15 replies to this topic

[Tasukete80]

Hello! I've been reading a bunch of posts on here and thought it might be nice to start my own.

I'm a 26 year old female, and I've struggled with acne for nearly as long as I can remember. At least since junior high, and it seems to have just gotten worse over the years. I feel like I've tried everything-- I won't even bother listing it all. I was on and off prescription meds depending on my health insurance. It got really bad this fall, and I started on spironolactone, which was AWFUL. Made me break out so badly I actually called in sick because I couldn't stop crying long enough to get ready for work.

I'm sick and tired of making excuses for not going out, trying to make friends (recently moved to a new area), and even going grocery shopping! Every morning is a struggle-- I hate looking at myself in the mirror because it mostly just depresses me. Sometimes I wonder what people with clear skin worry about!?! I guess I obsess about my skin more than pretty much anything else. I can't even imagine what I might be like without this worry (and boy do I want to find out!).

I started Sotret on January 23 at 60mg/day. So far things are going alright, I guess. I work in a laboratory, which is difficult because the air is so dry, and I have gloves on most of the day. I also have to wear a face mask occasionally which I hate, because it rubs of my (pathetic attempts at) makeup.

That's all for now! Hopefully I'll update regularly to track my progress and get advice from those who have been here... oh, how I wish I were already finished! Why didn't I start six months ago??

[anon81]

Welcome, Tasukete-san! (I'm 1/2 Japanese -- haha -- Accutane wa zettai tasukeru yo!) As I'm sure you've gathered, many of us struggle with similar issues -- the obsessive thoughts, the anxiety, the wishing we'd done this sooner (I'm also a 26 yo female, about 3 weeks ahead of you). The good news is, by this summer the unpleasant skin, the dry papery lips, the bloodshot eyes...all of it will be behind us, and we'll have the energy and wherewithall to focus on more important, more satisfying things. Anyway, just wanted to drop you a line to say good luck and that we're all here for you! -Emi

[Tasukete80]

Thanks for the encouraging words, Emi. ((Watashi mo ha-fu desu! Sugoi! )) It's so nice to find a group of people who know EXACTLY what this is like!

I can't wait to read about your experiences-- do you have a log? I'm off to find out!

[icdi24]

Hey, I started the day before you so I will try and keep track of your log.
I was doing great the first 5 days, but the honeymoon ended and now I am about 3 or 4 days into a pretty nasty IB.
Anyway, best of luck ..

[Mary-Jane]

Hey,

You're story is pretty much my story. I am 26 and have been struggling with acne since freshman year of highschool. Acne makes me very anti-social because I feel embarrassed to be out in public most of the time. Hoping that this accutane stuff well come through for me. Hope everything goes well for you too!

MJ

[Eric07]

hey good luck.. i am also on sotret and i just about done with my second month and i can already see much progress.. the oil-free face is definately the best part so far.... but good luck again and stick with it

[Tasukete80]

Hey, thanks icdi, Mary-Jane and Eric! I'm really excited for you guys too! Icdi, hope your IB subsides soon. I'm trying to tell myself to not expect one-- hopefully the power of positive thinking can stave it off (how I can still be positive at this point is a miracle, but gotta try!).

Day 9
Honestly, nothing has changed! My face is still shiny shiny shiny and I have to blot constantly because I can actually see the glare reflecting off my nose...

So far I've noticed some biggies coming up towards the surface, but strangely they seem to recede just when I think they're gonna make their debut. Can't say I mind that a bit! Of course there have been new zits, but I wouldn't expect otherwise since my face is still so oily!

I haven't experienced too many bad side-effects yet, other than dry lips and dry eyes. My lab has really dry air, and when I walk around it makes my eyes water-- so when I talk to people it looks like I'm crying! My coworkers probably think I'm crazy.

I've got my first appointment on Friday since starting Sotret. I was told not to eat anything the day of my appointment, but I'm worried about making it until 4:30-- is there anything I could snack lightly on if I really need some food in me? Got any advice? I dont' want to screw up my lab tests because I need this SO BADLY!

[MischaLatte]

Hey, thanks so much for the reply. I love getting replies, the fact that people actually read what I write puts a smile on my face...ahaha, I'm such a dork. Anyways, your first post mostly describes me! I hate even going to the grocery store without makeup, and even with makeup. I constantly look down at the ground, because subconsciously I think that if I don't look at someones face and into their eyes while talking, that they can't see mine. Yea, I know, kinda weird... haha, but yea, I'll come visit your log soon. We're both around the same time so we'll be going through a lot of the same things. Take care, talk to you soon!

[anon81]

Hey there! Thanks for stopping by my log! Sounds like you're par for the course -- I still had some oil around Day 9 -- I actually got dry, then super-oily, then suer-dry -- but by the end of the second week it vanished. Now I wish some of it would return to me...it never occured to me before that dry skin could be a problem too!

Do you know what your blood lipids are currently like? If you're not borderline, you can probably eat more or less whatever and it won't be a big deal. I mean, don't get all liquored up or have a chicken-fried steak, but you know... Even if you do have borderline triglycerides/cholesterol, I'm sure you could eat fruit/vegetables, or some whole wheat toast or something. 4:30 is pretty late for a first meal... You could also plan to wake up kind of early and eat breakfast. I was told you need to fast 12 hours before getting your blood drawn, so even though it's technically a little less, you could probably swing a 6:00 breakfast or something... Just some thoughts.

Your positive thinking is TOTALLY going to work. I mean, statistically, the vast majority of people don't get IBs. Lots of people (like me) continue to break out for a while and mistake this for an IB, but at least it's not worse before it's better. I think only 10-15% of people have the worse before it's better thing. And you won't be among them because...I'm keeping my fingers crossed for ya! Okay, enough of my rambling. Let me go find something to do other than thinking about acne!

-Emi

[Tasukete80]

Hey there! Thanks for stopping by my log! Sounds like you're par for the course -- I still had some oil around Day 9 -- I actually got dry, then super-oily, then suer-dry -- but by the end of the second week it vanished. Now I wish some of it would return to me...it never occured to me before that dry skin could be a problem too!

Do you know what your blood lipids are currently like? If you're not borderline, you can probably eat more or less whatever and it won't be a big deal. I mean, don't get all liquored up or have a chicken-fried steak, but you know... Even if you do have borderline triglycerides/cholesterol, I'm sure you could eat fruit/vegetables, or some whole wheat toast or something. 4:30 is pretty late for a first meal... You could also plan to wake up kind of early and eat breakfast. I was told you need to fast 12 hours before getting your blood drawn, so even though it's technically a little less, you could probably swing a 6:00 breakfast or something... Just some thoughts.

Your positive thinking is TOTALLY going to work. I mean, statistically, the vast majority of people don't get IBs. Lots of people (like me) continue to break out for a while and mistake this for an IB, but at least it's not worse before it's better. I think only 10-15% of people have the worse before it's better thing. And you won't be among them because...I'm keeping my fingers crossed for ya! Okay, enough of my rambling. Let me go find something to do other than thinking about acne!

-Emi

Thanks for the advice, Emi! I have no idea what my bloodwork is like cause this is my first trip in since starting, and I never knew how the preliminary tests west. Obviously well enough to start the treatment, but who knows after that. I think I'm going to try to stick with some fruit and hope I can make it!

Day 10
THE DRYNESS HAS STARTED! My chin appears to be molting, yet the oil on my nose (and everything above it) remains greasey. I guess it's working its way up my face. The rest of my body is a little itchy from dryness, but definitely manageable.

What do I do with all of these little papery flakes of skin?? Usually I just kinda pull them off so nothing is sticking out, but there are way too many to do that! Can I lightly scrub them off with a washcloth? I dread putting on makeup tomorrow...

[icdi24]

Hey, thanks for stopping my log. That's a great way to think about it, hopefully this will be the worst our skin will ever be. I also noticed my nose and forehead was very oily last week, but honestly that only lasted two, maybe three days. Now it is dry and I assume getting dryer. I haven't had many of the flakes you talk about, but I am sure I have seen people say you can gently rub them off with a wet washcloth.

[Tasukete80]

Day 12
I've got four nostrils! I should clarify-- two of them are actually part of my nose, and one biggie zit on either side takes it to four. Freaky!

Otherwise, the face is the same. The grease has returned, except straight out of the shower when my face is dry. Several little zits have come and gone without incident, so that's good news! The real test will be this coming week, when I usually get my monthly breakouts. Fingers crossed!!

Thanks for reading!

[random5]

Here's some hope for you.

I've had mild/severe acne since I was 18 and now i'm 26. It only got worse as I got older. I would have taken accutane a long time ago if only I had health insurance. So I finally got on accutane.
I've been on Sotret for about 3 months. I'm curently on 60mg a day.
I guess i'm one of the lucky bunch that didn't get an initial break out. It only got better once I started. I was getting a few zits here and there in the beginning but would clear out much faster. Now I don't have a single zit on my face. It's been so long since my face has been like this and stayed like this. It's great.
The only thing I will have to deal with now is the scars that it left behind.

[Tasukete80]

Here's some hope for you.

I've had mild/severe acne since I was 18 and now i'm 26. It only got worse as I got older. I would have taken accutane a long time ago if only I had health insurance. So I finally got on accutane.
I've been on Sotret for about 3 months. I'm curently on 60mg a day.
I guess i'm one of the lucky bunch that didn't get an initial break out. It only got better once I started. I was getting a few zits here and there in the beginning but would clear out much faster. Now I don't have a single zit on my face. It's been so long since my face has been like this and stayed like this. It's great.
The only thing I will have to deal with now is the scars that it left behind.

YES! You sound similar to me, except mine came around age 13. I just spent way too long looking in the mirror, surprisingly at my somewhat acne-free face, and I figured out what people without acne worry about-- the scars! My face is FULL of holes. Weird, mishapen divets and bumps that make my cheeks look like a construction zone. UGH. If it's not one thing its another. Don't get me wrong, I'm loving the fewer zits. But zits come and go, and some stay longer than others, but scars are there forever. Or is there some miracle scar treatment that will take them away? Please? (P.S. random5-- congrats on the clear skin! You must be thrilled!)

Day 13
I'm down to three nostrils, which is good news indeed. I'm still not dry, though down to blotting a couple times a day (opposed to every hour). No other side effects to speak of! I'm hoping that my face will stay this way until after my orchestra concert, where bright lights will be shining down on my face and there is no where to hide. Ack! One more week, face. Be good!

[carbine]

hi tasukete, thanks for posting in my log.

to answer your question, you can access someones gallery by clicking on their name, than click gallery.
good luck with your accutane course and your concert!
dont be a stranger now.

[Tasukete80]

Day 20

Alright, people, my skin looks good! Scarred like mad, sure, but better than I can remember! YESSSSS!

I feel really lucky so far-- no serious side effects and no IB (knock on wood). I've also noticed that my face doesnt' pool oil anymore. I've also discovered hundreds of blackheads that have surfaced as of late. My nose is spotted with them! I've also got them all around my mouth and chin. They feel really bumpy, like I should be able to scrub them out, but they don't budge. Do these eventually all work their way out? Or should I start obsessing? I can't stop scratching at them!!