Going to the Doc about spots

2011-03-20T15:15:00.000-07:00

So after trying so many different remedies that haven't worked and after realising that somedays my acne made me feel like crap and that they're causing scars, I decided to go to the doctor about it to get something better than the antibiotics I'd been prescribed years previously. I'd already heard quite a bit about Dianette through friends, magazines and the internet so I asked the doctor to prescribe it to me. I've been on it for nearly three months now but I don't think it's having any effects.

Back in December I had an appointment with the Endochrinologist for Hirsutism and she noticed my bad acne so referred me to her friend the Dermatologist. I've had lots of blood tests checking for reasons behind my hirsutism and my acne, mostly checking hormone levels. Everything is apparently normal, except my Prolactin levels are very high but that doesn't cause hirsutism or acne. To me it seems like there's something wrong with my hormones but the doctors say it's normal and there's no reason behind my symptoms. I've also had an ultrasound done to rule put PCOS but apparently I don't have that. Anyway I've been taking Spironolactone for the hirsutism for about a year and a half and this is also supposed to help improve acne but no such luck and to be honest I don't see my legs looking much smoother either.

At the start of this month I finally got to see a dermatologist. I was really excited about this and wish I'd been referred years ago. I was seen first by one doctor and then the consultant came along with a trainee who he was teaching which was fine. The consultant looked at my face and pointed out the type of spots I had to the trainee and pointed out the scars too. He then suggested I go on the Isotretinoin Roaccutane. I'd read about this before so was prepared. Roaccutane or Accutane is basically the ultimate treatment for acne. It's a last resort because of the side effects. Some people call it a wonder drug but more say being on it was the worse period of their lives!! The dermatologists gave me a big long spiel about it, thoroughly explaining the side effects and gave me one general booklet on it and one specifically about contraception and roaccutane.
The common side effects off the top of my head are:
1) Dry skin
2) Chelosis - dry lips
3) Acne may worsen initially (The consultant said that I could not afford for my acne to get any worse so he'll start me on a lower dose)
Possible side effects are:
1) Becoming depressed or developing other mental illnesses
2) Tightness in chest/ difficulty breathing as a result of an allergic reaction
3) Excessive thirst, frequent need to urinate, increased blood sugar levels (Diabetes)
4) Blurred vision
5) Inflammation of the kidneys
6) Birth defects if you get pregnant
7) Can weaken your immune system

So I have been well warned and have done a lot of research on the subject! I've had to do a blood test to check for something to do with my liver and cholesterol. They asked me about my mental health and I've been depressed before so they're going to get my records from my old GP. I have another appointment at the hospital at the end of the month. If my bloods are okay and I'm not too crazy, I'll then have to do two pregnancy tests before they'll eventually give me a prescription for Roaccutane. Thereafter I'll have to pop into my GP each month to do a pregnancy test before getting the next months prescription (even though you have to be on two different contraceptives in order to be prescribed Roaccutane ) and she'll probably ask if it's effecting my mood.

I've looked at differet blogs online and forums about other peoples experiences and I am still planning on going on it. I just want to get rid of it once and for all and if I start to get any side effects that can't be fixed with some moisturiser, I can always come off it.

History

2011-03-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

I have had acne since I was ten so that's about twelve years and counting. The first time I went to the doctor about acne, I wasn't old enough to be prescribed any tablets for acne so I was given a topical solution. I have no idea what it was called but it was in a skinny, cylindrical, matte- glass bottle with a spongey cloth tip that you just dabbed onto the skin. After that I took antibiotics a few times to get rid of the spots but I honestly can not remember how successful these were, so I think it's safe to say the results were unremarkable and didn't clear my acne.

I have tried so many different skin care products and I am still none the wiser as to which works best. The only one that I went back to a few times was a cream clean and clear cleanser. The gels or liquid always seemed harsh, whereas cream based ones felt more gentle on the skin. I tried Cliniques skin range for about two years but despite being expensive and tailored to my skin, it didn't clear my skin. Nowadays I try to stick to those with natural ingredients that are gentle on the skin. I worked in a health shop for a while last year so that influences my choices a wee bit. I was using nothing but products from the health shop for at least 6 months and that did not improve my skin at all, if anything my skin got worse.

I went back to using a chemical laden traditional skin regime using clean and clear for a month or two recently and that didn't help. At the moment I am using La Roche Posay which I believe is the only brand recommended by dermatologists so it must be good...

Oh as a New Years resolution, I vowed to tackle my acne seriously. So I've been doing this in a few ways:
1) I try drink a cup of apple cider vinegar and manuka honey a day
2)I steam my face once or twice a week using yarrow tea and recently some drops of lavender oil
3)I drink 2litres of water a day(well I did for the first month or two!)
4)I had been taking fish oils for the omegas in them for a few months
5) And of course I cleansed and moisturised with 'good' skin care products twice a day.

I have spent hours upon hours trawling every site to do with acne and have tried so many different approaches. I am obsessed! I don't want to waste time worrying about my skin any longer, so lets hope this blog will be an account of how I finally get rid of this monster!

Acne Diaries

Going to the Doc about spots

History