hey all! i'm 20 yrs old. i've had acne since i was 16. i recently went to an endocrinologist who did some tests and said i had PCOS. He prescribed me Glucophage, generic Metformin, saying that will regulate my hormones...(i am not diabetic).

 

my next appt. is on monday and i'm going to ask him about spiro since a lot of people seem to have great results on it.

 

i'm pretty skeptical about this Metformin stuff....has anyone else been prescribed this???

Metformin is a very common prescription for those with PCOS, especially for women trying to become pregnant. Most treatments for PCOS are similar to treatment of diabetes (type 2), because PCOS is related to insulin resistance (for example, PCOS might be controlled with diet/ lifestyle changes, supplements to increase insulin sensitivity, metformin, etc).

I was on Spironolactone for 2 years, til it gave me a stomach ulcer..so I had to go off of it. It worked VERY well for me in combination with Yasmin for PCOS. Now my endo prescribed Metformin...I too am skeptical about it. I'm not sure if I'm going to fill the prescription or not..but if I don't, my face is sure to flare up again. I wanted to bring this topic back up to discussion--has anyone had success with metformin for pcos related acne? My endo said that it MIGHT work for the acne, but it's not a definite...he said I might have to stay on the Yasmin and the Metformin together.

did you go on the metformin? I've just been prescribed this but it's for diabetics and I'm not diabetic...also I am a massive binge drinker I got out every weekend gettin drunk with my friends and I dont wanna stop doing that because of this med...

I've been on Metformin for about a year now. I don't know for sure if it helped clear my acne or not, but when I stop taking it my skin isn't as good. So it's a maybe! I think it really helps if you are on BC (which I am) and Sprio (which I am not) at the same time, but you still have to have a dedicated skin care routine that you do without fail.

Right now, I take Metformin, OrthoTriCyclen, and use Adapalene in conjunction with The Regimen. My skin is finally clear after 10 years of severe breakouts.

Warning: Metformin can cause serious digestive issues so build up to the recommended dose over the course of a week or two. I skipped some doses and then went back to my regular dose all in one day and was totally sick from it.

Yasmin/Yaz contains drospirenone, which contains spironolactone (about a 25mg dose).

Spironolactone can contribute (but not cause) ulcers if you already have an ulcer problem because they slow down the growth of fibrous tissue. If you have a predisposition to ulcers, this is a problem because fibrous tissue is how your body heals the ulcers.

I had ulcer problems for a long time. Doctors thought I had too much stomach acid and put me on antiacids (Tums, Prevacid, Prilosec) that made the problem worse. I did some research on my own, and found that too LITTLE stomach acid can cause ulcers as well. After 3 months of supplementing with Betaine HCL (following these directions) I stopped getting ulcers. I continued using Betaine HCL for over a year, then slowly tapered off. The nice thing is that sometimes Betaine HCL supplementation (I believe it has to contain pepsin to do this) can actually train your stomach to produce higher levels of acid on its own, so you won't need to supplement forever.

If I hadn't solved these ulcer problems before spironolactone, I would probably not be taking it everyday.

I haven't researched the mechanics of Metformin, but if it also slows fibrous tissue growth, you really should look into figuring out the ulcer predisposition first.

Green Gables, I have read that digestive enzymes can help with acne. Did you notice any improvement (from taking them) in your skin?

Yasmin/Yaz contains drospirenone, which contains spironolactone (about a 25mg dose).

Spironolactone can contribute (but not cause) ulcers if you already have an ulcer problem because they slow down the growth of fibrous tissue. If you have a predisposition to ulcers, this is a problem because fibrous tissue is how your body heals the ulcers.

I had ulcer problems for a long time. Doctors thought I had too much stomach acid and put me on antiacids (Tums, Prevacid, Prilosec) that made the problem worse. I did some research on my own, and found that too LITTLE stomach acid can cause ulcers as well. After 3 months of supplementing with Betaine HCL (following these directions) I stopped getting ulcers. I continued using Betaine HCL for over a year, then slowly tapered off. The nice thing is that sometimes Betaine HCL supplementation (I believe it has to contain pepsin to do this) can actually train your stomach to produce higher levels of acid on its own, so you won't need to supplement forever.

If I hadn't solved these ulcer problems before spironolactone, I would probably not be taking it everyday.

I haven't researched the mechanics of Metformin, but if it also slows fibrous tissue growth, you really should look into figuring out the ulcer predisposition first.

The biggest thing with most of my experiences is that I found a lot of things that helped somewhat. I had the most severe type of nodular cystic acne, so yes, digestive enzymes helped, but they didn't clear me.

Personally I found betaine HCL a little more effective than digestive enzymes. Take them together, get the best of both worlds.

Thanks for the quick reply! As you may have seen in some of my other posts, I recently started breaking out in nodules after years of clear skin on spiro. This is very stressful because I went through years of resistance and illness from antibiotics and I just don't want to go down that road of trial and error on medications again. Through this forum (and outside of it as well) I've been researching other options to try, like progesterone cream, digestive enzymes, etc...However, being back in school, I'm not comfortable experimenting with something that could aggravate my skin, but rather trying something that may or may not help but won't make things worse. No IB or aggravation of your acne on Betaine HCL? Any other suggestions would be much appreciated.

The biggest thing with most of my experiences is that I found a lot of things that helped somewhat. I had the most severe type of nodular cystic acne, so yes, digestive enzymes helped, but they didn't clear me.

Personally I found betaine HCL a little more effective than digestive enzymes. Take them together, get the best of both worlds.

I was recommended metmorfin before, but the doctor said it probably won't clear my acne on its own. I'm now trying out inositol, which was found in a study to be MORE successful than metmorfin in inducing ovulation (which, if you have PCOS, is one of the issues you might have). If you are not ovulating properly and getting mid-cycle breakouts, inositol can potentially be just as effective as metmorfin. It helps regulate glucose levels, boost progesterone, and reduce androgens.

Not sure I can post direct links here, but I'll try.

Metmorfin vs. inositol in PCOS patients: http://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/article_content.asp?article=326

Effects of inositol on acne and hirsutism: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19551544

Results: After 3 months of MYO administration, plasma LH, testosterone, free testosterone, insulin and HOMA index resulted significantly reduced; no significant changes were observed in plasma FSH and androstenedione levels. Both hirsutism and acne decreased after 6 months of therapy.

I took it with folic acid at first, but now I just take it on its own and it seems to be helping so far. I did a lot of research on it, and read all the clinical studies as well as user experiences on PCOS forums. No initial breakout, no side effects unless you take a high dose, and if you do then the only reported side effects are nausea and stomach pains. I'll take that over the risks of metmorfin and spironolactone. If you are interested, you should ask your doctor about it. He/she probably will be clueless about alternative treatments, but if they are receptive then they can at least take a look at the studies and assess its effectiveness for your particular hormonal imbalanace.

Interesting. What dose?

I was recommended metmorfin before, but the doctor said it probably won't clear my acne on its own. I'm now trying out inositol, which was found in a study to be MORE successful than metmorfin in inducing ovulation (which, if you have PCOS, is one of the issues you might have). If you are not ovulating properly and getting mid-cycle breakouts, inositol can potentially be just as effective as metmorfin. It helps regulate glucose levels, boost progesterone, and reduce androgens.

Not sure I can post direct links here, but I'll try.

Metmorfin vs. inositol in PCOS patients: http://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/article_content.asp?article=326

Effects of inositol on acne and hirsutism: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19551544

Results: After 3 months of MYO administration, plasma LH, testosterone, free testosterone, insulin and HOMA index resulted significantly reduced; no significant changes were observed in plasma FSH and androstenedione levels. Both hirsutism and acne decreased after 6 months of therapy.

I took it with folic acid at first, but now I just take it on its own and it seems to be helping so far. I did a lot of research on it, and read all the clinical studies as well as user experiences on PCOS forums. No initial breakout, no side effects unless you take a high dose, and if you do then the only reported side effects are nausea and stomach pains. I'll take that over the risks of metmorfin and spironolactone. If you are interested, you should ask your doctor about it. He/she probably will be clueless about alternative treatments, but if they are receptive then they can at least take a look at the studies and assess its effectiveness for your particular hormonal imbalanace.

I started low and build up gradually, otherwise it can cause some headaches at first. I started with 1/8 of a teaspoon inositol powder once a day, and now I'm up to 1/4 of a teaspoon twice a day. It's about 1g.

In studies, they gave 2g twice a day, but I think it's too much to start with.

Do you know your hormone levels?

I knew that my issues were elevated estrogens, low progesterone, and elevated androgens (hirsutism), that's why based on researching the various alternatives I realized inositol would help me with all of these. Plus, it regulates glucose, which is important for PCOS even if you are not diabetic.

Brenmc, these are all the things that helped me without any side-effects. If you are looking for something that helps without aggravating.

- Vitamin D3. Not from a pill. Going outside regularly, no sunscreen/makeup. I was pretty stubborn about doing this, because I wore makeup constantly to cover acne, so it was a huge hassle. I also had already tried Vitamin D3 pills at high doses and seen no difference. But getting it from the sun made a big difference in my mood and did clear my skin up some.

- Betaine HCL with Pepsin and Digestive Enzymes (protease, amylase, lactase, etc. I used a mixed pill). I actually took these to help with my ulcer, bloating, and indigestion problem mentioned earlier. But it did help my skin as well.

- No dairy, no soy, no caffeine, no alcohol, no sugar. Low carb.

- Natural anti-androgens.

• Vitamin B5.
• Saw palmetto.
• Stinging nettle.

One thing I remember NOT helping was evening primrose oil. I tried this 4-5 times and it gave me some of the worst breakouts I have ever had. At the time it was a real fad among acne people, and I was so sure it could help, but it really was terrible for me.

Thanks GreenGables,

It's so frustrating trying to pin point the source of this sudden resurgence of my acne. I tried EVERYTHING and had some horrible experiences along the way. Then I found spiro and had great skin for three years until this summer. So confused. Everyone says you can't become resistant to spiro and I haven't changed my diet or much of anything. The only things I can think of are starting a vitamin bcomplex, which I took for about a month or two, noticed no changes in my body or acne, and then quit. I also started taking my spiro in the morning instead of at night, like I had previously. Also after the first couple breakouts, I increased my dose but weaned back down shortly after. These things don't seem to be crazy enough to revert my skin to this state, plus they all happened at varying times but around the general period my acne resurfaced. Now I have two more nodules in the last two days and am not sure where to go from here.

Do you think increasing my dose could have screwed with my progesterone or other hormone levels? What about changing the time of day I take the spiro? Quitting a bcomplex I was only on for less than two months and did not impact my acne while on?

Thanks again!

WishClean, I haven't been tested for my hormones, my doctor isn't very helpful and in Canada I've never seen self-testing saliva kits or whatever they're called. I just know spiro (which lowers androgens) made my skin awesome until June/July this year.

Well, if it's no longer working for you then maybe it caused another imbalance that you didn't have in the first place. Every time I tried anti-androgens, I experienced a rise in my estrogen, evident in mid-section weight gain and even melasma. Any time I took herbs to regulate my estrogen and progesterone (like agnus castus), my skin cleared but I started getting more facial hair. This didn't happen immediately. It took months, and in some cases years to see another imbalance emerging so it could be what you are experiencing. Which led me to the conclusion that I personally can't take only anti-androgens or only estrogen/progesterone regulating supplements - I have to take something that helps with everything,that's why I'm giving inositol a try.

You can get a saliva testing kit from many doctors in the US, maybe do some research and see if it's available in Canada too. It's also sold online, but I would rather have it done at a doctor's office. The doctor I go to is into integrative medicine, so she prescribes drugs but only if supplements and other lifestyle modifications don't work - she has a range of tests including saliva testing, and she actually told me that blood testing is highly unreliable that's why I'm getting retested.

Brenmc, are you by chance taking melatonin or any kind of sleeping pill?

Maybe it would help if you listed every single thing you took leading up to the breakouts.

Thanks WishClean, I will do some research into saliva testing kits. I am taking Glucosmart which is inositol, I think (my mom got it for me years ago to help with the 10lbs I gained while on bc [i'm not on bc now and haven't been since 2010]).

GreenGables, no, I have never taken melatonin.

Prior to breakout: I was taking 100mg Spiro (3 years), Glucosmart (2 years), CLA (1 year), and Vitamin B complex (only for a couple months and no breakouts during that time). Here and there I would take vitamins such as C, D or fish oil, but nothing consistently, only if I felt a cold coming on or something.

Close to the start time of breaking out: I changed the time I took Spiro, I stopped B complex and increased my dose of Spiro (after first few breakouts).

Currently: I'm taking 125mg of Spiro (after weaning back down from increase), CLA and Glucosmart.

Sorry if this has been confusing, but I'm trying hard to remember what happened in June. I hope you ladies can help because my chin is seriously in constant pain!

Brenmc, are you by chance taking melatonin or any kind of sleeping pill?

Maybe it would help if you listed every single thing you took leading up to the breakouts.

Are the breakouts only on your chin? I used to get chin breakouts that I thought were hormonal, but they stopped once I switched my toothpaste and mouthwash. I was sensitive to some of the ingredients.

As for glucosmart, it's a good supplement. It contains chiro-inositol and I'm not sure if 600 mg are equal to higher doses of myo-inositol, which is what I'm taking. Are you still taking glucosmart? It seems like a good addition to spironolactone to help with weight gain and progesterone balance.

In any case, you should get your hormones checked to see if maybe another hormone like estrogen is off because spironolactone doesn't help with estrogen dominance. It can lower your androgens to the point where your estrogen: testosterone ratio can become skewed in favor of estrogen.

Brenmc, I don't remember all the details about your story, but at this point I would probably try progesterone cream along with the spiro. Hormones do change as we age, so even if you're not old, you could just have low progesterone.

Low progesterone is pretty common in developed societies because we are exposed to xenoestrogens in the environment. Xenoestrogens are basically estrogen mimickers found in everything from plastics to pesticides to fabric softener. I know that sounds a little weird, that there are hormone mimickers in your Tupperware, but this is a real scientific thing, not just ranting from paranoid naturalists

Some people try to go au naturale and avoid all synthetics completely, but the truth is you really can't avoid all of them, and it's a little easier to take progesterone cream to deal with the estrogen overload...

I was taking progesterone cream concurrently with spiro for a while. I was already clear but did not get any new breakouts from the cream. I think it's worth a try for your situation.

If you really really don't want to try progesterone cream, you can take the harder route of just avoiding estrogen mimickers...

 

Xeno literally means foreign, therefore xenoestrogens means foreign estrogens. Some of the 70,000 registered chemicals for use in the United States have hormonal effects in addition to toxic effects. The synergistic effects of exposure to many xenoestrogens are well documented, but largely unknown. These substances can increase the estrogen load in the body over time, and are difficult to detoxify through the liver. This further compounds the problem of estrogen dominance.

To gain a perspective on how much exposure of chemicals is occurring, the NIH's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have launched a study of blood and urine samples to determine the amount of exposure that Americans have to environmental estrogens. The CDC will measure approximately 50 environmental estrogens in 200 persons to determine levels of exposure to the population.

Among the more familiar chemicals that will be tested for are: insecticides parathion and DDT and its metabolites; herbicides; fungicides; plant and fungal estrogens; and industrial chemicals such as cadmium, lead, mercury, PCBs and dioxins.

Byproducts of the plastic and pesticide industries”called organochlorines”are one of the largest sources of xenoestrogens. These compounds, also used in dry cleaning, the bleaching of feminine hygiene products and the manufacture of plastics ranging from yogurt containers to baby bottles, have been shown to exert hormone-disrupting effects. What's more, organochlorines are known to accumulate in fatty human tissue and fluid such as breasts and breast milk. Caution dictates that women should try to eliminate these external estrogen sources through diet, supplements and lifestyle changes.

Plastics in our lives also expose us to the chemical bisphenol A, a breakdown product of polycarbonate, widely used in many plastics. Bisphenol A, found in the lining of many food cans and juice containers, escapes when polycarbonate is subjected to high temperatures. The estrogenic effects of bisphenol A became clear when men working in the plastics industry developed breasts after chronically inhaling the chemical in dust.

Other bad news from scientists have suggested that environmental estrogens might be reducing sperm counts in men and causing breast cancer, fibroids, and other reproductive diseases in women. Xenoestrogens can be found in many of our meats and dairy products in the form of chemicals and growth hormones that are given to the animals. These can be quite powerful, and should be avoided where possible.

The information below makes suggestions to avoid substances that contain xenoestrogens. These substances can increase the estrogen load in the body.Avoid all pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Wash your food well to rid the pesticides. Bathe the washed food in a produce wash or ozonated water for 20 minutes before cooking.

• Have a good water filter for your source of water.
• Use only organic based whole foods when you can. Buy hormone free meats and dairy products where possible.
• Avoid plastic goods - they leach into the environment.
• Do not microwave food in plastic containers, and especially avoid the use of plastic wrap to cover food for microwaving.
• Use glass or ceramics whenever possible to store food.
• Do not leave plastic containers, especially your drinking water, in the sun.
• If a plastic water container has heated up significantly, throw it away - do not drink the water either.
• Don't use fabric softeners as it puts petrochemicals right on your skin.
• Use a simple laundry and dish detergent with less chemicals.
• Use organic soaps and toothpastes. Avoid fluoride.
• Avoid creams and cosmetics that have toxic chemicals and estrogenic ingredients such as parabens and stearal konium chloride. Switch to more natural products. Cheap brands usually have more toxic ingredients.
• Avoid nail polish and nail polish removers.
• Use only naturally based perfumes. Most perfumes are petrochemically based.
• Avoid surfactants found in many condoms and diaphragm gels.
• Avoid new carpet - it can give off noxious fumes.
• Avoid X-rays as much as possible.
• Be aware of noxious gas such as that from copiers and printers, carpets, fiberboards, etc.

So, do you think perhaps increasing my spiro dose exacerbated the problem by further lowering my estrogen (keep in mind, I increased my dose in the first place because I was getting nodules after years of clear skin)? Should my estrogen go back to normal (or what it was) now that I've lowered my spiro or does it stay out of wack?

I use all natural toothpaste and have used two different brands since this resurgence of acne has started. What brand aggregated your acne?

The breakouts are on my chin, deep under the skin in hard, painful lumps (no head).

What's the difference between chiro-inositol and myo-inositol?

Thanks again!

Are the breakouts only on your chin? I used to get chin breakouts that I thought were hormonal, but they stopped once I switched my toothpaste and mouthwash. I was sensitive to some of the ingredients.

As for glucosmart, it's a good supplement. It contains chiro-inositol and I'm not sure if 600 mg are equal to higher doses of myo-inositol, which is what I'm taking. Are you still taking glucosmart? It seems like a good addition to spironolactone to help with weight gain and progesterone balance.

In any case, you should get your hormones checked to see if maybe another hormone like estrogen is off because spironolactone doesn't help with estrogen dominance. It can lower your androgens to the point where your estrogen: testosterone ratio can become skewed in favor of estrogen.

I do try to avoid bad estrogens. I'm a vegetarian (though I occasionally eat wild-sourced fish), I do not even own a microwave, I'm on well water, and I try to eat only organic fruits and vegetables. However, perhaps now that I am 29, my hormones are changing in some way (though the frequency of the onset of the breakouts indicates more of a sudden change than a gradual one).

My period had been a little more frequent since I've had this issue too, (though its never been very regular) do you think that indicates a need for progesterone?

I think I will try progesterone cream, both you and hearts have said it didn't exacerbate your acne- which is obviously what I'm most worried about. Should I follow the dose guidelines on the bottle or start lower? Hearts takes it everyday, since my cycle is messed up, and I wouldn't be able to pin point the exact days of ovulation, should I just do that too? In Canada , you can't get progesterone cream without a 'script, I guess wild yam cream is useless?

I remember reading b vitamins impact progesterone, do you think taking that bcomplex is a good idea or bad?

Thank you!

Brenmc, I don't remember all the details about your story, but at this point I would probably try progesterone cream along with the spiro. Hormones do change as we age, so even if you're not old, you could just have low progesterone.

Low progesterone is pretty common in developed societies because we are exposed to xenoestrogens in the environment. Xenoestrogens are basically estrogen mimickers found in everything from plastics to pesticides to fabric softener. I know that sounds a little weird, that there are hormone mimickers in your Tupperware, but this is a real scientific thing, not just ranting from paranoid naturalists

Some people try to go au naturale and avoid all synthetics completely, but the truth is you really can't avoid all of them, and it's a little easier to take progesterone cream to deal with the estrogen overload...

I was taking progesterone cream concurrently with spiro for a while. I was already clear but did not get any new breakouts from the cream. I think it's worth a try for your situation.

If you really really don't want to try progesterone cream, you can take the harder route of just avoiding estrogen mimickers...

 

 

Xeno literally means foreign, therefore xenoestrogens means foreign estrogens. Some of the 70,000 registered chemicals for use in the United States have hormonal effects in addition to toxic effects. The synergistic effects of exposure to many xenoestrogens are well documented, but largely unknown. These substances can increase the estrogen load in the body over time, and are difficult to detoxify through the liver. This further compounds the problem of estrogen dominance.

To gain a perspective on how much exposure of chemicals is occurring, the NIH's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have launched a study of blood and urine samples to determine the amount of exposure that Americans have to environmental estrogens. The CDC will measure approximately 50 environmental estrogens in 200 persons to determine levels of exposure to the population.

Among the more familiar chemicals that will be tested for are: insecticides parathion and DDT and its metabolites; herbicides; fungicides; plant and fungal estrogens; and industrial chemicals such as cadmium, lead, mercury, PCBs and dioxins.

Byproducts of the plastic and pesticide industriescalled organochlorinesare one of the largest sources of xenoestrogens. These compounds, also used in dry cleaning, the bleaching of feminine hygiene products and the manufacture of plastics ranging from yogurt containers to baby bottles, have been shown to exert hormone-disrupting effects. What's more, organochlorines are known to accumulate in fatty human tissue and fluid such as breasts and breast milk. Caution dictates that women should try to eliminate these external estrogen sources through diet, supplements and lifestyle changes.

Plastics in our lives also expose us to the chemical bisphenol A, a breakdown product of polycarbonate, widely used in many plastics. Bisphenol A, found in the lining of many food cans and juice containers, escapes when polycarbonate is subjected to high temperatures. The estrogenic effects of bisphenol A became clear when men working in the plastics industry developed breasts after chronically inhaling the chemical in dust.

Other bad news from scientists have suggested that environmental estrogens might be reducing sperm counts in men and causing breast cancer, fibroids, and other reproductive diseases in women. Xenoestrogens can be found in many of our meats and dairy products in the form of chemicals and growth hormones that are given to the animals. These can be quite powerful, and should be avoided where possible.

The information below makes suggestions to avoid substances that contain xenoestrogens. These substances can increase the estrogen load in the body.Avoid all pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Wash your food well to rid the pesticides. Bathe the washed food in a produce wash or ozonated water for 20 minutes before cooking.

 

• Have a good water filter for your source of water.
• Use only organic based whole foods when you can. Buy hormone free meats and dairy products where possible.
• Avoid plastic goods - they leach into the environment.
• Do not microwave food in plastic containers, and especially avoid the use of plastic wrap to cover food for microwaving.
• Use glass or ceramics whenever possible to store food.
• Do not leave plastic containers, especially your drinking water, in the sun.
• If a plastic water container has heated up significantly, throw it away - do not drink the water either.
• Don't use fabric softeners as it puts petrochemicals right on your skin.
• Use a simple laundry and dish detergent with less chemicals.
• Use organic soaps and toothpastes. Avoid fluoride.
• Avoid creams and cosmetics that have toxic chemicals and estrogenic ingredients such as parabens and stearal konium chloride. Switch to more natural products. Cheap brands usually have more toxic ingredients.
• Avoid nail polish and nail polish removers.
• Use only naturally based perfumes. Most perfumes are petrochemically based.
• Avoid surfactants found in many condoms and diaphragm gels.
• Avoid new carpet - it can give off noxious fumes.
• Avoid X-rays as much as possible.
• Be aware of noxious gas such as that from copiers and printers, carpets, fiberboards, etc.

Also... To GreenGables, I don't eat dairy.

And to WishClean, I'm still on glucosmart.

Forgot to mention these points in my main reply.

Thank you so much for the advice ladies. My doctor is like 70, a male, and knows and cares nothing about these issues (it's nearly impossible to find a new doctor in my small town in Canada- had mine since I was a baby).

You can get progesterone cream on Amazon.ca...several brands...are you sure you need a script?

I called all the health food stores and compounding pharmacies in my town, they all said you need a prescription, except for for wild yam cream (that's available in health food stores). I was able to order Emerita on Amazon.ca today, but it will be awhile before it gets here. Is that a good brand? So, as as you know, taking spiro won't negatively impact using progesterone cream or vice versa?

You can get progesterone cream on Amazon.ca...several brands...are you sure you need a script?

So, do you think perhaps increasing my spiro dose exacerbated the problem by further lowering my estrogen (keep in mind, I increased my dose in the first place because I was getting nodules after years of clear skin)? Should my estrogen go back to normal (or what it was) now that I've lowered my spiro or does it stay out of wack?

I use all natural toothpaste and have used two different brands since this resurgence of acne has started. What brand aggregated your acne?

The breakouts are on my chin, deep under the skin in hard, painful lumps (no head).

What's the difference between chiro-inositol and myo-inositol?

Thanks again!

I think it's possible, but you won't know for sure until you get tested. If you can find a doctor in your area that specializes in bio-identical hormone therapy, they will tell you what the correct dose of progesterone cream would be for your specific needs if you choose to go that route. But as you said, if you live in a small town you might just have to rely on information from women who are using the cream currently. Hearts was lucky enough to figure out her imbalance without getting hormonal tests, and many women do a lot of trial and error until they figure out the right combination of supplements/creams.

Many toothpaste brands aggravated my acne, including "natural" ones like toms of mayne (which actually isn't as natural as it claims). The worst was crest - both the toothpaste and the mouthwash. It caused redness all around my mouth and painful pimples. I was using sensodyne for a long time and it was fine, until I switched to their mint one and started breaking out again. I realized it might be the fluoride and peppermint, so I found a toothpaste without those ingredients (and without SLS), and switched to a tea tree mouthwash by desert essence and no breakouts for 2 months. Xylitol doesn't help me either, so it was difficult to find a natural toothpaste without xylitol but I eventually found one with baking soda, tea tree, and fennel.

Chiro-inositol is more expensive and harder to find on its own, but it's more useful for women who have trouble breaking down myo-inositol into chiro-inositol. Chiro is supposed to work faster and in smaller quantities, but most of the studies I read on inositol and acne used regular myo-inositiol so I figured I'd start with that. I use the powder form. Natural sources of chiro-inositol include buckwheat and carob, which I try to eat regularly to get some chiro because I didn't want to pay $60 to order the supplements.

Last time I tested my hormones I found out I had low progesterone and tried the cream (kokoro brand) for 2 months - greengables is very knowledgeable about hormonal balancing and gave me some tips on what to look for in a cream. Unfortunately, I couldn't stick to a regular application schedule, so I kind of gradually reduced it until I quit. It didn't aggravate my acne, and it helped me sleep better but I started getting numbness in my hands and feet every time I applied the cream to those areas, and I called the company to ask if this was a side effect and they recommended I stop using it to see if it would decrease the numbness. That was the main reason I stopped, but I'm still not sure if it was directly related to the cream because I've had problems with blood circulation before - it just happened to start during the time I started using progesterone, so I didn't want to risk it. I'm still getting numbness and tingling though, so I have to go see a neurologist for that but that's another story.

It's very important to stick to a regular, twice a day application schedule if you choose to use progesterone cream. I'm going with inositol for now because it helps with many areas. This is the info from the miscarriage website on the hormonal effects of inositol, also confirmed in clinical studies: