This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

[notasperfectasyou]

Our acne started to really breakout when we got on avonex. it's still not under control. I've noticed that there are some reports in the net that imply that there is a relationship between acne and cytokines. Has anyone else had this problem?

futher along, does anyone know of any articles about this?

and, do Copaxone users have this issue? napay

ps: we have asked the Neuro and he says it's not related. we asked a Dermo and he wanted to use super cleaners (however, it's not clear that the Dermo understood that MS impacts cytokines). Thinking of seeing an immunologist and explaining the theory.

[lyndacarol]

I used Avonex for quite a long time and never had a problem with acne.

Along the same line of thought, I have heard that minocycline, an old drug for acne, has been used with MS with some degree of affect. No official sources or links, just hearsay. Some are using it with ALS, too, I've heard.

I've never had a problem with acne at any time in my life--youth, teen years, while on Betaseron, Avonex, or Copaxone.

[Anecdote]

Like Lindacarol, I have never, ever had a problem with acne, but she is correct when she says that minocycline, in fact al the tetracyclines, is/are effective against acne. Several people taking abx as a treatment for MS have noticed this, doxycycline being the preferred tetracycline in this case. Doxycycline is also used as a prophylaxis against malaria, something else from which I have never suffered. It did, however, do a lot of good for my MS.

Sarah

[NHE]

I had problems with acne when I was younger. I wash my face every day with Neutrogena's "acne-prone skin formula" bar soap (upc 7050101330). This keeps my acne under control to the point where I rarely have problems any more. I've been on Avonex for 6 years and have not had any acne problems which I could attribute to it. However, one thing that I have noticed is that my seasonal allergic reaction to pollen has greatly diminished since I've been on Avonex.

NHE