Dianette or Yasmin? Please help!

[Maria]

I jabe decided to go on the pill after doing a lot of research via the internet. I have always been a firm believer to "let things run there course naturally" and not interfere with the bodys natural processes so have never wanted to take the pill (even though i am and have been in a serious relationship for the past 5 years). However, i have been suffering from Acne for the past 2 years and going from having the odd spot during/before my period to having at them ALL THE TIME this has really decreased my confidence and self-esteem. I have tried everything in the book for curing acne and spent silly amounts of money but nothing seems to work. I've been reading up about the pill as a cure for acne in terms of hormones. I was quite excited that this could be something that may work for me as my spots do seem to be more frequent around certain times of my cycle. Now i've read that Dianette is the most effective for acne and was wondering if anyone has been on it or is on and could tell me how is it or has not helped them? Also other side effects it can cause. The main question however is, is Dianette better (higher level of hormones) with more risk of side effects but more effective with acne? Or Yasmin, which is a new drug that does not cause water retention therefore weight gain, and has a lower dose of hormones but still can help acne? I DO NOT want to gain weight, that is my biggest fear (apart from being spot ridden) as i have battled with my weight for the past 4 years and for the past year i have maintained as size 8 UK (size 4 US) and would like to stay that way!

Please anyone who has taken either Yasmin or Dianette- advice would be much appreciated!
Thank you!

[michelle]

hey i dont know which is better between the two but i had tried alesse for my period cramps and i also wanted some help for acne ....however after about 5 months of alesse it didnt help much with the cramps but it helped alot for the acne and i didnt gain weight at also...so after a total of 8months on it the results were no acne no weight gain BUT a yeast infection that was hard to clear up but it may work differently for you!

[jane]

the first time i went on dianette it helped me but i didnt really have bad skin just a few spots on my chin. it made me depressed and i also put on weight which i couldnt lose even with exercising lots. when i came off it after about 3 months i got spots again, nothing really that bad but frequent. i went to the docs and i got anti biotics which worked. for some stupid reason i decided to go back on dianette again, BIG mistake. i broke out so so bad and made me even more depressed than before. my skin hasnt been the same since and im debating whether to go on yasmin or not to help settle my hormones coz its upsetting me now. if anyone had a similar situation let me know?

[alicia]

Maria, I've used both. When I lived in the UK, I took Dianette for polycystic ovary syndrome -- which causes acne, among other things. Dianette worked beautifully for me. It isn't higher hormones, but the type of progestin in it, which blocks excess androgen. Dianette is not available hre in the US, so I took Yasmin instead. It has a different type of progestin, which does the same as Dianette's. Both worked wonderfully for the acne, but Yasmin caused me a bit more trouble with breakthrough bleeding.

[jane]

alicia, how bad would u say your acne was? and was it only bad when u were off the pill??

[Kerry]

I have been on dianette for about 5 years (live in UK). It works great for spots and I haven't noticed any weight gain from it. I tried to come off it once on to another lovwer hormone pill and had an instant break out of spots. I have a friend who was on it for 10 years from the age of about 16 as she had a lot of face acne. Again, she had no weight gain and when she finally came off it her skin stayed much clearer. Hope this helps.

Maria wrote:

I jabe decided to go on the pill after doing a lot of research via the internet. I have always been a firm believer to "let things run there course naturally" and not interfere with the bodys natural processes so have never wanted to take the pill (even though i am and have been in a serious relationship for the past 5 years). However, i have been suffering from Acne for the past 2 years and going from having the odd spot during/before my period to having at them ALL THE TIME this has really decreased my confidence and self-esteem. I have tried everything in the book for curing acne and spent silly amounts of money but nothing seems to work. I've been reading up about the pill as a cure for acne in terms of hormones. I was quite excited that this could be something that may work for me as my spots do seem to be more frequent around certain times of my cycle. Now i've read that Dianette is the most effective for acne and was wondering if anyone has been on it or is on and could tell me how is it or has not helped them? Also other side effects it can cause. The main question however is, is Dianette better (higher level of hormones) with more risk of side effects but more effective with acne? Or Yasmin, which is a new drug that does not cause water retention therefore weight gain, and has a lower dose of hormones but still can help acne? I DO NOT want to gain weight, that is my biggest fear (apart from being spot ridden) as i have battled with my weight for the past 4 years and for the past year i have maintained as size 8 UK (size 4 US) and would like to stay that way!
Please anyone who has taken either Yasmin or Dianette- advice would be much appreciated!
Thank you!

[danielle]

I have been on dianette for at least 2 years non-stop. i was PLAGUED with acne at school. it totally clear it all up. i dont have a single spot on my face. oh i did have a 2 month break from dianette last year and the spots didnt come back. i have never had any side effects from it.

[Catherine]

Hi Maria,

Just saw your post - I am in the exact same predicament! Which did you end up using and how was it?

thanks,

Catherine

Maria wrote:

I jabe decided to go on the pill after doing a lot of research via the internet. I have always been a firm believer to "let things run there course naturally" and not interfere with the bodys natural processes so have never wanted to take the pill (even though i am and have been in a serious relationship for the past 5 years). However, i have been suffering from Acne for the past 2 years and going from having the odd spot during/before my period to having at them ALL THE TIME this has really decreased my confidence and self-esteem. I have tried everything in the book for curing acne and spent silly amounts of money but nothing seems to work. I've been reading up about the pill as a cure for acne in terms of hormones. I was quite excited that this could be something that may work for me as my spots do seem to be more frequent around certain times of my cycle. Now i've read that Dianette is the most effective for acne and was wondering if anyone has been on it or is on and could tell me how is it or has not helped them? Also other side effects it can cause. The main question however is, is Dianette better (higher level of hormones) with more risk of side effects but more effective with acne? Or Yasmin, which is a new drug that does not cause water retention therefore weight gain, and has a lower dose of hormones but still can help acne? I DO NOT want to gain weight, that is my biggest fear (apart from being spot ridden) as i have battled with my weight for the past 4 years and for the past year i have maintained as size 8 UK (size 4 US) and would like to stay that way!
Please anyone who has taken either Yasmin or Dianette- advice would be much appreciated!
Thank you!

[vanessa]

I suffered from really bad acne from the age of about 14. my family spent huge amounts of money on store-bought creams, cleansers, spot-busters and anything else you can think of, none of which made any significant difference to my skin. i was put on various courses of medication, some of which worked for a few weeks but reached a plateau where my skin would remain the same and not get any better. when the spots reached my chest and back we decided to go back to the doctor who prescribed me with dianette, it worked within the first few months and increasingly got better. now, after being on the tablets for nearly a year, my skin is very clear. it is so much easier now to apply make-up (the acne had made it difficult to apply make-up to the skin, however i recomend using 'MAC' concealers and foundations along with 'OLAY' moisturisers). Despite all this, i am so eager to be taken off of the tablet as i experienced huge weight gain. i had a tiny frame before taking the pills but my weight rocketed and i put on a lot of weight on my thighs, tummy, butt and arms which resulted in stretch marks and even some cellulite. i still recomend that you try these tablets for a few months if you suffer from acne as most people dont suffer the side effect of weight gain. good luck!

[Molly]

danielle wrote:

I have been on dianette for at least 2 years non-stop. i was PLAGUED with acne at school. it totally clear it all up. i dont have a single spot on my face. oh i did have a 2 month break from dianette last year and the spots didnt come back. i have never had any side effects from it.

How long did it take for dianette to start clearing your spots?

[kati]

ive been on dianette now for 4 years and hav found this page after searching for an alternative! i was put on this pill as i suffer from mild PCOS, as well as wanting a contraceptive pill. my skin has been spotless BUT my sex drive has completely gone. not good. after lots of research i will be seeing my gp this pm to try and change to yasmin. this pill seems to be a much better alternative to dianette! at one point i came off dianette for a while and after 2 months i flared up in spots and went straight back on it!!!!!!!! i ll let u know what happens with yasmin!!!!!

[callie]

i have been on dianette for over 3 years, for me its been absolutely amazing.
i have suffered no side effects, less period pain, no alteration to my sex drive (possibly even an increse) and my skin has completely cleared up.
i dont really listen to all of the rumours, possiblt long term side effects etc, as i truly think if you pay close attention to your body you will know if something is wrong but perhaps thats naive,
anyway my doctor now wants me to come off it but i want to stay on, seeing people on here who have been on dianette for five years or more makes me feel mush more confident in pushing to stay on it!
lets just hope he lets me stay on it!!!!

[susan liverpool]

i have been on dianette for about 8 years with only a break to have my daughter,i did notice when i stopped taking it to try for a baby within 3 months the horrible acne came back, as soon as i stopped breast feeding i got right back on dianette, because with out it i do loose all my confidence because i feel people are looking at my acne which always hits my face and much worse my neck where i cant ever wear a collar because its so sore,Dianette clears this to perfect skin,nails and d healthy hair might i add.

[Lou]

I was on dianette for about 5 yrs after going to the doctors with spots on my chin which wouldn't shift.. i gained 3 stones and my apetite was unbelievable i was just always hungry. Yes it did clear them up and my skin was fab however due to the weight gain i went back to the doctors as diet and exercise would not shift it she took me off of it and the spots have returned and my skin is sooo greasy and my hair is disgusting. I haven't had a period in 3 months not that that's a bad thing of course! but the weight will not shift even though i now hardly eat due to my apetite reduction and go to the gym 3 times a week! it's all very strange. I also experienced bad cramps after comming off of it and also the doctor advised me that if you smoke you cannot be on it after the age of 35 as it can cause breast cancer. I personally would not recommend for you to take it simply due to the after effects i would think twice.

[Sarah]

i was on dianette for 4years. gave me huge mood swings and certainly put on weight. i would also get really aching legs, im not sure wether it was due to the pill or not but now i have really veiny legs and am ashamed to show them! i had masses of acne, it definately got worse before it got better....after 4years my skin was clear, doctor put me on a regular pill afterwards for two years, to make sure the spots dont come back. i have been off the pill for 4months and i am confident now my skin will stay like this, infact now it is very dry and i sort of wish it was oily again! my advise would be to just leave ur skin alone, dont irritate it and dont think about it and it will just get better with time, as worrying your going to get spotty again will give you spots! x

[fiona scott]

Hi I have been on dianette for a month now-how long was it before you saw an improvement in your acne? Fiona

[Katie]

it is around 6 months, it is a miracle worker it has changed my life i had no weight gain and no side effects apart from clear skin! stops ya getting pregnant too lol

[roxy]

i was on Dianette for 3 years for acne and my skin was perfect the doctor sugested i take a break from it as it can cause blodd clots I have now takena 4 month break but my skin is now getting very oily and spotty, does anyone know how long a break is needed, although dianette made me moody rather quickly and I had no sex drive i cant bear these spots, or is there an alternative?

[Maya]

i have been on Dianette for just over a year. This has been a miracle worker for my skin, as i had alot of big red spots and itchy skin.
When i started taking this pill my periods came within the week i missed it. But recently it comes when i start taking a new pack, which is alittle worrying.
I have also heard that u get thigh pains if ur on the pill for longer than a year, but i have been reading women are on it for 10years..

[Maggie]

I had a hysterectomy 14 years ago, and because my ovaries were left intact, even though I had previously had an ectopic pregnancy, my hormones went ballistic. I had never had acne before, even in my teens, but I was covered in acne within weeks of my hysterectomy. My self confidence vanished, I hated going out, and dfue to a rather cruel (now ex!) husband, was made to feel dirty.
I was sent to specialists by my GP, and was treated with skin abrasion(???), anti-biotics and eventually, put on Dianette.
That was 12 years ago. Within 2 months of starting on the pill, my skin cleared up, and was clearer than I can ever remember it being before, less greasy, and blooming!
I know the risks of taking the pill long term, but following advise from my very knowledgable GP, I take if for 6 months, then take 3 months off, sometimes longer, in between times, I do get the odd spot, so until my menopause kicks in, I will continue to use it, as my life has improved tremendously since starting it. My self confidence has increased, and I'm not ashamed to go out without make-up, in fact, I have been told my skin looks better without it!
Everyone reacts differently to different drugs, if it works for you, use it. You won't regret it. I have never had problems with water retention, moods etc, so maybe it only effects some people. try it, if nothing else works, it an chnage your life.