HMO acne care any good?
I am 22 and suffer from moderate acne. I've
had oily skin since my teenage years and started getting pimples at age 15. I
have tried the usual variety of antibiotics and topical medicines. I am
currently taking amoxilcillan and using differin and cleocin (most of which I
have undoubtedly spelled incorrectly). Over the years my pimples have changed.
Now they are the deep sort, large swells beneath my skin that don't come to a
head for several weeks. I still hope that I will out row my acne (I just
started shaving recently), but I am concerned about the apparent
ineffectiveness of my current regime and the prospects of scarring. I have
been on amoxilcillan for nearly two years. My HMO derm says that "with this
level of 'control,'" he would hate to switch my current meds. I have asked for
acutane twice, but he says my acne is not severe enough. I am tried of this
reactionary program and am even more tired of waiting two months for a 15
minute appointment. Do you think that I would be getting better service at a
private derm. I am considering a private derm, but am skeptical about paying
$90 for an appointment since there is no guarantee that they would give me
acutane. Is acutane that serious health wise, or is it just an expensive drug
the HMO don't want to give out?
-A couple years ago, after spending just a few minutes describing my history
to my HMO derm, he recommended accutane. His game plan though was to put me
on antibiotics for a couple of months to "prove" to the HMO that I had tried
alternative treatment and it didn't work.
So it depends on your HMO, I suppose, though even more I suspect on the
doctor in question. Some just don't like it, for whatever reason.
My acne was not particularly severe, BTW, though at the time of treatment
I'd had it 15 yrs. and it was definitely bad enough to affect how I felt
about myself.
So...try another derm in your HMO network?
- try another HMO derm. I've had moderate acne for 15 years also and I
wish I'd known about Accutane 10 years ago. Looks like you'll have to switch
doctors to get the treatment you need.