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Last Resort- Diary Of Ditching Western Medicine

 
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(@user410314)

Posted : 07/27/2014 12:03 am

**Preface note from a month later. TCM works, but it is not a cheap, easy fix. The detox breakout sucks, and seems to go on for couple of weeks, but the herbs/acupuncture eliminate infection fast, balance oil, evens tone. It takes patience and 100% patient compliance, but I saw results immediately (ie. what cleared/healed, what was purging, over all total lesion count.) Dr said I should be totally clear in two more weeks.... and she was right!**

Since I don't socialize, I have nothing but time for radical self-improvement.

Moderate acne, not healing, insomnia, stressed skin, mental stress, poor diet, habitual compulsive extractor.

Using Proactiv Deep Cleanser and Eau Thermale Avene TriAcneal, my go-to Tazarac substitute.

Prescribed supplements: Q10 30mg, Grapeseed 60 mg, A,B,C,D,E for skin, Magnesium 400mg (my multi only had 25% DVA)

1st Blend- detox, healing, stress- Chai Hu, Yn Jin, Bai Shao, Nu Zhan Zi, Mo Han Liano, Shan Zha, Zi Xie, Fu Lin, Ctan Cao, Da Huang. But she changed it to Dang Gui, Bai Zhu, BoHe, Dan Shien, Zhi Mu, Zhu Ye, Huang Liam, Sheng Shi Gao. Certain foods were contraindicated, like ocean fish, refined sugar, alcohol, coffee, heavy juices, spicy/hot food, meat, processed grains peanuts, sunflower seeds, pistachios, brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, mango, dates, blackcherry, apricot,plum, lychee or pumpkin, no papaya or peach.

Neuro-Zac (B6, Mg and St Johns Wort)

When the acne heals, she said to integrate Pearl Powder oral to topical, collagen pill or powder orally, and Royal Jelly orally.

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MemberMember
33
(@user410314)

Posted : 07/27/2014 5:54 pm

I awoke this morning and the redness on the dry, rashy, old outbreak on my neck was gone! Scabs had formed which fell off easily showing much less deep holes there. (There are still several newer papules a few inches under my ear.)

Healing and redness had also improved dramatically on my forehead, the thick dry skin around the deepest lesions on my temples and near my nose was smooth. And the blackheads on my t-zone- gone.

I'm not feeling less anxious, but the softer, more even toned skin was a pleasant surprise, magnesium making me regular, too.

Products used lat night: Body Shop Vitamin C capsules, and Triacneal mixed together .

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MemberMember
33
(@user410314)

Posted : 07/28/2014 1:28 pm

I saw two small new blemishes on either side of my chin. The picking triggered very bad feelings.

Applied makeup to keep from picking.

Ate vegan...

Today, after a few hours of sleep, I called into work and did a little picking on the same two spots, which are now tiny, raw dots. I'm writing this now to keep from mirror-checking I still have no new blackheads and my T-zone is clear, my forehead continues to heal, my neck continues to slowly heal (the scabs keep coming off when I exfoliate and this is very frustrating.)

The Dong Quai is supposed to help with OCD symptoms, too. I'm going to try to trust the process today and rest up.

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MemberMember
197
(@lilly75)

Posted : 07/28/2014 8:48 pm

Moved to personal logs forum

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MemberMember
33
(@user410314)

Posted : 07/29/2014 12:45 pm

Four hours of sleep last night, the second four hours in all the sleep I've had in a week. Last night I used the Body Shop Pomegranate system again, no tea tree or vitamin C, and Body Shop Honey and Oat scrub mask. The pom wash doesn't remove makeup, but it's wonderful on bare skin.

T-zone comedones coming out on their own, not many, easily washed away. Healing progressing, except where I've picked- there are 5 or 6 tiny peeling red marks up my left lasonabial fold. EDIT: evening, 7 hrs after 2nd dose of herbs, red marks have turned to flaking skin. Perfect for a light enzyme peel. Visible comedones on forehead where 100% of the time, my skin is so dehydrated that they're too deep to even use an extractor on, which I'll mention again is an evil object for an obsessive, anxious person.

It feels good to eat vegan. Exercise will be good once I'm emotionally well enough and my makeup smooth. I am feeling significantly less anxious from having some control over my skin, and possibly the St John's Wort.

I need to get rid of my mag mirror because it's responsible for these holes, and the scars accumulated over the past few years.

Makeup had me 90% concealed (!)

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MemberMember
33
(@user410314)

Posted : 07/30/2014 10:57 am

Four hours of sleep and I could have slept longer. My skin looks 100% better than even last night, 200% improvement from the day prior.

NO REDNESS, NO ACTIVE LESIONS, 90% healed scabs. This is the best my skin has looked since April, with even better natural oil balance.

I'm out of the woods for now...

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MemberMember
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(@user410314)

Posted : 07/31/2014 8:13 pm

My forehead between my eyebrows is purging like crazy today! (I slept a whole 6 hrs, too.) I never usually bother extracting there or using pore strips because the skin there refused to give up the stuff, and since the pores aren't enlarged, I just ignore it. Every single pore up there wants to excrete plugs right now. I used a scrub and now pore strips, and I can feel them tingling because it's been so long since oxygen has been in them. Yay clean eating and Chinese herbs!

I slept with Body Shop Vitamin C capsules, Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion and Avene Triacneal on my face the past two night, which is a super antiseptic, resurfacing combo .

Proactiv will soon be too strong for daily use if I stay clear . and started the Purvana multi with ALA and Grapeseed and the CoQ10 supplements this morning.

From eBay, I found a Tumeric mask.

In addition, picked up some Extra Virgin Coconut Oil and Apple Cider Vinegar to moisturize and tone with.

I had lost complete interest in food before I went to see the Herbologist. I was so depressed I couldn't be motivated to grocery shop and was just eating junk. I think loss of appetite was my body's way of saying to stop putting garbage in it. I've got a healthy appetite now that I know what real food is. I feel clear headed and far less depressed.

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MemberMember
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(@user410314)

Posted : 08/02/2014 3:24 pm

Went back today for a follow up and new protocol. She was very impressed at the improved condition of my face, tone, texture and number of lesions, and said the few new pimples on chin and forehead, one on my neck that sprouted quickly last night, popped and is dried out and healing today, and emerging blackheads where I had never seen them before, were good signs the first week. "pushing out the infection," she said.

She said my pulse is better, my "heat" is better but that I am still "damp." I was still concerned about my insomnia, so she changed the herb formula to address that. I will see her again on Thursday when she gets my blood work back and this shorter course of TCM meds is done.

Without my asking, Dr. Cheng brought up breakfast http://www.acne.org/messageboard/topic/343691-to-breakfast-or-not/#entry3444867 So I will make an effort to take my fat solubles and nutrition shake in the AM.

The new formula is: Bupleurum Root, Paeonia lactiflora, Chinese Angelica, White Atractylodes Rhizome, Poria, Licorice, Peppermist, Red Sage Root, Glossy Pivet Fruit, Eclipta, Henon Bamboo Leave, Coptis Root, Spring Jujuba Seed, Rhubarb, Spreading Hehyotic Herb.

Restrictions are less! "No ocean fish, alcohol or spicy food." And this is three times a day as opposed to the AM/PM of the last herbal formula. She said "I want you to heal FAST!"

p.s. I ordered the Royal Jelly, Pearl Powder and Collagen from Amazon.

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MemberMember
33
(@user410314)

Posted : 08/03/2014 5:57 pm

Today: Slept really well on the new herbal formula.

Still have some persistent flaking, as I ran out of hyaluronic and I'm waiting on my mail order.

UPDATE: Cocount oil, the thinnest layer, with a layer of pearl powder for an hour, then adding Royal Jelly in honey as a mask was kind of amazing after the third application.

Pearl Powder alone: It's a sticky powder, but very fine and made my remaining dry spots really obvious, BUT at the same time, it eliminated oiliness. I read up that it's full of amino acids, has been widely used in in the East since Egyptian times in beauty products. You can make a mask or serum with it, or use it as a powder mask.

Royal Jelly: It's high in B-vitamins and amino acids.

I repeated this mask process 3x and my flakiness disappeared!

I would reserve this mask for very dry and mature skin, not for every day use with acne skin.

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MemberMember
33
(@user410314)

Posted : 08/05/2014 4:46 am

This week's herbal blend is making me soooo sedate and sleepy. There is no better medicine than a good night's sleep, truly. My flaky skin was almost gone from my coconut oil/royal jelly honey/pearl powder treatments the day before, except for a tiny bit on my nose, which I made the mistake of pulling. Now there's a big raw spot on my nose, FML, seriously.

I threw away my magnfiying mirror and honestly can't even see the horrible red marks that I was sure looked like someone threw acid on my face without it. Our minds magnifiy whatever those mirrors magnify, too.

I started powdered collagen in a drink for the first time last night, as well. My big bottle of HLA arrived, at long last, as did my apple cider vinegar.

Sticking with the diet, no hot foods, sugar, caffeine etc. I really hate how I lost this summer to my skin, but the health and knowlege I've gained is something I can't put a price on.

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MemberMember
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(@user410314)

Posted : 08/06/2014 10:00 pm

I did something in the past 4 days to make me break out on my forehead.**EDIT: it was the new TCM herbal formula, had a new ingredient for intense flushing .**

I'm seeing Dr. C again tomorrow so I'm sure she'll have a new formula for me to replace this last one .

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MemberMember
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(@user410314)

Posted : 08/07/2014 11:47 pm

While waiting for my herbs to be blended, I went and got a burger, my first meat in weeks. Bad move. I had a panic attack (from shitty food running through my liver) and she stimulated acupressure points on my wrists and breastbone until I was calm (my pulse went from 110-79.) She also gave me St. John's Seng, an herbal pill containing other herbs *URL Removed, see board rules; http://www.acne.org/board-rules.html Acne.org Moderator Team*

She insisted I call into work and return for acupuncture the next day saying she was worried about the state of my nervous system.

Happily, the blemishes that were there when I first when in two weeks ago are gone, healed completely. She'll be adjusting my blend for the rest of the week tomorrow, but tonight I was ordered to not exercise and to sleep.

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MemberMember
33
(@user410314)

Posted : 08/08/2014 6:25 pm

I posted about my wonderful acupuncture experience, for acne, depression, insomnia, sore back.

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/topic/343903-acupuncture-with-electrical-stimulation-works/#entry3446243

The relief I'm experiencing now might also be from 1) the 1 dose of a third herbal formula; or other things I added last night to my acne therapy 2) MSM powder (oral) 3) St. John's Seng- again, St John's Wort is anti-androgenic, especially with Hibiscus tea 5) Sulfur soap/ACV/tumeric +sandalwood (topical), or a combination of all.

I also now have a week's worth of a 4th herbal formula, a bottle of OTC (brand in Chinese) Xiao Yow Wen the acupuncturist prescribed for mental pain, much stronger than the St. John's Seng.

I am about to have my first chlorine/ammonia free bath using Vitabath Effervescent C tablets- an alternative to a shower head filter. EDIT: noticed no difference, it just wrecked my hair.

Eating well, and vitamins- these rituals and rules ease my obsessiveness that tends to be directed toward squeezing, picking and popping.

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MemberMember
33
(@user410314)

Posted : 08/11/2014 6:21 am

Still purging a little, but everything else is healing well, as anticipated in a detox.

Since detox breakout, healing, have been using turmeric therapy, aloe/tea tree/c serum/ mixed with Radiant msm/bromelain cream. Cleansing with Proactiv Deep and Sulfresh soap in a Vitabath C bath.

Experimenting with various Mychelle products that came.

Replacing fish/coconut oil with Super Omega 369 and ADEK+ B and minerals multi.

Emotionally I feel hundred percent better than I did three weeks ago from herbal mood blend + xiao yao wen.

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MemberMember
33
(@user410314)

Posted : 08/13/2014 11:24 pm

Well, I took the entire week off work- a mental health week. Not hiding, not freaking out, just being calm and wanting to heal as I'm not sleeping again.

Hoping to compensate for acupuncturist forgetting the antibiotic, sleeping and laxative herbs with MSM and senna- have been able to catch a couple of naps.

Slept in copper peptides last night after a mild AHA peel. Doing ACV baths. Looking good enough with makeup...

Good mood, good nutrition = good skin. Next to address my Vitamin D deficiency, another round of herbs and acupuncture, and hopefully that will smooth out the last of my acne concerns.

I look younger, even if there's more healing acne than the beginning of the summer when I was clear.

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MemberMember
33
(@user410314)

Posted : 08/15/2014 2:01 pm

Dr was upset by the setback from the other dr's error. Last night, the forehead breakout stopped resolving and two spots appeared on either side of my upper lip. Oily cheeks and the faintest of bumps emerging, 3rd night zero sleep is to be expected. Examination of my tongue-> liver fire was back.

She gave me two big bags of Chinese tea- one for "bowel open" and one for beauty when the acne heals--- again (SIGH.)

TCM does work. But like anything else, there is room for misdosing and setbacks.

That said, the acupuncture was very relaxing, as it was before. It really feels like, I don't know, the warmest hug in a dream lol. It's transporting and very blissful. I have a week's worth of Rx acne/insomnia/anxiety/depression herbs now.

My only dietary restrictions now are meat, alcohol and sugar- but fruit is ok. Green tea, peach and citrus are now ok.

Herbal Formula 5 (combo of 2 for healing and 4 for mood)

Bupleurum chinesis (root) -infection, liver stagnation

Os Draconis- (mastodon bone)- insomnia, panic attacks

Oyster shell- insomnia, anxiety

Red sage- kidney healing, thins blood

Baikal skullcap (mint)- liver healing, anxiety, antibiotic

Fu Ling-Indian's Bread (fungus)- spleen invigorating, calming

Crow-Dipper (weed)- removes phlegm/"dampness"

Bitter Orange- stimulant

Russian Rhubarb- purging, anti-inflammatory

Beach Silvertop (carrot)- respiration

Sarah Bernhardt (peony) - antibiotic, anti-inflammatory

Ziziphus jujube (plant)- antibacterial, wound-healing, laxative

Lilim Brownii (flowering herb) - anti-inflammatory, sedative

Liquorice- thin secretions, anti-inflammatory, healing

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MemberMember
33
(@user410314)

Posted : 08/16/2014 4:01 pm

Got amazing sleep. As with first blend, rapid healing commencing. ALL clear but for the old scabs, which are 80% healed already.

Used Freeman Black Sugar and Charcaol scrub after mud mask before bed, applied pearl powder/tumeric/sandalwood (dry)

Ordered Eminence Yam and Pumpkin peel, as well as Philosophy Oxygen peel. I think I'll keep using Proactiv Deep on my face even after I'm healed for its anti-aging properties.

Today, I start my +10,000 IU Vitamin D (spray form.)

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MemberMember
33
(@user410314)

Posted : 08/19/2014 2:29 am

End Third day of TCM blend #4 for stress and skin. Last night, 3 pimples had come to the service in the midst of everything suddenly disappearing and healing, with a fair amount of oil. They were larger than normal, too.

When I got home from work, I exfoliated, had a clay mask, then extracted- the few comedones I had came out easily. Two of the tiny blemishes, which had been buried deep under partially-extracted, healed over acne from earlier in the breakout and would have scarred, had just been pushed to the surface, without inflammation. They released easily and completely, no pus left in the pore, with just a little soft plug.

One of three is now gone, the other two will be completely healed in two days tops.

Used oxygen, copper peptides serum and hyaluronic today and tonight. Bliss on my skin.

It's so exciting when I get to stop treating acne once I'm done cleansing. Now I can tend to perfecting my tone, texture, elasticity and admiring my face without makeup-- at long last!

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MemberMember
33
(@user410314)

Posted : 08/20/2014 4:28 am

Writing what I hope will be my last post as my skin is perfectly clear tonight, only a few red marks remain, which copper peptides and retinol serum are doing a great job on.

I look 10 years younger than when I started posting due to balanced quality omega oils, MSM, CoQ10, tumeric, collagen, and liposomal C.

I was dabbling in pretty good products before, but had the resources to really explore quality products. Here's what I found:

OILY CLEANSERS: Proactiv Deep and Kavi Coral. DRY SKIN CLEANSERS: Kavi Aqua and La Roche Posay Effaclear.

To perfect my pores and for maintenance, MyChelle Clear Skin Serum, MyChelle Cranberry Mud Mask, Philosophy Oxygen Peel, Eminence Yam and Pumpkin Enzyme Peel, PureSource Rotorua Thermal Mud + Manuka Honey Mud Mask, vitamin serums, and 100% pearl powder.

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MemberMember
568
(@leelowe1)

Posted : 08/24/2014 6:45 pm

It's a shame you don't have pictures to go along with this. If i decide to go this route, i'll be sure to document with photos. So far, the facial acupuncture session I had did not impress me and my face hurts and feels sore.

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MemberMember
33
(@user410314)

Posted : 08/24/2014 11:24 pm

It's a shame you don't have pictures to go along with this. If i decide to go this route, i'll be sure to document with photos. So far, the facial acupuncture session I had did not impress me and my face hurts and feels sore.

Interesting. I've never had facial acupunture. The acupuncture I had was to address stress. I did look it up and it says it takes 5-6 sessions to see results for facial acupuncture.

As far as pictures, I value the anonymity of this site too much.

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MemberMember
33
(@user410314)

Posted : 08/26/2014 8:43 pm

Cheated on my diet and paying the price.

While at work, I grew a few more pimples. I ate chocolate last night, and a fair amount of cow cheese, wheat bread and butter, so now I have four.

Two of them I'm blaming on an eyebrow serum I just started; brow products always break me out. But they are still different than the ones I had been having. For one, the come right to a head, and extract painlessly and completely.

Nothing a TCA/Beta peel wouldn't fix, but I'm going to maintain the gentle but thorough protocol I've started and sticking to my enzymes, mud and oxygen.

My TCM doc called to follow up and said my acne is very special kind, from depression, so her goals with me are fixing the depression. This is getting so expensive.

I also did some research and found that liposomal vitamin delivery systems are bunk, and that collagen (and I knew this) couldn't be integrated by the digestive system or the skin (except micronized collagen.) So I got some acetyl-GSH, re-upped my CoQ10 (as Ubiquenol this time,) vitamin D because I swear it's affecting how oily I get (and how pus-filled my pustules are,) and skin multi.

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MemberMember
33
(@user410314)

Posted : 08/28/2014 10:00 am

Down to two scabs and two dry spots, a few chin red marks. Forehead texture not perfect, but improving. Cheeks, jaw clear.

Did a crysanthemum tea bath and then an enzyme/oxygen peel last night, followed by a zinc/sulfur treatment and slept in TriAcneal. The night before, I did an intense Vitamin C treatment with the high-frequency machine. Day three using Eminence Probiotic products and am smitten (even the moisturizer! I'm not sure if the Willow Bark serum is doing anything, but it's not hurting, and the mask is so refreshing.)

I probably tripled my Vitamin D intake in the past two days and I'm taking a scoop of MSM in almost everything I drink.

I'm still taking Purvana Hair Skin and Nails (ALA, DMAE, grapeseed, MSM, vitamin A) and ADEK with B complex and minerals, in addition to 450mg Magnesium, and Omega 3, 6, 9.

I also doubled my St John's Seng intake, which is supposed to be anti-androgenic.

Sleeping well on the herbal Rx, and the Xiao Yao Pian and Tian Wang Bu Xin Wan.

Tonight, Proactiv/sulfur exfoliation, Manuka Mud mask, Eminence pumpkin/yam enzyme peel with oxygen, then probably some MyChelle Vitamin A /peptides with the high frequency and Eminence probiotic moisture. My face is loving me again.

I'm not sure if nightly facials is something I'd recommend for everyone, but I know my skin can handle it, and it calms my nerves.

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MemberMember
33
(@user410314)

Posted : 08/29/2014 5:35 pm

Had another acupuncture/TCM dr visit today. The docs said my 7lb weight gain is good because it means my constitution is getting stronger,

I'm getting so impatient! Despite the small breakout on my back (hasn't happened since high school) and 3 scabs on my chin (yes, I picked. I could feel there was still stuff in one of them and I didn't want it to scab over it,) the acupuncturist complimented my face (!!!) Dr said my acne is not typical acne- that it's hormonal and depression-induced.

I asked Dr if I was going to break out more, she said that there still might be toxins coming out the next two weeks, but then I'll be clear. She said "First, your forehead released toxins, then your chin, then your back. Even I have acne toxins under my skin [that could come out in a detox.] I think two more weeks you will be finished with treatment. "

She probably said 5 times "NO MAKEUP! MAKEUP COVERS THE PORES AND MAKE BACTERIA!" I tried to explain that not wearing makeup causes me stress, which she understood and said to protect under the makeup with 80% Aloe 20% jojoba lotion (I didn't write down the brand, but there are plenty on Amazon.) She sent me home with Jason Tea Tree gel instead. I usually hate tea tree, but this is very mellow. No burning.

Also, I was somewhat emotional the past 24 hours, wondering if it's because I ran out of St John's Seng. I don't feel as distant from my depression/anxiety. Dr said "Your depression is very severe," and gave me a new OTC formula (this is the 5th one, one of three I'll be taking this week) called Shi Wei Bai Du Tang (for toxicity, and should help my asthma.) Acupunture was especially relaxing.

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MemberMember
568
(@leelowe1)

Posted : 08/29/2014 6:53 pm

Sounds like you are having success - congrats! I hope I can someday share something that works for me too! Do you take your herbs/supplements in pill, tea or liquid form? At what stage did you start to see improvement?

Definitely following along on your journey

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