Health - Cocaine and Acne / skin issues

[linemup]

Quick question.... swim have never had acne and only get the ocassional pimple on my face. After using coke regularly for 2 months I decided to stop. swim went clean for 3 weeks and during that time was taking some Extreme Detox to help flush my system.Since stopping swim has come up with 70+ pimples just onthe chest alone and its freaking me out.


Could this be from the coke or maybe some reaction to the exteme detox? swim's a mid 20's male with overall good health.


Thanks in advance!

[DiggerDan]

Could be the stress!

[wingsofazrael]

swims got the same problem. never had an acne problem but since ive been doing coke, my chest constantly breaks out. even when swim doesn't do coke for a while it stays broke out and gets worse when swim does it again. not really sure the reason why unless it depletes something in your body thats needed to fight the excessive oil production or some vitamin or mineral thats needed for healthy skin. might hop on a multivitamin for a little while and see if it gets better.

[Qish]

my friend is 20 something, has always had pimples here and there but recently have gotten really bad.



he has smoked a significant amount of crack and he believes that the
vapors may have gotten into his pores, and may be causing some new acne
problems (his acnes worse than its ever been in his life)



i know that smoking meth, the pipe crystalizes and gets real bad, could
it be that smoking crack has maybe done some crystalization, which
caused pores to clog, dominoe effect ect ect



has anyone else experienced similar problems?

[Qish]

iv heard that caffine and stuff like that can make acne worse,



anyone know if crack would relate in the same way?



he is suicidal over it, its kinda ruining his life

[Toria]

why doesn't he go to a dermatologist? And I seriously doubt he got the acne from the crack if he quit and it's still sproutin up. It might have clogged his pores, but after a few days of face washing it would be out. Also I know a lot of people who was their zitty face too much which caused irritation and MORE acne. So he should see a dermatologist and just wash his face twice a day.

[luckyatl13]

ive had just to but i dont smoke crack ive just had it. say one day i dont wash my face and hair. my hair makes oils and i have long hair so it sits on my forehead all day. which makes it oily(glossy) and blocks the pores. try washing ur face like 2 times a day

[fletch]

umm if hes just recently quit then maybe thats why its goten worse, swim has found that after doing coke acne appears to be worse. pretty sure it has somethjing to do with it passing through your body. but acne can also have alot to do with ones diet. drink lots of water, eat losts of fruit and veggies and it should start to clear up. if its really rally bad and shows no sign of going away then perhaps your buddy needs to see the dermotologist

[allurepink]

that's strange. my skin quality's improved since using coke daily

[coconutman]

Take vitamin E pills.

[Pinkavvy]

being on stimulants cause you to sweat and secrete oils from your skin much more then usual. they also cause stress. both of things can cause increased acne. (especially since stimulans can also deplete your body of nutrients like vitamin e and well just over all hydration as well.)

detoxing from coke, or anything, also causes you to flush through the toxins AND the nutrients in your body, also causing stress and leading to acne.

stay clean, drink plenty of water, and take multi-vitamins daily and you'll get passed the acne.

[Naw Son]

yeh swim have actually got more pimples from doin coke like 5 times a
week swim stopped the past 3 days cuz swim can tell it was gettin worse
weird swim seen this thread

[ponygirl]

I'm in school to be an esthetician. It could be many things
/related/ to the coke, but I doubt it's the coke specifically per se. Here's a
short list:



Coke makes some people forget to do things like wash your face. Get a good
skincare regimen with professional quality products.



Exfoliate



Drink lots of water. About 64 oz a day should do. This will keep your body
clean.



Stimulants make you sweat a lot. Sweating usually makes people touch themselves
more. Don't touch. Sometimes they make people bathe more. This strips your skin
of oils and makes the oil glands become over productive. Be sure to replace the
moisture you strip from your skin by bathing.





Did you change your diet recently? That could also cause
acne.






Stress can definitely cause skin breakouts. Be mellow. </span></span>


Go get a facial from a good skin care professional.





Don’t pick don’t pick don’t pick! Picking doesn’t ‘spread’
them, but does open you up to more bacteria, which is bad and causes them to
get infected.





Use a product with Glycolic acid to help remove layers of
dead skin.





Get Lymphatic drainage to remove toxins.





Get a colonic for the same reason.





Take your vitamins, all of them. They all work together to
help your skin.





Take Flaxseed oil.





If you were in Houston I’d hook you up. I love helping
people with their skin. That should be enough to get you started on the road to
good skin. Feel free to PM me for some skincare lines that I would trust or
with any other questions. </span></span></span>

[luckyatl13]

i mean if your doin coke, mostlikely if u have alot ur doin it for about 2 days straight and during that time ur usualy not bathing yourself. maybe its just me but that always causes break outs.

[Lnjsph]

SWIM has tried cocaine 3 times now and SWIM usually breaks out bad the next day. He usually does probably .5grams and stays up till 7am. Does anyone know if there is a correlation between acne and cocaine? He does not like the acne and it almost is not worth it for the night. The acne will stay around for 3 weeks and he is on Accutane right now. Could it be that when SWIM does cocaine that he doesnt drink water all night and stays up till 7am that causes the acne or could it be that its the chemicals in the cocaine. Please help SWIM out. Thank you

[wingsofazrael]

swim has never noticed a link between yay and acne. you better be careful taking accutane and indulging as well, as accutane can markedly raise your blood pressure by itself, let alone with the yay. i dont think its the water or the fact you stayed up all night either. it could possibly be the chems in yay manufacturing so cleansing your face a few extra times wouldnt probably wouldnt hurt any. swim has never had a problem with acne from yay, but had an acne problem in general, which accutane took care of. but, swim has noticed that methamphetamine will cause a blemish every now and then...so be forewarned...

[Lnjsph]

Yeah I think SWIM is going to lay off of yayfor awhile or at least till the end of the treatment. SWIM has only done it 3 times in his life and unfortuneatly all three times was on accutane. So you took accutane before? Did you do yay on it and did it affect the treatment?

[Jatelka]

Originally Posted by Lnjsph

Does anyone know if there is a correlation between acne and cocaine?

Coke (and Speed) are stimulants, their use causes release of "stress" hormones (think "fight or flight": Increased pulse, increased blood pressure, increased aggression). One of the hormones released is cortisol, from the adrenals. One of the effects of cortisol is acne


And wingsofazrael is bang on about it being a bad idea to take coke while on Roaccutaine.

[Micklemouse]

Accutaine has also been linked with depression, mania and psychosis for a good few years now, so mixing it with coke is a seriously bad idea. Always read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine

From the FDA ConsumerMagazine March - April 2001

Possible Psychiatric Link

Many patients say they feel better about themselves after receiving successful treatment for acne. Evelyn Germanakos, of Los Angeles, Calif., struggled with acne as an adult, and says she felt like her old self after Accutane cleared up lumpy blemishes in 1997. "I had gotten to the point where I didn't even want to go outside or be with people, let alone look in the mirror," she says. But while Accutane may help lift psychosocial distress such as embarrassment, evidence suggests that it may actually cause serious psychiatric disorders in some people.

Though the drug's label previously listed depression as a possible reaction, FDA strengthened the label warning in 1998 after reviewing cases with serious outcomes reported in the years after the drug was approved. The new labeling states that Accutane may cause depression and psychosis, and that in rare cases it may cause suicidal ideation (thoughts of suicide), suicide attempts, and suicide.

The label also advises providers that simply discontinuing the drug may not remedy any psychiatric problems and that further evaluation may be necessary. "In some cases, stopping Accutane alone may not be enough to relieve the mood changes," says Jonathan Wilkin, MD, director of CDER's division of dermatologic and dental drug products. "Psychiatric treatment may also be needed."

The relationship between Accutane and depression remains unproven, but some patients have reported that their depression subsided when they stopped the medication and came back when they resumed taking it. And some who have reported problems with depression while taking Accutane had no previous psychiatric history. FDA considers the number of reports of serious depression associated with Accutane high compared to other drugs in its database.

From 1982 to May 2000, FDA received reports of 37 U.S. Accutane patients who committed suicide, 24 while on the drug and 13 after stopping the drug. In addition to suicides, FDA received reports of 110 U.S. Accutane users hospitalized for depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt during the same time period. As of May 2000, FDA had received reports of 284 Accutane users with non-hospitalized depression.

Several factors make it hard to definitively link depression with Accutane. Depression is a common problem, and some patients may be suffering from it before starting Accutane therapy. Additionally, some patients who reported depression with Accutane had previous courses of the drug without depression. Even so, it is recommended that doctors act as if Accutane could have psychiatric effects until there is more information, says FDA's Wilkin.
The Future of Accutane

Roche does not want to have any Accutane-exposed pregnancies, a company spokesperson says, and plans to continue educational efforts. This year Roche launched a targeted Pregnancy Prevention Program that focuses on women who are at highest risk of becoming pregnant while taking Accutane.

Experts agree that pregnancy prevention education should remain a key part of risk management for Accutane use. But more labeling changes and letters are not likely to make a significant difference, according to FDA's Honig. "During all the time the drug has been on the market and after all of those labeling changes, there are still pregnancies," he says. "It is not expected that another labeling change or 'Dear Doctor' letter will change behavior at this point." Psychiatric adverse events have also continued after labeling changes.

FDA's Dermatologic and Ophthalmic Drugs Advisory Committee met in September 2000 to discuss options for Accutane, and to evaluate whether a framework for safer use of the drug can be developed. One change since then is that all Accutane prescriptions now come with a new Medication Guide that contains warnings about pregnancy and psychiatric issues, plus other important warnings and precautions regarding potentially serious or life-threatening effects.

FDA has also proposed a mandatory registration of patients taking Accutane, prescribers, and pharmacists. "The main reason is to ensure that pregnancy testing is done before the drug is prescribed," says Julie Beitz, MD, of FDA's office of postmarketing drug risk assessment. The goal would be to have doctors document negative pregnancy tests and to have pharmacies dispense the drug only to women who have had negative pregnancy tests. The program to track Accutane patients is expected to be in place by summer 2001.

The registry for prescribers may involve a continuing education course that doctors would have to take to be able to prescribe Accutane. According to Hoffmann-La Roche, about 85 percent of Accutane prescriptions come from dermatologists and 15 percent come from primary care physicians. The course would be open to all medical doctors. And all Accutane patients would have to sign a mandatory consent form that would address both pregnancy and psychiatric issues, Beitz says.

The American Academy of Dermatology and the Dermatologic Nurses Association were among those who testified at the September 2000 committee meeting in opposition to a mandatory registration, saying that it would be a disservice to patients, making it harder for them to obtain the drug. Others, including the March of Dimes and the Public Citizen's Health Research Group, testified that they want to see stricter measures for Accutane.

FDA's experts say it's a balancing act. The value of Accutane is clear, but when it comes to even one report of death--whether it's suicide, miscarriage, or some other cause--FDA must make choices that will best protect the public's health.

[b16a]

SWIM finds that any correlation between coke and acne is probably due to extended periods of sweating. Because of the increase in heart rate, the body will naturally try to cool down by sweating. In turn, the sweat left on the face will clog the pores, thus preventing oxygen to penetrate as usual. Oily skin (due to sweat) will absolutely result in abnormal breakouts on people of even fair skin. If you are someone with naturally oily skin, this problem will be accelerated by regular cocaine use.

[Lnjsph]

Now SWIM is afraid to use it cause he doesnt want to break out the next day. His whole purpose of using yayo is to just be more social and have the best time of his life that night. However, he doesnt want to wake up with a shitload of zits on his face. Maybe it could be that he is mixing with alcohol and creating that third substance which is toxic and that combined with accutane could be making him break out. Or it could just be the third substance.

[Micklemouse]

It could be that Swil just has acne.

As stated before, coke + accutane is not a good idea. Coke + accutane + alcohol is an even worse idea. Accutane itself from what I've read and seen is not that hot an idea. You risk waking up with more than a faceful of zits.

Once more with feeling -

Don't Mix Accutane With Anything!

[Naw Son]

yeh accutane is serious i used it when it was first comin out i stopped after awhile got me way to dry honestly proactive works REALLY well for me and yes when swim was big into pepsi the acne did seem to appear more.... prolly stress ur life situation .... ur mind is very powerfull remember that i believe it has the power to heal anything i feel it has aided in my success in clearin my acne feelin good about urself is key... dont use coke for the wrong reasons this could b leading u into a bad lifestyle haha wow swims first time doing pepsi in 6 months makes swim type 2 much sorry

[cracklin]

Swim has this problem too. Only with smoking it though. What she does is keep something like stridex pad with her while she is smoking and wipes face down regularly with them durring session. She also puts a blackhead medicine from clinique on face after wipin down to keep face from being so oily. Seems to help.

[ImSoHappy]

SWIM thinks that it is because cocaine dries the skin, overly oily, or overly dry skin can cause pimples. If SWIY is going to induldge a moisturizer would be good.