day for three months and have results such as these? Better than wasting 1,000+ on surgery. Hell, we should be excited IDBN is taking this medication. I just hope he doesn't suffer any adverse sife effects.
What gives the scar healing capabilities legitimacy is all scars featured were from surgeries conducted, acne suffered YEARS prior to the experiment. You have to set aside one variable (age of scar) to get a better indication of whether or not it's the drug which has improved its appearance. And they appear to have done just that.
Don't get me wrong, I'm skeptical like the rest of you. But for an experiment featuring 10 people to have three (from the photos we've seen) experience noticeable results, I'd spend $100 on prescription. There was only one person, the woman, in the study with acne scars--and she featured improvement. I only wish more would have been featured.
IDBN--just a suggestion, but have you considered taking photos of your scars. Not for the board (although that would be appreciated) but for your own assessment? Examining your face everyday you may not notice subtle results over three months which could be captured with a camera.
zxc,
How do you know that taking aspirin doesn't change your brain permanently. Hell, drinking alcoholic beverages changes your brain permanently cause it kills brain cells. Every significant experience you have changes your brain/thinking permanently. A car wreck, loss of a friend or family member, it's called life. zxc if you think about your scars as much as you apparently do your brain has changed permanently because of them.
At these doses the chances of this drug damaging people's minds as compared to the mental damage of scarring is nothing especially when the FDA has approved doses up to 400 mgs daily.
zxc,
How do you know that taking aspirin doesn't change your brain permanently. Hell, drinking alcoholic beverages changes your brain permanently cause it kills brain cells. Every significant experience you have changes your brain/thinking permanently. A car wreck, loss of a friend or family member, it's called life. zxc if you think about your scars as much as you apparently do your brain has changed permanently because of them.
The chance of this drug damaging people's minds as compared to the mental damage of scarring especially at these doses is like nothing especially when the FDA has approved doses up to 400 mgs daily.
be careful. just b/c aspirin, alcohol, or car wrecks, etc. could possibly change brain chemisty, it doesn't give validity to taking this drug, or any drug for that matter. furthermore, life experinces such as the loss of a friend or even obsessing over acne scars, have a much different impact on the mind/body than medication. anyone whose overcome something hard in their life would say it's more of a lesson than a mind altering experience. it's simply something happens to you externally and you deal with it internally, and your body is simply reacting using it's OWN chemical makeup. with medication, you're introducing a new chemical into your system. that changes everything. oh and aspirin is not anti-pschcotic-- it can't change your brain chemistry. this drug is however.
i'm not bashing this drug nessesarily-- it could work, especially if you only need very low doses to see improvements. however, you are somewhat playing guinnne pig with yourself.
did your dr. explain to you any sideffects, etc.? i know you said he sounded like taking this drug wasn't a big deal, but did he mention anything else?
also, do you know off-hand the dosage for controlling bi-polar? i'll also try and look this up. if it's really high, at least you know you're safe by taking the low dose.
I appreciate the concern people.
I did my homework and read the drug data sheets which is required to list all the pertinent side effects. My doctor and pharmacist did ask me if I had any questions. I have weighed the risks and really don't think I have much to worry about.
By the way this drug is defined as an anticonvulsant not antipsychotic. I don't think there is a set dosage for bipolar disorder and I know some seizure patients are taking 400 mg doses daily so I am taking 1/16th of that.
Again thanks but enough with the nannying.
I know from experience that oral medications can remodel skin, including scars. I have been on accutane 60mg per day for two months in conjunction with vitamin K and I have seen wonderful results. My scars have filled in about 50%, the redness is diminished, and pores are smaller. the scars on my cheeks responded the best. Some very minor damage (red spots) have completly disappeared. Before taking accutane I cried at least once everyday and now I am so much more confident and feel like I have been given a second chance. The only side effect that I have experienced in dry skin, but nothing too bad.
IDBNVS2
i found that bi-polar patients usually take about 75mg daily as a low dosage, so i guess that's what it takes for the drug to begin to have psychological effects. so 25mg does sound like it could be safe.
okay that's it for my nannying! done.
good luck and please keep us updated.
