20 replies to this topic

[aegon]

Hi folks, I've just started Accutane, or Roaccutane as it's called here in the UK. I'm on a 4 month course, which I expect will last longer, taking 40mg a day for the first month and a half. I've decided to take the plunge and start the drug after about a year and a half of unsuccessful antibiotic treatments and many nasty, cystic breakouts on my back as well as constant breakouts and red marks on my face which never cease. I'd say my back is severe and my face is moderate/severe.

I'm currently on my seventh day - I started on the 26th of March. I haven't suffered an initial breakout yet, as far as I'm aware of anyway. I still get new spots, but they don't seem to come at a faster or slower rate than before, perhaps I'll get lucky and not have too bad an initial breakout, or maybe the Accutane just hasn't kicked in yet.

I'm hoping to see some major improvements before I start University in September, and clear skin would totally boost my confidence, which I have been severely lacking so far in my last year of High School.

I'd also like to ask anyone from the UK if they know of any Moisturizer which is decent or sensitive enough to apply, as I'm aware my skin will get, well, very dry. I've found some stuff called 'Diprobase' lying about the house which seems good, but I'm unsure. (I'm very paranoid about what I put on my skin). Other than that, any advice would be helpful and thanks for taking the time to read this.

[*Spiro*]

Hi folks, I've just started Accutane, or Roaccutane as it's called here in the UK. I'm on a 4 month course, which I expect will last longer, taking 40mg a day for the first month and a half. I've decided to take the plunge and start the drug after about a year and a half of unsuccessful antibiotic treatments and many nasty, cystic breakouts on my back as well as constant breakouts and red marks on my face which never cease. I'd say my back is severe and my face is moderate/severe.

I'm currently on my seventh day - I started on the 26th of March. I haven't suffered an initial breakout yet, as far as I'm aware of anyway. I still get new spots, but they don't seem to come at a faster or slower rate than before, perhaps I'll get lucky and not have too bad an initial breakout, or maybe the Accutane just hasn't kicked in yet.

I'm hoping to see some major improvements before I start University in September, and clear skin would totally boost my confidence, which I have been severely lacking so far in my last year of High School.

I'd also like to ask anyone from the UK if they know of any Moisturizer which is decent or sensitive enough to apply, as I'm aware my skin will get, well, very dry. I've found some stuff called 'Diprobase' lying about the house which seems good, but I'm unsure. (I'm very paranoid about what I put on my skin). Other than that, any advice would be helpful and thanks for taking the time to read this.

Hey! I started Accutane on the 13th also on 40 MG so I am not to far ahead of you. I started peeling and flaking skin about a week ago. It gets worse everyday. I have been using CeraVe AM moisturizer with a 30 SPF sunscreen. At night I use a CeraVe moisturizing cream which is a lot thicker. If I don't plan on being outside for very long that day I will just just the Cream all day long. I use them once in the morning and once and night and I am able to keep the flaking at bay anyways. Once your skin starts to flake away I use a wash cloth and just gently wipe away the dead skin. Then moisturize again.

I am positive you will see A LOT of improvement by september. If you aren't 100% clear by then you will be close to clear. From what I have read on here most people are clear at month 3 or 4. Day 7 the accutane has kicked in for sure. You will notice a change in you skin very soon! Good luck with you course!!

[aegon]

Hey! I started Accutane on the 13th also on 40 MG so I am not to far ahead of you. I started peeling and flaking skin about a week ago. It gets worse everyday. I have been using CeraVe AM moisturizer with a 30 SPF sunscreen. At night I use a CeraVe moisturizing cream which is a lot thicker. If I don't plan on being outside for very long that day I will just just the Cream all day long. I use them once in the morning and once and night and I am able to keep the flaking at bay anyways. Once your skin starts to flake away I use a wash cloth and just gently wipe away the dead skin. Then moisturize again.

I am positive you will see A LOT of improvement by september. If you aren't 100% clear by then you will be close to clear. From what I have read on here most people are clear at month 3 or 4. Day 7 the accutane has kicked in for sure. You will notice a change in you skin very soon! Good luck with you course!!

Thanks for the reply and advice Betsy. I hope your course works out well too, are you also logging your progress? I'm not sure CeraVe sell their products over here in the UK, but the recommendation is appreciated anyway and I might try ordering some from Amazon. Good luck to you too!

[*Spiro*]

Hey! I started Accutane on the 13th also on 40 MG so I am not to far ahead of you. I started peeling and flaking skin about a week ago. It gets worse everyday. I have been using CeraVe AM moisturizer with a 30 SPF sunscreen. At night I use a CeraVe moisturizing cream which is a lot thicker. If I don't plan on being outside for very long that day I will just just the Cream all day long. I use them once in the morning and once and night and I am able to keep the flaking at bay anyways. Once your skin starts to flake away I use a wash cloth and just gently wipe away the dead skin. Then moisturize again.

I am positive you will see A LOT of improvement by september. If you aren't 100% clear by then you will be close to clear. From what I have read on here most people are clear at month 3 or 4. Day 7 the accutane has kicked in for sure. You will notice a change in you skin very soon! Good luck with you course!!

Thanks for the reply and advice Betsy. I hope your course works out well too, are you also logging your progress? I'm not sure CeraVe sell their products over here in the UK, but the recommendation is appreciated anyway and I might try ordering some from Amazon. Good luck to you too!

I am logging my progress on here I am not sure if you can order and get things shipped to you from drugstore.com I order all my CeraVe products from there. They are the cheapest I can find them here in the US. Amazon had their stuff for a decent price. So I assume you can order if from there and shipping would be no problem. Although if you have to order it from the US shipping time will be awhile wouldn't it. If I come across anything on a log on here for UK moisturizers I will let you know. I'll be sure to follow your progress on here!

[aegon]

I am logging my progress on here I am not sure if you can order and get things shipped to you from drugstore.com I order all my CeraVe products from there. They are the cheapest I can find them here in the US. Amazon had their stuff for a decent price. So I assume you can order if from there and shipping would be no problem. Although if you have to order it from the US shipping time will be awhile wouldn't it. If I come across anything on a log on here for UK moisturizers I will let you know. I'll be sure to follow your progress on here!

I'll be sure to take a look at your log too. I'm not sure I'm able to order from there so it looks like Amazon is my best bet, I'll just try and find a decent moisturizer here until then. Thanks for following my progress and keeping an eye out!

[*Spiro*]

I look forward so comparing our progress. We can be tane buddies since we aren't that far apart in our courses! Hope everything clears up quickly!!!

[esa]

Hey man, another UKer here. Good luck with your course. I had acne all through university, wish I'd started Accutane before like you have!

For moisturiser I use 'Botanics Mens Normal/Dry Intensive Moisturiser SPF 12" from Boots. I haven't had any problems with it so far, I only use it once a day most of the time so it's worked pretty well for me.

[aegon]

Hey man, another UKer here. Good luck with your course. I had acne all through university, wish I'd started Accutane before like you have!

For moisturiser I use 'Botanics Mens Normal/Dry Intensive Moisturiser SPF 12" from Boots. I haven't had any problems with it so far, I only use it once a day most of the time so it's worked pretty well for me.

Thanks mate, I'll check out your log later today and have a look at the moisturiser you mentioned. I was hesitant to start Accutane but this year at school has been such a nightmare because of it I'm considering not even going to Prom, so I want it clear and out of mind for Uni. Good to see you've plowed through your first month too, just need to keep taking our hits and it'll all be worth it.

[aegon]

Day 10

Not much to report, My face really hasn't changed and I'm still expecting an initial breakout soon as most people seem to experience one, but it's been very mild so far on my face at least which I'm very grateful for. No new cysts have surfaced on my face since I started Accutane, just some whiteheads. However, in the space between my lip and my chin i felt a huge bump underneath it that I could feel with my tongue and it was very red, but it seems to have disappeared after only a few days without escalating, lucky me.

Note the repetition of 'my face' though, because my back is a different story. Cysts have been getting worse and it's sore to sleep and lean back on chairs which are a real pain, literally. It's tolerable though and I see it as a sign the medication is pushing those things out that would have probably plagued me later.

Side effects so far include dry lips - the skin on my lips is literally just peeling off, back pains (more to do with bones and joints I feel than the acne) and dry skin, obviously.

Edited by The Observer, 04 April 2012 - 03:27 AM.

[*Spiro*]

Lucky that your face isnt breaking out. I just think I am getting over the hump and then the acne gods laugh and give me more zits. I haven't come out on top of this crap yet. Hang in there with the back though. From what I am seen the back is the last to clear. It's it's face, chest, back.

[aegon]

Day 18

Skin-wise still no real change, some parts of my skin are healing and some are breaking out. Side effects include a sore back, dry skin and dry lips - I had a grim reminder of why lip balm was necessary before sleeping when I woke up with my lips covered in dried blood, not nice.

Edited by The Observer, 13 April 2012 - 09:27 AM.

[aegon]

Day 42

Haven't updated this in a while, so I guess I'll make it up with some pictures, which I hadn't originally planned on uploading. Though I haven't been posting or anything I still come here most days and have a read at peoples progress so far, which has been a lot of help, so thanks all.

So far it's not been too bad, my face hasn't gotten much worse so far which I'm very grateful for, and I'm sure it's cleared up in some parts. however, my back/upper arms are still getting worse and I sometimes wake up with bloodstained t-shirts and the sort which is just fabulous. My backs also been in some pain and my lips like, die when I don't apply Vaseline regularly, but it's all manageable.

Here are some pictures that were taken around day 3 on Accutane, I apologise for the rubbish quality - I take them on an ipod, and for the fact that I had forgotten to shave and apply any moisturiser which looks pretty gross.



Here are some from today

[*Spiro*]

getting better!!!

[aegon]

getting better!!!

Thanks Betsy! I've been reading your posts among others the past month and it was nice to read that your chest has cleared up, I'll be sure to keep reading, even if I'm not replying. You seem to have enough posts to reply to anyway and I see you on like every log I go to, which is really nice of you. I wish I could be as active but I have exams and an awful memory plus whenever I do get a chance to post here it's likely I'll procrastinate.

[*Spiro*]

Ohh geez, every log? Makes me feel like I probably spend to much time on here in that case. I just get a lot of support on here and hope to give it back to other people. Help in anyway if I can, I'm not sure if I do at all but I try. I'm also glad my chest is clear now of my face could just follow my chest. Someday soon it will right? It has too doesn't it? Are you a senior in high school or first year college?

[aegon]

Ohh geez, every log? Makes me feel like I probably spend to much time on here in that case. I just get a lot of support on here and hope to give it back to other people. Help in anyway if I can, I'm not sure if I do at all but I try. I'm also glad my chest is clear now of my face could just follow my chest. Someday soon it will right? It has too doesn't it? Are you a senior in high school or first year college?

yeah.. I was probably exaggerating there, sorry. it's nice you put some time into it, it's always nice to have some support, especially from people who are facing the same problem you are. I appreciate your posts and I'm sure others do as well, you aren't spending too much time on here. I'm sure if your chest has gotten better your face will soon follow, it won't be long now. I can understand your frustration though, it sucks seeing no improvement after being on it for a while, but one day - one day very soon I might add, it's going to get better, we just have to stick with it. I'm in my last year of High School, but exams have begun so I'm basically done with it now as we get time off to study which is such a relief.

[*Spiro*]

Ohh geez, every log? Makes me feel like I probably spend to much time on here in that case. I just get a lot of support on here and hope to give it back to other people. Help in anyway if I can, I'm not sure if I do at all but I try. I'm also glad my chest is clear now of my face could just follow my chest. Someday soon it will right? It has too doesn't it? Are you a senior in high school or first year college?

yeah.. I was probably exaggerating there, sorry. it's nice you put some time into it, it's always nice to have some support, especially from people who are facing the same problem you are. I appreciate your posts and I'm sure others do as well, you aren't spending too much time on here. I'm sure if your chest has gotten better your face will soon follow, it won't be long now. I can understand your frustration though, it sucks seeing no improvement after being on it for a while, but one day - one day very soon I might add, it's going to get better, we just have to stick with it. I'm in my last year of High School, but exams have begun so I'm basically done with it now as we get time off to study which is such a relief.

How exciting, I remember graduating from school. The relief of being finished was awesome. Hope your exams go well it will be good to have those out of the way.

[aegon]

Day 93 (I think)

so, I've entered my fourth and possibly last month on accutane (I really want to do a fifth month to get rid of this stuff for good) and it's been quite a ride so far. a shitty, slow ride for the most part, to be honest. though, skin-wise, my face is actually going pretty well. I haven't had anything active for a few days now which is such a relief and is of course what redeems the 'shitty, slow ride' and makes it worthwhile in the end; finally seeing improvements after years of puss-filled horrors bombarding your face. I still have a lot of hyperpigmentation but it obviously needs some time to fade. my back is still getting better then worse and so forth which sucks but I knew it'd be stubborn.

I have the usual side effects, dry lips, skin and the spine of a pensioner, but it's tolerable since I was already very lazy before accutane and was rarely active even then. emotionally, though, I have been feeling a bit low. I think this has more to do with the recent loss of one of my close friends, acne itself and exams than it does with accutane though. plus i'm an angsty bastard anyway, so who knows.


also, this is like totally irrelevant and serves no purpose but I'm going to link it anyway ok. i read it earlier and thought it was a little mad and had a giggle, then remembered I was the one taking accutane.

Edited by The Observer, 26 June 2012 - 08:42 PM.

[kaydon]

Day 93 (I think)

so, I've entered my fourth and possibly last month on accutane (I really want to do a fifth month to get rid of this stuff for good) and it's been quite a ride so far. a shitty, slow ride for the most part, to be honest. though, skin-wise, my face is actually going pretty well. I haven't had anything active for a few days now which is such a relief and is of course what redeems the 'shitty, slow ride' and makes it worthwhile in the end; finally seeing improvements after years of puss-filled horrors bombarding your face. I still have a lot of hyperpigmentation but it obviously needs some time to fade. my back is still getting better then worse and so forth which sucks but I knew it'd be stubborn.

I have the usual side effects, dry lips, skin and the spine of a pensioner, but it's tolerable since I was already very lazy before accutane and was rarely active even then. emotionally, though, I have been feeling a bit low. I think this has more to do with the recent loss of one of my close friends, acne itself and exams than it does with accutane though. plus i'm an angsty bastard anyway, so who knows.


also, this is like totally irrelevant and serves no purpose but I'm going to link it anyway ok. i read it earlier and thought it was a little mad and had a giggle, then remembered I was the one taking accutane.

You're a day ahead of me!

I agree, it has been a slow, shitty ride. But the improvements make it so worth it. Hopefully you can squeeze in an extra month to knock this crap out of you for good.

AND whaaattt in the hell is that log? Someone was drinking their urine to get rid of acne? Jesus. I thought I've saw it all on here. People don't shower, don't moisturize...and then that?!

Edited by kaydon, 27 June 2012 - 08:06 AM.

[aegon]

You're a day ahead of me!

I agree, it has been a slow, shitty ride. But the improvements make it so worth it. Hopefully you can squeeze in an extra month to knock this crap out of you for good.

AND whaaattt in the hell is that log? Someone was drinking their urine to get rid of acne? Jesus. I thought I've saw it all on here. People don't shower, don't moisturize...and then that?!

thanks, kaydon. your ride sounds a bit tougher than mine, really, having to deal with accutane twice. good on you for getting on it again. glad to read that you haven't had any new actives in a few days too, hope it stays that way for us both.

and I know right. 3 glasses of urine a day? personally, I only drink one, maybe two at the most...