60 replies to this topic

[FedUp23]

Background info:
I started to get acne when I was about 13 years old. I'm 23 now and I feel like i've had acne my entire life. First I started out with over-the-counter creams and stuff and also just washing my face excessively. Nothing worked ofcourse and it just got worse and worse over the years. It wasn't until I was about 18 years old and having the craziest breakout of all times that I talked to my dad and finally got to see a dermatologist. My dad also had pretty bad acne so he fully understood my situation.

My derm prescribed antibiotics for me (Oxytetral) and also Differin to go with it.. It helped a bit at first, but after a few months it just didn't help enough, so he put me on roaccutane. I was relieved to hear that this was supposed to "cure" me permanently for acne and the side-effects would be nothing compared to the increased life quality I would have with a clear face. I've only ever had facial acne btw, nothing on the body. I only weight 130pounds and he put me on a 40mg dose. I had a terrible initial breakout and that period was the worst of my life. I totally isolated myself and it was even painful to open my mouth to eat. It got better after a while and my complexion improved and the new pustules healed quicker. My only side effects were extremely dry skin and lips and kinda red-ish skin. I followed through and after 7 months or so I had finished my treatment. My skin was completely clear except for some red marks and some scars. I was delighted and my life was great!

After about 6 months i started to break out again. Nothing major, just the odd whitehead and pustule. I started antibiotics treatment again and I have pretty much been on antibiotics ever since. I've pretty much kept in in chess, but never been fully satisfied and it's always on my mind and affects my social life and self esteem.

About a month ago I suddently got this HUGE breakout! Even my acne got acne! That happened when i tried to go without antibiotics for not more then a week. It was summetime and I had a hard time getting new pills. After about 5 days of pure hell, i got some new antibiotics. It started to calm down, but I decided that this couldn't continue. Antibiotics doesn't help me anymore, except for maybe fixing random chlamydia issues

So I got an appointment with my derm and I told him that I wanted to take another course with roaccutane, but that I wanted a longer treatment-period and a smaller dose. I really wanted to stay clear of the initial breakout and also minimize the dryness. My skin is very dry to begin with..

So, now I'm on day4 with only 20mg per/day. Already I have started to break out I have about 3-4 pustules on my right chin just next to my mouth, and the area is very red and irritated. I have 3 papules on my left chin right next to my mouth and also 2 whiteheads. They are very much concentrated around my mouth area. My chin below the mouth is clear, as is my upperlip, my nose and the cheeks. Problem-area has always been the mouth-area. Forehead is also clear. My skin feels very tight and I've already started flaking on my cheeks. The skin is pretty "rough" and the whiteheads are almost connecting if you understand? I really didn't expect the skin to tighten up this quick nor the aggressive flare-up on such a small dose. My lips are still normal and there are no other side-effects so far. I might kick up the dose to 40mg after a while, but I might also take 20mg every second day if the flareups and side-effects gets too bad. Is that a good or bad idea?

I also wonder which topical treatment I should use while on roaccutane? I have a tube of differin gel and also a tube of Skinoren cream (Acid. azelaic 20%). Which is better to calm down the redness and skin irritation? I've never actually liked either of them. Differin dissolves acne pretty good, but results in flaking and skinoren doesn't even seem to have any effect at all. I've been using differin at night and skinoren during the day the last month or so...

Even though I'm a guy, I also sometimes use a foundation cream to cover up the most red and aggressive areas and acne. Dunno how badly this affects the healing process though. I feel like if I don't I wouldn't even be able to go outside the house

I really really hope that this second course will finally "cure" my acne problems permanently and that it's no longer something that occupies my mind 24/7!!

Any comments or insights would be highly appreciated. Thanks for reading my loong post

Cheers

Day5:

When I woke up this morning my skin was extremely tight and all the red marks on my right chin had developed huge whiteheads. It seems like roaccutane makes the active acne develop faster, kinda like it excellerates the process. They "mature" quicker. I have new zits in the corners of my mouth, which makes it painfull to talk and eat. I'm afraid that the corners might crack soon.

I think I will try to avoid using any topicals. My skin is already harsh and red and I think it will only make it worse. I need another moisturizer though. The one i bought yeasterday was terrible. I had to apply 3 times after washing my face today and it still felt tight. My lips have started to dry up. I haven't bought anything to soothe them yet, but I will tomorrow.

I took 2 pills of 20mg today. I'm going to try to alternate between 20 and 40mg's every other day.

I can't remember that I got the initial breakout this soon the last time I was on tane. And all the other IB stories i've read mentions that the IB came after a few weeks. Does this mean that i'm likely to have yet another breakout later in the course?!? I hope that this is just the tane pushing out the crap from under my skin and that it starts to clear up straight away.

Starting to get very dry eyes aswell. No other side effects except from a crappy mood and unwillingness to go outside. I check in the mirror every 5th minute

[FedUp23]

Day6:

Please kill me now style_emoticons/default/sad.gif When i woke up this morning i counted over 20 whiteheads on my chins. My face hurts, itches and it's very tight. I can't remember having an outbreak like this since my last time on tane. I don't know what to do anymore. Didn't think i would react this badly on a second course. Especially since my face was pretty much "clear" just before starting on tane.

When i went to bed last night, I used BP on the spots. Clearly a bad idea. Areas around my chin is like one giant red spot with many many big and small whiteheads. I took another 40mg's today. Trying to just burn through this with as much tane in my body as possible.


I don't wanna go outside. Not even outside my room to see my roommates. I have a lot of stuff that has to be done, but all i want to do is stay in my room until this all goes away. I have to go to work in a few hours and I'm dreading it soo much.

Should I stop talking the pills for a few days or will that result in the IB taking longer to go away? How long is the initial breakout supposed to last? I can't remember from my last time..

I'm in lack of a good moisturizer that can soothe and calm the redness. No way in hell am i going out shopping like this.

At this point, i don't know what to do. I have totally isolated myself the last few days. And I'm supposed to host a party in 3 days style_emoticons/default/cry.gif style_emoticons/default/cry.gif

I hate my life right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited by FedUp23, 08 November 2011 - 02:42 PM.

[FedUp23]

I hate my life right now too and i'm not even on accutane. (hopefully I will be though relatively soon)

Try to cheer up, i saw your pics, it really isn't that bad, and it WILL get better!

Thank you so much for the support I hope that you go on accutane and that we all get perfect skin eventually!!

I popped all the whiteheads today. I know i'm gonna pay for that and that my skin will be extra inflammed, but I just can't go to work with 20 whiteheads on my face. After I popped them it looked crazy! Extremely red!! Then i applied some moisturizer that I think sucks. After that I just smashed on alot of foundation to make my skin look less inflammed. So now it just looks really dry, uneven and flaky. Also some of the whiteheads are re-appearing.

What I thought was weird about these whiteheads was that the puss that came out wasn't as "creamy" as they use to. It was more liquid-like. Why is that?

I have work in half an hour! I DO NOT want to go outside

[timy]

Judging from your first pics it didn't seem like a big deal, to be honest. I honestly would have tried to pursue an anti biotic or something, but good luck.

[FedUp23]

Judging from your first pics it didn't seem like a big deal, to be honest. I honestly would have tried to pursue an anti biotic or something, but good luck.

Well, it's actually a HUGE deal to me. I've been on antibiotics for 4 years btw and have started to build up a resistance. It stopped helping. When you have been struggling with acne your entire life, every single pimple you get makes an impact. I'm not interested in just having "the occacional acne" that is "not a big deal", I want a 100% clear face!!!

[disappeared]

I know what you mean! I was on Oxytetracycline antibiotics for about 4 years too. They helped a little but not enough!

Don't stop taking the pills, you need to keep taking them each day, don't miss a day. Then the IB will go away faster.

Hope you start clearing up soon!

x

[timy]

Judging from your first pics it didn't seem like a big deal, to be honest. I honestly would have tried to pursue an anti biotic or something, but good luck.

Well, it's actually a HUGE deal to me. I've been on antibiotics for 4 years btw and have started to build up a resistance. It stopped helping. When you have been struggling with acne your entire life, every single pimple you get makes an impact. I'm not interested in just having "the occacional acne" that is "not a big deal", I want a 100% clear face!!!

I understand the frustration, believe me. But man accutane is just tough.

[FedUp23]

[/quote]
I understand the frustration, believe me. But man accutane is just tough.
[/quote]

Yeah i know it's tough. Been through it once before, but i survived and was actually clear! Best time of my life and i want it back!

Day7
Last night was so terrible. I couldn't get any sleep because my face hurt so bad. Just before i went to bed last night, i noticed that my chin was starting to swell and i felt a cyst the size of a marbel under the skins surface. I knew what was coming and sure enough, today i woke up with a deformed face The acne and inflammation is also getting worse. I just called my derm and told him what had happened and i'm supposed to come over there in 30 minutes. I asked about antibiotics for the inflammation and he told me that some i couldn't take while on tane, but he suggested Erythromycin. So i'll get that. Also he said that a cortisoneshot was a bit to risky, as there might me a "crater" where he injects. I've never had a cyst injected before. SO it looks like i'm getting a strong cortisonecream to put on. Hope it works!!

I'll update later. Hopefully this will help calm my breakouts.

[FedUp23]

Ok, so..still on day7. I went to the derm and he prescribed erythromycin tablets for me. I'm supposed to take 2 pills twice a day for 10 days. I didn't get anything for my cyst! It's huge but he felt that cortisone would be overkill for some reason. It has yet to reach the surface, but it's really painful to smile, laugh and eat. I just hope that the antibiotics does the job so that I can be seen in public again. I've tried to ice down the swelling and it has helped a bit. I noticed that the widenth chin makes me sexier Had it been on both sides that is. Maybe chin implants is my next step

I will continue with 40mg's a day throughout the rest of the treatment period! The inflammation has not improved, but some of the whiteheads are starting to dry up. Problem is that new ones come constantly. I try to pop them with a needle. I'm being careful so that i don't cause any more irritation. My derm said that he tought the current IB would susbside in a week or so if i'm lucky due to the antibiotics.

I've bought a new cleanser. It's an extra mild french milk cleanser. It's supposed to be very gentle on the skin. I tried it once and it didn't dry me out as bad as other cleansers. Very expensive though. I've also bought a new moisturizer. Vichy soothing balm for sensitive skin. It's also great. From now on i'm only going to wash my face once a day. I don't have very oily skin anymore. That stopped after my last course on accutane. I will not use any topicals anymore either. Only accutane, erythromycin and moisturizer. Also foundation when needed.

My lips are starting to worsen, but it's not so bad yet. Stomach is upset from the antibiotics and skin is pretty dry, but not flaking yet.

I decided to postpone the party this weekend. Too many girls there that I'm currently trying to game. I know i won't be comfortable. Sucks having to do it though

Still hanging in there i guess, but i can't wait until things calm down!!

[FedUp23]

Day8:

Inflammation is slightly reduced on my left side. Acne is still just as visible. I'm having a hard time popping the whiteheads now because they are getting dry and crusty. I think that's both a good and a bad sign. I hate the fact that my chin is literally COVERED in whiteheads, but the fact that they are starting to dry up is good! I have like 25 visible whiteheads in total and they are all concentrated to the same area It almost looks like i'm having acne rashes on both sides of my chin. UGLYYY!!!

Progression is so slow. I hardly notice any difference from day to day. Everything is so slow. I'm tired of hiding from everyone.

I have a hard time shaving seeing as i can't shave on the inflammed and irritated area. Luckily i don't have alot of hair growth there, so i guess it's ok.

My stomach is really upset from erythromycin, but i hope that it will help reduce the inflammation and make my IB heal quicker.

I have to go to work this weekend, which SUCKS!!! I'm embarresed to go. I have to put on alot of foundation to hide the redness and whiteheads, but with this amount of whites, i think that will be a challenge. Dunno how the foundation will affect my breakout, because i have let the skin breathe for the last few days.

What do you all think? Should I not try to pop the "crusty" whiteheads?

[FedUp23]

Oh jesus! I've been picking so much on my acne today it's not even funny! WHY OH WHY do I do this?!?!? I know perfectly well that it ONLY will increase the inflammation. I just can't live with all those frickin' whiteheads and merged pustules. I tried to cover everything with some foundation, but with me being a dude and all, I have 0 skillz with make-up. lol. My face looks absolutely ridiculous now and I have to be at work in less than an hour. When i tried to apply it, my skin started to peel again and now i have dry, peeling whiteheads in a different color than my skin is. Sweet. Don't you just wish you were me? Kill me now please.

[amld]

Just don't feel alone. All us 'taners get lows, sometimes big lows, butyou must start with the end in mind. Before when you got breakouts, you never knew if it was going to get better. Now, with 99.9% certainty, it's going to get better. Hang in there bud!

[FedUp23]

Day9

Ok, so today is my birthday. Hip hip hurrah etc. I was supposed to have a birthday party, but due to my initial breakout i cancelled and agreed to take an extra shift at work... How sad is that? I really shouldn't be drinking though since i'm on both accutane AND antibiotics atm. The main reason however is that i don't feel like socializing and to have friends and girlfriends see my like this.

My skin has started to become very flaky. The inflammation has calmed just a bit actually! Weee! It still looks pretty bad though. It seems like the active acne going away slowly and there aren't any new nodules coming out (knock on wood). I still get new whiteheads though, but they go away pretty quickly. I've started to get whiteheads on the nose aswell. Lips still dry.

The acne is less painful today. Seems like the bumps under the skin are coming to the surface. This makes smiling and laughing less painful. It's still pretty tight, but getting better. My sister is going to help me cover my redness with make-up now, so that I don't look too terrible at work. I'm exited to see how well she is able to cover it up.

So, still wanting to hide in my room, but the most positive day so far. Think the antibiotics are massively responsible for the reduction of the IB!! Thanks doc.

[Stu2u]

Happy Birthday.

The first two to three weeks are the worst, things can only get better, don't be afraid to squeeze, very sharp lancets can be useful if something needs pricking, if you give it a helping hand things will improve more quickly.

I hope you enjoyed your day at work.

[FedUp23]

Happy Birthday.

The first two to three weeks are the worst, things can only get better, don't be afraid to squeeze, very sharp lancets can be useful if something needs pricking, if you give it a helping hand things will improve more quickly.

I hope you enjoyed your day at work.

Thanks man Well, even though i had to work, i had a pretty good birthday. Had dinner with my family and my phone filled up with messages and alot of people called me to congratulate. So that was pretty sweet.

Today I've used alot of makeup. lol. That's pretty weird, but my sister did a pretty good job of covering it up. Only problem is that it's easy to see that i actually wore it..esp in bright light. Oh well..feck it. It's better than having red, inflammed acne all over my face.

Going to wash my face now and have a good nights sleep. And hope I will wake up with less irritated skin tomorrow.

[Wəəgəə]

Good luck with the rest of your course, FedUp.

Sorry to hear about your IB. Mine is still occurring and I'm on week 4 now. Except mine are big under the skin crusty cysts... I hope this is the end for your acne!

[FedUp23]

Good luck with the rest of your course, FedUp.

Sorry to hear about your IB. Mine is still occurring and I'm on week 4 now. Except mine are big under the skin crusty cysts... I hope this is the end for your acne!

Thanks!! I hope so too You're still breaking out in week4? that sucks man..hope everything starts clearing up for you soon!!

Day10

Good news and bad news. Inflammation has been slightly reduced!! Many of the small pustules are drying up and slowly going away. This makes it look like i no longer have one giant merged pustule with a million whiteheads. I can acually see SKIN in between the zits. However I have two active GIANTS on each side of my chin. Symmetrical ofcourse They go deep and I don't have any hope in their immediate disappearence. They'll probably stick around for a while. I get new whiteheads around the nose, but they are not inflammed and are easily popped. So, they are just annoying, but no biggie.

My skin is peeling a bit, but i'm not that dry yet. I only moisturize once a day. Lips are slightly dry but not that bad yet. I barely even bother with lip balm.

My stomach is REALLY messed up due to erythomycin. But i think it's worth it. It's helping alot with the inflammation.

I cross my fingers and hope that my IB is coming to an end and that I can bear to bee seen in public in a few days..Alot of assignments has piled up lately. I can't wat until the bumps in my skin flat out so that I only have the red marks to deal with. It's easier to cover up redness than it is covering up bumpy pustules.

No other side effects as of yet. My mood is not that bad today...I can see the light at the end of IB-tunnel...

[FedUp23]

day11:

IB is calming down!! The redness has been reduced alot since last night and I almost have normal skin color around my chin. Some of the nodules are still there, but they are in recess i think. I haven't gotten any new inflamed acne! Only new things on my face are small whiteheads around the nose-area. I just hope i don't get a new round of breakouts and that after the current acne on my face goes away, I will stay clear throughout the rest of the course.

My skin is very dry now. Especially where I had the worst breakouts and upon the crusty dried up acne. When I open my mouth to talk, eat or laugh, the corners of my mouth and the chin starts to peel alot. That's pretty annoying, but I apply alot of moisturizer. Lips are dry, but not chapped yet.

Side-effects:
Dry skin, dry lips, upset stomach and headaches. (I believe the stomach and headaches are caused by the antibiotics)

Things are getting better!!!

[FedUp23]

Day12:

Redness is WAY down. Right now I only have 2 active zits on my face! I do get whiteheads around the nose-area though, but they go away just as fast as they appear.

I have one massive nodule on one side of my chin, but it's slowly shrinking away. When I wash my face I only feel two bumps under the skins surface. So basically what's left are the red marks and spots. They will fade in days and weeks. My skin peels alot and is getting drier by the minute. Lips are also getting drier, almost chapped.

I'm pretty happy today. I even managed to shave last night. Just had to be very careful.. I actually believe that I will be clear within a week (except from red marks), if I can avoid having another big breakout.

On my last course, I was pretty much ALL clear after I first started clearing up. I think I had like 4 out of 7 months totally clear last time.

Hope this gives hope to someone, because my IB was awful!! To anyone with bad IB, I recommend calling your derm and get a prescription for Erythromycin. It's tough on the stomach, but it help alot if you have inflammed breakouts!!