If I have normal testosterone, but high DHEA-s would the inositol not help? My estradiol estrogen is normal, and not sure about progesterone. I do know that progesterone caused my late cycle to induce, but I had also had three very short cycles prior. So confusing! My OB just recommends Lo Estrin and spiro for acne. Vitamin D also seems to be causing my breakouts to worsen.
On 11/18/2016 at 2:09 PM, Hls1209 said:If I have normal testosterone, but high DHEA-s would the inositol not help? My estradiol estrogen is normal, and not sure about progesterone. I do know that progesterone caused my late cycle to induce, but I had also had three very short cycles prior. So confusing! My OB just recommends Lo Estrin and spiro for acne. Vitamin D also seems to be causing my breakouts to worsen.
Vitamin D makes me breakout too. I switched to prescription strength D2 (not D3) at one point and it gradually helped get my D levels up. Now I use transdermal Vitamin D lotion because I don't do well on over the counter D3 supplements.
Inositol can still help you - no way to say for sure unless you try it. Also look into DIM.
On 6/3/2017 at 2:49 AM, WishClean said:Bumping this to see if anyone is still reading this thread...
The mods said it was ok to create a pinned thread with natural/ holistic ways of balancing hormones, so I'd like to know if you would be interested in starting that thread and reading my 2 cents.
I am, very helpful thank you
Hello ladiez,
I hope you are all doing well.
Sorry for not updating you earlier! I had to open a new account because I could not get into my old one, but I was previously in this thread.
Since I started taking myo-inositol 2 years ago, I still have some problems with excess hair in unwanted places.... I now also have some signs of estrogen dominance as well. I actually do have some melasma on the face, looking a little like the "pregnancy mask" although I am not pregnant right now. I have fibroids now causing problems as well.
I am on a very low dose of myo each morning, just a small fraction of a teaspoon, so I am not sure it is causing this at all.
I was always slim, with the my fat on the legs and hips, almost no breasts or stomach fat, but in the past 2 years, I have gained a lot of fat on the stomach and actually some fat on the breasts too lol. And the symptoms of androgen dominance continue too......
I have tried acupuncture and tried asking doctors, but they said my symptoms of androgen dominance are fine and normal, and would not prevent me from getting pregnant (without actually doing any tests!). I even went to a naturopathic doctor, but was told that since I am ovulating every month they would not want to add anything else like vitex because things could actually be worse, and even said there is no reason for me to continue with inositol. All I am taking is the small dose of myo and fish oil with vitamin D in it.
I would like to go to bed early and not eat late at night or sugary foods, etc. but socially it is impossible.
And, as usual, no doctor cares about me lol. I cannot convince any doctor to try to help me and the natural doctor gives me the impression they do not feel competent with my case, referring me to conventional doctors instead, who never take me seriously. I asked if acupuncture could change the estrogen-progesterone balance to increase progesterone and was told no, because I am already ovulating every month.
Unfortunately, I miscarried this year possibly due to the hormonal imbalance the doctors did not care to treat, and now I am still waiting to start a new cycle to start acupuncture again and check my hormones.
My suspicion is that I am ovulating late, causing my progesterone to be low, and I plan to ask the acupuncturist to try something for ovulating earlier.
Very interesting I haven't been able to go through all the responses as therthink are so many but i think I rather try inositol before something like vitex affecting hormones . I've read inositols ability on reducing insulin spikes in bloodstream therefore reducing chronic inflammation --> thus reducing acne . My problem is mainly has cystic acne jawline and some cheeks and gets worse just before my cycle don't know if that means I have low progesterone levels .
On 2013/10/12 at 0:25 PM, WishClean said:**pics at the end of the post **
Ok ladies (sorry, this might not apply to men), after a LOT of research, I have been using inositol (myo-inositol in powder form) for about 2 months now and I wanted to wait at least this long so that I can be sure that this is not a temporary fix. Inositol's benefits are extensively discussed on PCOS forums, but haven't recently been discussed on acne.org so I thought this might help some of you who do not want to take bcp or other hormonal treatments or would like to supplement hormonal treatments with inositol. Basically, inositol is a B vitamin but it's not typically included in B-complexes anymore because it can be produced inside the body. However, recent studies showed that women with PCOS or other hormonal imbalances might be deficient in inositol, so in my opinion inositol functions as a pro-hormone rather than just a vitamin (as does vitamin D). I have PCOS and low progesterone, and I also have symptoms of estrogen excess and high androgens, that's why I thought this would be a good multi-tasker.
What I noticed the first month and then 2nd month of using inositol:
1. Reduction of facial fuzz/hair (reduction confirmed by my esthetician) - inositol is also supposed to help with hair growth on scalp, but I haven't noticed too much of a change so far.
2. Reduction of numbness in extremities (this was a bonus - inositol can benefit the nervous system)
3. Better sleep, less insomnia (another bonus)
4. Fewer flare ups, pimples taking less time to heal (I noticed this about 3 weeks into it). PMS breakout was less severe last month and healed in 2 days. This month I skipped my ovulation breakout, which hasn't happened in over 1 year! Face feels flat, no pimples under the surface, just a lot of hyperpigmentation, red marks and scars (but at this point, I'll take what I can get).
5. My blood flow during my period is more normal
I should add that I'm also doing other things to control my acne because some of it is triggered by high histamines. What else I'm going: vitamin D prescription (3rd month), vitamin C twice a day, digestive enzymes with large meals, low histamine diet, gluten-free, low carb, low sugar, added more meat to diet, reduced grains. I also get regular facials with aloe peels, high frequency and red/blue light treatments. I think hitting acne from various angles is the most successful approach. One supplement or pill might not fix all your issues, and might even create new hormonal imbalances. Stress management and regular exercise are also important. Just because you are taking something for your acne, doesn't mean you can be unhealthy in other aspects and just rely on a pill to do all the work.
Anyway, just wanted to mention inositol as another option for you, with NO side effects at the recommended dosage. You have to work your way to the recommended dosage, which is 1/4 teaspoon per day. I started with 1/8 and felt a bit dizzy the first few times, but now I take about 1/4 teaspoon split into 2 doses twice a day. Inositol is water soluble, so it's best to divide your dosage. Don't take too much - less is more in this case and BE PATIENT. Do some research on it, most studies were done in Europe (Mediterranean). And speaking from experience, mediterranean women with PCOS have some of the most stubborn and persistent symptoms (like facial hair and acne), so it's very promising that they saw results in the studies between 8 weeks - 6 months.
Benefits of myo-inositol according to the Miscarriage Research Website:
- restores normal ovulatory activity
- increases fertilization rate
- prevents spina bifida birth defect
- lowers free testosterone (research has shown up to a 73% reduction)
- lowers total testosterone (as much as 65% reduction)
- lowers LH (as much as 55% reduction)
- lowers insulin response after meals (as much as 62% reduction)
- lowers DHEA-S (as much as 49% reduction)
- increases SHBG (as much as 92% increase)
- lowers androstenedione (as much as 27% reduction)
- lowers triglycerides (as much as 51% reduction)
- lowers blood pressure (minor decrease)
- increases peak progesterone (129% increase in one study)
Examine.com's page on inositol has been updated with more research. They also gave it a high rating for acne! However, there's no sufficient evidence on whether it can help men as well...
http://examine.com/s...ments/Inositol/
If you are interested, please read the following clinical studies and medical articles on the many benefits of inositol.
- Unfer V, Carlmango G, Dante G, Facchinetti F (2012) Effects of myo-inositol in women with PCOS: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Gynecol Endocrinol 28(7):509-15.
- Gerli S, Papleo E, Ferrari A, Renzo GC (2007) Randomized, double blind placebo-controlled trial: effects of Myo-inositol on ovarian function and metabolic factors in women with PCOS. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences 11: 347-354.
- Zacche MM, Caputo L, Filippis S, Zacche G, Dindelli M, Ferrari A (2009) Efficacy of myo-inositol in the treatment of cutaneous disorders in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Gynecol Endocrinol 25(8):508-13.
- Lam S, McWilliams A, leRiche J, MacAulay C, Wattenberg L, Szabo E (2006) A Phase I Study of myo-Inositol for Lung Cancer Chemoprevention. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 15: 1526.
And my question is: Why the *&%# aren't there more studies on this, and why do doctors underestimate it as a supplement? Well, because then pharmaceutical companies would go broke, that's why. I had to see several doctors recently for some other health issues, and when they asked how I managed to get my acne under control and I said I was taking inositol they had no idea what it was. It just goes to show you that you need to do your research before relying on mainstream treatments that can have serious side effects.
Hi Wishclean~ There is my story:
Im suffering from moderate acne with very oily skin since I was 14. I tried birth control pills (brand name : Gracial) which works great but when I came off the pill my face reruns break out like crazy after few months.
I started using Dans regimen on year 2009 (not on birth control or other meds) I was 23, it took 6 months to achieve complete clean, yes! It was a completely clear face.
I kept using it until year 2010, I suddenly stopped using this regimen because my friend recommends me to join some facial course which I did and that was totally a fail. My skin was ruined at the time. When I was trying to start Dans regimen again to save my skin, I think because my face was too bad so I used too much BP at the beginning, my face was burned red and dry which made it look much more severe. I was so upset and I was scared to go out of my house I even quit my job because I looked terrible.
Again I started birth control again. cleared skin again in 4+ months.
2012, I decide to quit birth control because I think it will affect fertility ability. I used Chinese medication, it only can control it but not clearing my skin at all.
2013, I start Dans regimen again, but this time no matter how exact I follow the instruction, my face just never get clear, it can only control from getting worse. My acne moved from my forehead+cheek to jawline+chin. I will get big cystic acne on my chin near my ears and jawline before/after my period. I also have hair loss.
2015, I was having 13 days of period one month and I never had this experience before, so I went to the doctor, she prescribe me duphaston to increase my progesterone since she thinks thats the reason why my period never end. Which works means she is right.
2015 to 2016, since then Im have longer period than before, I will get 3 to 4 days spotting before actual flow(3days) and 3 to 4 days spotting after, so totally 10 days period. And hair loss is getting worse due to grease, i need to wash my hair everyday.
2017 June, due to stress, poor diet and lack of sleep, my skin broke out severely on my chin suddenly , very big cystic acne even Im still using Dans regimen, seems it doesnt help the hormonal acne anymore. I even got cold sore near my mouth, I hate that. And I keep losing my hair since it's getting very greasy.
I knew something is wrong with my hormone and immune system, so I did some researching about balancing hormone and I decide to try herbs to regulate my period and hope it can fix my hormone. Here is my herbs and supplements routine:
Natures way vitex 800mg
Thorne zinc picolinate 12mg
NOW foods Inositol 1000mg
Natures way Dim Plus 100mg
14:30 Spearmint tea 1 or 2 cups
Jarrow Formulas, Jarro-Dophilus EPSx 1cap
Thorne liver cleanse 430mg
@WishCleanI just ordered inositol bc I get crazy hormonal acne right around ovulation just until my cycle starts . Do you recommend taking inositol everyday or only during a few days out of the cycle ?
Hey everyone. I haven't logged in here for a while, life has been busy, but thankfully that means it has taken the focus off of my skin and onto more important things.
If anyone is interested in an update on how I managed to maintain my mostly acne-free skin, let me know and I will update my supplements & diet thread. I no longer take inositol, and rarely still take DIM right before my period.
Hi WishClean,
So nice you are back and congratulations on keeping your skin clear for so long. I have been following your posts for years and wondered how things were these days.
I have never posted anything on any kind of forum before and have solely created this account to reply to your message! Please do update what you are currently taking.
I really want to thank you for keeping such personal record over the years, it's really one of a kind.
15 hours ago, Awurama said:Hi WishClean,
So nice you are back and congratulations on keeping your skin clear for so long. I have been following your posts for years and wondered how things were these days.
I have never posted anything on any kind of forum before and have solely created this account to reply to your message! Please do update what you are currently taking.
I really want to thank you for keeping such personal record over the years, it's really one of a kind.
Hey, thanks for following my posts - I used to spend a lot of time on the forum, so I'm glad my research is still useful to some 🙂
So, my update:
Most important thing: Keeping stress at bay (my worst breakouts came during times of extreme stress), meditating for a few minutes in the morning, yoga whenever possible, trying not to get fixated on my skin and focus on more important things instead.
Acupuncture.
Once a month: lactic peel facial. ABSOLUTELY NO ACNE-RELATED PRODUCTS LIKE B.P. , salicylic, or glycolic - those make my skin worse, I think mainly because of histamine issues.
Other topicals: aloe vera gel, andalou organics skincare, weekly turmeric-honey-yogurt mask (I use Fage yogurt, but any plain yogurt with no gelatin is ok), Irish mud mask as needed.
LOW HISTAMINE LIFESTYLE - this is very important if you have any histamine issues (you can get your antibodies tested to see if you have this). Check my other posts on this. Also, I'm doing a part-time keto diet that is relatively low carb, but not extremely so, and with some fruit, and this has helped minimize breakouts even more.
Supplements: Coconut oil (MCT oil in my coffee every morning), turmeric, vitamin C or Nicadan (1/2 a capsule a few times a week - my derm prescribed it). As needed: digestive enzymes, probiotics (PB8 vegan), amlaki (antioxidant), DIM (pure DIM by Olympic Labs - now I only take it when I have a pre-period breakout), garlic supplement as needed (for detox and to fight infection), zinc.
Diet: Almond milk, almonds, eggs (fine for me, not good for some), fresh veggies, some chocolate (my biggest weakness, but dark and white is ok), some ice cream (coconut, yogurt-based), etc...just trying to eat as simple as possible, but I still can't cut out sugar. Stevia sweetener helps though.
AND: Through this lifestyle, the cysts in my ovaries (from PCOS) are now gone. I got my most recent scan a few days ago, and the doctor said everything looks healthy.
I hope this helps! Best of luck to you.
Hi WishClean,
Thank you for an update! It's great you no longer need to take supplements full time. May I ask why you stopped Inositol? Was it hard to come off it?
How often do you do acupuncture and what effects have you noticed? Does it last?
Do you think you will continue low histamine diet for the rest of your life?
I have been trying to come off spironolactone for 3 months and managed to with hardly any breakouts. It was a surprise but I am on an array of supplements including inositol(what I think helped me the most). I do however have severe hair loss (started while on spiro). I also have pcos and had a plan to start taking dim once I am fully off spiro but it turns out I am allergic to it (rash, itchiness). I am not allergic to cruciferous vegetables and tried various brands of dim but get allergic reaction anyway.
Have you experienced any allergic reactions when taking dim? Olympic labs brand was the one I planned on trying next also.
Thank you
On 10/12/2013 at 6:25 AM, WishClean said:**pics at the end of the post **
Ok ladies (sorry, this might not apply to men), after a LOT of research, I have been using inositol (myo-inositol in powder form) for about 2 months now and I wanted to wait at least this long so that I can be sure that this is not a temporary fix. Inositol's benefits are extensively discussed on PCOS forums, but haven't recently been discussed on acne.org so I thought this might help some of you who do not want to take bcp or other hormonal treatments or would like to supplement hormonal treatments with inositol. Basically, inositol is a B vitamin but it's not typically included in B-complexes anymore because it can be produced inside the body. However, recent studies showed that women with PCOS or other hormonal imbalances might be deficient in inositol, so in my opinion inositol functions as a pro-hormone rather than just a vitamin (as does vitamin D). I have PCOS and low progesterone, and I also have symptoms of estrogen excess and high androgens, that's why I thought this would be a good multi-tasker.
What I noticed the first month and then 2nd month of using inositol:
1. Reduction of facial fuzz/hair (reduction confirmed by my esthetician) - inositol is also supposed to help with hair growth on scalp, but I haven't noticed too much of a change so far.
2. Reduction of numbness in extremities (this was a bonus - inositol can benefit the nervous system)
3. Better sleep, less insomnia (another bonus)
4. Fewer flare ups, pimples taking less time to heal (I noticed this about 3 weeks into it). PMS breakout was less severe last month and healed in 2 days. This month I skipped my ovulation breakout, which hasn't happened in over 1 year! Face feels flat, no pimples under the surface, just a lot of hyperpigmentation, red marks and scars (but at this point, I'll take what I can get).
5. My blood flow during my period is more normal
I should add that I'm also doing other things to control my acne because some of it is triggered by high histamines. What else I'm going: vitamin D prescription (3rd month), vitamin C twice a day, digestive enzymes with large meals, low histamine diet, gluten-free, low carb, low sugar, added more meat to diet, reduced grains. I also get regular facials with aloe peels, high frequency and red/blue light treatments. I think hitting acne from various angles is the most successful approach. One supplement or pill might not fix all your issues, and might even create new hormonal imbalances. Stress management and regular exercise are also important. Just because you are taking something for your acne, doesn't mean you can be unhealthy in other aspects and just rely on a pill to do all the work.
Anyway, just wanted to mention inositol as another option for you, with NO side effects at the recommended dosage. You have to work your way to the recommended dosage, which is 1/4 teaspoon per day. I started with 1/8 and felt a bit dizzy the first few times, but now I take about 1/4 teaspoon split into 2 doses twice a day. Inositol is water soluble, so it's best to divide your dosage. Don't take too much - less is more in this case and BE PATIENT. Do some research on it, most studies were done in Europe (Mediterranean). And speaking from experience, mediterranean women with PCOS have some of the most stubborn and persistent symptoms (like facial hair and acne), so it's very promising that they saw results in the studies between 8 weeks - 6 months.
Benefits of myo-inositol according to the Miscarriage Research Website:
- restores normal ovulatory activity
- increases fertilization rate
- prevents spina bifida birth defect
- lowers free testosterone (research has shown up to a 73% reduction)
- lowers total testosterone (as much as 65% reduction)
- lowers LH (as much as 55% reduction)
- lowers insulin response after meals (as much as 62% reduction)
- lowers DHEA-S (as much as 49% reduction)
- increases SHBG (as much as 92% increase)
- lowers androstenedione (as much as 27% reduction)
- lowers triglycerides (as much as 51% reduction)
- lowers blood pressure (minor decrease)
- increases peak progesterone (129% increase in one study)
Examine.com's page on inositol has been updated with more research. They also gave it a high rating for acne! However, there's no sufficient evidence on whether it can help men as well...
http://examine.com/s...ments/Inositol/
If you are interested, please read the following clinical studies and medical articles on the many benefits of inositol.
- Unfer V, Carlmango G, Dante G, Facchinetti F (2012) Effects of myo-inositol in women with PCOS: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Gynecol Endocrinol 28(7):509-15.
- Gerli S, Papleo E, Ferrari A, Renzo GC (2007) Randomized, double blind placebo-controlled trial: effects of Myo-inositol on ovarian function and metabolic factors in women with PCOS. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences 11: 347-354.
- Zacch¨ MM, Caputo L, Filippis S, Zacch¨ G, Dindelli M, Ferrari A (2009) Efficacy of myo-inositol in the treatment of cutaneous disorders in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Gynecol Endocrinol 25(8):508-13.
- Lam S, McWilliams A, leRiche J, MacAulay C, Wattenberg L, Szabo E (2006) A Phase I Study of myo-Inositol for Lung Cancer Chemoprevention. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 15: 1526.
And my question is: Why the *&%# aren't there more studies on this, and why do doctors underestimate it as a supplement? Well, because then pharmaceutical companies would go broke, that's why. I had to see several doctors recently for some other health issues, and when they asked how I managed to get my acne under control and I said I was taking inositol they had no idea what it was. It just goes to show you that you need to do your research before relying on mainstream treatments that can have serious side effects.
Wow!! This is very interesting, I have heard about inositol before but I didn't buy it because they don't have it in the store where I usually buy stuff, and I was too lazy to order it online. But now I will probably reconsider it. Thank you very much for sharing this information!!! I don't have pcos but I have another hormonal disorder which is similar since I have cystic acne and hirsutism and I am high in androgens. Thus, I don't know if inositol will work for me. You did a lot of research on the topic. Does inositol work only when you have pcos or is it also good for androgen excess in general? I don't know if should I give it a try or not. Thank you 
On 7/6/2015 at 8:21 PM, emme*li said:Ovasitol was recommended to me and I used it for several months. I tried to ramp up to the full dose of 2 packets per day (2000 mg Myo-Inositol and 50 mg D-Chiro-Inositol x 2). This was much too strong for me. Even at half a dose, or 1 packet per day, I experienced digestive distress, headaches, and low energy in the morning. I then tried to scale back to 1/2 packet per day. That worked out better, but I still had mild side effects. Finally after 8 months or so, I figured this supplement is probably not a good one for me. I was using it to stabilize my hormones (I thought) and get rid of the monthly breakouts. I'm not sure it helped, but it certainly did no harm for my skin issues. I wish I had taken a better scientific approach to identify what eventually did work to completely clear my skin, but I suspect it was a change in my diet: no sugar, no refined carbs, no milk / reduced dairy, almost no wheat / gluten excepting whole grains. Lots of water. Typical low carb + low GI because I have blood sugar issues. I think the high blood sugar was the root cause of my acne, and once I got that under control through diet and evening walking, voila, acne gone.
So you didnt experience any improvement with your acne while using ovasitol?