Acne Treatment

[honeybeeridiculous]

Anyone use Duac gel for acne?
DS has been using it about a year but today find out it's been discontinued!
It was really effective too! The pharmacist couldn't tell me why, we have got to go back to GP and start again, apparently there isn't an alternative,
Anyone else had a problem?

We have the same problem! DS has been using Duac for a couple of years - pharmacist can't get it...back to GP. He gave us " Zineryt" which is next to useless. Very spotty DS = very cross DS = more grief for mum!
Back to GP again next week - if I can get him an appointment!
Drives you mad!!!

Thanks chaos
It's very annoying, the pharmacist said to be there wasn't really an alternative said another cream but can't remember what he said, 'acnediad' or something.
I wished I had asked again why they had discontinued it? Was in dangerous??

Have phoned GP surgery and they are going to write another prescription for something else, but don't hold much hope.
The Duac has much improved DS skin so wonder what will happen now?

Thanks dreamgirls but the Duac cream was working really well for DS,has cleared his spots up alot. He was advised to use simple soap before applying it which he does,
I hope they can prescribe an alternative

I had a cream/gel in a small tub from the GP called Benzamycin gel (that's definitely spelled wrong, it was over 12 years ago!) so I don't know if it's still going but worth asking about. It worked wonders on my skin. It flaked loads and dried out but it really did the trick.

I think Benzylmycin peroxide is the stuff in the Duac cream

It had eyrthromycin in it to but on googling it looks like it has been discontinued. No idea why!

It's strange, I just wondered why it was discontinued, you find something that works and they snatch it away
DS isn't impressed, he was very spotty before using Duac and doesn't want to go back to that again
Will have to see what GP comes up with next

Did you say he'd tried the zinryt? Unfort my acne came back to haunt me on my chin and some on my forehead in my 20's and I was given this, it's a really smelly liquid stuff you put on your face and you have to peservere with it but it cleared it up for me, but then I used this one as an adult so don't know how it'd work if I was a teen! DP suffered terrible acne when he was a teen to (still has acne scars) and was given roaccutane, this was years ago though, is that worth an ask? It was a tablet he took and his skin cleared up very quickly though he apparentely got quite a temper during the time he was taking them, though he was 15 to so sure they might of had some involvement!

downstairs no not tried anything else, this was the first treatment and worked well.
I seem to remember the GP saying that roaccutane is a last resort as it had bad side effects, makes me wonder what's in the Duac that's made them discontinue it!?

Hmm does make you wonder doesn't it? Yeah ddp was massively aggressive taking that stuff but it really does work wonders. Hope you find something.

Thanks downstairs

Quinoderm?

www.boots.com/en/Quinoderm-10-Cream-25g_846154/

I use zineryt, it really helps.

Roaccutane is scary, friends took it at school and had nosebleeds & flaky drying body skin.

Quinoderm, freederm etc... all useless, money making rubbish

Stampy - since you are clearly the expert here, do you want to contribute anything positive?

OP - My son has found Quinoderm very effective (recommended on a thread on here) for his mild acne. Obviously don't know if it would help your son, but seems to have similar ingredients to Duac, and at a couple of quid it's worth a try.

I'm sure roaccutane is not a long course, DP says he remembers he took his over the 6 weeks holidays (though he practically never left the house) as his skin flaked but as i say, you should see the old photos of him, aside from a few acne scars it cleared up wonderfully and not everybody gets the bad side effects.

It's still in the bnf though i don't think it's as readily prescribed that's the only thing, I'm not sure if you actually need to be referred to a dermotologist now to get it prescribed?

Stampy - nosebleeds and flaky skin is NOT scary. Severe acne IS scary.

The problem with GPs is that they're not specialists (as their name indicates) so their prescriptions are a bit hit and miss. What is clear from this thread already is that what works for some people will not work for others.

If acne is severe/persistent then a dermatologist is the only way to go. Because I moved around a lot in my 20s it took me years to get referred. Every time I registered with a new GP they wanted to see if they could treat me themselves. When I was eventually referred it was amazing. I did have Roaccutane (3 times as my acne did recur, though milder each time). It is a heavy duty drug and allegedly can cause serious depression (some suicide cases have been linked to the drug); it definitely can cause abnormalities in a foetus; it does have a number of less serious side effects (very dry skin, cracked lips, nosebleeds, night sweats).

Dermatologists will monitor you carefully while you are on the drug and carry out regular blood checks to monitor the effect on your liver.

In my opinion, if you suffer from severe acne, then Roaccutane is the only way to go.

Duac has a manufacturing problem, it's not discontinued as such AFAIK.

All the other products mentions (Zineryt, Quinoderm, Freederm, Bernzylperoxide etc etc - there are many) are effective. The problem is that different lotions and potions work for different people and at different times.

Roaccutane is a very effective, but also very aggressive treatment for acne that can only be prescribed by dermatologists or GPs with a Special Interest in Dermatology. It requires blood tests, contraception, regular monitoring etc. It does have significant side effects and is pretty much a treatment of last resort when topical creams AND a 6 months course of tablets (i.e. Lymecycline, Oxytetracycline or Erythromycin) have failed.

It is a major pain when successful treatments are not available for whatever reason and yes, I'd suggest to go back to your GP to discuss options.

Thanks pacific that's interesting and food for thought,
We are seeing the GP next week, he had the Duac on repeat prescription so I guess the GP's haven't realised it's discontinued yet.

Duac hasn't been discontinued there is a supply problem that may or may not be rectified. This happens often with drugs, especially the older off patent ( therefore low profit) ones.

Hope its back soon. Dd is eeking hers out.