11 replies to this topic

[fragrantolive]

hey everybody,

this is a great site, that i have haunted on and off for a few years now. i am about to start accutane (tomorrow, fingers crossed my insurance pulls through! ipledge is horribly irritating by the by) and am starting a log on my progress. some background history: i started getting acne my freshmen year of high school. it's always been moderate and there's always been a lot of it, face, chest, back. i convinced my mom to take me to a derm at the end of my sophmore year of high school (i looked terrible by then, and it wasnt helped by my lack of expertise in applying makeup, ha ha), and was put on septra for three years. i also used clindagel and retin a, as over the years, i began to develop some resistance to septra. i was able to control my acne breakouts this way, but once in college, my new derm took me off septra because he said there wasnt enough research on long-term use to really make it safe. i took duac after septra and differin, but my face became horribly irritated and red by the duac (even after persisting for a month), and i had to stop using it. i was then put on doxycycline for three-four months, and it worked like a dream, so i came off it and went back to just using clindagel and differin (i had some stomach problems taking the doxy, and burned my face horribly while on it, whereas the only problems i had with septra was on-going dehydration). unfortunately, i started to break out terribly on my back a few months later over last summer, and went back on the doxycycline in september. the doxycycline has been controlling the acne on my back with minimal success, it's been a rather painful and embarassing ordeal as i have been used to having a clear back since i started septra many years back mainly, the doxycycline hasnt been helpful with the more painful, large blemishes and has zero effect before my period when i tend to break out all over.

anyway, i'm nervous about taking accutane, and am going to start out taking 30mg once a day for the first two weeks, before upping to the full dose of 30mg twice a day (i'm five feet two inches and 128 pounds). i hope the initial breakout wont be too bad, or at least limited to my back. i am also hoping i wont have any joint problems as i am a really active, fit person and wouldnt want to have to cut back on working out. im excited about the possibility of it actually working, and maybe one day not having to dump on a bunch of foundation to cover up the red and brown marks on my face so i feel better!!!! i would even be happy with moderate success, as long as i can once again control outbreaks with topicals instead of antibiotics, etc.

thanks for reading this, and i will try to update as often as possible!

[Luvmypug]

Hi!
Good Luck to you. It's day 48 for me at 60mg daily. Truthfully, the side effects for me aren't bad at all. Dry eyes and lips. The only thing that bothers me is my hair is shedding. I just started with a supplement called Biotin. I'm thinking this should help it subside. This message board is wonderful. Super helpful and imformative. Keep us posted.

hey everybody,

this is a great site, that i have haunted on and off for a few years now. i am about to start accutane (tomorrow, fingers crossed my insurance pulls through! ipledge is horribly irritating by the by) and am starting a log on my progress. some background history: i started getting acne my freshmen year of high school. it's always been moderate and there's always been a lot of it, face, chest, back. i convinced my mom to take me to a derm at the end of my sophmore year of high school (i looked terrible by then, and it wasnt helped by my lack of expertise in applying makeup, ha ha), and was put on septra for three years. i also used clindagel and retin a, as over the years, i began to develop some resistance to septra. i was able to control my acne breakouts this way, but once in college, my new derm took me off septra because he said there wasnt enough research on long-term use to really make it safe. i took duac after septra and differin, but my face became horribly irritated and red by the duac (even after persisting for a month), and i had to stop using it. i was then put on doxycycline for three-four months, and it worked like a dream, so i came off it and went back to just using clindagel and differin (i had some stomach problems taking the doxy, and burned my face horribly while on it, whereas the only problems i had with septra was on-going dehydration). unfortunately, i started to break out terribly on my back a few months later over last summer, and went back on the doxycycline in september. the doxycycline has been controlling the acne on my back with minimal success, it's been a rather painful and embarassing ordeal as i have been used to having a clear back since i started septra many years back mainly, the doxycycline hasnt been helpful with the more painful, large blemishes and has zero effect before my period when i tend to break out all over.

anyway, i'm nervous about taking accutane, and am going to start out taking 30mg once a day for the first two weeks, before upping to the full dose of 30mg twice a day (i'm five feet two inches and 128 pounds). i hope the initial breakout wont be too bad, or at least limited to my back. i am also hoping i wont have any joint problems as i am a really active, fit person and wouldnt want to have to cut back on working out. im excited about the possibility of it actually working, and maybe one day not having to dump on a bunch of foundation to cover up the red and brown marks on my face so i feel better!!!! i would even be happy with moderate success, as long as i can once again control outbreaks with topicals instead of antibiotics, etc.

thanks for reading this, and i will try to update as often as possible!

[fragrantolive]

Day 1

Took my first pill Friday night. Bring it Accutane!

[fragrantolive]

Day 2

Second pill. No developments so far. I'm also downing 1000mg Fish oil, 200 IU Vitamin E, B-50 complex plus biotin, and stocked up on lotions and eye drops. Nature's Gate Skin Therapy Tea Trea oil and Shea butter, cuz I like my products chemical free. Take your best shot Accutane!

[fragrantolive]

[quote name='Luvmypug' date='Feb 23 2007, 06:41 AM' post='1698468']
Hi!
Good Luck to you. It's day 48 for me at 60mg daily. Truthfully, the side effects for me aren't bad at all. Dry eyes and lips. The only thing that bothers me is my hair is shedding. I just started with a supplement called Biotin. I'm thinking this should help it subside. This message board is wonderful. Super helpful and imformative. Keep us posted.



Thanks for the kind words! I hear you are supposed to take Biotin with a B-50 complex in order to best absorb it. I started taking Biotin a week ago, as I am hoping to circumvent side effects with supplements.

[fragrantolive]

The only side effects I'm experiencing so far is really itchy skin, does this subside eventually? Otherwise, no side effects yet.

[Luvmypug]

Thanks for the kind words! I hear you are supposed to take Biotin with a B-50 complex in order to best absorb it. I started taking Biotin a week ago, as I am hoping to circumvent side effects with supplements.

Oh hey.. I'm gonna look into that B-50 complex. What supplements are you taking now?

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[fragrantolive]

Days 3-6

Skin is getting increasingly more dry but tolerable. Breaking out a little on chest and back but spots are small and heal quickly, within a day or two. I suppose I wont break out until later on, as I was taking Doxy before I started the tane and I am still using Clindagel and Differin (cant hurt, and my skins isnt irritated or too dry yet) Eyes feel dry and am pretty much always thirsty. Might up the dose to the full amount on Friday as I seem to be handling the medicine so far pretty well. I had stomach cramps for two nights early this week, and some minor back pain, but that seems to have gone away now.

[fragrantolive]

Days 7-9

So I started getting my inital breakout on Day 7. I've got maybe four or five whiteheads/pastules on my forehead, a couple on my cheeks, and a few on my chest (back, oddly enough, has cleared up considerably). The 'tane is starting to make me tired, and groggy, not sure how I feel about this effect. I'm beginning to get random cuts on my hands as well, and my scalp is really really itchy.

I'm also worried about the possibilty of hair loss, wouldnt want to trade one thing for another, and the more I have to put up with stuff on this medicine and the more I wonder what it's doing to my body, the more I want to quit and just go back on the antibiotics. Maybe I will feel less ambivalent when I hit a month on this stuff.

[fragrantolive]

Day 10-11

Still chugging along at 30mg per day. May try to up to the full dose on Friday, but if it makes me tired and groggy again, I'm going back to 30mg and talking about it to the derm on Tuesday (mabye I could just up to 40 mg at the end of the month instead). For the past two days, my appetite has been small and I have been forcing myself to eat. Apparently I have blackheads on my chin I never knew about but am now aware of. I think my back must have broken out right away on this stuff (I thought my back break-out was because I ended antibiotic use), because now my back is clear but my face is breaking out. Chest is beginning to clear up. Hoping this initial breakout is almost over.

[fragrantolive]

Days 12-16

Back is still clear, which is crazy amazing. Chest finally cleared up. Still have several pimples on my forehead, chin, and the side of my cheek. Am waiting for the IB on my face to clear up. Otherwise, I'm now taking the full dose since yesterday, 30mg twice a day. I'm glad I have been easing in to it as I think this way my body has had time to adjust to the effects of the medicine. My side effects aren't bad at all so far, some body aches and stomach cramps during the first few days, feeling groggy in the morning, some fluctuation in appetite once in a while, but mainly dry lips, dry flakey skin, dry eyes and itchy scalp. To combat the dry skin, I bought some overnight creme which I am hoping won't break me out, but which definitely cleared up any flakiness with one use, and have begun to massage mosturizer conditioner into my scalp when I wash my hair. Am still slapping on clindagel and differin and using nature's gate tea tree oil body lotion.

[fragrantolive]

Days 17-21

Not having any problems yet on 30mg twice a day. Saw the derm and got some cortisone shots for the spots on my face, and they went down right away so Im feeling better now. A few more spots have popped up on my face, and a few small ones on my back, but am relatively clear. Not sure how long before I will see full clearing, maybe another few weeks? Skin is dry and itchy but lotion takes care of it. Lips are dry but aquaphor takes care of that in the morning. I get more easily depressed and tired, but I cant say if that the's med or not.