ACNE!!!

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Permalink Reply by Andy on November 24, 2008 at 6:56pm

Hi Julie,
My suggestion, and it is not an easy one, is to change your diet. I know you eat very well, but so did I. Lots of people that have skin problems have sensitivities to food. Adult acne is not necessary, more often than not it is the bodies way of reacting to foods that don't agree with you. Try removing gluten and wheat. If you are sensitive to either of these then they will be playing havoc with your skin. Some people have problems with dairy but since you are vegan that is clearly not your prob (it wasn't mine either). Nuts cause almost an instant skin break out for me. It has taken me 10 years to figure that out!!! If you are really keen to get rid of your skin problems then read and learn about food intolerances/sensitivities (join our gluten free - food sensitivity group).
If you end up with better skin by removing certain foods then it is worth trying. If it doesn't help then at least you have given it a go and have eliminated it as a cause. It is an all or nothing thing though....you have to eliminate all sources of the offending food inorder to see a difference to your skin. It worked for me! Best of luck. Andy

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Permalink Reply by Jessica on November 24, 2008 at 8:40pm

Julie, I TOTALLY know how you feel!

On a related note, a short story: My friend just told me that her mom's favorite snack was Brazil nuts and she would eat them by the handful. At the same time, she always had a cough that never seemed to go away. One day she happened upon this book about eating right for your blood type. Well according to the book, people of her blood type should not eat Brazil nuts because of the reaction their bodies have to this food. After swearing off of Brazil nuts, her nagging cough vanished.

Now this sounds like it's too good to be true, I know! But what if it is something that we are eating that causes our skin to react in the way that it does? I haven't brought the book yet (though I do plan to). I searched for it on Amazon.com and I believe it is called Eat Right for Your Type Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia (Paperback)
by Peter J. D'Adamo. This might be a good reference to have as you are analyzing your diet. At the very least you can check out the consumer reviews and see what others are saying about this book on Amazon's site to help you decide.

If you come across any medical breakthroughs, definitely let us know! Good luck to you!

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Permalink Reply by Andy on November 24, 2008 at 9:23pm

Brazil nuts were the exact nuts that would cause me to break out. Also cashew nuts caused a reaction in me. It was almost instant.

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Permalink Reply by Julie on November 24, 2008 at 9:43pm

Thanks so much for your replies! I forgot to mention that I had a total hysterectomy about 2 years ago and have been going through surgical menopause hell!!! I have been trying to balance my hormones with bioidentical hormones. I'm assuming that this is hormone related, but this was going on before my surgery.

That's really interesting about the nuts! I eat walnuts on my salads daily and also eat soaked almonds! I guess I will have to check out my diet!

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Permalink Reply by DrCeeGee on November 25, 2008 at 4:23pm

Hi Julie,

It would be my guess that your acne is d/t a hormone imbalance and a dominance of androgen hormones, like testosterone and DHEA. I see that you're already taking bio-identical hormones, which I imagine would help to remedy this issue, if they are in the proper ratio of estrogen and progesterone. It may also depend on how your are taking the BHRT, as some individual do better w/ creams versus pills versus patch. Other things to consider is your level of stress and the impact on your adrenal glands, especially if there has been a history of severe or prolonged emotional tension. You adrenal glands are an important source for making hormones, such as estrogen & progesterone, once your ovaries no longer can or they've been removed.

Environment can play a factor in exposing us to unnecessary xenobiotics (dioxins, PCB's, etc), especially when it comes to diet and lifestyle. It's important to eat an organic diet (eliminating pesticide exposure), limit your plastics that can infiltrate your foods (plastic wrap, Nalgene bottles and heating w/ plastics) and be sure to get adequate liver/gall bladder support to ensure proper elimination. Unfortunately, they can mimic the body's own hormones (in particular estrogen), but with none of the added benefit, only the unfortunate side effects. I agree with a lot of the other suggestions, reducing high allergen foods can be a start, but be sure to support your body's detoxification/elimination pathways and adrenals too. Hopefully by addressing these areas, your hormones will become balanced and you'll see a reduction in your acne.

In good health,

Dr. CeeGee

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Permalink Reply by Jessica on November 25, 2008 at 7:39pm

Isn't it nuts that nuts can do this?!? LOL! I think I am going to have to by that book I mentioned earlier to learn more!

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Permalink Reply by Linda L.Colon (Taylor) on November 24, 2008 at 9:51pm

I wish I knew the answer to this one however it could be caused by just about anything; my guess is it is indeed your hormones. Girlfriend, i'm 46yrs old and get my period every 28days like clockwork! My mother didn't go into menapause until her late freaking 50's! I'm so excited about that prospect I just can't stand it, not! My face breaksout just before my period just like when I was 16; it bothered me then but now it's like I just don't care. I just ditch the make up during that time and hope for the best. Let me know if you findout something that really works; i'm not that over it that I wouldn't give it a try! LOL!

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Permalink Reply by Teresa on November 25, 2008 at 7:15pm

I began suffering from hormonal cystic acne 18 months ago. I kept it in check with minocycline. After a while the minocycline gave me a stomach ulcer, so I was told to go on birth control instead. I didn't want to take bc, so I starting taking evening primrose oil twice a day. In three weeks it began to clear, and has stayed clear---as long as I take my EPO. When I run out and go off it for a few days, it starts to creep back up on me.

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Permalink Reply by Jessica on November 25, 2008 at 7:38pm

WOW, I have never heard of evening primrose oil. I did some Googling on it and it sounds pretty cool. Were you prescribed this by your doctor or did you come across it on your own?

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Permalink Reply by Teresa on November 25, 2008 at 7:59pm

I came across it on my own after much searching on the internet. It REALLY works. It also alleviates PMS. I will never be without my EPO. It is a relatively inexpensive supplement, BTW.

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Permalink Reply by tracey on November 25, 2008 at 8:16pm

Hi, I have always had problems and I went to esthetition? (someone who went to school and is liscensed to give facials and make person specific makeup and cleansers) She copied off some things from a book she had and told me to stay away from things that are high in iodide and to moderate highly acidic foods. She said sometimes too much of a good thing is not always good. She said to eliminate those things and then to experiment bringing them into my diet. I love my salsa but I always break out if I eat too much. I try to eat in moderation broccoli, tomatoes, but absolutly no white onions(horrible breakout). Good luck

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Permalink Reply by Julie on November 26, 2008 at 12:49pm

Thanks for all of the great ideas! Off to pick up some EPO!!! :)

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