32 replies to this topic

[oyinna]

Wow!! Thank God you mentioned the excema. I started my tane around the same time as you. I noticed the excema last weekon my upper arms as well. Yuk. Thank God it is not the summer time. What can be done about this?

Anyway, I have had 4 pimps since begining tane. 3 fairly large ones and just 2 days ago, a tiny one on my cheek. It has already gone away.

Like you my skin and lips are DRY! A little ichy too. What moisturizer are you using. I use aquapher on my lips and it hepls Sooooo Much. I may start using it on my entire body.

Well, Good luck. Hang in there; we will have clear skin in no time! We are Half way there.


O

[beagle13]

oyinna,

hey! glad to hear your course is going relatively well.

As far as the excema goes, I use the same stuff as what my derm gave me for my dry lips...desonide .05%. It's pretty cheap as far as prescriptions go...I think i paid around $5 for a huge tube. I have found it works really well for my dry patches on my arms and hands.

As far as moisturizer goes, I have been using some stuff I found at the bulk warehouse store (believe it or not) called Sam's Club (part of Wal-Mart chain). It's by some company called Panco Ltd. It's genes Vit E 100,000 IU's swiss collagen complex and it works fabulously. I put it on as soon as I leave the shower when my skin is still slightly damp. I started using it about a month before starting accutane. I stopped using it for about 2-3 weeks (don't know why, lazy I guess) and that's when I started noticing the excema on my arms. So now I use the cream first followed by the desonide and it looks like it's clearing up.

Well, hope that helps...good luck with your course.

[oyinna]

Great! There is a sams club down the street from my house. I am going to get some of that cream. I just got out of the shower and I thought I was going to scratch my arms off.

As for the scrip, I will ask my derm when I see her next week.

Thanks for the tips!

O

[Mrs. N]

Checking in on you! Hope things are going well!

--Natalie

[beagle13]

Thanks Mrs N for checking in on me

Sorry I haven't posted in a long time (almost a month!) Hope everyone's course is going well.

Well here's the latest in my accutane journey.

First of all, let me say...I am soooo glad I did this. Yes I am still breaking out some but not nearly as much and not nearly as big. I am in the middle of my third month at this point. My derm said if I continue to break out through my third month she will increase my dosage to 80 mg/day. Can I say I hope this happens? Is that crazy? I just want this to be gone when I am finished and i never want to go on this again. Of course, having said that, I would do it again in a heartbeat if necessary. Please no!

Anyway, side effects:

dry lips (big surprise right?)
Lots of joint pain, especially in my lower back
slight patches of excema? on my arms and hands if I don't moisturize religiously.

Wierd thing: When I get up in the morning, my heels hurt like crazy. It's almost impossible to walk on them initially. It's not my ankles, it's the actual heel portion of both my feet. Once I put on socks and shoes, it's tolerable because they're padded but man does it hurt without them!!!

One funny thing: Never in my life have I actually gone through entire tubes of chapstick without losing them first!!! The other day I finished a tube of chapstick and realized that it was a first!!! Silly, I know.

Everybody take care, thanks for reading!

beagle

[Luvmypug]

Hello Ladies.
I am entering my second month. Tomorrow I start. The doc upped me from 40mg to 60mg. I notice a slight drying of my face and lips... Nothing to speak of though. I'm sure it will dry out more as the 2nd month progresses. I do have 3 active cysts. I CAN'T wait for this to be DONE!!!!!!!

I am 39 yo. We are all in the same boat. I wish you both well. Question: Do you feel exhausted all the time?
Trish

[beagle13]

Trish,

Absolutely! I forgot to mention exhaustion as one of my side effects. I am exhausted all the time but especially in the afternoon. I said something about this to my derm and she said she has never known this to be a side effect
imo it is definetely a side effect!!!

Hope your course goes well...hang in there. It's worth it in the end.

beagle

[FutureDocOnTane]

Wierd thing: When I get up in the morning, my heels hurt like crazy. It's almost impossible to walk on them initially. It's not my ankles, it's the actual heel portion of both my feet. Once I put on socks and shoes, it's tolerable because they're padded but man does it hurt without them!!!

Beagle,

I am a 25yo female just finishing my 2nd month with accutane, and I have the exact same heel pain!!! I am so glad you mentioned it, because I didn't even consider that it could be due to the accutane. I thought it was from wearing various flat shoes, but changing shoes hasn't helped it; like you, I need socks to be comfortable. Anyhow thank you for updating, I started a log at the beginning but haven't been keeping up with it lately, since everything seemed to be going smoothly. However, I've recently had some horrible cysts around my lips which are causing me a lot of distress. My 3rd month appointment is tomorrow so I'm going to bring it up the the derm and see if I can get bumped from 60 to 80 as well. UGH!

[beagle13]

At least I'm not the only one with heel pain. I was starting to think I was crazy! Hopefully your derm will bump you up. Good luck!

beagle

[Luvmypug]

Oh.. So glad you feel that exhaustion too. I hit my pillow at night HARD!. When my kids wake me up in the morning, I feel like I have the flu. It's soo weird, but completely tolerable. Anything is for clear skin.

[beagle13]

Ok...I'm totally pissed off and freaked out! I am starting my 4th month on this medication and I'm still breaking out! WTF!!!My derm upped my dose from 60 to 80 mg/day...Of course I had to wait a couple days for my meds because of my STUPID insurance company. Anyway, I don't know what the hell is going on but I'm so mad right now. I thought I was going to be done with this by now.

Anybody have any words of encouragment cause I could sure use it right now. What if I'm one of those people who accutane doesn't work for?

I'm sorry for the depressing post but this really sucks big time.

Beagle

[The Charmed 1]

Wierd thing: When I get up in the morning, my heels hurt like crazy. It's almost impossible to walk on them initially. It's not my ankles, it's the actual heel portion of both my feet. Once I put on socks and shoes, it's tolerable because they're padded but man does it hurt without them!!!

Beagle,

I am a 25yo female just finishing my 2nd month with accutane, and I have the exact same heel pain!!! I am so glad you mentioned it, because I didn't even consider that it could be due to the accutane. I thought it was from wearing various flat shoes, but changing shoes hasn't helped it; like you, I need socks to be comfortable. Anyhow thank you for updating, I started a log at the beginning but haven't been keeping up with it lately, since everything seemed to be going smoothly. However, I've recently had some horrible cysts around my lips which are causing me a lot of distress. My 3rd month appointment is tomorrow so I'm going to bring it up the the derm and see if I can get bumped from 60 to 80 as well. UGH!

Im almost going on a month off of accutane, and sorry to tell you guys but that heel pain hasn't gone away yet for me. I never even new my heels could feel sore like that before, it's so weird.It makes me walk like an old lady, i'm only 35!!!

[Luvmypug]

Ok...I'm totally pissed off and freaked out! I am starting my 4th month on this medication and I'm still breaking out! WTF!!!My derm upped my dose from 60 to 80 mg/day...Of course I had to wait a couple days for my meds because of my STUPID insurance company. Anyway, I don't know what the hell is going on but I'm so mad right now. I thought I was going to be done with this by now.

Anybody have any words of encouragment cause I could sure use it right now. What if I'm one of those people who accutane doesn't work for?

I'm sorry for the depressing post but this really sucks big time.

Beagle

Hey Beagle...
O I am soooo pissed for you!. WFT! What did the dermatologist say about that you are still breaking out in the 4th month? Although, I did read other posts and this does happen. I readd that the skin keeps getting better even after the course is done. How's the heel pain? Are you taking supplements? Hey.. I started losing tons of hair. Did this happen to yOU? I'm taking Biotin for it. Hopefully it works or the derm is taking me off Accutane

OH NO WAY!.. Accutane will totally work for you. Is your skin better at all? I heard it totally takes TIME!. It sucks though.