TLDR minocycline to control acne is working. Antidepressants to counteract depression is helping. Living a normal life, eating normal things.

For those in search for a cure for acne, please read. There is no CURE. There are only things to help manage it. It is like depression, you cannot cure depression, but manage and prevent the symptoms. I want to share with you my spiral down into chaos.

I have always been acne-prone, very oily skin. At the age of 17, I started birth control for acne. I tried many different brands over the course of 13 years, with Yaz name brand being the best one to control the acne. I didnt realize how well it kept it under control until I came off the pill. Yaz and adapalene gave me flawless skin for several months until I ran out of the adapalene and was too lazy to go to the derm to renew the script. Still the acne wasnt as bad, and much later, I realized I was causing most of the acne by picking.

At the age of 30, I decided that I didnt want to be constantly taking the pill. I stopped taking the pill in May 2015. I somehow got the idea that I needed to help my body detox the synthetic hormones, so I started DIM-Plus and another supplement called Perfect Skin by Genuine Health (mostly just a fish oil pill with Vit E and minerals). I think I took this for 4-6 months. I am not sure if it helped anything, cause I kept breaking out in cystic acne on my chin. Itd usually be one giant bump every month around my period. My skin also gradually got oilier and oilier. It took my face about 5 months to go to shit. By Jan 2016 I was breaking out in spots I usually did not break out, such as forehead and cheeks, neck, back, and chest. My complexion fluctuated Feb-Mar. In Apr, my chin continued to break out in cystic acne. In May, I had the worst cyst I have ever had, along with three other cysts (one would die, and another would sprout up in its place). I thought I would have to go to the derm to get it extracted or injected. It festered for almost 2 months, and I had extracted it myself 4 times! From Mar-Jul I was working a very stressful job, and leading a very stressful lifestyle with junk food, candy, very little sleep, and over exercise. This was a recipe for disaster.

During the month of May, I decided to take some liver balancing supplements (Chinese Medicine). I started getting hot flashes at night, mood swings, and my period appeared a little later and heavier. I felt so down and sad, even though there was nothing to be sad about. I was concerned so I went to the doctor. The doctor thought I might have Hepatitis C so did bloodwork to check the liver among other things, and hormone levels. The results were I did not have Hep C, I was not pregnant and within the point in my cycle, my hormone levels were normal. I was low in vitamin B12 and vitamin D. My vitamin D levels were 17 ng/mL! The doctor also prescribed an SSRI antidepressant that I did not start right away, but started it months later. (not naming the brand because I dont want people to think the drug is terrible and avoid it please check with your doctor or psychiatrist for the best guidance on medication).

I stopped taking the liver supplements and the hot flashes went away. But I still felt down and burnt out. For two weeks in May, I used Hibiclens on my face in hopes of stopping the acne. It only made my face oilier and caused more breakouts. I got sick of the acne and went to the dermatologist. Her plan was to put me on 100mg of doxycycline twice a day while starting adapalene 0.1% gel.

After about a month, I went to the gynecologist to renew birth control script just in case. I wanted to avoid going back on the pill but wanted to have the script ready if I got desperate. She confirmed a light yeast infection from the antibiotics and wrote me as script for generic Yaz. My adapalene experience was terrible. I wrote two threads on it here, one where I had started on it, and the other saying I was stopping it. I only used it for 9 weeks and stopped. I could not bear to go on for 12 weeks. Adapalene caused a whole lot of breakouts and cystic acne. My face was so irritated, bumpy, red, and scabby. I did not know why it wasnt working this time. I went back to the derm and she suggested stopping adapalene, and suggested I continue with doxycycline for an additional 3 months while I start birth control. I was desperate and agreed. However, when I got home, I just didnt want to get back on the pill. My next derm appointment was going to be 3 months later and I made it my goal to cure my acne the natural way before my next derm appointment.

This lead me on an acne.org binge, a crusade against acne, and solving the puzzle and finding a cure once and for all. From May to the present (Nov), I tried all the supplements, all the topicals, all the diets. And nothing worked.

I tried changing cleansers. Chemical, natural, moisturizing, oil cleansing. I went through so many brands. I tried Paulas Choice 2% BHA cause I thought my problem was, I needed to exfoliate! I gradually built up to using it once a day for a week or two but had to stop because it stripped the moisture barrier right off my face, and probably made the breakouts worse. My skin was so dry and irritated from the constant barrage of products. Ive tried sulfur soap, zinc soap, diaper rash cream, using sponges, using only my hands, using a wash cloth, using only water, foreo luna, Vaseline, different moisturizers, Nivea cream, bentonite clay, tea tree oil, apple cider vinegar, clindamycin, Retin-A and on and on. Nothing worked to curb the acne and everything just dried out my face.

I also tried all the supplements: DIM-Plus, Estroblock, Saw Palmetto, DHT block, Vit A, Vit D, Vit C, Vit E, Zinc, Magnesium, Chromium, Vit K2, Calcium, Selenium, Lysine, Myo-Inositol, Green Tea extract, Fish oil, probiotics, water kefir

I would spend every waking hour reading acne.org forums, only further pushing me into insanity. I was convinced from what I read on the forum and online that I had candida overgrowth. That I had pityrosporum folliculitis, that I had some abnormal gene mutation where my methylation cycle was screwed up. I thought my only hope was to go to a functional medicine doctor to solve this because NATURAL was better! It was the best! Holistic cure will fix me! I stopped the doxycycline because it caused a yeast infection (that a dose of Diflucan knocked out). I was convinced I had some kind of gut problem. I also tried all the products that defeat fungal acne my acne did not respond to any of those.

I kept having weird hive like bumps around my neck and face, in addition to the acne. Not sure what caused it, but I thought it was due to an onion and garlic allergy. I was convinced that I had trouble metabolizing sulfur foods. So I went on a low sulfur and low-thiol diet. This lead me into chasing stuff on over and under methylation, ordering some supplements to combat that, almost spending hundreds of dollars on stupid gene mutation tests.

At this point, in addition to the supplements, I was convinced FOOD was the cause of all my problems and that I needed to fix my gut, and the allergic symptoms were a sure sign of a candida overgrowth problem.

I changed my diet from a normal diet to paleo. Then low sulfur. Then anti-candida. Low sugar, no fruit, nothing processed, no dairy, juicing lettuce, celery cucumbers, carrots daily. FODMAP diet. SIBO diet. I juiced for a month straight. This did not do a damn thing to prevent acne. I kept reading more and more info and in addition to candida and over-methylation, I was convinced I had a histamine intolerance! I restricted my diet even more and more and more, going from eating only chicken and low sulfur vegetables w/ olive oil, to a HCLF vegan diet, to a HCLF vegan low histamine diet. Over the course of a few months, my mental health decreased drastically.

I was only eating a very limited diet of wild rice, steel cut oats, vegetables, sprouted lentils, and black beans. I had gone to 2 allergists. Did a skin prick test which I did not react to ANY of the myriad of things. I only reacted to the histamine control and water hemp weed. The food allergy bloodwork indicated I had allergies to two types of foods (will not mention what they are in case you start fearing them), but it was odd because I had eaten these before with no issues. I also went to a gastroenterologist and did bloodwork and a stool sample. My results came back as utterly unremarkable I was completely healthy, no parasites, nothing abnormal. But I still did not know why I reacted in allergic type of reactions to food. The gastro doctor recommended a colonoscopy. I almost went through with this but luckily I came to my senses.

I thought overdosing on Vitamin D would surely cure my acne. It did not. I dont even know what my levels are right now.

I thought, histamine intolerance was definitely the cause of my acne. I was the saddest when doing this diet because I love high histamine foods. I became so anxious with food that I developed orthorexia. I could not eat out, and every bad food caused so much anxiety I would cry. The acne was still there with every diet I tried. It didnt help my acne, and I ended up losing 20 lbs. I became so thin my skinny jeans were baggy and you could see my ribs. I was wasting away. But I was still convinced that it was what I ate that caused acne. My thoughts were so out of control, the only thing I controlled was food.

I became so erratic and paranoid it affected my marriage. My husband urged me to try antidepressants. I said no! I want to avoid drugs. Drugs are bad! That is why I did not want to go back on birth control in the first place. I also read that antidepressants cause acne! So hell no! (Antidepressants can affect your menstrual cycle, so perhaps this is why some people say it causes acne any shift in your hormone can affect your skin. It did not make my acne any worse).

I was so stubborn. We hit a roadblock in our marriage though, and I finally caved and decided to give antidepressants a try. My husband suggested it will help my mood so I can stress less, and maybe this will help the acne. By this point, my OCD was worse, my skin picking at an all time high, my body dysmorphia through the roof. I became obsessed with logging everything I ate, at what time, and tracking my bowel movements by rating them. The antidepressants seemed to help at first, but I had side effects of suicidal ideation, and was told that it gets worse before it gets better. If someone tells you this, you need to consult with a psychiatrist because you shouldnt have extreme side effects like I did. For the two weeks I tried the drug, I was so suicidal I could not be left alone. I called my husband crying that I could not take this feeling any longer. I couldnt do it. It was a cry for help, that had I not reached out for, I would have ended up killing myself.

I got in touch with a psychiatrist who switched out the SSRI for other antidepressants. I was still skeptical about drugs. Around the same time, I went back to the derm for my 3 month follow-up and after a super rocky consult I ended up sobbing hysterically and hyperventilating at the appointment the derm put me on minocycline.

I started the minocycline and new antidepressants at the end of October. Two weeks into the use of minocycline, I could see it working. I was put on 100mg twice a day. About three and a half weeks into the antidepressants, they just started working. I woke up one day very cheery and felt content. Im now 4 weeks into minocycline and it is continuing to work. It made me realize it wasnt anything that I was doing (food, cleansers). I started eating normally and interacting with the world normally. Previously, I looked disheveled, crazed, and could not get out of bed. Now I can do normal things like a normal person.

I realized that I had been suffering from depression for 20 years and did not fully understand it. I blamed everything else in my life for making me feel sad. The fact the antidepressants helped me so much indicated to me that I have a chemical imbalance. No matter how hard I tried, I was never a morning person and was always grumpy. I thought being a bitch was my normal personality, but it was not. I thought my hormones were all screwed up. But they are not. Actually, I think the DIM and DHT supplements made my acne worse. Being on the pill for 13 years helped regulate my hormones and helped keep my depression and acne more even. Without the regulation, my moods and body went out of whack. I had so much paranoia and anxiety when I was orthorexic. I even feared drinking too much water.

My advice to you is, PLEASE do not get sucked into the acne cure vortex. It will suck you dry and drain your soul. You will turn into a hypochondriac. It will make you obsess. With the help of meds and minocycline, I picked at my face less. After I accepted that sebaceous filaments were a normal part of my face, I stopped squeezing them. I left the ones around my nose and on my chin ALONE. And guess what, no more cysts on my chin. My mood and mental health continued to get better and I realized when my mood was doing well, I was spending less and less time on acne.org forum. I do love the forum because it makes a person going through the acne struggle not feel so alone, but it can be detrimental because it encourages unbalanced behavior.

I understand that minocycline is not a long-term solution, but realize this nothing is. I am concerned about coming off the minocycline or the day it stops working, or if I have to stop antidepressants, and the depression will come back. Just take everything day by day. I feel like I have my life back, and the spark for life continues to grow. I am enjoying this moment while the various medications are working for me. I realize that drugs are not bad. Some people can alleviate their acne by diet alone, but I could not. Just like I could not regulate my depression alone.

Please be open to the various things out there to manage acne. A balanced diet, enough sleep, water, and laughter will help. Using the right products will help. Perhaps you need hormone regulation on top of that. It does not make you any lesser of a person if you have to rely on antibiotics or some other drug to help your acne. In fact, antibiotics will help you clear out existing acne while you pursue options that are more long term.

Life is full of changes, and ups and downs. Please enjoy it.