Did you try spironolactone yet? That would probably work well for you and its pretty safe too. I would ask your derm about it and go from there if you are interested in it. It blocks the androgen receptors so if it works for you then you will most likely be on it for many years. I have been on it now for over 2 years with no issues. Only thing that cleared me 100% in the last 16 years. Good luck to you!

I suggest going natural, getting tests done on your body, and seeing a naturopath. You should look into finding out what's wrong with your body. Medicine won't cure it. It's just a treatment that often does further damage to your body even if it is successful.

Have the doctors checked your thyroid?

And what brand of over the counter products ,you can get where you are right now?

And how do you describe your skin,oily ,combination or dry ?

And if diet doesn't matter,I still think that staying away from sugars ,dairy products ,chocolate and nuts can make a difference,at least for me.

There's something that can work for you,believe me.

We ,women ,go through a lot of hormonal changes,and use make-up and lots of beauty products and treatments,and not counting all the stress of life.

But there is hope,trying to figure out your skin takes time,but acne ,even if it can't be cured, it can be controlled.

Best wishes.

I would just like to note that sometimes with severe acne going the natural route doesnt work. I spent alot of time eliminating things from my diet them saw an allergy doctor and had food testing done then lastly i saw a naturopath who wasted more of my cash and made my skin so much worse. Only thing that worked was a course of keflex and then spiro. I gave up everything and spent prob 50k over 16 yrs to try and clear up my skin. Now i can enjoy life again and dont worrg about every single thing i eat or drink or put on my skin.

Please delete

thanks everyone for your replies. unfortunately i've gone hardcore hippie on my acne before and found it useless, expensive and psychologically damaging to me...not saying natural remedies don't work for anyone since they clearly do for some but it's important to remember that it is also an industry, just like conventional medicine. I did the whole thing with going to a naturopath, doing elimination diets, just about every supplement regimen ever, totaling hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars and making me feel like even more of an isolated, miserable failure and feeling that there must be SOMETHING I was doing wrong. I am open to trying some more natural things provided that they do not take over my life like total avoidance of food groups, etc. but I am just as skeptical of alternative medicine as I am of conventional treatment having had pretty awful experiences with both.

I also cannot tolerate spiro since it is a component of yasmin which i cannot take due to severe migranes/stroke risk and also having a bad family history of early, hormone-dependent breast cancer... the spiro in yasmin is what makes it so darn good at treating acne! wish i could have just stayed on it as it was really a miracle worker for me but i kind of need my brain to function sooo that one is off the table for me...

Anti-biotics.. i have been on so many for so long that i am completely unresponsive to them. i was on doxycyclene for 2 years (which i later found out was a bad idea, thanks derm) and minocyclene for 6 months. i've re-tried both of them to no avail. derm said i was "the only person she's ever seen not respond at all to minocyclene" YAY! hopefully i never need one of those drugs for an actual infection...

I am going to try to get my new GP to prescribe tazoratene (tazorac) gel since i did find topical retinoid treatment helpful just not 100%. probably helped 75% so maybe a stronger retinoid will be more helpful, and i have to change from my current brand of tretonin (Atralin) anyway since it's not available in my new locale... also hoping that maybe it is just because of the unsettling changes of moving while coming off accutane and it will settle down. also thinking of trying spearmint tea as a natural androgen reducer, though i used evening primrose oil and chaste tree berry extract for years to no avail so my expectations are low..any experiences with that appreciated

good luck to all of you on your journeys to clear skin & peace of mind <3

are you sure you cant take spiro? it has no risk of any sort of blood clots and it really is only blocking the androgen hormone so just because you cant take yasmin doesnt mean you cant take spiro. i got a phlebitis in my arm from yasmin but take spiro with no issues at all. have you tried it? it shouldnt cause any sort of migraines or anything like that.

also have you tried keflex for your antibiotic? that is one of the stronger ones and seems to really work the fastest and best from all the ones i have tried at least. i was one doxycycline, minocycline, zithromax, amoxicillion, bactrim and erythromycin before i switched to keflex and i was amazed how fast it worked and how well it worked it cleared up my bad cystic acne in 5 days. so if you get desperate you know you can always try it.

tazorac chewed up my skin that stuff is so harsh and if i had a small zit and used that stuff it would make it a cyst like almost over night. i wish i could tolerate retinoids though they are so good for the skin. good luck to you

I have tried everything, every crazy elimination diet that made me insane and miserable (people who go around preaching anti-gluten dairy etc, please shove it, I basically developed an eating disorder avoiding every food in the world)

Could you tell us what "crazy" elimination diets you have tried? I know that diet alone will probably not help every single person with acne out, but I do believe that it helps everyone with acne up to a certain extent. I personally cleared my skin through very strict diet and discipline alone. I was never able to go to a dermatologist, naturopath, etc. for a prescription, let alone a checkup due to some circumstances and not having insurance.

I'm not saying diet will be all it takes but I'm really curious what exactly you have tried that makes you have such a negative attitude toward getting rid of acne through diet. Every body is different so it'll be hard to tell of course, but maybe I and some others who've cured acne "naturally" may be able to provide some tips and help out.

If you do want to share your elimination diet(s), please be very specific as to what you did, when, how your skin looked, etc.

Sure, if only to reassure those like me who were not cured by diet. I do think that maintaining a healthy diet is vitally important to overall health and skin health, and if you're downing candy and glasses of conventional skimmed milk all day then a change in diet will surely help or even cure a person! I was helped slightly (but by no means cured) by eliminating milk and reducing sugar, that was about it.

My bad acne was triggered by going off Yasmin due to migranes... a quick search will show you that going off any pill, especially yasmin can really mess up your skin 100x worse than it ever was before, which is exactly what happened to me. I was upset that conventional medicine had failed me so (i also lost a huge amount of hair, which did grow back but looked quite unattractive for about a year as i went from having visible bald patches to fluffy regrowth to finally normal hair again) so i took to the internet and decided to diet my way to clear skin. this was the peak of Paleo coming in and being trendy about 2 years ago.

I followed VERY strictly the diet outlined in Loren Cordain's "The Dietary Cure for Acne" which is basically a zero-fun version of Paleo. Essentially I was only eating organic grass-fed meat, wild-caught salmon and the most uncontroversial of vegetables and low-sugar fruits like berries. I also took fish oil and evening primrose oil supplements as recommended in the book, and probiotics as I had spent the previous 2 years on antibiotics and knew that had probably done some guy damage. For 6 months straight I followed the diet to a T: zero dairy, gluten, nuts, grains, sugar, refined or processed food. I also did lots of yoga, ran, lifted weights and drank a ton of water. Granted my body looked amazing but I was miserable, had no social life and was still breaking out just as badly. I did have a few weeks where I thought I had finally cleared but it came back and I could not replicate the results.

I gradually with the help of my partner noticed that this was making me miserable and not helping, and that the stress levels of maintaining this regime were probably worse than such perceived evils as a bite of toast or a glass of white wine would be. I was still paranoid about my diet so I very gradually reintroduced whole grains, potatoes, bananas, eggs, nuts, etc. to my diet. My skin was still bad but no worse than it had been. I finally went to a conventional dermatologist who prescribed me tretonin cream which helped me immensely, although not 100%. Just putting a gel on my face at night helped me much, much more than all the misery of that diet.

That said eliminating dairy especially really seems to be a magic bullet for people so its something I'd always recommend trying that and sugar/GI reduction if someone hasn't before. It just didn't work for me (as seemingly nothing does...hence this thread! ) And if it's ruining your life without really doing anything, it's ok to stop and try a different approach.

Anyways I'm glad that diet is working for you I hope that it continues to do so

Sure, if only to reassure those like me who were not cured by diet. I do think that maintaining a healthy diet is vitally important to overall health and skin health, and if you're downing candy and glasses of conventional skimmed milk all day then a change in diet will surely help or even cure a person! I was helped slightly (but by no means cured) by eliminating milk and reducing sugar, that was about it.

My bad acne was triggered by going off Yasmin due to migranes... a quick search will show you that going off any pill, especially yasmin can really mess up your skin 100x worse than it ever was before, which is exactly what happened to me. I was upset that conventional medicine had failed me so (i also lost a huge amount of hair, which did grow back but looked quite unattractive for about a year as i went from having visible bald patches to fluffy regrowth to finally normal hair again) so i took to the internet and decided to diet my way to clear skin. this was the peak of Paleo coming in and being trendy about 2 years ago.

I followed VERY strictly the diet outlined in Loren Cordain's "The Dietary Cure for Acne" which is basically a zero-fun version of Paleo. Essentially I was only eating organic grass-fed meat, wild-caught salmon and the most uncontroversial of vegetables and low-sugar fruits like berries. I also took fish oil and evening primrose oil supplements as recommended in the book, and probiotics as I had spent the previous 2 years on antibiotics and knew that had probably done some guy damage. For 6 months straight I followed the diet to a T: zero dairy, gluten, nuts, grains, sugar, refined or processed food. I also did lots of yoga, ran, lifted weights and drank a ton of water. Granted my body looked amazing but I was miserable, had no social life and was still breaking out just as badly. I did have a few weeks where I thought I had finally cleared but it came back and I could not replicate the results.

I gradually with the help of my partner noticed that this was making me miserable and not helping, and that the stress levels of maintaining this regime were probably worse than such perceived evils as a bite of toast or a glass of white wine would be. I was still paranoid about my diet so I very gradually reintroduced whole grains, potatoes, bananas, eggs, nuts, etc. to my diet. My skin was still bad but no worse than it had been. I finally went to a conventional dermatologist who prescribed me tretonin cream which helped me immensely, although not 100%. Just putting a gel on my face at night helped me much, much more than all the misery of that diet.

That said eliminating dairy especially really seems to be a magic bullet for people so its something I'd always recommend trying that and sugar/GI reduction if someone hasn't before. It just didn't work for me (as seemingly nothing does...hence this thread! ) And if it's ruining your life without really doing anything, it's ok to stop and try a different approach.

Anyways I'm glad that diet is working for you I hope that it continues to do so

Ah.. I'm sorry to hear that it didn't work out for you. It's not as detailed as I was hoping but I don't want to be nitpicking here lol. not like I'm a doctor or anything either, just some guy that found something that works for him (for now I suppose).

Well okay, I wish you the best on your journey to clear skin and truly hope you find something that works for you in the near future.

 

Sure, if only to reassure those like me who were not cured by diet. I do think that maintaining a healthy diet is vitally important to overall health and skin health, and if you're downing candy and glasses of conventional skimmed milk all day then a change in diet will surely help or even cure a person! I was helped slightly (but by no means cured) by eliminating milk and reducing sugar, that was about it.

My bad acne was triggered by going off Yasmin due to migranes... a quick search will show you that going off any pill, especially yasmin can really mess up your skin 100x worse than it ever was before, which is exactly what happened to me. I was upset that conventional medicine had failed me so (i also lost a huge amount of hair, which did grow back but looked quite unattractive for about a year as i went from having visible bald patches to fluffy regrowth to finally normal hair again) so i took to the internet and decided to diet my way to clear skin. this was the peak of Paleo coming in and being trendy about 2 years ago.

I followed VERY strictly the diet outlined in Loren Cordain's "The Dietary Cure for Acne" which is basically a zero-fun version of Paleo. Essentially I was only eating organic grass-fed meat, wild-caught salmon and the most uncontroversial of vegetables and low-sugar fruits like berries. I also took fish oil and evening primrose oil supplements as recommended in the book, and probiotics as I had spent the previous 2 years on antibiotics and knew that had probably done some guy damage. For 6 months straight I followed the diet to a T: zero dairy, gluten, nuts, grains, sugar, refined or processed food. I also did lots of yoga, ran, lifted weights and drank a ton of water. Granted my body looked amazing but I was miserable, had no social life and was still breaking out just as badly. I did have a few weeks where I thought I had finally cleared but it came back and I could not replicate the results.

I gradually with the help of my partner noticed that this was making me miserable and not helping, and that the stress levels of maintaining this regime were probably worse than such perceived evils as a bite of toast or a glass of white wine would be. I was still paranoid about my diet so I very gradually reintroduced whole grains, potatoes, bananas, eggs, nuts, etc. to my diet. My skin was still bad but no worse than it had been. I finally went to a conventional dermatologist who prescribed me tretonin cream which helped me immensely, although not 100%. Just putting a gel on my face at night helped me much, much more than all the misery of that diet.

That said eliminating dairy especially really seems to be a magic bullet for people so its something I'd always recommend trying that and sugar/GI reduction if someone hasn't before. It just didn't work for me (as seemingly nothing does...hence this thread! ) And if it's ruining your life without really doing anything, it's ok to stop and try a different approach.

Anyways I'm glad that diet is working for you I hope that it continues to do so

Ah.. I'm sorry to hear that it didn't work out for you. It's not as detailed as I was hoping but I don't want to be nitpicking here lol. not like I'm a doctor or anything either, just some guy that found something that works for him (for now I suppose).

Well okay, I wish you the best on your journey to clear skin and truly hope you find something that works for you in the near future.

Sorry how on earth could i be more detailed!!! lol already oversharing... what did you want to know? also what are you eating that's making your face so good can't hurt to know

Well.. What I have been doing is keeping a log on a daily basis ever since the middle of last year or so with not only every single foods I ate, but with how my body feels and reacts to it.

1) For me, I can tell when a bump or a breakout is on it's way shortly after eating. In fact, I've gotten bumps as I was eating certain foods on my face. I know it sounds crazy and I know many, MANY people think it's coincidence, but it's not. Well, at least for me. How do I know? Because I've tested it on my own skin a number of times now. For the sake of test & trial, I have eaten foods that I know I shouldn't consume, just to see if it's really a certain type of food that's causing my acne. As a matter of fact, I tested this yesterday AGAIN lol and I will continue to do so even if it means getting a bump or two, or even a breakout because I need to know if I can reintroduce certain foods into my diet. To keep it short, I had a slice of cake with strawberry jam with some sort of cream cheese on top. I knew it was bad for me because a) I may be a bit lactose intolerant now, and b) Grains were my primary cause in the first place. I broke out 3 bumps but it wasn't the same bumps as before.. When my acne was severe, they used to be very, very inflamed. At certain times it even looked like a mini volcano. I know it sounds nasty, but it is what it is. The ones I got yesterday were like minor pimples that were hard to tell if they were there. That kinda tells me that I may be able to reintroduce foods to a larger extent with the foods I've been avoiding for the past 1 month and a half (about) in the months to come.

2) I also pay very close attention to my bowel movements, how my stomach feels after meals/throughout the day and how my sh*t looks like. Sorry, I know it's nasty but I think it's necessary lol. I realized almost my whole life I've had constipation to a certain extent. It's as if I'm suffering for all the bad things I ate in the past and not taking care of my body as I should have, now with this horrid acne.

I'm typing all this at work so I'm sure there is quite a bit I'm leaving out, so if there's any clarifications you want me to make, please feel to ask or bring it up.

You also asked about what I'm eating so here (this is what I have been doing for the past month and a half which has helped me out),

Breakfast: I workout in the morning so I like to take protein powder in the morning. The one I take only has a hint of lactose and is gluten free. Will I truly ever know if it is? Hell no lol but I haven't felt any discomfort or breakout so I continue. I blend that along with some strawberries, a banana, blueberries and kale/spinach leaves (raw) with water. I also add a bit of glutamine supplement to help out my bowel movements.

Lunch: I have a salad with grilled chicken. Typically, the salad will have lettuce, cucumbers, avocados, tomatoes and grilled chicken. I like to prepare my own for the most part because I really have no idea what type of oil restaurants use and whatnot. No dressing.

Snacks: I generally have two sweet potatoes as a snack throughout the day.

Dinner: Grilled salmon and spinach/kale (raw).

I switch up the veggies and meat every now and then, maybe throw in some eggs in the morning/night but what I wrote is the usual meals. As you can see, I don't eat out. I try VERY hard not to as like I said, I have no idea how food is prepared outside of my home. If oil is used on any of my foods, I use olive oil.

Again, any clarifications you want me to make, I will. And my face is far from "so good" but maybe I'll get to that point keeping this sort of diet.

 

Well.. What I have been doing is keeping a log on a daily basis ever since the middle of last year or so with not only every single foods I ate, but with how my body feels and reacts to it.

1) For me, I can tell when a bump or a breakout is on it's way shortly after eating. In fact, I've gotten bumps as I was eating certain foods on my face. I know it sounds crazy and I know many, MANY people think it's coincidence, but it's not. Well, at least for me. How do I know? Because I've tested it on my own skin a number of times now. For the sake of test & trial, I have eaten foods that I know I shouldn't consume, just to see if it's really a certain type of food that's causing my acne. As a matter of fact, I tested this yesterday AGAIN lol and I will continue to do so even if it means getting a bump or two, or even a breakout because I need to know if I can reintroduce certain foods into my diet. To keep it short, I had a slice of cake with strawberry jam with some sort of cream cheese on top. I knew it was bad for me because a) I may be a bit lactose intolerant now, and b) Grains were my primary cause in the first place. I broke out 3 bumps but it wasn't the same bumps as before.. When my acne was severe, they used to be very, very inflamed. At certain times it even looked like a mini volcano. I know it sounds nasty, but it is what it is. The ones I got yesterday were like minor pimples that were hard to tell if they were there. That kinda tells me that I may be able to reintroduce foods to a larger extent with the foods I've been avoiding for the past 1 month and a half (about) in the months to come.

2) I also pay very close attention to my bowel movements, how my stomach feels after meals/throughout the day and how my sh*t looks like. Sorry, I know it's nasty but I think it's necessary lol. I realized almost my whole life I've had constipation to a certain extent. It's as if I'm suffering for all the bad things I ate in the past and not taking care of my body as I should have, now with this horrid acne.

I'm typing all this at work so I'm sure there is quite a bit I'm leaving out, so if there's any clarifications you want me to make, please feel to ask or bring it up.

You also asked about what I'm eating so here (this is what I have been doing for the past month and a half which has helped me out),

Breakfast: I workout in the morning so I like to take protein powder in the morning. The one I take only has a hint of lactose and is gluten free. Will I truly ever know if it is? Hell no lol but I haven't felt any discomfort or breakout so I continue. I blend that along with some strawberries, a banana, blueberries and kale/spinach leaves (raw) with water. I also add a bit of glutamine supplement to help out my bowel movements.

Lunch: I have a salad with grilled chicken. Typically, the salad will have lettuce, cucumbers, avocados, tomatoes and grilled chicken. I like to prepare my own for the most part because I really have no idea what type of oil restaurants use and whatnot. No dressing.

Snacks: I generally have two sweet potatoes as a snack throughout the day.

Dinner: Grilled salmon and spinach/kale (raw).

I switch up the veggies and meat every now and then, maybe throw in some eggs in the morning/night but what I wrote is the usual meals. As you can see, I don't eat out. I try VERY hard not to as like I said, I have no idea how food is prepared outside of my home. If oil is used on any of my foods, I use olive oil.

Again, any clarifications you want me to make, I will. And my face is far from "so good" but maybe I'll get to that point keeping this sort of diet.

Yeah that doesn't sound all that different from what I was eating, basically lots of fish/lean meat/veggies no grains and limited sugars...its a super-healthy way to eat sugar or no. Like I said sometimes diet really can do the trick for people. Everyone has their own theories about how long pimples take to develop and nobody really knows but if you've been able to bring on the same result multiple times then you are probably right about your breakouts! People say that pimples can take weeks and months to develop but I think that's mostly bunk otherwise girls wouldn't break out during our periods...also if I do somethng like bump a dirty phone receiver into my chin at work i'll get a zit on that spot within a few days, ditto with breakouts on the side of my face that inevitably ends up pressed against the window on long plane or bus rides when i'm travelling, i'll break out just on that side within a few days. I think diet also works better for guys, girls have wore wacky hormones messing things up. My advice would be stick to your diet but don't be afraid to try new things even eating out, don't let life pass you by because you're too afraid of some errant cooking oil or breadcrumb...I certainly wish i could go back and tell myself to relax a little lol good luck!!!

 

Well.. What I have been doing is keeping a log on a daily basis ever since the middle of last year or so with not only every single foods I ate, but with how my body feels and reacts to it.

1) For me, I can tell when a bump or a breakout is on it's way shortly after eating. In fact, I've gotten bumps as I was eating certain foods on my face. I know it sounds crazy and I know many, MANY people think it's coincidence, but it's not. Well, at least for me. How do I know? Because I've tested it on my own skin a number of times now. For the sake of test & trial, I have eaten foods that I know I shouldn't consume, just to see if it's really a certain type of food that's causing my acne. As a matter of fact, I tested this yesterday AGAIN lol and I will continue to do so even if it means getting a bump or two, or even a breakout because I need to know if I can reintroduce certain foods into my diet. To keep it short, I had a slice of cake with strawberry jam with some sort of cream cheese on top. I knew it was bad for me because a) I may be a bit lactose intolerant now, and b) Grains were my primary cause in the first place. I broke out 3 bumps but it wasn't the same bumps as before.. When my acne was severe, they used to be very, very inflamed. At certain times it even looked like a mini volcano. I know it sounds nasty, but it is what it is. The ones I got yesterday were like minor pimples that were hard to tell if they were there. That kinda tells me that I may be able to reintroduce foods to a larger extent with the foods I've been avoiding for the past 1 month and a half (about) in the months to come.

2) I also pay very close attention to my bowel movements, how my stomach feels after meals/throughout the day and how my sh*t looks like. Sorry, I know it's nasty but I think it's necessary lol. I realized almost my whole life I've had constipation to a certain extent. It's as if I'm suffering for all the bad things I ate in the past and not taking care of my body as I should have, now with this horrid acne.

I'm typing all this at work so I'm sure there is quite a bit I'm leaving out, so if there's any clarifications you want me to make, please feel to ask or bring it up.

You also asked about what I'm eating so here (this is what I have been doing for the past month and a half which has helped me out),

Breakfast: I workout in the morning so I like to take protein powder in the morning. The one I take only has a hint of lactose and is gluten free. Will I truly ever know if it is? Hell no lol but I haven't felt any discomfort or breakout so I continue. I blend that along with some strawberries, a banana, blueberries and kale/spinach leaves (raw) with water. I also add a bit of glutamine supplement to help out my bowel movements.

Lunch: I have a salad with grilled chicken. Typically, the salad will have lettuce, cucumbers, avocados, tomatoes and grilled chicken. I like to prepare my own for the most part because I really have no idea what type of oil restaurants use and whatnot. No dressing.

Snacks: I generally have two sweet potatoes as a snack throughout the day.

Dinner: Grilled salmon and spinach/kale (raw).

I switch up the veggies and meat every now and then, maybe throw in some eggs in the morning/night but what I wrote is the usual meals. As you can see, I don't eat out. I try VERY hard not to as like I said, I have no idea how food is prepared outside of my home. If oil is used on any of my foods, I use olive oil.

Again, any clarifications you want me to make, I will. And my face is far from "so good" but maybe I'll get to that point keeping this sort of diet.

Yeah that doesn't sound all that different from what I was eating, basically lots of fish/lean meat/veggies no grains and limited sugars...its a super-healthy way to eat sugar or no. Like I said sometimes diet really can do the trick for people. Everyone has their own theories about how long pimples take to develop and nobody really knows but if you've been able to bring on the same result multiple times then you are probably right about your breakouts! People say that pimples can take weeks and months to develop but I think that's mostly bunk otherwise girls wouldn't break out during our periods...also if I do somethng like bump a dirty phone receiver into my chin at work i'll get a zit on that spot within a few days, ditto with breakouts on the side of my face that inevitably ends up pressed against the window on long plane or bus rides when i'm travelling, i'll break out just on that side within a few days. I think diet also works better for guys, girls have wore wacky hormones messing things up. My advice would be stick to your diet but don't be afraid to try new things even eating out, don't let life pass you by because you're too afraid of some errant cooking oil or breadcrumb...I certainly wish i could go back and tell myself to relax a little lol good luck!!!

Haha yeah. I do eat out every now and then but I just limit it. Thanks, and good luck to you too! Hope you find something soon.