This is the same as Diane or Dianette, just the generic name. So, if you are searching for other people's experiences, you might have more luck looking for the terms 'Diane' or 'Dianette', which are the name brand versions.

This is commonly prescribed for acne, and I use it myself. Many people have great success with it.

Personally, I have required accutane to get my acne under control, but post-accutane have used this for maintenance with great success.

There are a few controversies surrounding this drug. First - it is more likely to cause blood clots than other forms of birth control, and as a result is banned in several countries. So it is risky, especially if you have any history of blood clots in your family. Second - many people (including myself) have noticed that when they go off it, their acne returns worse than before. Post-accutane I stayed clear for 9 years taking this med, but when I stopped taking it, my acne came back with a vengeance. Now I am back on it, and things are slowly getting back to normal (with the help of another round of accutane). Some derms will only prescribe it for a short time because of the risk involved, so I would look into that before starting it, as coming off it can be unpleasant.

One last thing to consider is that this is a medication that takes a while to work. For most people, it takes about 6 months before you see positive results, so you have to be committed and stick with it.

Best of luck.

As mentioned, just try looking around for info on Diane or Dianette on this site or elsewhere, and you will find lots of people who have tried this, it is just not that common to call it by the name you are using.

Thanks for your reply Kim28, I found it very useful. I will try a new post under the names you have said it's otherwise known as. I've only been on the pill for over a week now. My previous pills never agreed with me. I have struggled with my acne for a number of years now and I feel like its a never ending battle with it. I go through phases of it being ok then it gets very bad again. Which in turn leaves lots of red marks all over my skin. As you will know yourself it leaves you feeling very low and mucks about a lot with my self confidence. I am so glad I have found this forum to talk others. Fingers crossed this pill will help but will probably b coming back off it next year as we are wanting another baby so my skin will break out again !

Hi, having also suffered from acne for 6+years I need to try combined birth control options to see if this will improve things before trying roaccutane. I am currently, and have been for years, on the pill 'cerazette' ,a mini-pill due to blood pressure issues when i was younger, which turns out is bad for acne/makes it worse. A doctor i saw yesterday was surprised i had been left on this pill for so long. I also take lymecycline which has ceased to work anyone.

ANYWAY my question is whether yasmin or dianette is best?? I am nervous about both because of all their side-effects anyone know which is the lesser of two evils?

Also any positive words about roaccutane (think ive spelt it wrong!)

Thanks x

Hi daizrose, I've been on the lymecycline and it worked amazing at the beginning but then overtime my acne returned and it broke out with one of the worst outbreaks I've had in a long time. Along with being on a birth pill (can't remember the name) that made me crazy. Gave me the most awful mood swings and my periods were all over the place. So far on this dianette pill my skin has already started to improve. A very slight improvement but I have only one tiny fresh spot and everything else is jus red marks now. I have dramatically changed my diet also. Cut down on diary and drinking 2litres of water. Eating lots of fresh fruit and veg! For me going on roaccutane is probably not an option at this moment in my life as I wish to have another baby at some point next year. So in turn my skin will go haywire again! Sorry I can't be of help about your question. I am very aware of the high risk of blood clots on dianette but for me personally it has not put me off going on it.

Hiya thanks for the reply emzmummy.

I think that I suffer from moods that would not be there if I wasn't on a combination of cerazette and lymecycline and also my cycle is no existant and unpredictable.

Because of my elevated blood Pressure in the past I am leaning more towards Yasmin than Dianette so would be grateful if anyone could share their experience with Yasmin or has anyone gone from a mini-pill to Yasmin or other combined??

Thanks x

Below is an excerpt from a 2002 study on the difference between Diane and Yasmin for acne, and a few other related things. Most studies I have read have basically the same results: they are almost exactly the same. One might assume that Yasmin might be safer, as it is allowed in more countries, but recently there has been increasing evidence that it has the same sorts of risks (bloood clots, heart problems, etc) as Diane.

I think either is a great option. If you can make sense of the science talk below, it says that both pills reduced acne lesions by about 60%. So, it might not get you totally clear, but it will get you well on your way. I find that combined with a topical like BP I am able to stay totally clear with Diane.

Here is the study:

A new oral contraceptive has been developed that contains a unique progestogen, drospirenone (DRSP), and that has both antiandrogenic and antimineralocorticoid activity. Our objective was to compare the effect of 30 microg ethinyl estradiol (EE)/3 mg DRSP (EE/DRSP; Yasmin, Schering AG, Berlin, Germany) with that of 35 microg EE/2 mg cyproterone acetate (EE/CPA; Diane-35, Schering AG, Berlin, Germany) on mild-to-moderate cases of acne. Diane-35 is used worldwide (it is not on the market in the United States and Japan) as a hormone treatment for acne, with additional contraceptive benefits. This multicenter, double-blind, randomized study was completed over 9 treatment cycles. A total of 128 women with mild-to-moderate facial acne, with or without seborrhea and/or hirsutism, were randomized. Treatment with either EE/DRSP or EE/CPA was assigned in a 2:1 ratio. Acne lesions, sebum production, and hair growth on the upper lip, chin, and chest were assessed, as well as levels of total and free testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and luteinizing hormone (LH). At study completion, dermatologists, gynecologists, and subjects gave their overall assessment of the effect of treatment on acne. After 9 treatment cycles, the median total acne lesion count was reduced markedly by 62.5% in the EE/DRSP group and 58.8% in the EE/CPA group. A comparison of the 2 groups revealed that EE/DRSP was at least as effective as EE/CPA. Both preparations also reduced sebum production and hair growth on the upper lip and chin. A 3-fold increase in the levels of SHBG was observed in both treatment groups, and levels of androgens and LH decreased. Treatment differences were not seen. Subjective evaluation of the effect of treatment on facial acne by dermatologists, gynecologists, and the subjects themselves indicated an excellent or good improvement for most subjects in both groups. EE/DRSP has been shown to be as effective for treating mild-to-moderate acne as a preparation containing EE/CPA. This new preparation may provide useful hormone therapy for women with androgen-dependent disorders who also require contraception.