? on progestins in BC
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? on progestins in BC
| Wed, 10-06-2004 - 9:44am |
I've heard that certain progestins are more androgenic than other ones, which in turn are more likely to cause acne. Does anyone know which progestins are the most androgenic and which are least androgenic?
Thanks in advance!

Take a look at the information on these links. The links in the text and sidebars of the pages have a great deal of information too.
Progesterone: http://www.fpnotebook.com/GYN111.htm
Progestin activity: http://www.fpnotebook.com/GYN115.htm
Progestin androgenic activity: http://www.fpnotebook.com/GYN112.htm
Good luck,
Jill
~Josie
In my own experience, the most "androgenic" pill that I took (Loestrin) didn't contain the most androgenic progestin, it just contained a lot of progestin in general--and I had nearly perfect skin. I did notice that my skin was oiler when I took a less androgenic pill with a more androgenic progestin, and I did have cystic acne with that pill (Triphasil), but when I switched to Ortho Cyclen, which has the same progestin as Ortho Tri Cyclen (supposedly it's not very androgenic at all, though the progestin is derived from the progestin in Triphasil), and still had the cystic acne.
The Family Practice Notebook is one of my FAVORITE pill references, you should check it out. There's a lot of good information in there that can help you make pill decisions with the help of your doctor!
Co-cl for Birth Control