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IHateCrunches
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Got some information from oogle groups on acne. Also found some interestign reads on how B5 if taken for 3 months will work close to as good as accutane.
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid or calcium pantothenate) is a "natural"
(meaning if you eat a healthy diet you should get some--2-3 mg per 1000
kcal--already) chemical essential for growth and other physiological
functions in humans. Recently (in the past year) vitamin B5 has been used
as a treatment for acne, despite the lack of significant medical or
commercial recommendation. News of the treatment has been spread in
newgroups such as alt.skincare.acne. Whether it is the holy grail of acne
cures, or just another in the long line of unsuccesful treatments remains
to be seen (see "Does it work?".)
* Is B5 toxic/are there any side effects?
B5 does not appear to be toxic. Having said that, because of the unusually
high doses being taken there remains the risk of yet-to-be discovered side
effects.
The recommended daily intake of B5 is about 4-7 mg for children 11+ yrs and
adults. The dose which people have been trying B5 is massively higher--2 to
15 grams = 350x to 3000x the recommended value. However B5 is already used
as a "natural" cure for diseases such as Alzheimers at doses of 0.5g a day.
Side effects of the high (+2g) doses seem to be mild digestive problems
(which tend to settle down), such as diarrhea, reports of feeling warmer,
and an increase in the dryness of skin.
* Is the high quantity of calcium present in the B5 tablets toxic?
Pantothenic acid comes in the form of calcium pantothenate. However even
with the highest doses used (~20g) the level of calcium present is safe..
* Is a prescription required?
No. B5 is an essential vitamin which is not thought to have active effects
strong enough to justify prescription.
* What dose is required?
The minimum dose usually tried is 2g. It is advisable to experiment with
lower doses, and raise it over days or weeks to ensure any side-effects are
minimal. A general concensus of about 4-5g per day has emerged, but some
people take as much as 15-20g.
Some people report that they must keep taking B5 (usually in reduced doses)
in order for their acne to stay under control. Other people stop taking B5
after their skin has improved. This decision is simply a matter of trial
and error.
* How should it be taken?
Splitting the dose throughout the day in order to keep the amount in the
bloodstream constant is recommended for most drugs. About twice a day is
likely to be satisfactory. Some people drop all other treatments once they
start a B5 course in case it interferes with the treatment. It is possible
that some antibiotics interfere with B5, but most other supplements should
not do so. Stopping an antiobiotic course in order to use B5 is not
advisable. There is risk of the bacteria gaining resistance without regular
use of the antibiotic. Even if the course does not seem to be working it is
worth sticking to it out to the end.
Continuing to use topical treatments (such as benzoyl peroxide or salycilic
acid), as well as using a moisturising face-wash (such as E45 emollient
wash) in case any dryness occurs, is a good idea.
* Should I be on a diet/can I drink alcohol?
No special diet is necessary, but eating healthily (not drinking too much)
is always good for your skin.
* Does it work/should I try it?
Especially on alt.skincare.acne there have been numerous reports of success
with B5. There have also been been reports of failures, although these are
admittedly less common. This is not proof that B5 work--acne does generally
get better on its own, and the "placebo effect" is well documented. People
may be more inclined to post in newsgroups when they have achieved apparent
success, and less so with failure. However, it does suggest that something
is going on.
Acne can have different causes and there are many different variations.
This means that if B5 does work, it will only work on certain types of acne
and the results will vary between people.
Overall many people judge that the apparent low toxicity (non-existant
compared to accutane) makes it at least worth trying even if they don't
actually believe it works. Consult your doctor to see what he thinks about
the use of B5. It would probably be helpful to keep some kind of record to
test whether B5 is really having any improvement.
* What is this study regarding vitamin B5 that has been published?
An apparently scientific study has been published on the benefits of B5 by
Dr Leung. The paper shows very high success in treating acne when B5 is
used topically and orally. However in science one study is not usually
sufficent to thoroughly prove a link. Not enough about the circumstances of
the trials or the reputation of Dr Leung is known to be able to simply
accept the paper.
* How does B5 work?
Nobody knows. There exists much pseudoscience, which should be treated with
varying levels of scepticism (and amusement.) It is not simply enough,
however, to accept that massive doses give the same but increased benefits
of lower doses (eg. eating carrots gives you better eyesight therefore
living off carrots will result in 20/20 vision.) Dr Leung gives a theory in
his paper; this also should be treated with as much scepticism as other
theories.
* How long will it take to work?
Probably one of the major reasons why B5 has been so popular is due to
claims that it can have visible effects within days. If B5 does work an
improvement is realistically likely to take longer--probably over a course
of weeks. If no improvement is seen after a few months it is still possible
that the acne will improve, athough the chances decrease over time.
* What if it doesn't work?
There are many other treatments for acne. Topical treatments include:
Benzoyl peroxide, Salicyic acid. Antibiotics (prescription, in most
countries) include tetracyclines (such as doxycycline) and erythromycin.
Some people try different diets (cutting out sugar/starch/fat.) Some
doctors recommend ultraviolet treatments, however these arguably do more
harm than good to the skin. Even if B5 doesn't work, with the other
treatments available today practically nobody should have to suffer severe
acne.
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid or calcium pantothenate) is a "natural"
(meaning if you eat a healthy diet you should get some--2-3 mg per 1000
kcal--already) chemical essential for growth and other physiological
functions in humans. Recently (in the past year) vitamin B5 has been used
as a treatment for acne, despite the lack of significant medical or
commercial recommendation. News of the treatment has been spread in
newgroups such as alt.skincare.acne. Whether it is the holy grail of acne
cures, or just another in the long line of unsuccesful treatments remains
to be seen (see "Does it work?".)
* Is B5 toxic/are there any side effects?
B5 does not appear to be toxic. Having said that, because of the unusually
high doses being taken there remains the risk of yet-to-be discovered side
effects.
The recommended daily intake of B5 is about 4-7 mg for children 11+ yrs and
adults. The dose which people have been trying B5 is massively higher--2 to
15 grams = 350x to 3000x the recommended value. However B5 is already used
as a "natural" cure for diseases such as Alzheimers at doses of 0.5g a day.
Side effects of the high (+2g) doses seem to be mild digestive problems
(which tend to settle down), such as diarrhea, reports of feeling warmer,
and an increase in the dryness of skin.
* Is the high quantity of calcium present in the B5 tablets toxic?
Pantothenic acid comes in the form of calcium pantothenate. However even
with the highest doses used (~20g) the level of calcium present is safe..
* Is a prescription required?
No. B5 is an essential vitamin which is not thought to have active effects
strong enough to justify prescription.
* What dose is required?
The minimum dose usually tried is 2g. It is advisable to experiment with
lower doses, and raise it over days or weeks to ensure any side-effects are
minimal. A general concensus of about 4-5g per day has emerged, but some
people take as much as 15-20g.
Some people report that they must keep taking B5 (usually in reduced doses)
in order for their acne to stay under control. Other people stop taking B5
after their skin has improved. This decision is simply a matter of trial
and error.
* How should it be taken?
Splitting the dose throughout the day in order to keep the amount in the
bloodstream constant is recommended for most drugs. About twice a day is
likely to be satisfactory. Some people drop all other treatments once they
start a B5 course in case it interferes with the treatment. It is possible
that some antibiotics interfere with B5, but most other supplements should
not do so. Stopping an antiobiotic course in order to use B5 is not
advisable. There is risk of the bacteria gaining resistance without regular
use of the antibiotic. Even if the course does not seem to be working it is
worth sticking to it out to the end.
Continuing to use topical treatments (such as benzoyl peroxide or salycilic
acid), as well as using a moisturising face-wash (such as E45 emollient
wash) in case any dryness occurs, is a good idea.
* Should I be on a diet/can I drink alcohol?
No special diet is necessary, but eating healthily (not drinking too much)
is always good for your skin.
* Does it work/should I try it?
Especially on alt.skincare.acne there have been numerous reports of success
with B5. There have also been been reports of failures, although these are
admittedly less common. This is not proof that B5 work--acne does generally
get better on its own, and the "placebo effect" is well documented. People
may be more inclined to post in newsgroups when they have achieved apparent
success, and less so with failure. However, it does suggest that something
is going on.
Acne can have different causes and there are many different variations.
This means that if B5 does work, it will only work on certain types of acne
and the results will vary between people.
Overall many people judge that the apparent low toxicity (non-existant
compared to accutane) makes it at least worth trying even if they don't
actually believe it works. Consult your doctor to see what he thinks about
the use of B5. It would probably be helpful to keep some kind of record to
test whether B5 is really having any improvement.
* What is this study regarding vitamin B5 that has been published?
An apparently scientific study has been published on the benefits of B5 by
Dr Leung. The paper shows very high success in treating acne when B5 is
used topically and orally. However in science one study is not usually
sufficent to thoroughly prove a link. Not enough about the circumstances of
the trials or the reputation of Dr Leung is known to be able to simply
accept the paper.
* How does B5 work?
Nobody knows. There exists much pseudoscience, which should be treated with
varying levels of scepticism (and amusement.) It is not simply enough,
however, to accept that massive doses give the same but increased benefits
of lower doses (eg. eating carrots gives you better eyesight therefore
living off carrots will result in 20/20 vision.) Dr Leung gives a theory in
his paper; this also should be treated with as much scepticism as other
theories.
* How long will it take to work?
Probably one of the major reasons why B5 has been so popular is due to
claims that it can have visible effects within days. If B5 does work an
improvement is realistically likely to take longer--probably over a course
of weeks. If no improvement is seen after a few months it is still possible
that the acne will improve, athough the chances decrease over time.
* What if it doesn't work?
There are many other treatments for acne. Topical treatments include:
Benzoyl peroxide, Salicyic acid. Antibiotics (prescription, in most
countries) include tetracyclines (such as doxycycline) and erythromycin.
Some people try different diets (cutting out sugar/starch/fat.) Some
doctors recommend ultraviolet treatments, however these arguably do more
harm than good to the skin. Even if B5 doesn't work, with the other
treatments available today practically nobody should have to suffer severe
acne.
