Acne Advice Thread

GaillimhGuy1

Have had back acne for ages, but never did anything with it. Anyways, I have made an appointment with GP about it. Is it silly to be making an appointment with a GP for this? I have onl ever went to GP when I have actually been sick in the past.

But the acne bothers me when I am in sports changing rooms etc. Also, it results in blood on sheets sometimes...

Trader1991

GaillimhGuy1 wrote: »

Have had back acne for ages, but never did anything with it. Anyways, I have made an appointment with GP about it. Is it silly to be making an appointment with a GP for this? I have onl ever went to GP when I have actually been sick in the past.

But the acne bothers me when I am in sports changing rooms etc. Also, it results in blood on sheets sometimes...

how bad is it?..
Im on a drug called accutane now because of my chest and back acne. Its working well too. Id recommend oral medication for acne in general because its more of a permanent solution than a gel or a face wash

La_Gordy

GallimhGuy1,

Trader1991 is right about accutane, it is a very strong and successful treatment. I personally wouldn't like it as I think it has been linked to depression and suicide (or is that roaccutane?) but maybe that's just in extreme rare examples. I really can't tell you enough how Quinoderm cream really improved my acne but I know how for a cream the back could be quite awkward.
That said, do go to the GP. You'll need to get their go ahead if you want to go for accutane and don't worry about talking to the GP about it!

Good luck!

yer man!

I'm on roaccutane at the moment (old american name was accutane). Seems to be doing the job and i'm only on it for the past two weeks. When you go to the GP if your acne isn't severe generally they'll try you on an antibiotic for a few months to clear up your acne. Minocycline was what I was on. If that doesn't work (didn't for me), then they'll refer you to a dermatologist. Here you have two choices, public or private. Going public takes about 2 years to get an appointment in UHG but going private is a matter of weeks but it does cost ≈ €150. I went private and got an appointment in one week, was prescribed roaccutane (40mg/day) for the first month. Prescription was €100 for the month and will increase to €120 for consecutive months as the dosage will be increased. I would highly recommend going to your GP and ask for advice, it's so much better having nice clear smooth skin after 8 years of having a crappy red bumpy face. Now there is side effects which your doc will discuss with you, one of which is the initial breakout when put on the drug which i'm now coming out of. Good luck.

Trader1991

yer man! wrote: »

I'm on roaccutane at the moment (old american name was accutane). Seems to be doing the job and i'm only on it for the past two weeks. When you go to the GP if your acne isn't severe generally they'll try you on an antibiotic for a few months to clear up your acne. Minocycline was what I was on. If that doesn't work (didn't for me), then they'll refer you to a dermatologist. Here you have two choices, public or private. Going public takes about 2 years to get an appointment in UHG but going private is a matter of weeks but it does cost ≈ €150. I went private and got an appointment in one week, was prescribed roaccutane (40mg/day) for the first month. Prescription was €100 for the month and will increase to €120 for consecutive months as the dosage will be increased. I would highly recommend going to your GP and ask for advice, it's so much better having nice clear smooth skin after 8 years of having a crappy red bumpy face. Now there is side effects which your doc will discuss with you, one of which is the initial breakout when put on the drug which i'm now coming out of. Good luck.

I got three months accutane in Ireland and im now on my 4th and final month in Austria. Im on Erasmus(study placement) and the cost of getting accutane in Ireland is so much more than in Austria.
All I did to get my prescription in Austria was to got to a local clinic(without an appointment), get my bloods taken there and then, Come back an hour later where I met a derm who advised me and gave me a prescription.
All the above was FREE!! I then went to the pharmacy where I was charged 10euro for a months supply!

xxkazxx

Hi,

I've just be prescribed Duac gel for mild acne and went to collect my prescription and was shocked to see it was 33 euro for a 25g tube!!!
Is this a reasonable price?
If anyone could help I'd be very greatful!
Thanks.

yer man!

Trader1991 wrote: »

I got three months accutane in Ireland and im now on my 4th and final month in Austria. Im on Erasmus(study placement) and the cost of getting accutane in Ireland is so much more than in Austria.
All I did to get my prescription in Austria was to got to a local clinic(without an appointment), get my bloods taken there and then, Come back an hour later where I met a derm who advised me and gave me a prescription.
All the above was FREE!! I then went to the pharmacy where I was charged 10euro for a months supply!

Ya can't beat free healthcare and massively subsidized prescriptions....

yer man!

Need a quick answer, just wondering if E45 is a good moisturizer to use during roaccutane treatment? will it cause a breakout?

Aoibheann

Merged with Acne Advice thread. Hopefully you can get some answers here.

Back Prince

I've had really bad ance for years but just got sick of the lotions and creams and stopped putting them on my face. I stopped touching my faces as much as possible and exercise and eat well and drink loads of water and it is prob the best my face was been prob cause my natural skin tone has come back.

Mr.Fun

I too had severe acne and was put on accutane by my dermatoligist.I had 6 months on Accutane.Having finished my treatment after 3 months being off the drug my face was fine. But soon my acne came back as bad as it was. It works when your on it but once you go off it ..........................

GaillimhGuy1

GP prescribed Minocycline for 6 weeks. She didnt seem to think it was too severe, but it had actually cleared somewhat the day I got around to the GP; it was still pretty bad though. Its ok for her; She's not embarassed to learn to swim, or she doesnt have to worry about the fact I have to wear a T-Shirt under my shirt always in case my back starts bleeding!

I'll see how i'll get on with this stuff. She did mention the other stuff was linked to suicide, and would only really be prescribed by a specialist.

Baile an Locha

xxkazxx wrote: »

Hi,

I've just be prescribed Duac gel for mild acne and went to collect my prescription and was shocked to see it was 33 euro for a 25g tube!!!
Is this a reasonable price?
If anyone could help I'd be very greatful!
Thanks.

I was shocked when I first had to pay that too but I really think it's worth it, definitely cleared up the majority of acne on my face! Not so great on Neck or Back though!

eire2009

I know different skin types and hormones etc but after 10 years of mild-medium acne, I have through trial and error found these were the causes for me. Some tips.

1) Change pillow cases,sheets towls as often as possible.

2) Dont eat any bread, pasteries, wheat or yeast based products. Apart from products like these causing inflammation its a good trial to test if you allergic(I am)

3) Smoking dosnt cause spots but it will increase the time it takes to heal one


4) Alcohol contains yeast, draft or cloudy beers are the worst for it stick to bottled beers or cans as their filtered more even better take a break from it for a month or two

5) Citrus fruits also contain yeast and for me also is a no no (I dont eat any fruits now as havent since stopped I aint had one ingrowing hair)

6) Spot creams and washes only work in the short term you should aim to rid yourself for these products, logically for the companies making billions every year its in their best interest not to cure you :rolleyes:. They also dry your skin out making it produce more oil


7) Dove moisturising soap has the same ph as skin so it dosnt dry out you skin like other soaps reducing the need for it to produce oils. Its the only product Ive used that hasnt had a negative effect on my skin.

8) Sunshine how your skin loves the vitamin A plus the tan hides the blemishes

9) Crush a aspirin/paracetamol add a bit of water rub it into the effected areas or leave on as a mask the salicylic acid helps dry out the spot, also quiet good after a shave for ingrown hairs.


10) Honey and baking powder masks are great for reducing black heads around the nose


11) A allergy test might be a good idea I never bothered tho I heard of things like dairy, eggs certain proteins, red meat an cause spots all of which I don’t eat.


12)Salads, veg, rice, fish, chicken, pork noodles, chocolate, sweets, potato based chips are all fine for me.

Major causes for me were bread, spot products, citrus fruits everything else was just fine tuning. Still get the odd one or two if I go heavy on the beer but at least I know the cause.

About a year it took to figure that all that out.

lukesmom

haven't had a spot in years since early 20's and for the past 2 weeks I have gotten red bumps on my face, I have counted almost 11!!!!! Im in my early 30s. This is very distressing to me as I feel like I shouldn't be getting this at my age. They are hard and quite sore. Anyway I have booked the doctor for tomorrow so hopefully he gives me something that works quickly enough as they are horrible looking. I wonder why they have cropped up like this inside 2 weeks and not got any for years except the odd one. I've had a very stressful year lost my brother (22) suddenly last March and have been going through alot of trauma and grief and the inquest was last week which I attended so I wonder is it linked to this? Anyway hope i get sorted.

Baile an Locha

Okay this might sound like a ridiculous question but here goes,
I'm on Roaccuntane for the last two weeks on a fairly small dose as my dermatologist is planning to increase the dosage after every consultation as I've mild acne on my face but very bad on my back. I asked her about drinking alcohol while on Roaccutane (I'm a student with a fairly active social life which usually involves heading to the pub with friends), she said that I could have the odd pint "once in a blue moon".
What would happen if I drank a normal student amount at my christmas party next week? If I pace myself is it allowed or is alcohol a definite NO?
Would really like feedback and advice? As this will be a very rare event and plan to abstain fully from alcohol for the duration of the course after next week.

J_E

I've heard alcohol has different effects on different people. Some drink heavily and feel nothing while for others it's really messed with their heads and body. Best get a second opinion on this one.

Also, what's a 'normal student amount' :P

Here's another thread on it:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=53057369

jumpguy

Baile an Locha wrote: »

Okay this might sound like a ridiculous question but here goes,
I'm on Roaccuntane for the last two weeks on a fairly small dose as my dermatologist is planning to increase the dosage after every consultation as I've mild acne on my face but very bad on my back. I asked her about drinking alcohol while on Roaccutane (I'm a student with a fairly active social life which usually involves heading to the pub with friends), she said that I could have the odd pint "once in a blue moon".
What would happen if I drank a normal student amount at my christmas party next week? If I pace myself is it allowed or is alcohol a definite NO?
Would really like feedback and advice? As this will be a very rare event and plan to abstain fully from alcohol for the duration of the course after next week.

Roaccutane's pretty hefty for the liver, and I take it you're probably getting regular blood tests to monitor liver function?

Obvs advising you to drink or not would constitute as health advice, but I'd advise you to give your dermatologist a call and enquire about what might be a safe amount to drink in one night (but be warned, it'll probably be a low figure - like a pint or two - or she'll advise none at all :P ).

Aoibheann

Baile an Locha wrote: »

Okay this might sound like a ridiculous question but here goes,
I'm on Roaccuntane for the last two weeks on a fairly small dose as my dermatologist is planning to increase the dosage after every consultation as I've mild acne on my face but very bad on my back. I asked her about drinking alcohol while on Roaccutane (I'm a student with a fairly active social life which usually involves heading to the pub with friends), she said that I could have the odd pint "once in a blue moon".
What would happen if I drank a normal student amount at my christmas party next week? If I pace myself is it allowed or is alcohol a definite NO?
Would really like feedback and advice? As this will be a very rare event and plan to abstain fully from alcohol for the duration of the course after next week.

Unfortunately we cannot give out medical advice on boards.ie for legal reasons. Please contact your dermatologist if you have any questions relating to your medication.

yer man!

The information leaflet that comes with the roaccutane says during the course of treatment a significantly lower amount of alcohol is allowed but it is advised that you don't drink at all. I'm finishing my second month now, I didn't drink at all for the first month and had a couple of drinks spaced about a week apart on the second month. Now my derm gave me the go ahead on this as my blood tests were perfect. Talk to your derm as everyone is different. On a side note you tend to get drunker with less alcohol so be careful if your derm says it's ok and for the love of god don't drink gin!! this drug can cause depression very easily and alcohol can make things much worse...

anon cable

A full on squeeze until each spot is completely evacuated followed by thorough cleaning with medicated soap and then complete immersion of the area by witch hazel - this method works

Bazinga_N

Just wondering if anyone has any comments on the Neutrogena Pink facial scrub? Got it today and was wondering if anyone found it any good? Hope it works I have pretty bad acne on my face and nothing I've used has worked yet! Anyways, any advice?

yer man!

Bazinga_N wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone has any comments on the Neutrogena Pink facial scrub? Got it today and was wondering if anyone found it any good? Hope it works I have pretty bad acne on my face and nothing I've used has worked yet! Anyways, any advice?

I found non of those products to work for me at all, that was just me however. If you can afford it I would highly recommend seeing your GP to discuss options, they can start you on antibiotics or some creams that seem to work for a lot of people and as a last resort, like myself, send you to a consultant to really annihilate the stuff. Com[pletely acne free for 7 months now after consultant treatment and ~€1000 and never been happier, best money ever spent.

youngblood

I was on roaccutane when I was younger, about 16

It cured me and changed my life..back swimming, not self conscious, the usual

In mid 30s now, and over the last 2 weeks have had a big flare up, mainly on back, but to be honest it feels like Im 16 again with the flare up on my back, sore, weepy, oozy large spots/bumps, the acne I had years ago!

Could It be time to go back on roaccuntane again?
Anyone ever experience a regression later in life after taking roaccuntane?

Lawliet

youngblood wrote: »

Could It be time to go back on roaccuntane again?
Anyone ever experience a regression later in life after taking roaccuntane?

We can't give out medical advise on boards. Any questions about medication should be directed at a professional.

youngblood

Question shouldve been phrased

Has anyone who's used roaccutane here when younger, ever had to go back on another course later in life?

yer man!

youngblood wrote: »

Question shouldve been phrased

Has anyone who's used roaccutane here when younger, ever had to go back on another course later in life?

Not me personally no but one of my friends have, she just finished her third round of it, has been battling it for years. For her, the relapse was nowhere near as bad as the original one but it still bothered her so she kept going on it, as advised by her derm, it does seem to have finally worked for her now.

My derm told me that there would be a possibility of a relapse but that if I was to go back on another course of it, that the odds of it being completely eradicated are very high.

Siog-Alainn

youngblood wrote: »

Question shouldve been phrased

Has anyone who's used roaccutane here when younger, ever had to go back on another course later in life?

I was on it from June 10 to Feb 11 and it worked wonders. He had warned me when I finished that a small percentage of patients require a second course. Towards the end of the summer, I started breaking out again but put it down to stress of going into final year, going camping and not taking make up off before sleeping etc but it never went away so I went back to the dermatologist in November. He put me on something else first to see if it would clear but ultimately I had another course of Roaccutane this year from February to the end of August. So far so good and he's hopeful I won't have to return to him.

anirishlad

Anybody have spots in weird places? My neck and ears(yeah i know :P) are absolutely covered in spots

Jamie Starr

Programme on BBC 3 tonight around 9pm about acne. It's the Beeb so it probably won't be whizz-bang rubbish like Channel 4 stuff, could be interesting. It'll probably address the pros and cons of stuff like Roaccutane along with other things.

Seems like a positive thing either way, acne should be recognised as a skin disease rather than a case of "teenage troubles". Might be worth a watch for all y'all.