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Hyperthyroid & Acne

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(@nomirrors)

Posted : 06/12/2009 2:25 pm

Do not be discouraged by the length of this post. I've come to realize that we seem to know more about acne and hormones than the doc's, so someone PLEASE drop some knowledge on my issue. Since 2001 I have experienced acne and discoloration that has increasingly become worse with each year, product, esthetician, and doctor. Since the end of last year my skin has become very, very oily. As of last month I started breaking out with really huge, under the skin pimples on my chin. My forehead hasn't been continously for 2 years now, and since last summer I aslo have huge, painful under the skin pimples along the sides of my cheeks (near my cheek bones).

 

Last month my PCP determined that I have hyperthyroidism. He has yet to start me on any kind of treatment b/c he would like for me to undergo another blood test to see some sort of a trend. I am currently using tretinoin cream nightly and clindamycin gel (seems to contribute to my oilness, so i don't use it often). There is no part of my face that is immune to acne. The only clear spot are my lips and eyelids, and I hope that I'm not speaking to soon.

 

Based on what I've learned about hyperthyroidism acne may or may not be related. Could someone please enlighten me on this matter. Nothing works on my skin, so I'm convinced that there is something internally wrong with me that is causing my skin to become worse and worse with every dollar that I spend, every tear that shed, and so on. If anyone has experienced this or knows something about this please help me.

 

if it matters i'll be 26 next month.

wijitha liked
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(@sarahwijah)

Posted : 06/13/2009 9:08 am

Hi Nomirrors!

 

I completely understand exactly what you're going through! About 4 and half years ago, i was strruggling to fall pregnant (for my first child) and at the same time i started getting terrible acne. My aunt once noticed that my neck was swollen. After a visit to a physician and many blood tests later, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism ( thyroid too slow). Four months after being on the medication (eltroxin) I fell pregnant! What joy! However, my pregnancy brought along even more terrible acne.

Today, i have a healthy 3 yr old son, and i've just completed a course of accutane (40mg for 5 months). After trying many treatments, creams, and the pill (diane 35) for my acne to no avail, i went on roaccutane- my dermatologist said that my acne was related to my thyroid and hormones, and that is why none of the previous treatments worked.

I now have very good skin with just a few red marks and scars left- but i've got my self-esteem back.

 

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(@cassiopeia)

Posted : 06/14/2009 10:11 am

Do not be discouraged by the length of this post. I've come to realize that we seem to know more about acne and hormones than the doc's, so someone PLEASE drop some knowledge on my issue. Since 2001 I have experienced acne and discoloration that has increasingly become worse with each year, product, esthetician, and doctor. Since the end of last year my skin has become very, very oily. As of last month I started breaking out with really huge, under the skin pimples on my chin. My forehead hasn't been continously for 2 years now, and since last summer I aslo have huge, painful under the skin pimples along the sides of my cheeks (near my cheek bones).

 

Last month my PCP determined that I have hyperthyroidism. He has yet to start me on any kind of treatment b/c he would like for me to undergo another blood test to see some sort of a trend. I am currently using tretinoin cream nightly and clindamycin gel (seems to contribute to my oilness, so i don't use it often). There is no part of my face that is immune to acne. The only clear spot are my lips and eyelids, and I hope that I'm not speaking to soon.

 

Based on what I've learned about hyperthyroidism acne may or may not be related. Could someone please enlighten me on this matter. Nothing works on my skin, so I'm convinced that there is something internally wrong with me that is causing my skin to become worse and worse with every dollar that I spend, every tear that shed, and so on. If anyone has experienced this or knows something about this please help me.

 

if it matters i'll be 26 next month.

 

 

Hi there!

 

I also have hyperthyroidism, and have done a lot of reading on this subject - but I'm not a doctor. Here's what I know. I'm 26 and was first "diagnosed" with hyperthyroidism at 24, when I experienced my first major depressive episode. My GP thought that the depression might be caused by HYPOthyroidism (the opposite of what we have, which is what the first responder to this post said). Well imagine her surprise when it came back the complete opposite of what was expected.

 

Like you, I am not being treated medically, I am doing regular blood tests to make sure it doesn't go any higher because I am on other medications (for a seizure disorder), and if I take Synthroid for example, it will change the way I metabolize those drugs and I've have to play the "guess-the-dosage" game all over again.

 

I also tried clindamycin and tretionoin (retin-A *and* retin-A micro). And they didn't do jack diddly for my skin.

 

There don't seem to be any studies directly linking hyperthyroidism with acne. But I also believe that our bodies might work in funny ways that medicine hasn't figured out. So yes, I'd say it's POSSIBLE that your thyroid is somehow affecting your acne. But there's no causal link. It's likely that you're just one of us lucky ones with acne-prone skin, and your thyroid is just not helping.

 

I'd also say, don't give up!! There are MANY of us for whom prescription creams and gels don't work. I am one of them. I tried every oral antibiotic, topical erythromycin, benzaclin, clindamycin, Tazorac, Differin, Retin-A, Retin-A micro, and probably some other ones that I am forgetting. None of them worked. You aren't alone on this! What took care of my cystic acne (which is what you call the "huge, under-the-skin" zits) was Accutane, which I took at 20. If you are not trying to get pregnant and are not at risk of depression, I highly recommend it.

 

Also remember that when you try new things on your skin, it's very likely that you will have an initial break-out. Give the product at least 8 weeks to work ... I know it stinks to walk around with zits all over your face, but be patient. Your skin might be "overloaded" with all the treatments you tried. I did that, too.

 

Finally, find a dermatologist who will sit and LISTEN to you as you explain what you've tried, tell him/her about your thyroid and see what s/he says. If you go to one derm and get a bad vibe from him or her, find another one!! Keep searching until you find one who listens to you and treats you, not just your acne.

 

Best of luck!!

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(@nomirrors)

Posted : 06/14/2009 2:15 pm

 

 

Hi there!

 

I also have hyperthyroidism, and have done a lot of reading on this subject - but I'm not a doctor. Here's what I know. I'm 26 and was first "diagnosed" with hyperthyroidism at 24, when I experienced my first major depressive episode. My GP thought that the depression might be caused by HYPOthyroidism (the opposite of what we have, which is what the first responder to this post said). Well imagine her surprise when it came back the complete opposite of what was expected.

 

Like you, I am not being treated medically, I am doing regular blood tests to make sure it doesn't go any higher because I am on other medications (for a seizure disorder), and if I take Synthroid for example, it will change the way I metabolize those drugs and I've have to play the "guess-the-dosage" game all over again.

 

I also tried clindamycin and tretionoin (retin-A *and* retin-A micro). And they didn't do jack diddly for my skin.

 

There don't seem to be any studies directly linking hyperthyroidism with acne. But I also believe that our bodies might work in funny ways that medicine hasn't figured out. So yes, I'd say it's POSSIBLE that your thyroid is somehow affecting your acne. But there's no causal link. It's likely that you're just one of us lucky ones with acne-prone skin, and your thyroid is just not helping.

 

I'd also say, don't give up!! There are MANY of us for whom prescription creams and gels don't work. I am one of them. I tried every oral antibiotic, topical erythromycin, benzaclin, clindamycin, Tazorac, Differin, Retin-A, Retin-A micro, and probably some other ones that I am forgetting. None of them worked. You aren't alone on this! What took care of my cystic acne (which is what you call the "huge, under-the-skin" zits) was Accutane, which I took at 20. If you are not trying to get pregnant and are not at risk of depression, I highly recommend it.

 

Also remember that when you try new things on your skin, it's very likely that you will have an initial break-out. Give the product at least 8 weeks to work ... I know it stinks to walk around with zits all over your face, but be patient. Your skin might be "overloaded" with all the treatments you tried. I did that, too.

 

Finally, find a dermatologist who will sit and LISTEN to you as you explain what you've tried, tell him/her about your thyroid and see what s/he says. If you go to one derm and get a bad vibe from him or her, find another one!! Keep searching until you find one who listens to you and treats you, not just your acne.

 

Best of luck!!

 

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(@cassiopeia)

Posted : 06/16/2009 9:54 am

Yes, Accutane took care of my cystic acne. After 2 months on the drug, and for about 2 years afterward, I did not have one pimple! Of course, it's not a drug to be taken lightly, because it does have serious side effects, and I wouldn't take it again now because I am already being treated for depression, but when I took it, it was perfect for me; and it could work for you too.

 

It's been 6 years off Accutane, and I have been breaking out again lately. Mostly blackheads and pustules, but I do I get the occasional cyst (one or two at a time). For the past month, I've been using Dan's regimen and it seems to be helping. One thing about Accutane is that it's really changed the nature of my skin and it's STILL less oily than it used to be.

 

Hang in there and keep us posted on how you're doing!

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(@bubbly_girl)

Posted : 06/24/2009 4:30 am

My skin started to break out and became oily for the first time in my life when I was 19. At the same time my skin started to break out, I became sick. A year later I was diagnosed with Graves disease/hyperthyroidism. Like most people I had symptoms of Graves/hyperthyroidism long before I was diagnosed. Throughout the course of my Graves treatment my skin remained horrible (it was so oily I could fry an egg on it). Once my thyroid levels became in the normal range again and I started to feel better my skin got better. My skin is better now as in oil is no longer dripping off of my face but I still have moderate acne. Any improvement is cool though, and it did improve but I'm still not happy with this damn mild/moderate acne. I don't know if the hyperthyroid had anything to do with it or not. Like someone else mentioned (but phrased differently) maybe I was going to break out anyway and the over active thyroid made things worse. When I asked my endocrinologist if my break outs were related to being hyper he said possibly. My thyroid levels are normal now and I still get break outs so who knows.

wijitha liked
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(@wijitha)

Posted : 02/14/2012 12:50 pm

Hi Nomirrors,

 

I have the same problem as you. Event though it is not guarantied a direct link between Acne and hyperthyroidism, I strongly believe there is a some kind of link. Because when I eat some foods like Prawns, Cuttlefish both the body temperature and acne aggravate. And when drinking cow milk, beer, coconut water both goes down. So I'm Strongly believing hyperthyroidism as the reason to my Acne.

 

So far i have done nothing to cure hyperthyroidism. And I'm willing to meet a doctor very soon. So can you do a little favor to me? how is your acne now after treating to hyperthyroidism? Do you think I'm on track to cure my acne?

 

Thanks a lot.

 

PS: Has anyone got cleared acne by treating to hyperthyroidism?.

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(@cw3)

Posted : 11/09/2015 2:58 pm

I'm a 28 year old female for whom accutane failed. After it was out of my system, 6 months after I ended my treatment, my cystic acne came back with a vengeance immediately. I've more or less had some form of acne since about age 12. When I was 19 however, that's when my acne started to change more from typical teenage acne to the adult cheek/jawline cystic acne I now have that seems to get worse as I age. I really thought accutane was my cure, but once my cystic acne started to come back again, I was very discouraged. (I've now been off accutane for a year any my cystic acne is arguably worse than it's ever been). I originally came across a potential link between a thyroid issue and acne after reading about what paths some women took after acutane failed. It never occurred to me that a thyroid issue could be the root cause, but hyperthyroidism actually runs in the women in my family. Both my aunt (on my father's side) and grandmother (on my mother's side) have been inordinately thin with very high metabolism all of their lives, as is the case with me as well, and have been treated for the issue. I am now hoping that it's true that my acne is related to this and that getting it under control will help. With my aunt, there was a connection between roesacea and her thyroid, but she never suffered from the severe cystic acne that I have. This is the one avenue that is giving me hope after literally everything else has failed me. I just need to get some more details about my family history and make a doctor's appointment. (With an endocrinologist, not a dermatologist). I hope this is a solution.

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(@antonia23)

Posted : 10/07/2017 9:18 am

I'm 50 yrs old and I have a hypothyroid that has caused my skin to break out, feel dry and have an extremely dull appearance. I've tried everything under the sun for over a year hoping to find a fix. I have been getting some relief with some natural products. The one that worked the best was the Citrus Clear Grapefruit Spot Treatment - I tried it for one week, and my acne is almost gone. I have a glow again and my face looks fresh! If you have hypothyroid like me with acne, definitely look at the Citrus Clear products - all natural, and they work for acne.

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