Acutane or Diane-35

I am 22 and have been using various acne treatments for years with only moderate results.  Recently I noticed a new drug advertised called diane-35 which has just become available in Canada.  I am considering this or acutane, but had severe side affect from depro-prevera and I'm now worried about taking more hormone theraphy, advise?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Jessica:

I have never resorted to hormone therapy for acne.  Some doctors use it, but there are always equal or better alternatives.  Accuatne may be one of these, though your own doctor can help you decide.

Best.

Dr. R

[Sean]

hello
i am 33 years old and had acne for as long as i can remember, i have lots of scaring from acne,i have tried everything over the counter and my family doctor but nothing work for me is the a time when i will never get breakouts  is there anything that can be done with scaring, will acutane prevent future breakouts please help. thanks    ***@****

[stephanie]

I was on accutane back in 1991 when I was in college.  It worked, but now at 28, I've had skin problems again, however not as severe.  Beware of nosebleeds and dry lips!!!

Recently, my primary care physician put me on tetracycline, which I took FIRST years ago, before minocin and accutane.  It worked for 2 months, but now my body isn't responding any more.  I'm affected in the areas of my chin and eyebrows, where new hair follicles are growing, but getting irritated.  Please help. I don't have the time at 28 in my career or home life to deal with this frustration! What can be recommended to apply over my chin and eyebrows or taken in pill form to stop or prevent this?

[sr]

do they have any studies involving accutane and lukemia?
why do you need blood tests if you are on accutane?
side effects?

[Daniela]

I'm 27 and for the past 2-3 months I have developed what one dermatologist called "moderate to severe acne." i get one or two painful pimples at least once a day. I am scarring and am all inflamed. I have never had this severe acne, though have used topicals since about 19 for mild acne. It is close to a month that I am takin minocycline once a day, and have just started taking Diane-35. I also take two topicals: stevamicyn and clindamycin in dilusol aha. I have been researching on the web and reading all about the side effects of minocin and diane-35, but still wonder about the combination of these two drugs. Are they effective together?  I am very apprehensive in continuing this treatment as I feel I may be causing long-term damage to my body. FYI: I have Celiac disease and had Hep A or C (not the Aids kind, but from water contamination).

[Mike Pat]

I am taking Minocin (200 mg per day).  I have been on the drug for 1 year now and have been absolutely clear.  However, (is this due to winter?) I have been recently breaking out around my chin.  Is bacteria becoming resistant to this drug?  Also, I have been reading quite a bit about Minocin creating liver damage?  Can you shed any light on my problems

[melanie]

I have used Diane 35 for 4 months now.  I have not noticed any changes in my acne.  Should I try Acutane?

[sarah]

i have taken all kinds of medicines for my face.i went to the dermo. today and he said that that i only have one other chioce, before i take acutane.i am only fifteen and have tried every thing possible for my face....HELP!!!!. i am really scared of needles and the thought of having blood drawn for 5 months scars me more.i dont know what to do . my dermo said that if acutane doesnt work i should try ELECTRICAL SURGURY!!!!some one send me some info on this acutane or good rates on electronical surgury....PLEASE!!!!send it to (  ***@****)
thank you...

[sunita]

I would just like to comment that taking all the antibiotics and applying all sorts of creams help some or in some cases do not help at all.  Have you tried to find out what causes the eruption?  May be it is certain foods.  Just start making a note of all the food that you have eaten (everyday) and see if you can come to some conclusion.  

In my case I found out that my skin breaksout when I eat any acidic foods  eg. tomatoes, citrus fruits, apples, grapes, any products with vinegar----like salad dressings, and milk and milk products.

Hope this will help atleast some people if not all.  Goodluck.

[Mins]

Hi there.

I have been using Diane-35 for about 3yrs and am worried about the long term effects of this product. Diane-35 has done wonders for the control of my acne, but when I stop taking it, the acne starts to slowly creep back. I've thru' all the antibiotics, but my body just adjusts to them.

What would you suggest?

[Audrey]

My treatment of acne first started with minocine. I took it for a few months and cleared up.  About a year later, my acne reappeared. This time I went on Accutane. I cleared up after 5 months of taking it.  But now, about a year and a half later, my acne has once again reappeared.  I put myself back on minocine (bought the pills in Tijuana where you don't need a perscription) and have now been taking them for about 2 months. HOWEVER I had to stop taking them because I have symptoms of vitamin A toxicity (too much Vit. A in the system) and those symptoms are extreamly painful and frustrating).  I DON"T KNOW WHAT TO DO NOW!!!  If anyone has comments or advice please e-mail: ***@****  THANK-YOU!

[Sayuri]

Hi, I'm 17 and I've been using Diane-35 for 9 weeks now. I just wanna say they are great, my face looks much better. My forehead, nose and chin have cleared up, and I hope the rest of face will clear up soon. I didn't feel any side effects, whatsoever. Of course, there was an initial break out. I'd recommend them to everyone.

Sayuri

[nikk]

how long do you have to be on acutane?

[Talia Dalley]

I have just begum Diane 35 after trying various antibiotics to control mild to serve acne.In addition to the acne, I have lots of facial hair. I am 31 and most of the medications worked for a short time,treating the acne, but once I stopped taking it, the it flared up again. My question is: Will Diane 35 correct this condition even AFTER I stop taking it? I dont want to be relyant on Diane 35 for the rest of my life to control this condition. What do the long term trials prove with Diane 35 AFTER the pill is no longer taken?
Thanks,
Talia

[marie]

I have had acne since I was in 5th grade. When prescribed doxycyclene I would sometimes take it without water and it created horrible dysphagia which is difficulty swallowing at first i couldn't eat anything but now i am learning to live with it. It has been over a year and the doctors still don't know how to treat it. I was recently put on acutane but it hasn't kicked in yet. My brother went though it and he has perfect skin now. The side effects for me are nosebleeds dry lips and skin, and my back hurts all the time. But to get rid of my acne and the scrutiny of others i would endure so much more.

[susie]

I have been on Diane 35 for almost 10 years and am now thinking of trying for a baby. Are there any issues I need to know about? How much of a hindrance to becoming pregnant will my long stint on Diane 35 be?

[susie]

I have been on Diane 35 now for almost 8 years. I now want to stop taking it and to try and have a baby. What issues should I be aware of in terms of trying to get pregnant after being on Diane for so long.

[Daniela]

Since i started to use diane I haven't stopped bleeding (I have been using it for 12 days) Is this normal, though it's very little what I bleed )like when you are in your last day of your menstrual period.
Please answer me quickly because I'm really scared

[B]

I am 15 and have had acne (moderate) for 2 years I have been on Acutane for 3 months now, and all the smaller pimples have been going away, but there are still some big honkers, and a few small ones left how much longer?

[sarah]

Im 20 and i have been on diane 35 for about 5 months now, i started taking it for my skin.  My skin is pretty good, i still occasionally have a few pimples, but nothing like it used to be.  However, i have been acting very strange lately, my doctor didnt tell me about all the side effects, and i was wondering if depression was a side effect.  I have noticed a decrease in libido as well, and i am going to be spending a lot of time in the sun and i was also wondering how this will affect me.  I am thinking i need to get off of this pill, but at the same time i am worried that my acne will come back.
please help,
sarah

[Kunju]

I have been taking Diane 35 since I was 20 yrs old (I am 25 now) on and off.

In the last six months I have been having sleep problems, I visited a herbalist and I have been told that my sleep disorder is due to Diane 35. What would you advise ?

[Kunju]

I have been taking Diane 35 since I was 20 yrs old (I am 25 now) on and off.

In the last six months I have been having sleep problems, I visited a herbalist and I have been told that my sleep disorder is due to Diane 35. What would you advise ?

[paula 2000 30 may]

i am 48 yrs old and have been coping with acne with varying degrees of intensity all of my life i've taken drugs used topicals vit A steva ect ect
i've be on courses of different horomes and even injections provera in the late 70's which i'm pretty sure didn't do much
to improve my general health mental emotional or physical
also depo  whatever injections in 1998 in association with severe
endometriosis. you know i've always known and beleived that acne  is hormonal imbalance not a skin problem,just as bipolar disorder is a hormonally related mental illness
i've using acutane for the past 2 mos ,this is my 1st time with acutane,anyway my skin has made anoticeable improvement already and as far as side affects go i'm only experiencing dry lips so far the large very sore cystic type breakouts wre occurring at all times no more cycling at all and boy they getting larger and sorer and more painfaul than ever.and my nose always had two or yhree eruptions at a time.i never would have beleived i would still be fighting this battle til now.luckily i don't hav too many scars btu the ones i do hav e;many of them were recent
those large cysts leave large scars or pits i hate thoses pits the most
anyway i'm doing very well so far isure hope the improvement continues
my dr. says that it should and that i should not need another course of it.i hope not when would that be at 65 or 70
i forgot to mention that my dosage is 60 mgs daily  i weigh 130 lbs

[Robert]

I took my daughter to the doctor the other day and he prescribed Diane 35 for her acne. She is almost 15 years old and she is worried about the side effects. She checked it out on the internet and is worried about putting on weight or losing here hair. What can I say to her to hopefully try this out.

[LDM]

I took accutane over ten years ago. The first treatment didn't cure me so my doctor put me on a second treatment. After all these years my cystic acne has returned. I am also suffering from dry eyes, depression, and thinning hair. Could these symptoms be side effects of this medication after all these years? I know they are if one is currently on the medicine.

Also, any suggestions for my acne now. I am 35 yrs. of age.

[[e-mail]]

As I'm moving to London next month, I would like to know if Diane 35 is available there.

Thank you very much in advance,

***@****

[Scott A]

I have done five 20-week cycles of acutane over a 6 year period.  My skin would clear up for about 6-9 months and then break out bad again.  I have been off acutane for 6 months and notice small puffy scars on my face appearing almost over night. The scars don't look like typical pot mark scars, these scars are puffy and on the surface of my cheeks,almost bubbly looking. More of these scars keep appearing even where I didn't have acne at all.  I went to see a cosmetic surgeon about getting them removed with laser resurfacing, and was told I can't do the laser resurfacing because I took acutane.  The nurse said that acutane kills the sebacious sweat glands so my skin would not heal after the laser burned it.She said that I can never get laser resurfacing for the rest of my life because of the acutane.  So my question is:Can I really never get laser resurfacing for the rest of my life, and can anything be done to stop my face from getting these scars. I hope you can help me.
Thank you, Scott

[Ronald Sarcos]

I

[Tara]

How well of a contraceptive is Diane-35 and when does it come into effect?

[Katerina Galvez]

Hi my name is Katty and I am very worried because I have been taken Diane -35 for 7 years, and now my doctor  has told me to stop it, but now I am waiting to my menstruation  .I am very worried because a frien tell me that perhaps i won't have babies and I want it. Now I am 27 years old and i am thinking to have a baby in 1 or 2 years, can you tell me if is dangerous to take diae-35 please. I will waiting for your answer

[ni]

I have been suffering from acne for many years, until my doctor suggested the therapy for it. I am taking Diane-35 for 4 months now and basically my acne is getting a lot better. Plus I am using the cream of azelaic acid SKINOREN, which I think is really effective.

[GMR]

Has anyone tried alternative therapy for thier acne. I have been on several different medications myself over the years. minocycline, dinacine, etc. but have only had good results for a few months then the break outs come back and I seem to be immune the medicine. Also, I have tended to develop reacuring yeast infections after taking the antibiotics. The natural therapies seem to be the only way I have been able to see any long term success. However this does require some disipline and consistancy in order to keep the results with no side effects. Accutane interests me because I have heard you go through the treatment once and never have acne again. That sounds nice and easy and possibly to good to be true. I am curious to know all the side effects. Can it cause a women to become sterile or have problems with pregnancy by taking before getting that way? What about people who have anemia?

Please respond

[Paola]

HI!! I'm interested to know if the components of Diane, are for anticonceptive and if doesn't matter when I start my pills for this efect.

Thank

[Carla]

I was on .1 levothyroxin (levothyroxine) from the time I was 12 years old.  At age 20 I had a severe migraine attack that went into seizures.  For five years I had what you might call tonic clonic seizures and then a doctor realized I didn't have a thyroid condition and took me off levothyroxin (levothyroxine) slowly.  The seizures decreased as well as the migraines and once off the medication I only had visual auras once in a while.  My health was great and then about six months later I started with hepatitis b shots for a course I was taking in college and just after the third shot I developed bizarre allergic reactions to almost everything, acne, cysts, constipation.  Chronic fatigue, or yeast I figured I had immune system problems.  Now at 30 years old I have been on Alese birth control pill and vitamin b6 for allergies, constipation and acne, for about 2 years.  The b6 works wonders but it makes my skin very oily.  Now out of sheer frustration I went to my GP and she recommended instead of seeing a dermatologist just to try Diane 35.  This sounds like a great idea but the only thing I fear is migraines.  So far I have actually seen an improvement on my visual auras and migraines since going on Alese.  My question is what is your opinion on Diane 35 compared with Alese for migraines?

[marie jouet-sorena]

I took Diane 35 in France for 7 years straight and it helped my skin a lot. I didn't notice any major side effect (no weight gain, no hair loss or depression) maybe a little hyper-reactivity from time to time. As far as getting off Diane 35 to get pregnant is concerned, I got pregnant four months after stopping Diane when I thought it would take me at list a year!!

[Bek]

I want to take Diane-35 for acne as it has advantages over antibiotics, but it contains lactose, and my religion forbids the ingestion of milk derivatives during fast periods. Is there another contraceptive pill available to control acne?

[VAL]

Hi:  My 18 year old daughter was put on Diane-35 for acne in April 2000.  While her acne has greatly improved, she has gained 15 pounds.  She has put on weight in her breasts, stomach, hips and thighs.  She now has stretch marks at all these areas and also a fair bit of cellulous which she never had before.  Has anyone else experience rapid weight gain like this?

[Ashley]

I am 15 years old and am thinking about taking the medication Acutane for my acne which is a mild to bad case. I have used topical treatments for 3 years and so far none has worked well. I was wondering about the side effects of this drug. Thank you.

[sarah]

i have been on accutane since may 3rd 2000
its now sept 21 2000, its kinda worked but not liek other peoples you think after 4 months i might look actually good
but i dont soem scarring has faded but i still get like 2 BIG pimples like once a week
AHHHHH my slef asteem sucks now too
but im on orthotrycycline..is this gonna help
does anyone recommend the diane 35...
how long did all of you stay on accutane....and did it continue to work after you were off of it??? when did you really notice a difference???
thanks a million
sar

[Heidi Milliken]

I am a healthcare provider, and I saw a patient today who was using Diane- 35, which she had acquired in Poland.

It was not clear to me whether this was a birth control pill or a hormonal therapy pill.  Could someone please direct me to a site where I can learn the history of this drug?  I checked the Schering website, a distributor of the product, but could not find any information.

Many thanks,
Heidi Milliken, Ph.D.

[Maxine]

I have heard that a side affect of taking Acutane is that some users have commited suicide.  Is this true?  Are there any studys on this?

[Carrie]

I have a friend who is on Acutane and is experiencing night sweats.  They have been so bad lately that she walks up and has to change her pajamas becuase they are so wet.  Is this a possible side effect of Acutane?  If not, do you have any idea what might be causing it?

[Jonathan Lambert]

I take accutane and in 4 days is the end of my traitement and I am worry do you think my acne will come back when I stop. I take it six month but do you know if I can continue my traitement over it. Thank you.

[Mary]

can diane 35 cause thinning or hair loss on your head? I have noticed that my hair has become thinner since taking Diane...I am also under a lot of stress which may be the cause, but I can't help wondering if Diane may be causing this. Any thoughts?

[Julie]

I am 31 years old and have battled acne and cistic acne (severe) since I was about 17. I have spent soooo much money and seen over 5 dermatologists. I have tried anibiotics,topical creams and cleansing, just about every cleansing product on the market,and nothing seems to help. I have scarring all over my cheek area and cists not only on my face but under my ear lobe. I was just wondering about Diane-35 and acutane. I have an appointment with a NEW dermatologist soon and I dont want to leave there (after being intimidated and told that my skin is not bad enough for acutane) being treated with the same old routine things. Please help
Sincerely,
FED UP

[Cristina]

Diane 35 peut causer la perte des cheveux sur la tele ?

[Jessica]

I have been on several treatments for acne, including topical dalacin c, erythromycin and currently oxytetracycline together with Retin-A topically. however i am still suffering from breakouts and am considering commencing dianette(combined oral contraceptive). Please could you advise me re. this and potential disadvantages/side effects of this treatment.

[Jessica]

I have been on several treatments for acne, including topical dalacin c, erythromycin and currently oxytetracycline together with Retin-A topically. however i am still suffering from breakouts and am considering commencing dianette(combined oral contraceptive). Please could you advise me re. this and potential disadvantages/side effects of this treatment.

[Yaprak]

I started using Diane 35 for acne treatment. Now I also need it for preventing pregnancy.. It's been 2 and a half year... How long can I use those pills. Do I have to quit some time?

[Lori Campbell]

My son is only thirteen and has developed moderate acne.  He does pretty well with minocycline and a topical, but his doctor seems to be "pushing" the Acutane treatment.  As his mother, I have reservations about putting a young teenager into this program at this time.  I also do not like the idea of the neccessity of a blood test before treatment.  Please give me some honest feedback about the dangers of Acutane.  What does the drug do to the body that warrants a blood test at the onset? Thank you for your help.

[jen]

what are the possible side effects of taking Diane 35 to cure acne? i'm 19 and had acne for 2 years and am considering taking diane 35 to cure my zitz. please tell me of ALL the known side effects and dangers of this drug.

[Shekufeh Bidenjeri]

I am 23 and married a year ago.  I have been suffering from acne for about 5 years now.  

My dermatologist has recommended that I use diane 35 ... I did and used it only for 6 months ... the acne dispeared. But now I have reproduction problems ... He advised that period irregularities are common once you stop ... but it will subside. I am still waiting for that to happen.  Meanwhile I am using benzoyl peroxide 5% gel.  It dries up my face and the acne but does not take away the scars.  He recently prescribed for me a gel called contratubex that should take away the scarring once the acne subsides ... please help.

[kelly]

I am considering taking Diane 35 and I was wondering what side effects it has and if it will truley work.  I have been on Minocyclene for about 2 years and my body has become imune to it and I am still having break outs, I have cut out greasy food and there is alittle improvment but not the improvment I would like..
If anyone has any information, links or websites that I can read up on this I would appeciate if you could email me at ***@****

thank you very much!