7 replies to this topic

[Leajer424]

Hey everyone,
My name is Lindsey. I've been reading message boards and product reviews on this site for about a year now. I finally decided I should go ahead and become a member bc a person does need peer support
I've had acne since I was ten,and I'm 27 now. The seven years leading up to my 17th bday my dermatologist tried everything on me. Clindamycin, benzoyl peroxide, Retin-A, oral antibiotics, birth control, etc etc. During all this my two older brothers both suffered with acne as well, and eventually both of them ended up taking Accutane with results none of us had ever achieved. I put it off until I was seventeen bc it is such serious stuff. Finally I gave in, and took it for 5 months. Hello self-esteem! I could wear dresses and shirts that showed my back and chest, people I hardly knew at school told me my skin looked great, otc products that wouldnt touch it before seemed ten times more effective, and I ended up with my first boyfriend. For several years my skin was reasonable. Yea I had some pimples, but I could actually count them (two or three as opposed to 100...).
So, my derm told me then that if I still had acne it would return after about ten years. I shrugged that off thinking the whole "it's just because I'm a teenager" (which is what parents and everyone else tend to tell you!). Well, I'm 27 now....and guess what? For about a year and a half my skin has been progressively worse. Now it's reached it's full resistant potential. NOTHING works. And I've tried EVERYTHING...some of which I got the ideas from this site, and some from my derm. I wear nothing but t-shirts now, bc they don't show my chest or back, I didn't go swimming even once this summer, I wore a t-shirt to a baby shower bc the dress shirt I was going to wear showed my chest and it was awful. I don't make a big deal about it and act like it doesn't bother me, but every night when I look in the mirror to see that whatever I've been trying hasn't helped at all, I'm thankful I have a job that keeps me behind a desk where I'm not seen. So I've pretty much gone through the same battle as when I was 17. I've been saying "well I'll try this, and this, and this" and "There's no way I'd take Accutane again." I went to my current derm and she wrote me a scrip for Differin or Retin-A, said that we would try that and the Yaz I was taking, and possibly if that wasn't enough, try Spiro, and If THAT wasn't enough, we could talk about Accutane. Well I've tried all but the Spiro, which I'm very reluctant to use that in conjunction with Yaz due to the potassium-increasing properties of both meds. Plus, the Yaz didn't do much, so I don't really have much faith that the Spiro will either.
Up until about this week I've been adamant that I wasn't taking Accutane again. I have however, been beaten down by frustration, broken faith, embarrassment, and the positive memories of Accutane's effects and the years following. Basically my next appt I will be bringing it to the table. I've had all I can emotionally take.
Sorry for writing so much. I'm very glad to have found a place where other people know where I'm coming from instead of people who say "Why don't you try washing your face more.." as if I'm dirty...
Lindsey

[krickadoodle]

Lindsey,

I know exactly how you feel. And I HATE when people advise me to wash my face more, it literally drives me insane. I am actually currently on my second accutane treatment, and I'm glad I'm doing it. While the side effects can be horrible, you can't deny that the drug is pretty much a miracle. Think of it this way, it's just 6 months to nice skin -- that's not too too long. I know it is such a pain being on accutane but it's worth it, I promise. I'm only 3 months in and already my skin looks so much better. My confidence is up and I can actually leave the house without make-up every now and then (something that is extremely hard for us acne ridden people to do!) So yeah, I strongly advise you to go back on, and if you ever need to talk about it just let me know, because I'm going through it to! Well best of luck and know that everyone on this site can offer you support and guidance throughout the treatment, if you decide to do it. =)

[Leajer424]

Thank you so much for your supportive response. I'm now days out from that appt where I plan to ask for the big guns, Accutane. Of course, it's saturday, and my appt is monday, and low and behold my skin is the clearest its been in months....who can explain that? It's like the dermatologist appt phenomenon. Your skin that refuses to cooperate suddenly does when you might have your chance to get rid of it for good!

[Leajer424]

Krick, how are you doing? I've just started my round...

[JohntheBaptist]

Good luck Lindsey, keep us posted!

[flyboykp]

Hey everyone,
My name is Lindsey. I've been reading message boards and product reviews on this site for about a year now. I finally decided I should go ahead and become a member bc a person does need peer support
I've had acne since I was ten,and I'm 27 now. The seven years leading up to my 17th bday my dermatologist tried everything on me. Clindamycin, benzoyl peroxide, Retin-A, oral antibiotics, birth control, etc etc. During all this my two older brothers both suffered with acne as well, and eventually both of them ended up taking Accutane with results none of us had ever achieved. I put it off until I was seventeen bc it is such serious stuff. Finally I gave in, and took it for 5 months. Hello self-esteem! I could wear dresses and shirts that showed my back and chest, people I hardly knew at school told me my skin looked great, otc products that wouldnt touch it before seemed ten times more effective, and I ended up with my first boyfriend. For several years my skin was reasonable. Yea I had some pimples, but I could actually count them (two or three as opposed to 100...).
So, my derm told me then that if I still had acne it would return after about ten years. I shrugged that off thinking the whole "it's just because I'm a teenager" (which is what parents and everyone else tend to tell you!). Well, I'm 27 now....and guess what? For about a year and a half my skin has been progressively worse. Now it's reached it's full resistant potential. NOTHING works. And I've tried EVERYTHING...some of which I got the ideas from this site, and some from my derm. I wear nothing but t-shirts now, bc they don't show my chest or back, I didn't go swimming even once this summer, I wore a t-shirt to a baby shower bc the dress shirt I was going to wear showed my chest and it was awful. I don't make a big deal about it and act like it doesn't bother me, but every night when I look in the mirror to see that whatever I've been trying hasn't helped at all, I'm thankful I have a job that keeps me behind a desk where I'm not seen. So I've pretty much gone through the same battle as when I was 17. I've been saying "well I'll try this, and this, and this" and "There's no way I'd take Accutane again." I went to my current derm and she wrote me a scrip for Differin or Retin-A, said that we would try that and the Yaz I was taking, and possibly if that wasn't enough, try Spiro, and If THAT wasn't enough, we could talk about Accutane. Well I've tried all but the Spiro, which I'm very reluctant to use that in conjunction with Yaz due to the potassium-increasing properties of both meds. Plus, the Yaz didn't do much, so I don't really have much faith that the Spiro will either.
Up until about this week I've been adamant that I wasn't taking Accutane again. I have however, been beaten down by frustration, broken faith, embarrassment, and the positive memories of Accutane's effects and the years following. Basically my next appt I will be bringing it to the table. I've had all I can emotionally take.
Sorry for writing so much. I'm very glad to have found a place where other people know where I'm coming from instead of people who say "Why don't you try washing your face more.." as if I'm dirty...
Lindsey

I feel your pain :/ Good luck with accutane! im on day 15!

[Leajer424]

Thank you so much everyone. The sweetest most understanding people are on this site.

I never really updated on my derm appt. Obviously my derm put me on Tane. I went in there and straight told her I wanted Tane and that I was completely beaten down by ineffective remedies. She said, "Well, there were a couple things I wanted to try before that." She brought up antibiotics. I told her that I took abxs for years when I was younger and it didn't help, I worried about long term abx use and development of resistancy, plus the potential for counteracting my birth control pills. She then brought up Spiro. I told her that the Yaz hadn't helped and that I felt it wouldnt either. Plus, I worried about taking both that and the Yaz bc of the potassium thing, and that I'm typically hypotensive and Spiro is a hypertension med and therefore can lower your blood pressure.

So, I pretty much shot her down on everything.

No, really tho, I don't think she would have given me the accutane if she weren't willing. After I said my piece about the other treatment modalities, she just turned around and opened a drawer with iPledge booklets and handed me one. Tane is for cystic acne, or for resistant acne, and I think derms are encouraged to try everything before prescribing it. I think with my treament history and prior experience with Tane that she was more willing to give it to me. Also, more treatment trials + more dr. visits = how docs get their money! If I really thought that those things would have helped, I would have gone for it. I'm not exactly thrilled about Tane-ing my body again, but I'm tired of wasting my money, time, and scars on ineffective treatments!

So I started Claravis this week. Stocked up chapstick and already started using lotion, so let's do this thing!!!

[onelittleone]

Hey good luck on your course i hope everything works out for you.