I have tried dietary changes, no effect for me. I only eat whole foods.

Have you tried birth control or spiro? I'd try those before accutane.

I've thought about Spiro and birth control, but I really don't want to be on pills for the rest of my life... At least with accutane I'll be done in a few months..

I really don't think going on Accutane is worth it for the amount of acne you have, but that's just me. Have you tried the Regimen?

I actually haven't tried the regimen,but almost every product Ive used had benzoyl peroxide in it

To everyone who thinks I shouldn't go for accutane, what's your reason? I realize it's a strong drug, but I think for me clear akin would outweigh the risks. Having these lumps on my face is ruining my selfeesteem... Also, both my mother and brother were able to use accutane without side effects, so I think it would most likely be safe for me.

Breakfast is oatmeal and almond milk with some peanut butter.

Lunch is brown rice with soy sauce and vegetables

Dinner is usually Salmon or chicken maybe with whole wheat tortilla and beans, or vegetables.

Snacks are always fruit .

My supplements are

Cod liver oil

NAC

Berberry

Zinc

Multi vitamin

Hey,

Just read the article you linked, it seems like it suggests a low GI diet with avoidance of inflammatory oils and nuts and grains.

I'm willing to give it a shot, but it honestly just seems so restricted, how would you even go out to eat with friends and whatnot? Haha

I appreciate your advice, but do you enjoy your life with such a restricted diet? Like are you stringent with it, or will you sometimes have a dessert then and now?

Hmm, if I wanted to try this modified, what would be the key things to cut oat? I really enjoy my oatmeal breakfast...

What are some of the ways I could support my body you think?

After accutane acne can come back. If spiro and birth control work they are more long term solutions.

I actually haven't tried the regimen,but almost every product Ive used had benzoyl peroxide in it

 

To everyone who thinks I shouldn't go for accutane, what's your reason? I realize it's a strong drug, but I think for me clear akin would outweigh the risks. Having these lumps on my face is ruining my selfeesteem... Also, both my mother and brother were able to use accutane without side effects, so I think it would most likely be safe for me.

You have extremely mild acne. Antibiotics would be a much less "all in" option. Accutane may not be as effective on mild forms of acne (what you have), so it might not be the smartest idea to put all your eggs in one basket, that may or may not have a hole underneath it.

Accutane is not the cure all drug that people make it out to be. I have been on it a total of 4 times and the last cycle had to be discontinued because it was causing damage to my liver. If you decide to go on accutane, realize that it does not guarantee that your acne will be gone for good. Also, the side effects can range from mild to extremely severe. Before trying it, i would exercise my other options such as:

diet changes (dairy/gluten free)

The Regimen (i too used products with BP and they did nothing for me but The Regimen worked wonders for me)

spiro (it has helped many)

Don't give up. My acne is similar to yours and i'm still fighting this battle 17+ years later. Hopefully we'll both find relief soon

are there any natural ways to regulate your hormones other than birth control and Spiro? I know that my acne is hormonal, and I've read on the holistic boards that eating a low GI diet really helps. This isn't something I've given 100% too, because I wasn't sure if it really worked. And also even after googling I had a hard time finding an example of a low GI meal plan...

I have given up dairy, but maybe that alone isn't enough for me. Is it worth switching back to retin a from epiduo maybe?

i

Just curious,

does anyone out their have experience with a low GI diet, and if so, can you let me know how long it took before you started to see a difference? I've read SO many books on balancing hormones, (the latest was stefani ruper's Sexy By Nature book) and it just feels like their is so much conflicting advice out there. I see someone who says eat high fat oils and avocadoes and avoid carbs and soy, another says to avoid all grains and beans and focus on meat, another will say to eat quality carbs and numerous vegetable.

there's just so much advice on the internet I sort of feel lost on where to start....

Does anyone have advice? I've combed through all of alternatavistas posts, I've bought online books, I'm not sure where to turn

There is no one size fits all plan for acne so my suggestion is that you make a few changes at a time and go into this without expectations. With diet changes, you can see changes as soon as a few weeks or as long as a few months/years and what may be considered 'healthy' overall can be unhealthy for your system. I've found strict Paleo to be a good place to start as it cuts out most allergens such as dairy, gluten and grains. In terms of balancing hormones, you could try vitex, DIM, fish oil, flax seed oil, borage or Evening primrose oil. Keep in mind though that each of these things has a different effect so do your research or invest in a naturopath as the trial and error can be very tedious. Try not to make too may changes at once. Also, remember to take everything you read and hear with a grain of salt as what works for one person may or may not work with you.