Dianette : Oral Contraceptive

I absolutely LOVED being on Dianette a few years ago, it hugely helped my skin clear up. I still had some active acne, but not to the extent I had previously. I did stay on it for 4 years, which is not recommended in the UK because of it's blood clotting issues, however I did not experience any side effects. I have since asked to go back on it, however my GP wants my blood pressure checked again and again to make sure it's low enough to go on Dianette.

Really worked for me. Took a few months to kick in but so worth the wait. I have been on this drug for 10 years with no bad side effects. A life changer!

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. :)

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 read through some of these reviews before beginning dianette and the general theme I picked up on was that they take a while to work, with many not seeing results for a few months. This can obviously be a little disheartening to many newly prescribed, hence why I wanted to report my own experience so far! I've been taking dianette for just over two weeks now (so still on my first packet) and I've generally noticed such a huge difference. My skin isn't perfect, but so much better than what it was! The cystic acne I experienced around my jawline and cheeks has almost completely disappeared (100% clear jawline, 90% clear cheeks). The very few cystic acne spots I experience on my cheeks are fast to heal and are often gone within two days. Other small average pimples have vanished completely and redness has decreased massively! ( - not sure how dianette may have caused this though..). Basically my skin is almost entirely clear with only one or two small cyst type spots at a time that are easily concealed due to reduced redness and inflammation I've also experienced. My acne history (for anyone with perhaps a similar case!) - - acne began at 16 and gradually got worse, cystic acne beginning at 19, peak severity was about three months ago (now 22), at its worse my entire face was red and inflamed and even sore to touch, not at all coverable with makeup. - face has never been particularly oily/ greasy and prescription creams have always been far too harsh, drying out my skin and worsening redness. - Clearisil brand worsens my acne - big issues with red angry skin associated with acne including purplish scarring in the past - microgynon made my cystic acne 10 X worse, hence switched to dianette. My main point is that hormone based remedies like dianette will work differently for EVERYONE, I was so pleasantly surprised with my own experience I wanted to write this as an example that you shouldn't be put off by other people's experiences, just as you shouldn't buy into it too much. It really is trial and error. Final note - the only other side effects I've experienced are on and off nausea particularly late day and evening and especially if I drink alcohol. One drink results in pretty intense nausea about two hours later. Not a big deal for me though as not a big drinker! :) Final, final note (I promise!) - in case people who haven't been prescribed dianette are looking through these reviews as a potential remedy; here are some things I've personally found very effective and have used/done for many years to help keep my acne under control (may be worth a try if you have a similar acne profile to myself) - clean and clear oil free moisturiser, doesn't do much for cystic acne but helps keep other pimple types at bay and improves overall quality of skin which makes a MUCH bigger difference than you'd think. It has a nice cold tingly feeling and contains sacylic acid which helps dissolve sebum clog pores. - freederm treatment gel - a little pricey for such a small tube but is good for treating cystic acne without aggrevating it. The only topical treatment I'll use on my cystic acne. - cardio exercise (lame and mundane remedy I know!) but after a run - makeup free - I find the sweat and heat helps dry out spots without being too harsh and over time (daily runs for a week at least) the increase in blood circulation speeds up healing of spots. - sun beds (yes dangerous and does increase risk of skin cancer!! So try to avoid doing this!) but this also drys out my pimples and speeds up the recovery of cystic acne. - I use a multitude of face masks (acne/clear skin orientated) and I find that steaming your face beforehand amplifies how effective they can be, due to opening up pores. ^^^^ I've stopped/kept to a minimum all these other remedies above whilst taking dianette just to accurately take note what it's doing to my skin and it's still looking the best it has in a long time despite not doing these! Remember this is my personal experience, I'm not saying it'll be the same for you, but perhaps maybe worth a try if you have a similar acne profile/history as I described above.

I was out of pills Dec2014 and come Feb2015, I started to have acnes. I have never had any acne problems before.. I've always had that 'porcelain' skin every girl dreams of so having them makes me feel so down and depressed because I don't know how to deal with it. After 2 weeks, they're all over my face and ofcourse I started freakin out. So I bought Dianette and guess what! MARCH and APRIL were the worst monthe ever. Everyday I wake up with 2-3 NEW CYSTIC acnes on my cheeks and forehead! I felt so depressed and started reading reviews here. And everyone said just be patient cause it takes 3-4 months before it does its magic and YES! On my 3rd pack, acne stopped showing on my face! I'm now back to having the smooth skin I've always had though I still have those nasty marks (ANYONE RECOMMENDS A GOOD ACNE SCAR REMOVAL REMEDY OR PRODUCT?) it's already been 2 weeks and I havent had any single acne on my skin! Yeehhhheeey! So girls, JUST BE PATIENT. It does wonders. ;)

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!!

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.

I first tried dianette 9 years ago after having terrible skin for yrs. I had tried everythin else so wasnt expecting results but within 3 and a half weeks my skin was almost clear, I ws amazed and gutted that I had not tried this when I was 16 so I wouldnt have been left with any marks on my skin. I have been on and off it over the past 9 yrs, my skin becomes my greasy and spotty when I come off it but nothin even close to how it used to be. I was off it there for 6 months and developed back and chest acne which ive never had before so now im back on it for 2 months to clear it up before my summer hols. Last time when I switched to yasmin it gave me terrible break outs around my jawline so I had to go back on dianette to clear up the damage that yasmin caused. There may be higher health risks involved with dianette but they are small and im certainly willing to take them to have gorgeous blemish free skin!

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.