I'm basically at the end of my rope now, and I need advice. I've seen so many doctors for my horrible cystic acne, and I'm so frustrated that every one of them wants to just put me on a pill and not look at what's causing my acne. I feel so alone in this struggle.
If my story sounds like yours, please just take a minute to help me out. I started out with mild acne when I was about 13 and used acne treatments like Proactiv. But that began to not be enough, and I went to the dermatologist, who quickly put me on amoxicillin and a million topical treatments I can't even remember. My skin did well on that, but as soon as I went off the antibiotic, my acne came back a bit worse. My doctor then put me on a host of other antibiotics. I was put on Solodyn, which worked until it made me break out in a bad rash. I was then switched over to doxycycline, which ended the same way. All this time, I'd been hesitant to try Accutane or birth control, since they seemed so invasive. So I went back on amoxicillin for some time, but when I went off of it, this terrible, terrible cystic acne reared its ugly head, and my face is still scarred from it. I'd have a dozen red, painful, inflamed cysts covering my T zone. I'm convinced it was the overuse of the antibiotics that caused it. I've had to take ibuprofen some days because it's so painful. I've had to go to the doctor because my acne has caused my lymph nodes to swell up, causing me to go on more antibiotics. I've had problems with anxiety, feeling like I want no one to see me, because of my acne.
Finally, I'd had enough. I'd heard so many success stories about Accutane that I stopped fighting it and went on it. Within the first couple of weeks, I had horrible pain in my hip. And one morning, I woke up to find my lips swollen to twice their normal size. I immediately went off Accutane.
After that, I lost total confidence in the doctors I'd been seeing. I wanted someone to look at all my symptoms, not just my acne. I stopped seeing the dermatologist, went off my harsh topicals like Tazorac and Acanya. I think my body was so overloaded with chemicals that it was fighting me. And this actually helped somewhat, though I still get two or three cysts a month. I've tried natural treatments like probiotics and garlic and even spearmint tea, which help to some extent. I'm better, but I want a cure. I want to stop worrying about whether I'll break out before a wedding or a social function. I want to be able to go makeup free and feel good about myself.
So now I'm at a crossroads, and I don't know where to go. I have other symptoms that scream PCOS, like irregular periods and hirsutism. But I've had ultrasounds and blood tests and the works, and the doctors have been giving me a clean bill of health, leaving me feeling like there's something wrong, but no one can find it. Should I try natural supplements? Birth control? Acupuncture? If you're out there listening, I'd sure appreciate your help. I'm desperate.
Um did you try changing your diet? No processed sugar, no takeaway fokd, nk geasy food, no dairy, no wheat, no junk food? Go gluten free. Take natural supplements not the synthetic kind you find at stores I suggest Solgar brand. Other than it seems like your acne is all hormonal and it usually oral medication is the only option. Sadly with that is that there is always a chance of it returning when your off so you prob have to be on it for a life time just like how people who have a regimen have to stick with it for life. For the probiotics I hope your not eating dead probiotics you can check if they are alive by putting a capsule in milk and see if turns yogurty after a day if it is its alive if not its dead. With all the antibiotics you took you probably killed a good sum of good bacteria so youll need tk replenish that. Supplements I suggest zinc picolate, vit a , vit d3, vit c , vit e, magnesium and calcium, omega 3 fish oil and probiotics usually in the billions.