Hey guys.

So it's been nearly 3 years now and I don't know how much longer I can handle this acne, not because of the bumps n stuff or even the actual pimples but in general what it's done to my face. huge pores. my forehead is always flaky my nose has 101 little dots all over it always filled with stuff, my whole skin tone is gross. not to mention the lines my forehead is getting and the scars..i'm only 20 nearly 21, I feel 40.

I'm contemplating going back on spiro., I really really didnt want to because I didnt want to have to add another thing to my life that I'm chained to and fear getting off of it. What's weird is 25mg of spiro kept me clear whilst I was on it for a year. only 25mg...yet I can't seem to use diet or lifestyle to replicate that small effect. I guess I thought diet/lifestyle affects everyone and therefore would make my body 'work' better and deal with the hormones/androgens so its quite frustrating to be doing all that i have, naturally for nearly 3 years and still unable to get a slight anti-androgen affects.

Would i be able to get peoples opinions on going back on spiro? I went off it the first time because i was reading around that after a while your body gets used to it and it had stopped working for some people and that kinda scared me so I wanted to see how i was without it, definitely not good sucks im still on birth control too but I still need that..

I was going to go back on spiro when I eventually do get off the pill but i dont see that day coming any time soon.

wasting my life away with this acne and swear to god cannot actually believe not one thing i've done in 3 years had moderately affected my skin in a good way or bad, surely that's just messed up >.< I guess I was under the impression i'm human too therefore diet and lifestyle should have a positive affect on me and that to alter my health therefore acne >.<

anyway so im stuck coz I know i need spiro but I dont really want to be on it considering i would need to be on it ..for like, ever. I dont even think it would 'work' that long. hm.

does anyone have some opinions to help me make my choice maybe?

my acne pattern is still the same. bad-1- 2 weeks before period. clear while on period and the week after. just that same cycle and my diet and lifestyle,sun,sleep has not been able to shift any hormones to a balanced order..all the time though having 100s of bumps on forehead under the skin and clogged pores throughout my face mainly forehead/temples, nose, lip area and chin/jaw area

thankyou in advance...

also just wanting to note. I havent been to the doctors yet to check out any other possible health issues as when I rang they basically said 'what now' because i've been to the doctors so so so often the past 3 years demanding test after test all coming back perfect every time, time and time again they find me a nuisance because after so so many visits there 'hasnt been anything wrong with me'..so will have to put that off for a bit. I don't think a doctor can 'find the cause' to my acne though.

I wish i had something obvious ha..like digestive issues..that would be a god send! least I'd know what to do

 

There hasn't been conclusive evidence showing that you become "resistant" to spiro. Spiro is just an anti-androgen, there's not much your body can do to "resist" it. It's not like an antibiotic.

What usually happens is hormonal imbalances get worse for a couple of reasons:

a) Age. Closer you get to menopause, the more your progesterone drops. Progesterone is a regulatory hormone that keeps androgens and estrogens in check. The older you get, the less your body is able to regulate its own hormones. You end up with high androgens or high estrogens or both.

b) The longer you are on birth control the more risk you have for a hormonal imbalance. Birth control gives you synthetic hormones. They are just different enough from your natural hormones that it causes problems. When you've been on birth control long enough, your body will stop creating its own progesterone because you've been giving it synthetic progestin for so long.

Frankly you're doing worse for your body by staying on birth control. If you're going to be worried about hormonal imbalances, BCP is worse than spiro. If spiro kept you clear I'd go back on it and look for alternatives for your birth control instead. (The copper IUD is pretty great, and most insurances cover 100% of the cost because it costs them less than BCP pills. But only the copper "Paraguard" IUD, the Mirena is different and has hormones in it.)

Look, I know it isn't the ideal thing to be taking a drug long-term, but would you rather be depressed over your skin for the rest of your life or taking a pill once a day for the rest of your life? I see it kind of like glasses or contacts. Some people have vision problems at birth. They just don't naturally have good vision. No diet is going to make them see 20/20. You can either be blind or wear some corrective eyewear. Even LASIK isn't permanent, many LASIK patients have to go back to glasses after LASIK is performed. So either way you're stuck doing something "artificial" long-term to see.

Similarly, some of us have acne problems starting at puberty and they NEVER get better. I was on Paleo for years, had a great lifestyle, exercised a lot, no stress...and my hormones were still out of whack. The more research I read, the more I realize that a lot of "hormonal" issues start at birth. I'm now finding out my mom and my grandmother and my aunt and my cousin all have similar hormone issues. Clearly I'm dealing with something bigger than eating green and getting some exercise.

I hope if there's a simpler or more "natural" solution for you that you find it. But if you don't, it's not the worst thing in the world to have clear skin through a little bit of modern medicine.

If you just have something against spiro in particular, there are herbal anti-androgens such as saw palmetto, stinging nettle, pygeum, or pumpkin seed oil. Many women also use natural bioidentical progesterone cream to deal with hormonal imbalances. Honestly when you get near menopause you're going to have hormone issues because most women do. You might as well get used to doing something for your hormones now. Whether that's taking a prescription medication or drinking loads of green tea is up to you, but you've got to specifically treat the hormones, just being "healthy" isn't going to cut it.

In the January issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine, researchers have published a new investigation measuring sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) before and after discontinuation of the oral contraceptive pill. The research concluded that women who used the oral contraceptive pill may be exposed to long-term problems from low values of "unbound" testosterone potentially leading to continuing sexual, metabolic, and mental health consequences. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/35663.php

Hey guys.

So it's been nearly 3 years now and I don't know how much longer I can handle this acne, not because of the bumps n stuff or even the actual pimples but in general what it's done to my face. huge pores. my forehead is always flaky my nose has 101 little dots all over it always filled with stuff, my whole skin tone is gross. not to mention the lines my forehead is getting and the scars..i'm only 20 nearly 21, I feel 40.

I'm contemplating going back on spiro., I really really didnt want to because I didnt want to have to add another thing to my life that I'm chained to and fear getting off of it. What's weird is 25mg of spiro kept me clear whilst I was on it for a year. only 25mg...yet I can't seem to use diet or lifestyle to replicate that small effect. I guess I thought diet/lifestyle affects everyone and therefore would make my body 'work' better and deal with the hormones/androgens so its quite frustrating to be doing all that i have, naturally for nearly 3 years and still unable to get a slight anti-androgen affects.

Would i be able to get peoples opinions on going back on spiro? I went off it the first time because i was reading around that after a while your body gets used to it and it had stopped working for some people and that kinda scared me so I wanted to see how i was without it, definitely not good sucks im still on birth control too but I still need that..

I was going to go back on spiro when I eventually do get off the pill but i dont see that day coming any time soon.

wasting my life away with this acne and swear to god cannot actually believe not one thing i've done in 3 years had moderately affected my skin in a good way or bad, surely that's just messed up >.< I guess I was under the impression i'm human too therefore diet and lifestyle should have a positive affect on me and that to alter my health therefore acne >.<

anyway so im stuck coz I know i need spiro but I dont really want to be on it considering i would need to be on it ..for like, ever. I dont even think it would 'work' that long. hm.

does anyone have some opinions to help me make my choice maybe?

my acne pattern is still the same. bad-1- 2 weeks before period. clear while on period and the week after. just that same cycle and my diet and lifestyle,sun,sleep has not been able to shift any hormones to a balanced order..all the time though having 100s of bumps on forehead under the skin and clogged pores throughout my face mainly forehead/temples, nose, lip area and chin/jaw area

thankyou in advance...

also just wanting to note. I havent been to the doctors yet to check out any other possible health issues as when I rang they basically said 'what now' because i've been to the doctors so so so often the past 3 years demanding test after test all coming back perfect every time, time and time again they find me a nuisance because after so so many visits there 'hasnt been anything wrong with me'..so will have to put that off for a bit. I don't think a doctor can 'find the cause' to my acne though.

I wish i had something obvious ha..like digestive issues..that would be a god send! least I'd know what to do

 

There hasn't been conclusive evidence showing that you become "resistant" to spiro. Spiro is just an anti-androgen, there's not much your body can do to "resist" it. It's not like an antibiotic.

What usually happens is hormonal imbalances get worse for a couple of reasons:

a) Age. Closer you get to menopause, the more your progesterone drops. Progesterone is a regulatory hormone that keeps androgens and estrogens in check. The older you get, the less your body is able to regulate its own hormones. You end up with high androgens or high estrogens or both.

b) The longer you are on birth control the more risk you have for a hormonal imbalance. Birth control gives you synthetic hormones. They are just different enough from your natural hormones that it causes problems. When you've been on birth control long enough, your body will stop creating its own progesterone because you've been giving it synthetic progestin for so long.

Frankly you're doing worse for your body by staying on birth control. If you're going to be worried about hormonal imbalances, BCP is worse than spiro. If spiro kept you clear I'd go back on it and look for alternatives for your birth control instead. (The copper IUD is pretty great, and most insurances cover 100% of the cost because it costs them less than BCP pills. But only the copper "Paraguard" IUD, the Mirena is different and has hormones in it.)

Look, I know it isn't the ideal thing to be taking a drug long-term, but would you rather be depressed over your skin for the rest of your life or taking a pill once a day for the rest of your life? I see it kind of like glasses or contacts. Some people have vision problems at birth. They just don't naturally have good vision. No diet is going to make them see 20/20. You can either be blind or wear some corrective eyewear. Even LASIK isn't permanent, many LASIK patients have to go back to glasses after LASIK is performed. So either way you're stuck doing something "artificial" long-term to see.

Similarly, some of us have acne problems starting at puberty and they NEVER get better. I was on Paleo for years, had a great lifestyle, exercised a lot, no stress...and my hormones were still out of whack. The more research I read, the more I realize that a lot of "hormonal" issues start at birth. I'm now finding out my mom and my grandmother and my aunt and my cousin all have similar hormone issues. Clearly I'm dealing with something bigger than eating green and getting some exercise.

I hope if there's a simpler or more "natural" solution for you that you find it. But if you don't, it's not the worst thing in the world to have clear skin through a little bit of modern medicine.

If you just have something against spiro in particular, there are herbal anti-androgens such as saw palmetto, stinging nettle, pygeum, or pumpkin seed oil. Many women also use natural bioidentical progesterone cream to deal with hormonal imbalances. Honestly when you get near menopause you're going to have hormone issues because most women do. You might as well get used to doing something for your hormones now. Whether that's taking a prescription medication or drinking loads of green tea is up to you, but you've got to specifically treat the hormones, just being "healthy" isn't going to cut it.

 

thanks for your post and advice I appreciate it.

I've been on birth control for maybe around 5 or so years now. I'm mostly on it because of..well birth control but 2 years ago went on Diane35 because of this acne. I have to be honest I'm pretty scared getting off that pill mostly because I know my acne will be a huge issue and I'm not sure I'm ready to deal with it so worse all over again, I don't have more years to spare sitting inside doing nothing with my life because I had being seen :/

I know its the diane that is keeping my face as clear as it is now..which isnt very clear but says a LOT about how my face was off it.

How long would you consider 'long' for birth control? would 5 years be considered a 'long time' or more like 10+? meaning how long would I need to be on it for it to mess up my hormones completely forever? My hormones were already messed up off it >.<

Diane is a high estrogen pill, if my face is already like this on it imagine what it will be like off it without that estrogen :/

I guess I'm also scared of weight gain too

hm. god this is so frustrating, can't win either way :/

I guess my vision is kinda like..i went on this diane pill to clear my face because it was so bad off it and going on this pill doesnt mean my face is going to clear, if anything just get worse and thats definitely hard to consider..considering i've spent 3 years trying to help my body and gotten no where. I've spent a year off spiro and even then tried my best to get my face as clear as possible but it still wont budge.

not really sure what to do, I dont really understand what the effects are long term for being on diane but as you kinda mentioned its hard not to just stay on it 'for the now' instead of wasting life away further..

are there any birth control that doesnt have hormones ? and if so how do they work? if I went off diane I would probably try and do it in a space of 6-9 months but cutting the pills up, I've heard of other woman doing that..not sure how screwed up it made their bodies though. I guess I still dont really feel prepared at all to come off birth control :/ I dont feel like i even have back up for when my face implodes..like as diet etc hasnt helped I feel like im kinda doomed

im rambling >.<

thanks again though!

Yes, the Paraguard copper IUD doesn't have any hormones. It's inserted and lasts for 10 years, though you can have it removed easily before then if you wish.

I'm not really sure what to tell you. I can see that you're frustrated and worried, but it seems like you want some angel to come down and tell you exactly what the perfect solution is. That's not going to happen. You're just going to have to weigh the pros and cons and make some decisions. No one can tell you what will work for you, you're going to have to take some risks and try some new things.

Here is what I would recommend:

1. Get off hormonal birth control. Switch to a copper IUD or another non-hormonal device. (The only practical one is the copper IUD...)

2. Get on Spiro, Flutamide, or Saw Palmetto.

3. Look at the symptoms of low progesterone and see if any of those fit you. If they do, look into natural progesterone cream. I recommend Beeyoutiful Balance or Progesterelle.

I mostly agree with Green Gables, although I personally would probably get off the pill and then give my body some time to adjust (while doing all the healthy stuff like the gut healing diet, etc) and then see how you are. You don't even have a baseline without the birth control to know how you are. How you were in the past might not be the same as how you will be now, without birth control.

All I can say was that going on birth control was the start of my horrible cystic acne. Before that, I never had acne, not even from my gluten intolerance. I did have other problems related to my gluten intolerance, such as rashes, sickness, depression, etc. But something about the birth control pill triggered my body to react to everything with acne. For me, I think it's a combination of leaky gut, food intolerances, general damage to my body and hormone imbalances. I seem to be able to fix most of that by healing my gut and keeping my body clean and alkaline in general. The healthier my gut is, the more my hormones calm down. It's weird, but they are definitely related.

I just don't believe a woman can be healthy while on birth control. I realize many would disagree with me, and the choice is of course yours. But I say get off everything and see what happens, and then go from there. I wouldn't judge you if you choose the Spiro if it works for you. Just make sure that the birth control pills are not causing you problems first. Change one thing at a time so you can see what's going on, you know?

Next time there's a mirror in your general vicinity make sure you're at least an arm's length away from it.

We love you, FSAS. <3

Get off spiro.

I was in the same position as you. Im only 22 but had flaky skin, wrinkles on my forehead due to excessive use of topical steroid creams and rash-like acne. My pores on my cheeks were dark and skin looked patchy.

I cam across argan oil and i have been using it for like 8 days now (both day and night) and my skin is clear! i cant believe it! the pores on my cheek are shrinking, the rash like acne are gone and my complexion looks dewy and glowy. if its only like this in a few days i wonder how my skin will be in a month!

the key to argan oil is to us e it both day and NIGHT- as that is when skin renews its skin cells, and you have to by coldpressed, 100 per cent virgin organic and store it in the fridge. i got mine from a website called fushi.

I recommend you try it. Its chemical free, so doesnt irriatte skin. in fact it feels great to know i can live the rest of my life on using a natural, healthy product.

best of luck!