Hey hearts and WishClean,
So, Im three days in to taking Natures Way DIM Plus. The morning after my first dose I got another nodule; the day after that I got a larger pimple (luckily not nodular but still sore). Im guessing this is too early to be related to the DIM, at least the nodule might be, after only one pill of DIM? Of the reviews Ive read on amazon and a few other places, I havent seen an initial breakout mentioned, rather, things either start to clear up or things get worse and the person quits taking DIM. What do you think, did either of you ladies continue to breakout in the first week of taking DIM?
hearts, do you remember the post I made about seeing a supplement with a dose of 12.5mg of DIM? It was the Natures Way brand after all: http://www.vitasave.ca/dim-plus-6570.html . Is the American formula different?
How are you feeling WishClean, I know you mentioned that you were having a hard time with your boyfriend leaving and breaking out?
Im still feeling anxious about DIM, but also hopeful. I guess Im just nervous that it wont work and I really need a solution to this in order to get some physical and emotional relief! Wish me luck, Ill keep updating my progress.
I really doubt that taking it one day would make you break out. Try to stay calm... anxiety will make things worse as you already know. When I took it I was still breaking out like "normal" at the time for weeks, but it did slowly get better. It just felt like I wasn't doing anything and then I started to have less and less breakouts and the old ones started clearing up too.
That DIM box is different, I've never seen it before... is that how yours looks? Yes, the label here is different, check it out: 
What's weird to me is the recommended dose on the Vitasave one is the same... maybe they just have to write it differently, either that or the dosage has to be less in Canada? I worked as a graphic designer for a worldwide supplement company several years ago and I had to format the labels differently depending on the country's rules. You could call Nature's Way and ask (or I can if you want) if you really want to know.
Give it a little longer and try to relax. I'm glad that you're able to try it out now, good luck! (:
Thanks hearts. I appreciate your continued support so much I could just cry!
I'll try to stay calm, but it's tough because I feel very desperate for this to work. And I have another breakout today 
. But it makes me feel encouraged that you continued to breakout for a time even after starting DIM.
Yes, that's exactly what my bottle and box look like (my link not yours). That's a huge difference in dose between the Canadian and American products. That's great advice about calling the company to clarify. I'll do that now and post once I hear back. Do you think I'd need to adjust my dose if there's only 12.5mgs of DIM per pill in the Canadian brand? How could the recommended dose be the same?
B
Hey hearts and WishClean,
So, I™m three days in to taking Nature™s Way DIM Plus. The morning after my first dose I got another nodule; the day after that I got a larger pimple (luckily not nodular but still sore). I™m guessing this is too early to be related to the DIM, at least the nodule might be, after only one pill of DIM? Of the reviews I™ve read on amazon and a few other places, I haven™t seen an initial breakout mentioned, rather, things either start to clear up or things get worse and the person quits taking DIM. What do you think, did either of you ladies continue to breakout in the first week of taking DIM?
hearts, do you remember the post I made about seeing a supplement with a dose of 12.5mg of DIM? It was the Nature™s Way brand after all: http://www.vitasave.ca/dim-plus-6570.html . Is the American formula different?
How are you feeling WishClean, I know you mentioned that you were having a hard time with your boyfriend leaving and breaking out?
I™m still feeling anxious about DIM, but also hopeful. I guess I™m just nervous that it won™t work and I really need a solution to this in order to get some physical and emotional relief! Wish me luck, I™ll keep updating my progress.
I really doubt that taking it one day would make you break out. Try to stay calm... anxiety will make things worse as you already know. When I took it I was still breaking out like "normal" at the time for weeks, but it did slowly get better. It just felt like I wasn't doing anything and then I started to have less and less breakouts and the old ones started clearing up too.
That DIM box is different, I've never seen it before... is that how yours looks? Yes, the label here is different, check it out: What's weird to me is the recommended dose on the Vitasave one is the same... maybe they just have to write it differently, either that or the dosage has to be less in Canada? I worked as a graphic designer for a worldwide supplement company several years ago and I had to format the labels differently depending on the country's rules. You could call Nature's Way and ask (or I can if you want) if you really want to know.
Give it a little longer and try to relax. I'm glad that you're able to try it out now, good luck! (:
Thanks hearts. I appreciate your continued support so much I could just cry!
I'll try to stay calm, but it's tough because I feel very desperate for this to work. And I have another breakout today . But it makes me feel encouraged that you continued to breakout for a time even after starting DIM.
Yes, that's exactly what my bottle and box look like (my link not yours). That's a huge difference in dose between the Canadian and American products. That's great advice about calling the company to clarify. I'll do that now and post once I hear back. Do you think I'd need to adjust my dose if there's only 12.5mgs of DIM per pill in the Canadian brand? How could the recommended dose be the same?
B
OK, I called both the Canadian and American companies. The American company customer representative simply told me that she cannot speak to the Canadian product. So that's completely unhelpful. There was no answer at the Canadian company. I'm so confused about dose...
Maybe try to call the Canadian company again later... I have no idea about the dose! I am sorry I'm not more helpful with that. Maybe an answer from the company will clarify some things.
I didn't read through the entire article, but this page could be helpful for you. It explains that some women can go through detox symptoms when starting DIM which can go away eventually. Everyone is different so maybe this applies to you... I would still give it more time.
Thanks hearts,
I left a message with the Canadian company, so hopefully I'll hear back. If not, I'll try them again tomorrow.
That article is very helpful. I have been worried about detoxing through my skin, so I have been drinking a ton of water, eating lots of vegetables and other high fibre foods. I'm hoping to mostly detoxify through my digestion system rather than my skin. I don't think I'll add any liver support at the moment, so I can better observe what is and isn't working. But I'm definitely going easy on my liver by not drinking any alcohol or eating any junk.
You've been very helpful. Thanks again! <3
B
PS
Graphic Designer sounds like a really cool job! 
Thanks hearts. I appreciate your continued support so much I could just cry!
I'll try to stay calm, but it's tough because I feel very desperate for this to work. And I have another breakout today
. But it makes me feel encouraged that you continued to breakout for a time even after starting DIM.
Yes, that's exactly what my bottle and box look like (my link not yours). That's a huge difference in dose between the Canadian and American products. That's great advice about calling the company to clarify. I'll do that now and post once I hear back. Do you think I'd need to adjust my dose if there's only 12.5mgs of DIM per pill in the Canadian brand? How could the recommended dose be the same?
B
OK, I called both the Canadian and American companies. The American company customer representative simply told me that she cannot speak to the Canadian product. So that's completely unhelpful. There was no answer at the Canadian company. I'm so confused about dose...
Maybe try to call the Canadian company again later... I have no idea about the dose! I am sorry I'm not more helpful with that. Maybe an answer from the company will clarify some things.
I didn't read through the entire article, but this page could be helpful for you. It explains that some women can go through detox symptoms when starting DIM which can go away eventually. Everyone is different so maybe this applies to you... I would still give it more time.
Thanks hearts,
I left a message with the Canadian company, so hopefully I'll hear back. If not, I'll try them again tomorrow.
That article is very helpful. I have been worried about detoxing through my skin, so I have been drinking a ton of water, eating lots of vegetables and other high fibre foods. I'm hoping to mostly detoxify through my digestion system rather than my skin. I don't think I'll add any liver support at the moment, so I can better observe what is and isn't working. But I'm definitely going easy on my liver by not drinking any alcohol or eating any junk.
You've been very helpful. Thanks again!
B
PS
Graphic Designer sounds like a really cool job!
I thought the liver support was a little extreme too. You're doing the right thing eating well and drinking lots of water. As with starting any new supplement, it can be somewhat of a surprise to the body.
Yeah, haha. I did graphic design for long time and I still do it at home sometimes, but I can't stand sitting in an office or cubicle all day long! (:
I agree about sitting in a cubicle, that was like my old job in digital mapping (GIS). Now I'm in the process of figuring out a more fulfilling career path.
Thanks for the encouragement. I hope things clear up soon. What did you do for post-acne hyperpigmentation?
B
Thanks hearts,
I left a message with the Canadian company, so hopefully I'll hear back. If not, I'll try them again tomorrow.
That article is very helpful. I have been worried about detoxing through my skin, so I have been drinking a ton of water, eating lots of vegetables and other high fibre foods. I'm hoping to mostly detoxify through my digestion system rather than my skin. I don't think I'll add any liver support at the moment, so I can better observe what is and isn't working. But I'm definitely going easy on my liver by not drinking any alcohol or eating any junk.
You've been very helpful. Thanks again! <3
B
PS
Graphic Designer sounds like a really cool job!
I thought the liver support was a little extreme too. You're doing the right thing eating well and drinking lots of water. As with starting any new supplement, it can be somewhat of a surprise to the body.
Yeah, haha. I did graphic design for long time and I still do it at home sometimes, but I can't stand sitting in an office or cubicle all day long! (:
I agree about sitting in a cubicle, that was like my old job in digital mapping (GIS). Now I'm in the process of figuring out a more fulfilling career path.
Thanks for the encouragement. I hope things clear up soon. What did you do for post-acne hyperpigmentation?
B
Hey, we're both in the same boat! It's kind of difficult to start over but it's also an adventure. (: I really enjoy cooking and I think I'm pretty good at it so I might try to get into something in culinary arts.
I hope things improve with your skin soon, too. The wait does suck, but if it does work out it will be worth it. For hyper-pigmentation, I really like aloe and witch hazel (non-alcohol, and I love the one with lavender.) I remember once having a bright red mark on my forehead and put aloe (real stuff) on before going to sleep, the next day it was gone! You probably don't get white marks (hypo-pigmentation) too, but that's a problem on olive skin... for that I use ACV and for some reason it helps a lot. It's harsher though and my skin isn't sensitive. There is a post somewhere on the boards of a story of a girl that had lots of rolling scars and ACV got rid of them in a matter of a couple months. It's pretty cool what some natural remedies can do.
Thanks hearts, when my skin calms down I'll definitely try the scar treatments you suggested . I tried ACV once and it made my skin more red, I wonder if that effect would have been temporary (I only tried it for a few days)?
I was reading through old posts last night because I am keeping a detailed journal about my breakouts and treatments. And I found this one () where GreenGables says that progesterone can convert to estrogen and/or testosterone. I continued to breakout on NPC and I have also read that progesterone can be inflammatory. What I'm wondering is, could taking both metformin and inositol be boosting my progesterone too much? My acne is very inflamed. Also, whenever I've upped my metformin or inositol, it induces my period. I'm not saying that taking metformin or inositol is bad, I have found I need to take something that addresses insulin as part of my acne treatment, but maybe taking both is exacerbating the issue of estrogen and/or testosterone. What do you think? What role does DIM play in progesterone levels?
Culinary Arts sounds fantastic! It's definitely creative and detail-oriented, two qualities you have in abundance . I also love cooking and was considering starting a small catering business at one point.
I agree about sitting in a cubicle, that was like my old job in digital mapping (GIS). Now I'm in the process of figuring out a more fulfilling career path.
Thanks for the encouragement. I hope things clear up soon. What did you do for post-acne hyperpigmentation?
B
Hey, we're both in the same boat! It's kind of difficult to start over but it's also an adventure. (: I really enjoy cooking and I think I'm pretty good at it so I might try to get into something in culinary arts.
I hope things improve with your skin soon, too. The wait does suck, but if it does work out it will be worth it. For hyper-pigmentation, I really like aloe and witch hazel (non-alcohol, and I love the one with lavender.) I remember once having a bright red mark on my forehead and put aloe (real stuff) on before going to sleep, the next day it was gone! You probably don't get white marks (hypo-pigmentation) too, but that's a problem on olive skin... for that I use ACV and for some reason it helps a lot. It's harsher though and my skin isn't sensitive. There is a post somewhere on the boards of a story of a girl that had lots of rolling scars and ACV got rid of them in a matter of a couple months. It's pretty cool what some natural remedies can do.
Very true! What do you think about the met and inositol resulting in too much progesterone?
Every hormonal treatment is really a gamble. I took some gambles myself, and some of the results went contrary to theoretical research. So, I guess you will have to take some risks and go with your gut. Starting slow and with a low dose is always the safest bet.
Very true! What do you think about the met and inositol resulting in too much progesterone?
Hmm that's another theory. Do you have any signs of high progesterone? Personally, I think it's uncommon for women (or men, for that matter) to have high progesterone...an exception would be during pregnancy. If your progesterone is indeed high, I would blame metformin more than inositol...you aren't taking a high % of inositol to raise progesterone that much.
Btw, thanks for the words of encouragement, I appreciate it. Well, my bf and I have only been dating 2 months, but it has been a very intense and caring relationship. The best I've had in a very long time actually. But right now we agreed to put everything on pause until we both figure out what we want to do with our lives. If you don't mind my asking, how long were you and your husband (your bf at the time) together before you had to do long-distance? Did you feel at any point that long-distance wasn't worth it?
These past few weeks/months have shown me that my skin definitely gets worse when I feel down and stressed. I'm going to acupuncture this weekend, so hopefully that might work. Is there a good acupuncturist close to where you live?
Hey WishClean,
I'm considering high progesterone just as part of the problem, I still have a lot of the symptoms of high estrogen. Frustratingly, many of the symptoms of high progesterone overlap with those of high estrogen (which seems contradictory to other things I've read). I'm basically going off of what GreenGables said about progesterone being a precursor hormone, the fact that my skin did not improve on NPC and the fact that met increases progesterone. I don't want to change too much at once but if I have high progesterone which is converting to estrogen or testosterone, the DIM might be fighting a losing battle. What do you think?
I am happy to be here for you as you and hearts and GreenGables have been there to help me in very anxious times (ha, like now!).
My husband and I only dated for the summer before we became long distance for that year. In many ways, the challenge was the best thing for our relationship. It helped us build a friendship and it forced me to deal with my trust issues (a result of bad previous relationships). In my opinion, the key is not necessarily talking frequently (you have to live your lives not tied to a phone or a laptop) but, when you do get the opportunity, have those long, meaningful conversations where you both let your guard down. When we met back up it was a funny sensation, like we were strangers and best friends and we got to fall in love all over again. And now we've been married for four years. If you decide you want to make it work, have faith that you're worth the wait, you're a wonderful person!
I don't have an accupuncturist, I've never even been to one. I mostly do yoga and spend time in nature to relax. Unfortunately, those things don't seem to be helping much. I know I'm anxious about my acne, but it's very persistent anxiety. Did you experience any emotional changes when you started DIM or inositol?
B
Very true! What do you think about the met and inositol resulting in too much progesterone?
Hey WishClean,
I'm considering high progesterone just as part of the problem, I still have a lot of the symptoms of high estrogen. Frustratingly, many of the symptoms of high progesterone overlap with those of high estrogen (which seems contradictory to other things I've read). I'm basically going off of what GreenGables said about progesterone being a precursor hormone, the fact that my skin did not improve on NPC and the fact that met increases progesterone. I don't want to change too much at once but if I have high progesterone which is converting to estrogen or testosterone, the DIM might be fighting a losing battle. What do you think?
I am happy to be here for you as you and hearts and GreenGables have been there to help me in very anxious times (ha, like now!).
My husband and I only dated for the summer before we became long distance for that year. In many ways, the challenge was the best thing for our relationship. It helped us build a friendship and it forced me to deal with my trust issues (a result of bad previous relationships). In my opinion, the key is not necessarily talking frequently (you have to live your lives not tied to a phone or a laptop) but, when you do get the opportunity, have those long, meaningful conversations where you both let your guard down. When we met back up it was a funny sensation, like we were strangers and best friends and we got to fall in love all over again. And now we've been married for four years. If you decide you want to make it work, have faith that you're worth the wait, you're a wonderful person!
I don't have an accupuncturist, I've never even been to one. I mostly do yoga and spend time in nature to relax. Unfortunately, those things don't seem to be helping much. I know I'm anxious about my acne, but it's very persistent anxiety. Did you experience any emotional changes when you started DIM or inositol?
B
Well, as I said before about DIM, I'm not sure we know all there is to know about how it works. Even with other herbs like vitex, I'm still finding out more information through anecdotal experiences, more than "official" sources/ research. There are different reactions to herbs...some women respond really well, others do ok, and others do worse on them. What reassured me about DIM, besides hearts' words of encouragement, was that it's essentially a compressed form of broccoli. Broccoli has antioxidant properties, and can really help with inflammation. In reasonable quantities, antioxidants can be very beneficial...I remember when I used to take acai berry supplements a few years ago, my skin was glowing and it helped with overall wellness. So I really think I'm benefitting from its antioxidant properties (along with herpanacine and other vitamins, which I still take but not as frequently because I'm trying to save up).
Inositol helped me more than DIM with anxiety, and DIM helped more with mood swings I think. Although I'm still more emotional than I used to be, but I think it's just because my life is a mess right now, which could be affecting my hormones. Usually, when I'm happy with life in general, things fall into place and my skin feels calmer.
Now that my bf left, my skin has calmed down....I think it's because I'm starting to get used to the idea of not seeing him for a long time, whereas before I wasn't able to sleep properly. Last night, I actually had a decent night's sleep, so it might be a step in the right direction. You and your husband's story is very encouraging...I just hope my bf will see that I'm worth it, especially after months of not seeing each other. Men, more than women, tend to lose focus and I'm worried that he will get depressed about his life and having to move back in with his parents, and he won't prioritize our relationship because he'll be too busy trying to figure out his own life. But to be honest, I need some breathing space to figure out my own life as well, and hopefully consider a career change because the field I'm currently in is way too competitive and cut throat. I think that's part of what has caused all my recent health issues the past 2 years.
I've been doing yoga as well. Sometimes, if I'm too stressed out or upset, I have to force myself to do it, but eventually it calms me down. There are some videos & playlists on youtube for anti-anxiety, meditation, brain power, etc...those might help you get more relaxed.
As for acupuncture, you can find online some acu-pressure points to do at home on your own. It won't be as efficient as the needles, but it can still help!
Thats true about DIMs anti-inflammatory properties. I think a low dose is key, from the negative reviews Ive read, people either took too much or clearly did not have estrogen dominance symptoms. Ive read more positive acne-related reviews of DIM than NPC, so Im trying to be positive but its really hard for me right now. I wonder if the anxiety Im having is, in part, due to a hormonal wakeup, as hearts once described when she starting using NPC. Hearts, did you have any increased anxiety when starting DIM?
To answer your other question WishClean, there were times when I felt like the long distance wasnt worth it (and Im sure there were times when my partner did too). I had so much else going on, and even though I completely disagree with the airy concept of if its meant to be it will be, I do agree with the fact that if you both care for each other, you can wait it out. That being said, it takes two, if youre the only one reaching out to him repeatedly, then youll know its not right.
I understand the career stress, it sounds like hearts, you, and I are all going through that together. My original career was also too competitive and required me living in the shittiest town ever (so I didnt go), and after I went back to school for credentials in a particular advanced software, I realized that it was just glorified (albeit complicated) data entry. If youd like to continue this discussion or the stuff about your boyfriend and dont want others reading it, you can private message me and Ill give you my personal email.
Thanks for the tips about anxiety relief. Honestly, hearing encouragement on this forum helps a lot too, I want to believe DIM will work, but Im just pessimistic sometimes.
Hey WishClean,
I'm considering high progesterone just as part of the problem, I still have a lot of the symptoms of high estrogen. Frustratingly, many of the symptoms of high progesterone overlap with those of high estrogen (which seems contradictory to other things I've read). I'm basically going off of what GreenGables said about progesterone being a precursor hormone, the fact that my skin did not improve on NPC and the fact that met increases progesterone. I don't want to change too much at once but if I have high progesterone which is converting to estrogen or testosterone, the DIM might be fighting a losing battle. What do you think?
I am happy to be here for you as you and hearts and GreenGables have been there to help me in very anxious times (ha, like now!).
My husband and I only dated for the summer before we became long distance for that year. In many ways, the challenge was the best thing for our relationship. It helped us build a friendship and it forced me to deal with my trust issues (a result of bad previous relationships). In my opinion, the key is not necessarily talking frequently (you have to live your lives not tied to a phone or a laptop) but, when you do get the opportunity, have those long, meaningful conversations where you both let your guard down. When we met back up it was a funny sensation, like we were strangers and best friends and we got to fall in love all over again. And now we've been married for four years. If you decide you want to make it work, have faith that you're worth the wait, you're a wonderful person!
I don't have an accupuncturist, I've never even been to one. I mostly do yoga and spend time in nature to relax. Unfortunately, those things don't seem to be helping much. I know I'm anxious about my acne, but it's very persistent anxiety. Did you experience any emotional changes when you started DIM or inositol?
B
Hey brenmc and WishClean! I don't even know what post to quote anymore, haha.
About progesterone... from my own research, it actually acts as an anti-inflammatory. Below are some links. Also even though it is anecdotal, I found it to help a lot with inflammation of acne when applied directly. When I was on DIM I was using quite large amounts of progesterone with no problems, though I don't use nearly as much now. I agree with WishClean that it seems uncommon to have too much.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progesterone#Other_effects
http://www.hgh.org/Endocrine-System/Anti-inflammatory-Functions-of-Progesterone.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/537269
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15932748
As for anxiety while starting DIM I didn't notice any. I also didn't notice any improvement in my mood, either, like some people describe. Inositol didn't affect my mood either, which was weird. I had bad anxiety before NPC, including panic attacks, but it helped a lot with that. I think the main thing I did while I waited for DIM to work was try to completely distract myself... if I was constantly busy I didn't focus on my acne as much. Physical activities work best for me like you both mentioned.
WishClean, this may not help with the long distance thing but when I first started dating my boyfriend of 6 years, we only saw each other once a month because of distance. I guess we started long distance. We had to be creative with communication and honestly I feel like our relationship grew stronger because it wasn't all based on physical stuff... we learned a lot about each other's personalities which I think is really important in the beginning. I do think both of you have to want it to keep going for it to work, though. Like brenmc said, if you find yourself doing much more than half the effort, it might not work out so well. Years later we lived apart for a whole year because of relocation... it was still difficult but I definitely think it was worth it. (: Thankfully we now live together again.
Hi hearts,
Do you think in high doses though that progesterone might have the opposite effect, as GreenGables described? I wonder why else the metformin was helpful until the last couple months?
hearts, Did you start with progesterone cream or did you start with DIM? You were using them simultaneously, right?
It's so challenging waiting for DIM to work, my acne is really ruining my summer because I don't feel comfortable going out without makeup (swimming, camping, etc...) .
Hey brenmc and WishClean! I don't even know what post to quote anymore, haha.
About progesterone... from my own research, it actually acts as an anti-inflammatory. Below are some links. Also even though it is anecdotal, I found it to help a lot with inflammation of acne when applied directly. When I was on DIM I was using quite large amounts of progesterone with no problems, though I don't use nearly as much now. I agree with WishClean that it seems uncommon to have too much.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progesterone#Other_effects
http://www.hgh.org/Endocrine-System/Anti-inflammatory-Functions-of-Progesterone.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/537269
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15932748
As for anxiety while starting DIM ” I didn't notice any. I also didn't notice any improvement in my mood, either, like some people describe. Inositol didn't affect my mood either, which was weird. I had bad anxiety before NPC, including panic attacks, but it helped a lot with that. I think the main thing I did while I waited for DIM to work was try to completely distract myself... if I was constantly busy I didn't focus on my acne as much. Physical activities work best for me like you both mentioned.
WishClean, this may not help with the long distance thing but when I first started dating my boyfriend of 6 years, we only saw each other once a month because of distance. I guess we started long distance. We had to be creative with communication and honestly I feel like our relationship grew stronger because it wasn't all based on physical stuff... we learned a lot about each other's personalities which I think is really important in the beginning. I do think both of you have to want it to keep going for it to work, though. Like brenmc said, if you find yourself doing much more than half the effort, it might not work out so well. Years later we lived apart for a whole year because of relocation... it was still difficult but I definitely think it was worth it. (: Thankfully we now live together again.
Hi hearts,
Do you think in high doses though that progesterone might have the opposite effect, as GreenGables described? I wonder why else the metformin was helpful until the last couple months?
hearts, Did you start with progesterone cream or did you start with DIM? You were using them simultaneously, right?
It's so challenging waiting for DIM to work, my acne is really ruining my summer because I don't feel comfortable going out without makeup (swimming, camping, etc...) .
PS
Hearts, I was also wondering if you could tell me a bit about your strategy and experience weaning off of spiro, as you know, I'm in the process of that now and I'd appreciate learning anything I can about what to expect?
Thanks!
B
When you say opposite effect, do you mean becoming inflammatory instead? No, I don't personally believe so. Emory University did that study with treating brain injury patients with super high doses of progesterone through IV (around triple the already high amount in pregnancy) and it still acted as an anti-inflammatory. If you want links to the study, I can find them for you. In the third trimester of a pregnancy, a woman can make anywhere from 250-400mg of progesterone a day, so that is a lot of progesterone.
That being said, I don't know anything about Metformin. I have never researched it or taken it myself, so I really don't know what to tell you about it. What do you mean it was helpful until the last few months? Like your skin was better a few months ago? Or insulin or other effects?
I was already using progesterone for several months before starting DIM. It's just my opinion but I think they are perfectly safe together. I actually added DIM while using progesterone cream because of a topic I found here.
About weaning off of spiro... I'll try to remember. My pills were 50mg each so I began by cutting only one and taking 75mg (1 1/2 pills a day) to see if it would get rid of my side effects. It did help some and I wasn't breaking out again at that point so after a couple months (not long enough to know, really) I went down to 50mg. A month or two later I started breaking out some on my back and jawline again, cystic. However, at 50mg my side effects had mostly diminished. At that point I think I was like "screw this" because I could either be clear or have a bunch of side effects. I kept weaning down by 1/4 and introduced progesterone cream when I was almost off of it. Progesterone helped my skin (and was wonderful for curing all the other estrogen dominance stuff) but I think DIM was the real reason my skin cleared up. If I started breaking out much again I would take it again.
Thanks hearts. Your experience about weaning off of spiro is a big help. It's interesting to know that you didn't start breaking out until a few months after lowering your dose. When you did breakout, was it the same or worse than pre-spiro (my acne was 10X worse when I came off birth control)? I'm hoping to avoid that by adding DIM now...
Regarding the opposite effect of progesterone, I just meant what GreenGables was saying about how high amounts convert to other hormones (cortisol, estrogen, testosterone). Metformin apparently increases progesterone levels by as much as 200%, according to some studies I read. Metformin helped my skin from December/January until May/June. That's why I'm now wondering if met has boosted my progesterone>estrogen/testosterone too much at this point... However, that would just be a piece of the puzzle, since my skin wasn't perfect for those few months by any means and I clearly have a lot of other issues with a hormonal imbalance (symptoms I listed in an earlier post).
Regardless, I'm just eagerly awaiting DIM to work! :-S
Any luck with dropping inositol weight so far?
B
Hi hearts,
Do you think in high doses though that progesterone might have the opposite effect, as GreenGables described? I wonder why else the metformin was helpful until the last couple months?
hearts, Did you start with progesterone cream or did you start with DIM? You were using them simultaneously, right?
It's so challenging waiting for DIM to work, my acne is really ruining my summer because I don't feel comfortable going out without makeup (swimming, camping, etc...) .
PS
Hearts, I was also wondering if you could tell me a bit about your strategy and experience weaning off of spiro, as you know, I'm in the process of that now and I'd appreciate learning anything I can about what to expect?
Thanks!
B
Thanks hearts. Your experience about weaning off of spiro is a big help. It's interesting to know that you didn't start breaking out until a few months after lowering your dose. When you did breakout, was it the same or worse than pre-spiro (my acne was 10X worse when I came off birth control)? I'm hoping to avoid that by adding DIM now...
Regarding the opposite effect of progesterone, I just meant what GreenGables was saying about how high amounts convert to other hormones (cortisol, estrogen, testosterone). Metformin apparently increases progesterone levels by as much as 200%, according to some studies I read. Metformin helped my skin from December/January until May/June. That's why I'm now wondering if met has boosted my progesterone>estrogen/testosterone too much at this point... However, that would just be a piece of the puzzle, since my skin wasn't perfect for those few months by any means and I clearly have a lot of other issues with a hormonal imbalance (symptoms I listed in an earlier post).
Regardless, I'm just eagerly awaiting DIM to work! :-S
Any luck with dropping inositol weight so far?
B
No problem! After weaning down off of spiro my acne was about the same as pre-spiro, not worse. Then adding progesterone helped. How much are you taking now?
Oh okay, sorry for misunderstanding! Progesterone is a precursor to other hormones, as well as being a regulator of hormones. Whether Metformin could be causing an imbalance, I don't know. Like I said, I don't know anything about how Metformin works. I did find a study that suggests Metformin also lowers estrogen and free testosterone, though. I don't personally think that it even raising progesterone 200% would cause your body to make too much of the other two.
Are you sure it was Metformin that was helping your skin? I just ask because you were taking several other medications, right? I see mixed reviews about it actually helping with acne. Is Metformin still helping you in other ways? I read a little more on Metformin being an anti-androgen... maybe it helped for awhile but your body got used to that particular effect? I found another story of someone experiencing something similar here. Some pharmaceuticals really frustrate me in this area... they wear off or decrease in effectiveness and the first thing to be suggested is to increase the dosage. It's a vicious cycle. I don't want to be a downer, but here is a topic with some girls saying they actually get worse acne from Metformin. My point is, everyone is different so it's hard to say what is going on in your case.
I really hope DIM works for you soon! (: It's still too early to tell.
The inositol weight hasn't dropped off yet, so I'm trying to be patient too. It'll be 2 months in another week but my body usually doesn't change hormonally until four months, unfortunately which now that I think about it, it probably took about that long to suddenly gain the weight while taking it. I'll try to stay positive. (:
Oh, I forgot to mention, it's weird but even while using progesterone, I skipped my period recently. I know I'm not pregnant (I have the copper IUD) so maybe it's just an upset from quitting inositol. Hopefully everything levels out soon.
Hey hearts,
Thanks so much for the reply and sorry for the delay in responding but my internet has been down.
That's a relief to know that spiro didn't make your acne worse afterwards, like many birth control pills do. I hope the same goes for me!
I am pretty sure it was the metformin helping my acne because once I added it to my regimen, my skin did improve somewhat.
I completely agree with you about the nasty cycle that pharmaceuticals get us in with losing effectiveness over time or creating a new imbalance! It's so frustrating that doctors don't warn us of these implications. Do you think the same could be said regarding DIM and other 'natural' remedies (do they lose effectiveness over time as well)? How long were you on DIM for? Did you notice any effects/differences when you weaned off of it?
Good luck with your continued weight loss journey! I hope the summer weather helps!
B
Thanks hearts. Your experience about weaning off of spiro is a big help. It's interesting to know that you didn't start breaking out until a few months after lowering your dose. When you did breakout, was it the same or worse than pre-spiro (my acne was 10X worse when I came off birth control)? I'm hoping to avoid that by adding DIM now...
Regarding the opposite effect of progesterone, I just meant what GreenGables was saying about how high amounts convert to other hormones (cortisol, estrogen, testosterone). Metformin apparently increases progesterone levels by as much as 200%, according to some studies I read. Metformin helped my skin from December/January until May/June. That's why I'm now wondering if met has boosted my progesterone>estrogen/testosterone too much at this point... However, that would just be a piece of the puzzle, since my skin wasn't perfect for those few months by any means and I clearly have a lot of other issues with a hormonal imbalance (symptoms I listed in an earlier post).
Regardless, I'm just eagerly awaiting DIM to work! :-S
Any luck with dropping inositol weight so far?
B
No problem! After weaning down off of spiro my acne was about the same as pre-spiro, not worse. Then adding progesterone helped. How much are you taking now?
Oh okay, sorry for misunderstanding! Progesterone is a precursor to other hormones, as well as being a regulator of hormones. Whether Metformin could be causing an imbalance, I don't know. Like I said, I don't know anything about how Metformin works. I did find a study that suggests Metformin also lowers estrogen and free testosterone, though. I don't personally think that it even raising progesterone 200% would cause your body to make too much of the other two.
Are you sure it was Metformin that was helping your skin? I just ask because you were taking several other medications, right? I see mixed reviews about it actually helping with acne. Is Metformin still helping you in other ways? I read a little more on Metformin being an anti-androgen... maybe it helped for awhile but your body got used to that particular effect? I found another story of someone experiencing something similar here. Some pharmaceuticals really frustrate me in this area... they wear off or decrease in effectiveness and the first thing to be suggested is to increase the dosage. It's a vicious cycle. I don't want to be a downer, but here is a topic with some girls saying they actually get worse acne from Metformin. My point is, everyone is different so it's hard to say what is going on in your case.
I really hope DIM works for you soon! (: It's still too early to tell.
The inositol weight hasn't dropped off yet, so I'm trying to be patient too. It'll be 2 months in another week but my body usually doesn't change hormonally until four months, unfortunately ” which now that I think about it, it probably took about that long to suddenly gain the weight while taking it. I'll try to stay positive. (:
Oh, I forgot to mention, it's weird but even while using progesterone, I skipped my period recently. I know I'm not pregnant (I have the copper IUD) so maybe it's just an upset from quitting inositol. Hopefully everything levels out soon.
Hey hearts,
Thanks so much for the reply and sorry for the delay in responding but my internet has been down.
That's a relief to know that spiro didn't make your acne worse afterwards, like many birth control pills do. I hope the same goes for me!
I am pretty sure it was the metformin helping my acne because once I added it to my regimen, my skin did improve somewhat.
I completely agree with you about the nasty cycle that pharmaceuticals get us in with losing effectiveness over time or creating a new imbalance! It's so frustrating that doctors don't warn us of these implications. Do you think the same could be said regarding DIM and other 'natural' remedies (do they lose effectiveness over time as well)? How long were you on DIM for? Did you notice any effects/differences when you weaned off of it?
Good luck with your continued weight loss journey! I hope the summer weather helps!
B
No worries, I have been busy too! Thanks for the good luck! Yeah, I think spiro is more of a drug that just stops working when you quit, whereas it seems stopping birth control actually can cause a new imbalance. At least that was the case with both of us.
Another thought, maybe it was the insulin stuff with Metformin that helped your skin? Once your body got used to it, maybe it stopped helping?
I haven't experienced the more natural stuff or supplements losing effectiveness over time, no. DIM never stopped working for me. This is just my personal experience spiro never lost effectiveness for me either. The only change I noticed with quitting DIM is I'm not 100% protected from everything. For example, if I have poor hygiene or a really bad diet for a little while, I do get some clogged pores which DIM stopped. These seem more bacterial and clear with hydrogen peroxide... totally my fault if they happen so I just have to be a little more careful and I'm fine.
How is it going so far?
Hi hearts, thanks for replying. I still have more questions for you, if that™s ok? I appreciate your shared experience and knowledge so much!
How long did you take to wean off of DIM? Having suffered with cystic/nodular acne, how did you determine you could go off of treatment (I haven™t had clear skin without treatment since I was sixteen)? My skin is doing better, so far I haven™t had any new nodules this week . I™m still getting some under the skin whiteheads and pimples though. I know it™s too early to say if DIM is truly helping or I™m just having a good week. Did you find DIM helped the tough stuff first and then worked on the minor acne?
I definitely have issues with insulin that™s for sure, that™s why I™m also trying inositol again in hopes that it will be better than metformin.
Hey hearts,
Thanks so much for the reply and sorry for the delay in responding but my internet has been down.
That's a relief to know that spiro didn't make your acne worse afterwards, like many birth control pills do. I hope the same goes for me!
I am pretty sure it was the metformin helping my acne because once I added it to my regimen, my skin did improve somewhat.
I completely agree with you about the nasty cycle that pharmaceuticals get us in with losing effectiveness over time or creating a new imbalance! It's so frustrating that doctors don't warn us of these implications. Do you think the same could be said regarding DIM and other 'natural' remedies (do they lose effectiveness over time as well)? How long were you on DIM for? Did you notice any effects/differences when you weaned off of it?
Good luck with your continued weight loss journey! I hope the summer weather helps!
B
No worries, I have been busy too! Thanks for the good luck! Yeah, I think spiro is more of a drug that just stops working when you quit, whereas it seems stopping birth control actually can cause a new imbalance. At least that was the case with both of us.
Another thought, maybe it was the insulin stuff with Metformin that helped your skin? Once your body got used to it, maybe it stopped helping?
I haven't experienced the more natural stuff or supplements losing effectiveness over time, no. DIM never stopped working for me. This is just my personal experience ” spiro never lost effectiveness for me either. The only change I noticed with quitting DIM is I'm not 100% protected from everything. For example, if I have poor hygiene or a really bad diet for a little while, I do get some clogged pores which DIM stopped. These seem more bacterial and clear with hydrogen peroxide... totally my fault if they happen so I just have to be a little more careful and I'm fine.
How is it going so far?
Hi hearts, thanks for replying. I still have more questions for you, if thats ok? I appreciate your shared experience and knowledge so much!
How long did you take to wean off of DIM? Having suffered with cystic/nodular acne, how did you determine you could go off of treatment (I havent had clear skin without treatment since I was sixteen)? My skin is doing better, so far I havent had any new nodules this week . Im still getting some under the skin whiteheads and pimples though. I know its too early to say if DIM is truly helping or Im just having a good week. Did you find DIM helped the tough stuff first and then worked on the minor acne?
I definitely have issues with insulin thats for sure, thats why Im also trying inositol again in hopes that it will be better than metformin.
Oh my god! I'm so happy that you went a week without new nodules! (: (: That's definitely a good sign, and I hope it continues to improve! I had to like your post for that! (:
No problem at all! I am on these boards to try to help and I'm glad if it is helping. I do want to reiterate for anyone else reading this... this is just what I chose to do and my experience, I'm not a doctor so y'all should do what you think is best and make your own decisions. (:
I'm not sure how long it took me to wean off of DIM, since I lowered my dose to 50mg and took that for quite a few months. Maybe 3 months to wean after that? It was a lower dose so it didn't take as long. I should have kept better track!
Honestly, the biggest reason I tried getting off of it was just to see if I could. I'm one of those people that has to push every button and test things just because, haha! (: I also personally believe that people don't necessarily need to take medication long term. The other reason I wanted to try to get off of DIM is because I initially thought that DIM was causing that sudden weight gain (didn't make sense but I was frustrated), when it was in fact caused by inositol. I took inositol after quitting DIM and obviously my weight didn't change.
As far as I know, DIM is safe to use long term unless you decide to get pregnant, though.
I wish I could tell you exactly how DIM worked, but it was just slow and I couldn't tell which kind cleared first. I was very skeptical about it and didn't pay much attention. You are lucky you don't have body acne... my face cleared first like it always does so maybe that's a good sign for you! (:
Thanks hearts! My fingers are crossed for sure but, as I said, I feel one week is too soon to celebrate. I'm still anxious for this to work but I am very happy I don't have any new nodules this week.
I have some spotting right now, which is usually associated with my bouts of bad skin, so I'm praying I can get through it without any new nodules.
Thanks for the info about weaning off of medications and supplements. It inspires me that I can do so with spiro (eventually).
B
Hi hearts, thanks for replying. I still have more questions for you, if that™s ok? I appreciate your shared experience and knowledge so much!
How long did you take to wean off of DIM? Having suffered with cystic/nodular acne, how did you determine you could go off of treatment (I haven™t had clear skin without treatment since I was sixteen)? My skin is doing better, so far I haven™t had any new nodules this week . I™m still getting some under the skin whiteheads and pimples though. I know it™s too early to say if DIM is truly helping or I™m just having a good week. Did you find DIM helped the tough stuff first and then worked on the minor acne?
I definitely have issues with insulin that™s for sure, that™s why I™m also trying inositol again in hopes that it will be better than metformin.
Oh my god! I'm so happy that you went a week without new nodules! (: (: That's definitely a good sign, and I hope it continues to improve! I had to like your post for that! (:
No problem at all! I am on these boards to try to help and I'm glad if it is helping. I do want to reiterate for anyone else reading this... this is just what I chose to do and my experience, I'm not a doctor so y'all should do what you think is best and make your own decisions. (:
I'm not sure how long it took me to wean off of DIM, since I lowered my dose to 50mg and took that for quite a few months. Maybe 3 months to wean after that? It was a lower dose so it didn't take as long. I should have kept better track!
Honestly, the biggest reason I tried getting off of it was just to see if I could. I'm one of those people that has to push every button and test things just because, haha! (: I also personally believe that people don't necessarily need to take medication long term. The other reason I wanted to try to get off of DIM is because I initially thought that DIM was causing that sudden weight gain (didn't make sense but I was frustrated), when it was in fact caused by inositol. I took inositol after quitting DIM and obviously my weight didn't change.
As far as I know, DIM is safe to use long term unless you decide to get pregnant, though.
I wish I could tell you exactly how DIM worked, but it was just slow and I couldn't tell which kind cleared first. I was very skeptical about it and didn't pay much attention. You are lucky you don't have body acne... my face cleared first like it always does so maybe that's a good sign for you! (: