Started to cry...This just isnt fair.

[JuiciCouture]

I just recently found this board, and it has been great..because you get to read things that your thinking no one else feels...but they do.
Im 21, and I just recently (4-5 months ago) started getting acne on my chin. I have a feeling it was due to a switch in Birth Control Pills..And Im extremely angry with Insurance companies for being able to switch peoples medications without consent. I was taking Nordette and they gave me Levora. (Its not generic for Nordette, I found out that it is actually a totally different brand that makes it with the 2 main ingrediants being the same..but not the fillers..which can have an adverse effect on your body,and this is a very cheaply made replica of Nordette.) Oh My Heck- It certainly had an adverse effect. I think it really messed my hormones up.
Anyway- Im on my 5th month with this cystic-type acne on my chin, and it just feels like my world is ending. Its so silly that something could make you feel so terrible. I dont even want to go out and face people. Im used to having that skin that is flawless and now its a mess. And the weirdest thing is that it is localized to basically just my chin.. I get an occasional zit on my cheek or forehead from the wrong choice of make up or product.. But thats as far as it goes.. My chin looks like a warzone. And the worst part about it, is that it actually hurts. It also leaves these terrible red marks and it makes it look even more severe and worse.
I was reading the Accutane journals and just started to cry. I know it sounds so dumb, but I got totally emotional over it. I dont understand why this has to happen to people?? I was reading one person's journal and he seems like such a sweetheart...and how people treat him badly because he has acne. What the F! Also, I feel so frusterated because everything Ive been trying doesnt seem to want to work. My gyno put me on Estrostep Fe and I start taking that this coming Sunday.. But I have major reservations about it. What if it makes it worse? What if it improves it? I dont know what to do about it anymore.
I just wanted to vent a little bit....Hope to find a way to control it, and I hope it doesnt ruin my Christmas ....(its officially December 23rd and I am dreading having to deal with family with the way I look and feel. Id like to just sleep through it, if thats ok!)
Just wondering if anyone had any suggestions, advice...experiences with Estrostep or any other bc pill that worked for them? THanks

[kiya]

Hi. Sorry to hear that your acne developed after switching pills. The pill does mess with the metabolism and can cause all sorts of weird problems (mine made me slightly hypothyroid - crazy, isn't it?). If you have acne to start with (like I did) the pill tends to make it slightly better rather than the other way around. If your experiencing problems with the pill you're taking and can't change it back to the one you had before, have you tried asking your doctor for acne medication? There's one called Minocin (in the UK - not sure where you are, sorry!) and that's extremely effective. Topical lotions for acne tend to make the skin very sore and I wouldn't personally recommend them, especially if you have sensitive skin.

Spots tend to heal up a little better if you don't wear any make-up at all. I remember walking around during sixth-form at school and feeling awful because my face was covered in acne. It was so tempting to cover them over. Now what I do is wait until the last possible moment before I go out to put on any make-up and as soon as I get home, I wash it off. I also don't wear it at weekends (if I'm at home). It lets your skin breathe.

I hope you manage to rid yourself of the acne soon. Best wishes, kiya