No idea what is going on!!?

[Amatista13]

I have a question. I am 33 years old and have had acne since about age 26.
It was manageable and never went to a derm.
I has got progressively worse since though.
Fast forward to now- all of the sudden, this acne just got sooo much worse. It is not anything I have ever experienced. It spread ALL OVER my cheeks and jawline in these huge pimples and my old acne was just a memory. Now, it has gotten worse over the past few weeks- dark red, cysts, pustules covering my face where my beard would be if I were a man. My t zone is basically clear. My nose is very clear and my forehead has the normal breakouts I had before- sporadic and hyperpigmented. (I'm Mexican and always hyperpigment for every little thing!)
The new severe cystic acne itches like mad, is very painful and bleeds.
I don't understand what is happening. I went to the dermatologist and she didn't even ask my name and prescribed doxycycline, clindamycin and retin-a. I have been using faithfully, but this acne is still SOOO itchy and painful to even move my face or to open my mouth to eat.
I have no idea what happened all of the sudden and why it doesn't go away all of the sudden too!
I think that I would take accutane because I am at a loss. Have tried so many things!! BC pills (ortho trii cyclin, yaz), proactiv, murad, obaji, mandelic acid, acne free, glycolic acid, chemical peels, facials, and now retin a, doxycilin and clindamycin.
If you have any idea what this could be- I would be soo greatful. No one (general doctor or derm seem to have any idea but both said I was a candidate for accutane but couldn't prescribe it

[Amatista13]

That sounds nice. How do I obtain or make and herbal face pack??
I'm almost positive none of these doctors know about anything but prescribing drugs.
I have always cured myself with herbs and natural things even through kidney infections didn't take antibiotics but herbs instead.
Now, I feel insane taking tons of antibiotics and pills by the tons for this.
It's the worst ailment that I have ever had- and I've had a lot (hospitalizations, surgeries, etc.)
I would love to hear about an herbal pack to relive this some. :/

[Amatista13]

Thanks! I just saw a doctor today (not a derm) and he was pretty informative.
He said accutane too. Third doctor to say that.
And he said it looks like it could be gram negative or staphylococcus folliculitis. He didn't do any tests but let me see a book with pictures. Mine is so much worse than the worst pictures in there. Crazy.
Anyway, he decided to treat it like gram negative folliculitis.
Gave me aterax to take 3 times a day for the extreme itching. It feels like things are crawling on my skin. Maybe it's dermodex mites.
I feel that it may be but have to wait months to see the derm to find out.
Until then, I'm doping up on ateraz and hydroxyzine to stay sane through this.

[maatson]

If you had not taken prior antibiotics a folliculits is not likely. Do consult your derm, and may be he would like to go slow on retin-o if there is severe irritation.

[Amatista13]

Well, I have only been on the retin-a, doxyclin and clindamycin since going to the derm for this specific reason.
I have only been on them for less than a week.
Before that, I never took anything and only washed with honey and not much else.
I don't use anything, but had acne and when it got bad, started picking it and then it got exponentially worse! I obviously spread it.
But when I picked it, it was already getting like this.
The itchiness and pain didn't happen until it spread all crazy like this.
The itching drives me mad!!!!!!

[maatson]

What you have described seems more like an irritant reaction to retinoic acid(expected). But the sudden flare-up does require to look in to rule out gram-ve folliculitis, which is due to agressive, prolonged antibiotic therapy which paves way to the gram-ve to grow, leading to new crops of different looking acneform eruptions.
Best wishes.

[Amatista13]

Thanks! I'm going to look that up and tell the doctor to check for it.
I have another week of doxycylin. The derm prescribed a total of 14 days.
The clindamycin burns so much and doesn't seem to do anything.
The retin-a just makes my face peel and the crazy cystic acne underneath.
It looks like I have a dark red mask on where all the massive pimples are.
Face is prickely, itchy and causes sharp pains randomly (like deep in the nerves)
Does this sound like gram-ve folliculitis????

[maatson]

I would think of a gram-ve folliculitis in your case with the past history of antibiotics(Gram+ve) and sudden flare.Change of antibiotic, if confirmed may lead to great improvement.