*backstory
So long story short (kinda) my skin has been clear and almost perfect all throughout my teenage years. Up until I turned 20 and had a realllly shitty break up which I believe the stress caused me to get acne. It was pretty terrible from going from having clear skin to pretty much my entire cheeks are covered with aggravated acne. I knew it was an internal issue because I would have a couple spots on my back or chest as well. This lasted a year and a half of me supplementing, cutting dairy, sweets and caffeine as well as drinking nothing else except water. I got no results no improvements so I caved and went to the derm. He prescribed a few weeks of minocycline and my acne vanished.
*currently
3 years later at the age 23 here I am again with my complexion looking like hell. Acne and congested skin (clogged pores) on my cheeks, jaw, chin, nose and even a few going down the neck. This past year I had my gallbladder removed and was incredibly stressed because of the process it took and the toll it took on my body as well as finding out I couldn't graduate due to missing too many classes. It wasn't till after that I noticed the spots slowly but surely multiplying.
Along with the acne I noticed a few symptoms that I just couldn't shake.
-fatigue
-brain fog / can't remember things or just can't stay focused
-discomforts in arms and legs
-pelvic pains
-worse periods
-ear ringing
-bad anxiety
First off dealing with pelvic pain and worse periods I went straight to the gyn and she basically told me I was fine. No cysts no infection, nothing.
Did some research on the symptoms and the whole leaky gut / Candida thing popped up. Candida overgrowth can throw off hormone levels as well so it could possibly explain the time of the month and pelvic issues. For me personally it made sense because almost a year ago I have been put on all sorts of medication to treat my symptoms that turned out to be my gallbladder issue. A doctor even put me on Flagyl a harsh ass antibiotic and I felt that this was what pretty much did more damage than good.
So I took the candida quiz test thing and the spit test which both were positive for candida overgrowth. Obviously I don't know how accurate these things are but at this point it's the only thing that adds up with my symptoms. Not going to see a derm as of now because I'm pretty sure he will just prescribe me with an antibiotic and I'm over the whole antibiotic bs.
Went to my regular doc and I'll be doing a blood test tomorrow so maybe that'll help too. See if I'm deficient In something or maybe hormones way out of whack.
As of now I'm not going on a candida diet or anything crazy but as for attempting to treat my acne I'm using Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and supplementing while cutting certain foods.
Topically
I use ACV toner 1 part water 1 part ACV twice every day, and moisturize right after.
This is all I do topically, some days I'll put on the Indian clay mask or other home made masks just to treat scarring and what not. ( don't know why I treat the scars if more acne pops up and results in scarring anyway 
)
(by the way ACV smells like dirty socks + a hint of salad vinegrette) so just warning.
Internally
I cut all dairy, caffeine, most sugars and only drink water. To help the candida issue that I suspect, ACV and probiotics are supposed to be good at combating this issue.
- drink 1-2 tablespoons of ACV mixed with 8oz. warm water before each meal.
- take diamond herpanacine (herbal supplement to help detox blood and skin) 4 pills daily to assist my body with detoxing
- take Carlson cod liver oil twice daily
- take a daily probiotic Ultimate Flora 50 billion live cultures 10 probiotic strains
- take daily one a day multivitamin
Will keep updating !
Been doing this fully for about a month and the first 2-3 weeks my face broke the hell out it was horrible. I'm on week 4 and although I still have active breakouts it seems less than usual.
note: I didn't just wake up one day and take all these different supplements for a month straight. I've been taking multivitamins, cod liver oil, and Herpanacine herbal skin supplements on and off for a few months prior as a regular routine. Only this past month I focused on adding things to attempt to treat my acne (apple cider vinegar, probiotic, and being more strict in taking my other supplements)
sidenote: May slowly add antifungals such as (oregano oil capsules, garlic and or coconut oil) into my diet if candida is more severe than I suspected / if the symptoms don't ease up after awhile.
SIDEsidenote: Just wanted to say I know what it feels like going through this acne crap. Feeling depressed and down, you don't want to see anyone or go outside. Don't want to accept mail or packages because you don't want even the mail person to see your skin. Want to even skip out on class because of this. Only one in your family with acne so you even feel like poo about that too. People looking at your acne mid convo and your self esteem just going to shit. Trying different things with no result or worse breakouts so you don't know if its just an initial reaction or it literally isn't working. TRUST ME I HAVE BEEN THERE AND STILL GOING THROUGH IT. But honestly you have to try your best and phase out the negative mentality. A negative mentality itself can cause worse acne adding stress and other bs that you don't need. NOTHING good can come from negative thinking. There are people worse off and wishing acne was their only issue. So take a deep breath and take this one day at a time. You AREN'T the only one going through this !
-Big ass HUG-
(we can all use one)
Good for you doing your own investigating. A word of advice, don't get fixated on diagnosis as it can over take your life. I feel that acne is blamed on many a condition from poor diet, to leaky gut to food allergies, to pollen and the list goes on and on. It is not easy to nail down the cause for you but by make no small changes and making an effort to lead a healthier life, it makes finding the answer for you much less stressful. I've explored all the above options and i still have bad acne. Wish I didn't waste so much time stressing over it.
i would recommend trying an ox bile supplement to help with fat digestion, given that you no longer have your g/b. fats can putrefy in the gut and cause an overgrowth of bad bacteria if not properly digested. i've tried a few different brands. imo just go for whatever's cheapest, it's rather inexpensive. you can buy it in mild strength like 125mg or higher dose like 500mg pills. too much might cause issues at first so i'd start lower. or get the higher strength and some empty capsules and cut it. it can also be bought in conjunction with animal enzymes like pancreatin, etc. i'd try it separate first, see if that helps - adding just one thing at a time. good luck.
-MGL
I can relate to your symptoms. And I imagine your symptoms were caused by the same trigger mine were and that is antibiotics. You were on antibiotics prior to getting your gallbladder removed but did they happen to put you on them for a time after your operation to prevent potential infection?
I was on 3 different courses of different antibiotics and by the end my gut was shot, there was a day I remember specifically I thought I was going to passout, I was dizzy, riddled with anxiety, spaced out constantly, full body pain and fatigued not to mention liquid bowel movements . It took me 6 months to recover to a functional level. No matter how many doctors visits and stool / blood samples sent off for testing they couldnt find anything. My lymph nodes were also swollen up and down my body. I still have it today, still trying to heal up my gut. Youll know if its leaky gut because the anxiety will come shortly after eating a meal, if you eat nothing, you wont get any anxiety, thats your body reacting to foreign bodies, in this case food particles crossing through the damaged walls of the intestines into your bloodstream and being picked up by the immune system, also why you will feel fatigued because your immune system is fighting every time you eat something.
You can relieve the anxiety by consuming water when you feel it coming on, Im assuming this works by assisting your kidneys to more quickly filter all of the crap thats entering the bloodstream from the gut.
Its hard to tell if you have candida overgrowth or not, I thought I did but now Im not sure. Antibiotics and candida do go hand in hand but antibiotics can cause leaky gut on their own simply by interrupting beneficial bacteria in their maintenance of the integrity of the intestinal lining. I had stool tests done and they didnt pick up any candida, I was reading that stool tests are not accurate because candida clings to the intestinal wall, theres lots of conflicting information around.
Hello,
Lots of things in your post sounded like my experiences with acne, so I thought I'd post!
My diet sounds similar to yours, except fewer supplements (just a good multivitamin and ACV before lunch)... I just posted a new thread, as discovered that cutting out nuts products and nightshades completely cleared up my acne, in addition to having a smoothie with spinach and kale in the morning. It totally sorted out my rubbish digestive system! I used to occasionally get burnt patches on my tongue from raw tomato, but ate a ton of those and peppers anyway - since cutting them out my inflammatory response has gone down dramatically (I think I may be more responsive than most though due to the slight allergy!). Worth a try. (I also cut out coffee, but you mention you don't drink it). I can be less strict on the rest of my food intake and not break out any more! I have been 100% clear for a month, through my period, and agree that it was almost certainly related to my digestive system (acne correlated directly with poor function for me).
Prior to this I have tried many diet changes over the years and nothing else worked!
Thank you for your reply !!! It's so interesting how different things affect different people I've been to a naturopath recently and I'm about to start supplementing for liver and adrenal support as well as helping my digestive system. (My naturo path recommended this after testing) after a bit of taking the supplements and maybe diet changes I'll post another post if I get any results. THANK YOU again !
10 hours ago, idkmybffStaci said:Thank you for your reply !!! It's so interesting how different things affect different people I've been to a naturopath recently and I'm about to start supplementing for liver and adrenal support as well as helping my digestive system. (My naturo path recommended this after testing) after a bit of taking the supplements and maybe diet changes I'll post another post if I get any results. THANK YOU again !
I find the effects of food so interesting! I have no acne for the first time I can ever remember after an elimination diet... yesterday I tried some eggs and my face started to feel a tad inflammed by 4pm that day (little bumps on my forehead, where I don't get spots, and a spot threatening on my cheek). I drank a litre of green veg and it completely cleared up overnight.
When I've tried 'very healthy eating' in the past, it made no difference to my skin... Cutting out certain food groups has made a massive impact though. I am interested to see what happens when I introduce them one by one, as I seem to be pretty sensitive to food intake (same day response). I definitely feel that my digestive health is the most important factor in my acne!
Its difficult for me to know which foods bother me because unlike most people, my digestion does not seem to be affected much by foods. I can eat dairy with no stomach problems and same with wheat. My boyfriend is very sensitive to foods and often gets diarrhea if he eats certain foods. I almost wish I'd be like that it would be easier to tell which foods are bad.
If I eat dairy I get itchy red spots within 2-24 hours... If I eat fried food same, to a lesser degree.
I'd have to do some experimenting with eliminating food groups. I don't eat eggs, I cut dairy for months and it showed no difference in my acne, I'm going to try cutting wheat and gluten but I'm a carb lover so it'll be difficult. I know I can substitute pastas but it's a bit hard when you're still living at home with parents and there's the food there that they cook hanging around. (Containing stuff that you're trying to eliminate) will have to do some experimenting
On June 20, 2016 at 9:37 PM, idkmybffStaci said:I'd have to do some experimenting with eliminating food groups. I don't eat eggs, I cut dairy for months and it showed no difference in my acne, I'm going to try cutting wheat and gluten but I'm a carb lover so it'll be difficult. I know I can substitute pastas but it's a bit hard when you're still living at home with parents and there's the food there that they cook hanging around. (Containing stuff that you're trying to eliminate) will have to do some experimenting
I know it is hard to have different diet than everybody else.
Hi I'm doing an elimination test !!
I know coffee really triggers me off!!
I think any carbs are pretty bad other than fruit
I've cut dairy out 
and pork!!
What have you lot been eating on your elimination diet?
Im reading a lot about leaky gut 
i had chips from the chip shop yesterday woke up this morning and threw up my beetroot banana and peach smoothy..? Confusing
I felt bit icky before the smoothy I'm wondering if it was the chips? Xx
2 minutes ago, Hissingstep said:Hi I'm doing an elimination test !!
I know coffee really triggers me off!!
I think any carbs are pretty bad other than fruit
I've cut dairy out
What have you lot been eating on your elimination diet?
Im reading a lot about leaky gut
i had chips from the chip shop yesterday woke up this morning and threw up my beetroot banana and peach smoothy..? Confusing
I felt bit icky before the smoothy I'm wondering if it was the chips? Xx
lol no offense but a beet/ peach smoothie sounds kind of gag inducing 
I honestly have no clue what triggers me so I'm just going to eliminate as I go along. Just a couple of months ago I'd eat anything including all food groups and I was fine. So I'm not even sure if eliminating will help (my acne) but it's worth a try. My naturopathic doc said its a possibility I might have a slight gluten intolerance, but he also said my acne could be caused by a toxic overload since testing my adrenals and liver and they were both not In top shape. Also want to increase my fiber to help clean my colon but I'm having trouble with that too. Too much fiber sends me to the toilet ! 
Still looking for the happy medium
4 hours ago, idkmybffStaci said:I honestly have no clue what triggers me so I'm just going to eliminate as I go along. Just a couple of months ago I'd eat anything including all food groups and I was fine. So I'm not even sure if eliminating will help (my acne) but it's worth a try. My naturopathic doc said its a possibility I might have a slight gluten intolerance, but he also said my acne could be caused by a toxic overload since testing my adrenals and liver and they were both not In top shape. Also want to increase my fiber to help clean my colon but I'm having trouble with that too. Too much fiber sends me to the toilet !
Its difficult to figure out but here are the most common foods that affect skin:
Dairy
wheat
Soy
eggs
Sugar( overload)
Nuts, peanuts
nightshades
Caffeine
rarely citrus
23 hours ago, snarkygirl said:lol no offense but a beet/ peach smoothie sounds kind of gag inducing
Lol usually I'm not sick ha ha ha
20 hours ago, idkmybffStaci said:I honestly have no clue what triggers me so I'm just going to eliminate as I go along. Just a couple of months ago I'd eat anything including all food groups and I was fine. So I'm not even sure if eliminating will help (my acne) but it's worth a try. My naturopathic doc said its a possibility I might have a slight gluten intolerance, but he also said my acne could be caused by a toxic overload since testing my adrenals and liver and they were both not In top shape. Also want to increase my fiber to help clean my colon but I'm having trouble with that too. Too much fiber sends me to the toilet !
I agree!! I'm exactly the same!! I don't know what triggers it, and everywhere I look there is possible this possible that! I don't know where to start! I've started to become scared of eating anything! I do eat! But recently not so much and I got really hungry earlier and had sweet potato and carrot fries in olive oil and now BAM even more spots! I've just seen this picture on the Internet !!! And I'm agreeing with the toxins part!! Do you think it means smoking?..
as I smoke a lot 
1 hour ago, idkmybffStaci said:I don't know if toxins mean smoking in particular. But I think smoking is maybe included. Cause we can harbor toxins from all sorts of stuff.
if you're sensitive to nightshades it could matter.
On 6/24/2016 at 0:58 PM, Hissingstep said:Lol usually I'm not sick ha ha ha I agree!! I'm exactly the same!! I don't know what triggers it, and everywhere I look there is possible this possible that! I don't know where to start! I've started to become scared of eating anything! I do eat! But recently not so much and I got really hungry earlier and had sweet potato and carrot fries in olive oil and now BAM even more spots! I've just seen this picture on the Internet !!! And I'm agreeing with the toxins part!! Do you think it means smoking?..as I smoke a lot
absolutely! I have a friend who cut out all nightshade foods and corn but still smoked heavily...when she quit her skin got a lot better. But she was a chain smoker.
Well guys just an update ...
my my naturopath believes I have mild Candida or I guess not as bad as other patients that hes had. So now I'm on this "anti-Candida" diet. I don't know exactly how long I'll be on this diet but it sucks. I'm only on it for the past 3 days and I really hope this shit works cause I'm becoming frustrated. (Plus these groceries for the diet is quite expensive) I was also asked to purchase supplements called
zymex wafers
cal-amo
my follow up is in less than a month so I'll stick it out until then and see if I get results. Will be back then to let you guys know of any updates and if my skin clears up on this diet / if it's linked with the Candida etc.
hope everyone is well ! 