Ashley Flores said:When I first walked into the pharmacy to pick up my Accutane, the woman behind the counter looked me dead in the eye and said, "That stuff is straight-up poison, be careful what you're doing." The way Accutane works is by basically drying out (draining) your sebaceous glands. Naturally, once the oil production stops, the acne, the greasy skin, and the oily hair all disappear.
I had the exact same thing said to me. They even added that Accutane is sometimes given to people with terminal cancer. Why? Honestly, I have no clue. I didn't even have the guts to ask for an explanation.
Look, I'm not going to get all philosophical about it here. If Sarah Murphy8 thinks this is the best move for her, then she should go right ahead. It’s her life, and she has every right to do what she thinks is best for herself. But it is absolutely wrong to just casually recommend this medication to people on a forum. It's better not to take it at all than to take it blindly. That's all I'm saying.
I never ended up taking Accutane because I didn't really need to go that far; my issues were just minor breakouts caused by PCOS. Honestly, I don't personally know anyone who has used it either. From what I understand, doctors here still don't prescribe it very often—it's much less common than it was even ten years ago. When I brought up the idea of Accutane to my doctor, he basically lost it.
About two years ago, I stumbled upon this incredible international skincare forum where people share all their experiences, and they had an entire sub-forum dedicated strictly to Accutane. Reading what people were posting there actually made me want to gag. 😢 They were posting before-and-after photos showing massive transformations, but a huge number of people ended up quitting because the side effects were just too brutal. That said, those were mostly people dealing with the most severe cases of acne. I agree that you should only consider this medication if you’re truly out of options—like, if you have deep, painful cysts on your face, then maybe you look into it.
I'm not trying to scare anyone off, and I don't usually give medical advice on forums, nor do I take it from others, since everyone's experience is different. Take Yasmin, for example—the experiences are mostly negative. Some girls on here swear by Ortho-Cyclen, but Yasmin nearly ruined my life.🙄 What you can do, though, is do your own research online and read everything you can find about Accutane. Even with all the intense side effects and the struggle of the treatment itself, you'll see that for many, the acne often comes right back after finishing the course.😢 That's why it's considered such a "heavy-duty" drug. It doesn't guarantee a permanent fix. For instance, I was treated with Clindamycin, and just a few weeks after I finished, everything returned to exactly how it was before. I really hope things go smoothly for you🙂 and that you can power through this treatment until the end. Definitely let me know how it turns out.😉
Regarding those scars, you might want to look into hydro-dermabrasion or microdermabrasion. I'm not entirely sure which one yields better results...👋
With the kind of severe acne you’re describing, topical lotions and creams are never the answer. Treatment always has to be oral. Honestly, I’m surprised your dermatologist didn't tell you that.
Before starting any kind of treatment, you need thorough testing done. You have to figure out what is actually causing the breakouts in the first place. Severe acne isn't just some cosmetic annoyance; it's a medical issue.
I’ve known about Accutane for ten years now. Back when I was dealing with my own skin issues—though nothing quite as extreme as yours—a girl I knew, a model, recommended Accutane to me. She explained that models and celebrities pop them like candy because they clear everything up incredibly fast. But when I took that advice back home to the US and consulted with doctors here, they were absolutely horrified. They told me "Accutane is a hard NO." They view it as something that "destroys" the body and is extremely dangerous in the long run. Just the fact that you can't get pregnant while on it, combined with how much it dries out your skin and mucous membranes to the point of heavy bleeding, shows just how aggressive this drug is. Now, everyone reacts differently. It looks like you're handling it quite well and are actually thrilled with the results. I know firsthand what it’s like to suffer because of bad skin; I would have been willing to take a pill meant for a horse 🙄 just to make it all go away. I truly hope your health remains fine after the Accutane course and that your skin stays this clear forever.🙂
That said, I wouldn't recommend Accutane unless it is absolutely necessary. I'd rather try everything else first. That's just my opinion.👋
placidjackal97 said:Could you please explain this a bit more? Honestly, I've been struggling with iron levels my entire life. For me, a heavy glass of red wine did more for my iron than any supplement on the market, even though my mom used to bring me iron pills almost every month since I was a kid. Plus, I was on birth control for a really long time.
Look, I’m not a doctor and I don't claim to know anything about medicine, so I'm not trying to lecture anyone. But this is exactly what my primary care physician told me—and my OBGYN said the same thing. Birth control pills basically drain your system. Of course, not every woman reacts the same way, but for those who already struggle with low iron, those pills can make things significantly worse. In my case, I dealt with vision issues, constant headaches, and terrible sleep patterns. I actually fainted twice because my iron, blood sugar, and blood pressure all tanked at once—they usually go down together. Since I stopped taking the pill, most of those issues have vanished, and some have definitely improved. That's the gist of it, if that's what you were looking for.🙂
Betty Bennett10 said:Look, generally speaking, when a doctor suggests bumping up your intake of a specific vitamin or mineral, they’re talking about supplements. It’s pretty much impossible to rely solely on your diet to fix a deficiency—unless you’re already a perfectly healthy person.
Exactly. I’ve dealt with iron issues since I was born (it’s a classic female struggle). My levels have dropped as low as 4.2 when the baseline should be closer to 10.7. Every single time, my doctor—who is a top-tier specialist, by the way, and actually quite skeptical of pills and synthetic junk—told me straight up that there is zero chance I could fix this through food alone. When your iron is that low, you need supplements paired with Vitamin C to make it stick. I won't bore you with the science behind why, but it works. Since I've always been able to handle things like Orferon or other iron tablets on an empty stomach without any issues, it wasn't even a problem.
After that, my iron levels stayed steady for a very long time. And I should point out that my diet is actually loaded with iron-rich foods. But even then, those pills were necessary because my body was fighting them back, driving my levels down to impossible lows. 🙄
Bottom line: I truly believe the same applies to calcium. In severe cases, you just can't eat your way out of it; you need the supplements.
Just so we're clear,😁 there are people like me who knock back anywhere from a pint to a full quart of yogurt—think Chobani or similar brands—plus cheese almost every single day. Call me an addict if you want,😁 but I've been living this way for about 15 years now. Everyone has their own vices, right?😉 So please, spare me the lecture about how nobody consumes that much dairy on a daily basis. Because trust me, some of us do.
Ugh, seriously? Topic #893. The pill discussion.🙄 🙄 😠 Look, quit being lazy. Just scroll down like two inches or click onto the next page and you’ll find the massive 500-page thread dedicated entirely to pills.
(And the moderators😕 just sit there obsessing over absolute nonsense instead of actually helping.)
So, this is my first time really looking into the whole lactose and milk situation. Honestly, I had no idea that was the core issue. I’ve been unable to handle milk since the day I was born; my stomach just rejects it immediately. That said, yogurt and cheese are staples in my diet. In fact, I don’t think I’ve skipped my morning yogurt in ten years. I can't stand Acidophile, Kefir, or anything like that—it makes me want to gag. I stick to plain yogurt or AB Culture, preferably with 0.1% fat. I read somewhere that the reason there's such a stigma against milk is because of those fat levels, whereas yogurt doesn't get the same treatment😁 and it's actually recommended that you consume more yogurt than milk.
It’s fascinating how our bodies send us clear signals about what works and what doesn't. For me, milk has always triggered nausea. If your body says no, you shouldn't be forcing those things into your diet.
On another note, regarding all the rumors coming from those big-name domestic brands... it’s all total bullshit to me. It's just companies running anti-ads against one another. Pure marketing games. 🙄 People used to claim that Gavril enough salami isn't even real meat, that Vindija's milk isn't actually milk, or that Kraš and Nestlé make their chocolate out of fetal remains and sludge. Whether that's true or not doesn't matter to me; if my body can digest it, it's fine. Like rapidranger79 always says, we've clearly hardened up and gotten used to it. Why do people assume everything else isn't artificial? Someone close to me used to work in bakeries. They take white flour and make "dark bread" by pouring in food coloring. They literally pour it from a bucket that looks exactly like the ones you buy floor varnish in.🙂 Just like that.
At the end of the day, you can't escape it. There's no point in being paranoid because you don't really have a choice. The only thing we have left is the grass in the fields, and even that is getting hit by acid rain.😉 The bottom line is you should eat what your body asks for. If it doesn't agree with you, your body will reject it on its own.
Michael Fox46, did you actually manage to drop that weight using that chicken noodle soup recipe and all that running, or what?
By the way, you can eat Joe in the evening, provided the acidity doesn't mess with your stomach. It’s pretty acidic. Personally, I can't handle it after 6 PM.
Melissa Cruz2 said:My point is simple: any reduction in calorie intake leads to weight loss. The soup doesn't magically melt fat on its own; the deficit is what does the work. Period.
Look, if you take everything on this forum literally, you're going to end up thinking I'm Nathan Collins2😁 😁 and I'll probably start thinking you're a dog.😁 Nobody actually claimed the soup itself burns calories. I hope you realize I was using a figure of speech here. Personally, I stated that the specific vegetable blend in this soup—since it excludes things like heavy starches—boosts your metabolism. It helps your body burn through the calories from whatever else you eat alongside it more efficiently. If you're sticking to the diet's guidelines, then bingo! You eat, you aren't starving, your metabolism kicks into gear, and your system gets a clean sweep. As long as you don't overeat and you stay moderately active, the weight drops off. The whole point is that it works much faster than a "traditional" diet where you're just white-knuckling it by cutting out bread, sweets, and skipping dinner entirely.
I honestly have no clue what I actually lost when I was on that diet—6 pounds and two clothing sizes, just gone. It’s like all my inner demons decided to manifest as fat and then vanish overnight.😁 🙄 😁
Scientific theories get built up and torn down constantly. Every single day.
The reality is that dieting—basically just forcing your body into submission—isn't smart or healthy in the long run. Especially if you're looking to drop 10 or 20 pounds. But when we're talking about a few extra pounds picked up over the winter while snacking on popcorn by the fireplace and watching TV with my favorite person😉 or whatever, I am certainly not going to overhaul my entire lifestyle, move to Tibet, and start eating strictly according to some blood type chart without ever slipping up again🙄 just to lose a little weight. If it's just water weight at first and it makes me feel better, I'm doing it. And I'll be doing it with a killer chicken noodle soup recipe. Because it works, it tastes great, and it gets results fast (regardless of how many "skeptics" might disagree).
And look, as much as I realize I'm putting my body into a bit of a shock by "dieting," I'm also fully aware that I'm just an ordinary woman. I'm imperfect, I have preferences, and I want to fit back into my favorite linen pants by next week. So, I'm going to make it happen. If I end up with osteoporosis when I'm 60 because of a temporary diet, well, screw it. I could get hit by a car tomorrow anyway.😁
I'm not going to overanalyze this soup too much. Nor am I going to obsess over every pound or every bead of sweat.😎
When you mention "regular food," you’re essentially putting vegetables and everything else included in this diet on the opposite side of the fence. That is just nonsense. This soup doesn't force you to ingest massive amounts of indigestible fiber in place of what you call "REGULAR" food. To me, regular food consists of fruits and vegetables, one meat meal a week, and at least two fish meals. My body responds incredibly well to that. When I eat larger quantities of meat, I feel terrible. And besides the fact that I am perfectly capable of Googling the data you've presented😉, the whole thing is bullshit to me😁 because I listen to my body and eat exclusively what my body asks for😉 rather than following whatever food pyramids the experts recommend😉. For instance, I haven't been able to tolerate milk since birth—it makes me vomit—even though I absolutely love all other dairy products.
I did a little searching myself😁 and found that leafy greens contain fibers with high galactose content—a sugar that prevents lectin proteins from binding to the intestinal wall, which significantly helps prevent colon cancer. Others also say they are packed with lutein, which is extremely beneficial for the cardiovascular system. Leafy greens are number one on the recommended diet lists for pregnant women... and so on and so forth. It honestly escapes me how you found information claiming that leafy greens contain cellulose that we lack the enzyme for and that it's catastrophically bad for digestion. I am finding the exact opposite regarding the digestive value of leafy greens...
Moving on to "light" products. Your cynicism is just as unnecessary to me as your literalism is to you. You know damn well I wasn't talking about Diet Coke and similar nonsense, but rather foods labeled as "light"—as in low-calorie or easy to digest. That is exactly how I wrote it.
Now, back to the actual topic. If you had read the thread with the intention of understanding it, rather than hunting for holes just so you could fill them with your own posts, you would see that you can follow a set seven-day diet alongside this soup using specific ingredients. These items complement the soup perfectly and don't cause, in layman's terms, cellular starvation or the metabolic processes that come with it. Furthermore, you could have read that some people combine this soup with their daily diet, which makes them feel better, jumpstarts digestion, and cleanses the system.
Personally, it helps me immensely because, due to an old hormonal imbalance, I am prone to excessive water retention. I need to flush that out, and this soup works wonders for that.
Since I'm not claiming to be the smartest person in the world, but I do listen to my needs and try to satisfy them, I started this thread with the intention of sharing my experience with others. And I am always, always open to good advice and wise words from someone who knows more than I do. But moralizing, lecturing, patronizing, and generally acting like a know-it-all about things unrelated to the topic feels like an insult. So, if you don't have anything constructive to say regarding your own experience with this miraculous soup, then stop. You've said enough, we've learned our lesson, and I'd like to leave it at that.
I honestly thought you actually knew something about😉 nutrition, caloric density, fiber content, fat burners, and all that jazz😉 but clearly, I was mistaken. So, let me just ask you this:
rustymoose54 said:The "success" of a chicken noodle soup recipe boils down to the fact that the person is consuming massive amounts of indigestible fiber INSTEAD of regular food—essentially starving themselves, they just tolerate the hunger better because their stomach isn't technically empty.
Since when does vegetables contain indigestible fiber? This soup is made of nothing but a huge amount of vegetables. And since when are vegetables categorized as something other than regular food? 😕Also, how exactly are you starving yourself if you're supposedly making the hunger easier to handle because your stomach isn't empty? 😁 😁
Have you ever even heard of fat burners? Or "light" products? For the record, "light" products aren't called that because they contain light 😁 weight, but because they fall into a category of foods that are "lighter" for the body to process and have significantly fewer calories than their standard counterparts. Or take foods that kickstart your metabolism, for example. Experts claim that those are precisely the indigestible fibers found in 😉vegetables. God knows, I've never attended a scientific symposium, but looking at this, I'm probably better off having missed it.😁
Seriously, it’s like we’re sitting at some high-level scientific symposium or something.🙄 Look, there aren't any foods out there filled with tiny little dwarves with shovels digging through your gut and melting fat away—just like there isn't any anti-cellulite cream on the market that actually does that.😉And yet, people won't shut up about these creams, swearing they actually work,🙄 even though they’re sold legally in stores everywhere. They run ads all day long, but we all know they're total scams. What actually exists are specific foods that, either on their own or when paired with something else, trigger physiological processes in your body that kickstart your metabolism and burn fat faster than usual. Essentially, you end up burning calories even while you're just sitting at your desk at work. That’s what people mean when they say certain foods help burn fat.
Chemistry and biology have always been🙂 my thing, but I'm observant enough to have figured out (wow !!) exactly what this amazing chicken noodle soup "does" to the body. To *my* body, specifically. Though, maybe it really was just a bunch of tiny dwarves after all...😁
Kyle White2 said:The only thing I can't wrap my head around is just how massive of a pot you must be using to cook enough food to last an entire week.😕
From what I can tell, you should be using up to about ten cups of water for this amount of vegetables. Personally, I just throw everything into a pressure cooker, then reheat only the exact portion I’m planning to eat. I know how it goes, though—people tend to polish off the whole batch of soup before they even hit day seven of the diet, and then they're stuck having to start a brand new pot from scratch.
I just stumbled upon this thread right now😳 😁 I’ve actually known about this miracle soup diet for years. I used it once to drop 12 pounds in a really short window, and honestly, I haven't gained a single pound back in two years. Now, full disclosure: I cheated a little on day four—I swapped out the milk for yogurt and had coffee with brown sugar every single day—but even then, the soup worked wonders. If you just stick to the soup alone, you aren't going to see nearly as much progress as you would by combining the prescribed meal plan with the soup itself.😉 Because look, the whole point of a diet shouldn't be about starving yourself or constant deprivation; it’s about jumpstarting your metabolism using specific, high-quality ingredients that work together to kick things into gear and burn fat faster.
But no, people would rather blow$100 their money on some overpriced Coca-Cola cellulite cream and another $200 on those "miracle" fat burner pills🙄, when all the wisdom you need is simply sticking to a solid diet that actually delivers results. And don't even get me started on how beneficial it is to occasionally just cleanse your system with nothing but fresh fruits and vegetables.
Kenneth Hernandez67 said:Alright, I need some actual help here...
I’m currently following a specialist's advice regarding Trisequens...
Before I actually go through with it, obviously I did my own research...
And look at what this says:
"If you are still in your fertile years or aren't certain whether you've passed menopause, be aware that Trisequens will definitely not prevent pregnancy."
😕
Yet, I feel like I read somewhere that some women on these forums use it as their primary birth control... I'm honestly just confused.
Look, I can't really help you much based on my own experience,😁 😉but I remember back when my mom was taking them, people would ask her about it all the time, and the answer was always a hard no—Trisequens is not a contraceptive pill.
Harold Gomez65 said:Thanks girls, I have just one more question.😘 So basically, I’ll take my last dose on Monday instead of Tuesday, then wait for the shipment to arrive, and then start my new routine on Tuesday instead of Wednesday... 🤔 🙂
Yeah. And you just keep taking them normally like always.🙂 Just stop overthinking the whole sink situation with the pills.😁 I once dropped mine and spent an hour hunting for them with a magnifying glass.😁