The idiots guide to B5

[Memnoch636]

Pure and simple.
B5 is a cure for acne, for about 90% of the population.
Pantothenic Acid IS B5. d-calcium pantothenate is B5.
Yes, 1gram of B5 a day IS too low to cure acne.
B5 does not cause hair loss, insomnia, or headaches.
B5 makes your skin less oily.
B5 takes time before you SEE results. (in the mirror)
B5 needs other B vitamins, but not ALL at the same time.
B5 will cause you to break out at first.
B5 is safe.
B5 is not all the same. Some brands are cheap/bad.
Acne can not be cured overnight.
Everyone is different. Your body will react differently.

I have read SO many posts that say basically ‘I’ve been taking 2 grams of B5 for 3 weeks and it isn’t working!’ I hate that. It upsets me. Really, it upsets me.
People need to know how to take B5. This is a very simple plan: If you are just starting on B5, you should really try to get more than 5 grams a day. That should be split up into evenly spaced doses, and taken with water. Biotin (another b vitamin) should be taken with every dose. Once a day take a B complex vitamin at a different time than the B5.
It’s best to take B5 before you eat. 15 minutes before you eat. I have found taking it with food is ok, but I would suggest before a meal.
Chapped Lips? Drink more water.
Multivitamin? Thats your call.
Topical gel? Whatever you want.

Headaches and insomnia are actually caused by malnutrition and not the B5. Hair loss is a chain reaction caused by an insufficient intake of Biotin. Again, take biotin with B5, and you won’t get brittle hair.

The initial breakout period is different for everyone. Most people will get the breakout in a certain area of your body. It will not last. B5 helps your body eliminate toxins. Some of these toxins will be eliminated through your skin in the form of large cysts. This looks bad, but in truth is very good for your body.
Typically after 4 months on a high dose of B5, you can lower the dose to whatever you feel comfortable with. The normal maintenance dose would be from 1to 5 Grams a day.

You will probably have to stick with that maintenance dose for a long time. Sounds like a bummer? Well did you really think that when you tried a new topical gel it would be the last tube you would ever buy? Eventually you will go down to taking 500 mg a day. Or none at all.
Most people do indeed outgrow acne. B5 for the most part is a good solution to people who are fed up with topical gels that don’t work for them. With antibiotics that acne grows resistant to. With course after course of Acutane. B5 is many peoples last hope. I get sad when people on boards like this, post ignorant comments about B5 not working. Most of the time it is because of human error, or simply because people didn’t know exactly what to do. Sometimes it’s due to a cheap brand of B5 that doesn’t actually work…

When B5 is manufactured. Part of this involves heating the product, and sometimes the B5 is heated too much, or for too long, ruining the whole batch. This is why some brands don't work, while others do.
I use TwinLab currently. I have tried 'NOW' brand, and noticed it did nothing for me. EvolutionX apparently isn't all that great either. AcneMiricle appears to be good, anyone had any luck with them? GNC has gotten mixed reviews. Vitamin Shoppe also looks to be good.
Again:
Biotin. Water. Even Doses. B-complex. Time.

[grracne]

you said it dude, im taking twinlab b5 right now, and I'm taking the doses the same, every day, at the same time at 10g's a day, and I have noticed a big improvement. I take the twinlab vitamin b-100 complex during the middle of the day.

I have noticed zero side effects, and I've never been happier in my life, since i've had acne of course...

I hope this thread helps a lot of you who are considering taking b5.

[seamus]

I agree that the brand of b5 is crucial. I was listening to Savage (talk show host) tonight and he (who used to be a nutrition guru) was talking about vitamin companies and how some of them are INCREDIBLY shady in the quality of their products. I'm currently on *******'s, but I've heard better things about TwinLabs from people like Grracne. So I will be switching to TwinLabs when i am done w/ *******. Plus, i looked on twinlab's website and it's actually the cheapest (price-wise) that i've seen. So I propose that in order to get some sort of uniformity around here among the posters in their test results that everyone use TwinLabs or some other widely approved of brant.

[DoxyDummy]

Hi!
Just wondering how long you people have been taking b5 and if you have ever came off, what were the results?

[Memnoch636]

DoxyDummy: i have been using B5 for over a year now. About three months ago I went down to 500mg a day just to see what would happen. Naturally my oil production went up and my acne did come back. And so i went back to taking 4 grams a day. I'm clear now. I eat a lot more junk food than I should, drink more coffee than I should, and work in a stressfull inviornment. I would say that B5 is a miricle.

It's important to understand that B5 is not meant to be a cure. People do call it a cure (I sometimes use that word too) however it is a treatment. Most people will outgrow acne, B5 will work for most people until they no longer need it.

I noticed that your name is Doxy dummy. I assume that means you are on the antibiotic Doxycycline. Or were at one point. How did that work for you? For how long? Antibiotics usually start off great. But most will work for a maximum of a year.
I have personally tried Amoxacilin, Augmentin, Clindamycin (oral and topical) Minocycline, and Azithromycin. Want to know something? Azithromycin (zithromax) was the only one that worked for me. For about a month.

Benzoyl Peroxide, Salicylic Acid, Grapefruit seed extract, Tee tree oil, Herbs like Yellowdock/Burdock/Red Clover/ext, Zinc, Nature's Cure, Hydrocortizone, Resorcinol/sulfer, Glycolic acid, Niacimide gel, Flax Oil, Ayurevedic herbs, pro biotics.... I have used all of these. And I have given them all a fair chance I think. Some did help. But most only helped After I got the pimple. They didn't do much offense, just defense. I was always playing damage control.
B5 changed that. It took over 3 months due to my life style, but it did make my life less about Dealing with acne, to just forgetting about it. I wash my face with Burt's Bee's soap in the morning, at night I put on a Niacinamide/Pantothenic acid gel at night. Thats it.
Some day soon I think I will get off of B5 all together. Hopefully. Maybe soon. Good luck to you in whatever you choose. We are all diferent.