Has anyone developed a problem with acne while taking Loestrin? What can be done about it?

Question

I started taking the birth control pill Loestrin because I didn't want to gain weight and its side effects were supposedly very slight. I haven't gained weight, but it has wrecked my skin! I have never had trouble with acne, not even in my teen years, but I do now (and I am 27). I don't want to stop taking Loestrin- what else can I do about this?

Answer 1

Hey, the exact same thing happened to me with depo provera (contraceptive jag) Contraceptives can break out your skin and have alot worse side effects. Because everyones hormone balance is different, different hormones have different effects on different people. For some people estrogen can help their acne for some make it worse and its the same with progesterone the balance needs to be just right. Sorry but If you want to clear your skin you have to stop taking it, there are hundreds of pills out there you could find one more suited to you that wont cause weight gain. If not just using condoms. Here is some info on loestrin i found including side effects (which do include acne). And below that i've put info (from personal experience what will work best) to help you cure your acne.

What is the most important information I should know about Loestrin 24 Fe?
• Do not use Loestrin 24 Fe if you are pregnant, if you need major surgery or will be on bed rest for a period of time, or if you have any of the following: severe high blood pressure, circulation problems, a bleeding disorder, abnormal vaginal bleeding, liver disease, a history of stroke or blood clot, or a hormone-related cancer such as breast or uterine cancer. Tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, past or present.
• Take your pill at the same time every day. Each dose should come no more than 24 hours after the last dose.
• You may need to use a backup birth control method, such as condoms or a spermicide, during the first week when you start a new pack of Loestrin 24 Fe. You may also need to avoid getting pregnant during the first few months after you stop using Loestrin 24 Fe. Follow your doctor's instructions.
• Do not smoke while you are using Loestrin 24 Fe, especially if you are older than 35. Smoking can increase your risk of blood clots, stroke, or heart attack caused by birth control pills.
• Missing a pill increases your risk of becoming pregnant. Loestrin 24 Fe will come with patient instructions for what to do if you miss a dose. Follow these directions carefully. If you do not have the patient instruction sheet, call your doctor or pharmacist and ask what to do if you miss a dose.
• Some drugs can make Loestrin 24 Fe less effective, which may result in pregnancy. You may need to use a back-up birth control method if you are using certain drugs. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.




What is Loestrin 24 Fe?
• Loestrin 24 Fe contain a combination of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. These hormones prevent ovulation (the release of an egg from an ovary).
• Loestrin 24 Fe also have other effects that help prevent pregnancy. They cause the cervical mucous to thicken, making it harder for sperm to reach the uterus, and they keep the egg from attaching itself to the uterus.
• Loestrin 24 Fe is used as contraception to prevent pregnancy.
• Loestrin 24 Fe may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.




What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking Loestrin 24 Fe?
• Do not use Loestrin 24 Fe if you are pregnant, or if you have:
· a history of a stroke or blood clot;
· a heart valve disorder;
· severe or uncontrolled high blood pressure;
· diabetes with circulation problems;
· migraine headaches;
· breast, uterine, or other hormone-related cancer;
· a bleeding or blood-clotting disorder;
· undiagnosed or abnormal vaginal bleeding;
· liver disease or a history of jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes) from taking Loestrin 24 Fe; or
· if you need major surgery or will be on bed rest for a period of time.
• Do not smoke while you are using Loestrin 24 Fe, especially if you are older than 35. Smoking can increase your risk of blood clots, stroke, or heart attack caused by birth control pills.
• Before taking Loestrin 24 Fe, tell your doctor if you have:
· high blood pressure, angina (chest pain), or heart disease;
· high cholesterol;
· gallbladder disease;
· diabetes; or
· seizures or epilepsy.
• If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use Loestrin 24 Fe, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.
• FDA pregnancy category X. This medication can cause birth defects. Do not use Loestrin 24 Fe if you are pregnant. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant while using Loestrin 24 Fe, or if you miss two menstrual periods in a row.
• Your doctor may instruct you to avoid getting pregnant during the first few months after you stop using Loestrin 24 Fe. Follow your doctor's instructions.
• The hormones in Loestrin 24 Fe can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Loestrin 24 Fe may also slow breast milk production. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.




How should I take my Loestrin 24 Fe?
• Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor.
• When you start a new birth control pack, take the first pill on the first Sunday after your period begins (unless your doctor tells you otherwise).
• Take one pill every day, no more than 24 hours after your last dose. Try to take the pills at the same time every day--for example, just before bed, with a meal, or first thing in the morning.
• Taking your pill at night may help to reduce any nausea or headache the hormones may cause.
• The 28-day birth control pack contains seven pills that are either iron tablets or placebos (also called sugar pills). The 24-day pack contains four iron pills. These are "reminder" pills to keep you on your regular cycle. Your period will usually begin while you are using these reminder pills.
• If you are using a 28-day or 24-day birth control pack, take one pill every day. When the pack runs out, throw it away. Begin a new pack the following day.
• The 21-day birth control pack contains no reminder pills. Take one pill every day for 21 days, then do not take any pills for 7 days. You should have your period during the 7 days with no pills. Start a new pack of pills at the end of the 7 days.
• You may need to use a backup birth control method, such as condoms or a spermicide, during the first week when you start a new pack of Loestrin 24 Fe. Follow your doctor's instructions.
• Your doctor will need to see you on a regular basis while you are using Loestrin 24 Fe. It is important that you not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.
• Store Loestrin 24 Fe at room temperature away from moisture and heat.




What happens if I miss a dose?
• Missing a pill increases your risk of becoming pregnant.
• For most brands of birth control pill:
· If you miss one pill, take it as soon as you remember or take two pills at the time of your next regularly scheduled dose. It is unlikely that you will ovulate after missing only one pill. However, you may want to use a back-up birth control method for at least 7 days after the missed pill to keep from getting pregnant.
· If you miss two pills in a row, take the two missed pills as soon as you remember, or take two pills per day for the two days after your missed pills. You may ovulate after missing two pills in a row. You must use a back-up birth control method for at least 7 days following the missed pills. For best protection, continue using the back-up method until your next period.
· If you miss three pills in a row, throw away the package and start a new package on the 7th day after you last took a pill. Use a back-up birth control method for at least the first 7 days after starting the new package. Your period should start during the 7 days without pills. If you do not have a period, have a pregnancy test before you start a new package of pills.
• Loestrin 24 Fe will come with patient instructions for what to do if you miss a dose. Follow these directions carefully. If you do not have the patient instruction sheet, call your doctor or pharmacist and ask what to do if you miss a dose.




What happens if I overdose?
• Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.
• Symptoms of an overdose may include nausea, vomiting, and vaginal bleeding.




What should I avoid while taking Loestrin 24 Fe?
• Avoid smoking. It greatly increases your risk of a heart attack, stroke or blood clot formation.
• Loestrin 24 Fe do not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases--including HIV and AIDS. Using a condom is the only way to protect yourself from these diseases.




What are the possible side effects of Loestrin 24 Fe?
• Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Stop using Loestrin 24 Fe and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
· sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body;
· sudden headache, confusion, problems with vision, speech, or balance;
· sudden shortness of breath or pain in the chest;
· pain, redness, swelling, or numbness in your arm or leg;
· sudden loss of vision; or
· nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
• Continue using your Loestrin 24 Fe and talk to your doctor if you have any of these less serious side effects:
· mild headache or dizziness;
· nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea;
· breakthrough bleeding; or
· breast tenderness.
• You may notice these side effects only during the first 3 to 6 months of birth control use.
• You may have other less serious side effects such as:
· depression;
· bloating, changes in weight or appetite;
· vaginal itching or discharge;
· changes in your menstrual periods;
· problems with contact lenses;
· acne or other skin changes;
· mood swings, decreased sex drive;
· tired feeling; or
· changes in your blood sugar.
• Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.




What other drugs will affect Loestrin 24 Fe?
• Some drugs can make Loestrin 24 Fe less effective, which may result in pregnancy. Use a back-up birth control method if you are using any of the following drugs:
· a penicillin antibiotic such as amoxicillin (Amoxil, Augmentin), ampicillin (Omnipen, Totacillin), bacampicillin (Spectrobid), carbenicillin (Geocillin), cloxacillin (Cloxapen, Tegopen), dicloxacillin (Dynapen, Pathocil), nafcillin (Nafcil, Unipen), oxacillin (Bactocill, Prostphlin), or penicillin (Veetids, Pen Vee K, Bicillin);
· a tetracycline antibiotic such as demeclocycline (Declomycin), doxycycline (Doryx, Vibramycin), minocycline (Minocin), or tetracycline (Sumycin, Achromycin, Robitet);
· a barbiturate such as amobarbital (Amytal), butabarbital (Butisol), mephobarbital (Mebaral), secobarbital (Seconal), or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton);
· HIV medicines such as amprenavir (Agenerase), tipranavir (Aptivus), indinavir (Crixivan), saquinavir (Invirase, Fortovase), lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra), fosamprenavir (Lexiva), ritonavir (Norvir), atazanavir (Reyataz), or nelfinavir (Viracept);
· St. John's wort;
· rifampin (Rifadin);
· phenytoin (Dilantin);
· carbamazepine (Tegretol); or
· griseofulvin (Grisactin, Grifulvin V, Fulvicin PG).
• There may be other drugs not listed that can affect Loestrin 24 Fe. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.




Where can I get more information?
• Your pharmacist has additional information about Loestrin 24 Fe written for health professionals that you may read.



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• Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
• Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.



Although topical treatments can assist in acne help they will not cure your acne! Neither will antibiotics (don't get me wrong they might take it away for the short term but it will return). Acne is result of a underlying hormonal imbalances, which could have been created by a number of factors including contraceptives, I got ance after going on the contraceptive jag (depo provera). People who say that diet has nothing to do with acne have never suffered acne. It wont cause acne it will only trigger outbreaks in people who are already prone. This is because with a hormonal imbalance it throughs the whole body outta whack including overworking the liver and kidneys therefore the body expels the toxins through the skin (the largest filtration organ in the body). You need to detox,encourage liver function, and balance hormones. The detox here are some methods, Herbal supplements
milk thistle
burdock root
there are lots more i will post some links at the end of this
zinc not a herb but essential for good skin health.
Vitamin E and A also.
Colonics will help detox and encourage liver function.
balancing hormones if you dont have a local endocrinoligist (hormone specialist) you can get hormone tests sent over the internet just saliva you send them back to the labs they give you the results.
Also too much of any hormone is bad in some cases people find that progesterone helps their skin in other it hinders its the same with estrogen.
One hormone you can try and reduce naturally however is testosterone. Try saw palmetto its a herb and has faired the best in clinical trials it inhibits the conversion of testosterone into an androgenic form of testosterone which makes the oil glands work in overdrive.
Accutane works by inhibiting oil production by putting a chemical similiar to Vitamin A in the body however as it is such high levels and chemical that is where the side effects come in.
However you can try doing this naturally in your diet beta-carotene naturally converts into vitamin A in the body so will basically have the same effect and you can consume as much as you want (i'm not talkin about vitamins i mean through food). Carrots are very high in beta-carotene so are excellent try this if you have a juicer, juice 6-8 carrots a day and drink them (their better consumed juiced as you can receive about 70% more nutritional value) in a couple of weeks with a detoxification program you should start to see dramatic results. (length of time it would take varies from person to person). heres some more fruit and veg rich in beta carotene and there values

Amount Food Item Beta Carotene (mg)
1/2 cup Broccoli-Boiled-Drained 645.84
1/2 cup Carrots-Slices-Frozen-Boiled-D... 6,279.46
1/2 cup Spinach-Frozen-Boiled 4,386.15
1 cup Spinach-Raw-Chopped 1,196.40
1/2 cup Broccoli Florets-Raw 634.38
1/2 cup Collards-Frozen-Boiled 3,049.80
1/2 cup Sweet Potato-Peeled after Baking 13,092.00
1/2 cup Acorn Winter Squash-Boiled-Mashed 189.51
1/2 cup Butternut Winter Squash-Baked Cubes 4,270.15
1/2 cup Hubbard Winter Squash-Raw Cubes 1,864.12
1/4 cup Dried Apricot Halves-Uncooked 1,403.35
1/2 cup Apricots-Raw-Halves 1,206.68
1/2 cup Apricots w/ Skin-in Juice-Canned Halves 1,229.76
1/2 cup Cantaloupe/Muskmelon-Cubes 1,536.00

Also eat a diet in varied fruit and veg drink lots of water and excercise try yoga or pilates.

Hope this helps if you have any questions or want more info then feel free to contact me through this. Good luck

heres a link to ance.org they have some interesting info and i think there is an article about green smoothies.
http://acne.org/

Answer 2

Right now my skin is perfectly clear, for the first time in 3 years. It's been about 9 weeks and all my acne is gone. It is such a great feeling to wake up with clear skin.

Holistic Acne Treatment Guide?

Answer 3

I take Loestrin, and it's actually helped my acne alot, and with periods n stuff... so I suggest a VERY AWESOME ACNE CLEANER is Proactiv.. that's a very good product as well.. I took that.. but yea.. try that, it helped me out ALOT :)

Answer 4

Yes I am not going to take it anymore! My sister was also breaking out on her back my acne is all over my chest collar bone area and hair line gross! I know it's these pills going to try ortho tri lo they are good for acne.

Answer 5

THIS WORKS FAST & CHEAP!!!
I used Tetracycline, Proactive, Retina A and had many expensive facials with less than good results. This has worked for me and many many other happy people.

Go to pharm., Drug store, or Wal-Mart, buy "PURPOSE" bar of soap - Blue box - Made by Johnson & Johnson - wash your face with this 2-3x's per day. Also pick up a LOW strength Benzoyl-peroxide cream, apply the cream by dabbing to the individual blemishes.... DON’T rub it in works using a oxidation/reduction reaction. It will unclog
dry it out and bring it to a head...DON’T over use this or put anywhere else on your face. It will cause drying and make you look worse.

Salicylates such as found in regular aspirin among other products work very similar but also remove layers of skin...other over the counter creams with this product will dry out pimples but maybe too hash and cause surrounding skin trauma.. I have seen many people recommending crushing aspirin and making a paste which probably will dry out the blemish but again pretty strong and probably will cause more tissue damage and bigger scars as an anti inflammatory probably would take the redness out... again pretty harsh for sensitive skin.

Also, If need which probably will for moisture ASK FOR "NUTRADERM lotion" - the original not the new stuff, this works great and wont clog pores or leave a residue on your skin...Any lotion that is completely oil free and hypo allergic should work but again I recommend Nutraderm. I have heard from people online that "Purpose" also makes a lotion that is good, Neutrogena, and Nivea make good products also. I recommend Nutraderm from experience and my dermatologist.

"Purpose Bar" & "Nutraderm" are oil free and hypo allergic they contain no perfumes and are great for both men and women. I have also heard great reports of this soap helping improve skin tone. Some people recommend the "Purpose liquid soap" saying
that the bar did dry out their skin some. The rational behind using the bar is that there are no ingredients in it that will clog pores, and according to dermatologists they recommend the Bar. I have also heard good responses from "cetaphil soap". These products are safe for all skin colors and tones. I highly discourage use of Proactive and other harsh chemicals for people with some natural color in their face due to the bleaching and drying effect it has shown in many many people.

Additional TIPS: acne, pimples, etc are frequently cause by a bacteria or hormone issues that cause clogging of pores. DON’T PICK POP POKE (your hands are the dirtiest part of your body) and will cause: infections, spreading of germs, more breakouts and scarring DON’T EVER listen to people online who tell you to scrub your sensitive skin or use harsh chemicals such as: Lemon juice, vinegar, alcohol, etc... DON’T EVER use that APRICOT CRAP!!! DON’T USE PROACTIVE- this is expensive and harsh it may kill the bacteria because also Benzoyl based wash but will irritate skin and cause bleaching of face and neck.... Other similar treatments may work.. Also things such as Accutane but have SERIOUS side effects such as Major Depression, & birth defects in unborn children, among others
If you wear make up make sure it is oil free, & hypo allergic...Eating healthy...Drinking plenty of water.. Changing pillow cases freq. ...avoiding dirty sports equip. such as helmets...can not hurt...Washing your face with first warm water to open pores and next a cool rise…
Acne/pimples again are caused by pores/hair follicles becoming plugged up, this plugging then causes an inflammatory reaction - redness and infection (pimple)..black head is dirt or old oil trapped in pore, while a white head is the same thing you just don’t see the dirt instead you see white pus (lymphocytes that accumulate in the area to fight the infection) It has been shown in many studies this most often not caused by what you eat (chocolate etc... or how clean you are) but most often by either excess oils plugging pores or a bacteria on the skins surface. - Proactive works in some people because it is a strong Benzoyl peroxide based washed but is most freq. to strong for people with sensitive skin - this is why alot of people get excessive drying and flaking, rashes, bleaching or breakouts from the product. Retina-A does decrease the bacterial growth on your face but also removes dead/living skin, this can work well in some individuals and has been shown to reduce wrinkles and scars but again I feel this is pretty harsh on sensitive skin prone to breakouts. If you choose Retina-A never use this product during the day only at night due to the sensitivity it will give you to the sun. You must also get a prescription for this product and I really don't believe it is worth the damage it does to your skin. Defferin is a very similar to Retina-A. In some rare cases for very deep/large boils and cyst types of pimples oral antibiotics maybe needed but I would first recommend trying "purpose" and a low dose "benzoyl-peroxide cream" along with a good oil free moisturizer "Nutraderm... etc" this does work well.

THIS WORKS FAST AND CHEAP!!! I no longer get expensive facials, take oral antibiotics, or even NEED makeup... I am very happy - Have very good skin... and have many many other happy friends... THANKS again to my WONDERFUL DERMATOLOGIST... TRY THIS!! GOOD LUCK.... PS. "PURPOSE" costs about $3 ---------------------------------------------
----PSSS---sorry so long I have to keep adding more information to this to address common questions that always being asked....

OK more additions to this here are 2 links to yahoo question and answers... given from people who used Alcohol and toothpaste to try to cure pimples:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AmzOIbplZR3F9am.9lClrzvsy6IX?qid=20070320000738AAGNkw4&show=7#profile-info-MykwsVrgaa

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AnI6PETXLwBFMhXf3GTNhRkAAAAA?qid=20070318151922AATb6bm&show=7#profile-info-cAExBdQdaa

TO SUM ALL THIS UP ********PURPOSE OR CETAPHIL FACE WASH 2 TIMES PER DAY - LOW STRENGTH BENZOYL PEROXIDE CREAM - A MOISTURIZER THAT CONTAINS NO OIL AND IS HYPO ALLERGIC SUCH AS NUTRADERM

PSSS ---I'm 32 today.. got adult onset acne in my mid 20's ... also tried YAZ BCP's to regulate hormones.. no longer take those either...