Severe cystic acne advice needed!

1. K
2. 23
3. Female
4. engaged
5. 135-140lbs
6. 5'4
7. USA
8. i am currently traveling, but was living in Atlanta, so hot and muggy summers, cold winters.
9. Cystic and chronic acne on face

10. Have had minor acne since about age 14. developed very serious acne around the age of 22.

11. non-Diabetic
12. Mostly crave salty foods. I like pickled things a LOT. When I crave sweet, it's usually ice cream.
13. Usually fairly thirsty and I drink a lot of water.
14. Tongue sometimes has white patches, but not consistently.
15. not sure what BP is. sorry...

16. My face is constantly broken out around my chin and jawline. I also get smaller pimples and blackheads on my cheek, nose and forehead. Every couple of months I get severe cysts on my cheeks that take 1-3 weeks to come to a head and are very very painful.

17. I feel normal otherwise.
18. It is very painful and often itchy. I cannot touch my face and cannot let others touch my face. It also effects my elf esteem as it is usually the first thing people notice about me.

19. Itchy, hard bumps that are filled with white or yellow pus.
20. frustration, defeat, pain.
21. I'm not sure I understand this question. One situation in regards to my acne? In my life?
22. How did that feel like?
23. What sensation do you experience in that situation?

24. What are you showing by that gesture of your hand (Habits or Actions)?

25. Have tried over the counter mainstream acne medications (neutrogena, clean&clear etc), have tried retin-a, proactiv, but stopped used medicated washes about a year, year and a half ago. Since then, I have tried sulfer soaps, witch hazel, tea tree oil, charcoal soaps, elimination diets and am now using a gentle witch hazel soap.

26. Family background in terms of acne? My dad had acne as an adolescent and still occasionally breaks out. My mother breaks out before her period. My sister has some acne, but not as bad as I do.
27. High school diploma

28. I have worked in the service industry for most of my working life. The past year and few months I have been working as a nanny and as a birth doula. right now, I am not working, but living and working in houses of hospitality.

29. I prefer savory food over sweet food. I like salty and pickled things. I do not eat much meat and when I do, I only eat poultry. When I crave sweet things, it is usually after meals and I usually crave ice cream. I am very picky about cheese and only like goat, mozzerella and provolone cheese. I detest cream cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese and mayonaisse. I like spicy food (like Indian Food) a lot. I crave beer a lot, but not other alcohol.

30. Unsure of food that causes onset. I have tried to elimination diet, but cutting out different foods made no difference.

31. I have suffered from high anxiety from a young age, especially in social situations. I enjoy people I know well, but am very anxious around new people and those I am intimidated by. I hate public speaking with a passion and do pretty much anything to avoid it. Once I know people, I am very affectionate and loving and form very tight bonds with friends, family and significant others. I prefer to work alone rather than in groups.

32. Definitely aggrivates right before menstruation.

33. Attached here your photographs of the affected area. (if required/optional)

34. Chin, jawline, cheeks, forehead.
35. Side of the problem (Right or Left), (Upper or Lower part of body)
36. Pus is yellow or white. Urine is mostly clear due to drinking water. stool is dark to light brown.
37. Usually regular periods beginning at the beginning of the month and lasting about 6 days. Very very severe cramping on the first day of menstruation.

Oooohhh blood pressure! Of course.
To my knowledge, I have no issues with blood pressure. I do not have health insurance, so it's been a while since I've had it checked, but every time I have, i've been told I have very good blood pressure.

In terms of defeat, it gets really frustrating when I try SO many different things and nothing seems to work. It makes me feel like I have no control over my own health and body, when I try to take good care of myself. There are times, especially when the pain is subsiding and I am in supportive environments that I feel secure in, that I stop worrying so much about my acne and it does not bother me so much emotionally. But then I am reminded that it really is the first thing people see about me. My grandfather, for instance, who I had not seen in 7 years, greeted me the other day by saying 'What's wrong with your face???' (yes, before even saying Hello). I get strangers asking me what's wrong, acquaintances drilling me on 'what I'm doing for it', giving me advice I haven't asked for, most of which i have already tried.
It feels so defeating to be reminded that it is usually going to be a new person's first impression of me, especially in this shallow and materialistic society in which we live.
It's also defeating because I know that skin conditions are mostly linked to internal problems, but I have been unable to figure out what those might be. I want to be able to take care of myself and I feel unable to do that.

I am not coming back to Atlanta to live. I am currently in Virginia (where I have been for the past month) and will be moving to New Mexico in about 3 weeks.
All the climate-hopping will be rough on me, I'm sure, as I am a person who really prefers to be rooted.

Yes, my cycle is over for July. It started June 30th and ended the 5th or the 6th.

My acne is definitely different in winter, but it is not more comfortable. My skin gets dryer and rougher and the cold makes the swelling hurt. Hot, humid climates also seem to inflame it, though. It seems best in fall and spring, when the temperatures are moderate.

as for pain, it depends. The cysts and pustules are very sensitive to the touch and often hurt when I move my face (such as smiling, yawning etc). The surface acne is itchy and leaves my skin raw.

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. I appreciate your time, trouble and any advice you may have.

Thank you so much for the advice!

Because I am moving so much in the next 3 weeks, I will probably not be in a place to receive packages until then. I am looking at ordering options now and having a hard time finding Berberis Aquifolium Q. Is Q the strength?

For the later remedies, should I be taking those when I get breakouts or as a preventative measure? How often should I be taking them and for how long?

Thank you!

Hey!

I got the remedies and started with the first one on Sunday and it is now Wednesday.
My face is not hurting and there doesn't seem to be any new pustules or cysts forming. My face is still red and I get more surface white heads and blackheads, but it generally seems to be better.
This tends to happen every couple of months anyway (for about a week or so), so we will see if I break out again in another few days.

Any suggestions with how to proceed?

Well! My last day of the first remedy was yesterday. My skin is definitely not breaking out as bad. No more pustules or cysts have formed and my face does not hurt. Small surface white heads still form ever couple of days, but they are not painful and heal after a day or two.
My skin is still red and a little itchy as it heals.
the fact that I can smile, chew, yawn and touch my face without wincing from pain is a HUGE improvement. I'm trying not to be overly optimistic, but I'm starting to see what my face could look like without all the acne!

Looking forward to your further advice!

hello,

I took the thuja a couple of days ago.
in the past day or so 3-4 painful pimples have erupted, but they are not nearly as bad as the ones I usually get.
I will probably begin my cycle in the next 2-5 days, which may be having an effect on this.

K

no problem, let me know what you think my next step should be.

Hi Nawaz!

My cycle came late this month, so it is just finishing today.
I did break out rather badly before it began and got one cyst, so it was on the small side. My chin and left cheek were very red and swollen, but once my cycle started, most everything started to heal.

let me know if you need anymore information and thanks again!

hello!
my period is finished. I still have the remains of a breakout on my lower cheek and chin, but it seems to be healing, now that my cycle is over with.

It was about 4 or 5 days late. I don't have an incredibly regular schedule, but it usually starts around the beginning of the month. It was a pretty mild cycle this month, which is irregular in itself- i usually have very bad cramps.

Mentally, I am exhausted and a bit anxious. I have been traveling over the past 2.5 months and am ready to be grounded again. This past week has been very stressful because of visiting family, which has not gone well. So, I've found myself very anxious.
Physically, my face is still red and scabbing, but the white heads that are forming are very superficial. I did get one cyst on my right cheek right before my cycle, but it was small. My chin got very red and swollen, but now the swelling is down and it is healing. I get acne most on my chin, jawline and the lower parts of my cheeks, particularly on my left side.
I've also been experiencing some manifestations of a back injury I sustained several years ago in a car accident. I've been having neck pain and pain in my left leg (i think it's my sciatic nerve). I'm not sure if that could be connected to skin conditions, but I thought it might be worth mentioning.

Is that helpful information? Are there other things you need to know?

Well, I've been fighting with my family and dealing with that stress, which has made me angry, but I think I've been more sad about it than anything else. I can be quick to react emotionally toward things, but my anger hasn't been much of an issue lately.