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?

Seriously! Theas18 I hope you are correct - this might be the best news of the day (tragic) and it isn't 0700 yet!! Thanks.

Another one who found Quinoderm 10 effective for my teenage DD.

Hi all, just been to GP and she has now prescribed 'Epiduo gel' which is benzoyl peroxide which I think is what's in the Duoderm,
We will see if it does the trick!

I've been suffering with acne for the last couple of years.

I was prescribed zineryt which worked for a while before my skin flared up again.

Currently on Lymecycline oral antibiotics and Adapalene gel which seem to be working well.

My GP told me to go back if the treatment didn't seem to work as sometimes they work well for some people and not others.

Aha, maita DS' gel, the Epiduo gel says 'adapalene' in brackets so maybe same stuff?
It appears same as Duac, ie once a day only at night

EPIDUO® (adapalene and benzoyl peroxide) Gel 0.1%/2.5%
DUAC (clindamycin phosphate and benzoyl peroxide) Gel, 1.2%/5% for topical use

So - benzoyl peroxide in both, higher concentration in Duac which also includes and antibiotic.
Epiduo as lesser strength of bonzoyl peroxide but also contains adapalene which is a retinoid (a topical version of what makes Roaccutane so effective).

Do encourage your DS to be patient and to continue with his new treatment for at least 2 weeks. Nothing works overnight or before next Saturday

Thanks pacific
Another helpful post, are you GP?

Have been through this twice with heavily acne-fied teenage boys. Zineryt is OK, but doesn't really zap it. Anti-biotics didn't do it either.
The only thing that worked for them is Roaccutane. It is a heavy-duty product that needs lots of monitoring and trips to hospitals. But both times within 9/12 months, they had amazingly peachy clear skin. Their Mediterranean cousins who have the same problem, oily complexion, still have spots and quite bad scarring at age 30-plus.
I would seriously consider asking your GP for a referral to a dermatologist for it. There are plenty of scare stories around this med. But it worked brilliantly for both my boys. Side effects are dry skin, lips, sun-sensitive. But they can be managed with lip balm and lotions/products.
And as for the moods, they've both been as bad, or worse, off the drug than on it. And they are both happier now that they are acne-free.

Honeybeeridiculous, it's been a couple of months now since the Epiduo was prescribed - how has your son found it?
My son has just started using it alongside a course of antibiotics and am interested to know if it has worked for others.

buskers
I would say its not as good as Duac. His skin is becoming a bit spotty again and quite sore and dry in places. Looks like we may have to go back to GP again which is a pain.

We've just been back to GP today. Daughter spent 3 months on roaccutane last year, which cleared up her acne, then was on the duac cream, which we obviously haven't been able to get. GP put her back on zinert last month (didn't realise it was this until we had picked up the prescription), but hasn't helped at all (had been on it before) and her skin has got quite bad again.

Looks as if she will probably need another course of roaccutane. Only ill effects she had last time was the dry skin, especially on her lips, which she then picked to pieces!

I think last time she was probably taken off the roaccutane a month too early, as although her skin cleared up massively it wasn't completely clear. Hopefully this time it will sort it out once and for all.