Is there a medication or oral contraceptive to control acne comedones?
44-year-old woman
I would like to know if there is a medication or oral contraceptive (which does not pose a problem to take it indefinitely because I am 41 years old). The goal is to control my hormonal system which causes me comedonal acne and too much sebum. Note that Accutane on 2 occasions did not improve anything as well as the stieva-a cream. Also, I take duloxetine 60 mg/day for fibromyalgia, could this medication be responsible for my problem?
I had my IUD removed to see if it improved but unfortunately not. Note that my husband had a vasectomy so no problem with contraception.
Thank you very much for your help!
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Alexandre Chagnon · 4 years ago
Hello;
- If you have hormonal issues, Diane-35 may be an interesting option for you. However, it is not a long-term treatment but rather a temporary treatment (often the doctor will re-evaluate after 6 months). A good portion of women who have used it report an improvement in their acne, but if the acne clears up, it is important to know that Diane-35 cannot be used as a method of contraception afterwards. As I understand it, this is not the intended effect (contraception).
- Diane-35 does not interact with Duloxetine.
- According to the product monograph, Duloxetine is not known to induce acne
- Your doctor will be able to assess Risk/Benefit of Diane-35 based on your condition
Samiha Hadj Bouazza, pharmacy student under the supervision of Alexandre Chagnon, pharmacist
44-year-old woman · 4 years ago
Hello,
Thank you for your reply. I took the contraceptive diane-35 as a teenager and early adult and it actually helped even though I probably have acne problems (hormones) since I no longer use it.... When I had my daughter almost 14 years ago, my doctor told me that I could not use diane-35 indefinitely because in the long term risk of breast cancer.
My question is if I use it until menopause (more or less 10 years because I'm 41) is it so risky?
Would there be any other medication to stabilize my hormones otherwise? My mother in law is taking a medication to lower her hormones after breast cancer....!?!?
Or others?
Thank you very much as I am really tired of fighting this problem at my age and have been for a long time!!
Alexandre Chagnon · 4 years ago
- According to the official Health Canada indication, Diane-35 is used to treat severe acne and mostly temporarily. With the data we currently have, it is unlikely that your doctor will prescribe it for such a long time (until menopause). On the other hand, there are other contraceptives to treat acne such as Yaz, Yasmine which they can be used for a longer period of time, but only if your doctor assesses that your health condition allows it.
- There are indeed other hormonal treatments such as Spironolactone, which is a drug that blocks hormones specifically androgens. However, only your doctor can assess whether you have signs of hyperandrogenism and therefore the indication of this medication for your situation
- On the other hand, you should know, that there are non-hormonal treatments to treat acne such as an oral antibiotic (such as doxycycline and others) in combination with a topical retinoid
- The medications your mother-in-law is taking have a different mechanism of action than the one sought to treat acne. Therefore, they are not recommended for acne
You will be able to discuss with your doctor the best option that meets your condition
Samiha Hadj Bouazza, pharmacy student under the supervision of Alexandre Chagnon, pharmacist
44-year-old woman · 4 years ago
Great! Thank you so much! I'm impressed with the response which answers my questions very well.
Thanks again
Alexandre Chagnon · 4 years ago
It feels good :)
Alexandre Chagnon, pharmacist
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