90 replies to this topic

[sissuperstar]

DAY 1

Okay so I just took my first amnesteem pill tonight.

Basic Stats:

- Female, 27 (shouldn't I be done with this acne crap)
- I took accutane back when I was 19 - it kept my acne manageable but over a year - 1/2 ago it started getting out of control.
-What I tried recently:
proactive
nature's cure
zenmed
dan's regmine (worked the best but didn't have time or money for body acne)
tons of over the counter medicine
minocycline
prescription BP
othra tri cyclen
retin a micro
AND now Accutane - well Amnesteem (my insurance won't cover an accutane prescription unless the generic didn't work for me - so I have to go through a generic first. I was really sad about that - but I'm okay with it now (b/c there is nothing else I can do about it - ha))

Skin -
Face - I have little red bumps and white heads pretty much everwhere! The minocycline I've been on limited all my big bumps - so I'm afraid that is going to come back before it get's better
Body - my back and chest are pretty clear right now as a result of the minocycline as well - my back was horrible before - cross fingers it doesn't come back now that I'm stopping it.



Well - I absolutely loved reading other people's journal so I will try to update as much as possible - good luck to all you trying to get your skin cleared -

hugs,
colee

[sissuperstar]

I need a good luck for the cheerleaders on this site....anyone?

[Kirko]

Good luck

[sissuperstar]

thanks - that is what i needed!

[sissuperstar]

Oh thanks for reminding me I meant to put that in the first post.

I'm on 40mg for the first month and 60mg for the last five months.
I'm 130-140 pounds.

[sissuperstar]

DAY 5

Skin:
Face - Okay still oily as ever but my lips have started to chap - so I'm hopeful that dry skin is in the future. Since I've stopped the minocycline and the retin a micro it seems oil has come at large - so hopefully the medicine will kick in soon. I'm still of course breaking out with a little increase in the development of pimples - but nothing huge yet...
Chest - broke out the first couple of days and is slowly getting better. I was pretty much clear on the chest while taking minocycline - so i think it was stopping this.


Side Effects:
chapped lips
back itches
etc.

[lannemore]

DAY 5

Skin:
Okay still oily as ever but my lips have started to chap - so I'm hopeful that dry skin is in the future.  Since I've stopped the minocycline and the retin a micro it seems oil has come at large - so hopefully the medicine will kick in soon.  I'm still of course breaking out with a little increase in the development of pimples - but nothing huge yet...

Side Effects:
chapped lips
back itches
etc.

Hi! I'm also 27, and am taking 40mg/day of Amnesteen. I'm 55 days into the treatment, and am just now noticing an improvement. The first week seemed great, and then I broke out a bunch. It's clearing up a lot now, no significant active pimples, and my lips are chapped all the time. Just letting you know it took awhile for the Amnesteen to build up in my system and start really working for me. I think that's pretty common from what I have heard and read, so expect results in about 60 days. Good luck!!
Side effects:
Increased cholesterol and blood pressure
Joint pain after exercise
Chapped lips
Dry scalp

[sissuperstar]

thanks for responding, . A few questions - are you on 40mg the whole time. I guess i'm getting bumped to 60 after the first month. How bad was your acne to start with? When did you notice a difference in oil - i hate the oily skin.

[sissuperstar]

DAY 11

Face - Slight improvement. However no "intial breakout" YET! I know it could easily still come - but I'm hoping it won't of course. .
Chest - keeps breaking out and then clearing a bit then breaking out. Again my chest was clear when I started but I think when I stopped the miniocycline to start accutane that it broke out from being off the minocycline (which I think is what cleared it in the first place).
Back/arms/etc - a few more on back, but nothing horrible, the weirdest thing is the BACK OF MY NECK broke out in about 10 good size pimples. They have gone down now- but so weird.

Side Effects:
chapped lips always
dry skin sometimes, but if I mostirize then it's oily for a day or two - so i'm alternating when I mositurize untill I get more dry.
neck pain - i've gotten neck pain that feels like sore muscles - weird.

That's it for now - good luck to those of you on this path.

[Antony]

Just want to wish you GOOD LUCK! on your course superstar.
I'm 3 weeks into Roaccutane/Accutane myself. Hope your lips hold together alright!

[sissuperstar]

thanks it's always nice to hear from someone in your journal - makes you feel special. I've been reading your journal so I should have said hi in yours as well. .

[bOOn]

Good luck, for me I never got an initial break out, everything just improved and got better and better.

[sissuperstar]

DAY 18

So I've been meaning to update at least once a week - but I missed the two week mark. Okay so I understand the roller coaster accutane effect now. One day I can be like wow It's really improving and the next day (or even my night time) it looks pretty sad again. Also has anyone noticed that you look better in the morning then at evening (I wonder if it has something to do with taking the 40mg at night - next month I get upped to 60 [20 in the morning 40 at night])

Okay here we go:
SKIN:
Chest - My chest is getting better - if had broken out the first week - but seems to be improving a bit.
Back - nothing really new a few zits - but nothing bad yet - (again it was clear from the minocycline I took before accutane).
Arms - acne not bad - but my hands developed a bit of exima.
Face - Okay so nothing really bad yet. Breakouts - ya - but nothing more than before. I keep hoping it's getting better- but I can't really say for certain it has. One thing that has happened is all the millions of whiteheads have calmed down (though not all gone) but instead i'm getting more obvious pimpleds - not sure which is worse.

SIDE EFFECTS:
-Chapped lips
-somewhat dry eyes- My eye doctor told me it might get to the point I will have to wear glasses instead of contacts for the remainder - it's not there yet.
-on and off again dry skin - comes and goes

***Has anyone noticed a weird small bump sandpaper like feel rash thing. On my nose, my chin, my neck, and my chest I have these tiny bumps that you can barely see (barely see! - especially the ones on the neck and chest can't even see them) - but when I'm in the shower it feels so weird - is it my pores opening up??***

[lannemore]

***Has anyone noticed a weird small bump sandpaper like feel rash thing. On my nose, my chin, my neck, and my chest I have these tiny bumps that you can barely see (barely see! - especially the ones on the neck and chest can't even see them) - but when I'm in the shower it feels so weird - is it my pores opening up??***
[right][/right]
[/quote]

Hi, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I am on 40mg/day everyday for now, I left a message with my doctor to maybe go up to 50mg/day for the last two months. I am about 65 days into treatment now, and although I still get an occasional big pimple, the rest of my skin is clearing up OK.
My skin is not at all oily anymore, my shiny forehead stopped being shiny about a month and half into the treatment. My acne wasn't terrible before I started, but it was constant and leaving scars. I would get some regular pimples, and a big horrible painful cystic acne thing at least once a month, and on my back as well. I've only had one on my back since I started the treatment, which is a nice change (except that it just happened last week).
I did get the weird little rash thing you were talking about, I used Aveeno's 1% hydrocortisone cream and it went away in a week or so. I have read that taking 400-800 IU of Vitamin E everyday helps reduce the side effects of Accutane, including rashes.
How are things going for you in your treatment?

[sissuperstar]

oh that makes me feel better that the rash thing isn't just me - It's really weird it's not pimples, but when I look at each pore is raised. I'll have to try the vitamine e. Again my face seems to be improving then by night time I'm like oh wait no it still looks yucky. I have not had an intial yet though - at least I don't think so. I'm almost to three weeks (one day away) i'm hoping I pass the intial. Did you have an intital? and are yuou on a generic or brand?

[lannemore]

I have not had an intial yet though - at least I don't think so. I'm almost to three weeks (one day away) i'm hoping I pass the intial. Did you have an intital? and are yuou on a generic or brand?
[right][/right]
[/quote]

I did break out pretty badly in the second month, and still get a few pretty big pimples now and then. The worst part almost seems to be the red marks they leave behind, it makes my skin look much worse than it actually is. I am taking Amnesteen. Something I noticed is that I am mostly breaking out where I had clogged pores before I started treatment, like on my chin and a couple spots on my cheeks. They weren't noticable unless you looked really close, just little whiteheads under the surface. It's like these are now coming to the surface as my skin is clearing up. The spots on my chin that broke out a lot and are now slowly healing look better than they did before, the skin is smoother and the clogged pores are going away. So I was thinking that is probably what causes the initial breakout, the clogged pores that were present before the treatment get pushed out to the surface, turn into pimples, and then pretty much clear up. What do you think?

[sissuperstar]

oh i think you are completely right - I think it's cleans out your skin - so what needs to come out does. Did you clear a bit the first month? I'm actually noticing an improvement but fear it will all break out the second month. My rash thing I think is actually clogged pores pushing through - on my chin they are bumpy they come up a bit then dry off and fall off - I'm hoping it keeps going that way.

[lannemore]

oh i think you are completely right - I think it's cleans out your skin - so what needs to come out does.  Did you clear a bit the first month?  I'm actually noticing an improvement but fear it will all break out the second month.  My rash thing I think is actually clogged pores pushing through - on my chin they are bumpy they come up a bit then dry off and fall off - I'm hoping it keeps going that way.

I did clear a bit in the first month, the parts of my face that weren't breaking out look really good! The skin is brighter and smoother. I am hoping that by the time I'm done, my whole face looks like that!
I'm having a difficult time finding products to use while on the Amnesteen. I'm looking for a facial moisturizer with at least SPF 15 that doesn't look greasy or cause breakouts. I'm trying a sample of Neutrogena's Healthy Defense SPF 30, but it sort of pills up and makes my face look sort of matted, if that makes sense. I'm curious to try Aveeno's SPF lotion, I love their regular lotion and have been using that for years. What are you using, or what has your doctor/dermatologist recommended?

[sissuperstar]

My derm suggested cethraphil. Well at the least the cream for my arms (which are getting exemia b/c of all the acne medications i've been using). For my face I'm using Eucerin Daily Renewal lotion w/ 15 spf. I used it on Dan's regemine so I had some left over. It's okay but it tends to make my face red (which the tane does as well so the combo is scary). My face isn't super dry yet so I only apply the lotion in the morning so I don't have flakey skin in they day.

Today i did a brave thing I came to work - get this - w/out makeup. I'm still broken out - but enough improvement on my checks that I felt ok w/ the decision. (the small bumps, clogged prores, whatever are on my chin, nose, between my eyes, my neck, and chest.