<p>With the summer heat, my skin has declared martial law and over the counter acne medication is no longer cutting it.</p>
<p>Im already medically disqualified by DoDMERB (from last year) for Mood Disorder which i am trying to get a waiver/rebuttle on since i made a mistake on a diagnosis (i never had depression…).</p>
<p>Anyways i want to go to a dermotolgist to get some perscription medicine to help clean up my skin but i dont want it to ruin my medical any more than it is.</p>
<p>Would this cause problems or should i just tough it out?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Edit:
I just thought of this and didnt want to make another post since it relates:</p>
<p>Since i am medically disqualified from last year, will the academy still send out a candidate packet? Ive sent in my PCQ and got a letter back saying id be competitive (so does the only status checker) but i can see them saying “Well since you are disqualified, no point in sending out a packet.”</p>
<p>Would this happen? Also could my chances of getting a nomination be hindered by it? Hopefully my correction is acceptable and medical cleared but i am still worried. I sent in 2 doctors notes and explaining my confusion but i still dont know if that is acceptable for my error.</p>
<p>I can remember my dad (a doctor) talking about a prescription acne medication he once thought about perscribing for be being something that could potentially disqualify me. I'll ask him tomorrow what it is then get back to you on it.</p>
<p>Be very careful.
I believe that accutane, an acne medication for difficult cases, is disqualifying. I am not a doctor, but recall reading this in the not so distant past.</p>
<p>Accutane used to be prescribed routinely, but my understanding is that it is now is used only when several other treatments have proved unsuccessful. One of the reported side effects is depression and suicidal tendencies. I believe that there is a great deal of controversy as to whether the reports of these side effects are accurate or not.</p>
<p>Do some in-depth research to find the facts.
Good Luck
CM</p>
<p>I was actually on accutane quite a few years ago when all other treatments failed. I know deffinately i would not go on it again for the reason of fearing DQing by DoDMERB.</p>
<p>All id ask for is some stronger creams and maybe some antibiotics for the skin.l</p>
<p>Hopefully they will allow that other wise i can stick with OTC stuff.</p>
<p>Snipper - Relax a bit. Just go ahead and see your derm doc. Tell him/her that you wish not to be put on oral meds and why. There are some great topical treatments they can have you try. Personal experience is that they worked well on my son when used properly, but the downside is that they can be costly. $100.00 for the face wash alone and another $60.00 for the two creams. And they take time to work in addition to finding one that works for you. He had a fairly bad case. Not just a zit or two. Now, he doesn't seem to need the treatments at all. Didn't pack the creams & wash to take with him. He has the ocassional outbreak but nothing like what he had as a Soph in high school. Try to stay away from the accutane. Bad stuff for some kids...Good luck with this year! We'll be rooting for you!</p>
<p>I have heard wonderful things about some product called Proactive? Many seem to swear by it.</p>
<p>Another 2 things I've read many times....tea tree oil. It is actually an astringent and not to strong. I worked on my back big time. I highly recommend giving that a try. Sometimes you don't want the "strongest" as that only aggravates the situation which leads me to the last thing I heard a lot about...</p>
<p>Don't get 10% benzol peroxide but get 2%-3%. The 10% only aggravates the condition whereas the 2-3% is sufficient to cure the condition. I read that many people who switched were very surprised that something so simple worked.</p>
<p>Let me reiterate that nothing is ever as dire as DoDMERB makes it out to be. I was waived for mood disorder/asthma/allergies/female problems/acne, etc. I'm telling you right now, if you're competitive, and you can get a doc (dermatologist, pulmonologist, whatever) to write you a letter saying that it will not impact you adversely in training...they will waive it. (And remember, waivers come from individual institutions, so ROTC might decline a waiver while USMA or USAFA might approve it) I saw girls while I was at USMA using Differin, Retin-A Micro and various other meds. I really think if it can be controlled with a med then it's okay. Things like asthma can be tested for, but for my acne problem I just went to my dermatologist and got a letter stating that I did not have acute acne, it was to be attributed to insufficient washing and puberty and would go away. That's it! Sometimes you need to be proactive yourself and PROVE to DoDMERB you're not as close to death as they think you are. LOL.</p>
<p>"Let me reiterate that nothing is ever as dire as DoDMERB makes it out to be. I was waived for mood disorder/asthma/allergies/female problems/acne, etc. I'm telling you right now, if you're competitive, and you can get a doc (dermatologist, pulmonologist, whatever) to write you a letter saying that it will not impact you adversely in training...they will waive it."</p>
<p>While you may have had a positive experience with this, overall, that advice may give people a false sense of confidence. DODMERB has the power to NOT waiver you, despite attempts to get certain (sometimes ridiculously small seeming) conditions waivered.</p>
<p>The only thing is for a waiver, it doesnt matter if you are competitive, you have to be the MOST competitive in your nomination category. </p>
<p>At least thats what happened to me. I applied for a waiver for my history of mood disorder and they denied to even processes it. Both my ALO and counselor at the academy said i was very competitive and i was eventually transfered to the person who denied my waiver. She said that someone in my nomination category was more competitive than me so they would not even process my waiver. I thought it was very misleading. What about the nationwide pool that you go into after the nomination category is used? the lady said that the only way id get a waiver is if i get a primary nomination in my category otherwise they wont look at it. As a result, my file was never even looked at.</p>
<p>"I have heard wonderful things about some product called Proactive? Many seem to swear by it."</p>
<p>Ahh experiance. </p>
<p>I actually had amazing results when I used a proactiv knock off from wal-mart called Acne-Free. Esentially it's the exact same thing...just costs a heck of a lot less I had a horrible case of acne twoards the end of sophomore year...and after a couple of months of using that stuff..cleared up perfectly. As said above I would "swear by it".</p>
<p>"The only thing is for a waiver, it doesnt matter if you are competitive, you have to be the MOST competitive in your nomination category."</p>
<p>I'm sure that has some validity, but that is not the only reason they will deny a waiver. They have denied waivers for fully qualified people where competitiveness was no longer even a factor (so qualified that they already had their appointment... only contingent on getting the waiver).</p>
<p>I'm not being pessimistic, I'm being realistic. Everyone should hope for the best in situations like these, but it's ignorant to not even consider the alternative.</p>
<p>You spoke from your experience and now I'll give you a brief summary of mine: I applied to the class of 05 and was accepted (have the appointment certificate that I was presented with to prove it) - the only thing I needed was to be cleared by DODMERB. I needed to apply for a waiver for my teeth (yes, my TEETH... a condition called dental malloclusion) because they deemed I needed one. I went to multiple reputable medical people including a several dentists and orthodontists and I got documentation from all of them saying that my teeth in no way hindered anything. They denied my request for a waiver, as well as the rebuttal to the denial I submitted. What was the end result? I was officially disqualified less than a week before I was supposed to inprocess (and my spot was given to someone else at the last minute). The next year I applied and was waivered without a problem. Why wasn't I waivered the first time? I don't know, but this is why I don't feel it's right to lure people into a false sense of security. Waivers can be a huge deal. However, don't get me wrong - I am extremely happy to be where I am right now and in retrospect, I'm glad I spent the extra year back home and came here when I did. I love my current class and feel that everything has turned out how it's supposed to. So to wrap this up, no, I do not consider myself cynical.</p>
<p>My point is my waiver wasnt even processed because i was not the most competitive person with in my nomination category. If they processed the waiver and denied it cause they think i would kill myself at the academy thats fine.</p>
<p>No one ever said the government should make sense though.</p>
<p>And my point, not being contradictory but instead offering an alternate explanation, was that not being competitive enough is not the only reason a waiver will not be granted. ;)</p>
<p>This is from Army Regulation 40501, Medical Services Standards of Medical Fitness</p>
<p>232. Skin and cellular tissues
The causes for rejection for appointment, enlistment, and induction are:
a. Acne (706), severe, or when extensive involvement of the neck, shoulders, chest, or back would be aggravated by or interfere with the wearing of military equipment, and would not be amenable to treatment. Patients under treatment with isotretinoin (Accutane) are medically unacceptable until 8 weeks after completion of course of therapy.</p>
<p>The Air Force should have similar rules but perhaps some research is in order. My son is currently undergoing Accutane treatment after several other therapies have failed. His only issue with DODMERB last year was with childhood asthma. The acne even though it was bad was not an issue with DODMERB.</p>
<p>The cost can be high. After insurance the medication, doctor visits, and lab fees is running about $600/month. Treatment is recommended for a minimum of six months. Generic medicine is much cheaper but was not recommended by the dermatologist or the pharmacist.</p>
<p>To echo an earlier post my son was very competitive but not the most competitive in his congressional district, so he was not considered for a medical waiver from USMA. This is likely the issue in most cases. Waivers from standards are BIG DEALS and unless you are the most competitive in your district and the academy really wants you, they will not bother with attempting to process a waiver request. The fact is in most cases there are other qualified candidates that can be admitted without waivers. So despite your qualifications your local competition also plays a major role in the success of seeking an appointment.</p>
<p>Well, then you just further proved my point UNcynical. Nothing really IS as serious as DoDMERB makes it out to be (obviously, if you were waivered the second time), and, if you really want to be at an academy, you find a way, as you did. I truly think that you have to be your own judge for things to be waivered. Things like acne, teeth problems, cysts and the like, are things that YOU know will not interfere with your service, and YOU have to be the judge of that, so if you have something not easily fixable (ie-previously fused vertebra, stress fractures, heart problems, blood problems) you probably just need to do what UN said and be realistic that you're probably not going to get it waivered. My main point with my post is that DoDMERB disqualifies everyone for stupid things sometimes, and if it's something you know doesn't bother you, then fight it to the death the way UNcynical did.</p>
<p>Thank you all for the input. I am still on some OTC and it seems to slowly be clearing up now that the temps in the midwest have dropped below 100 degs and some rain :-P</p>