hey just wanted to tell you to hang in there and know that it will get worse before it gets better. just be diligent and in about 12 weeks you should start to see some good progress. as far as the doxy goes i would probably have that upped to 200mg a day to try and counter the breakouts you might be getting from the birth control and the differin. it shouldnt affect your blood sugar but check with your doctor to be sure before going that route. i dont think the 50mg is strong enough to really do that much right now. also if you wear makeup at all i suggest you use a toner in the evenings. it's amazing how much dead skin and makeup comes off on the cotton ball even after you cleanse.

good luck to you and hang in there

cystic acne is the worst thing, the worst thing....I have been there and done that, and actually went on accutane and that didern't work either....so I tried some diet changes, strict ones, no dairy and no gluten and that really was the cystic acne trigger for me

so why not give up dairy for 30 days and if that doesn't change things then add dairy back and give up gluten, it's hard but really give it a try for another 30 days

good luck and do hang in there, and keep gettting out of the house, get some fresh air and sunshine every day and be with people who love you even without makeup, and vent here anytime!

thank you! mrsrobinson I've actually been doing the no dairy thing for about two months now. I don't notice too much of a difference.. but I'll keep it up.

as far as the toner I don't know a gentle one to use, I used to use one but my skin is so sensitive every one I tried felt like it was setting my face on fire

Thanks so much for the replies, it helps a lot!

I am so sorry! I also suffer from moderate nodularcystic acne and some days it feels like an evil curse was put on me. Hang in there. The aczone worked rather well for me before I went on accutane (not well enough unfortunately - but it helped quite a bit with the inflammation). I would also look into upping you dose of antibiotic since you are going to be on a lot of topicals (like differin) that could cause inflammation. Inflammation is the enemy for cystic acne, so reducing it as much as possible will really, really help you get through this. Also, I am sure your doctor already explained this to you, but don't use the differin and the aczone at the same time. Differin contains BP, and when you mix BP and Dapsone (the active ingredient in aczone) it causes yellow/orange discoloration that can take quite a long time to fade.

Also - I use plain rose water as a toner (i.e., the food-grade kind, NOT anything you'll find on the cosmetic aisle). It doesn't dry my skin out, it works well as a toner, and it's SUPER cheap (I got mine for 2.00 at a health food store) and it smells great. There isn't anything in it that could clog your pores, and it is very refreshing and calming. It won't necessarily make a difference in your acne if used alone, but it does what a toner is supposed to do.

megtree that is perfect! I'll have to look for that when I go to the store tonight. actually...my doctor didn't tell me about not mixing the two. I haven't done that but it is still good to know. there aren't a lot of great derms in this area and one of the "best" is who I saw...literally spent not even five minutes with me and prescribed me all these things. But she's the third dermatologist I've seen and I even drove 45 minutes just to get there. seems like all this is one huge mess.

I'm hoping all of this works, accutane makes me so nervous. I already have diabetes, I don't need any other issues in the long run

this is the toner i use and its really good. https://www.iherb.com/pr/thayers-alcohol-free-toner-unscented-witch-hazel-with-aloe-vera-formula-12-fl-oz-355-ml-discontinued-item/22436

I am so sorry! I also suffer from moderate nodularcystic acne and some days it feels like an evil curse was put on me. Hang in there. The aczone worked rather well for me before I went on accutane (not well enough unfortunately - but it helped quite a bit with the inflammation). I would also look into upping you dose of antibiotic since you are going to be on a lot of topicals (like differin) that could cause inflammation. Inflammation is the enemy for cystic acne, so reducing it as much as possible will really, really help you get through this. Also, I am sure your doctor already explained this to you, but don't use the differin and the aczone at the same time. Differin contains BP, and when you mix BP and Dapsone (the active ingredient in aczone) it causes yellow/orange discoloration that can take quite a long time to fade.

Also - I use plain rose water as a toner (i.e., the food-grade kind, NOT anything you'll find on the cosmetic aisle). It doesn't dry my skin out, it works well as a toner, and it's SUPER cheap (I got mine for 2.00 at a health food store) and it smells great. There isn't anything in it that could clog your pores, and it is very refreshing and calming. It won't necessarily make a difference in your acne if used alone, but it does what a toner is supposed to do.

Differin does NOT contain BP. It is a stand alone retinoid. Epiduo is a product that contains both Differin and BP.

In the evening, I use Differin and after that dries, I use Aczone as a spot treatment. Aczone does work well on existing acne rather than preventing new ones from forming. It can take the "hurt" out of those painful ones in a couple days.

I am so sorry! I also suffer from moderate nodularcystic acne and some days it feels like an evil curse was put on me. Hang in there. The aczone worked rather well for me before I went on accutane (not well enough unfortunately - but it helped quite a bit with the inflammation). I would also look into upping you dose of antibiotic since you are going to be on a lot of topicals (like differin) that could cause inflammation. Inflammation is the enemy for cystic acne, so reducing it as much as possible will really, really help you get through this. Also, I am sure your doctor already explained this to you, but don't use the differin and the aczone at the same time. Differin contains BP, and when you mix BP and Dapsone (the active ingredient in aczone) it causes yellow/orange discoloration that can take quite a long time to fade.

Also - I use plain rose water as a toner (i.e., the food-grade kind, NOT anything you'll find on the cosmetic aisle). It doesn't dry my skin out, it works well as a toner, and it's SUPER cheap (I got mine for 2.00 at a health food store) and it smells great. There isn't anything in it that could clog your pores, and it is very refreshing and calming. It won't necessarily make a difference in your acne if used alone, but it does what a toner is supposed to do.

Differin does NOT contain BP. It is a stand alone retinoid. Epiduo is a product that contains both Differin and BP.

In the evening, I use Differin and after that dries, I use Aczone as a spot treatment. Aczone does work well on existing acne rather than preventing new ones from forming. It can take the "hurt" out of those painful ones in a couple days.

I am so sorry! I also suffer from moderate nodularcystic acne and some days it feels like an evil curse was put on me. Hang in there. The aczone worked rather well for me before I went on accutane (not well enough unfortunately - but it helped quite a bit with the inflammation). I would also look into upping you dose of antibiotic since you are going to be on a lot of topicals (like differin) that could cause inflammation. Inflammation is the enemy for cystic acne, so reducing it as much as possible will really, really help you get through this. Also, I am sure your doctor already explained this to you, but don't use the differin and the aczone at the same time. Differin contains BP, and when you mix BP and Dapsone (the active ingredient in aczone) it causes yellow/orange discoloration that can take quite a long time to fade.

Also - I use plain rose water as a toner (i.e., the food-grade kind, NOT anything you'll find on the cosmetic aisle). It doesn't dry my skin out, it works well as a toner, and it's SUPER cheap (I got mine for 2.00 at a health food store) and it smells great. There isn't anything in it that could clog your pores, and it is very refreshing and calming. It won't necessarily make a difference in your acne if used alone, but it does what a toner is supposed to do.

Differin does NOT contain BP. It is a stand alone retinoid. Epiduo is a product that contains both Differin and BP.

In the evening, I use Differin and after that dries, I use Aczone as a spot treatment. Aczone does work well on existing acne rather than preventing new ones from forming. It can take the "hurt" out of those painful ones in a couple days.

My mistake! I was thinking of Epiduo when I wrote that. thank you for the catch goodz19. In any case, the interaction between BP and Dapsone is a documented one (in fact, it should be on the medical info sheet), but I suppose the OP doesn't have to worry about that with her routine.