A couple more comments...

The Chiral Balance site, gives the data on the fertility aspects of the product. If you visit some of the PCOS forums, the members really discuss this alot. I was impressed that it was just about equal in effectiveness to metformin (which is used for PCOS and insulin resistance too) but without side effects.
The only down side to it is cost... this has come down from $89 a month to $59 since I started. So that might be a factor for you. (but for me my copay is now $65 for brand names--so it is less than and RX drug for me). I have no side effects at all, and the chin hair was responding within a month at 2 x 600mg caps a day.

If you use alcohol along that hair line occasionally to remove the oil, it won't plug up the hair shafts so much and that might help. The oily skin is really hard on pores.

If you are slow to heal, I'd investigate some zinc supplements too.
This is a list of the nutrients that Steroids can mess up:
http://www.chiro.org/nutrition/ABSTR...steroids.shtml

Zinc is really important because the reduced immune effects make infection more likely. I find OptiZinc the easiest to tolerate (some others can be really hard on the stomach)
and has the best absorption--and one a day is plenty for most people. Zinc is depleted by other drugs too, like ACE inhibitors, and some antiseizure drugs (Depakote).

Thanks, Mrs. D.

I get a bit nervous when it comes to zinc. I was taking a supplement before, and then I came across a woman who developed a copper deficiency from zinc toxicity (but that was due to using polygrip). Do you think that it's safe to take on a regular basis? I figure it must be okay now since the prednisone is preventing absorption so I'm at a low risk of toxicity sorta, but I'm still a bit apprehensive.

Thanks!
Nicky

The otc vitamins are not high dose. It is true when you go very high, on zinc the copper ratio will change. There is a condition called Pyroluria, which requires really high dosing of zinc and B6 (since these are complexed in the blood by kryptopyrroles that are left over from a genetic error in heme metabolism in the liver). Those patients should be monitored by a doctor when doing that treatment over time.

This is the one I use. It has a small amount of copper in it, to balance the zinc:
http://www.iherb.com/Source-Naturals...lets/1361?at=0
This is a quality product and not expensive at all.
If it really bothers you...you can try one every other day. But zinc is really critical for preventing infections and protecting the skin.

I take lisinopril for my blood pressure, and it depletes zinc.
I take the OptiZinc at night, because some studies show zinc is better absorbed then. (why, I don't know, but it is reported in some papers). This is not a high dose. The treatment for bed sores in bedridden patients is 220mg 3 times a day for comparison. I believe the PolyGrip thing is inflated. I saw one report from U of Mich stating that the zinc found in the small number of patients might be due to a genetic error in handling the mineral. Much like hemochromatosis is for iron.