Adult acne/spots - any advice please?

[Pozza]

Over the last 18 months, since I stopped bfeeding DS2, I have been getting an increasing number of spots and am hoping someone can offer some advice as to how to stop them.
I get the spots consistently when my period is due and in the middle of my cycle when I'm ovulating. They tend to be on my chin, jawline and neck, and come up as huge, sore boils which then leave marks which take a long time to fade.
I eat a generally healthy diet, drink plenty of fluids with little caffeine, exercise regularly and use good quality skincare products. I have tried quite a few different products - clinique, elemis, dermalogica - but nothing seems to help. The spots do seem to be hormonal so am wondering what to do to help this? I take eveing primrose with starflower oil, I take a multi-vitamin supplement but none of that seems to help.
I finally went to the doctor about a month ago who presribed a topical treatment (zinert?) but this has had no effect.
I had a coil fitted at the end of last year (not one of the hormone ones) so am not on the pill.
The spots have gotten worse recently, though I put this down to the fact that I am starting a business at the moment so am quite stressed and not getting as much sleep. However, the spots are still very much at those 2 times of the month.
Any advice very gratefully received!

I get this too and it's almost definitely hormonal.
Things I find are triggers for the EVIL painful lumpy spots are
not enough sleep
stress
cheese and cows milk
alcohol

Things I found helpful were
a lot of cycling
more sleep and reminding myself that I needed more sleep (post-its in special places!)
cutting out dairy and alcohol (I really like rice dream! but found/still find cutting out the cheese hard)
taking 1 x pukka herbs ashwaganda and shatavari twice a day in a small glass of warm rice milk and solgar megasorb vit B complex once a day (on recommendation of naturopath)
chanting and meditation

I still get spots (which I still dislike intensely) but the big hard painful ones on my jawline have thankfully ceased and I think that the hormone balancing does take quite a long time.... at least 3 months initially and then some more fine tuning.

Also my endocrinologist (ongoing thyroid problem) recommended taking soya as apparently my hormonal imbalance was an oestrogen thing and soya products contain phyto-oestrogens. I make a soy bean/pea salad sometimes with frozen soy beans which I get from sainsburys, but I don't like soy milk so couldn't get on with that.

I'd recommend going to see a naturopath if you can get a local recommendation, it's really helped me with this and in the past with periods and conception.

Try 'Quinoderm' cream
Hope you find it helps

I am seeing a dermatologist tomorrow. Tried Quinoderm, kind of worked, bloody felt like my face was throbbing all day long when I applied it, could only bear it once a day. On antibiotics just now that have mostly worked but currenty have a lumpy one that appeared

Nothing I have ever done to change diet or drink more water or any lotions has helped

Huge red flag for me is the stress.

I had clear skin until ages 25-28 when my skin got so bad I would stand with my back to the mirror when brushing my teeth I hated looking at it.

Tried every product = nothing
Changed conteception = nothing
Changed diet = nothing

Visited dermatologist and she said she was pretty confident it was caused by stress. (oh and she assured me chocolate does not cause acne ) she recommended only using the product range simple.

Do you know what I look back now and she was right soon as the stress went so did the acne and through two pregnancies skin has been fine.

It sounds like yours is similar to what I had - much more like painful boils than little spots. Also they lasted for ages. I was also worried about the scaring but all that has gone now

I would say try to de-stress, and don't worry I bet they don't look half as bad as you think.

Good luck with the business

Hope dermatologist helps. I think Quinoderm has different strengths, maybe yours was too strong?

Have you had blood tests done; your LH and FSH levels need looking at along with your levels of SHBG and androgens. Leading on from that a condition called polycystic ovaries (and that is very common) could be the root cause of these problems. Stress alone does not cause this to arise.

Some dermatologists as well don't consider PCO but they should do so. Many women who present with such problems can have PCO.

I would actually ask the GP to refer you to a gynae to see if PCO is present (an internal ultrasound scan could be done to see if your ovaries are polycystic).

How old are you? This has started happening to me. Have more spots than I had as a teenager. I'm coming up to 40. Haven't been to the doc. Just think its some horrific hormonal change grr

I was using the lowest strength of Quinoderm think one is 5% and the other 10%?

Pozza, I hope you can get to the bottom of why you get them. Years ago I was on Dianette and it was fab at clearing them up

Plant infusion, and more specifically, Heartsease ( known as well as Wild pansy or Viola tricolor). Three tablespoon of dry flowers for 2 cups every night.
Difficult to believe I know, but it works. It's cheap and natural. Try it for two weeks, and you'll see results

Thanks for all the advice - so many different things to try! Is the Quinoderm a prescription thing? Put off going to the doctor's for ages as I generally have good skin but it is at these 2 times of the month that the spots come up. Last week my skin looked good (other than marks from previous spots) but then Friday (I get pain when I ovulate so know when it is happening) I get a huge whopper on my cheek and another couple of big ones on my neck.
I'll have a look at the herbal remedies suggested and for a naturopath as I do prefer to avoid the more chemical remedies.
How long do you have to give it before a doctor will refer you to a dermatologist? It is only about 5 weeks since I first went to see doctor and she said I had to give the Zinert at least 7 weeks.

Doctor will probably try out a few more treatments before referral. They might offer oral antibiotics next. Quinoderm is available from pharmacies but can be quite harsh and drying. Differin gel is good, it's a newer prescription treatment and not as drying. Might be worth asking for that one, it cleared mine up and I have tried literally everything even roaccutane.

epi duo is an excellent treatment.

Had my appointment this morning and have been given a gel version of Roaccutane to use along with my antibiotics. If no improvment after 4 months I then go back to the doctor

4 months is a long time to have to wait purpleknittingmum - I hope the Roaccutane works for you.

I will have a look/ask doctor about some of these other products and see if they help. Doctor did say they would try oral antibiotics next, but not sure if these may have side effects?

I will check the leaflet again to see how long it should take to see an improvement, but it occured to me that the tube might not last that long and I think only the consultant can prescribe it. So I may have to go back to the doctor to be referred again to the dermatologist if I do start running out

I guess you've been given Isotrex by your GP then Purple? That's the usual gel form of Roaccutane.

I've had that and it dries the skin out a good bit, BUT, my problem with moisturisers was that I rubbed them in rather than pat them on the skin until they disappear. If you can, use a sunsreen of around SPF30-50 as the Isotrex can make your skin sensitive to sunlight so patting on a sun cream as a moisturiser usually does the trick.

BTW, did you get asked if you were planning to get pregnant? Roaccutane/Isotrex is not to be used if you're thinking of trying for a baby as it can damage the foetus.

I will check out the name Avenged, it is this odd gel stuff that is a bit hard to rub in. Yes I was asked about children, quite funny as the dermatologist was rattling through a load of questions and I said I was sterilised and she said 'good...good' and then realised it sounded a bit odd to be saying good to a patient not planning on children! I knew why she was asking though

The gel is called Retin-A gel and I have got the 0.025% strength It says it could take 6-8 weeks to see an improvement

There was a chart on the wall of the various grades of acne going up to number 12. I think the worst I got was grade 3

oooh I could have started this thread myself! DS2 is 9.5 months old, still bfing twice a day and my periods have come back... and my skin is AWFUL. twice a month horrid big spots appear on my chin and take ages to clear and mark for ages. This is my plan of attack...
Probiotic tablets
Fish Oils
High Strength Multivit
Starflower oil

When I stop Bfing I will also consider trying Milk Thistle as well.
I'm going to attempt to cut out refined sugar (arrrrgh) as that can also mess with hormones.

Plus, I'm going for a consultation to find out about lasering my skin, to zap it and get rid of any deep lying bacteria.... can't have a treatment until i finish Bfing, but thought I'd go and find out about my options.

Just gate crashing to say- gordonpym
I bought Heartsease Tincture- have been taking 20 drops a day (equivalent to 1ml) and in 3 days no new spots have appeared and the ones I did have are fading. I've tried various retinol products, oxy products and a yellow antibiotic liquid whose name escapes me atm from the docs, and this is the best by far. I had tried changing my diet, cutting out sugar, caffeine etc and this is the biggest improvement so far.
Thank you so much gordonpym

Should have said, I suffer(ed) from cystic acne around my jawline and chin.