Combined oral contraceptives for acne

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miceae88
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Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 2:06 pm
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by miceae88 on Tue Sep 24, 2013 11:50 am

Combined oral contraceptives for acne

My daughter has had acne since the age of ten and, as most kids do, worked her way through just about every medication before being referred at 17 y for oral isotretinoin, which worked very well. Gradually her acne came back and it has been managed successfully with a series of combined oral contraceptives (COCs), most recently a second course of Yasmin. Over these last three years, she has changed so much and gone from a fantastic coper to someone who is often on the edge of tears. How common is it for COCs to cause mood changes and how likely is it that the COC has caused this change in coping behaviour in my daughter? She has now stopped taking it and we will see over the next few weeks if she becomes her usual self again. If she needs further acne treatment (which she almost certainly will), what should it be?

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Wendy Green
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Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 11:27 am
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by Wendy Green on Tue Sep 24, 2013 6:54 pm

Re: Combined oral contraceptives for acne

Hi,

Taking a COC can certainly cause mood swings and it will be interesting to see if your daughter returns to her normal self now she has stopped.

Perhaps now is the time to try some natural treatments? I know the subject of diet and acne is controversial, but there is some good evidence that it DOES play a part. Also, the herb Vitex Agnus Castus may be worth trying, as it's claimed to help prevent the hormonal fluctuations that may trigger acne outbreaks. For more information on these two topics please refer to this response on acne that I've already posted:

viewtopic.php?f=499&t=5005#p14762

Another thing for your daughter to focus on is stress management as, like most skin conditions, acne is often exacerbated by stress; taking regular time out and identifying and avoiding/reducing your stressors are good ways to cut stress.

I hope your daughter finds this advice helpful :)

Wendy
Wendy Green
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