Acne

[anonymous]

hi Everyone...

i am desperate for any information or general thoughts you may have... so please respond.

Im 18, female with cf and after trying everything to clear my acne (over the counter stuff, tropical lotions, oral antibiotics like doxycycline, tropical antibiotics and the contraceptive Pill Diane 35) my dermatologist has now prescibed roaccutane (also know as accutane in the USA).

I was wondering if anybody else has been on this drug??? If so PLEASE tell me how it effected you and in particular how it effected ur cf/lungs.

i've been reading heaps about it and one of my concerns is that it dries everything up (including nasal mucous, ur skin, lips etc). So this cant be too good for my cf lungs can it now? Also- the dermatologist said it'll stop ur sweat glands from working and severely dry up ur skin.... how would our already salty skin react to this?

I dont have a cf clinic for another month so i'd appreciate any feedback. My dermatologist hasnt dealt with cf at all before and seems to think it isnt an issue whatsoever.. but then again doesnt really know much about CF.

Thanks for reading, i know it was a tad long

Chloe

 

[anonymous]

My husbands doctor refused to let him use it because of they drying up everything factor, as well as the fact that it is VERY VERY hard on the liver and most CFers have some sort of slightly elevated LFT (liver function tests) anyways. Just to share, not sure what you entire history is.

Julie (wife to Mark 24 w/CF)

 

[anonymous]

I don't mean to sound like an informercial here, but have you tried Pro Active? (I think that's what it's called).

 

[JazzysMom]

A friend of mine (non CFer) used Pro Active to try & clear her face up for her wedding. It worked great in the beginning, but it seemed to wear off. Her face wasnt as bad as before she started it, but it wasnt as good towards the end of using it as it was in the beginning. I found for me the acne is at its worst when I am sick which just makes me feel even worse. My face normally is the best while I am using Bactrim DS antibiotic. It must have just the right amount that I need to keep my acne away. I get the real painful, under the skin type acne. Although as of right now my face isnt bad. I few blemishes, but nothing that does clear up if I be sure to wash my face at night time & try not to touch my face too much when I sweat.

 

[ClashPunk82]

Melissa, I used to get the under the skin acne too. They were these big huge cysts I would have to have either lanced or injected. It was awful. I was going to try accutane but you have to be on birth control first. The birth control worked awesome for me so I just stuck with that. Maybe that is something you could try if you haven't already.

 

[anonymous]

FYI on the birth control for acne. I just asked my gyno about going on birth control for my acne and she said that it can be hard on your liver which inturn is bad for CF and if you have diabetes she said because the estrogen and progesteron (spelling?) goes thru your liver it does something to your sugars and can elevate them and make your diabetes worse. I try to stay away from things that can put a strain on the liver, ie. alcohol and now birth control pills, becaue CF can affect your liver and I want to keep my liver as healthy and strong as possible.

Just some info I was given recently because I too am having problems with acne.

Jennifer 33yrs old with CF and CFRD

 

[anonymous]

Chloe:

I also had acne issues and tried everything from topicals to oral doxycyline. I finally found the perfect regimen with proactive on my face and 2.5% benzoyl peroxide on my chest and back. The proactiv you can order over the internet and the benzoyl peroxide you need a prescription from your doctor.

Also, have you ever tried a retinol (retnin A)? I have not but heard it works well and is a topical which may be safer.

Personally, I would exhaust all other options prior to using accutane.

Good luck!

MJ
30 year old with CF

 

[kybert]

how long were you on the pill for? it can take up to a year for it to work. mine took about 8 months to start working. have you tried differin? what skin care do you use? skin care for pimples like clearasil, clean and clear etc causes more pimples so stay away from those. please be careful with roaccutane.

 

[anonymous]

hi its the original poster CHloe again...

Thanks to EVERYONE who has so far responded, it is greatly appreciated.
For those who have asked for my history... well the acne only started about a year ago but really is bad (only on my back and thankfully not on my face). I have been on the Pill, Diane 35 for six months now and whilst my face is much clearer, that was never really an issue and my back is still very acne filled.
Yes i have tried the Retin A cream but found it too dry out my skin quite alot (i was actually peeling). However- from what i have read accutane is not going to be much better. Also i stopped using over teh counter stuff ahile back (clearasil etc) when i found out that because they eliminate all oil from ur skin, ur skin over-compensates and actually creates more oil! What a scam...

I have been on the accutane for about four days now (yes i have decided to give it a go b4 consulting my cf doctor) and yes i have noticed it affecting my lungs so will stop until i consult my proper cf doc. I have noticed my face starting to peel, my nose is bloody when i need to blow it.

But most significantly... my lung phlegm basically solidifies overnite! Yes the first few coughs of the last few mornings has been trying to get up solid chunks! ive never had to cough up solid chunks before and it must be this drug... thus im stopping it... until i see the cf doc anyway.

Im thinking about pro-active... just a bit concerned about teh price, but if it is going to work then it is worth a try.

Frankly, the dermatologist wasn't too concerned when he wrote out this script which is making me hesitant on returning aswell.

Thanks again, Chloe

 

[CFHockeyMom]

Although I don't have CF (my son does), I do suffer from acne. I did all the usual treatments and although they'd work initially, the acne always came back. After years of struggling and finally nothing working (even antibiotics), I went on Accutane. It did clear up the existing infections/cysts for me with few side effects. However, I still have mild acne. That said, as a CFer, I wouldn't go on it. If for no other reason than it is VERY hard on your liver and with all the other meds CFers take and all the liver damage that goes along with them Accutane isn't worth the risk. Your Derm shouldn't even be considering it for you. Accutane like many other drugs is being over perscribed and is only meant for those with severe cystic acne. It is a last resort drug. Since you are still young and there is a good chance your acne will go away on it's own, I'd say no to 'Tane as least for now.

There is a lot of information out there about supplements and diet that can really help acne sufferers. Check out these links...

<a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://natural-acne-treatment.co.uk/forum/index.php?sid=82395ffe08f4b24da4c62584f798b8a1">Acne Forum</a>

<a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.clearskin.net/">Clear skin</a>

Since I've been off Accutane, I've used diet and supplements to control my acne.

Pro Active sucks! Never trust anything with celebrity testimonials.

 

[kybert]

ditto, stay away from pro activ. way too harsh. the ingredient in it is really only suppose to be used as a spot treatment, not splashed all over your face. if i were you id just continue taking the diane, use proper skincare and have a good diet. cetaphil and QV wash [if u can get it where you are] are really good. and perhaps give your back a light scrub once a week. and i mean light, anymore than that and you will create more acne. oh, and drink a proper amount of water per day [is that like 2 litres?]. id also see a different dermo. some just dont think outside the box and will keep suggesting the same useless ideas.

 

[anonymous]

hi my name is paul im from england when i had bad acne i was precribed minocylin think thats how you spell it it did wonders for me not saying it would be the same for everyone but if you can get ask your doctor c what he thinks hope it helps c ya paul<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[Haileysmommy]

Chloe,
For your body try the Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash. I don't have cf but I used to break out real bad on my back especially during pregnancy. I have been using that for a year and love it. I get the occasional breakout but I am not embarrased to wear tank tops anymore. Not too sure about the face stuff. Check out Arbonne. I hae been using their products lately and I like them so far.

 

[anonymous]

my brother was on roacturrine, and he's never looked back since. He suffered from mouth and lip sores for a while but they went away.

Shamrock, x

 

[anonymous]

Hi there,

new to the board all the way from Australia. Glad abot this post.

I am 27 male with cf and diabetes. I was prescribed accutane 60mg per day for 6 motnhs begun March 31st. I got lots of cysts etc before hand. This drug is helping me its not easy your face reddens and your lips peel plus you need to moisturise at least twice a day.

I too was worreid about the interaction although i only take creon for digestion and thats it. Im a relatively healthy cf'er still yet to have an admission and lung function is always above 100% but I asked my doc and he said no its fine to go on and that a few patients he has have been on ti and it worekd fine the only issue is the drug actually absorbing into your bloodstream like any othe rpersons thats what the creon helps with

Hope this helps mind you I will certanily be glad to get off the tane as it is a harsh drug and raises your choleserol levels. good luck and please keep me up to date with how your treatment is going.

my email is steveducie@hotmail.com if anyon wans to email me

keep up the site its great

<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[anonymous]

Retin-A works great! it takes a lil bit to start working (like 6 weeks) but i've been on it for 3 years, and just have the occasional teenage pimple now! its awosome

There are different stages of strenght, so your doctor might start you on "gold", and then move you up to "purple" hehe, good luck!

-k

w/CF

 

[anonymous]

Hey Everyone... its teh original poster Chloe

Thanks to you all for teh replies...
I am back on the roacutane with the approval of my cf doc, however to counter-act the effects of lung dryness i am advised to inhale normal (not hyper tonic) saline via a nebuliser at least daily.

Whilst this isnt the greatest (after all just a hassle ) i am happy to be able to continue my skin treatments without having cf interfere or vice versa. (Great doc... very understanding....)

Just thought i would update you all and say thanks.
Btw i have used Retin A cream but it just peeled the areas without any effects on pmples (but only used it for around a month... dermatologist not satisified with teh results)

Thanks again, Chloe

 

[anonymous]

hey Chloe thanks for the response I have cf and diabetes im 27 keep pretty well still no hospital admission i have been on tane for 4 and a half motnhs i weigh 65 kilograms am on 60mg of tane a day

if you want email me at steveducie@hotmail.com to keep me updated on your progress id be interested to hear.

Cheers for now and good luck with your treatment

 

[Mockingbird]

Hey, I've used that before! Accutane, i mean. Ha ha, it gave me lizard neck. =-) That's just what I called it, i had really dry skin and it got scaly. It affected my health a bit, too, but I was pretty healthy then, so it wasn't that much.

One important thing you should do is change your pillowcases every night. After I started doing that (ha ha, i got it from the Craig Killborn show =-) Anyway, it helped me a lot. Take care.

 

[anonymous]

Can I ask you why is it important to change the pillowcase every night???