Hey,

So, I got prescribed accutane about 3 weeks ago from my dermatologist. He was very quick with explaining everything, including the whole iPledge program to me. He talked about the side effects, mentioned the doses I would be taking, along with the blood tests. He said that I would have a userID for the website, and he would give that to me on my next appointment.

As I was leaving, I set up my next appointment with the receptionist. She gave me a form to get my blood test done. She said to have it done 5 days before my next appointment, which is on November 23rd. Then she asked me what pharmacy I use, and she seemed to set up the prescription with my pharmacy. Everything seemed very quick and to the point, and I was under the impression that I had to get a blood test done before starting accutane. Is that true??

I didn't realize until I was reading through the iPledge folder. It said that once a prescription is sent to the pharmacy, you have 30 days to pick it up. Once it's not picked up, the pharmacist has to label it "Do Not Disperse"...

I can't believe I made such a dumb mistake. I'm pretty sure I was supposed to pick up the prescription right away, start taking it, and then when I was closing in on my next appointment, go and get the blood test done. He never explained it to me in that order...

Does anyone know from experience? I swear the dermatologist burned through all the info as if I had done all this before... When I asked the receptionist a question about the blood test, she gave me a very matter of fact answer like I was supposed to know.

So basically, is it a pain in the ass to get a new prescription and start from scratch again?? Or what if I were to switch to another dermatologist? Is it again difficult to register with iPledge under a different derm?? I'm calling first thing tomorrow to get the lowdown, unless someone can fill me in....

Thanks!!

Hey Guys!

So today was my first appointment with my new dermatologist here in Chicago. But before I talk about that appointment, let me fill you in on my experience with acne. I am 22 now, and I have had acne since I was about 15. It was really never super severe, but definitely detrimental to my self-esteem. In the last six months or so it has gotten a lot worse, with more breakouts at any given time and spreading from initially just being on my chin to my cheeks under my jawline and even down my neck a little ways. Super frustrating!!

I had previously tried tons of Retin-A, Obagi skin creams, Benzaclin, antibiotics, Levulan chemical peels (holy crap, painful!), Murad, Proactiv, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and every other OTC product available! My mom has suggested Accutane to me for a few years, just because she knew people that it worked well for, and she was tired of seeing me uncomfortable. But I had never really bought into it because I was nervous about the whole side effects thing. But after a trip home about a month ago, where my (previously non-emotional) dad mentioned to me that I am a "pretty girl" and I shouldn't have to deal with this, I had a minor mental break down and decided that I was going to do this.

So I made an appointment with a dermatologist one of my teachers (I am in Physician Assistant school) recommended to me in the North Suburbs of Chicago. Unfortunately I had to wait about a month to get into that appointment, so I scheduled an appointment with our school physician, had an acne consult, and started blood tests.

So today I finally had my first appointment with my new derm, and he was AWESOME! I am so excited! He was so nice, and understanding. I was nervous that as a new patient he might want to put me on other topicals or something first, but he said that I am the perfect candidate for Accutane. So I did my first pregnancy test, and I have to get one more blood test (they forgot to do one test) before my next appointment with him next month and then I'll finally get my prescription!!! I am super excited, I can't even tell you!!

So am hoping that the pictures I just reluctantly took will actually post....I have been trying to get it to work for a while now. But anyway, if it doesn't end up working I'll either repost or post my pictures in my profile for everyone.

By the way, if anyone knows how to post a link on here please help me. I have been trying to make my signature have the link to my log, but I can't figure it out!! Thanks!!

Adios!

Name: Darren
Location: Birmingham, England
Age: 19

- Sufferer of acne for 3 years
- Worst area on body: Top of my back
- Medication: Roaccutane (4 month course)
- Course start date: 10th November 2008
- Course finish date: 9th March 2009
- Dosage: 45mg first month. next 3 months 90mg per day (1mg = 1kg body weight)
- Side effects: Dry, cracked and bleeding lips. Dry patches on arms.

You can click on any of the photos to enlarge them if you so wish....



Outstanding results as far as I'm concerned. God bless Roaccutane!

Had acne all of my life but took accutane 4 yrs ago and my skin was fine until last year when i got off my bcp and hell broke loss! so this is my second course


so neways, i know im late but i been on accutane for now 4 months...the first month was fine until the end of that month i started to get these white cyst underneath my skin while in florida.
Its just so weird. then on my 2nd month all them lil sh*t started coming to surface and i looked horrible

Its month 4 and im seeing some clear up but yet now my cheeks are plurging. ughhhhhhhhh!!!

Its so bad i dont answer the door until im fully with make-up. I think i even scared the Verizon guy that came to my house to put in cable...lol...

In addition to that , I went to the derm yesterday and he used some little needle looking devise to remove the white cyst that was on my cheek!!! whyyyyyyyy? now it looks worse and next week is my bday! Im just so stressed out. I hope accutane is gonna help me cuz i just dont knoe how much i can take ..(yea yea ima cry baby)

This is ruining my life. I got so depressed that my mom took me to emergency and i had a medical leave from work for 2 months. so it is pretty serious.

this is how i was before =(


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Hi All,

I just started my second month of Accutane. I was on 40 mg per day for the first month and now I am up to 80 mg per day for the remainder of the course.

I’ve been around here for quite a few years now... I actually couldn’t find my old username so decided to make a new one.

Anyway, I am a 29 year old male and have struggled with this since I was 15. My acne has never been extreme but I do get a couple of cysts a month that last for a while. I ould classify it as a little worse than mild. I’ve used Tetracycline, Minocycline, Septra, Keflex, and most recently Solodyne. All work for a while but eventually are not as effective as they once were. Topicals included Erythromycin, Clindamycin, Tazorac, and Retin-A.

Instead of trying more antibiotics, my derm and I decided to give Accutane a try. I have been holding off for years but I will be 30 next year and would like to nip this thing in the butt…

Few questions for those of you on Accutane….

I have a tan complexion and always had oily skin. I am wondering what you say when someone notices your redness or drying? What excuses do you give to others? I work in an office so we work closely with others.

I wash my face day and night. I tried the Cetpahil face wash but didn’t like. I am using Purpose now but not sure if it right for me. What do you all use?

I also moisturize with Cetaphil Facial Moisturizer (SPF 15) morning and night. Is there anything that would work better?

Since I have been bumped from 40 mg to 80 mg, will I experience increased side effects? My derm said I shouldn’t since most side effects remain the same.

What can I do to help with redness? Not was as often?

Thanks all for your help and take care!

Hey there, I have been on Roaccutane for about 5 months now, started on June 22. My exp might be useful for those who are taking this drug.

Background: I used to have a very clear skin with good complexion. Until I turned 20 and started putting on makeups, I got whiteheads and inflammatory acne especially during my period. Also, I got skin bumps from block pores. Mild to moderate type of acne. Lots of them around cheeks area and left side of the forehead.

The derm prescribed Roaccutane for me since 3 years ago. I was on it for 2 times. The first time I couldnt make it to the end (6 months) and was on a very low dose (10 mg while I weigh 62 kgs). The drug didnt do any good on the first time and I was on it for only a month. It didnt do any good at that time.

When I decided to go on Roaccutane again this year, I began with 20mg once a day for the first two months. During this period, I didnt see much improvement on my face and I still got breakouts just like before. When I up the dose to 40 mg, the breakouts was even worse. I got painful cystic acne which I rarely got before. It would flare up on the spots that I usually got pimples during my period. When the cysts were gone, my face would look better for a while, then I would get cysts again.

During the 40mg dose, my face wasnt clear completely so I increased the dose to 60mg once a day from 3rd month. Then I got breakouts again...on the same spots!! It was the worst this time. Big cysts grouped up together and it was very very painful. I started to really lose hope during this time because I read some people's exp on accutane that they usually cleared up after 1-2 months. I thought about stopping the drug but eventually I decided to give it more time.

Since I was on 60 mg/day and went through the breakouts, my face improved a whole lot. I get smaller pimples which would go away in 1-2 days and leave less marks. Before I always have a face with bruises and acne scars but now it is a lot clearer. I am also using salicylic acid products...which help a lot as well.

In a nutshell!!

1)If you are prescribed a course of accutane, stick with it until the end along with advices from your derm. Dont lose hope...unless your health condition is not reacting to the drug well.

2)People have different kinds of initial breakouts. In my case, I broke out every time the dose is increased...and did not stop until the beginning of 4th month. The IB appeared mostly as the type of acne I rarely got...in my case...cystic acne.

3)Side effects: Dryness!! Very Very dry!! Chapped lips, cracked skin. I also got rash on my arms but after putting on body cream or baby oil for a few days it was all gone.

4)Exfoliation. Salicylic acid or AHA are good chemical exfoliants for every day use. After stopping Tane I will continue using these products as a way to prevent new acne. They work for whiteheads and block pores.

I have 2 more months to go (until Jan 22)...!! Hope to clear up even more!!

If you have any question, feel free to leave it here. I will come back later!

sorry... i posted it in the wrong place. Please delete it

Hello everyone, my name is Noel, I'm 18 and i'll be 19 in December.
I've been struggling with with acne for about 4 years now but it was always only mild-moderate for the first 3 years.
During my senior year (last school year) I started to develop cystic acne. The MONSTER of the acne kingdom. My family does not have health care so it took up until 4 months ago before I could visit a dermatologist/doctor.
I heard of accutane from my mom, but she didnt know much about it besides it worked well BUT had major side effects (scared me, im not gonna lie lol). So i tried minocycline instead. It worked while i was on it, but not major results. To top that off, my mom and i saw some girl on the news that got severe liver damage while on it. Spooked us, so my mom told me to get off of it.
Afterwards my acne started to get worse. Leaving redmarks and scars.
So as of now my self esteem and self confidence that was once OVER THE TOP is now WAYYYYY down. I am no longer social and i try to avoid hanging out with my friends.

So, here goes the point of this all. LUCKILY and with PERFECT TIMING, my dermatologist found out about an Accutane experiment at another derm office in town. They are paying for everything and even COMPENSATING ME ! So basically, im getting paid to clear my skin... hopefully ! (god i need assurance lol) They are starting me off on high dosages, so to get the FULL EFFECT of the drug. Kinda freaked me out BUT they are also paying for the blood work, x-rays, psychological tests and EVERYTHING.

Sounds great huh? I really need it too b/c i still dont have healthcare.. but at this point im hopeful and REALLY WANT THIS TO WORK ! I miss my old life =/

On top of that, College is starting for me in the Winter and i want to start with a semi clear face.

ON TOP OF THAT... (Okay Venting time b/c im too cheap to hire a psychiatrist lol) i like this girl... She's my bestfriend and I really wanna be more. But the thing is, I know she likes the "inside me" but if i asked her out I dont know if she could look past the acne. She is so beautiful and funny and fun and perfect for me in every way. I dont know what to do.
Sorry for that, but i needed to do it lol

SOOOO, the derm said they will call me in for an appointment next week. I WANT TO BE ON THIS PILL NOW ! They still have to run so many tests too, so it will take weeks before I actually get on the pill. The reason im freakin out is b/c i really want to be clear by May, better yet, March b/c I'm planning to do something special for "the girl's"" birthday (march) PLUS im thinking of asking her to her prom (May). *sigh* my mom said patience is a virtue but im going through so much psychological stuff right now its killing me so im getting all emo lol i dont like this.

PLEASE ACCUTANE, SAVE MY LIFE !

*responses will be much appreciated !*

oh yeah, I WILL MOST DEFINITELY START MY LOG ONCE I START THE PILL, so dont worry if u read this all and are like "what the hell, this kid lied" lol b/c i didnt !

-Noel

Hi y'all,

My name is Aimee and I'm a junior in college.
I've struggled with acne- since oh goodness I have no idea- I think at least by the time I was 12.
It was at first just my forehead- I had hundreds and thousands of tiny little pimples all over my forehead- oh I hated it. I think (if I remember correctly) I first started using benzyl peroxide creams- which seemed to work but since my first pimple showed up I have NEVER had clear skin. My mom struggled with acne when she was younger- so she was willing to let me try anything (she told me that the only thing that helped her acne? getting pregnant with me and after she had me, her skin cleared. Now I dont plan on having kids for a looooooong time)- which has been great and let me tell you I have tried EVERYTHING...

For example for a while I tried taking oral antibiotics, but they were alright- and yes I've tried Proactiv- I started that when I entered college, until then my mom didnt want me on it because she had heard it could really dry out your skin and even cause bleaching of the skin. But that wasnt that amazing- I still use the mask at least once or twice a week. Which seems to help but as I said, I havent had clear skin as long as I can remember. I also tried Murad- which is pretty awesome- but at times it dries my skin and once again it didnt completely clear out my skin. I tried Retin-A/Tretinoin and they're alright- but once again didnt completely clear out my skin.

Oh and although my acne was just my forehead in my early teens...which then became my T-zone and then once I got into high school (especially the later years) it spread to my cheeks. And then once I got in college it spread to my back and then horrible red pimples on my cheeks (before they werent red, but lately they are more red).

Oh and I have really bad eczema- Aveeno is my favorite thing.

And I've had several really really really bad "breakouts" with my acne/skin-first was in my first year in high school, I had a horrible rash around my WHOLE body, it was horrible, this was ruled as eczema. And then right when I started my senior year in high school I had another horrible rash/who knows what around my chest area- I had allergy tests- which came out negative and the derm at the end said it was from stress- which was understandable because I was getting ready to apply to colleges and life was really stressful. And then my third breakout happened right before senior prom (I know such amazing timing, right?!). And it was on my neck- it was horrible- like really bad- when I had my makeup done for prom the makeup artist wanted to know if I wanted anything done to it- but I told them no, the last thing I wanted was a reaction to the makeup. This somewhat died down by the time summer rolled in but right before I was starting college I had another horrible breakout of acne on my neck and chest- this was when I started Retin-A. When I got to college I went to a derm, because the Retin-A wasnt really helping out and I didnt want to be the girl known as the breakout on my neck and chest- horrible. So I went to the health services on campus and then they referred me to a derm.

And here...I was first told that I might want to try Acutane. And oh goodness was I excited. I had heard that Acutane- although has side effects- is quite the miracle drug when it comes to acne. I had never thought my acne would be considered "severe" enough for me to be placed on it- but the derm I saw told me he highly recommended it. If I remember correctly he said, "I'm telling you this as if you were my younger sister, Acutane is what I recommend." Especially because birth control pill has been COMPLETELY ruled out for me by my family. The reason (as what I've been told so far) is it increases risks for blood clots and blood clots run in the family- also it could cause people to gain weight. So I started the whole process, did a blood test and when my blood result came out I was told that one of my hormone levels was really high and I should have this taken care of first. Well short story short- the endocrinologist I was referred to was off campus and the derm I was referred to (the one that said I should go on Acutane) was off campus too. And with no car it would have been a PAIN in having to go to the doctors once a month to get urine checked and everything.

So that was my FIRST experience in almost getting Acutane. And now at the present...my back has been pretty bad- and what really sucks is I get eczema really easily so I really have to watch out how much Tretinoin I put on my back- cause if I put too much my back becomes a mess. And I have a few bumps currently on my chest. My face? I have several red bumps on my cheeks, my forehead still has hundreds and thousands of little bumps - in other words...I have acne and I want it GONE! I want CLEAR SKIN! I'm so jealous of the people around me who have clear skin. My grandparents constantly try to find me new things- but nothing really works. I can pile on layers of makeup but you can still tell I have acne. boo.

And I'm going through another stressful time- I'm pre-med and I'll be taking the MCATs next spring, and then applying to medical school (although I'm pretty sure I wont get in my first time around and have plans on doing other things). But my point is I'll be going through another hell and I'm so sure my skin will continue to break out and I would LOVE it if my acne was one less thing to stress out about...

ANYWAY my point?

I have an appointment with a dermatologist on December 2nd and I'm thinking of asking if I could go on Acutane. The derm this time is on campus, so it wont be a hassle in having to go there on a monthly basis- so no worries about that.

I'm just tired and stressed about my skin and I'm hoping acutane is my miracle drug....

but...I'm also worried... because I've heard so many stories- both good and bad about it.

So I was wondering if people could help me answer a few questions about it...like

1) Would you recommend it?
2) What are the side effects you've experienced with it?
3) How did you cope with the side effects of Acutane?
4) Did you still keep on using creams and masks while you were on acutane? Or would it just cause your skin to dry out more?
5) Is it THAT bad for your liver? Cause I've heard it really messes up your liver. Is it really worth taking Acutane and mess up your liver?


Any kind of help/tip would be great!

Thanks! <3

Well, i doubt this will help anyone else, but it will help me keep track of the course, so here goes.

I did my first course of Accutane about 15 years ago, when i was a teenager. I think it started at 30mg/day and eventually topped out at 50mg/day. My acne was moderate/severe - i had lots of deep, painful nodules/cysts and it was pretty well generalized. I had it on my face, chest, back, shoulders, upper arms, and an occasional one on my butt or thighs which doctors claim is a different condition, but i don't really beleive them haha. So i took Accutane for about 6 months and still hadn't cleared, and the doctor kept extending the course another month until i'd been on it 9 months when he said i had to stop. He said i could go back on for a second course after a rest period. About 2 months after stopping the medication, i cleared dramatically, completely. I stayed clear for a long time afterwards.

It began to creep back after a few years, at first very mild and easy to control with OTC products, but as time passed it became more moderate and the nodules and cysts returned to my face, then my back and chest. It became persistent and no longer responded to OTC treatments.

So i went back to the dermatologist, and after jumping through many dermatological hoops i got my prescription for a second course. My cholesterol is pretty high (runs in my family), so she started me on 20mg/day. I had to give up alcohol completely to get my triglycerides and liver enzymes down before she let me begin the course, which was suprisingly easy to do given how much i was drinking.

Day 1: 10/05/05: Began course with generic version of Accutane this time - Claravis. Stupid packaging. I'm taking the dose with breakfast and a fish oil supplement, and a milk thistle liver supplement as well.

Day 4: 10/08/05: I was amazed to realize that i was already experiencing the dryness. My skin was flaky and my lips were horribly chapped and split when i woke. The Aveeno lip balm i was using was obviously insufficient, i had applied it right before bed. My arms, legs, feet, and hands seemed to shed their top layers.

Day 7: 10/11/05: Woke at 3am with a headache. Took Advil and tried to go back to sleep. Got up and went to work, took another dose of Advil - it was able to suppress the ache but not entirely. I went home early to try to sleep it off. My boyfriend came home and i showed him where it hurt on my head (not the place i normally get headaches), and he said that's where he gets headaches when his eyes are dried out from his contacts. I put in eyedrops, and like magic the headache was gone. Bought a couple bottles of Refresh Liquigel the next day, one for home, one for work. This type of headache recurs if i forget to use the eyedrops several times a day, and it's sort of weird because i don't have a sensation of dryness, just the ache if i wait too long.

Day 9: 10/13/05: Chapped lips and flaky skin are bugging me. My face has developed that attractive Accutane sunburn look. I buy a Clinique lipbalm i've used before called Superbalm and a tub of cream called "Exceptionally Soothing Cream for Upset Skin". These products rock. The Superbalm healed my lips by the next morning and they haven't chapped or cracked since then. So far an application at bedtime lasts until morning. The cream helps a lot too, it moisturizes and reduces the redness.

Day 11: 10/17/05: I'm amazed at how fast this is working this time, and at such a low dose comparatively. I've had a minor initial flareup, but no worse than my normal acne. The difference is that after the blemishes in an area heal, the skin seems clear under it, instead of just brewing new acne. I've had acne surface en masse in areas i normally break out only rarely, but where the pores are always clogged. It seemed to move cyclically, one area breaking out and healing, then the breakout moving to the next area. Right now i have a few active zits on my chin, back, and upper arms, but much less than normal, and less severe than normal as well. Some of the pores have just unplugged without turning to pimples - little plugs of keratin rise to the surface and pop out.

I'm starting to feel the fatigue, and strangely seem to be craving saturated fatty foods which would not help with the cholesterol, gah. I noticed this weekend that i can see the veins through my pale skin much more clearly than normal, but maybe i'm imagining that. Anyways, that's all for now.

Here's my progress so far. Still gots a long way to go.

Day 89


Day 1
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Hey all!

My name is Andie, and I'm from Australia

So..I've just popped my first Accutane pill. I'll be on 40mg a day which I consider to be slightly extreme seeing as I only weigh around 45kg I'll also be taking e-mycin simultaneously for the next 6-8 weeks. Happiness.


I started developing pimples at the age of 12, but they were the innocuous type..not filled with pus or inflamed or anything. Over the years it's become progressively worse but was always manageable... and then in December last year, BOOM. Explosion and sadness everywhere.
In the past year I've been prescribed Minocycline, Doxycycline, Differin, Clindamycin, blah blah blah. While it didn't aggravate my acne, it didn't help either. I'm optimistic that Accutane will clear my skin up, so I can stop ingesting this antibiotic bs

I'll suck it up and post pics later on...hopefully.

Hey! I am a 25 year old female who is about to start accutane! I went to my derm last week on Tuesday wearing no makeup (something I havent done in public for years). After asking some questions about accutane my derm and I decided to give it a try. I was unaware of what a painful proccess one must go through before getting there hands on the stuff! I got blood work and preg test done last weds and still havent heard back about the results. On Dec. 18th i go back to the derm to get the actual presciption as long as everything turns out ok. I must say that after reading the iplege packet and researching alot online I am alittle nervous about starting it. Seems like there are alot of serious side effects possible. My acne is not nodular , rather very persistant ( i have had it for 10 years). I have been using Taz for almost 1 year now and it works ok, but my concern is when i stop using taz and stop taking birth control pill my face blows up and breaks out horribly. I want an acne cure so that I wont be stuck on taz and BC my whole life. My acne is mild-moderate so I am hoping i will respond well to accutane and not suffer from breakouts when my treatment ends (see my pictures in the acne.org regimen gallery )I am not sure how long i will be on it or what dose my derm will perscribe, maybe since my acne isnt horrible i will be able to be on a lower dose with less side effects. For the next month i will just be waiting and thinking alot before i can get the tane. Ive been praying alot as I juggle whether or not its worth the side effects. I fell that God put this opportunity in my life for a reason. I prayed before my appointment with the derm alot asking God that it would be possible for me to go on accutane (alot of derms are very picky who they allow on the med) and when my derm said lets go for it i took it as God saying yes. I just need to keep praying about it and seeking His will in the situation. I know a number of people that have taking accutane and the results are incredible. To be rid of my acne would make things so much easier. I wouldnt have to spend an hour a day trying to cover it with makeup! I wont have to cancel plans with friends because i dont want them to see my skin! I may finally be cured of my picking disorder (aka self injurious skin picking) and wont spend so much time infront of the mirror examining my face. I will actually have confidence not to wear makeup even to bed (yes i wear makeup to bed). I will keep praying and looking forward to Dec. 18th!

Tomorrow is the day I pop that first pill! I am more excited than I should be, but sitting here knocking back 100 calorie Oreo packs isn't doing me any good. So I'll tell you my acne history:

I have had acne since I was about 12 or so and it didn't become mild/moderate/cystic/whatever until junior or senior year in high school. I was always able to manage it or hide it, but the past few years has been really difficult. I have tried Retin-A, Retin-A Micro, Differin, Tazorac, Minocycline, Doxycycline, Tertracycline, Brevoxl, Benzaclin, Benzamycin, and everything OTC imaginable.

Finally a few months ago I found this website and read all about Accutane, which my brother took years back but I never knew much about it. After reading several logs (sophiena's in particular) and speaking with my brother, I decided to go on Accutane. My derm at the time said that he would have to try me on a new combo before prescribing me Tane and said to come back in after 2 months. I called to make an appointment and was told to wait for the derm to call me back, and a week later he said he was moving and I was SOL. What a jerk! So my new derm is so sweet and put me on Tane the same visit.

So all I know about my regimen is that it will be 40mg to begin with and then will be bumped up to 80 mg down the road. She predicts about 6 months for the regimen. I don't care how long this takes as long as I have clear skin!

My fiance is pretty opposed to the treatment because he is a worrier. He reminds me of Edward from Twilight, where his main hobby is worrying about me! Lol. My only reservation about Tane is the monthly blood test as I haaaate getting my blood drawn. Ew.

Andrew's 'TaneBlog
Tracking my experience on a course of Accutane


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Hi!

My name is Andrew, and I'm a 19yo. student in Toronto, Canada. I started Accutane treatment on Wednesday, May 13, 2009, at 40mg per day. I was recently on tetracycline and it was very hard on my digestive system as well as my eating/living schedule day-to-day. The results I had on tetracycline were mediocre, although they helped when my acne was at its worst. Acne does not run in my family, and I always had extremely clear skin until the age of 18. It seemed to happen within about two weeks-- no joke. Ever since, it's been very hard for me.

I am going to be journalling my experience, for my own sake and self-encouragement (since I hear myself better through written word) as well as to share my story.

Here's hoping for a successful and tolerable experience with Accutane, its ups, downs, side effects and positive results!

-Andrew

ps. I don't want to be over-analyzing my skin and improvement for many reasons, so I may not update at a perfectly steady rate or on a particular schedule, nor will I take many close-ups or examine my acne in graphic detail. Below is an image of my skin before beginning this treatment:

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Helloooo everyone - I've been lurking these forums for years, it's nice to be posting!

I'm Alex - I'm Canadian, living in South Korea teaching English until mid-2010. I've had acne for about the last 12 years - all sorts of different kinds of acne, it's been so lovely - cystic, lil' tiny spots, chest acne, back acne, and every other kind imaginable. I've 'maintained' it for the last 10 years with various topicals, but unfortunately, since moving to Korea, nothing works anymore. I'm turning 25 tomorrow and I've decided that it's time to get rid of this instead of just covering up the problem. I've been on this sort of makeover journey since I got here, losing a lot of weight, getting in shape, getting out of debt, and clearing up my skin is the last big priority before I go home and reveal the 'new me'.

So! Here we are! I just got home from my dermatologist in Seoul and I'm the proud owner of some lovely lil' Roaccutane capsules. I also have Duac for breakouts although I'm not convinced that this actually has any effect on my face. We'll see how it goes!

Like I said, I'm turning 25 tomorrow so I'm thinking positive and imagining how amazing it'll be to have clear skin when I get home from Korea in half a year.

I'm starting on 20mg a day so I'm hoping that my side effects won't be tooooo severe. Fingers crossed.

Thanks to everyone else who posts logs here - you've been an incredible source of inspiration and I hope that I can share positive results like most of you have!


Day 1

Current state of skin:
Terrible around my jawline - it's been this way for a few months but today just seems extra bad - lots of under-the-skin cysts that are sore and about 10 small red pimples on my cheeks/forehead that will turn into whiteheads tomorrow or the next day. No back or chest spots. Also, the pores on my nose are literally gigantic. I think I can see another universe in there.

Currently feeling:
Excited. Terrified. Concerned about how my highschool students are going to react when I start coming to school with my face peeling off.

Cheers! I'll update tomorrow and try to post a couple photos as well. Thanks for reading

19,male,155 pounds
Accutane (sotret) 40mg once a day

Day 1 pictures - june 18 2009 - yes there gross
http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/vv18/ac.../Picture252.jpg
http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/vv18/ac.../Picture256.jpg
http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/vv18/ac.../Picture257.jpg



1 month in - july 20 2009 - pretty dramatic change
http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/vv18/ac.../Picture335.jpg
http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/vv18/ac.../Picture338.jpg
http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/vv18/acnex100/Picture.jpg

Only side effects so far are the usual dry lips, nose and face and some redness especially the first week. ill post pictures monthly.

Hi all! Today is my first day on Accutane! I actually got the pills a couple of days ago but I had to wait for 48 hours for the tetracycline that I was taking before to get out of my system before taking Accutane. I'm gonna pop the pill with lunch, and now I'm excited but also quite nervous. I saw others' logs and they were really encouraging. Hopefully I'll get to see some good results too.

I've never been this self-conscious before, now I find myself thinking about how my face looks like ALL the time, and I don't even like meeting new people anymore because I'm so worried that the first thing they see is my horrible skin, I just wanna cry out that IT DIDN'T USED TO LOOK LIKE THIS!

So my acne has been mild for about 5 years now, it was only on my forehead. I got prescribed Stievamycin gel a couple of years ago and got clear on that, but this past summer, my acne's come back with a vengeance. It's now all over my face. It started as a bunch of closed comedones, and even now I still have about 100 little bumps on my face, so hopefully Accutane's gonna push those out. I also have persistent acne on my back.

I'll try to keep a daily log, and possibly post monthly pictures.

Good luck to everyone who's on tane right now, I'm so glad that this website exists so that we can see there are others like us out there and support each other.

I am just starting week 10 and STILL breaking out like crazy! My cheeks which were pretty clear before accutane have stayed clear, my forehead improved a little but my jaw/chin are AWFUL. Way worse than before accutane. My acne was pretty mild when I started. I went on accutane bc my acne was resistant to all the topicals and antibiotics, but now I am getting this PAINFUL cysts in my chin and they are killer.

Please if anyone has anything similar please share, I am getting very discouraged, as my derm thought i'd be clear by now...please...

PICTURES (with lots of make up on and a crappy web cam)

Hello all,

I have been reading acne.org since my acne and skin got really bad a few years ago during my senior year at college. Before then it was controllable and nothing too bad - however since then my skin has constantly full of acne, red mars, and oily skin the last couple years. The omnipresent oily skin and acne on my face has impacted me greatly emotionally over the last couple years and I'm hopeful the accutane will help me regain it. I think the oily skin and redness I now have is caused by all the drawer full of OTC topicals and various prescriptions. Anyway as most of the people who are reading this, assuming there are some of you, none of them had any real success and never showed any long term improvements. So, finally after going to multiple dermatologists over the last couple years I found a derm who prescribed me accutane. I am starting at 40mg the first month and then expected to gradually work up to 80 mg over the next couple months.

I am currently on day 7 of claravis and am experiencing what I hope is the dreaded IB as I have already broke out in a few places I beforehand rarely had pimples such as my chin and nose area. My skin is still extremely oily however which has been really disappointing. My lips are chapped as of a few days ago and I was sure dry skin would be soon to follow. I know it's only been a week but for those who have been on accutane or someone more knowledgeable on the subject when can I expect the oiliness to go away??? I'm hoping it will be soon

Thank you for anybody who took the time to read this and good luck to everybody out there!

ps: I'll try and keep future updates shorter. Pics below from the day before I started claravis

Well, guys. I did it. I bit the bullet, and now Accutane is in my near future. It's been a long struggle with this silly acne, and I'll admit, it's given me a run for my money. But I'm here to end this nonsense, and I've got an excellent dermatologist and a course of the big guns for it to try and survive through. If it does, well...it won't, so I won't postulate further on that.

I get my blood work done tomorrow, and my course begins Friday. I've always had issues with acne, and I've tried a lot of stuff (DIM, fish oil, chromium, niacin, Benzaclin, glycolics, Duac/Tazorac combo that actually worked but did nothing for my body acne, tetracycline, doxycycline, etc.) Some of it has worked somewhat. Here's a picture of me, about...hmm, six months ago.

[img]http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/3906/6monthsbeforedermvisit.png[/img]

Look at that guy. Doesn't he look like buckets of fun? He's a happy one, he is.

Well, in short, my dermatologist refused to continue prescribing me my meds, because I wouldn't come in for another consultation. Now, you may ask, why? Why not go in?

Well, for one, she's in another city, and I am off at college. I'm too busy. She could've refilled my stuff and everything would've been fine. But she didn't, and this is what I have to look at these days.

[img]http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/6492/day1dermvisit.png[/img]

[img]http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/594/day1dermvisitleft.png[/img]

[img]http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/7898/day1dermvisitright.png[/img]

Just in time for college. Oh boy, lemme tell ya, it's loads of fun.

So, today, I walked for 30 minutes to reach my dermatologist's office, ready to fight for my right to Accutane. I was willing to kill to get it if I had to. I went in and waited, studying for a test later in the day, and before long I was talking to a nurse, who reluctantly mentioned Accutane. I heard that sweet whisper and expressed my interest in the drug, and she wanted me to consider other options. This fight was not going to be easy.

My doctor finally walked in. He took one look at me, and the first words out of his mouth were, "What do you know about Accutane?" Well, after introductions and such. The point is, he knew what I was there for, and he was willing to hand it over. Added bonuses include the fact that my pharmacy is a four minute walk from the dorm. Hooray!

So, this is the beginning of my log. I will be keeping a journal here as often as possible describing the side effects, and posting pictures monthly to show my progress. I hope that, after six months, my problems will be solved.

My dosage is 40mg/day.

I'm ready.

Hello everyone, I hope you will enjoy taking this journey with me as I begin what I hope to be the final chapter in my battle with skin issues for the rest of my life. I decided to finally sign up here after coming as an observer many times. I would come onto this site to read other people's logs, to get some reviews and noticed how supportive everyone here was. Let's face it (no pun intended) we've all been through the heartbreak of acne and bad skin together. We all have dealt with the ups and downs and what it has done to our self esteem. So I decided that I wanted to join today, the same day I filled out my first prescription for Accutane/Claravis.

I am 28 years old and have dealt with fickle acne issues my whole young adult-adult life.Since about 14, through high school, through college and now - I was on everything from Retin A, to Differin, to Clendamycin, to tricycline to doxycycline to duac to topicals, to antibiotics, everything. still the best I could do was to "maintain" but never CURE!

My acne is very mild now but can be explosive due to hormones around "that time", most people would think I was being crazy for taking it bc i dont look like i have bad skin; if you saw photos of me you would probably say "why is she doing accutane?" but I know myself this isnt how life should be. Time to take charge!

So I hope to check in and tell you all how its going xo

Things I want to accomplish on Accutane/Claravis:
- Reduce oil in tzone, no longer have to blot every hour
- No more black heads or whiteheads
- No more explosive breakouts around my period
- Be able to wear minimal/no make up during the day
- Feel more confident
- No more scaring from acne break outs
- Smaller pores
- Better overall tone to my skin
- Happiness

Hello everybody,today is my second week in.So for its been o.k..The only side effects I have had so far is a little fatigue.Well good luck too everybody.

Hey!
I was prescribed Accutane, but it was over $900 so I went to a generic brand called Amnesteem. I'm starting out on 40mg. I have yet to start! I am also taking steriods for two weeks to calm down the inflammation of my acne. Wish me luck!

Hi, my name is Jake and i started taking accutane 2 weeks ago. In June I saw my dermatologist and up until 2 weeks ago, I was repeatedly prescribed different anti-biotics but none of them worked. My acne is affecting me way too much not to go on accutane.

So he started me on 40 mg twice a day and see how my body reacts to it after a month. So far my acne has gotten a bit worst which I expected. On the 4th day I got extremely itchy, and it was hard to sleep but that went away after 2 days. The day after the itching started i got severe headaches and I never get headaches but those also went away after a day. Im currently on my 15th day and the only side effects are dry lips.

I'm really hoping that I will start to see improvement within the next 2 weeks. My derm told me that i would start seeing improvements from a month to 2 months. Sorry if this wasnt entertaning enough, its a work in progress.

This is me in my first week, most of my acne is on my cheeks though so its hard to so the severity of it
[attachment=23100:me_week1.jpg]

My face is starting to get itchy. The existing pimples that were popped are getting flaky My back is also a bit itchy. And my scalp is super itchy. Lips aren't so bad. I forgot my MAC powder at home today and I felt super self conscience about my skin. I had to cover my face with my hair and avoid certain people. Oh I love the ugly days <-- itchy head.

im so ready for clear skin my second course started today.....HERE WE GO!!!!

Hello! I am mallory I am 21 and from TN (yes I have the southern accent) I am a college student (Almost done woooooo!!) and I have always had acne here and there. It started when I was in high school, but it was nothing major. I could always cover it up with makeup! I tried doxycycline a couple of times, and it really cleared up my skin for the time being. I also tried every topical treatment known to man at that time. I had a few break outs here and there...nothing horrible though. Within the past 6 months, my skin has taken a turn for the worst! I have developed cystic acne that takes FOREVER to heal and go away. I have recently tried tetracycline, microderm, chemical peels, and laser genesis. Didnt help
I am typically an outgoing person or a "social butterfly" and this has ruined my life. It got so bad that for about a month, I didnt leave the house AT ALL! I am super self conscious about and just want it to be gone. I have been to many doctors trying to find the root cause of my acne. I have had blood tests...hormone tests...even a freakin MRI to see if we could find something. Everything has been coming back clear...so now I am about to start takin Accutane. I am excited and super nervous all at the same time. I was kind of hoping I wouldnt have to take it bc I have read some horror stories (dont you just love google) but I am trying to believe that I wont experience that horrible stuff....sigh.

Anyway, I am just a normal chick that loves music, God, my family and friends. Oh yeah..and my puppy Mack. I love him like he is my child! I will probably sneak him in a few pictures so be on the look out for cute little puppy dog eyes ! That reminds me..I will be posting pictures A LOT with my blogs bc I always loved it when someone posted lots of pictures on theirs. I know everyone wants to actually see the progress.

So I start Accutane next Monday, and thats when I will post my "before" Picture. If anyone has any advice please share ;0) Thank you! Stay tuned....

I've been dealing with acne since I was 10. I remember going to the derm and being prescribed Erythromycin and Retin-A and being told that I couldn't have chocolate or cola anymore because it would irritate my skin. I specifically remember asking the Dr: "does this mean I can't eat M&M's anymore?" Lol, I think I was more worried about that than my acne.

Its been so long ago that I don't remember how effective the treatment was. I don't even remember why my parents stopped taking me to the derm. My acne must have improved to a manageable level. I have never been acne free though.

Over the past 15 years or so I've avoided chocolate and cola, tried Pro-Active, Ortho-Tricyclen, mineral make-up, no make-up and various drugstore treatments. The Ortho-Tricyclen kept my acne at bay for several years but it came back when I stopped taking it. Pro-Active was only mildly effective after that. I slowly worked choclate back into my diet a few years ago and it did not irritate my acne, AT ALL. I can't believe I spent almost 20 years avoiding chocolate for no reason!

I don't know all of the acne terms used on this forum but I would describe my acne as mild to moderate. I don't know what a postule or papule is but I'm sure I've had both. I get whiteheads, mostly on my chin now, blackheads on my nose and painful cysts that ooze blood and clear liquid if I pick at them. Those are mainly on my chin now but in the past I've had them on my cheeks and forhead and at the corner of my nose.

I finally stopped wearing any kind of foundation about 2 years ago. My boyfriend, now fiance told me that I looked better without it. I didn't think so but decided to try it. My acne did not improve. In March of 2008 he convinced me to go to a derm. She started me on Minocycline and Tazorac cream. I did not have an IB with the Taz probably because I was taking Minocycline. I took that for a month and then just used the Taz accompanied by Cetaphil cleanser and Cerave moisturizer. Last spring I saw my derm and my acne was much better, but I was very oily so she put me on the Taz gel. It worked as well as the cream for a couple of weeks but then I got a huge cystic breakout on my chin. I think I had 5 or 6 cysts around my mouth and chin area and no matter what I did, they would not go away. They stuck around for over a month.

The most embarrasing part about it was when my fiance's 7 year old daughter asked me what all of those red sores were on my face. I was so embarrased that I couldn't even explain it to her. I had a derm appt already scheduled for later that week. We had talked about accutane in the past but I was too scared of the side effects. This time I let her talk me into it. Since I had to wait a month before I could get my first prescription, I had time to do plenty of research. I combed through reviews and blogs and found some pretty scary stories but also found that there were more success stories than there were nightmares. So here I am and here's my accutane blog:


October 6th:

This was my start date. I will be taking 30mg of Claravis for the next two weeks. After that I bump it up to 60mg per day.