The never ending saga……
Well, it’s been a few days since I posted last.
It’s been about 3 1/2 weeks since I stopped taking Diane 35 (birth
control pill for acne and seborrhea). I started getting very oiling
about a week ago and breaking out very bad. But what is strange is
the sebderm-like skin lesions are clearing up (only have a little
around one ear) In addition to stopping the birth control pill, I
stopped using retin-A 0.1%. All because I wanted my doctor and derm
to see me unmedicated.
I was intending on asking the new derm to put me on accutane. I
know, somewhat ambitious intention on my behalf for a first-time
consultation. But just prior to my dermatology appt, I had my annual
physical. And I told my internist that I have had a minor ache in my
upper right quadrent, off and on, for the last 6 months. It started
after I battled with a recurrent dysentary in India. My internist
said it was possible the dysentary could have lodged itself in my
liver (has anyone ever heard of this?) and said the pain is located
in the liver/colon area. Now I am getting a gamut of tests for my
liver, kidneys and an abdominal ultrasound. (I don’t have Hep A/B -
vaccinated against these).
With this in mind, I decided to put the accutane issue on the back
burner.
Oh, and my visit with the derm was disheartening. She said I had
rosacea and acne. (I still don’t think I have rosacea and the
redness is acne/retin-A related. But maybe I am in denial).
When I pointed out the sebderm-like area on my ear, she barely
glanced at it from three feet away and said, "looks more like eczema."
She seemed a little frustrated with me because I am not a "fresh"
case that can be started on initial front-line therapies. I’ve been
there and done that and they all failed. I pointe out one antibiotic
I am seriously allergic to, two others have adverse reactions of
candida infections and kidney function problems.
When I told her I took accutane with no adverse reactions (as
compared to my adverse reactions to antibiotics) she seemed
incredulous. Now I have to get my charts to her to back up my claim.
It is so very, very frustrating to come across doctors who have
established mindsets of what works and what doesn’t without taking
into consideration a patients individual response to specific
medicines. In the doctors own mind they have already decided what
they will and will not prescribe out of hand.