Natural hormones symptoms and conditions

I'm 39 years old with two teenagers. I don't want any more kids and did not want the stress or worry to become pregnant again. Decided to try the Nuvaring. Been taking it for 6 months now hoping that each month would get better. What a crazy ride. I've been feeling extremely on edge with my family, disliked anyone looking at me, especially my husband. I cried, felt tender in the body and numb in the heart and mind. I've also felt tingling in my toes and my eyes have been sensitive to contacts and my ear has been stuffed up. Headaches? Never do I get headaches and had some severe ones. Last night was the final night of Nuvaring. I snapped at my husband and kids, went to bed, felt weepy, but didn't cry. I also couldn't get enough air in my lungs and my side ached. All in all the Nuvaring had me feeling Numb and crazy. I was looking into therapy. I was having fantasies of running away and living on my own for a while. As for Intimacy, Forget it! Didn't have any desire what so every. What's the point, right? I also did not feel very attractive and the discharge from my body was so gross. My periods would start early and I bled half the month. My periods started off with a brownish/grainy discharge and then went into a red. The most disturbing part, I was craving alcohol to take the edge off. I'm Done! I'm looking forward to getting back to my natural nutty self. At least this person I'm more familiar with and I know the ups and downs of my natural Hormones. The only good thing I can say about the nuvaring is that my skin looks fantastic! I'm so happy I found this site and thought I should share my experiences as well. Good luck to all of you and those who have found your way here. I'm off to the herb store for some good vitamins and some natural healing. I will never do this to my body again.

I have read several of your comments and a lot of us are on the same page. I am 40 and considered going off the pill, but the benefits of staying on the pill outweigh the risks of going off in my case. I have just started my second week on this pill (my insurance no longer covered Mircette). I have been extremely bloated, with gas and my breast and nipples are so tender I could cry. I do know that for those of you who want to stop taking this pill, wait until you finish your pack, don't stop in the middle. I also would like to recommend to women under 35 that a tri-phasic pill is typically what is recommended. Loestrin is a mono-phasic pill...which means you are getting the same dose of hormones throughout the month versus 3 gradual levels. This may be why a lot of you are experiencing worse side effects. I know after I turned 35 the tri-phasic pills for me were getting worse, I was on edge and irritable and didn't feel good. I then switched to Mircette which is a bi-phasic pill. That was so wonderful for me, probably because my own natural hormones are beginning to change, but my insurance stopped covering it. If my symptoms continue, I am going to stop taking this pill when I am done with the pack.

I started taking Aviane approximately 3 weeks ago because of my irregular menstrual cycle. I'm only 17, and since I was relatively healthy, my family doctor told me that there would be no serious side-effects. About 2 weeks into the pills, I started to experience shortness of breath and a constant pressure on my chest, near my thyroid gland. A few days ago, I had gone numb on one side of my body and lost some circulation to my right arm. Just last night, I was admitted into the emergency room because I had trouble breathing, nausea, tightness in my chest, dry throat/hard to swallow, tremors, near blackouts, fatigue, dizziness, weakness in my limbs, and heart palpations. They took tests and said all of them came back negative, but they still want me to check up with my family doctor soon. Apparently it was an allergic reaction to the chemicals in Aviane, but since estrogen and progesterone are natural hormones found in the body, I wasn't so sure. I had a fever last night, and my body could not stop shaking. We've contacted a few nurses, and they suggest I might be experiencing some of the side-effects of Aviane as well as a possibility of a viral infection. I don't think the benefits of Aviane are really worth it. I've been spotting ever since I started; my appetite increased along with my weight (I'm a bit underweight though so it's not that much of a problem); and obvious mood swings. I doubt many people will react to Aviane the same way as me, but it's very possible. So make sure you talk to your doctor about any possible side-effects and make sure you really want to start taking them. I haven't tried any other brands of the Pill, but I don't think I'm going to be starting any again anytime soon.

I am about to start Yasmin. I'm a little scared after having read all of this, but talking with my doctor today encouraged me greatly. I have been on two other kinds of birth control (Sprintec and the NuvaRing). Both gave me such terrible side affects that I have had to quit them. I have always been an extremely healthy person and I've never been an emotional person either (Im very even tempered normally). But since I've been on both of these, I've felt like I was going to pass out, been so tired but unable to sleep, nauseous, massive headaches, changes in every part of my body (dryness - everywhere - itchiness, hair growth changes, dropping sex drive, skin break outs, shortness of breath, heavy periods, extreme cramps and abdominal pains, muscle soreness and random shooting pains.) it has been terrible and my husband (while he's been an angel) is about as exhausted as I am. My emotions are across the board...I have cried several times a day and been angry and moody just as often.

My doctor told me today that my specific set of hormones may not be a fit for any type of birth control. He said there is a small percentage of women who are like this - our hormones will reject anything that messes with them. He suggested that I try Yasmin, because the hormones are supposedly more natural. He said they should match up with my natural hormones better so my body won't reject it and cause all those nasty side effects. He saidnif this one doesn't work, he's going to fit me for a diaphragm.

Did anybody else's doctor tell them something similar before they started this one? How has it gone?

I definitely have sympathy for everyone here! I have had Mirena since June of 2008 and made my appointment to have it removed today! I will not be able to have it removed until Feb. but I am counting down the days!
This thing, this foreign body inside me is tricking my body into thinking it is pregnant, hence that is how the light or no monthly cycles!
I have become severely depressed over the last month. Someone can look at me and I can start crying. This thing messes with our natural hormones! I feel like I have a lot of anger built up in side me and I keep thinking what is wrong with me?!?
Not to mention I have put on about 15 pounds and I look like I am 6 month's pregnant -- which, I am not! I have never in my life had problems with a tummy! NOT even after having 4 kids, until now!
I told my husband I was getting it taken out and the sooner the better. He said, it can't be good for your body -- we are messing with Mother Nature here!
I researched and researched before I decided to have it inserted. I never found anything negative when I put "Mirena" in the search engine. I started finding negative things when I put in things such as: weight gain and mirena or depression and mirena. How was I to research weight gain or depression if that is not even listed as one of their side effects!?!
The only thing positive that has occurred is I now have boobs!:)
I cannot wait to get this thing taken out.

THE MIRENA HAS RUINED MY LIFE. AFTER 2 YEARS OF HELL, I HAD IT REMOVED, THEN I STARTED YAZ BUT I HAVE NOT HAD MY PERIOD YET SINCE I HAD THE MIRENA REMOVED 3 MONTHS AGO. IM ALWAYS THINKING IM PREGNANT BUT THE TEST ALWAYS COME OUT NEGATIVE. WHEN WILL I GET MY PERIOD? IM TIRED OF THINKING IM PREGNANT WHEN IM NOT. WHATS WRONG WITH ME? BY THE WAY DID I MENTION I GOT OVARIAN CYSTS BECAUSE OF THE MIRENA. I NOW STOPPED TAKING BIRTH CONTROLS SINCE MY HUSBAND IS AWAY WORKING AND I DON'T NEED BIRTH CONTROL. IM STILL WAITING FOR MY PERIOD TO COME. I HOPE I AM NOT GOING THROUGH EARLY MENOPAUSE. IM ONLY 27 YEARS OLD. IVE HEARD ONE OF THE SIDE EFFECTS OF IUDS IS EARLY MENOPAUSE.

I've been on Yasmin for three years and the only real side effect I had was a worsening of my IBS and wheat intolerance. I was really happy with it until recently when I've started becoming moody and getting the monthly pains back. My IBS also got a lot worse lately too and I've put on weight without a change in diet. I think that it could possibly be that my natural hormones have changed so it doesn't interact that well anymore. Two of my friends have pretty much the same issue.
I don't think that Yasmin should be taken off the market as I'm sure it's still helping a lot of people. I have friends who are still very happy on Yasmin. I think these side effects are just like any medication, it works for some but not for others.
I'm now off the pill and I'm just gonna wait and see what happens. If my symptoms get better then at least I know its nothing more serious, if not then Yasmin was not to blame

Me again...another update...and another question.

So I am now 10 days post-removal. Still no weight loss and still have the acne. My skin appeared to have been clearing up a few days back...then I'm right back where I started. My moodiness seemed to improve...then I woke up this morning just as emotional as ever. I continue to work out like crazy...and on top of 6 evening workouts every week, I also try to get up early and have added in additional morning workouts 2-3 times per week. And still not 1 pound lost. I still look 6 months pregnant. My legs still get swollen in the evenings, but not as severe as they had. And I still feel like I was hit by a bus: I just ache all over, all the time. I had the one period which started on day 2 and ended on day 5...nothing since. So I contacted the previous caregivers I had seen, my midwives, and explained to them what has been going on since last year. (This is the group that first put me in touch with my current OBGYN due to some irregular paps I had several years ago.) So the nurse listens and agrees that my concerns are valid but, as they are a "sister-site" with the jerk GYN, she recommended to call a completely different practice for a 2nd opinion consult. So now I have an appointment with another GYN...but not until the middle of June.

My question is that in reading these posts, it seems like most of you who have this removed are noticing drastic improvement and results within days and weeks. I know this may take time to improve totally over the next few months, but I feel like I should have at least seen something get better by 10 days after! Is anyone else out there having no relief even after removal? I'm almost getting paranoid to the point of wondering if he even took it out of me!

Sorry to vent...thanks for all your support.

Like most of you state in your posts.........I cannot begin to describe how relieved I am to have found this site. I honestly thought I was losing my mind. I had Mirena placed in December '06. It was uncomfortable during the actual procedure, but not too bad. Then within a day or two I was in severe pain and bleeding like crazy with severe lower back pain. I was told to take ibuprofen and allow my body to "adjust". I went for my follow-up ultrasound and the placement looked fine although I was still bleeding like crazy and very uncomfortable. After several more calls they brought be back in for another ultrasound, told me that my uterus must have gotten bacteria in it during placement and that I had an infection. They sent me home on antibiotics and pain medicine. I bled pretty regularly for 6 months straight accompanied by lower back pain, fatigue, and headaches. Finally the bleeding let up only to be followed by a multitude of other nasty side effects. Depression, anxiety, fogginess, forgetfulness (severe), waking up with headaches every morning, nausea (to the point that I can't tell you how many pregnancy tests I've taken), weight change (redistribution, thicker waist, tummy, and hips even though actual number only changed by about 5 pounds), feeling swollen and bloated when I wake up in the morning, NO libido whatsoever and feel like crying during sex because it's nearly impossible to reach orgasm (this has never been a problem previously), hair loss (becoming more noticeable over time), dandruff, boil-like acne on my face and back, dry eyes and blurred/double vision, chronic yeast infections and dryness in that area too. The list goes on and on. I went to three different doctors and had tons of bloodwork done, all came back normal (thyroid, hormones etc....) I was told over and over that it couldn't be the Mirena. HA! How can this many women be delusional? I called last week and got an appointment for May 20 to get it removed. After reading this forum my husband called the doctor himself and I don't know what he said, or how he managed to do it.........but I'm going in tomorrow morning at 10:20 am to get it removed and you better believe I'm going in armed with this website and others I've found. Physicians need to be more aware of this! Even if it's not common, it's miserable for the 1 in 1,000 woman who gets the worst of the side effects. It's literally ruining my life and my marriage. It's impossible to be a good wife and mother when you feel terrible everyday.

-Amanda

I was prescribed 42 pills (20 days) of 10 mg Prednisone which I am to take beginning with 4 pills for four days and steadily decreasing every four days down to four 1/2 pill the last four days. I took my first dose yesterday and was told to drink lots of water. I do not wish to gain weight nor have a moon face. My doctor does not feel this will affect me in that way, but may have water retention (swelling). I am 73, and this regiment of Prednisone was prescribed to decrease inflammation due to a possible siatic nerve problem, which is causing extreme pain in my left leg. The pain is excruciating when I get up in the morning but eases down by mid morning with some pain all day and some nights if I move just the wrong way.Does anyone have a suggestion for the best foods to eat and what to avoid? I read that grapefruit juice may be beneficial.

Hello,

I read about how YAZ birth control pill affects the body and psych and I am now scared. This is my 2nd day of YAZ (I've never been on birth control pills ever and I am 27 years old), it's all new to me but after reading all these negative posts about Yaz I don't know what to do. Before the birth control pills, I was depressed, annoying, serious weight problems - 210 lbs :~~((, low energy, low libido, always tired, terrible migraines every 2nd day, ridiculously increased appetite and excessive hunger, hair where it shouldn't be, menstrual blood clots, excessive cramping etc
I have all these problems for 3 years now and now that the family doc. put me on YAZ birth control pill I am even more scared - mainly of more weight gain, it would be a tragedy for me, I am fat enough already and what's worse I can't lose the weight, exercise doesn't help, diet doesn't help, NOTHING. Will YAZ birth control pill worsen my already tragic condition? I just don't know what to do and what to believe ... I appreciate any advice or help you can give me ... Thank You to all!

Dear Guest 43038,

Stop taking the Yasmin.

Itchy skin is a sign of an allergic reaction which many women have had to this pill and to Yaz.

If your period also hasn't stopped, it is due to the change in hormones (Yasmin has extremely low doses of artificial/synthetic hormones -as are birth control pills are not natural, and they suppress your own natural hormones. Not good that your period has not stopped. Again, another sign that you should stop taking the Yasmin.

The feeling down and moody again direct connection to the loss of iron having your period for 14 days, the extremely low hormones that have replaced your own natural hormones.

Leg cramps are also not good-and could be a risk for thrombosis (common report and risk of taking Yasmin as well as other bcp's-Yasmin has a higher risk of this-clotting).

You know what to do. Just listen to what your body is telling you. You don't need a doctor to let you know that. There are many risks associated with this pill-just see all the notes on this site in the forum and posted side effects. There is also another site-Yasmin Survivors (link posted throughout this site) with many women that will support your coming off of it.

Jasmine

hi guest 40706.
the bleed you experienced when you stopped taking yasmin was just a withdrawl bleed from stopping taking the pill,it was not a period as you do not ovulate when you are taking the pill,your next proper period may be delayed as your natural hormones need to build back up and take over,hopefully this will not be a long wait! in the mean time make sure you use some form of protection to be safe and if you have any doubts about a possible pregnancy do a test to make sure you are not pregnant. take a good vitamin and mineral supplement and consider some milk thistle to cleanse your liver of the build up of synthetic hormones.
i wish you all the best,hope you fell better soon.
sarah

hi foggyhead,
i always get nausea a couple of days before my period, the only thing i can compare it to is morning sickness,that is exactly how it felt when i was pregnant with my 2 daughters,i found it a bit alarming at first as i thought on no,don't say i've fallen pregnant on top of everything else! i have been off yasmin for coming on 9 months now and have had the sickness pretty much every period for the last 7 months. i am not sure if it is to do with our progesterone levels being out of whack,when you are pregnant the progesterone levels rise to keep the pregnancy and can cause some women to have nausea,i wonder if it this same mechanism that causes some women to have pre/post menstrual sickness???? like everything else to do with yasmin it is a mystery but it is not harmful just annoying.try some ginger in warm water or a peice of toast.that always helps me. hope you start to feel better soon,i think the length of time you suffer the side effects depends partly on how long you were on yasmin and also how badly it depleted your natural hormones and also how you care for yourself after stopping taking yasmin. i was on it for 1.5 years and was in a pretty bad hormonal state when i started taking yasmin as i had just finished breast feeding my daughter after a year and had not had a period when i was put on yasmin. i don't expect my recovery to be overnight but i know it will happen,have faith in your body,it may take it a while to repair the upset the yasmin caused but it will get there eventually.

sarah

Kim,
I know it is scary. I was on a different bcp before yasmin for 12 plus years and went through 2 pregnancies and NEVER have I ever felt anything this scary or nerve wracking before in my life! I know 3 weeks is not very long, but it is long enough for that stupid drug to wreak havoc. I started to feel the effects about 5 weeks of being on it, and could not figure out what was going on. It took me till month 3 to realize it was the yasmin. Yes I know about the anxiety, and I could not look in a mirror either, even though my family kept telling me I looked the same, I didnt. I lost fat in my cheeks and jaw area and my skin went from oily to dry. I felt like it drained the "life" out of my face. But it has gotten better, it takes several months for your body to balance your hormones again. Have you ever been on bcp before?
I can tell you what I think is going on. I think yasmin suppresses your testosterone and progesterone (the androgen hormones in your body) As testosterone falls or remains low I feel it causes a lot of anxiety in the body because these are the hormones that are responsible for overall sense of wellbeing, energy, muscle repair, the list goes on and on. If you want a good website to read up on these hormones, salivatest.com has good info under hormones 101, they also do saliva testing on this website which I have been doing every month since 3 months after I quit yasmin, and I have seen how out of whack my hormones are and how long it has taken to even get back to a near normal range, and it takes a while. Keep in mind though you are already almost 1 and 1 1/2 months into being off yasmin, the turn around time to when you start to feel better more days than bad is usually at 2-3 months. Remember you are not alone. The yasmin bottomed out your natural hormones to replace them with synthetic hormones and now that the synthetic hormones have stopped it is trying to replace all those "receptor sites" back with your natural hormones and that is pretty much why you are not feeling so good.
Try to eat organic (no pesticides, hormones)
Stay away from caffeine, lots of water
Take vitamins, B complex vitamins worked well for me
Rest and dont try to exercise too vigorously.
Take care and keep in touch. There are lots of caring women on this site.
Bitter RN

Dear kim and dejay,

your posts nearly bring me to tears, because you exactly tell my story from about 1,5 years ago!!

I know it's hard to believe while you're still in it, but: IT WILL GET BETTER!! You will be your old self someday, but you'll need lots of patience and endurance and the support of your family or husband or anyone around you!!

I know exactly EVERY symptom you both have mentioned!! And I remember me sitting in there and thinking "I never will be better again, this is how it will stay the rest of my life, I'm done!" and today I'm BACK!!

It can last a few weeks or months but I swear someday you'll think "oh, today I think I'm doing a bit better finally", that's how it happened to me!! It will be only little steps every day or week or month, but you'll get through this!!!

Remember that the pill is affecting your natural hormones completely and brings them out of whack. Now, after getting off that horrible pill, it will take some time for your body to learn how to produce hormones by itself again!! It's definitely not only a flu or a simple cold we're all going through, it's something more serious, but nothing letal and nothing, that will last forever!!

On top the Yasmin is lacking your body of very important electrolytes and vitamines and so on, because of the diuretic effect!! So, as flowerbabies already told you, please make sure to take some good supplements (most important seem to be magnesium, zinc and b-vitamines, because they are absolutely essential for nerves and muscles!!).

Another thing that might be possible (also because of the diuretic effect of Yasmin): Please ask your doctor for a blood work about your iron levels!! The monthly period (which, I guess, came really regular during Yasmin) AND the diswatering effect of Yasmin can also lack your body of that important substance.

For the very hard times another thing that might help to calm down a bit: VALERIAN. It's a natural medication which doesn't make you addictet and in my very hard times it was always a good thing to help me through!!

But DEJAY: Don't feel weak because you couldn't get through without antidepressants!! I swear there were times, where I thought "Please give me ANYTHING, I will take it, I can no longer stand this agony!" and today I still don't really know, how I got through without that stuff!! So please take something, if it might help you through the very hard times and someday you'll be able to get off it again!! I swear!

Ok, sorry, I'll try not to write a book again. But I really hope I could help somehow.

And please: If you feel bad and hopeless come around here and I swear you'll always find someone to support you (which I know sometimes is the only thing that helps not to give up completely!!).

But always remember: I's NOT YOU!! It's the Yasmin and someday you'll be better again.

Big hugs to you both and every other poor victim of that horrible drug and stay strong! You'll get through this!!

Best wishes and god's bless
Silke

hi guest 31105.
sorry to hear that your daughter is really struggling with the post yasmin effects. i have been off yasmin for nearly 6 months now. i still have a flare up of anxiety around my ovulation/period. i do sometimes have anxiety while on my period. i think what is happening to your daughter is more than likely a hormonal imbalance.the hormones in bcp's are much stronger than our natural hormones so the effects of imbalance are much more drastic then they would be in normal pms or even premenapause. high levels of anxiety are caused by either high levels of estrogen and low progesterone or it could be that both estrogen and progesterone are both low but the estrogen is not being opposed. depression has been linked to higher levels of progesterone so my theory is that some of the stronger synthetic hormones are still stored inside the cells that would be filled with our own natural weaker hormones so each month when our bodies go through their natural cycle the cells are releasing the stored synthetic hormones causing a surge and overwhelming our bodies and causing a chemical form of pmdd.it is all very complicated,i have read and read anything i could get my hands on that might be able to help control my symptoms but i have decided that for me the best route is to eat healthy organic foods,take vitamin supplements,drink plenty of water,think positively and excercise.i also have to keep reminding myself that my body will heal itself given time. ther are little things you can do along the way that may help lessen the symptoms but i have not found anything that has cured them completely. cut out tea and coffee and drink herbal teas geared at cleansing the liver etc (milk thistle) avoid alchohol and high sugar foods.keep blood sugar levels steady by eating little and often. i am really sorry that your daughter has had to suffer this way,it really does have a huge impact on the whole family. i am a mother with 2 girls.my eldest is just 7 and she witnessed me go from being a happy loving mother to someone who could not leave the house and was always scared and angry,i knew i had to get better before i destroyed us all,my 1st step was stopping taking yasmin. i never tried the anti depressant route as i was afraid i would not be able to function properly and also i was done putting chemical into my body. i also considered that maybe i was bipolar but having read up on it none of it sounded like me before yasmin, i do not have manic phases,i am "normal" like the old me for a few weeks then the anxiety creeps in and knocks me back (although not as badly as on the yasmin and i now know it will pass) i think that's why we consider the bipolar as a posibility because we go from happy to sad in the space of a few days. i am sure that given a bit more time your daughter will start to improve,good luck with the antidepressants,i hear they can be useful and maybe with their support and yours your daughter will be able to recover fully and put this nightmare behind her.

brittkat,
i had the dizziness for quite a while when i was on yasmin,sometimes it would last for hours at a time for days on end,i thought i had an inner ear infection but it was ruled out by my doctor. i have been off yasmin for 3 months now and my symptoms have pretty much all subsided and improved dramatically. once your natural hormones get back into rhythm things should improve. i still get a bit dizzy and anxious when i am ovulating but even that is getting better and better with each cycle. i have no idea how long it will take to get back to "normal" but it is a good idea to take a good b complex,b6 and magnesium supplement to support your body while it is getting back into it's own rhythm. i am sure i am now suffering from estrogen dominance but not as severely as when i was taking yasmin,dizziness is a symptom of this condition along with many of the other symptoms suffered by a lot of women on yasmin. i am beginning to think that if you already have an underlying problem with low progesterone levels when you start on yasmin it will make it much much worse. it may be worth getting your medical provider to check your progesterone levels. (and your ears just in case you have an underlying ear problem that is causing the dizziness but i suspect it will not be the case.
i hope that is of some help to you,have faith in the knowledge that it will get better.

Hi everyone. Well first off, I have been on Yasmin for about a week now. And I don't feel bad at all. When I was seventeen my gyno recomended that I go on the pill. My mother was not thrilled about that one (old fashioned), so I waited until I was eighteen. After looking over many options, because I do not need it as a contraceptive, I decided to let the doctor use his best judgement. I took two pills in one day in order to make my cycle go every fourth Sunday.
So far I feel fine. My appetite has dwindled down to nothing, and because I work full time, those cravings have subsided so much that I lost three pounds in two days. One thing that I encourage women to remember is that the pill is meant to fool your body into believing it is pregnant. Because of the "pregnancy mode," your ovaries will not release any eggs. This is very important because the whole morning sickness bit, and the cravings, and the decreased sex drive, and the dryness are all symptoms of pregnancy. Every woman's body is different, and some woman during pregnancy do feel numb emotionally and physically. So the pill basically is doing just that, making you feel pregnant.
A woman's body produces natural hormones called estrogen and progesterone. However, the bosy does not produce these hormones in consistant amounts, hence we get our period. Because of these fluctuations, eggs are releases, our breasts are occasionally tender, a pimple will pop up here and there, and we get a bit moody. The pill maintains these hormones at a constant level so hopefully this symptoms subside a bit. The week that you are on the white pills is basically just your body's natural chemistry taking over. So of course that week you would feel very normal and like your old self.
I hope that maybe this information will help some people who, by coming to this website, have become frightened. Yasmin is a pill prescribed mostly to teenage girls because the hormone progesterone used is a synthetic one and not real. This basically enables your body to safely come off the pill and go back to normal once the menstrual cycle is regulated. I have experienced minimal side effects, the ones I have noticed are the loss of appetite, and desire to drink a lot of water, which by the way is a good thing. By the way, because Yasmin is a diauretic, that means you lose water while taking it. When your body is lacking water (a good indication is if there is a hint of yellow in your urine, urine should be clear and copious), it tends to become oily. People who drink plenty of water while on this pill do lose the weight after about eight weeks and have beautiful skin. Water is an amazing thing when trying to clean up acne. Good Luck ladies, and e-mail me is you have any questions. AgapeAngel1120@aol.com