Dear Mimij,
I don't have specific answers on the acne - I can tell you that many of the things that were wrong with me have corrected.  Such as extremely irregular PAPs, horrible sinus headaches, painful sex,  and ear canals that were nearly closed. Thus this leads me to think that your acne will also be corrected. As for my own bladder symptoms, for the most part, the bladder urgency, urethra, and vaginal dryness, are also under control.
As someone who struggles horribly with anxiety, it breaks my heart that you're so scared.  Here's the thing, if you track certain individuals, most of them start out sounding scared and desperate.  Pretty soon, some a little longer than others, you start to hear a calmness in their words.
Your greatest resource is Dr. B.  Have you asked her if she felt she could correct the acne?  What you will learn, over time, is that you are so incredibly lucky that you stumbled across her.  If you can trust in that, and breathe deeply, it'll go a long way.
Hugs,
Denise

I gave up Retin A shortly after starting protocol and I used to use different anti-blemish products prior to that. I don't regret and I never look back. One year into treatment, my achenes are things from the past, non-existent. I use light scrub to exfoliate. My face looks naturally bright and refreshed because of the food you eat and herbs you take. When I used Retin A, I couldn't wax my eye brows, they would pull the skin out because of the sensitivity created by Retin A. I don't wax now either, but just wanted to let you know that Retin A is not harmless.

Hey there, just wanted to second this. Before IC I'd get the odd spot and treat with a benzoyl peroxide cream. After IC hit and I stopped taking the contraceptive pill etc and started the diet, I got quite a few spots on my back and a couple on my chest - this lasted for a few months (my body's way of cleaning out the crap, I think). This has now settled completely - no spots on torso, front or back. I still get the odd hormonal spot around my mouth but Dr B tells me these'll go, and I believe her! I now only use an olive-oil cream (has camomile and vanilla oil so poss no good for list one http://www.ocado.com/webshop/product/Baby-Bottom-Butter-Waitrose/27923011) on my face and my skin by and large looks amazing. it's possible you'll have a clear-out at first but after that things will be so much better - and you won't need to use the products you've had to rely  on!
 
 

I very much feel for you but do not despair, this will help your skin in the end, and as hard as it can be, it's worth it.
I hate horrible acne before treatment, I can't even describe how horrific it looked, so I completely relate.  I never used Retin-A but giving up the other creams and such wasn't as hard for me only because it got so bad (as my overall body was getting sicker & sicker) that nothing was really helping the acne anyway. Even so, it was difficult not to be able to use anything.
For the first few months of treatment, the acne got even worse, as if it could get even worse!  I felt horrible and doubted and bugged Matia about why is she making it even worse?  But it was just my body clearing out all the gunk.  And some people's bodies clear out through the skin more than others. I was one of the skin people clearly.  The next months, it started to slowly get better.  I'd still have times where it'd be better and then suddenly a breakout, but each subsequent breakout got less and less severe.  By the time my bladder was doing great, my skin was SO much better, almost all clear.  I couldn't believe it, I thought it'd never happen for me.
So if you can keep your eye on the prize and the future, as much as it may suck going through it and the possible temporary worsening, if in the end your skin will be clear with the root cause addressed, it will all be worth it + you won't need to use products anyway.