3 replies to this topic

[Aalex]

Hey everyone! I'm Alex.
I never thought I would end up blogging about my acne, funny how that works out! Hopefully this will better help myself to stay positive during this long journey (or so it seems).

Now for a little background. I am a 22 year old male, 5'11, and 157lbs. I was acne free until the age of 18. Once I turned 18, things started taking a turn for the worst. At first, I would only have a couple acne spots on my face, and they would gradually go away. 6 months later I would clarify the acne as mild. Acne on the forehead, jawline, nose, sides of my face, my scalp, pretty much everywhere on my head! Obviously it was a shocker to myself, so I went and saw my normal doctor. He prescribes a topical gel which contained benzyl peroxide, hoping that would take care of my breakouts. It never really worked after using it for 3-4 months and decided to see my doctor again. This time around, I was prescribed Minocin @ 100mg / twice a day. I started to see "ok" results. I was on Minocin for about 2 years along with ProActive. I stopped taking the Minocin 3 months ago, but kept using proactive. Once again, as I stopped taking Minocin, my acne started to flare up, and this time, it came back with a vengeance.

Fast forward to a couple of days ago, I decided to call and make an appointment with a Dermatologist for the first time ever. I called pretty much every practice/hospital in my city, and most were booked for months. This wasn't exactly what I expected, until I called one practice which has great reviews and to my surprise they had an opening the next morning due to a cancellation!

For the first time in a while, I actually slept well knowing and hoping that the Dermatologist would know what to do. My alarm clock started buzzing, I started getting ready, made my morning cup of brew, took my dog outside, then hopped in the car. For once I actually didn't care about my acne, I could explain it as a sigh of relief. Surprisingly it was supposed to get up to 63 degrees outside (a little rare might I add for a Midwest city in January!). I thought to myself, this has to mean good things are coming my way!

I saw my Dermatologist, who happened to be a older gentleman as well as a very kind and understanding person. To keep a long story short, he and his whole family have used Accutane with great results. Surprisingly after looking at my face, the first thing that he said was "I would like to start you on Accutane as soon as possible". We went over all of the details, and off I went to get some blood work done.

So effective tomorrow, I will be officially starting on Accutane! I am looking extremely forward to picking up my prescription after I leave my office!

Hopefully I can share my experience so that it will help others stay positive and bring closure to their acne condition!

Edited by Aalex, 01 February 2012 - 06:41 PM.

[Aalex]

The day is finally here. I left my office and stopped by the pharmacy to pick up my prescription. 40mg of Claravis. I have not taken the first pill yet, waiting until I cook some dinner to take it with a meal. Along with the prescription, I picked up some facial cleanser, moisturizer, and a lip balm.

I was also thinking about posting pictures as my journey unfolds. Definitely not a bad idea to monitor progress and changes.

There's no turning back now... On another note, anyone else starting on Accutane this week?

[john123]

Hi Alex,

I'm on week 2 right now, 40mg a day also. Your story sounds very similar to mine. I was also using Minocin with Proactiv for awhile with medium results. I also quit the Minocin cold turkey. Big Mistake. Nasty cystic flare up, the worst I ever had. That was the last straw. I practically begged my doctor to get me an appointment with a derm and a few days later I was on accutane. I wish I had just done it when I was 22, you're making the right call and best of luck. Long term antibiotic use is just as bad for your body if not even worse than a course of accutane.

I'm also keeping a log so feel free to check mine out, might give you some insight, I'll also keep track of yours.

Cheers,

John

[Aalex]

john123, on 01 February 2012 - 10:00 PM, said:

Hi Alex,

I'm on week 2 right now, 40mg a day also. Your story sounds very similar to mine. I was also using Minocin with Proactiv for awhile with medium results. I also quit the Minocin cold turkey. Big Mistake. Nasty cystic flare up, the worst I ever had. That was the last straw. I practically begged my doctor to get me an appointment with a derm and a few days later I was on accutane. I wish I had just done it when I was 22, you're making the right call and best of luck. Long term antibiotic use is just as bad for your body if not even worse than a course of accutane.

I'm also keeping a log so feel free to check mine out, might give you some insight, I'll also keep track of yours.

Cheers,

John

Hey John

I read through your log, and I must say it sounds we went through a similar past leading up to taking Accutane. The Minocin helped, however it was obviously doing more harm than good. (2) 100mg tablets a day is a lot for a person, not to mention the side effects it had. I definitely felt much better for the 3 months that I was off of it. Might as well start on Accutane while I am young, however I wish I took it 2 years ago. Can't dread on the past, if anything it makes you a stronger person! I will follow your log most definitely. It will help in comparing side effects and results, even though I'm behind a bit! Most of all, support always helps and can be the difference between feeling good, and feeling great. Best of luck to you as well John, and thanks!

Day 1

Well not much to really comment on. I noticed last night before I went to sleep that I had a mild headache, however not exactly sure if that was caused by Accutane. I did wake up to dry lips, and it progressed through the day. So far I still feel pretty normal. This week my acne is the worst its been ever...not exactly sure why. It's starting to fade away a bit, but it just seems like it keeps coming back. Everyday brings a new spot.

-Alex

Edited by Aalex, 02 February 2012 - 08:31 PM.