Acne and the Pill
Find a Conversation
Acne and the Pill
| Thu, 03-30-2006 - 8:33pm |
So here's my story. I've had acne ever since I was 13. Sometimes it wasn't so bad and other times it was really bad. Well, I went on the pill this past summer - July 2005. I took Alesse. At first there was no change in my acne - always just a couple pimples here and there. At about the 3rd and 4th month on it, my acne started getting a lot worse. I then switched to Lo-Ovral. For the first month, my skin cleared up! It was wonderful! During the second month though I started getting pimples here and there again like how it was before I went on the pill. By month 5 I started to notice my acne increasing. Well, now I've been switched to Microgestin 1.5/30 (not my choice, my health clinic stopped carrying Lo-Ovral) and I've been on that for almost 2 weeks. My acne is horrible! It wasn't been this bad in years. I have been doing research and reading posts on this board and all of these pills are considered to be androgenic and I'm guessing androgenic pills just are not working for me. Its just really frustrating because while I went on the pill for birth control, I was really hoping it make my face clear as well. So my question is how long should I wait it out on Microgestin? On both of the other pills I was on, my acne got worse the longer I was on it and if my face looks like this after 2 weeks, I'm afraid of how its going to look if I stay on it for the recommended 3 months (I graduate from college in May and would love for my face to look better then what it does now). Is there any chance that this might clear up if I stay on Microgestin? Obviously these androgenic pills are not helping anything but would a doctor even let me switch after just one month of being on Microgestin? And if I switch, which pills would be good for me? I'm considering asking for Ortho-Tri-Cyclen or Yasmin since those are supposed to help. This is just really frustrating for me so any help at all would be appreciated. Thanks!

I was on OTC for more than three years and recently started Yasmin. My skin was clearer than it used to be on OTC, but not as much on Yasmin.
Express!
Beth "Petrouchka"
Ortho Tri Cyclen is touted for being better for acne, but it isn't necessarily any better than the other pills (it's marketing and extra testing for the FDA approval), though it does have
When I first started on birth control, my OB/GYN recommended Ortho Tri-Cyclen (now they usually use Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo) because I also struggled with acne. It made a big difference in my skin and helped keep breakouts to a minimum. I know it was the pill, because when I stopped using it, my skin started breaking out again within a month or two.
So, I'd definitely consider trying Ortho Tri-Cyclen to help with your acne. And there's no reason a doctor shouldn't let you switch within a month - unless they determine Orth Tri-Cyclen isn't the right formula for you. Otherwise, it shouldn't matter to them whether you use it for 1 month or 3 - it's your body and your side effects.
When you go in (or even call), I'd suggest flat out telling the doctor that you're looking to find a pill that will help clear your skin and you've heard Ortho Tri-Cyclen (or whichever brand you decide on) works well and you'd like to try it. I doubt they'll refuse, unless (as I noted previously) there's something in your medical history to indicate you're not a good candidate for that pill.
Good luck!!!