I have bad acne all over my back, plus pretty irregular periods (I get it more often than I should)

all my levels are pretty much normal except testosterone and DHEA, they were both high

I had a sonogram and they verified that I have no cysts, so it's not PCOS

obviously the quick fix everyone wants to give is birth control, but I feel like I have been on and off of them my whole life and I don't think its healthy to be on it for years.They also want me to take either Metformin or Spiro, but I'd rather try and fix it naturally...

I want to try inositol because I've read a lot about it lowering test, but does it also lower DHEA?

I'm going to Cancun in Jan, so I'm hoping for it to be clear by then if it's not getting better by like, October I guess I'll temporarily take BC until I come back

Is your acne just on your back?? If so, then try changing detergents. It could indicate sensitivity to some fabrics or detergents/fabric softeners.

However, if you have been on and off birth control for years, then that might be why your hormones are unstable. You should naturally help your body balance itself, otherwise you'll be stuck in a vicious cycle of pill popping.

Inositol lowers androgens in general, not DHEA specifically. DIM might also help you, in addition to a healthy diet.

Well I do have it on more than just my back, my chest, neck, jawline, face, it's just worse on the back and I do have sensitive skin so all my soaps are fragrance free and for sensitive skin

I've had problems with my cycle and acne which was originally why I was put on birth control, but I've taken it a few years, then stopped, then went back on it, stopped...

I've been off of it now since October and my acne is progressively getting worse.

I'm assuming it's the test & dhea levels since they were both high

Then maybe give inositol and/or DIM a try... but get the plain DIM, not ones that have other ingredients (even Nature's Way) to see how you react to it. And always start slow, with a low dosage

isnt DIM more for estrogen levels?

Ive been taking 2000 mgs of inositol, i really hope it works

That's a lot of inositol! It is possible to have PCOS and not cysts on your ovaries.

well i read on a lot of websites to take 2000-4000 a day

i mentioned pcos to my dr, and she kind of laughed at me... i think the only other thing (besides high test levels) is my lh is high, but everything else is normal, my hemoglobin is normal, so theres nothing else really to show thats what it could be

http://blog.bodykind.com/iositol/myo-inositol-a-safe-and-effective-supplement-for-pcos/

The blights of PCOS: ovulation problems, acne and hirsuitism

Other studies echo these findings. A previous randomised controlled trial investigated the effects of myo-insolitol supplements versus placebo on ovarian function (2). Ninety-two women with PCOS were given either 2g myo-inositol twice daily, or a placebo pill for 16 weeks. At the end of the study, significantly more women in the inositol group were found to have normal levels estrogen and progesterone, and experienced normal ovulation. The women in the myo-inositol also showed a significant amount of weight loss over the study period. The researchers concluded that the results indicate a beneficial effect of myo-inositol in women with oligomenorrhea and polycystic ovaries in improving ovarian function.

A further study investigated the benefits of myo-inositol on symptoms such as acne and excessive hair growth in women with PCOS (3). After three months of supplementation, levels of insulin, testosterone and luteinizing hormone were significantly reduced. At the six-month mark, both hirsutism and acne had also decreased. The researchers concluded that myo-inositol is a simple and safe treatment that ameliorates the metabolic profile of patients with PCOS, reducing hirsutism and acne.

Myo-inositol is not considered toxic even at high doses. It has been supplemented in doses up to 18g daily without significant side-effects, though digestive symptoms may be experienced at this level (4). Of course, it is not at all necessary to supplement at such as high dose for PCOS where results are seen at levels of around 2-4g daily.

Interesting, thanks for the quote.I used 600mg to good effect when my skin was in a more manageable state but now my skin is quite bad, so I wonder if I need more? Interesting what it says about normalizing estrogen levels, I did not know that inositol does that, in what way I wonder?

18g is ludicrous... I know they administer that much to people with serious anxiety disorders, but I find it hard to believe that such megadosing doesn't eventually cause issues. Unless this is a short term thing.

I don't even think 2-4g is necessary, especially long term.

I have bad acne all over my back, plus pretty irregular periods (I get it more often than I should)

all my levels are pretty much normal except testosterone and DHEA, they were both high

I had a sonogram and they verified that I have no cysts, so it's not PCOS

obviously the quick fix everyone wants to give is birth control, but I feel like I have been on and off of them my whole life and I don't think its healthy to be on it for years.They also want me to take either Metformin or Spiro, but I'd rather try and fix it naturally...

I want to try inositol because I've read a lot about it lowering test, but does it also lower DHEA?

There isn't a quick fix answer to your problems. I wouldn't even consider birth control a quick fix. It can take up to a year for clear skin to kick in on birth control, or ANY other hormonal regimen. The "magic" started happening to me after 8 straight months on spiro, with little to no reprieve before that point.

Most women with adult acne have to be on some kind of medication and/or regimen that controls their endocrinological system. If you don't like birth control or Rxs, several people have done well on herbal supplements that affect hormones. There is a large spectrum: saw palmetto, vitex, natural progesterone cream, etc. But just remember that even if it's "natural" it's still doing what birth control does...changing your hormones so that your skin stops inflaming itself.

You can also go check out the "Diet / Holistic Health" board on here if you think you can diet your way to clear skin. Some people have had marvelous success.

I think spiro would be your best choice but if you're reluctant to take it you could try saw palmetto which works similarly. It blocks DHT which is the more active form of testosterone. Your blood test showed that you have excess androgens so I don't think DIM would help much on that.

Spiro I believe is more effective as it is a much stronger anti androgen than saw palmetto but it also has more possible side effects.

well I know I'm not going to find a quick fix... that's why I'm starting now...

i think a lot of my back is scars, with a random small bumps, and a few cystic ones

I just want improvement

I was debating the saw palmetto, but can they test DHT levels? free testosterone was on the high side of normal, and total testosterone was high with high DHEA...

how much saw palmetto would you suggest taking?

ps thanks

I was debating the saw palmetto, but can they test DHT levels? free testosterone was on the high side of normal, and total testosterone was high with high DHEA...

how much saw palmetto would you suggest taking?

ps thanks

I don't think they test DHT levels separately. DHT is metabolite of testosterone, it's more potent form of it and it directly affects sebaceous gland and hair follicle resulting in acne (also causes hair loss & hirsutism). If you have high levels of testosterone chances are your DHT is also high.

I would start with what the bottle says and take 160mg 2x day. Make sure to get the standardized extract (85-95%) if you decide to try it.

I also have high DHEA and haven't found anything that directly would lower it.

Interesting, thanks for the quote.I used 600mg to good effect when my skin was in a more manageable state but now my skin is quite bad, so I wonder if I need more? Interesting what it says about normalizing estrogen levels, I did not know that inositol does that, in what way I wonder?

All androgens are precursors for estrogens so I guess if you have high androgens it increases your estrogen production as well. By lowering androgens it affects your estrogens levels too. That's how I see it, correct me if I'm wrong 😀

figured I'd post a quick update... sorry its long i kind of am posting some as a think-out-loud lol

I've been taking inositol (as capsules because its cheaper) 2x in the morning (660mg each so 1320mg in the morning) and 1-2x at night, as well as taking a saw palmetto in the morning, 1x 320mg

I also take a product called Oona that has vitex and black cohosh, but I use that more for regulating my period than anything else, I don't think that does anything for acne.. I actually think it makes it worse which is why i take extra inositol at night depending on what my skin looks like

I think the inositol and saw palmetto is helping me a lot! i used to get cystic acne on my back, which is pretty much gone for the most part. any acne I have right now are small bumps, and unfortunately a lot of scarring

i do believe the saw palmetto is helping with my test levels, which maybe it is high DHT because I have very thick hair, and whenever I shower and wash it I always would have handfuls of hair.. but I always thought that was normal because usually when you have a lot of hair its normal to lose a lot... but now when i wash it, i might have a few strands in my hands instead of handfuls

but so I do feel like most of my acne is under control, since I am seeing pretty good improvement, maybe these little ones are just coming to the surface because theyre were already there

in like a week or two i want to try to focus on the scars, only because I want to see how much more i can clear up before i put something topical on... my skin is very sensitive and im allergic to fragrances and most things dont work and make me break out lol so i want to hold off

i did go to the dermatologist yesterday, i didnt really need to but i just wanted to see what he would recommend

he gave me two creams, cleocin-t and differin, but i havent filled it yet. im trying to find some feedback on them before i use it... it looks like differin some people feel burning and break out more from it, which makes me nervous knowing my skin is so sensitive

i tried to find something natural (of course) which i actually found a lot of very positive reviews for derma-e scar gel. a lot of reviews on amazon are acne scar users which people say the loved so i might even try that before i try these prescription ones