OK. yesterday I officially stopped the solodyn and will be on finacea only. so far so good. no breakouts. had a whitehead on my forehead yesterday but it went away overnight after i put finacea on it.

i am praying once i stop the solodyn the acne does not come back. let us see what happens. will update this in a couple of days.

has anyone had success coming off antibiotics and going to topicals only?

anyone?

Yes actually, I have. I am only 20, so I don't exactly qualify for the adult acne category (yet =P ), but I quit using Doxcycline in July of 2008 after 18 months of usage.

I tried to gradually reduce the dose, and I took a high brand of probiotics called Theralac for about 2 months afterwards, and then started using Finacea at night and Duac as a spot treatment in the morning when needed.

I have had a lot of good results with it. =)

Yes actually, I have. I am only 20, so I don't exactly qualify for the adult acne category (yet =P ), but I quit using Doxcycline in July of 2008 after 18 months of usage.

 

I tried to gradually reduce the dose, and I took a high brand of probiotics called Theralac for about 2 months afterwards, and then started using Finacea at night and Duac as a spot treatment in the morning when needed.

 

I have had a lot of good results with it. =)

I did Accutane back in January 09, and now I am doing a low dose cycle of Doxy. What was your dose if I may ask?

Bollocks! I just enquired at the chemist today and it's prescription only. I wouldn't care but if I'd read all the reviews earlier I could've asked the derm for it on Mon gone. Gotta faff around getting a Dr's app on my next day off. Double bollocks!!! : (

I weaned myself off minocycline and went just to BHA and Tazorac. It worked out well. I stayed clear. I don't think the mino was doing much, though. I still had severe acne when I was on it plus some other medications (not the Taz and BHA combo).

I was on 100 mg of mino. To wean: For two weeks, I took one every other day. Then for two weeks, I took one every second day. Then for two weeks, I took one every third day. I think. I don't quite remember. That's pretty conservative, but I've had bad experiences discontinuing medications.

Ok. coming off the Solodyn cold turkey was not a good idea. This past weekend I broke out on my forehead and on my cheeks. I have about 10 zits on my forehead, and it looks really bad.

I am actually contemplating cutting my bangs just to cover up this mess.

I have cut my bangs before to hide my acne, and have always regretted it since my hair is sort of wavy, and then I have to use the flat iron to make the bangs look decent and not go in crazy directions.

So I am going to try to hold off on the scissors.

Could not bear the acne this morning and popped a Solodyn.

It is a 45 mg Solodyn.

just a brand name for Minocycline: it is supposed to be some delayed release stuff or whatever.

the worst part is that I was only able to stay clear for a week.

I am going to take Kairasa's and Addie's advice and wean myself off gradually.

Thanks for the suggestion guys!

but first, i do need a clear face to start the weaning process. I will take the Solodyn until the acne I have subsides and then gradually reduce the dosage.

Finacea is making my skin peel just a tad.

Is that normal?

My derm said i will not be peeling. So why am I peeling?

Kairasa: what kind of acne did you have before? and no, I would not say you'd qualify for the adult acne category

Addie: what kind of BHA are you using? what is your regimen?

Tommy: did your acne come back after Accutane, or are you trying to make sure it does not come back? I am on 45 mg. What dosage are you on? are you on any topicals at all?

Allright. Skin is crystal clear again after a week of using the Solodyn. Tomorrow I am starting to wean myself off of it.

I am going to skip the solodyn tomorrow and take it every other day for a couple of weeks and see how it goes.

I am also going to continue applying Finacea at night as that seems to be a miracle product in terms of skin's overall texture.

My skin is soooo soft and smooth. Not a pore in sight. I am hoping it is going to stay that way as I am weaning myself off of years of the solodyn.

Will update in a few days.

Has anyone else tried the Finacea? I am wondering if my skin will get used to it and it stops producing the results. That would be a shame...

I use Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid and highly recommend it.

I got clear using the BHA liquid and Tazorac twice a day, along with Paula's Choice cleanser, moisturizer, etc. Once I was clear for awhile, I went down to once a day on the Tazorac, because it was irritating. I was still having problems, so I'm off of Tazorac now and hoping Yaz and BHA will keep me clear.

I think finacea is one of those products you're not supposed to be able to get used toa hopefullya

this morning I skipped the solodyn. will take it tomorrow. nothing to report as it is just the first day of the weaning process.

will definitely take it tomorrow though as I am simply scared. I do not want to break out again and then work on clearing the acne up. I'd rather do maintenance to keep my face clear.

Addie: question for you: i know you said you have sensitive skin. Well I am wondering if that BHA stuff makes your face peel at all. My skin is ultra sensitive, and I absolutely hate it when it flakes off, and then the flakes clog my pores and here we are: catch twenty two. I am going to google it though. Is 2% a high concentration?

BHA doesn't make my face peel, but it does make the hand I apply it with peel. I think I've read about it making other people peel, though. Combined with the finacea, it may make you peel, too. You can definitely start with 1% and go up to 2%. I've seen concentrations up to 4%, but I don't know how safe/legit those products are. Is your skin oily, dry, or combination? If you're trying Paula's Choice, there are a few different textures of products, and that might help you avoid peeling. (Example: Using the lotion texture if you have dry skin.)

day five of alternating my antibiotic and antibiotic-free days.

actually I have been skipping the solodyn for 2 days in a row now.

so far nothing to report. skin is still clear, and I am still using finacea at night.

I am thinking of getting a bha solution to add to my regimen, and alternate finacea and bha at night.

I have been been doing a lot of research on the internet about the whole BHA thing, and I really like what i've been reading.

Addie: my skin is I think what you'd call combination skin since I do get rather oily on my cheeks and forehead.

Oh, another thing: yesterday we went roller skating (which I love, and we do it as a family thing with my husband and my five-year-old little girl) and my face was sweating a lot. I thought that I would inevitably wake up this morning with a zit or two due to the sweating and blotting the sweat with dinner napkins but NOPE-still crystal clear.

I am wondering if it is still leftover antibiotic in my system or the finacea or a combination of both.

What the heck: i think i will take the antibiotic tomorrow though. Too scared to forego it altogether.

I have used this before, and it's pretty good stuff. I've had a small (but nasty) breakout recently - AGAIN! Finacea has dried it up, and cleared it up in about a week. Using Finacea initially could be trippy, it kinda burns and is itchy feeling! (?) This is weird depsite following the Candida Diet, and adding probiotics to my diet! I think I can attribute this to my cleansing ritual, I use the "caveman" method of water only, but have been using washcloths. Last week, I had a brainstorm to start using shammy (chamois) cloths instead, aka microfiber...and damn, this has made a HUGE difference! Be careful out there with using washcloths or anything too abrasive, such as a Buf-Puf, you may be scrubbing your skin too intensely creating more problems.

GOOD LUCK!

All right. I am back to report. It has been two weeks and a day since I COMPLETELY stopped the solodyn.

I meant to alternate my antibiotic and antibiotic-free days but kept forgetting to alternate so I am completely off the antibiotic that I had taken for over 3 years.

And, my face has been clear the whole time.

I have been religiously applying the Finacea gel at night. Nothing else.

Well, one thins that is kind of peculiar: i have a painful cyst right on my hairline near my left temple. I do not apply finacea on my hairline, and I really do not know what to do with the cyst.

It hurts

Coolguy: finacea gave me this weird itchy feeling initially but not so much any more. I have used it for almost 2 months now. How long did you use it for, and why did you stop?

Anyways guys, any suggestions for the cyst on my hairline. I am allergic to bp, and I am not sure if I can put finacea on my hairline.

hi, i've in the same boat as you and finacea was a miracle topical that i've been using which gave great results. I was also taking 80mg of solodyn a day and decided to stop and after a week, my chin broke out like crazy. I was wondering if your alternate weening of the medicine with putting on finacea helped keep the acne away for good. I don't want to be on solodyn for the rest of my life as it's not intended to be longer than 2 months. Let me know and thanks for the helpful updates!

Finacea is a great product. I've also had success with Nizoral. I wash my face with it every night. It's a shampoo but athletes wash with it to cure existing acne and prevent future breakouts. Nizoral kills bacteria. It also kills nasty derm mites which burrow into pores and cause recurring acne in the same area of skin over and over again. Only problem is Nizoral can be difficult to find. I order mine off of Amazon .