Acne medication symptoms and conditions

I had been on Lithium for a few months when the consistent weight gain and uncomfortable bloated feeling caused me to seek out a new treatment for my bipolar disorder. Deciding on Lamictal, I started the slow transition of lowering Lithium doses and increasing Lamictal doses. About one month ago, the transition was complete. I didn't seem to have any real noticeable side effects from the Lamictal but after about 2 weeks of being off the Lithium, my skin started breaking out with acne!! Terribly on my chin, cheeks and hair line. I am now wondering if the Lithium may have been keeping this symptom under control. Has anyone had an experience like this?

Doxycycline has been helping with me skin BUT it is entirely not worth what it is doing to my mental health. I went to a therapist yesterday because I have been depressed and he told me that I have a Dysthymia, a mild form of depression. I have been taking Doxycycline 50 mg for 9 months. I thought my depression had to do with me being unsatisfied with my life but now I realize that I have been feeling sad and hopeless due to this drug. I have had incidences of crying for small annoyances, like missing a bus. I have stopped taking it for a day now and I can't wait until this stuff gets out of my system. I have had yeast infections as well, that were so mild that it took me this long to realize it. I only got nauseous when I took it on an empty stomach. Be aware that some people have committed suicide because they were depressed, due to the acne medication, Accutane. I’m not a doctor, but it seems that we need to evaluate the possible detrimental effects acne medications could have on us. I will now look into improving my eating habits and hopefully that will help.

I had it inserted in June of 2005 by my family doctor. I couldn't believe how painful the insertion was -- I nearly passed out and afterwards I had to call for someone to pick me up and take me home. At first I had some irregular bleeding but this stopped after two or three months. Aside from the occaisional spotting, I was thrilled to find that I no longer got my period! I haven't had any problems with moodiness, whereas when I was on the pill I was very depressed. I do notice that I feel bloated a lot. I've been having problems with my skin (scarring acne on my chin, chest and back) and this is driving me crazy because I used to have absolutely perfect skin! I saw a doctor today about the acne and he prescribed anti-acne medication... but now I'm thinking I'd rather just get this IUD removed and see if it clears up on it's own...

Silke, Foggyhead,
Yes, believe me, I am MUCH better than I was just 6 months ago. I was in and out of the emergency room (that didn't help either...they didn't know what to do with me). I took Estrostep for a year and then switched to Yasmin for two months....then almost died (or so I felt!) My doctor NEVER told me to stop the Yasmin. A hospital pharmacist rescued me, and then later I found this site....how could I have been so stupid and trusting? If I had just looked up the pill, I would have seen all of this. I NEVER had ANY problems before. I am 28 years old and have been post Yasmin 15 months. After I stopped the pill, I slowly got a tiny bit better every month. In the past 3 months, my period has become very regular, but different. It only lasts 2 very heavy days (used to last about a week), then some very scant spotting. I did not use ANY pain medication during this last period (perhaps the exercise helps)!!! My period was good this time, but the anxiety started on day 4 of my cycle and has increased until now (day 9). The anxiety (vision problems, hunger, vomiting, weakness, minor head pain/stuffiness) seems to start right when my period abruptly stops. I used to have just about EVERY side effect mentioned on this site, but most of them have now gone!!! I still have my meltdowns, and believe I am going to die again, but they are much fewer and I have not run to the emergency room for about 6 months. And I will say they did nothing to help me anyway except confirm "nothing was wrong". My husband helps to keep me positive, and I force myself to stay busy. If I am too weak to get up and move, I try to keep busy sewing, talking to someone about SOMETHING ELSE, reading, or just praying I will survive all this......and I have.

Silke,
My sister took acne medication with some kind of Yasmin mix.... she has been off of that for about 2 years (she is 22). She has a very painful period (although not enough to keep her out of work) about every 6 months. The doctors think she may have a cyst caused by the Yasmin, but are not too worried as it should go away on it's own....at least she is having a period every 6 months.
Virginia

I take doxycycline as an anti-acne medication. I've been on it for two years now, with an increase in dosage from 50 mg 2 x a day to 100 mg 2 x a day.

If I take it without food, I feel incredibly nauseous, so I'm careful to take it always immediately after meals. My prescription says do not take within 2 hours of eating dairy products, but sometimes I can't avoid that, since I have to take it with meals... I am also a lot more prone to sunburn since I started taking this, including one really horrible sunburn I got in FEBRUARY last year! ugh!

Does anyone know if there is a limit on the number of years one should take this medication for? Having been taking it for two years now, I began wondering if there could be negative consequences to the drug being in my system for such a long time without break. I am going to ask my doctor the next time I go in for a visit, but wanted to try to find out on the 'net first.