Another Accutane Journey for your reading! :w00t:

Helloooo everyone! I know there are so many logs, but I hope you all aren't sick of them and will help me throughout my Accutane adventure.

I'm Caitie, and I'm 19 years old. I first noticed I was getting acne when I was in 6th grade, and I'm now a sophomore in college. It obviously started out as little zits and fairly controllable with ProActiv (lame) and other topicals. I remember my brother had very severe acne and he went on Accutane, but I hardly paid attention to how his skin changed.

Anyway...I believe the first medicine I took for my acne was Minocycline and then used Duac gel or something with that. I've gone through the entire tier of antibiotics and have been on Ampicillin + Spironolactone for the past 6 months. My skin has made that transition from hormonal acne to adult acne, and it's just plain stubborn. I have terribly oily skin, but I have tiny tiny pores, and I think that's why my skin is so hard to clear up. I have tiny bumps all over my forehead, the same bumps on my cheeks, and I get cysts on each side of my cheeks and on my chin. I rarely get blackheads, but I will randomly find a few on my nose.

I finally got approved for Accutane in April, but I had to wait. I had a blood clot in my lung in January and have been on Coumadin for 6 months, which I finally went off on June 1st! Yay! I wasn't allowed to take Accutane with Coumadin so I had to wait. I was so devastated that I had to wait another 3 months before I could start taking Accutane. And then I had to wait some more because the nurse that was supposed to register me with iPledge didn't do it when she was supposed to. She did it 2 WEEKS LATER. Ugh, but I've been patient, and with the use of Mario Badescu products, my skin has been under control and staying somewhat clear.

So I'm starting Accutane on June 15, next Monday! I am so excited! I'm also pretty nervous because I tend to have bad luck, and I don't know what the side effects may do to me.

I would like some help before I start. I'm going to the store tomorrow to pick up all of my needed supplies for my course.

I'm getting:

Aquaphor, which I've used forever and I love it!
Heavy, greasy Cetaphil moisturizer for night time
Fish oil supplements mmm
Chapstick

Do I need anything else??

xoxo
Caitie

Going on Accutane soon!! I have a question though...

Hey! So I went to my dermatologist a few weeks ago, and I will be going on Accutane in either June or July. I was very upset to have to wait so long, but I have to be off my blood thinners (I had a clot) before I can take Accutane, so I understand.

My concern however is that if I start in July I'd end in October or November, but I go back to college in August. I was wondering about how long it takes to start clearing up your skin. I know it's different for everyone, but if I can get a general idea then I'll feel better because I don't want to start a new semester while I still have bad acne.

Even if it's 50% better than it is now, I would be so happy.

Thanks!

Thinking about going on Accutane

Hi everyone,

I've been trying to get as much information as possible so I can decide if I should finally go on Accutane or not.

I'm 18 years old and have been suffering from acne for about 7 years with it going from good, to bad, to really bad, to good, etc. I've tried EVERYTHING, literally: proactiv, murad, doxy, minocycline, tetracycline, laser treatments, and the list goes on. Right now I'm taking a combination of Ampicillin 500mg twice a day, Spironolactone 50mg once a day, and Retin-A topical. I wash my face with Cetaphil cleanser and use the Cetaphil lotion. Some days my face looks more clear than others, and some days I get major flare ups like small cysts and small white heads. Most of my acne is under the skin so I can't even get it up to come up to the surface to pop (I know popping is bad).

I was on Yaz, but I got a blood clot in my lung in January from the birth control (very scary!) and now can never be on birth control again. Since going off Yaz, my skin cleared up a little bit, which was not my expected reaction, but now after about 3 months off it, my skin is getting worse. I know birth control is a big thing with Accutane, and I'm getting another form of it so no worries there. Accutane is now my absolute last resort.

Since my acne has transitioned from adolescent to adult acne, it's become very hard to get rid of and is very resistant to treatment. It's mostly concentrated on my cheeks/jawline and a little on my forehead. I am just concerned because I've heard very good things and very bad things.

My brother went on Accutane when I started getting acne, and he had wonderful results. However, I don't remember how it was during the course of treatment.

Any input would be great! I want to get as much information as I can. I have a dermatologist appointment set up for April 17th so I have time. Thanks!

Caitlin

Sensiclear works!

After watching the Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency episode about Sensiclear, I decided to try it.

Now, I have tried EVERYTHING under the sun except Accutane because my brother had very bad side effects from it, plus I can't stand getting my blood taken. Anyway, I've tried Proactiv, been on multiple medications, home remedies, you name it. I started birth control about 3 years ago which helped a little, and I recently went on Yaz and that has turned out to be a wonder as well. I've been taking Minocycline once a day for about 8 months, and combined with Yaz my skin has cleared up, but not to where I want it to be.

So...I decided to order Sensiclear, and just like Proactiv, if it doesn't work you can send it back, blah blah blah. BUT Sensiclear, unlike Proactiv, actually works. The first week my skin did get pretty dry, but if you use a good moisturizer with it, you should be fine. Within the first 3 days I noticed that the redness in my skin reduced dramatically and my skin felt so clean. My skin is clearer than it's been since I got acne in 7th grade (I'm now in 12th). It's not perfect yet, but I've only been using it for 3 weeks.

Try it! I'm not saying that it will most certainly work for you because things like Proactiv worked for my friends, but not for me. It is worth a shot though.

I hope this helps anyone searching for a remedy!