36 replies to this topic

[darkknight07]

Keep at it man! I'm a 19 year old male and one thing i have found is to stay reallly clean shaven. I didn't shave for the past few days and this morning my skin got really dry and flaky around my mouth and was stubborn even with moisturizing. I ran home and shaved my face and re-moisturized and bam, no more flakes. Other than that my skin is getting redder but I haven't been getting many whiteheads lately. Cysts still stubborn on my forehead, but I have long hair to cover that up. Day 12 for me!

Thanks, yeah I'm trying my hardest to keep my mind off the breakouts. 19? Well I just turned 20 a few weeks ago so it looks like I have someone to compare myself to yeah I definitely agree, I try to stay clean shaven all the time and think its better for my skin. My face is also getting redder (but you probably already know that) and it looks like I'm exactly 2 weeks ahead of you. Keep me updated and best of luck

[Alios]

Good luck to you too! Will be nice to get an estimate of whats to come in future weeks. Day 14 for me. Woke up with my lips feeling really weird before putting Aquaphor on them, this morning was different as my face was already dry and flaky before taking a shower. A few new pimples that popped real quick in problem areas around my chin. Other than that, decently clear, just pinkish/red skin on my cheeks. College starts soon, this will be interesting.

[darkknight07]

***Day 31*** MONTH ONE COMPLETE

Took my first 30 mg (increased dosage from 40mg/day to 60mg/day) pill around noon today. Does anyone know if I have to take the second pill at midnight? I'm taking 30mg/twice a day and I'm guessing I should take one pill every 12 hours or does it not matter? My skin is still looking the same and these cysts are still lurking. The cyst I mentioned on day 16 is now almost completely gone (it's about time). My face has never looked worse and I've never had super 3D bumps like this under my skin. I can count 4 large bumps on my face right now. I'm noticing that I no longer have small whiteheads but instead the cysts just fill with puss. They're honestly like monsters. I've never had anything this large on my face before and there's a new one in a new spot everyday!

Side effects- minor back pain and chapped lips.

Good luck to you too! Will be nice to get an estimate of whats to come in future weeks. Day 14 for me. Woke up with my lips feeling really weird before putting Aquaphor on them, this morning was different as my face was already dry and flaky before taking a shower. A few new pimples that popped real quick in problem areas around my chin. Other than that, decently clear, just pinkish/red skin on my cheeks. College starts soon, this will be interesting.

Good to hear. I actually didn't start seeing any large cysts until day 20 or so but hopefully you won't! Yeah, I'll actually be moving away again for college next week so hopefully my face calms down by then. Not looking forward to it.

[Alios]

Took my first 30 mg (increased dosage from 40mg/day to 60mg/day) pill around noon today. Does anyone know if I have to take the second pill at midnight? I'm taking 30mg/twice a day and I'm guessing I should take one pill every 12 hours or does it not matter?

Good to hear. I actually didn't start seeing any large cysts until day 20 or so but hopefully you won't! Yeah, I'll actually be moving away again for college next week so hopefully my face calms down by then. Not looking forward to it.

I am no expert but my Doc told me that taking the pills doesn't have to be exactly on time. Once around breakfast and then another around supper or bed time is what he told me!

I'm sorry to hear about the cysts :/, I can relate, before I started Claravis, I had probably an Almond sized one right on my right cheek. It jutted out and looked nasty, and you could tell everybody was looking at it when I would be social, but now has died down! luckily my forehead has been seeming to get the onslaught of cysts which is nice because I have long hair! Day 15 and still reddish skin and cracked lips at the corners that sting when I open my mouth wide.

Edited by Alios, 09 September 2012 - 11:36 AM.

[Alios]

Face is still looking about the same, Day 16. A few whiteheads popped up in between my eyebrows and I still have dry skin before putting loads of moisturizer on. Have a red mark on my chin that is like stuck between being a pimple and a scab. Hopes are still high!

Edited by Alios, 09 September 2012 - 11:35 AM.

[darkknight07]

Day 33

Things are looking better No new cysts since I last updated and the other ones seem to be shrinking and are no longer painful. No new whiteheads either. Lips have become more dry though (probably because of the increased dosage).

Face is still looking about the same. A few whiteheads popped up in between my eyebrows and I still have dry skin before putting loads of moisturizer on. Have a red mark on my chin that is like stuck between being a pimple and a scab. Hopes are still high!

Positive thinking... I like it

[darkknight07]

Day 34

No new breakouts!! Old actives are drying up. Could this be the end of the IB phase???

Nosebleed woke me up today -_-

[poptartie]

I hope your IB is over...That would be sweeeeet! And then I can hope for a clear month #2 as well My face is a hot mess right now. Breakouts everywhere. No joke.

My nose has given me not trouble at all. I'm not dry anywhere except my lips, and that's not even chapped, just a little tight feeling if I don't keep stuff on them. I'm actually looking forward to bumping up to 60mg on Sept. 5 so maybe i can feel that it's actually doing SOMETHING.

So frustrating. But I'm happy for you!

[darkknight07]

Day 36

Good news!!! I've been seeing some pretty drastic results... four days and no new breakouts! Also, the old spots on my face are drying up faster than ever and spots are looking less and less red. I thought I was the only one noticing it until my parents mentioned it as well. My skin feels very smooth and I can't feel a single bump under my skin. I really hope it stays this way. I really don't want to jinx it but this is the best my face has looked in a long time. Just a week ago my face was covered in cysts and now this!! Looks like accutane is finally working its magic

Side effects- chapped lips and back pain but couldn't care less. It's so worth it right now.

I hope your IB is over...That would be sweeeeet! And then I can hope for a clear month #2 as well My face is a hot mess right now. Breakouts everywhere. No joke.

My nose has given me not trouble at all. I'm not dry anywhere except my lips, and that's not even chapped, just a little tight feeling if I don't keep stuff on them. I'm actually looking forward to bumping up to 60mg on Sept. 5 so maybe i can feel that it's actually doing SOMETHING.

So frustrating. But I'm happy for you!

Thank you Celia! Things are still looking good and I couldn't be happier especially since I'm moving back to college campus later this week. I attend an ivy league university (Brown) & I can't wait to walk around campus with clearer skin I know you probably feel like crap but trust me I was in the same boat just last week. Things will get better if you really believe they will. Don't let the breakouts make you think otherwise. Be confident.

[darkknight07]

Day 37

5 days and still no new breakouts Not much new to report...

[poptartie]

I'm right behind you! I hope my results are as quick as yours when I increase My increase will be to 60 mg as well and I am worried about the side effects. I only weigh 115 (I've lost 5lbs in the last month. not sure why) and I'm scared I will dry out sooooo badly. Of course, I'm not dry AT ALL right now except a teenie bit on my lips but thats hardly worth mentioning.

Yay for you and I hope it's still going well!

[poptartie]

How are ya?
Just checking in with you. How is school? I imagine you are very busy! I hope you are still clear and not too dry
Yesterday my doctor increased my dose to 60mg (two- 30mg tabs a day) and told me to take them together, not 12 hours apart. I thought that was strange but he was very clear that that was how he wanted me to do it. Interesting...

Wishing you well

[darkknight07]

Day 55

Hey guys,
Sorry it's been a while since I last updated. I'm almost 2 months in and school started so I've been super busy. My skin is looking pretty decent right now. I've had some breakouts (few more cysts) but my acne has progressively slowed down. I no longer get acne as often as I once did and I'm hoping things just get better from here on out. My face also isn't as red as it used to be. I'm not too happy about my results so far but I can't say I'm disappointed yet.

My side effects have gotten worse. I get nose bleeds pretty often and my lips are dry all the time. A few days ago, I started feeling pain in my right eye but I ignored it because I didn't think it would be a big deal. Today I woke up and my top eyelid is SWOLLEN and red (looks like a bee sting). My eye is still in pain from underneath and it hurts when I blink! Does anyone know how I can treat this? I've googled this side effect but it looks like it might be an allergy or my eyes might be dry. I'm asking you guys because I'm hoping someone is experiencing something similar. Please let me know. Also, I constantly have this nasty smell in my nostrils. I think its the smell of blood/iron and I hate it! Has this happened to anyone before and how can I get rid of it?

How are ya?
Just checking in with you. How is school? I imagine you are very busy! I hope you are still clear and not too dry
Yesterday my doctor increased my dose to 60mg (two- 30mg tabs a day) and told me to take them together, not 12 hours apart. I thought that was strange but he was very clear that that was how he wanted me to do it. Interesting...

Wishing you well

Hey so yeah you can see my post above and read what things have been like but I haven't seen any dramatic results yet. It's a bit disappointing because I'm experiencing a lot of side effects but I'm trying my best to suck it up and keep going. It's so hard. Also, I started taking my 2 60 mg tablets together as well. I take them in the evening. It's actually much better taking them together so that I don't accidentally forget to take the other pill later in the day. School sucks...the semester is getting really intense and I have a lot of studying to do. I constantly feel tired/lazy when taking this drug so I don't even know how I'm going to study ha. I might consider stopping my treatment if my right eye doesn't heal because honestly it's scary. How are you? I can't believe I've already been on accutane for 2 months...

Edited by darkknight07, 15 September 2012 - 02:12 PM.

[darkknight07]

Day 74

Its been about 2 & a half months since I've started. Things are looking okay, not seeing as much improvement as I would like. I am still breaking out and in two weeks I will officially be on this medication for 3 months. My breakouts are much different from what they used to be. I haven't gotten a single small whitehead in over a month which is quite surprising when I think about it! Instead, I've been getting larger red cysts/bumps that take forever to heal!!! Right now, though, my face has calmed down a bit. There's usually 3 or 4 active cysts on my face. All I can do is hope that things will improve.

Thankfully (knock on wood), my side effects have calmed down as well. The swollen eye I mention on day 55 healed within 4 or 5 days. My lips are still chapped but they're manageable. I have very minor back pain (can only feel it some days- not all the time). I did however develop rashes/eczema or whatever you call it on my arms around day 62. I treated them with vaseline and that healed them instantly. I've learned to control my nose bleeds by putting a bit of petroleum jelly on a qtip and applying it to the inside surface of my nose. I sometimes have this really strange feeling/pain in my stomach too. It's really been a roller coaster ride!!! I've experienced many more side effects than I thought I would.

I'm still taking 60 mg/day but hope to be bumped up to 80 mg/day for the final few months. That's probably the maximum dosage I think I'll be able to take. Did it take anybody at least 3 months to see really noticeable results?

Edited by darkknight07, 04 October 2012 - 12:04 PM.

[poptartie]

I believe many people start to see the biggest results at the end of month 3 or beginning of month 4. That's what I've read which is consistent with what my derm told me. I feel very, very lucky that I saw a huge improvement at the end of my second month. I still have a crap pile of PIH but I was told that would fade (it could take 6-8 months. Damn) but I can't complain since I only have a couple actives and my face is pretty smooth. I probably just jinxed myself. Anyway, I'm glad my vasaline tip is helping but I see you gave up using your finger. What gives? haha....JK.
I have to say, my experience is that the side effects are not as bad as I thought they would be. At least not the initial breakout and flaky skin. The backache has been the worst part for me.

Hang in there, Batman

[darkknight07]

***Month 4 Almost Complete!*** Day 115

Hello! Wow it's been a while since I've updated. First things first, my skin is looking great! I haven't had a new active in almost two weeks and couldn't be happier. Also, my skin feels like a baby's butt lol it's so smooth and soft. The only thing I'm left with now are red marks (I have the PIH too Celia my cheeks are a mess) and I really really can't wait for them to fade. I know it's going to take a while but just having no new actives is incredible. My face is no longer bumpy haha. I stopped treatment for a few days last month so my timing is a little off. I got really sick and needed a tiny break from the accutane.

Side effects-- Lips are still very dry. They begin to swell if I don't moisturize them which is a little weird but I'm pretty sure my lips are just very irritated. I haven't had a nose bleed in a while (woohoo) but I'm sometimes constipated and don't have normal bowel movements. Drinking prune juice/eating raisins seems to be helping this. I've also been experiencing minor back pain since I've started treatment. My cholesterol is a little high too so my derm told me to stay away from fatty foods. I'm experiencing more side effects than expected but my face is looking better so I'll deal. Just can't wait to finish treatment!

I'm going to be bumped up to 80 mg/day for the last 2 months. See details in my signature. Will update you guys soon!

Edited by darkknight07, 17 November 2012 - 10:07 PM.

[darkknight07]

Hey y'all. I've been done with treatment for a few months. I can't believe how fast the time flew by... if you have any questions please feel free to post in this thread or message me.