Crohn's/Acne/Antibiotics etc

This is so strange but I've been trying to put together the connection between my cystic acne on my face and Crohn's for years. I started getting cystic acne in Oct 2004, and was on antibiotics for months, different strengths. Finally in May of 2005, after so many different medicines, the dermatologist decided on Accutane. However, before I could even begin one treatment I was hospitalized and diagnosed with the worst case of Crohn's the GI had ever seen (he sd)

Ive always wondered how they were connected. Did the antibiotics cause the Crohn's or was the cystic acne a sign of the upcoming Crohn's and did it happen because of a zinc deficiency?

I wish I could figure it all out. I am now 32, been dx'd for 8 yrs and still get some cysts on my face occasionally. I am thinking, despite the problems assoc with Accutane, of going on it because I don't want to have acne for the rest of my life. Any suggestions or similar stories?

By the way, I did not have cystic acne that takes over your face. Mine was like these huge cysts or boils only about two at a time, and once one disappeared, another would pop up in a different spot. If I mess with any pimple it will become a cyst/under the skin Its horrible! And even tho, its mostly controlled, it does still occur.

Here is a link to another thread on the connection between the two: crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?p=458137#post458137

I don't know if having crohns alone is associated with acne (it very well could be) but I never had problems with acne before I started taking medicine and now even that I'm not on medicine I still break out from time to time. It's not even that I have a problem with "breaking out" per se but with lots of pimples but for me it seems like I get a couple BIG ones... like boils on my face.

I use my fiancee's cover up over top but I also bought Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash (comes in a red tube) and it seems to work fairly well for me. You just have to find another cream to counter the effects because if I put the acne wash on my face before bed, my face is sooooo dry when I wake up in the morning

As your immune system gets lower acne break outs are common depending on age. I can see acne appear if I go back on medicine for up to a month.

the scientific community is becoming more aware of the connection between antibiotic usage and risk for developing both forms of IBD, largly due to iimproved techniques in analyzing/observing large bacterial communities, like the ones that reside in our digestive tract.

i have collected many studies on this but here are few.

http://www.nature.com/ajg/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/ajg2010303a.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21912437

http://www.pnas.org/content/108/suppl.1/4554

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23008454

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23084703

I think it is very possible that antibitoics could pre-dispose someone to getting IBD. I think doctors need to tell their patients to take heavy doses of probitoics while on antibitoics. I have NEVER had a western med doctor tell me to take probiotics when giving me a script for antibitoics. I learned from a naturopathic doctor that when you are ever given antibitoics, you have to take probitoics( Not just eating yogurt either, I mean strong doses). This will help keep the beneficial bacteria in balance.

My gastro doc actually does tell all his patients with gut issues of any kind to take probitoics daily. He said it can really help.

wildbill_52280 said:

the scientific community is becoming more aware of the connection between antibiotic usage and risk for developing both forms of IBD, largly due to iimproved techniques in analyzing/observing large bacterial communities, like the ones that reside in our digestive tract.

i have collected many studies on this but here are few.

http://www.nature.com/ajg/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/ajg2010303a.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21912437

http://www.pnas.org/content/108/suppl.1/4554

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23008454

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23084703

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