what is happening to me??!!!

[realsad]

hi i posted before but hadn't had the internet awhile. whats been going on now is making me so depressed. i have been on many things for acne (moderate) mostly stuff from my fam. doctor. Different antibiotics, creams, different birth control pills, and i guess it(my acne) was where i could live with it part of the time. i am now in my mid 20's. i stopped taking BCP about 6 months ago because they didn't seem to be helping and i don't like to take to many unecessary pills. i was doing fine a few months besides my picking problem, and even started doing better with that because i wasn't gettin many pimples, then within the past month or so, i started breaking out bad, real bad, i was trying to wait it out, but it kept getting worse. so i went to the DR. and he gave me Doxycycline, but 2 days later i had to start taking prednisone for poison ivy (which i found out the other day makes you break out). i have been staying on the Doxy too, and was done with the prednisone 3 days ago. i am still taking the Doxy and even took double my dose last nite. my skin keeps getting worse!! everyday i get like 10 to 20 more pimples and not just my face, on my back and chest too. i am now at the point that i am worse than ever in my life. i went to the DR. again today and she just wants to put me back on BCPs! because of my insurance, its very hard to get to the derm. i went one time and was so disapointed because he just gave me more antibiotics which i told him weren't even working anymore!! i don't know why they keep going back to stuff that didn't work for me! i don't know what to do because i don't know where this awful breakout came from!! nothing has really changed i can think of as far as diet, sleeping schedule, other meds., ect. and as far as stress goes, my life is always been stressful, and if anything its been better lately because i am done school and in an internship which i really enjoy. but it is very hard to show my face anywhere in public because of this acne, and worst of all my internship is at a dermatologists office!! i was actually wondering why they even let me work there, i might scare the patients away!!! i also don't know the DR.s or other workers there well enough to be comfortable bringin this up, also i am there to work, not to get them to help me like that, so i feel it would be inapropriate too. I am just so depressed and scared because everyday my skin gets worse, and its already so bad, litterally i am covered on my face, neck, chest and back with millions of bumps and pimples! i feel like i want to hide in my house forever. but i don't want to lose my internship, or stay away from everyone forever, i feel like i have to. why would this happen in my mid 20's anyone know?? i am sorry this is so long. but i really need to talk to someone!

[arock]

hi realsad. my acne started in earnest when i was 22, and for no apparent reason. this is common, and becoming more so. sounds like what you need (in my no way a professional opinion) is accutane, and the medical coverage to pay for it. if you can make an appointment with the derm that you intern for, you won't feel so much like you look like you're looking for a handout, and see what he/she has to say about it. i've also heard that there are other drugs that are effective, like spirolactin. i'd also look into a good bcp, like yasmin, or one of the ortho brands. i used ortho novum 7-7-7 with a good result for many years. the patch, ortho evra, was super bad on my skin, i'm now using yasmin, which has been very uneventful.

you're breaking out because of a hormone shift, most likely, combined with some other factors, stress, diet, lack of sleep, genetic predisposition. cut out the caffeine, sugar and dairy, see if that helps. for other dietary advice look up sweetjade on this board, she's the guru on that sort of thing. also, prednisone doesn't break you out, although over time it may cause you to gain weight. i've been prescribed predinsone to help get very severe breakouts under control, am on it right now, in fact. so that's not it. i know you're frusterated. you need the advice of a skin professional, and have what sounds like a wonderful and convenient resource, you really should try to get over your pain and embarrassment and seek some help for yourself. you would do it for someone you love, right? love yourself, help yourself, and keep checking in here, there are so many others who have experienced what you are going through, and most of us are in various stages of treating it.

there's good support here. keep us posted, okay? take care, ali

[realsad]

hi thankyou so much for your empathy. i am just so greatful to come and interact with people who understand how i feel. it can be so discouraging to keep trying things without luck. even though acne is superficial, it can really hurt inside so much and effect everything in your life. i think people who do not have it really have a hard time understanding that. i really apriciate these boards. i was wondering has anyone who used doxycyline not had a good experience?, i am not sure if i should just give that up now, or wait another week or so. i think it must not be good to stay on for too long. but i am also scared to stop taking it. i am such a mess i am sorry to be repetative in feeling so awful about this

[Allison1125]

hi realsad...i can relate to what you're going through. i am 25 & my skin just keeps getting worse. all the topical meds my derm prescribed made my eczema flare, so she put me on antibiotic pills like doxy. they never worked for me. all i got from the pills were yeast infections...fun! so now i'm going the birth control pill route. just started 3 months ago but i'm not noticing any change in my skin...just better periods & no cramps. i'm hoping it just takes time. the only thing i've had success with lately is the aspirin mask that i read about on this board. so how long have you been taking the doxy? if its under 2 weeks i'd say stick with it a little longer, as long as you have no adverse side effects. if its over 2 weeks, you might want to talk to your derm...maybe get a higher dose. my derm upped my mgs when i told her they werent helping. unfortunately, i think it just doesnt work for some people though...like me. i hope everything starts to clear up soon...good luck to you!

[pick_n_pock]

Oh you poor sweetie

I have never had severe body acne but I do know what it is like to have to walk around with a face full and I mean FULL of pimples...not much fun to say the least.

To me it sounds like you need to give your skin some time to calm down and i don't know find its balance. Whether that "balance" be no new pimples every day or 10 new pimples everyday. Your skin has been through hell lately I think it just needs a bit of TLC before you start thinking about different courses of treatment, acne treating topicals, continuing antibiotics, diet, accutane.

But since you are already on antibiotics it might be best to stick with them for a while longer. The last thing your skin needs is another dramatic change.

Recently my skin began to break out severely again after a happy two years of so of being mostly clear with a few mild breakouts every so often. This was because I was no longer able to find two of my staple skincare products in Australia (Burts Bees Wild Lettuce Soap and Neutrogena Healthy Skin Lotion) and was forced to try and find substitutes with disastrous results. I'm talking 20+ pimples with at least 5 new ones everyday (not the worst state my skin has been in but bad enough)

But lately I am having very good results with a fairly gentle regime that uses almost no acne-medicated products. I now have 2 pustules on my left cheek (and one healing that I picked, as my name suggests I have a problem with this ) and a few papules around my chin and cheeks (but I don't really mind these little guys... it's the big pus filled monsters I loathe) Not perfect but it's a huge improvement on where I was two months ago.

I'm still tweaking my regime but it might be worth you taking a look at

Morning
Cleanse with warm water
Spot treat with Aloe Vera Gel (Fruit of the Earth 100%)
Moisturise

Night
Cleanse with gentle (non acne-medicated) cleanser (twice if I have makeup on)
Apply Apple Cider Vinegar Solution (1 part ACV 2 or 3 parts Water = 1:2 or 1:3)
Apply Aloe Vera Gel all over affected Areas
Moisturise
Spot Treat with Aloe Vera Gel

Exfoliation
1-2 times a week with St Ives Medicated Apricot Scrub

Also since your taking antibiotics it might be worth while looking at things like liver cleansing supplements (Milk Thistle etc) and also probiotic supplements or drinks (to help replenish the good natural bacteria in your digestive system that antibiotics kill off)

Well good luck...Information is your greatest weapon and boards like these contain alot of genuinely helpful advice.

Try and be patient (yes I know how hard this is) and keep your hopes up

All the Best