Okay, I understand that every individual will respond differently various treatments, but here is my history with acne treatments and if you've had similar reactions to my own then I would greatly appreciate some advice.

• I started getting moderate, non-scarring acne when I was 15. It was mostly on my forehead, but it liked to appear around my mouth every once in a while. My doctor told me it was due to high levels of testosterone (although I was never properly tested), and subsequently put me on Diane-35 and minocycline. Both worked well for a few years.

   

   

  • When I was 18 I moved away from home to go to university. I ran out of both of my prescriptions for my acne treatment when I was 19. I didn't have the time to try to find a new family doctor in the city I now live in, so I just went to the birth control clinic. The doctor was concerned that I had been on Diane-35 for 3 years, because apparenty being on it for over 2 years increases the likelihood of expriencing symptoms such as blood clots. She put me on Yaz for 6 months (I was okay with going off the minocycline because the idea of being on an antibiotic for so long did not sit well with me, anyway).

     

     

    • I took Yaz and my face remained clear, with the exception of the occasional pimple. After the 6 months I went off of it, mostly because I could not find the time to see a doctor to get another prescription between working 25 hours a week and being in school full time. That's when everything was awful. After going off of it, I did not get my period for nearly a year and was incredibly moody. Oh, and my acne came back, of course.

       

       

       

      • My period finally came back and I decided to go to the acne clinic. He recommended putting me back on Yaz. I told him I was unsure of going back on it, but he said it was a worth a shot. He also put me back on minocycline. While on Yaz, I gained weight and became increasingly moody (I thought the weight gain could be just from being a student and eating crap all of the time, but once I stopped taking it I lost 8 pounds in 2 weeks). And on top of it all, the minocycline gave me minocycline-induced lupus. It was an awful experience.

         

       

       

      [*]Since then I have not been on any other medications, so I guess it's been about a year and a half of being drug-free (my timeline may be a bit off - it's all a blur). Trying to go drug-free has been the biggest mistake ever. My acne is back to the way it was nearly 8 years ago when I started everything. I've tried every wash and technique, but nothing has worked. I've even dabbed on the creams I had been prescribed throught the years (stievamycin, benzoyl, differin, etc.), and those never had an effect even when I was using them in combination with other drugs.

       

       

       

      [*]And now to the very present moment. I was having issues with my joints so I went to the medicentre. I figured it was also worth talking to the doctor about my acne (Oh, IMPORTANT note: It's now quite obvious that my acne is hormonal and that my testosterone is raging. As embarrassing as it is, I've noticed my body hair getting worse since I've been off birth control and my face is so oily). I told him my history, and he said he was unsure of the guarantee that a birth control other than Yaz would work. But he put me on Alesse (Well, I'm taking Aviane-21 since they didn't have the brand name when I went to the pharmacy). He also prescribed me minocycline, but I'm too scared to try it again. The doctor also sent me for tests to check my free testosterone levels, but I have yet to hear back about results.

       

       

       

       

      I understand that people have had many bad experiences with Alesse/Aviane, but I'm wondering if there's someone else out there who has a similar history to mine that can recommend what has worked for them? I've only been on Aviane for 15 days, and nothing has happened so far. I have just been so self-conscious of my acne lately and I need to feel like I'm doing something about it rather than just sitting here and waiting for the pill to kick in (if it even does). I was also recommended for blue light therapy, but I just can't afford it at the moment.

       

       

      Thanks!!