g33tar,
i am in a very similar situation i am m/20 and i have been on and off antibiotics and retinoids for the past 5 years. i was currently prescribed an antibiotic azithromycin and a retinoid differin. the differin seemed to have smoothed out my skin but i am still breaking out with cysts as well as whiteheads. i am ready to be done with acne once and for all and i am considering accutane as a possible option. how bad would you rate your skin before accutane, does it consist of mainly whiteheads or cysts? are you worried about the side effects of accutane and being a college student not being able to drink alcohol for 8 months? please keep updating on your progress and good luck with the treatment
also what is your daily regimen while on accutane ?
hey chughes, hows it going?
to answer your questions, i mainly get whiteheads localised around my chin, mouth and jawline. i sometimes get cysts, bet pretty rarely. i know the feeling of wanting to get rid of it, and thats mainly what drove me to accutane.
to be honest, my acne was probably the best its been in a long time when i started accutane (only 10 days ago!). the reason why it was good was because i just finished a 3 month stint of 3rd line antibiotics, they were very strong and only cleared up my acne by around 60%. normally 60% would be great, but given the strength of the antibiotics, my derm and i couldnt really justify going on them longer. long term antibiotics, as im sure you know, just isnt really a good solution especially if the results arent great. so after about 6 years on and off anitbiotics, ive gone on accutane.
i am pretty worried about the side effects, but i think youll find that the people who write about the side effects of accutane are the few people who experience them. most of the people who benefit from accutane without any serious side effects are all outside enjoying themselves! haha thats what i like to think anyway. it can look a bit negative online, but there's a bias towards the bad side of it.
that said, it is a serious drug. ive certainly noticed the side effects already, but they've all been bearable so far. dry lips and tight skin being the main ones. my stomach has been a bit upset as well, but again its very bearable.
the college aspect of accutane is a hard one to judge. at the moment im locked in my house anyway studying for exams, so having an initial breakout now isnt the worst thing in the world. ive got the holidays coming up too, which should let things calm down before i get back.
as for drinking, going out/parties etc.. i still am not entirely sure what my attitude is going to be. im a fairly big drinker on nights out, so i think when i am going out, ill limit my drink to a few beers and see how it goes. i understand the liver is already in overdrive from the accutane and i dont want to make it worse, but ive had a few friends who had no issues with drink, and there seems to be many online who think so too. i guess ill ease in to drinking, and as long as my blood tests come back in the clear, ill continue drinking, but sensibly.
oddly enough my derm said the main reason for not drinking was because it is a depressant, so i guess thats a valid reson to be careful with drink. (im sure youve heard of the suicide/depression aspects of accutane).
another aspect accutane can effect for college is concentration. im doing my finals this year, and this has worried my more then anything. at the moment im having no real difficulty concentrating, but i am slightly worried what effect a few months of accutane could have on my exams and as a result my degree/career.
my regimen at the moment consists of washing my face day and night with Simple Sensitive face wash (no soap, harsh anything etc.). im also using a moisturiser i got free with my accutane in my pharmacy. i dont have it on hand, but its especially designed for anti-acne treatments, and seems to be working well. i also use a lot of e45 moisturiser, and carry lip-balm constantly. at the moment im using standard vaseline, but i gather people swear by a brand called Aquaphor, so ill probably give that a shot at some stage too. other then that, im just going about my normal day and drinking plenty of water. im not taking any supplements (dont take multi-vitamins with vitamin A!) and i was advised to avoid any topical treatments. (so ive stopped using differin etc.)
if you do decide to go on accutane, i wish you the best of luck. i understand the frustration of wanting clear skin but not wanting to take accutane. in my case, and i suspect yours, my acne isnt the worst in the world, but its certainly moderate and stubborn. all other treatments have failed me, and im very self concious about my acne. i realise that i obsess over it more then any person should do in their life, so im hoping that accutane will really give me a new lease of life and let me catch up with what i feel ive been missing out on.
i would suggest you finish your course of antibiotics, and stick with the differin. i got some good results from it with patience. i wouldnt rush into accutane as a "guaranteed fix" sort of thing, but if at the end of your antibiotics your left still frustrated, talk to your derm and consider accutane.
ill be sure to keep posted, and if you want to ask me more questions when im further into the course, feel free.
Home
