Diane-35

[kwokj.livejournal.com]

First, I'm sorry if this has been raised before. I haven't been a regular around here in a while.

Anyway, I read this article about Diane-35 yesterday, and it said some things about it that I wasn't aware of. I'd always heard that it was "just" a contraceptive pill. Apparently, not quite:

When Health Canada approved Diane-35 for sale in 1998, it said it was only to be used as a last resort for acne that didn't respond to antibiotics.

The department included a rare restriction for doctors, warning that the drug should never be prescribed solely as a contraceptive.

While Diane-35 does prevent pregnancy, a U.S. study also found it increases the risk of blood clots by up to four times more than standard birth control pills. (emphasis mine.)

I don't know if the US has guidelines against prescribing it only as a contraceptive, but I thought anyone who was on it and wasn't using it to control persistent acne would want to know this just the same.

Comments

[delerium69.livejournal.com]

4 TIMES MORE?!

Good heavens. And I thought Accutane was bad enough. I've never even heard of Diane-35. Not good.

I take Yasmin right now for acne treatment and bc. It actually has a diuretic in it too counteract high blood pressure that can occur with hormones, and this addition is what makes it good for acne.

Thanks for posting this article.

[kwokj.livejournal.com]

it was advertised in womens washrooms on campus and public transit during my first few years in university. it gave the impression is was for moderate acne, and now I read in this article that it's supposed to be a last resort!