Dianette : Oral Contraceptive

I've been using dianette on and off for 10 years. As a teenager i suffered from severe acne and tryed most thing out there that i could buy over the counter and could get off the doctor. After i had my eldest child now 10 i went to the doctor for my 6 week check up, while there the doctor noticed the acne on my back and adivsed me to go onto dianette instead of the pill i had been on. I noticed my acne clearing up within a few months of being on it. over the next 5 year i did put on weight about 1 stone but i also wasn't watching what i ate, when i did start to diet still taking dianette i lost 2 stone. I then came off it while i had another child. By now i had changed doctor and this doctor advised me to go on a different pill which i did and took it for about 2 years. I wasn't happy my acne came back so i asked my doctor to put me back on dianette which he has ive been on it for 2 months now and my acne is clearing up again plus i am watching what i eat again and have lost 4lb with week and my confidence is going again.

I am 29. This is my second time on Dianette. The first time, 4 years ago, I went on Dianette for a year. My skin was amazing, my boobs got bigger, I hardly gained weight. But I noticed it made me slightly depressed after about 6 months on it, and this got worse. So I switched to Yasmine which kept my skin under control after Dianette had kick started my clear skin. Yasmine didn't effect my mood, so I stayed on Yasmine for 2.5 years. (Note: I did not go from Dianette to NO PILL at all, which I believe can lead to acne returning v severely. Instead I transitioned to Yasmine, which kept my acne under control) Then, about 8 months ago while still on Yasmine my acne came back. I recognized the signs, lumps appearing, so switched from Yasmine straight back to Dianette. I have been on Dianette now for 8 months, and my skin is amazing. My boobs went up a size. I gained 3-4 lbs in first 2 months but I now I am back to normal weight, possibly skinnier. (And for me clear skin more important than gaining a few lbs anyway.) My MOOD has been completely normal this time round. I feel great. But I watch myself closely. My doc says 6 months on Dianette would be enough to give me good skin for a year or more anyway, but am in no rush to come off it now. SEX DRIVE- no change. If anything, it's increased. I was once on Microgynon which left me with no sex drive at all, and also made me depressed, so I know the signs. If you have Acne I feel there is no better treatment. Good luck.

I started using dianette after years of trying to control my stubborn acne with antibiotics and topical medications. Eventually everything I tried stopped working and my acne got worse and worse. I was absolutley fed up and saw my only option as roaccutane which I felt was very drastic and carried too many side effects. The doctor recommended dianette and I was a bit worried about messing with hormones so I stalled the decision a bit. In the end we decided to give it a try and I've never looked back! Within 2-3 months my skin was completely clear (first time in years!) My periods were much lighter and shorter and I suffer much less from mood swings. I feel more positive and energetic (probably from having more confidence) I've read plenty of scare stories about this pill. and I am well aware of the risks of dianette. I have my blood pressure checked regularly and keep an eye on any warning symptoms. Takign dianette is not a decision anyone should take lightly and it should definately be discussed well with a doctor but in my experience there's no need be overly scared. I do wish I didn't have to resort to taking synthetic hormones but that's the way it is. I am very pleased with the results dianette has given me.At the end of the day, you do have to remember that it is a medication and like any medication there can be side effects. It may not be for everyone but it certainly has worked for me and I would recommend giving it a try at least.

Before Diane 35(or dianette) I used all the antibiotics available as well as accutane. I had severe bacne (no acne on my face though), i got rid off it but after I stopped taking accutane that s**t stared to come back. my kidneys are in bad condition so i couldn't afford the second treatment with accutane,my doctor prescribed me diane35 and i'm gratefull.

I tried dianette last year for 3 months last year and came off it as saw no real improvement. Then decided to give it another go a few months later as the Dr advised it can take a while to see the benefits....now I have done 6 months Iv seen a sudden genuine massive improvement! My skin is consistently clear, I can't believe it, I'm 31, this is the first time since a teen that I have no outbreaks at all. Iv also recently started taking it at bedtime rather than morning, not sure if any science behind that but I'm sticking with that regime to keep the balance in case that is a factor. I recommend try 6 months + for anyone feeling impatient!

I have been taking dianette for almost 6 months. It is the only spot treatment that has dramatically improved my skin however after visiting my doctor today, I am going to have to stop the treatment :( It took me months to build up the courage to take it after reading many scary reviews but I have not experienced any side effects. My main worry now is coming off the pill as I will probably return to the way I was :(...but it was good while it lasted- So I would recommend!

Hello, I developed acne when I was 13 and it just never went away. It destroyed my confidence. When I was 25 (after years of the doctors fobbing me off saying I would grow out of it) I was in having an appointment with the nurse (ear infection) when she asked how long I had the acne for. I told her 12 years and she was shocked a doctor had never offered me treatment. She made me an appointment with the doctor about it so finally a doctor would have to do something about it. The doctor prescribed Dianette. I was taking it for three months without any real affect and I was suffering from some depression (though that might partially be from the fact my acne wasnt going!) It got really bad, I wouldnt even go out with my friends. In month four my skin started clearing up and the depression went completely. My periods are much lighter and shorter and I dont get PMS or cramps. In the week off your skin doesnt change so if thats a concern for others I didnt notice a difference. The doctor started threatening to take me off it at about the year point but when I spoke to the nurse she said if I have no history of depression/cancer/DVT ect; then there shouldnt be a reason to take me off it. I have no side effects from it, in fact its improved my life no end. I asked about the increased risk in clots/cancer ect; and she said all pills come with that, and since she was a teenager in the seventies they have been told horror stories about the pill which she has never seen come to fruition. There was all sorts saying it caused breast cancer, but she said now we know about the hereditary gene so it cant be ruled out thats what we had seen the whole time. In all she said the increased risk is small and comes with every pill, so why take someone off a pill that is helping so much? All medicines and pills come with possible effects but it doesnt stop us taking them if the good outweighs any small risk. If you do get depression that carries on into about month 4 or 5 I would say come off it, this is probably the most serious and probable side effect. If you have history of depression or it runs in your family dont take it!!

I have been on Dianette for about six/seven years. I haven't experienced any of the side effects that others have been talking about. No depression, no weight gain etc. Think I might have even lost a few pounds! Oily skin and hair clears up first then after a while spots become less and less until you only get a couple now and then. Doctors do say it's not as safe as other options and you shouldn't be on it long term. Over the years I have tried many alternatives (Yasmin, antibiotics, Cilest) and have even tried to go without any medication - spots always come back all over my chin. The only thing that works for me is Dianete. But I don't want to take it forever. Any recommendations of what I should try next? I'm 25 - surely acne doesn't last forever does it??

I'm now on the non name brand of this (Co-cyprindiol) for the 2nd time and this is honestly the best thing for me. I first went to the doctors with acne around 10 years ago and tried many different anti-biotics and creams for years before they tried this. I've never known anything clear up my skin SO FAST. The results even seemed to last after i stopped for a while. It was only a year into having my implant that i started with breakouts again, this time HUGE, angry cystic acne. Over the course of 18 months i tried more anti-biotics again to no avail. So I got my implant removed and went back onto Co-cyprindiol. Currently on my fourth month and my skin is looking fantastic! I still have some scarring to clear up which i'm using a Vitamin E oil to do and this seems to be helping. I'm hoping that being on this for a year will kick the acne's butt for good and that I'll be able to go back to using a pill with less risks (as far as I am aware there is a higher risk of blood clotting with this one?) It may not work for everyone but if you're getting to the end of your tether i would DEFINITELY recommend at least giving this a shot. :)

Dianette has cleared my hormonal acne beautifully. However this took about 3 months and in those 3 months I broke out terribly, losing hope it would work for me several times but it eventually did work. I haven't had a spot in over a month and I used to breakout daily! Here in the UK you can only be prescribed it for a few months and will have to switch to a different BCP soon but I hope this won't make my acne come back. If you are taking dianette, be patient. It does work but takes a while.