Day 55 20 mg Claravis
Condition:
Face is looking way better to be honest. I have a bump on my chin and a few whiteheads but the red marks are less noticeable. A lot of people say that Accutane can cause scarring but I've noticed that ever since I started Accutane my pimples have left red marks that fade within days. This is definitely a great thing because they used to take months to fade. Some pimples do not leave marks at all!
My neck is also progressing. Still have one stubborn bump that wont go away, otherwise, red marks are still there but it has gotten SO much better.
Like many others on this site, ever since I developed severe acne I also developed a mirror phobia. The other day I was at a dressing room (where there is usually harsh lighting) I gathered up the guts and stared at my face and neck. I was pleasantly surprised by how much my marks and acne in general have improved. I am really hoping this will be a permanent positive change for the better.
Side Effects
Seem to be losing more hair than usual
Dry lips
Less oily face
I also have this dry patch thing on my arm. It is slightly red and bumpy barely noticeable, don't know if it's a side effect from accutane
Day 56
No changes. But I wanted to bump and ask has anyone experienced a dermatologist that is just too lazy to update ipledge for you?
I have to get on my doctor's a$$ for him to do it.
I visited him saturday to tell him to do it, he promised he would. He didnt. I called Monday and told him to do it. He didn't. Now it's tuesday and I have 4 pills left I'm planning to call him again.
Wtf can I do about this? It is highly annoying and happens every time I need to get my medications. And ipledge has that 7 day window last time my doctor only gave me 2 days to get my pills which was extremely inconvenient.
I want to switch doctors so bad but I have no insurance and this guy only charges $50 a visit which is cheaper than average... plus it would be a huge hassle.
I wish I had seen your log sooner.
I am also paying for my entire treatment out of pocket. I'm not sure where you live but Wal-Mart had the cheapest price I could find. It was 320 for 30 pills of 40 mg. Have you tried having the pharmacy order them for you if they don't have them in stock?
I wish I had seen your log sooner.I am also paying for my entire treatment out of pocket. I'm not sure where you live but Wal-Mart had the cheapest price I could find. It was 320 for 30 pills of 40 mg. Have you tried having the pharmacy order them for you if they don't have them in stock?
Hey dorismarilyn, I have no wal-marts around me (they are sort of far) but right now I believe I am getting a decent deal from Walgreens. I applied for this card they have which costs $20 a year and they always give me discounts every time I fill my prescription.
Right now I am paying about $200 for a months worth of Claravis 20mg.
Thanks for the info though, I will definitely be calling Walmart to see if it is cheaper there.
And yeah, Walgreens do order them for me if they run out of stock
You might want to check walgreens yourself and see if you can get a deal too! good luck
@ get.lifted yeah I think a lot of people on this site has mentioned mirror phobia. Harsh lighting is so cruel and every time I look at myself I get depressed. But yeah accutane has been working and if you are on it too I'm sure it'll work for you also! good luck!
Day 61 20 mg Claravis (3rd month)
Condition:
well face is looking great, red marks are also dramatically less severe thanks to aloe vera ( I think) I actually bought a whole new aloe vera plant so I can put it on my face daily. I cant recommend this stuff enough and I would just go all out and buy the ACTUAL plant instead of any gels or lotion in case of any extra chemicals added. No new pimples, old ones are going away. Neck is also completely free of cysts and pimples. Just waiting for the remaining redness to go away.
Side Effects:
At this point I wish I can take 20 mg of Claravis for the rest of my life so I can NOT break out. However, it appears that I am losing more hair than usual which is scaring me. I no longer wash my hair daily, my hair can now go 3 days without being greasy as opposed to being greasy just 1 day without washing before accutane (I havent tried more than 3 days because I m a germ-a-phobe and cant go that long without washing my hair
Chapped lips (not severe or irritating)
Less greasy face
I think my IB is over, I'm not sure if I should up my dose to prevent acne from coming back after I stop medication. Contemplating...
hey! good luck with your tane experience!
what's your plan like? - 1 mth/10mg and then and for how long? Why did you move to 20 mg? Was 10 mg doing some work?
I finished first round on tane 18 mths ago or so - 20 mg/7 mth. It cleared my skin well. But now both the oil and acne is coming back, rather annoying. That's probably where depression as a side effect of accutane comes it - I'm really paranoid about my skin these days.
I would do one more round, but it's summer here is Australia and my derm wouldnt prescribe it to be coz of the sun issue =( My plan is to use up 34 pills (20 mg) left over pills from some time ago (still not expired). Basically 10mg for 2 mth. I hope that it ll improve things a bit at least and helps me to get over summer time. ah..
As of today, I have been on Accutane for 261 days.
I almost feel sorry for my body. Im glad it's responding well though
sorry everyone. i feel like i've abandoned this site.
the past few months have been some of the best days of my life. absolutely zero worries about my skin. ZERO. life without an oily face is so much easier. no constant insecurities. Anyways, I am nearing the end of my accutane adventure. I must say, I am just as fearful of leaving the drug as I was coming into it. Why? Because of chances of my acne/oily skin returning. I am hoping for the best.
Current Status: Clear of blackheads/ face is 100% clear. Neck acne gone. Minimal redness/scarring remains but of course time will hopefully fix this.
What I am taking: Upgraded from previous Claravis (20mg) to Amnesteem (60mg). Partially because I finally got insurance and also because my doctor convinced me it was for the best to reach my maximum dosage.
Time: I've lost track of how many months I've been accutane. I would guess about 8-9 months now. Went from 10 mg to current 60 mg. SAME EXACT RESULTS. My skin never got excessively dry on either mg.
What's left: I have 9 more pills to do on the 60mg. Just yesterday I got my final month of accutane which will be 40 mg of Amnesteem.
Side Effects: Patchy red skin on arm and hands occasionally that were fixed with lotion. Loss of hair, not severe but did have me worried. Slight elevated enzyme level (but do remember I've been on the medication for almost a year and it wasnt until i took the 60mg this started to happen).
Verdict: Please, take accutane. If you are fearful, talk to your doctor and start off small. I experienced NO initial breakout. For so many years of my life I suffered with bad acne. Staying at home when I preferred physical activities outside. Hiding from the sun and being anti-social. I let everyone talk me out of taking this medication due to fears of bad side effects. I decided to finally decide for myself, afterall, it's my life, not theirs. I took accutane and havent been happier with the results. I can't say what the future holds, I'm hoping my face will stay this clear forever. Regardless of what happens, I am absolutely satisfied with my decision to go on Accutane.
I was lucky in terms of the lack of side effects I experienced.
However, I am starting to believe that the positive outweighs the negative.
Take me as the example, people do not come on the internet to complain about the medication unless something goes wrong. People who have success with the medication abandon sites like this forever. In the end, you are the victim because you are bombarded with fear due to excessive negative reviews. I came back though. You guys deserve to know that this medication is a life changer.
Good luck everyone, I will come back after I'm off the medication to follow up on it.
Thanks for all the support.
It has been a year since I've done accutane. I thought I would give a brief update.
My acne has returned but nothing I fuss over. Maybe a whitehead or two now and then. I have not been watching what I eat so I guess it's expected. Since accutane I have not gotten a cyst. My white heads are not inflamed. Sometimes I get those hard painful bumps but they never come to a head and are not severe like the cysts I used to get. My neck acne is 100% gone. Blackheads are back but I use baking soda to exfoliate almost daily. I use AHA every night.
I hope my skin continues to go this route! I hope this encourages people to try Accutane if acne is seriously damaging your life.
I want to thank you for taking the pains to come back a year later and updating us... I got a prescription for Claravis 10mg 30pack but my parents were being suckered into being fearful of the drug by pharmacists and I'm enraged right now because they want me to take Doxycycline 100mg instead, even after the doctor only prescribed me 1 week's worth of it and I'm seeing no material results thus far.
I've had a sudden onset of nothing but cystic acne the past 5 months and my face is damaged in some areas beyond repair, and I don't think such half measures like Doxycycline is going to cut it. Have you been on less potent antibiotics like doxycycline before the Claravis regimen?
Thanks.
I'm not the original poster but I have been on less potent antibiotics like doxycycline and minocycline. Honestly it's worth a try, the antibiotics worked wonders to clear up my skin but after I got off them my acne came right back. I went on two rounds of doxy, a couple months apart. Accutane is usually reserved for people that have tried everything else and have had no lasting results. If your acne is persistent and severe, then Accutane is an option to consider. However, I would not consider it without first trying the antibiotics route. Generally these are prescribed before Accutane because they have less side effects and can help your skin without having to go sky-high with your treatment plan. I had such persistent acne that after trying multiple rounds of antibiotics and almost every topical cream the dermatologist had to offer, I am now considering Accutane. I do not regret trying the antibiotics, because they did clear up my skin with no side effects, and they didn't make my acne any worse after I got off them, however they didn't provide lasting results. I would suggest exhausting your other options first, but still keeping Accutane as a last resort option.