Folliculitis symptoms and conditions

I am currently 58 years old and lead a very active, healthy lifestyle. I began taking 10mg of Zocor, along with 1000mg of niacin in the summer of 2004 to reduce cholesterol (251) and triglycerides (571). The therapy dramatically improved my blood tests, however, within 6 weeks, I began to experience minor chronic skin infections, both fungal and bacterial. They were easily controlled with topical over the counter type medications, but they were annoying. At no time was this new condition linked to the statin/niacin therapy by my doctor(s). The infections became progressively worse over the next 3 years, and evolved into chronic folliculitis in my scalp, neck, and face, cystic acne, and persistent fungal infections that were becoming more difficult to control. In addition, I began to get chronic eye infections. It was as if my immune system was becoming ineffective. I stopped taking niacin in December of 2007 and the symptoms immediately lessened. I stopped taking Zocor in March of 2008 and within 2 weeks, all the skin problems and eye infections completely ended. My health was restored completely and I am glad to have put that whole mess behind me! I have been taking Omega 3 supplements to control my cholesterol and triglycerides and have had results that equaled the Zocor and Niacin therapy, with cholesterol at 160, triglycerides at 91, and a favorable HDL/LDL ratio. My physician is skeptical, but I know that my body was not functioning correctly with the statin/niacin treatment. I have found anecdotal reports from others who seem to have experienced a change in their immune system, but no mention of this as a side effect by the medical establishment.

I have been taking this for almost 3 months now for Folliculitis. The only major side affects I have noticed is that if I don't eat enough food, I throw up within an hour of taking it. I hate it because I have to eat when I am not hungry! I can't take it with a full stomach or an empty stomach. I have to wait an hour after eating, take the pill and then eat a little something more and drink juice and water. Like someone mentioned, I too threw up in the car. However, I had a plastic newspaper sleeve to use as I was driving 70 MPH down the highway! Anyway, I don't take medications often and have a weak stomach, so I thought it was just me. Glad to hear other people are puking as well!! ha ha. Good thing is, it seems to be working in clearing up my scalp. Hopefully, I will never have to take this again! Good luck to everyone.

Hi All

I just started taking doxycycline three days ago for Chronic Folliculitis of the scalp. I am so glad to hear I am not the only one who gets nauseas. The first morning that I took it, I was driving to work and threw up right in my car. Didn't have enough time to make it out of the car when I pulled over. Anyway for some reason this medicine will not let me sleep at night either. I keep waking up every half hour wondering why I am waking up for. Its nerve raking! Now everytime i eat i get pain in my chest and back. After reading all the post about the sun effects, you can rest assure I will not be going into the sun while on this medication.

hi, when i was 19 i got cystic acne (pyoderma faciale) on my face (both cheeks). I went to a dermatologist who gave me shots of cortisone (kenalog) about every 2 weeks for a period of about four months.

after four months of getting shots i noticed these linear dents beginning to emerge in my right cheek where i had several shots. i mentioned this to the dermatologist at the time and he said it was from the acne, not the shots. however, in the months that followed the dents only got deeper.

3 years later the dents had filled in quite a bit but they were still noticeable, especially to me. i wanted to get them fixed so i went to a plastic surgeon who told me that the dents in my face were the result of subcutaneous atrophy most likely the result of cortisone shots.

four months after my consultation with the plastic surgeon i get a cyst on my face (left cheek). i go back to the same dermatologist that treated me for the cystic acne 3.5 years ago (don't ask me why) and he gives me a shot. The next week i called him up complaining about a dent in my face where he gave me the shot. He was *extremely* concerned about this and told me to come in right away and "we'll put something on it."

when i get there he looks at me and says he can't see a dent in my face. i couldn't argue with him. he gives me another shot in an adjacent cyst and sends me home.

one week later the cyst starts swelling up and i call the dermatologist. he says he can't give me anymore shots because it's too soon since the last one.

now this cyst keeps swelling up and in a week gets to the size of a toonie and is jutting out 1/2 an inch from my face. i go to the doctor (gp) who tells me that it's a boil now (accute folliculitis) and he gives me fucidin cream and a strong anti-biotic (in the penicilin family). i have to miss a week of work.

it's been 3 months and the boil still isn't gone. i'm finally off the antibiotics though, after almost 2 months. what i'm stuck with now is a hard, purplish lump about the size of a nickle. that'll shrink up over time i'm told.

an interesting fact: my gp told me that cortisone, which is touted as a miracle drug for reducing inflamation, is also a drug that supresses the immune system. in other words it can make acne worse. that would definitely explain why i had to have 2 or 3 shots in the same cyst when i had the cystic acne. and the more shots you get, the greater the chance of atrophy.

anyway, that's my story.

I just got off yasmin , and now am on alesse. I tried to get off yasmin to x,s before, and actually had extreme headaches and insomnia. I somehow got viral meningitis last summer, just after getting off yasmin,(I had been taking it for a year) . I have no idea if this is relevent or not. I also had bad folliculitis on my inner thigh, and rashes. On yasmin my cellulite would appear much worse. I am only 110 lbs, and 5'5. Now off of it , my cellulite looks better(a lot less) . I am having trouble adjusting to my new pill, I guess because of the hormonal shift. I have insulin resistance , so I am very prone to side effects.