I feel like I have done everything possible to try to cure my severe cystic acne and now its gotten so bad that I'm planning on not returning to college. This isn't your average severe acne either no this is huge deep cystic pimples all over my face plus smaller ones with puss. Not to mention the deep scars surrounding my cheeks. I know a lot of people are going to say this shouldn't stop me, but I have struggled for 7 years straight and I'm only 19 years old. I first tried birth control at 13 with no success, so I was put on 50mg of accutane for 6 months. My skin cleared within weeks and my skin stayed clear for a year after that. While still on birth control I tried accutane a second time at 65-80mg and got absolutely flawless skin. Unfortunately 6 months after I finished my severe acne came back again except this time I waited a couple years before trying accutane by using every topical prescription and antibiotic possible. After feeling helpless my senior year I decided to go on accutane a third time!! BUT this time I was on 80mg all 6 months and it made my skin worse!!!! Not one day did I have somewhat clear skin. I couldn't believe it, and even the best dermatologist in LA couldn't believe it either. So I thought to myself maybe its something I'm eating. Even though I'm active and skinny I decided to try many diets and even count calories and carbs. I've done low carb high protein, vegan, cutting soy dairy and grains, and even ate a ton of sauerkraut and bone broth! When that didn't work I tried seeing an allergist and found that I'm allergic to soy and wheat. Not exactly what I wanted to hear since I've already stopped eating those things. Up until now I'm eating a pescatarian diet and basicly have an eating disorder because I some how believe everything is going to break me out. The supplements that I have tried include chasteberry, DIM, HCL betaine, magnesium, saw palmetto, and probably every other vitamin or tea out there. 2 months ago I got my hormones tested by an obgyn and found that I have pcos with enlarged ovaries, high DHEA Sulfate and high cortisol levels. My endo told me that dheas has to with the adrenal glands. I've been put on a new birth control and given metformin 1000mg per day even though my fasting glucose is 87. I've also started taking 4g of inositol about a week ago but I'm not seeing any change. The worst part is that I've been doing laser this past month but I'm still getting new painful pimples.
I've researched that high dheas and pcos is one of the hardest forms of acne to treat. At this point the only thing I can think of is to try lowering my dhea sulfate and cortisol some how. I couldn't find much info so I'm hoping someone here can please help me. Are there any supplements, natural treatments, or medications that can lower these? Would spironolactone help even though I'm dealing with adrenal hormones? Again sorry for the long post I'm just extremely helpless now:(
I found some of these links hope it helps.
It also says pomegranates are the only known food to lower cortisol.
From what I know, low glycemic and high asnti inflammatory+ good fats are your best bet.
Topical green tea is also good for lowering sebum and DHT.
http://supernaturalacnetreatment.com/do-androgens-cause-acne/
http://supernaturalacnetreatment.com/30-ways-to-lower-insulin-and-hence-acne/
http://supernaturalacnetreatment.com/how-dark-chocolate-cures-stress-anxiety-depression-and-acne/
I'm sorry you're going through this. I also have PCOS and I know how hard it can be to feel like you are battling your own body in which you seemingly have no control of. I can say that I currently take spironolactone for acne purposes, and initially it was a dream. I was clear after 4 months of taking it, and was clear for about 1.5 years afterwards. However, hormone levels naturally fluctuate as years pass, with different lifestyle changes and stress and what not, it stopped working for me and I began breaking out again. I do not recommend that you take it. I've gotten more side effects that I can count from this medicine. I wish I never got on it.
Your story does remind me a bit of this video I watched a while ago: << This girl has PCOS and mentioned how her DR diagnosed her with extremely high levels of cortisol/DHEA, and she started taking a few supplements and along with some diet/exercise changes and now she is clear. I think the specific supplement she takes for cortisol/adrenal issues is called Seriphos https://www.amazon.com/Interplexus-Seriphos-Capsules-100-Count/dp/B000N23AE8 may be worth checking out. Also,
Also, I'd like to suggest from experience that you stay away from all animal products, as they either contain hormones that can negatively impact PCOS and/or are extremely inflammatory. Also, I know what it feels like to be scared of eating anything for fear that it might break you out. I developed an eating disorder because of it and i've since recovered, it sucks, all I can say is: low sugar, high carb, minimal fat, vegan. no calorie counting!!! its the way to go. the stress from worrying about what you can and can't eat is no doubt playing a part in your high levels of cortisol. make sure to eat enough, sleep early and enough, and exercise (but not over-exercise) to reduce stress. take care of yourself.sorry this reply is all over the place, I hope I could be of some help. best of luck.
forgot to mention-- your birthcontrol may also be contributing to your acne, as it contains synthetic hormones and xenoestrogens. these synthetic hormones can impair the functionality of your liver, thus acne.
6 minutes ago, bodysnxtcher said:I'm sorry you're going through this. I also have PCOS and I know how hard it can be to feel like you are battling your own body in which you seemingly have no control of. I can say that I currently take spironolactone for acne purposes, and initially it was a dream. I was clear after 4 months of taking it, and was clear for about 1.5 years afterwards. However, hormone levels naturally fluctuate as years pass, with different lifestyle changes and stress and what not, it stopped working for me and I began breaking out again. I do not recommend that you take it. I've gotten more side effects that I can count from this medicine. I wish I never got on it.
Your story does remind me a bit of this video I watched a while ago: << This girl has PCOS and mentioned how her DR diagnosed her with extremely high levels of cortisol/DHEA, and she started taking a few supplements and along with some diet/exercise changes and now she is clear. I think the specific supplement she takes for cortisol/adrenal issues is called Seriphos https://www.amazon.com/Interplexus-Seriphos-Capsules-100-Count/dp/B000N23AE8 may be worth checking out. Also,
Also, I'd like to suggest from experience that you stay away from all animal products, as they either contain hormones that can negatively impact PCOS and/or are extremely inflammatory. Also, I know what it feels like to be scared of eating anything for fear that it might break you out. I developed an eating disorder because of it and i've since recovered, it sucks, all I can say is: low sugar, high carb, minimal fat, vegan. no calorie counting!!! its the way to go. the stress from worrying about what you can and can't eat is no doubt playing a part in your high levels of cortisol. make sure to eat enough, sleep early and enough, and exercise (but not over-exercise) to reduce stress. take care of yourself.sorry this reply is all over the place, I hope I could be of some help. best of luck.
I had developed an eating disorder also, a few years ago I was so stressed mentally and physically my hair was think g and I got mono which made me even weaker. I'm so confused still over nutrition...grains are bad, meat is bad, dairy is bad. I just read a whole ideology that says carbs are bad, any wheat, grains, rice etc are bad for acne. Wtf?
Im trying to copy the diet of some islanders who eat mostly tubers, fish, fruit and greens. It does make you the oddball in social situations cause you won't eat cheesecake or drink mixed drinks. It must be nice to be normal and have a normal life and not obsess over every bite we take.
Stressed.
9 minutes ago, snarkygirl said:I had developed an eating disorder also, a few years ago I was so stressed mentally and physically my hair was think g and I got mono which made me even weaker. I'm so confused still over nutrition...grains are bad, meat is bad, dairy is bad. I just read a whole ideology that says carbs are bad, any wheat, grains, rice etc are bad for acne. Wtf?
Im trying to copy the diet of some islanders who eat mostly tubers, fish, fruit and greens. It does make you the oddball in social situations cause you won't eat cheesecake or drink mixed drinks. It must be nice to be normal and have a normal life and not obsess over every bite we take.
It's definitely hard, trust me I know.. I had an eating disorder from the time I was 16 until I was 21. After I recovered from my eating disorder is when i developed full blown, cystic acne ALL over my face, literally overnight. not the best thing for a recovering anorexic, to feel "fat" and bloated from recovery, oh and a face full of beautiful acne on top of that. haha. I've done a ton of research on nutrition and it's correlation to acne, especially PCOS acne what I can say that I've found is that low-carb is not necessarily the way to go. Low GI, definitely, but carbs and grains are not the enemy. The only things that I try to avoid now for skin purposes are refined sugars, refined carbs (like white breads, flours, pastas), oils, and of course animal products. I honestly feel like my skin has gotten better since adding more carbs to my diet, and I don't feel like I'm dying from lack of energy anymore. eating vegan is def kind of awkward in social situations, and when it's brought up people have the tendency to think I think I'm better than them (??) and become offended haha.
4 minutes ago, bodysnxtcher said:14 minutes ago, snarkygirl said:I had developed an eating disorder also, a few years ago I was so stressed mentally and physically my hair was think g and I got mono which made me even weaker. I'm so confused still over nutrition...grains are bad, meat is bad, dairy is bad. I just read a whole ideology that says carbs are bad, any wheat, grains, rice etc are bad for acne. Wtf?
Im trying to copy the diet of some islanders who eat mostly tubers, fish, fruit and greens. It does make you the oddball in social situations cause you won't eat cheesecake or drink mixed drinks. It must be nice to be normal and have a normal life and not obsess over every bite we take.It's definitely hard, trust me I know.. I had an eating disorder from the time I was 16 until I was 21. After I recovered from my eating disorder is when i developed full blown, cystic acne ALL over my face, literally overnight. not the best thing for a recovering anorexic, to feel "fat" and bloated from recovery, oh and a face full of beautiful acne on top of that. haha. I've done a ton of research on nutrition and it's correlation to acne, especially PCOS acne what I can say that I've found is that low-carb is not necessarily the way to go. Low GI, definitely, but carbs and grains are not the enemy. The only things that I try to avoid now for skin purposes are refined sugars, refined carbs (like white breads, flours, pastas), oils, and of course animal products. I honestly feel like my skin has gotten better since adding more carbs to my diet, and I don't feel like I'm dying from lack of energy anymore. eating vegan is def kind of awkward in social situations, and when it's brought up people have the tendency to think I think I'm better than them (??) and become offended haha.
I think I need to look at the difference between low carb and low glycemic. That's got me stuck.
For some reason when I eat any animal protein I get deep cystic acne on my cheeks, but when I eat strictly fruits and vegetables the cysts go away and I get a ton of tiny pimples all over my face like a rash:( Idk if thats a detox reaction because I never went longer than a week looking like that to find out.
I did just start on birth control a week ago again, but I'm breaking out still. I asked my endocrinologist, obgyn, and dermatologist about spironolactone a few weeks ago, but they didn't want to give it to me because they said I'm too young. They're all guys, so I've just found a female dermatologist that offers spiro frequently to her patients. If that doesn't work, then I'm truly just going to have to wait it out.
24 minutes ago, BayleeHB said:For some reason when I eat any animal protein I get deep cystic acne on my cheeks, but when I eat strictly fruits and vegetables the cysts go away and I get a ton of tiny pimples all over my face like a rash:( Idk if thats a detox reaction because I never went longer than a week looking like that to find out.
I did just start on birth control a week ago again, but I'm breaking out still. I asked my endocrinologist, obgyn, and dermatologist about spironolactone a few weeks ago, but they didn't want to give it to me because they said I'm too young. They're all guys, so I've just found a female dermatologist that offers spiro frequently to her patients. If that doesn't work, then I'm truly just going to have to wait it out.
I agree that you should get a female doctor I've not liked the male gynos...how do they know?
It takes 3-5 months on birth control to get pretty clear so don't panic.
Maybe try spearmint tea which has similar effects to Spiro but not as strong, and try pomegranate and tart cherry juice for cortisol and inflammation. And omega 3 oils.
Yes it does, some make acne worse and some clear acne.
Too strong for what? Idk about that none but your doctors need to listen to what YOU want. I was very thin when my female gyno gave me orthocyclen. After my son was born I was breast feeding and ortho tri cyclen low did not help my skin.
I'm in the same boat. My DHEA-S was over 650. Yaz and 50mg of Spironolactone changed my life. Get a young, female provider to prescribe you spironolactone- they can relate better. I've moved several times and the only times I had a problem getting spironolactone was from a male provider or an older female. (no offense to them)
I have to warn you though, getting off yaz is HELL. I tried to go off it and a month later I had the WORST acne of my life. After 3 days of that, I was back on it again. ugh
Did you experience any side effects from spironolactone? Like weight gain, dizziness, or sleepiness? Also has your dheas gone down since taking spirono? I'm concerned that spirono will just mask the problem. I just really don't want to be on a diuretic the rest of my life:(
8 hours ago, BayleeHB said:Did you experience any side effects from spironolactone? Like weight gain, dizziness, or sleepiness? Also has your dheas gone down since taking spirono? I'm concerned that spirono will just mask the problem. I just really don't want to be on a diuretic the rest of my life:(
hi, I really don't have any noticeable side effects. At least for me, at 50mg I have 1-2 extra trips to the bathroom the entire day. I have only been on it less than 3 months but none of those yet . My blood pressure isn't extremely low, I imagine you'd have more issues if you have low blood pressure to begin with.
I've been on spironolactone for only 10 days and it seemed like it was already helping my acne, but when I took my blood test it made my potassium levels sky rocket to 6.2. My endo called me to stop it right away, so now I'm back to square one:( My dermatologist is setting me up for a 4th round of accutane, but I'm scared it's just going to make it worse like last time. Did you guys experience dangerous potassium levels while on it? I'll be seeing my endo tomorrow to see what else has popped up unusual on my blood test. This is getting extremely stressful:'(
13 hours ago, BayleeHB said:I've been on spironolactone for only 10 days and it seemed like it was already helping my acne, but when I took my blood test it made my potassium levels sky rocket to 6.2. My endo called me to stop it right away, so now I'm back to square one:( My dermatologist is setting me up for a 4th round of accutane, but I'm scared it's just going to make it worse like last time. Did you guys experience dangerous potassium levels while on it? I'll be seeing my endo tomorrow to see what else has popped up unusual on my blood test. This is getting extremely stressful:'(
hi, no my blood tests were fine. The Dr said if you are going to have an issue with Spiro it shows up quickly. Sorry it didnt work out for you.
I wouldn't be too interested in accutane, it failed the first 3 times so I think it would be the same. Plus it's horrible for your body. I think its pretty bad rhat your derm woyld suggest a 4th round! There's definitely an underlying issue and accutane won't fix it.
What birth control are you taking?
I don't want to sound gimmicky but here's a site with info that really helped me, they have articles about hormones, cortisol, DHT and all that.
On 7/22/2016 at 6:16 AM, BayleeHB said:I started kelnor birth control about 3 weeks ago, but I'm not sure if that will help me or not. My most recent lab came back today and again my cortisol is super high, so I'll be doing a 24hr cortisol test tomorrow. Hopefully this is the cause! haha
http://www.doctoroz.com/slideshow/cortisol-reduction-grocery-list
[Edited link out]
http://lissarankin.com/10-signs-you-have-way-too-much-cortisol
I found a few links on cortisol.
I've never had mine checked but I used to feel super stressed all the time. I suspect I have some issue also but I'm on several meds so my levels may not show up accurately on tests. Hope this helps.
Hey I just thought of something, could you have Cushing's syndrome? If not, maybe you could ask about meds commonly treated to lower cortisol.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/172465-what-drugs-lower-high-cortisol-levels/
5 hours ago, snarkygirl said:Hey I just thought of something, could you have Cushing's syndrome? If not, maybe you could ask about meds commonly treated to lower cortisol.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/172465-what-drugs-lower-high-cortisol-levels/
My endocrinologist is looking into it. I've been doing a bunch of blood tests including serum cortisol, acth, and 24 hr cortisol, but because I'm not overweight he doesn't think I have it. I do fit the other symptoms though like red moon face, severe acne, and fatigue. He also told me that my cortisol has been getting higher and higher, but apparently it's caused from birth control pills. If that's the case then I'm going to have to stop bc. I'm just scared that my hormones will be all out of whack, and my acne will get even worse:(
5 hours ago, BayleeHB said:10 hours ago, snarkygirl said:Hey I just thought of something, could you have Cushing's syndrome? If not, maybe you could ask about meds commonly treated to lower cortisol.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/172465-what-drugs-lower-high-cortisol-levels/My endocrinologist is looking into it. I've been doing a bunch of blood tests including serum cortisol, acth, and 24 hr cortisol, but because I'm not overweight he doesn't think I have it. I do fit the other symptoms though like red moon face, severe acne, and fatigue. He also told me that my cortisol has been getting higher and higher, but apparently it's caused from birth control pills. If that's the case then I'm going to have to stop bc. I'm just scared that my hormones will be all out of whack, and my acne will get even worse:(
that sucks, I hope they can figure it out for you.