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Horrible Cystic Acne rant
My face is a mess.
A total and complete mess.
I have been breaking out really badly for the last 2 months mainly on my chin. And sometimes on my cheek.
And they're those horrible cystic pimples that last for weeks and hurt like hell. I actually had to make an emergency visit to a derm on Friday to get 4 of them injected with cortisone. He told me that it's because my face is so irritated from using too much Tazorac cream and that's what caused them all to flare up at once.
But I have my own theory...
I started back on wellbutrin 2 months ago...that's when the pimples started up. So I decided to do a little test. I stopped taking the wellbutrin for 4 days...in that time no new pimples..started back on them yesterday...
I woke up today.
2 new ones..BAD ones. One of them is actually like 2 cystic pimples in one!!
I really don't want to stop my wellbutrin because I was horribly depressed before I went back on it. I mean not wanting to get out of bed depressed..avoiding people..even avoiding stripperweb...now I'm starting to feel like my old self again and I'm pretty happy except for the fact that I don't want to leave my apartment looking like the before picture of a proactive ad.
So anyway,
I asked my derm about accutane, to which he say's 'no way', because my skin is fine aside from the cystic pimples. I'm already on Anti-biotics. I've been using the tazorac for about a month, and now 5% benzoyl peroxide cream he gave me as well, I take a ton of Vitamins everyday. Nothing's helping me. It's to the point where I dread looking in the mirror. I'm frustrated beyond belief because when I get one I know it will be there for a good week plus it's going to leave a red mark behind.
I don't know what I should do. If nothings working and I can't take accutane am I just supposed to live with these pimples? I can't go off the wellbutrin...I just can't feel that way again..and I have tried most other anti-depressants and they don't work well on me.
Has anyone else ever been on wellbutrin and had acne as a side effect? I'm wondering if it will go away after awhile or not. I read that I could be allergic to the dye they coat the pills with, but wouldn't that cause a rash?
Sorry this is long and drawn out I guess I'm just in need of some support and if I'm lucky some suggestions from you guy's. I mean this is just ridiculous. I'm 24 years old and my skins the worst it's ever been.
If anyone knows of any treatments, creams, herbs..ANYTHING..that has helped them please tell I'm at my wits end and willing to try just about anything at this point.
I do feel a little better after venting in this rant though....
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
Have you tried tea tree oil?
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
I had the same reaction to Ortho-Tricyclin, which is a birth control pill that's supposed to eliminate acne. I had pretty clear skin before that, with the occasional minor breakout, but the cystic acne I got on that drug was disgusting. My skin was crawling by itself... yuck. I switched to another pill and it went away.
It does sound like you have to choose between depression or acne, or you can get off the dope and try non-chemical psychology. When I was having bad panic attacks all the time, they initially tried to drug me, but the drug was awful. I learned over a few months of psychotherapy how to manage my panic attacks and now I hardly ever get them. Drugs aren't always the only answer.
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
If the acne appears when you take medication, I would try taking milk thistle. It could be a sign that your body is having trouble breaking down the medication or that your liver is working overtime. It's worth a try
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
How long have you been on taz? If it's less than 12 weeks, you'll probably see some improvement after 3 months of use.
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
Vy- I can't stand the smell of the tea tree oil and how it makes my pillow smell like it..and besides I don't think it would work on the pimples I have I mean these are like infections under my skin...they're awful...thanks for the suggestion though:)
Yek- I have been going to both a psychiatrist AND a therapist once a week and was diagnosed with Post Traumatic stress syndrome, chronic depression and anxiety.
I had some really traumatic events happen to me this summer all in the same period of time which is why I have PTSD.
I was trying to treat it with the therapy alone at first, but all I could do was cry. I would sit down to talk and just start crying.......
then it got to the point where when I felt any strong emotions I would get so uncomfortable I would just sort of shut myself off and feel numb.
I was getting nowhere....and crying myself to sleep everynight.
So even though I really am not a huge fan of putting such major chemicals in my body they have helped me so much. I was just such a freaking mess before and I have made so much progress since I've combined the drugs & therapy. I just have a gut feeling that the wellbutrin is causing the acne, but man, I don't want to be that sad again...which is why I was really hoping that maybe once my body got totally used to it the acne would stop.
But....If my body is fighting the wellbutrin that makes me question if it's harming other areas of my body as well that I can't see...like my liver, ect... and that the acne is my body's way of telling me that the meds are toxic.
Fuck, I just want to be happy AND have clear skin is that so much to ask?
I wonder if there is some way of doing a blood tet to find out if I'm having an adverse reaction to the meds. because going completely off is not an option.
You would think there would be something out there to at least help with the cystic pimples other than getting a shot everytime I have one:-\
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
I'm on Wellbutrin right now and my skin's actually been better . . . I haven't heard of that kind of side effect with antidepressants but I suppose it's possible.
There's a bunch of other meds you could try but I'd ask the doc and see what she thinks.
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
Tampa- I just started taking Milk Thistle 2 days ago I'm hoping that will help. I also added 100 mg of Zinc and 8,000 I.U of Vitamin A to my regimen. The anti- biotic im on is doxycycline 100 mg which I take once in the morning and once at night...it's doing absolutly nothing to help with the acne though.
LSM- I started the tazorac about 4 weeks ago.
I was putting it on several times a day...
.....massive amounts of it to....
which is why my skin started getting so irritated.
It's very sensitive, red ,and peeling. I can't even wear makeup because it will flake off. I've since adjusted the ammount. I put a pin size drop all over my whole face once at night like my derm recommended. I was overdoing that stuff big time. And boy am I paying for that...
I mean I know that stuff can make your face get better before it get's worse...but could it be making it this bad??
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
oh dear God that is WAY too much! I'm glad you've adjusted your regimen. I'm sorry to say that you are probably purging right now and it likely won't really improve for another 4-8 weeks. Use the BP during the day and the taz at night. (I use retin-a but the protocol is similar if not identical) It's ok to do the taz every other night too if your skin is too irritated.
And yes, when starting retinoids your skin typically gets REALLY bad before it starts to clear up. If you can stick with it long term though it is actually very good for your skin. You need to wear sunscreen though or you risk damaging your skin because retinoids make your skin more susceptible to uv damage.
Hang in there!
p.s. I'm glad you're feeling better.
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
Susan-Thing is I have very fair, very sensitive skin that pretty much reacts to anything I put on it, or anything I put it my body. I'm one of those people that can only wear real gold, and who's face get's red from drinking.
I have tried so many anti-depressants and they just don't work on me. My body sucks so much in how it reacts to chemicals...I get retarded and tired & my head get's all foggy. Wellbutrin actually makes me feel more awake. I mean the sweating and jitterness suck but it's better than feeling like I'm a zombie.
I've tried so many freaking anti-depressants it's just pathetic. Here's a list of the most recent off the top of my head.
Cymbalta
Zoloft
effexor
None of those worked....
I have never tried paxil or lexapro because I've heard so many horror stories...Prozac I'm actually considering but the side effects...mainly the weight gain have scared me out of trying that...but prozac may be in the future if the side effects from the wellbutrin get any worse.
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
LSM-So my skin is purging out all of the bacteria? Oh man, I probably will be breaking out for awhile then. I think I'll take your suggestion to just use the Taz every other day for a few weeks so my skin will calm down a bit. I'm in Chicago and the cold and wind are not helping me one bit.
I'm putting just a little of the BP on in the morning after I wash my face with a mild soap and it is very drying. I actually had some of my skin peel right off the other morning how gross is that?!!
Thanks for all the tips..im glad to know im not alone here...so how long did it take your skin to adjust to the cream you use? And did you have a massive ammount of pimples crop up after you started on it as well?
If I didn't look so atrocious I would post a picture of my chin to show you guys just how bad it is, but I don't want to ruin anybodys meal in case you happen to be eating while reading this thread...
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
One more thing...does anybody know if the Tazorac will eventually help fade some of the red marks from old pimples...and current one's for that matter?
since my skin is literally peeling off I figured maybe it would help with them. Something good has to come from all this suffering, right?
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
I started on .025% retin-a cream every 3rd night for several weeks before bumping it up to every other night for several weeks and then every night. My derm eased me into it so my skin could gradually acclimate to the stuff because as you've found out if IS very strong and irritating. If your skin is terribly irritated you can use every 3rd night without losing any benefits until your skin gets more used to it.
Currently I use .1% RAM but am going to switch over to .1% taz because it's a stronger retinoid. My skin looked like shit for awhile. I still would get occasional breakouts but my skin is looking alot nicer in the past 3 weeks since I've added a 5% BP wash in the morning.
Just be gentle with your skin and keep your hands off of your face unless you're washing it. You really should wear sunscreen in the daytime also. I know that might seem like you'll clog pores or make the acne worse...but you should be able to find something agreeable with your skin. Eucerin makes a moisterizer for sensitive skin with spf 30. I like that one alot.
You should pm Scarlett Vancouver...she loves her taz.
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
Mag,
You are assuming it's the anti-depressant causing the acne. Have you had your derm contact your shrink and chat? Sorry if you already tried this step and I missed it above.
And, yeah, Chicago weather--coldest in 3 decades!--cannot be helping your skin either.
The bright side is that, judging from the tone of your posts above, your mood has vastly improved. Count the good stuff.
I bet your skin will be perfect when the time comes to show off a lot of it on North Ave. Beach this summer.
Good luck!
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
yes.
patience grasshopper, patience. :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Magdalena_666
One more thing...does anybody know if the Tazorac will eventually help fade some of the red marks from old pimples...and current one's for that matter?
since my skin is literally peeling off I figured maybe it would help with them. Something good has to come from all this suffering, right?
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
Are you supposed to be on the Wellbutrin for the rest of your life though? I mean, I don't know how long you've been on it, but I think antidepressants are (theoretically) supposed to just be a stepping stone. Perhaps if you tried going off the Wellbutrin, you'd be ready to cope with non-chemical therapy by now. I'm just saying it's worth talking to the doc (although a lot of docs are dope dealers and just want to push meds no matter what; hope you don't have one of those).
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
I'm really big on natural cures, and one I think could really help you could be Charity work. You can help out, voulenteer with children espically. The hugs they give, it's so nice. You'll feel good about yourself and be around someone carefree. Children are so happy, it's refreshing. I know I feel so happy doing this, and many other people do too. Acomplishing something can do wonders for depression. Myself, I help out 2 days a week at a school for teen mothers, playing and taking care of their babys while they're in classes. I feel so good when I leave there. There is probably a place like this by you, in chicago. They always need help.
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
LSM-Thanks so much for all the info. At least I know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel!!
CE-This weather is bullshit. I mean it's just unbearable. The only good thing is that I can use the shitty weather as an excuse to not leave my apt because of my skin :-)
Guess it's better that this is happening now then in the summer. I already missed out on all the glory that is Chicago in the summer this year, so I'm hoping I get to enjoy it to the fullest with my glowing, clear skin come next year;-) I'm going to be getting an elliptical for Christmas so at least I'll have something to keep me active and moving in the meantime.
Anyway back to the subject of my anti-depressants and skin. No, I didn't think of having my Doctor talk to my derm but honestly considering my psychiatrist is 80 years old and retired I don't think he know's anything about skincare (he is wonderful..he still see's patients in the hopes that he can help them...and he doesn't charge, he's very into Freud, and has helped me immensely, he's just brilliant and he probably saved my life) I guess I could ask him though.
P.S-I am going to PM you about the elliptical thing because I need advice on buying one.
Yek-I am just so happy to not be depressed anymore that I haven't put much thought about how long i'll be taking the wellbutrin. But honestly I will probably need to take some form of anti-depressants for most of my life. I have always been depressed, and although the therapy is helping immensely and I'm not ruling out the idea of going off meds eventually, I do have a family history of depression, big time.
My grandfather was an alcoholic who killled himself, and most of my dad's side has some form of depression. So even though I have never tried to commit suicide, or anything of that nature, I'm probably always going to be depressed through out my life, probably more some times than others depending on circumstances.
So to stay on the safe side I will unfortunately probably have to continue on drugs for the rest of my life unless I manage to sort out all of my issues and figure out how to be happy...
....and it would be a miracle if that happened...
It's funny because I can handle all the large blows that life throws my way but it's all the little things that make my life so difficult.
I'm the type of person that goes into a panic if I go to buy a bar of dark chocolate and they only have milk, or using this thread as an example, a few horrible pimple's can turn my world upside down..but yet I manage to make it through all the crazy things life throws my way.
I guess I just need to learn how to be patient and calm and let things roll of my shoulders. That's one of my hopes with therapy...that I will learn to be a laid back person...
wow...I got this thread so far off discussion I'm a little amazed at myself...lol.
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
Lola Rose-
I'm a big animal lover so helping them is where I would feel most comfortable.I used to foster rabbits from the house rabbit society but I can't due that anymore due to the fact that I live in a 1 bedroom apt.
Although helping at a charity wouldn't help with my skin problems it probably would help a lot with my depression because I am in deserate need of friends again. After everything that happened this summer I just shut everyone out of my life and now that I'm feeling better that longing to have at least someone to talk about girl things with, or go have a drink with is back.
I pushed everyone away and now here I am pretty much alone...some wonderful people on here actually reached out to me, but I was so depressed at that point I didn't have it in me to take them up on there offers of talking, and I didn't want to bring anyone else down with all my problems...I just felt like I had nothing to offer to anyone before so i just stayed in my bed under the covers and now I reget that.
So thank you for the suggestion. I hope I am able to do something about this problem and that's certainly a good start. My only thing is I have pretty bad social anxiety.
.........I always have, it's one of the main reasons I quit dancing........
so the thought of meeting any new people scares me to death .........
I also have a ridiculous fear of rejection and being judged......sigh....
I really only hang around with my boyfriend and the only other human interactions I currently have is with my therapist & psychatrist, I would love to meet new people but how when even going on the L there is a little unnerving for me?
Now I've not only went off topic I've turned this thread into a therapy session!!:P
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
Talk to your derm about spironolactone (100 mg/day).
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
Quote:
Originally Posted by
smartcookie
Talk to your derm about spironolactone (100 mg/day).
My regular doctor actually gave me this for PMS. How does it help with Acne? I have a bottle sitting here.
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
ah, cysts. my fave. at the worst, i had 7 at once. that does your confidence in something shocking. cysts blow because they're so huge and so deep.
i know you hate tea tree, but i found holding a cotton bud with tea tree oil on it, on the cyst for 10 or 15 seconds slowed it growing if i caught it from the first day the area hurt. (do that as often as you can stand, it is truly amazing)
the two other major things that have reduced my number of cysts:
* reducing my stress any way humanly possible (massage, acupuncture, stretching)
* giving up dairy and yeast (bread, beer etc)
i went on a huge dairy bender over the weekend and now i pay the price (2 monster cysts... cool).
i found BP just dried the surface and didn't get deep enough to the infection.
have you tried EMDR for your PTSD? Worked for me.
have you played around with your diet at all to see what works? (although, obviously your stress is playing major havoc with your skin). best bet is doing your best to reduce that.
have heard that spiro works wonders in the right situation.
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
Nautilus- Thanks for all those great tips! Hmmm...maybe I will give the tea tree oil a try again. I'm so desperate at this point. I put ice on the one on my cheek for 20 minutes twice today which seemed to help a little. I also mixed some hydrocortisone cream with my BP and put it on the pimples. Don't know if that helps but I thought I'd give it a try.
And yes, the cystic acne is wrecking havoc on my already very damaged self esteem. I don't feel pretty at all. In fact I feel like a monster. I have even been feeling uncomfortable when my BF looks at my face lately because I'm so worried that's he's thinking my pimples look horrible, even though he has and never would say anything like that.
.....I just feel gross....
About the dairy. I used to be Vegan and would love to go back to being one...only problem is it's SO expensive and so many of the things I eat contain dairy that I would have to find new snacks, ect that I liked. And I don't cook so it wouild be hard to get a good meal and nutrients.
I love fruits and veggies though...my problem is that I buy them and don't eat them before they spoil which is the only reason I eat so many things with preservatives.
I will definitly cut back on the dairy and see if that helps. I already get an upset stomach when I eat it so it would be good for me anyhow.
If only dairy free products were more readily available..!!!!
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
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Re: Horrible Cystic Acne rant
Just in case you already aren't... make sure you drink a ton of water. That always helps me when I start breaking out. :)