22 replies to this topic

[Brown Spots]

I'll start off by giving my acne history. I've had acne since 5th grade, from puberty I'm sure. From then it progressed from just a few small papules to what I have now. Basically every type of acne under the sun, some non-inflamed acne, clogged pore on my cheeks next to my nose and inflamed acne. I only started getting cysts maybe in the begginning of 8th grade. But I think when I started to using retin-a cream with isopropyl myristate it caused me the worse acne ever for about three months then it started to clear, slighty. I've never really been clear since I've had acne, about 70-80% is the clearest I've ever gotten.

Anyways I started Claravis on 11/4/11 or November 4, 2011 on 40mg daily. I saw a derm last Wednesday in the same office as my regular derm and was prescribe my "highest" dosage which is 60mg daily. I weigh roughly 135lbs which converts to around 61kg. My acne only really flared when I started the medication but I'm sure it was because I had to stop taking minocycline. I shall get to the side effects I've had so far and topical things I have been using.

The only things I've noticed is my nose was very day one day and when I blow my nose I had a mini nose bleed out of just one nostril. Then my hair hasn't been as oily as compared to before which is a plus. My face is pretty much the same my acne comes and goes. My face is basically just as oily before starting the accutane.

Because I'm in Iowa and with the usually dry and pretty cold winters I have dry lips. Well the derm I saw recommended Aquaphor and it works alright, not amazing though. I've been using the same things as in my siggy but I'm experimenting with a heavier moisturizer* and also a sunscreen**. The moisturizer doesn't seem to break me out. I'll have to test the sunscreen out tomorrow to see it does or not. Then I've added a witch hazel toner as well to help with my current acne, control oil and all that good stuff.

*Cetaphil Daily Advance Ultra Hydrating Lotion (Been using it since yesterday and haven't broke out, yet)

**Clinique Age Defense SPF 25 (Shall try using it tomorrow!)

I will try to update at least once a week or more often!

Edited by Brown Spots, 13 July 2012 - 10:30 PM.

[Jamie Ann]

Good luck on your course! I am finishing mine soon so I'm here if you have any questions.

[Hopeful*]

I also would like to wish you luck! Try to stay positive and I really hope you start to see improvement and are clear by the end of this

[Brown Spots]

Thanks for the support! I still haven't broken out to badly since not using clindimycin to spot treat. So maybe my breakouts will be minimal for my switch up to 60mg daily or not I'm unsure. And yes I hope this helps completely get rid of my acne or lessons it to the point I can easily control it(and just go on one course)!

EDIT: Should I post pictures to see progress? Even though I'm one month in? Ideas?

Edited by Brown Spots, 29 November 2011 - 09:46 PM.

[Brown Spots]

Well I broke out in a few small papules today. It might have been the sunscreen I used. And I shall start including pictures very week or as well as replying whenever really (if more than once a week). Also I've heard mixed feelings over using a sunscreen, do I really need one? Well I guess the pictures don't really show my acne at all. Must be this amazing basement lightings . Anyways can someone answer my question? Thanks!

Edited by Brown Spots, 30 November 2011 - 06:01 PM.

[Hopeful*]

Well I broke out in a few small papules today. It might have been the sunscreen I used. And I shall start including pictures very week or as well as replying whenever really (if more than once a week). Also I've heard mixed feelings over using a sunscreen, do I really need one? Well I guess the pictures don't really show my acne at all. Must be this amazing basement lightings . Anyways can someone answer my question? Thanks!

Lol. You look young. Um.. Yeah, you should either wear sunscreen or wear a sunhat. Personally, my skin is extremely sensitive. I can't really put anything on my skin w/o it getting irrtated and sunscreen always makes my eyes sting for some reason so I wear a wide brim sunhat when I'm going anywhere & other than that I don't spend time outside..

Edited by Hopeful*, 30 November 2011 - 06:47 PM.

[Brown Spots]

Yeah I am young, 9th grade. Yep not exactly the person you'd think be taking accutane. Anyways thanks for the input. It is winter so really the only time I'll be outside would walking to and from school. It's a very short walk, which is nice. If I have anymore questions I'll ask.
Oh great I just noticed my carmex shining in the light, wow.

[Hopeful*]

Yeah I am young, 9th grade. Yep not exactly the person you'd think be taking accutane. Anyways thanks for the input. It is winter so really the only time I'll be outside would walking to and from school. It's a very short walk, which is nice. If I have anymore questions I'll ask.
Oh great I just noticed my carmex shining in the light, wow.

I wish I'd have gotten on accutane back in 9th grade! It would have saved me alot of time dealing with this stupid skin! Anywho, Yeah, you should probably do fine w/o sunsceen but maybe u should wear a baseball cap?... What day are you on in your course?

[Brown Spots]

Yep I'm hoping this will be about the last time I have to deal with this bad of skin. And it's day 29. A month exactly tomorrow! I could wear a hat but I am only outside for a few minutes most days. Also my skin got even worse from yesterday, from the darn Cetaphil lotion probably. So I will use my clindimycin lotion for a little while to help clear me up to the point I can at least bear my acne. I'm also considering maybe using my zinc tablets to but I don't know if that's a good idea. And my face isn't even dry, is the unusual? I will going on 60mg next month so maybe I'll experience is then, but still I am unsure. Thanks again!

[hotburrito]

Good luck! Your acne doesn't look too bad as is. Hopefully the drug will clear you up good and fast

[Brown Spots]

Yep that was one of my good days. I had some more pop up this morning and the current ones got larger. Now I'm getting off the cetaphil unless I start to get very dry because I'm sure it was clogging my pores. Anyways thanks! And would whey protein have a bad effect on acne or l-glutamine? I have a whey protein shake after I exercise and l-glutamine tablets, to help get me back in-shape for track. So any ideas?

[Hopeful*]

Yep that was one of my good days. I had some more pop up this morning and the current ones got larger. Now I'm getting off the cetaphil unless I start to get very dry because I'm sure it was clogging my pores. Anyways thanks! And would whey protein have a bad effect on acne or l-glutamine? I have a whey protein shake after I exercise and l-glutamine tablets, to help get me back in-shape for track. So any ideas?

Nope. U should be fine.

[CHINAjoy]

Good luck on your course.I am on a low dose accutane course.It works very well.Accutane is a good medicine but its side-effects made me unhappy.I got dry eyes because of it.I can not use computer for a long time.lol

[Brown Spots]

Well I broke out today. I'm sure it was because I was bumped to 60mg (started taking it yesterday). How I'm feeling is fine, glad I'm not one of those people who starts to feel depressed or anything like that. No other side effects really but I must say my eyes must be drier or the darn new contacts I'm testing suck. I usually use acuvue advance for astigmatism but my new eye doctor was like "Oh lets try this kind of contacts," the kind is acuvue oasys for astigmatism. I didn't have the heart to tell him I've already tried them a while back and went back to the same ones I've been using since 7th grad. Anyways my breakout was pretty minimal, a few pustules/papules and my blackheads on my cheeks next to my nose have come back. Hopefully the accutane will get rid of them. I've read that it has with some people and not with others. I'm just waiting for the day I will have zero to tiny amount of acne!

[Brown Spots]

Well I'm just checking in again. My acne is more or less the same but in different in the areas I breakout in. Which is all over my face, sadly. And a slight amount on my back. I keep using my clindimycin lotion since I don't want huge pimples. I want to not use it and be fine with bad breakouts. Never going to happen. Hopefully I can just not use it as often and when I start my third month I don't use it at all. Also could accutane cause me to weaken fitness-wise? By that I mean in p.e. I've noticed I'm short of breath even during the warm-up, and I never really noticed that happening before. I will be in track this spring and I really need to get back in-shape enough for that. It's the only sport I'll be during this school year. I'm pretty bad at all the "other" sports. If you can answer my question, thanks!

Edited by Brown Spots, 10 December 2011 - 08:42 PM.

[Brown Spots]

Day 47:
My face is still not very dry, just less oily is all. My acne was getting pretty bad but it lessened up a little this week. I just want the few months to go well, hopefully. Depression wise, I'm not feeling depressed. Which is really good. I have been saying stuff like "Oh I'll just shoot myself..." etc. lately to things I don't want to. I realized it became a habit so I'm trying not to do it anymore. I will try to update more consistingly but I really didn't just find the time to sit and type this out. Oh and I'm been exercising pretty consistingly, trying to anyways. The strength training I'm okay with just the running and sprinting training I've been trying to incorporate just plain sucks. Wish me luck!

Edited by Brown Spots, 22 December 2011 - 12:40 PM.

[Brown Spots]

Day 65
Okay so I know I haven't been consistent in updating this log. But there isn't much to log about. I still breakout, maybe not as much as before and my skin is not as oily as it was. I kind of feel that my oil level is like a little bit above normal level, maybe. I'm not sure what is normal but all I care is that it's not super oily anymore. I will try to keep this updated but I make no promises.

[wmd1234]

Day 65
Okay so I know I haven't been consistent in updating this log. But there isn't much to log about. I still breakout, maybe not as much as before and my skin is not as oily as it was. I kind of feel that my oil level is like a little bit above normal level, maybe. I'm not sure what is normal but all I care is that it's not super oily anymore. I will try to keep this updated but I make no promises.

Day 65 already...goes quickly, doesn't it? I'm happy to hear you aren't depressed and that you are doing well.

What type of cleanser and lotion are you using? I use Cetaphil cleanser and lotion and it doesn't clog my pores or make me break out, it actually softens my skin and I have seen an improvement.

Good luck! If you have any questions spit 'em out...I've done Accutane once before and now I'm on it again.

[Brown Spots]

Well now's it's day... let me count. Day 78? Oh well my acne seemed to be really good last weekend and then my face got stupid again. But I understand it should only start to improve more and more now. Plus my life is getting even more stressful with all that is happening. My free weekends are no longer free and my weekdays are usually filled with homework. And thanks for replying wmd1234. Actually I've pretty much been using what is in my siggy. But I am due to get more cleanser and moisturizer pretty darn soon so have any recommended products? My skin hasn't really been super dry or really even dry. Just kinda flakey but it is much pretty much better than being oily. So anyone have any ideas?

[Brown Spots]

Okay, well I obivously did not update this blog very much at all. Like I have many times in the past, I gave up. I just saw no point in it because my life finally was busy for a change. During my freshmen year in high school I have pretty much come out of my shell, for the most part. My skin wasn't clear and it had its high & lows. I started not to worry as much about appearence when I couldn't do much about it. So it has been a little over a month since I finished my course. Since then my acne as been its best it has in a long time, but it's still not clear. Currently I am in the process of trying to train for cross-country this fall, it'll be my first time doing it, so hopefully it might finally go away. Because my exercising is on track and my diet starting to become the best it has pretty much ever. I just hope my binging doesn't make a reappearance. Right now my acne is the worst it has been since stopping Accutane but I am certain I know why. My sleep schedule has been changing a lot lately, I have been touching my face and well frankly that might be a big enough reason in itself. Anyways I just wanted to let everyone know that I have not noticed any permenant side effects that have plagued other Accutane users. If I do see any I shall report them here. Not much else I can do, I guess.
I have been thinking I might have to change my moisturizers since my morning one has oxybenzone in it, plus my evening one is a little heavy feeling now. During my course my skin wasn't horribly dry, but it was dryer than usual.
Does anyone have recommendations for a spot treatment? I figured at this point I have nothing to lose and plus I don't want to talk with my derm about it. If I do I know he'll want to put me back on some antibotics and a retinoid. Retinoids tend to make my skin really red since my face is pretty, damn pale. Sorry for the really long post but if anyone can provide some recommendations for a good spot treatment, I'll be very happy. Thank you!