14 replies to this topic

[LaFawnduh]

After waiting since March to see the derm, then waiting since June to get prescribed Accutane, I finally started on September 27th. I am taking Claravis (generic Accutane) at 30 mg/day. I'm not sure if I will actually keep up with this thing but what the heck, why not make one?

I was worried about starting this stuff when I did.. a lot of stuff happened in the week I started, and since then I've been kinda stressed out. It's affected my appetite -- I hardly eat, and I lost about 10 pounds. So now I have to force myself to start eating more so I can gain some of that weight back.[/size]


Week 1
The first week wasn't too bad. I didn't notice any side effects except for dry lips, but those were easily taken care of with Aquaphor. My lips were in better condition for about a week because the Aquaphor made them smooth and perfect, no cracks. I also noticed that my cysts had cleared up, no big pimples on my face. But I still had tons of clogged pores and a few smaller pimples, so no miracles yet. I take my Accutane with either milk, or something fattening like peanut butter.

Week 2
Day 11[/font]
My lips are in rough shape. I know that's a common side effect, but what the heck? They went from being perfectly smooth to being a red, swollen, burning mess with flakes of dry skin everywhere. Why the sudden change? I try to exfoliate them but it seems to irritate them even more and they just look like crap again within hours. I hope this gets fixed soon 'cause it's embarassing.

As far as my skin goes, I don't think it's any drier than it usually is. The same goes for my scalp. My skin's a little worse than it was last week. I don't have anything enormous on my face right now but I think a cyst is coming on my right cheek. Maybe I am starting my initial breakout.[/font]

[LaFawnduh]

Week 5

Wow, I forgot I had this thing. Well, tomorrow will be my 5th week.

Well, my lips were terrible during week 2 but they are back to normal now. Jeremy (A.C. Slater) said that warming up the Aquaphor helps a lot and it did. My lips healed quicker because of that, I think (better absorption?).

As far as side effects go, none except some occasional lower back pain and the usual dry lips.

My skin had mild improvement before, but has been very bad since a week and a half ago. Last week it was one of the worst breakouts I have ever had in my life. It's cleared up a little bit since then but I still feel like crap. I have some on my forehead, and I'm not used to getting them there. They're usually just small but I had a bunch of big ones all in one section..

It's getting to the point where I avoid going to eat and I dread going to class because I have to be under the fluorescent lighting with my skin looking this way. I'm used to it being on my cheeks and it not being AS noticable because my hair kinda covers it.

I knew to expect this, it getting worse for a while. I know it will probably get better with time but it's hard not to feel discouraged right now.


Oh.. I also gained some of my weight back.. I'm around 112 now.

[K-Fed]

Sarah you'll be clear soon and don't forget that. I also know how you feel with the not wanting to go anywhere. Anyways you still look amazing and remember anytime you need to talk I'm here for you sweetie

[LaFawnduh]

Week 5

Just a small update. Um, well, my big breakout has mellowed out a lot. It's finally going away. That one cyst thing I had on my cheek way back in week 1 or 2 is gone and didn't leave a mark, but now I just have another one in a different spot. Overall my skin has improved since the last time I updated but it still looks like crap.

Also, my face dries out easier now but my lips aren't as dry. My lips don't burn and feel super tight whenever I have to go a few minutes without Aquaphor. I can not have Aquaphor for a few hours and my lips don't drive me crazy. My scalp also doesn't get oily - I can actually skip a day without having to wash my hair.

[LaFawnduh]

Week 7

No improvement yet. Skin's worse than it has ever been. I have cysts near my jaw line. Luckily they can be easily hidden with hair but it hurts to sleep on my side and to wash my face, and put on foundation to cover it up. My forehead is broken out very badly too. I can't do anything to hide that except wear hoodies but I just look like a bum wearing guy's sweatshirts that are too big for me.

I'm gonna be patient but I wish my skin was improving by now. Not only is my skin worse but I've been bummed out about other things for the past week or so--the feeling that I don't have much to look forward too. I dunno. This too shall pass, I guess.

Side effects are the same. Very mild. The worst one I have is sudden lower back pain. It happens at the most random times and I can't really move for a little while. But other than that, side effects are minimal and aren't bothering me. I go for bloodwork tomorrow and my appointment is the day after Thanksgiving. I'm hoping that my labs will turn out okay and he'll up my dosage to 40 or 50 mg.

[ThatGuy16]

Just remember to hold through!

[Zippo]

Good luck, and hopefully things get better from here!

Just started this week, so I still got a long way to go.

[LaFawnduh]

Thanks guys. : )

[LaFawnduh]

Week 11


I haven't updated in about a month. Hmm.

Side effects are still the same. Back pain, dry lips (taken care of easily though), dry skin, dry hair. No nosebleeds yet (knock on wood) or dry eyes. Before it felt like my skin was turning severe, but now it's back to being mild to moderate. My forehead is clearing up a little bit. It's just mild there now. Now my worst place acne-wise is my jawline. Before it used to be my cheeks, then my forehead. Red marks are scattered all over my face, and there's barely any places on my face that are unaffected by red marks.

If I'm only gonna be on a 5 month course, then I'm a little past the halfway mark. Right now my skin looks the way it did before I started Accutane. I hope that the derm raises my dose this time. Getting put on 40 or 50 mg would make me quite happy. I'm feeling a little more hopeful about my skin these days. Maybe it'll be all go up from here.

[LaFawnduh]

Week 13
(starting month 4 now)

I had an appointment on December 27th. My derm raised my dose from 30 mg and I will soon be taking 40mg/day. Not quite the increase I was looking for, but at least it's something. He also put me on a 15-day course of Prednisone to take away some of the inflammation on my forehead. My derm is thinking that I am going to be on a 6 month course rather than a 5 month course, but that's okay.. I am willing to do whatever it takes to clear me up. My lab results are great--all of my levels are fine.

I thought I was improving earlier, but no such luck. The center of my forehead is an inflamed mess and my jawline is broken out with about 4 or 5 cysts (4 on the left side, 1 on the right), but at least I can cover that when I wear my hair down. I still look like crap.

So yeah, I'm starting my 4th month and I still look terrible. I also have a huge red mark on my collarbone from a previous monster cyst, and I have 3 pimples on the right side of my neck. I've never ever broken out in those areas until I started Accutane.

I suck.

[Zippo]

Hey Sarah! Sorry to hear you're breaking out on month 4 still.

I hope things get better for you soon.

[LaFawnduh]

Hey Sarah! Sorry to hear you're breaking out on month 4 still.

I hope things get better for you soon.

Hey David. Thank you for the comment. Hopefully January will the be the month I see results. : )

[LaFawnduh]

Quick edit.. One thing I have noticed improvement in is my clogged pores are gone. I used to have tons of them on my face. Now they are 99% gone.

[LaFawnduh]

Week 14?

I just thought I'd make a little update to say that the Prednisone is working wonderfully. My face isn't inflamed at all. My forehead is actually flat for once! The ones on my jawline and neck have shrank a lot. I'm not sure if it will last, but this is the best my skin has looked since I started my course. My skin is still nowhere near being good, but I'm just so happy the inflammation has gone down. : ) Hopefully it will look this way, or even better, by the time classes start up again next Tuesday.

[LaFawnduh]

Week 22

I haven't updated this thing in a while. I guess there hasn't been much to say. My skin has always looked crappy throughout my course.

Well, today was my last derm appointment until June (follow-up visit). My course will be over in about a month, for a total of 6 months on Accutane. Right now, all of my clogged pores are gone (before I had too many to count) and I only have 2 active pimples on my face... a nice change from the 12 - 15 I would have before, at my all-time low. My acne went from mild at the beginning of treatment to severe around 4 - 7 weeks into the course. I looked like a monster. That is gone now, but I have tons of scars all over my face -- forehead, temples, and cheeks. My nose and chin/mouth area are free from scars. I still have tons of red marks all over the place -- I can't go out with foundation and I probably won't be able to for a long time.

I don't know if I'm happy that I went on Accutane. Maybe I could have found a good regimen here on the org or something. I had acne for about 5 years before I started and I had barely any scars; now, my entire face is scarred from the severe acne I developed and I look and feel disgusting. It's nice to have a mostly acne-free face now, but the texture of my skin is very fucked up.

I look at the few pictures I took of my skin while it was really bad. I'm glad that I took them 'cause I can see how far I have come, but I still feel very discouraged. A few minutes prior to updating this, I was experimenting with the Everyday Minerals makeup samples I just ordered... I was looking at myself up close in a mirror and when I saw the texture of my skin it just made me feel absolutely miserable.

I'm guessing that I'll probably have to do a second course, with my luck. Today is the start of month 6 and I still have active acne. It'll probably come back soon. This drug seems to work wonders for many.. unfortunately, I haven't been one of the lucky ones.