Another day in the fight

[wholegrain]

Well I finally went and saw a doctor about my face. Not a dermatologist, because I'm in the process of moving to another city and don't have time to find one. My general practitioner prescribed me topical gel erythromycin-benzoyl peroxide and 100 mg a day of oral doxycycl. So far, very unhappy with both.

I put the topical gel on last night as instructed. Woke up this morning with a very itchy, dry, red and spotchy face. Moisturizer didn't help, it still itches like crazy. I took one doxy pill on an empty stomach, as the package said to. Started feeling nauseous almost immediately and within 30 minutes I was in the emergency room, unable to stop vomiting. The doctor said it was a normal side effect, but I've never vomited before in my life and was terrified. I also felt dizzy, shaky, and had tunnel vision.

So the doctor prescribed me a different antibiotic I'm to try. I'm pretty nervous about it and I'm not sure if I'll even take it. I also have the Cellfood-type product someone gave me, and the Cordain books all on my list of things to try. If none of these work I think I will see a naturopath or something similar.

Wish me luck.

[babygirl2005_21]

You don't have to take doxy on an empty stomach! I took it for 2 years and I would take it about 1hr. after I ate. You need to have something in your stomach. It's a great drug if you can stick with it. Be careful with the new topical don't apply too much. Just a thin layer all over your face. Good luck!

[stojack]

Hi WholeGrain,
It's me again. I would beg of you to try the diet thing first to see if that will have any effect on your acne. The only reason to try that first, is I delayed my own discovery and suffered hairloss as a result of Yasmin because I just wanted instant gratification. I was too afraid to try diet, cause it seemed too hokey, I mean come on after 20 some years of battle, it can't possibly be that simple, right??? Yasmin worked really well for my acne, so did bactrim and b5, but they all had bad side effects. I also tried accutane in my early twenties, and it didn't work for long at all. I read something interesting last night about why accutane works. This may not be exact, but it has to do with insulin resistance and the way accutane improves this condition thereby improving the acne. This was pointed out by a poster named Sweetjade who was very active on these boards and cites a great deal of medical papers to support all her suggestions. (do a google on 'sweetjade acne' to find some of her wonderful postings) I've read some interesting studies that indicate that acne sufferers continue beyond teen years (years of natural insulin resistance due to the tremendous growth at this stage of life) to remain in a state of insulin resistance, which would appear to explain why diet as a means to control blood sugar and insulin response is effective at controlling acne. Bottom line, I delayed trying diet cause' yasmin was a quick fix and like i said it did in fact work, but hairloss was not an option. it's interesting to note that i was being pretty good about restricting sugar while on yasmin but if i did splruge like at thanksgiving, i would have a breakout. I like you wanted to be as natural as possible and grew concerned with years of different drugs to take care of the problem. I wish you the best in whatever you decide, but i thought i'd share my experience because i know the strong desire to get a quick fix. The good news is if you do choose diet first, most people experience at least a lessening of severity within a week or so.

Good luck,
marianne

[wholegrain]

Thanks Marianne. I am totally open to reading the Cordain book(s), the only thing stopping me right now is funds. They didn't have the book at the used bookstore and I can't download pdf with my crappy old computer. I promise it is on my list of things to try though.

[lindam]

Originally Posted by stojack

Hi WholeGrain,
I read something interesting last night about why accutane works. This may not be exact, but it has to do with insulin resistance and the way accutane improves this condition thereby improving the acne. This was pointed out by a poster named Sweetjade who was very active on these boards and cites a great deal of medical papers to support all her suggestions. (do a google on 'sweetjade acne' to find some of her wonderful postings)

Hah! Sweetjade1 was my guru too.

I've read in many places claims that it is unknown how accutane benefits acne. But I've also read the insulin thing. And there are other, less dangerous ways to improve insulin resistance such as diet, exercise and diabetes medications like metformin. Sweetjade has mentioned metformin.

WholeGrain, if you can't afford the book, then try searching for Sweetjade1 posts. You'll find her contributing to all the really valuable discussions about diet, supplements, medications, etc. With people who eventually stopped posting here because their skin is now clear. I'm still here because I check some other boards, but they aren't that active. There's always something new on the acne board.

You could also try doing something like the Perricone 3-day face lift diet and see if that results in an improvement. The Perricone diet involves eating Salmon twice a day, and eggs, fruits like melon and blueberries, green vegetables and some nuts for a snack. You'll find it for free on the web. There has been a lengthy discussion here from a guy promoting eating a similar diet for 3 days resulting in an improvement in oily skin and blemishes that should prove to most that diet is worthwhile. Not limited to Salmon, but any good protein like chicken breast.

I don't really know if you'll see an improvement in 3 days because I just started eating better and got results. I don't know how fast.