I happened to figure this out by luck. I have tried nearly every OTC acne treatment and most prescription stuff. I have even done high doses of Vitamin A on my own.
Apparently my acne is an inflamatory problem of some sort because the single best thing I have ever done is....
Ibuprofen!
Not kidding. I did some google searches on it and it turned up a few results but not what I expected it to. It works as well as antibiotics which are the only thing that has ever really worked for me.
I started off taking about 800mg a day. I read online it's fairly safe up to 1600mg per day but do your own research. I have since cut it down to 100-200mg a day which seems to be doing the same job.
My skin is healing up nice, feeling like it should, redness almost completely gone from my face which I have always had an issue with. I could have went to the derm for the next 20 years and they would have never recommended something so simple.
I highly recommend you try it, just take 200mg a day for a week and see if you notice any difference. For me, being in my 30s and having tried everything with mixed results this is pretty remarkable. It's fairly cheap, it's easy, and it works as well as antibiotics.
I have been doing it for about a month or longer now, I noticed results fairly quickly but wanted to wait to make sure it wasn't some fluke before posting.
Try it and post your results!
over time you can look to find some natural alternatives and natural anti inflammatories, like Turmeric, etc....
and I know there are some out there that will say that ibuprofen is bad for you long term, those that have taken accutane no less! at the dose you are on it probably won't hurt to stay on for a few months, but do google anti inflammatory diets/supplements and perhaps you can shift over slowly to other things to quench the fire inside
thanks for sharing this
over time you can look to find some natural alternatives and natural anti inflammatories, like Turmeric, etc....
and I know there are some out there that will say that ibuprofen is bad for you long term, those that have taken accutane no less! at the dose you are on it probably won't hurt to stay on for a few months, but do google anti inflammatory diets/supplements and perhaps you can shift over slowly to other things to quench the fire inside
thanks for sharing this
At the levels I am taking I could take it for years, if not the rest of my life. I've tried natural stuff before but didn't get these kinds of results. Plus it's dirt cheap, on amazon you can get 500 tablets for around $9. I've also successfully taken a break from it 3+ days before I started again without issue. It seems it doesn't take much, I find it pretty amazing since I have tried everything and just a little Ibuprofen does the trick. More people need to try this.
You really want to take an artificial anti-inflammatory for the rest of your life? I hope you're aware of the cardiovascular risks that may come with that.
Eat anti-inflammatory food...just eat well and you will see far better results than you will from taking prescription medications. I know you're going to declare how healthy your diet is, but is it? Implement foods into your diet that is considered highly nutritious like Kale, Spinach, Broccoli, Ginger and Coriander (Cilantro). You will not regret it.
Your kidneys (renal cancer), liver (cirrhosis) and heart (congestive heart failure) will suffer from taking ibuprofen daily - no matter the dose. If you take something over a long period of time, it will cause sides, regardless of the dose. For the sake of clearing up redness and acne, do not go down this route, although you may at your own risk.
Oh and might I add. You may be seeing benefits in your skin now, but long-term use of ibuprofen can cause blistering of the skin and eventually Stevens-Johnson syndrome. You would much rather have acne, trust me.
It's not dangerous over long term. If you're repeating stuff like "you're going to get Stevens-Johnson syndrome" then you have no clue what you're talking about. Ibuprofen is safe, read up on the actual studies. You can take FAR more than 200mg daily without any side effects for the rest of your life.
Please don't try to play Dr / Scientist if you don't know the facts.
I haven't once claimed to have studied medicine or science (although I do have an interest in both subjects) - I have also done research. If I search 'long-term use of ibuprofen' I only see negative results. So I don't know what kind of studies that you are looking at.
You go ahead and take all the ibuprofen you like. Just don't encourage others to do the same. A lot of things can be taken long-term in low doses without side effects, but that does not mean we should. Your lack of information does not display that of somebody who has done any research at all.
If you continue to 'play' the 'I am always right' card then I will simply close the topic. You obviously have no idea how to have a discussion without getting defensive, flippant and forcing your opinions on others. I told you what I knew about the long-term use of ibuprofen, I didn't say it was definitive.
Childish and rediculous, close the topic, close my account for that matter.
Not sure why there are kids here who are pratically children moderating.
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/02/briefing/3882b2_06_international%20ibuprofen%20foundation.htm
Do some more extensive research. You're spreading propaganda, it's extremism. I could say just about anything is dangerous in enough quantity including water. Taking low doses is safe, long term, it's prescribed often long term much higher than 200mg per day. Athletes use it on a regular basis as well.
You dictate I shouldn't advise others take it long term (authoritively mind you) yet you spread ignorant false information yourself, and you're a moderator. You shouldn't be one though, clearly.
Anyhow, I wont be coming back.
I agree with the others that it isn't really good to be taking ibuprofen long term. Ibuprofen is very hard on the stomach and I can imagine in the long run that would be worse for your acne. The reason you are noticing improvement from ibuprofen is because it is ant-inflammatory. You should look into more natural ways to reduce inflammation. For example, you could eat an anti-inflammatory diet.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories work by interfering with specific enzymes in the body, the cyclo-oxygenase or cox enzymes. Cox enzymes trigger inflammation NSAIDs prevent this happening.
For this reason, they are used to treat pain, particularly when its accompanied by inflammation and fever. They are commonly prescribed for arthritis, as well as back and neck pain.
However, the drugs have another, unwanted effect, reducing blood flow to the stomach and duodenal lining. This impairs healing and reduces the mucus layer that forms a protective barrier in the gut.
Without this layer, stomach acid can damage the gut lining.
Everyone who takes NSAIDs will get small erosions of the stomach (antral erosions), which can happen after a single dose, says Dr Ray Shidrawi, a consultant gastroenterologist at Homerton University Hospital in London.
Indeed, it is well documented that NSAIDs can cause stomach problems, particularly when prescribed over a period of months.
However, Dr Shidrawi believes the risks are underestimated. He blames not just ignorance about the dangers, but the widespread use of the drugs and their effectiveness this lulls people into a sense of security.
As a result patients think, Its not going to happen to me when it comes to side-effects.NSAIDs have become so commonplace in our medicine cabinets at home and people take them like Smarties, he says.
In fact, many of the 6,000 cases admitted to hospital every year with gastrointestinal bleeding are caused directly by painkillers.
This bleeding can be life-threatening. If it is significant, there is a 5 to 10 per cent risk of the patient dying, which rises to 20 per cent if youre over 60 or suffer from a serious illness such as liver, kidney or heart problems, or cancer.
In the U.S., a study in 1998 found the death rate for gastric bleeding linked to NSAIDs was higher than for cervical cancer, asthma or malignant melanoma (skin cancer).
Doctors have yet to establish why some people react so badly and others dont. Or why they can sometimes occur after a few days.
Childish and rediculous, close the topic, close my account for that matter.
Not sure why there are kids here who are pratically children moderating.
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/02/briefing/3882b2_06_international%20ibuprofen%20foundation.htm
Do some more extensive research. You're spreading propaganda, it's extremism. I could say just about anything is dangerous in enough quantity including water. Taking low doses is safe, long term, it's prescribed often long term much higher than 200mg per day. Athletes use it on a regular basis as well.
You dictate I shouldn't advise others take it long term (authoritively mind you) yet you spread ignorant false information yourself, and you're a moderator. You shouldn't be one though, clearly.
Anyhow, I wont be coming back.
I don't understand how you can go and be so incredibly rude when no one has been rude to you? And then have the audacity to accuse someone of being childish as though you have complete disregard for your own attitude. Also isn't it a little extremist for you to automatically jump to conclusion that we're spreading propaganda? Is it just me or does that not sound a little ridiculous.
OP: I would advise you to look up the long-term effects of such a "treatment" and discuss them with your doctor and decide if it's really safe to continue doing it. Short-term gain ain't worth a long-term loss, y'know? And really this goes for anyone with acne who's looking for different treatments - familiarise yourself with the facts before jumping in!