|
Post by scrapApea on Jul 31, 2014 2:21:17 GMT
I'm a little confused. You seem to be indicating that she has been to a dermatologist, yet many of the things that you say haven't worked don't sound like doctor prescribed things. Is the dermatologist the one suggesting birth control pills? If she's under the care of a dermatologist, and one or two things he has tried haven't worked, maybe you should trust him to find the solution that will work for her. The birth-control pills is a personal decision, but they're fairly commonly prescribed as an acne vontrol measure. There are things to prescribe but if you can't afford them... what do you do? BC pills are probably within a budget amount. My DD is on Doryx for her acne now. Mycycline wasn't working for her. It's helping but not totally clearing things up. The retail price of the pills are $1027.00 per MONTH! My insurance knocked it down to $827. (That's more than my house payment) The Dr gave us a coupon booklet from the manufacturer that took the cost to me to $25. There is NO WAY on earth I could afford them otherwise. The cream she prescribed is $245. A tube lasts a month. I just requested a different type of cream and that one I just paid $187. I can only try it this month and then I can't do that anymore either. The pharmacist said all the acne meds are totally jacked up in price. (because they can??) If you can get the manufacturer coupon from the Dr office you can get them cheaper but if not.... you'd better have a really good paying job. (unless you have some government insurance that pays everything for you but....) I was going to try to find the Panoxyl wash I saw someone mention on Pea board on a different post to see if that did anything. I blame my DH, Dr said this is hereditary and I never had it. I feel so bad for my kids.
|
|
|
Post by peasapie on Jul 31, 2014 2:24:26 GMT
So sorry you and your daughter are having to go through this. My son had very bad, cystic acne in high school. The progression we went through was topical creams and lotions, then antibiotics, nutritionists (who put him on elimination diets and prescribed natural treatments like tea tree oil), and finally -- though I fought it tooth and nail -- he went on a cycle of accutane, which cleared it up once and for all.
I waited a little too long to allow the accutane, as he does have scarring now. But it's so hard to know what to do in the moment. Which I guess is why you are asking for advice. I suggest contacting the company that makes the antibiotic and asking if they will provide it to you at cost. Believe it or not, sometimes they do that. I had a friend who had to take some kind of really expensive medicine, and she asked them to give it to her because she couldn't afford it, and they had some kind of special program where they did it. So definitely ask.
Also, check with Walmart to see if they offer a similar antibiotic for an inexpensive rate.
$1,000 is ridiculous. If you can't get it free or reduced, your dermatologist needs to give you a different treatment. Did you say she has tried birth control pills? That does work for lots of girls.
|
|
|
Post by anxiousmom on Jul 31, 2014 2:35:12 GMT
dial, that is interesting! Wow Jeanninem, what your daughter went through a lot! Glad she is happy now! The reason why dial might work is because it has antibacterial properties. They have an acne line now also. There is a bit more gentle option also-cetaphil has an antibacterial soap that does something similar. I have boys and both have had issues with acne. But being boys, they just did follow through with any kind of regimen. It was frustrating all the way around.
|
|
|
Post by elaine on Jul 31, 2014 2:50:34 GMT
(((Hugs))) to your daughter!
When you are trying new skin medications, it isn't uncommon for skin to be raw until it gets used to the medication. Did you immediately discontinue or stick with it for a few more weeks to see if her skin became accustomed to the meds?
I would recommend rather than going to several doctors about this, that you find one dermatologist you feel comfortable with and stick with her or him.
|
|
stampstace
Junior Member
Posts: 74
Jun 27, 2014 0:14:00 GMT
|
Post by stampstace on Jul 31, 2014 3:01:32 GMT
My daughter just started the BC pill this last month for acne outbreaks. I am already noticing an improvement. The first pill they prescribed was going to cost $143 a month, I called the doctor back and she gave me a list of BC pills that she could prescribe. I called the insurance company and found out that two of them would be free through our insurance. She is now on one of them.
|
|
|
Post by Basket1lady on Jul 31, 2014 3:11:31 GMT
My experience with Accutane was with my DH (then boyfriend) almost 30 years ago, so take it for what it's worth.
DH had BAD acne. Pizza face bad. His mom (my future MIL) finally took him to the dr and he prescribed Accutane. Cystic acne is different from regular acne. It's deep in the skin and not reached by topical creams. It was prescribed for six months and he's never been on it since. He's 47 and still gets acne, but it's not that bad. The Accutane made a HUGE difference. His skin was very dry when he was on it, and he had to be careful of the sun. But it made a huge difference.
Not all bad acne is cystic acne, however. And I believe there is a similar med that doesn't have as bad side effects that is prescribed more often now. But if the dr said BC will help, I would try that before the Accutane.
|
|
|
Post by Darcy Collins on Jul 31, 2014 3:27:16 GMT
I wouldn't hesitate to put my daughter on BC pills for acne. A good friend of mine had horrible acne in high school. It was such a hugely destructive part of her high school experience. I understand trying other methods, but if homeopathic methods haven't worked, please give BC pills a try - I would try them before Accutane.
|
|
tanya2
Pearl Clutcher
Refupea #1604
Posts: 4,427
Jun 27, 2014 2:27:09 GMT
|
Post by tanya2 on Jul 31, 2014 5:01:19 GMT
my son is on minocyclene for cystic acne, it's the only thing that has helped at all.
|
|
|
Post by iamkristinl16 on Jul 31, 2014 5:33:55 GMT
What kind of diet changes did you try? The more I read, the more I do think that acne can be linked to food sensitivities. My cousin did the Whole 30 (which she now follows as a way of life) and he skin has cleared of severe acne and eczema. She found that she is very sensitive to dairy and gluten. She also had tons of other positive things happen that can be linked with hormones, including regular periods (she has PCOS), finally being able to lose weight, sleeping well for the first time in years, no acid reflux, etc. It might be worth trying, even if she is not having any of the other problems that would be linked to food sensitivities.
That being said, when I was younger I took oral antibiotics and topical prescriptions for my acne and BC pills to control endometriosis. Some of the brands of pills also worked really well to clear my skin. I'm 39 now and find that I need to use a product with BHA/salycylic acid in it to exfoliate my skin and get into those pores. Otherwise I am breaking out like crazy. I like Proactive toner (I don't use their cleanser since it felt too harsh to me) but right now am using Peter Thomas Roth Unwrinkle Peel Pads with AHA and BHA. They seem to be working well also. I use a gentle cleanser at night to remove makeup (either Olay fresh foaming cleanser or Trader Joes Nourish) and in the morning I have started using the Peter THomas Roth AHA and BHA cleanser.
|
|
anniebygaslight
Drama Llama
I'd love a cup of tea. #1966
Posts: 7,402
Location: Third Rock from the sun.
Jun 28, 2014 14:08:19 GMT
|
Post by anniebygaslight on Jul 31, 2014 5:52:26 GMT
My friend's husband has appalling acne on his face and back. She mentioned a while back that he has used Lush's Fresh Farmacy with great effect.
He had been going to a dermatologist for years, and is regularly on long courses of tetracycline too.
|
|
|
Post by gar on Jul 31, 2014 6:33:04 GMT
Acne is hormone controlled so if you can sort out the costings that would probably help. Can you get her to an aestheicien (sp) who could help with the problem too.
|
|
msliz
Drama Llama
The Procrastinator
Posts: 6,419
Jun 26, 2014 21:32:34 GMT
|
Post by msliz on Jul 31, 2014 10:02:42 GMT
Before you start with birth control pills, ask for a PCOS panel. My DD just had a workup (acne is a symptom in teens) and is now being referred to an endocrinologist.
If you start her on a pill, and it's the wrong pill, it could screw her up more. Get some numbers first.
|
|
AllieC
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,087
Jul 4, 2014 6:57:02 GMT
|
Post by AllieC on Jul 31, 2014 10:57:42 GMT
I would definitely be trying the BC, really what have you got to lose. They are routinely prescribed for teens for period pain and acne and can be incredibly effective.
It is such a hard thing to go through. I had clear skin as a teen but at 27 got adult acne and it was painful and really distressing. What worked for me was a low dose antibiotic that I took for about 12 months and slowly weaned off. My teen is on BC for period pain and it has had the added effect of clearing her skin.
|
|
|
Post by jackie on Jul 31, 2014 11:07:20 GMT
I can relate to what you're going through. My dd, who just turned 15, has been dealing with acne for the last couple of years and I know that it is very hard on her. She's seen a dermatologist and has been prescribed multiple topical things (washes, creams, etc.) and they don't seem to help. Or at least not help to the degree we want them to. she's never taken oral medicine (the first dermatologist didn't think her type of acne warranted it and the second dermatologist doesn't prescribe oral medicine for acne at all, period). Right now I'm frustrated with the money I've thrown at this so we're just experimenting on our own with OTC stuff. Some seems to help a little, but none gets rid of it altogether, that's for sure. I feel so bad for her because she is the only one of her friends that has it. It's not really bad acne though--no cystic stuff, but still it's difficult.
I don't have anything to offer but I'm reading this thread with interest.
|
|
|
Post by mtscrapper on Jul 31, 2014 11:18:24 GMT
My daughter was the same way. She was going to a dermatologist and nothing helped. He didn't believe in Accutane. We finally went to another dermatologist and she was put on Accutane. Yes, it is a pain and there are all kinds of warnings on every little thing about not getting pregnant. She had to take an online quiz each month about not getting pregnant and blood work a couple of times. However, she is so glad she did it. She does have a little scarring, but it helped so much and I'm sure she wished she would have started it sooner. It totally knocks it out so it isn't an issue anymore. We would do it all again.
|
|
momto4kiddos
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,153
Jun 26, 2014 11:45:15 GMT
|
Post by momto4kiddos on Jul 31, 2014 12:03:47 GMT
My dd was your dd. She saw a couple of dermatologists, one of which finally got a combination of things and her skin finally cleared. She did do the antibiotics. There was a face cream for after washing as well as a prescription face wash.
She went insane when the face wash couldn't be filled at the pharmacy. Low and behold it was over the counter now. It's called panoxyl. It comes in 4% and 10%. It may be worth trying...
|
|
anniebygaslight
Drama Llama
I'd love a cup of tea. #1966
Posts: 7,402
Location: Third Rock from the sun.
Jun 28, 2014 14:08:19 GMT
|
Post by anniebygaslight on Jul 31, 2014 17:52:15 GMT
Just a little side story. I was watching Look north, a local evening local news programme, and they interviewed an inspirational man who lost an arm in a motocross accident when he was 18. He said that he had appalling acne, and it cleared up completely within a week after his accident. The way he told the story was absolutely hilarious, and it doesn't transfer well into print. Makes you wonder if there is some sort of immunity issue going on with serious acne though.
|
|
|
Post by grate on Jul 31, 2014 18:02:47 GMT
The pharmacist said all the acne meds are totally jacked up in price. (because they can??) If you can get the manufacturer coupon from the Dr office you can get them cheaper but if not.... you'd better have a really good paying job. (unless you have some government insurance that pays everything for you but....) I was going to try to find the Panoxyl wash I saw someone mention on Pea board on a different post to see if that did anything. I blame my DH, Dr said this is hereditary and I never had it. I feel so bad for my kids. They have the perfect market! Ironically we have government insurance, not as great as you are thinking for many reasons. It did bring the price down though from $2000 to $1000
|
|
|
Post by kkooch on Jul 31, 2014 18:14:09 GMT
Like lots have already posted, my daughter had acne so bad. When I look back at photos I hate what she went through before going to a dermatologist (she had all kinds of meds from regular doctor). Accutane was such a blessing and worth every penny and every annoyance you have to go through like the blood work and pregnancy testing etc. So worth it.
|
|
|
Post by grate on Jul 31, 2014 18:15:11 GMT
Thank you everyone for your help!!! I need to now go back with pen and paper and take notes!!
To answer some of the questions... we stayed with the topicals long enough to finish the bottles/tubes twice.
Dietary changes-- gluten (I have an intolerance, my father and nephew have celiac... she has an intolerance) and dairy, she has been cow dairy free since birth so we always did soy, thinking soy may be an issue since she got her first outbreaks at 9 year old. We no longer use much soy, we drink coconut and almond milks and TRY to stay away from cheese.
Thank you, thank you again!
|
|
stittsygirl
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,600
Location: In the leaves and rain.
Jun 25, 2014 19:57:33 GMT
|
Post by stittsygirl on Jul 31, 2014 18:21:01 GMT
I know it was mentioned above, but diet could be taken into consideration too. I have PCOS, and am still prone to really bad, deep acne if I don't watch my sugars and refined carbs.
My own son is starting a antibiotic regimen today for the horrible acne he has on his head, that we have a harder time treating topically. It's so hard to watch your kids struggle with this kind of stuff.
|
|
duopenotti
Junior Member
Posts: 70
Location: The Netherlands..the real Orange Country
Jun 30, 2014 15:02:10 GMT
|
Post by duopenotti on Jul 31, 2014 18:33:34 GMT
I wish my mother took me to the doctor for BC pills earlier. I had to wait untill I was 18. My acne wasn't on my face but on my back, it was awful! I am so embarrased about the scarring on my back. If I ever have a daughter I hope to do things differently for her!
|
|
MDscrapaholic
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,592
Location: Down by the bay....
Jun 25, 2014 20:49:07 GMT
|
Post by MDscrapaholic on Jul 31, 2014 19:30:19 GMT
What worked for me and my son was Accutane. It's a big fuck*ng deal, though-- with the side affects and some alarmist information out there. The doctors monitor it BIG TIME with monthly bloodwork and there's a protocol for users to sign up and take a pledge, etc regarding pregnancy and so forth. Yup, it sure is a big deal. Huge deal. And then, for some people, it doesn't work. Like for my kid. Many others have experienced success with it, but it's disheartening to go through all that for nothing. It worked (Accutane) for my daughter, but a few years after she finished using it she has colitis. From the Accutane. It did a beautiful job clearing up her skin but damaged her intestines.
|
|
|
Post by scraphappy57 on Jul 31, 2014 20:13:08 GMT
For one of my kids the only thing that helped was Accutane. It really made a huge difference in their skin and life (confidence, etc.)
|
|
|
Post by grate on Jul 31, 2014 20:28:52 GMT
this is my fear, as i am sure it is for everyone! I was on antibiotics for mild acne for years-- back in the day before they talked about probiotics. I have had health issues that stem back to that over use, which is why I go the natural route as much as possible. The dr thought he was helping me and so did my mom but you don't know what you don't know. My issue play a major role in my day to day life and had I known then what I would end up going through now-- I would have looked into things deeper.
|
|
MDscrapaholic
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,592
Location: Down by the bay....
Jun 25, 2014 20:49:07 GMT
|
Post by MDscrapaholic on Jul 31, 2014 20:59:16 GMT
Hindsight is always 20/20 when using meds. My daughter was SOOO happy that her acne cleared up, she has beautiful skin. But she's also paying a price when her colitis flares up.
|
|
|
Post by circusjohnson on Jul 31, 2014 21:19:31 GMT
Acutane. My daughter's dermatologist has a program where you do a low dose of acutane for a sustained period of time. It helps with the side effects. It's been very successful. The only problem is no matter how small the dose it you will still have birth defects if you get pregnant. My daughters take 2 pills a week for about 2 years. Maybe your derm would be willing to try it. Tina
|
|
|
Post by gavinsmom on Jul 31, 2014 21:50:57 GMT
I would go to Accutane and just do it!! Get it over with. She will be closely monitored so it's less risky than you would think
|
|
|
Post by mzza111 on Jul 31, 2014 22:24:05 GMT
As a teen I had horrible acne, mostly on my back and shoulders. I would never wear a tank top because I was embarrassed that you could see it. My face had acne too but nothing like you are describing. I started taking birth control pills (the normal Ortho Novum 1/35 so it wasn’t a really low dose) and it was like a miracle drug. My back completely cleared up within the first month and I only ever had one or two big pimples during that time of the month on my face. It really worked for me.
|
|