13 replies to this topic

[iluvmac]

Hey guys! I've been lurking for a few weeks now and decided to post. I'm on day 20 of Sotret (generic of Accutane) and it sucks sooo bad right now. I've had acne since 18, I'm 25 now. It goes away for a minute then it comes back with a vengeance. I've always been hesitant about taking accutance because of what I've read but I feel like I have no other choice! I have tried EVERYTHING in the market, all the OTC, prescription creams like retin-a, differin, clindamycin and most of the antibiotics. I get those painful, cystic ones that scars so I have like scars on my face. Thank goodness for makeup.

For the first two weeks of Accutane, my skin was miraculously clear. I was loving it. I've had headaches everyday, tho but I just took Advil. My back also hurt but I'm prone to lower back pain even before Accutance, I'm thinking it just exacerbates it, so I'm taking some fish oils for that. But on DAY 20 (today), I have this HUGE cyst on my right cheek. It hurts. I'm trying to leave it alone but everytime I look at it, it looks terrible. Not to mention I have a big one by my temple and several on my chin. I'm guessing this is the dreaded IB??? How long does this last? I'm seeing my derm next Monday and am thinking of asking for some kind of antibiotic to help with the IB.

[Bella03]

Hey!! You sound a lot like me...I started getting acne around 15..but it came back a year ago (I'm 20 now)
I start accutane the first week in july...Good luck!!
I love this board..everyone's so friendly...

I'm sure accutane will clear you up perfectly!!!

[Kirstin]

Welcome! Hang in there! I'm on day 12 and I'm having IBs also! And these puppies HURT. I just try to keep telling myself "It will all get better with time."

Keep us posted!

[Lotus_]

Hey! I didn't get my IB until my 4th/5th week and many people say I'll keep popping up with random zits until atleast the 3rd month. I have huge red bumps all over my skin and yes, I'm a bad woman, I keep picking at them like it's my job. SO depressing

[Heather F]

This sounds a lot like me, I'm definitely going to have to keep up with your log! I started taking Accutane (generic= Claravis) on 6/2/06. I'm 24 years old.

[iluvmac]

IB's are the devil! Anyhoo, last night I put some hydrocortisone on my huge cystic zit and today I woke up and it went down a lot. Either it helped or maybe just time helped. Who knows?

Bella03- Goodluck with starting accutane in July! Keep us posted : )

Over it all - Thanks and sorry about your painful IB's too. Hang in there

InnerBeauty118 - Oh no! til the 3rd month?! God, I hope this gets better soon. And girl...you better stop picking!

HeatherF -Hey I started a day earlier (6/1) Have you had your IB yet? Hang in there.

DAY 21

Besides the big ass pimple on my cheek and chin, I'm still okay. I'm not dry yet but I also moisturise like a mo'fo lol. As I mentioned before, my back kinda hurts but only if I'm laying down for a long time. So far it has not deter me from working out. Oh I did notice one thing tho, I am like sooo tired all the time. And when I do go to sleep, I get these weird dreams, you know like I'm already doing what I need to be doing the next day...then I wake up all pissed because I'm tired. Eh I dunno.

[Kirstin]

I hear you about being tired! I feel like I am always tired. The other day while I was driving home from work, I thought I was gonna fall asleep at the wheel! Geez!

BTW-How's yasmin working for you? It made me an emotional wreck!

[iluvmac]

I hear you about being tired! I feel like I am always tired. The other day while I was driving home from work, I thought I was gonna fall asleep at the wheel! Geez!

BTW-How's yasmin working for you? It made me an emotional wreck!

I've been using yasmin for over a year now and it's the only thing that doesn't make me feel bloated, headachey. Most importantly, I didn't gain any weight on it unlike the Ortho tricyclen bcp. The ortho gave me clear skin but I also gained 20 lbs. from it. Not good. How long have you been on yasmin? Sometimes it takes 4 months for that thing to kick in our system.

[Heather F]

iluvmac I am in the midst of a wicked IB, it's hell. Half of my face is covered in pimples and the other half is dry and peeling. VERY attractive. I know 1 thing for sure, I'm only leaving the house to go to work.
Today one of the little girls I babysit told me that "Your face looks bumpy." I said "Yeah, I know." No sense explaining zits to a 5 year old. She'll understand someday! lololololol

[Bella03]

Heather F,
Uck, I hate when that happens...my cousin asked me how i got all the mosquito bites on my face


oh well, it won't be long!!!

[iluvmac]

Day 22

Nothing exciting to report. The cyst has considerably gone down quite a bit but I can't tell whether my skin wants to be oily or dry. It just doesn't look good. Interesting thing my dentist told me today, he said 'technically, you should be on Accutane for a year or two for it to really work. This is why sometimes people go on second courses or third. But because of all this insurance mambo jambo, their maximum is seven months'. What he said kinda depressed me, I can't imagine being on this drug for more than 7 months. But what does he know, right? He's a freakin' dentist. Aagh, just ranting.

[Bella03]

What was his reasoning for that???

Hmmmm

[Beauty Bot]

iluvmac I am in the midst of a wicked IB, it's hell. Half of my face is covered in pimples and the other half is dry and peeling. VERY attractive. I know 1 thing for sure, I'm only leaving the house to go to work.
Today one of the little girls I babysit told me that "Your face looks bumpy." I said "Yeah, I know." No sense explaining zits to a 5 year old. She'll understand someday! lololololol

awwwwwwww!
I'm in the same boat too...... work, home. work, home. sometimes i'll go out to movies cuz it's dark, ha!

My IB hasn't been too bad, but I'm also the same with the break out and 'face falling off' dryness. it's gross.

I hope I don't get one of those huge mountains, I'll end up trying to drain it..... I'm still really bad with the picking *shame on me*

The things we do for clear skin..... jeez!

[iluvmac]

What was his reasoning for that???

Hmmmm

I have no idea. He seemed a bit shock that I told him I'm going to be on Accutane for atleast 6 months possibly 7 and then he went on and on about how it should've been a year. But he did recommend a mouthwash for me in case my mouth gets dry. I can't remember the name but I got it at Target. I'll post the name later on.

iluvmac I am in the midst of a wicked IB, it's hell. Half of my face is covered in pimples and the other half is dry and peeling. VERY attractive. I know 1 thing for sure, I'm only leaving the house to go to work.
Today one of the little girls I babysit told me that "Your face looks bumpy." I said "Yeah, I know." No sense explaining zits to a 5 year old. She'll understand someday! lololololol

awwwwwwww!
I'm in the same boat too...... work, home. work, home. sometimes i'll go out to movies cuz it's dark, ha!

My IB hasn't been too bad, but I'm also the same with the break out and 'face falling off' dryness. it's gross.

I hope I don't get one of those huge mountains, I'll end up trying to drain it..... I'm still really bad with the picking *shame on me*

The things we do for clear skin..... jeez!

I have one of those damn huge mountains : ( It's taking its sweet time to go down too so that makes it suckier. I'm going to get some neosporin cream for it to help with the redness and scarring.