DAY 116
Hi All 
Well I haven't had any more breakouts since my last post - yip yip eee Off to Bali tomorrow and taking my last strip of Bactrim (antibiotics) [a week's worth]...So hoping the Accutane has fully kicked in and I won't break out once I stop the Bactrim. All's well with my husband and life is good. In response to Blueeyednycgal, yep I've been taking Fish Oil, Vitamin E and Zinc while on my course. Plus recently started Vit C again which is more of an antiageing thing than anything (antioxidant). Has anyone tried Witch Hazel as a toner? I've used for past few days with nice results x
DAY 125 - Still no breakouts but only second day off the Bactrim - keeping my fingers crossed!!! Bali was AMAZING, still another week of holidays, yayHow is everyone going?
Hey girlie!
So I've been reading your log for a while now, and was a little shocked that I'd never said hi! I'm so happy for you that everything is working out... which witch hazel are you using? I love that stuff.
Sarah
DAY 138 - Had x1 small breakout on my cheek last week but it was kinda worse because of my picking. I seriously thought I could get something out of it, which I couldn't, so I ended up with a nasty scab which is now a red mark. Grrr...Kate!!! I will never learn. Whether that was related to being off the Bactrim or not, I'm not sure. But otherwise going well. Seriously considering staying off my pill (I am on sugar ones this week, and will be due to take hormone ones again on Sat)...I really want to even out my hormones while I'm sort of covered by Accutane...I will of course be very careful not to get pregnant (I know being off the pill is a big no-no but I've never been one to follow the rules 
)...Any advise/experiences coming off Brenda/Dianne/Juliet/Estelle would be greatly appreciated! Hope all is well out there and you guys are smiling x
Sarah - Thanks for your post! I checked out your log and will keep checking in! I was using Dickinson's Witch Hazel. I think that may have actually been the cause of the above mentioned breakout! Good luck with your course and keep updating
regarding going off the pill when you're finished/on accutane.. i haven't started accutane yet, but i will next month, and i desperately want to get off the pill right afterwards- i'm on diane 35- just because i'd like to stop taking the hormones. and i know that if i wasn't going on accutane, i would be soo scared to go off for all the breakouts, but assuming the accutane works, i will be a little less scared to go off it. but let me know if you do it, or if you find out anything about it. thanks
DAY 161 - Only 3 weeks left of Accutane! Yay yay yay. Had a dermo appt in the week and he was happy with the results. I don't have to see him again unless I have any probs down the track. No new breakouts since the small one on my cheek mentioned above. Haven't taken Bactrim for over a month and took last hormone pill of Dianne last night (whimped out last month but gonna do it this month!!!)...Really stoked with Accutane and so glad I went on it. Wish I'd done it sooner. How's everyone's progress? x
Because you are doing a long-term, low dose couse, I am curious to see if you will have (1) a permanent/long-term remission, and (2) will never have to take Accutance again.
I have moderate acne and am taking Ortho Tricyclen lo. With Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo, my forehead and cheeks are clear, but I keep getting the hormonal zit or two on my chin the week before my period. Like you, I am a perfectionist and this sort of thing drives me nuts.
Good luck!
Boy has my attitude changed since my last post 4 months ago!!! My skin is back to its unpredictable, horrid self...the Accutane has aged me about 5 years & my liver function is really derranged according to my GP. I wish I'd never taken it. I'm off all meds now - Tane, Bactrim & the pill - so my breakoutish skin could be related to either/all of those 3 things...HOWEVER...I went on the stuff to get a cure and I certainly haven't got that! Oh well, otherwise life is good &
I guess I just have to appreciate the months of good skin that I had! I will keep u posted x
So I went to my GP today after my face absolutely exploded over the weekend (oh have there been tears, let me tell u!), and she checked my LFTs since they have been a bit deranged after taking Tane, and gave me a month's supply of Bactrim until I can see my dermo after xmas/ny. Thank goodness. It's the only thing that works for me without the awful side effects of Tane. So I'm back to square one. On a medication long-term til I apparently "grow out" of this damn thing called acne. No pregnancy for me, no happy family, my hubby is seeing horrid Kate come back! It seems weird that having bad skin and needing to be on an antibiotic that causes birth defects for the next probably 10 years can alter my life decisions so much. But at almost 27, unfortunately that's the case. Good-night
Wow...so ignore that last post because I have just found out I'm 6 weeks pregnant (hence the horrible skin!!!)...so I take that all back. I've whipped myself straight off the Bactrim as it causes birth defects and apparently taking it this early in pregnancy shouldn't cause any problems - phew 
So never went to my dermo appointment and am pretty ok with having pimples right now if it means I am going to have a healthy baby at the end of it all. I can always go back on the Bactrim once I stop breastfeeding etc., if I still have problems but hopefully I can blame my bad skin on all the raging hormones in my body right now!
hopefully I can blame my bad skin on all the raging hormones in my body right now!
That is quite possible. Lots of women I know broke out like crazy when they were pregnant, but had generally good skin at all other times.
Hopefully this will be the case for you! Good luck and congratulations!
Unfortunately miscarried at 9 weeks...skin as terrible as ever. Back to the old Bactrim, but only taking 1/2 tab/day now (before I was taking 1/2 tab in AM and PM). Fingers crossed this will do the job as I don't think my liver can handle much more than that. Man this acne thing has really caused me some problems in my life. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
Well it seems that some people are still reading my log, so I thought I'd update it (I'm really pleased about people reading it BTW!)...
So it is coming up to 2 years since I started taking my 6 month course of Accutane. I completed the whole course. However skin tripped out completely after becoming pregnant 3 months after I finished the course (my skin was clear from a few months into taking it until I got pregnant). Even though I miscarried, my skin has never gone back to completely clear (as it was when I'd finished the course).
I am now off Diane 35-ED OCP, but take Bactrim DS (1/2 tab AM & PM). It is the only thing that keeps my skin clear. It is not ideal, as it causes birth defects if taken during pregnancy. But I have also recently found out that I have PCOS, so my chances of falling pregnant/maintaining a pregnancy are super slim anyway. The PCOS is probably the underlying issue with my acne (this is what the derm said).
Do I regret taking Accutane? Yes. My skin is always going to be dry and flaky and my eyes red and irritated. It definitely aged me. And I still have acne if I don't take Bactrim. But I was so desperate at the time, and I would have always wondered if I had never taken it.
My skin becomes so irritated by scrubs, toners etc. My one piece of advice to people is to use a mild cleanser (Clinique Mild or Extra Mild for drier type skins), and steer clear of toners, moisturisers, oily makeup, etc etc etc. Less is more. I promise your skin will improve. The week I used a Neutrogena cleanser, my skin was a horrible mess. Once I returned to my Clinique bar, problem solved!
Still living with my hubby too, he is an amazing man who has put up with me and my moodiness and craziness and he still doesn't even know I have issues with my skin.
Keep in touch!
Kate 
)
Still living with my hubby too, he is an amazing man who has put up with me and my moodiness and craziness and he still doesn't even know I have issues with my skin.
Keep in touch!
Kate
You should tell him. I told my girlfriend about it, and she was like " come on darling, I love you and I love your skin". I know acne is affecting the person suffering from it enormously but you should really come forward with your skin issue, it will make life much easier
Hey Kate,
I just read your Accutane journey and I feel really bad for you for all you have suffered.
I guess Accutane works for some people but not everyone. But I so understand when you are desperate, you just want to try anything. I'm in a similar position right now.
Hope you'll get through this and have a healthy baby eventually.
of course accutane was not for you. Its for people with severe acne not mild acne.
This is what happens when vanity gets the best of us. A few pimples here and there, and you take the plunge for accutane??
Awful thing to say, not only because it is wrong, but especially because of what the OP has gone through. Accutane can be and is indicated in mild acne unresponsive to other treatments, and it probably would have helped the OP permanently if not for her PCOS.
So I'm back, quite some time later! My skin was pretty ok just on Bactrim DS 1/2 tab AM/PM, but the last 6 months it has gone a bit wild. I didn't want to go back on the pill as I've finally got my cycles to a normal 32-35 day cycle (it's taken years), so didn't want to interfere with that (especially bcos of the PCOS)...so my next trial is Spirolactalone. I've been taking it for almost a week now (50mg AM & PM), along with the Bactrim (even though it doesn't seem to be working anymore...mind u, have been on it for over 10 yrs now so it's done me well!). So far the only side effect is very vivid dreams (which I don't mind!). I really hope this is the answer for me. With my PCOS I'm thinking it is probably the best option. I know I'll be on it long term but it does seem to be safe long term & I'm hoping to drop the dose down in the future to 50mg a day if I don't break out too crazily! Also want to stop the Bactrim if the Spiro does the job (fingers crossed!!!). Ah this whole acne journey has really taken over my life. So frustrating. I'm 30 next year for goodness sake! Thanks 4 listening to my whinge xx