Acne and medicine pain relief for a teenager?
Hello,
One of my teenage children has acne really bad. Imagine it really bad and triple it and that's how he has it. Face, shoulders, chest and back. It LOOKS painful.
Anyway, he's been to the dermatologist and is on quite the regimen of oral medication, washes and lotions.
The problem is that from the skin dryness from the meds, plus just from the acne himself, he is in pain. Anyone have any suggestions on what I could do for him to relieve the pain?
I will, of course, talk to the dr. at his next appointment, but thought someone else out there might know of something over the counter that has helped.
Thanks
brown bearWhy are you waiting for the next appointment? Call the Doctor's office and let them know there's a problem with the medication.
Not to sound insulting, but why are you asking for medical advice on a public forum when you already have a professional who's treating the issue?
Bemused In the skin dryness issue, I have a similar case (like or a.k.a. winter itch) where my skin dries and itches (and rashes when scratch too much) that has no cure...But, after trying many products (even plain vitamin E) to hydrate the skin WITHOUT greasing it and WITHOUT lanoin (that most "cream/lotions" have, which bring more rashes than cure its dryness), also FRAGRANCE FREE, etc., you can try/look into these products for that help.
TriCalm Steroid-Free Anti-Itch Hydrogel
Tecnu Rash Relief Medicated Anti-itch Scar Prevention Spray Bottle
Curel Ultra Healing
When I had acne, I had nothing better then Oxy (has the most benzoyl, 10%) work - and definitely better than medication (in my case) - I have a niece with acne who's been to a dermatologist with liquid facial applications, who later tried Proactive (as seen on tv) that worked better for her - So, if you didn't try that already, I hope everything works out, in time.
TL brown bear- No you didn't. Asking for advice from others is a good thing. Just because you go to a doctor, doesn't mean he knows what he's talking about. Others can help too. Maybe your son could use Proactive. Good luck!
botheredbyuu2 
Denise For the dryness, Vanicream. You can get it in Walgreens or target. $14.99. Free of dyes, lanolin, formaldehyde, etc. Dermatologist recommended. Good for sensitive skin. Get the 1 lb moisturizing skin cream (its better than the lotion). They also have a soap. My son used this for dryness while using accutane and it worked great. We still use the Vanicream for moisturizing.
new My son has an issue as well. We went to one dermatologist and they didn't do enough to clear the acne, so I got a second opinion and went to another doctor. They definitely helped. I know that he uses a wash, cream and takes a pill, but he also goes every month for treatment.
If you aren't happy with the doctor, definetly look for another one. If you would like my doctor, please inbox me and I will give you his information along with the cream my son uses.
Good luck!!!
Sher I would only recommend Accutane after exhausting any other possible treatment. I lived with someone that was taking it and it actually changed the personality of the person - not in a good way. Very moody and nasty. Be careful of Accutane! Good luck brown bear.
I don't think it was a mistake to ask on this forum and getting advice from people who have actually dealt with acne. It could also give you some ideas to bring back and discuss with the doctor.
LAS My acne just continued to get worse because of dryness. The only thing that has ever worked for me is a gentle, soapless cleanser like Cetaphil and an acne treatment, Duac Gel. This combination provided acne relief without the dehydration of the skin. My prime care gave me the Duac.
It's okay to ask on a forum! Sometimes you get some perspective. It's hard to be a parent.
Empathetic I know you are looking for suggestions about medicine to use, but I wanted to weigh in with something that REALLY helped my child. My child cut back on his consumption of dairy. It helped clear his acne by about 70%. He also is now gluten free, and I tell you his acne is nearly GONE.When he eliminated those foods that caused inflammation, his skin started clearing. Worth a try.His sensitivity to wheat was found through a blood test. He also takes a multi that is awesome too. It is called Garden of Life--Vitamin Code- Family. A combo of all these things has helped dramatically. I too brought him to a local dermatologist, but decided on trying diet changes before putting him on meds. It really worked well. :) Hope this info may help your child too!
LadySkiDog My teenage son used Accutane and it was truly a godsend. We only wish we had used it sooner because he has some minimal scarring that could have been avoided. He had what his dermatologist called "cystic" acne. We also tried many dr. prescribed lotions/cleansers (Duac, Acayna, etc.) He also changed his diet and eliminated dairy and sugar. Accutane is the only thing that helped. His face/shoulders/back are now completely clear and he has never had another pimple. It has been a few years. If his condition is as severe as it sounds, that may be your best option. However, it is a very strong medicine. My son had to have bloodwork/dr. visits once a month (6 month regimen). There are side affects. Depression is one of them (however, he did not suffer from this). He did have excessive dry skin and joint pain. The derm recommended CeraVe lotion for the dry skin and that worked. Advil was sufficient for the joint pain. All of that disappeared when he finished up the treatment. Some people may need to go an additional month or two if they are still getting new pimples but my son did not have to do that. We have since known quite a few people who have used it with the same results. My son says it was difficult while he was doing it but is the best thing he ever did. Hope this helps. While it may not be for everyone, it worked for us. Best of luck to your son.
kdj Hot compresses will relieve some of the pressure from the acne. I took Accutane and it was a positive end result. Being on this medicine is not easy because of the side effects. Female patients have to be careful as it causes birth defects. My face had a lot of redness and dryness. I personally recommend taking it even it was uncomfortable. Also, I discovered that acidic foods always did a number on me: tomatoes, orange juice etc. Getting injections into the acne cysts clears them up with less scarring.
This will not help you, but might help others reading this post...birth control pills has been helpful in controlling the hormones that cause acne.
Sally So sorry for your teenager, I suffered from really bad acne as a teen and it was awful.
One remedy I used to use to combat the dryness was eucerin moisturizer. It isn't very oily. It actually made the acne a little better, but everyone is different, so I would suggest trying it on the back area first and see how the results are. Also, I wouldn't recommend doing anything without first consulting with your dermatologist for potential complications. Acne medications work in a variety of ways.
Accutane does provide real results, I was about to go on it before my acne just cleared up on it's own. I changed my diet, got healthier and that was all it took to clear it up. I dealt with it for 5 years, and was lucky it didn't follow me into my 20s
Penningslandscaping Thank you all for your suggestions. I am working with a Dr.. He said it could take 6 months to clear up. In the meantime he is miserable - as I would be if I were him. We are being very supportive and try to keep his spirits up. I didn't have acne nearly this bad when I was young, it almost looks like he stuck his head into a bees nest. I suppose I was just wondering if anyone had suggestions on things to do while we wait for the medicine to work, to ease his discomfort a little. Home remedy type stuff or over the counter. I will look into all of your suggestions, the hot compresses sounds like a neat idea. Thank you all very much.
For itch and burning pain relief...
At the Drug Store...O T C ... Dom Boro Powder. ( Ask the Pharmacist for it )
Mix it to make a solution and apply it by daubing with cotton swabs over the affected area.
Stops itching and burning.
Works for insect bites and especially bee / wasp / hornet stings.
Embryodad Honestly, it's going to sound crazy, but I have had so much success with toothpaste! The peroxide in the toothpaste dries up the acne so unbelievably. Just have him put some on the trouble areas, leave for 20 minutes or until he gets sick of having it on, wipe clean with warm washcloth. Repeat each night. Another alternative is a warm washcloth over the face to open pores and allow them to breathe, this cutting down on build up. Moisturizer (they gave a generi brand at walmart) also helps once in the morning, particularly now that the weather is so cold and dry. Hope this helps!
Kris Does your dermotologist inject the acne? Although mine isn't as bad as what you've described, I do get cystic acne. My dermotologist will inject them and it helps tremendously!
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