Sick and tired of acne ruining my life! Please help!!

bella_victory · 02-15-2004, 06:58 PM

I'm 27 years old and have suffered from mild to moderate acne throughout my teens through today. Last year I took 100mg of mino which cleared my face perfectly. After going off my face stayed clear for several months but now is breaking out worse than ever. Even my back is breaking out, which hasn't happened since I was a teen. All these breakouts are leaving red and brown marks all over my face and back. When is enough enough?
I am so embarrased to go out, to go to work, to wake up with my boyfriend. Summer is coming up...I love to go to the beach, go boating, etc. I feel like there is nothing else to do for my face. I'm 27 years old! I have started taking the mino again about two weeks ago but have not seen the clearing I did before.
Does anyone have any suggestions besides accutane? I have read many post on the site about spiro. Some people have commented about it being hard to get prescribed. What is this? Why is it hard to get? Is it easier to get from gyn.'s? Do any of you have any suggestions, something I may be missing? I've done the topicals, microdermabrasion, every OTC you can thinks of...any suggestions are appreciated. I am desperate!

Laurenmarie179 · 02-15-2004, 07:38 PM

your experience sounds iNDENTICAL to mine. mino was my wonder drug for 6 months--but then made me worse and gave me back/chest acne which i never had before. i tried going on it again but no success. no success from other numerous prescritpions. i tried it ALL, spent hundreds, but w/ no success. I'm 25 and thought this would be the time of my life id have the clearest skin.

it is only now that i have found something that is FINALLY working and has had great success, long term. it is the birth control pill, Yasmin, combined w/ spiro. It is not an overnight fix and most people get a bit worse the first month, but considering nothing else has worked and i dont want to do accutane, i have no choice. i am giving it 6 months--im now in month 2 and am seeing big changes. my skin/hair is much less oily (I actually need conditioner and body moisturizer) and my back/chest acne has 100% cleared, my face is 70% and getting even better. my doctor would only give me 25mg spiro cuz many dr's dont know how much this can help acne and dont like prescribing things for what they are not intended. i looked it up online, printed out articals on it (Its also called aldactone) andbrought them to my dr. i also just got a new topical to try w/ this all, Azelex. andi use glycolic acid cleansers. give this a try---iits worth it to avoid accutane and if you do a search on this board you'll see a lot of success.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bella_victory

I'm 27 years old and have suffered from mild to moderate acne throughout my teens through today. Last year I took 100mg of mino which cleared my face perfectly. After going off my face stayed clear for several months but now is breaking out worse than ever. Even my back is breaking out, which hasn't happened since I was a teen. All these breakouts are leaving red and brown marks all over my face and back. When is enough enough?
I am so embarrased to go out, to go to work, to wake up with my boyfriend. Summer is coming up...I love to go to the beach, go boating, etc. I feel like there is nothing else to do for my face. I'm 27 years old! I have started taking the mino again about two weeks ago but have not seen the clearing I did before.
Does anyone have any suggestions besides accutane? I have read many post on the site about spiro. Some people have commented about it being hard to get prescribed. What is this? Why is it hard to get? Is it easier to get from gyn.'s? Do any of you have any suggestions, something I may be missing? I've done the topicals, microdermabrasion, every OTC you can thinks of...any suggestions are appreciated. I am desperate!

joeh · 02-15-2004, 11:49 PM

25mgs of spiro isnt that much even for a girl.i would have least put you on 50 to 100 mgs after i saw your bloodwork was ok.but yes i bet yasmin and spiro make a good combination as does the bc pill diane-35.spiro isnt that expensive either.get it in the generic form.thats the way i get mine at wal-mart.

Laurenmarie179 · 02-16-2004, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeh

25mgs of spiro isnt that much even for a girl.i would have least put you on 50 to 100 mgs after i saw your bloodwork was ok.but yes i bet yasmin and spiro make a good combination as does the bc pill diane-35.spiro isnt that expensive either.get it in the generic form.thats the way i get mine at wal-mart.

I asked my dr--an Internist--to put me on more spiro (getting her to give me the 25mg was hard enough), and even after showing her the studies on its use for acne, she told me she wouldnt give me more because thats not what its really intended for and it isnt too successful in her eyes for acne......sooo, im thinking because she is an internist she just doesnt know much about it. im trying to find it online from canada--i have found it CHEAP (under $20) but cant seem to find a place to give w/ out prescription--i know this is for safety reasons...... i gave up on my last derm who onlly tried to shove accutane down my throat, and am now going to try a new derm and endocrinologist if that doesnt work----although yes, i have had good clearing w/ the yasmin and 25 mg spiro -- just not as much as id like because i want beautiful skin.

Emma2 · 02-16-2004, 10:17 PM

My doctor prescribes spiro to people. If you live in PA you should go see him. I think the key is going to a younger derm. Thery're up on all the latest things.

I'm not on it because I have low blood pressure(it's a anti-hypertensive). I'd like to try it, but am afraid to risk it.

I controlled my bacne with a glycolic wash. It was really bad too...cystic. I get my wash from my derm, but any glycolic cleanser would probably work as well.

HTH

~Emma