Thank you so much for this post! I'm on my first day and this really just makes me pumped for the future and giving me that extra want and need to stick it out
Hey courtney, I'm glad this helped! Accutane is by no means easy, but if you take it one day at a time and focus on other things you will find yourself done with it before you know it. It's a great drug and I hope that you get as much out of it as I did. Feel free to message me if you have any questions or just updates on how you're doing, I love to hear other people's stories.
Yeah, my thought process at the moment is that with the way I'm feeling about myself now and going through this constant battle can be helped with a little bit of time and a little bit of work then what's stopping me. 
Thanks hun, I most definitely will. I've also started a log too, so feel free to check that out if you wanna check up on my process <3 Again, thanks for the post.
UPDATE: 50 days post-accutane...
Well I went back to my dermatologist and I shouldn't be needing any microdermabrasion or any scar treatments, as there are virtually no scars! Still can't believe it worked this well, it is truly only getting better even 2 months after I took my last pill. Any scars I had left just kept fading, and my oil levels have returned to normal at this point; but still not a single pimple since I've finished my course. My skin looks radiant and healthy and clear! Still pinching myself, I can't believe this is real. I hope this lasts and it's not just a temporary thing.
All side effects have gradually faded, including:
-Hair loss
-Dry skin
-Dry nose
-Moderate joint pain (especially knees and elbows)
-Constant fatigue
-Dry eyes
-Nose bleeds
-Muscle loss
-Weight loss
Although I do still have slightly dry lips, but hopefully that will be gone soon.
Till next time.
Awesome news!! I love that you are coming back and doing the updates afterwards! It is really nice. Seems like a lot of the other people fell off the the boards once they finished the course.. Glad to hear you are still seeing amazing progress!
UPDATE: 6 months Post-Accutane
Hi again everybody. So 6 months post-accutane... still can't believe it's been that long since I ended.
The only side-effects that remain are:
- Mildly dry lips
- Joint aches, especially in my knees and elbows, after long periods of staying in the same position (bending, sitting, etc,).
My oil production levels have come back to about 50% of what they used to be, in a good way! My skin looks healthy and glowing, I do not have any acne and 90% of my scarring has cleared and still improves every day.
But the biggest difference has by far been the change that it has impacted in my life. I used to think about my acne ALL the time, it would stay with me all day and when I was never consciously thinking about it, it was still in the back of my mind when I talked to people, when I thought about dating, about how my friends saw me, EVERYTHING. Even when I talked to my family I would notice them looking at my face, and not my eyes. Now, I can honestly say that I do not think about acne anymore, not for one second out of the day. It has cleared my mind and I think about other things now, like life in general, what productive things I should start, whether to ask this girl to dinner, you get the picture. This has been a miraculous transformation for me and I did not expect these results based on how terrible my acne was, as well as the deep scarring I had. Now it looks as though I've never had acne, and it feels good.
After having acne for so long, I truly appreciate having clear skin and carry that appreciation with me every day. Acne definitely taught me humility and the mental hardships that people deal with because of it, and if anything, acne left me with that positive perspective. Although I will say gaining your confidence back is not a matter of acne disappearing; after so many years of suppressed self-esteem it takes willpower and fortitude to put yourself out there again and live. But you can do it.
Given the lingering side effects and results, I am still a strong advocate of Accutane and everything it is about. It changed my life.
Thanks for listening.
9 Months Post-Accutane
Still clear! I get occasional pimples here and there, but they are all surface and usually dry up the same day I notice them. My joints are still mildly affected and my lips still, 9 months later, need chapstick to prevent from drying out. The chapstick is not a total necessity, but its pretty close to being one.
The only reason for these updates at this point is to give a little hope out there to those who need it. I know I needed it. Besides that there's not really much to update. But to all those out there still on it, have hope and know that it is temporary.
I will do a 1 year update in a few months and probably close my account soon after, so if anybody has any questions or anything please respond soon.
And to InSonia, I'm sorry I didn't respond to you sooner but I haven't been on in months. Hopefully your course went well.
Until next time...
9 Months Post-Accutane
Still clear! I get occasional pimples here and there, but they are all surface and usually dry up the same day I notice them. My joints are still mildly affected and my lips still, 9 months later, need chapstick to prevent from drying out. The chapstick is not a total necessity, but its pretty close to being one.
The only reason for these updates at this point is to give a little hope out there to those who need it. I know I needed it. Besides that there's not really much to update. But to all those out there still on it, have hope and know that it is temporary.
I will do a 1 year update in a few months and probably close my account soon after, so if anybody has any questions or anything please respond soon.
And to InSonia, I'm sorry I didn't respond to you sooner but I haven't been on in months. Hopefully your course went well.
Until next time...
Thanks so much for your update! Did you have any indented scars at all? Or just dark marks? I have a little bit of indented scarring, some of it kind of old, and my derm said some of it should clear up but I'm just curious if you had any input on that. I've read alot of conflicting things here on the board!
Hey, I honestly have all of the same stats that you did while you were on Accutane (age, weight, dosage), so your post has really helped keep me optimistic and temper my expectation.
Given that you're all cleared up and have completed the course I don't expect you to answer these questions any time soon but I hope they get to you at some point.
1) Did you have any hyper-pigmentation(red marks) going into your treatment? I had a lot of red marks going into my treatment from old acne. So I'm just wondering how that is affected, if at all, during the accutane treatment? (or compared to newer red marks that form during the course)
2) You mentioned that you had some hair loss. Just wondering how you experienced this. Was it noticeable? Or just noticeable to you?
I'm going to start month 2 in a couple weeks so I'll be around for a while to see your response if you get around to this.
So far my results have been virtually identical to yours as this stage, which is a little discouraging, but at the same time I'm hoping it continues at your rate.
Excellent freaking excellent post. I am 6 months in and I discovered Aquaphor at Wal-Mart 30 days in. That stuff is a GODSEND!!!! USE IT. Nothing else. Accutaneinmybrain is absolutely right. Use a humidifier in your home is something I would like to add it really helps to heal while you are at home. I drank twice a month as well and everything is normal so far. Accutaneinmybrain is also right about the side effects. If you know in your mind and heart that the risk is worth living acne free rather than non because it is that bad than the side effects have no bearing on your decision. I am acne free, no aches, no pains, no side effects really at all except very chapped lips, but Aquaphor heals them everyday I wake up. Mild nose bleeds have been consistent as well I guess but nothing else. 60 mg a day for 5 months now (going on 6) 170 pound male. I am thinking about upping to 80 mg a day.
Thanks so much for your update! Did you have any indented scars at all? Or just dark marks? I have a little bit of indented scarring, some of it kind of old, and my derm said some of it should clear up but I'm just curious if you had any input on that. I've read alot of conflicting things here on the board!
Yes, I had both indented scars and dark marks. For the indented scarring, that obviously took the longest time to clear, but it did within about 6-months post-Accutane. That's one thing to remember, is that a good amount of healing occurs after the treatment is done. I still have a few indents but they are virtually unnoticable.
Great post. My son is on day 28 and had quite an ib after day 4 or 5. Everything has gotten pretty red this week. This post gives us hope. Thank you for continuing to update months after your treatment.
IBs are the worst part of Accutane. It all gets better from here on out!
Hey, I honestly have all of the same stats that you did while you were on Accutane (age, weight, dosage), so your post has really helped keep me optimistic and temper my expectation.
Given that you're all cleared up and have completed the course I don't expect you to answer these questions any time soon but I hope they get to you at some point.
1) Did you have any hyper-pigmentation(red marks) going into your treatment? I had a lot of red marks going into my treatment from old acne. So I'm just wondering how that is affected, if at all, during the accutane treatment? (or compared to newer red marks that form during the course)
2) You mentioned that you had some hair loss. Just wondering how you experienced this. Was it noticeable? Or just noticeable to you?
I'm going to start month 2 in a couple weeks so I'll be around for a while to see your response if you get around to this.
So far my results have been virtually identical to yours as this stage, which is a little discouraging, but at the same time I'm hoping it continues at your rate.
1)I did have red marks, and I would say that the accutane most definitely exaggerated them until about month 3 when they started to fade and my skin significantly changed in both texture(more fragile) and color(paler).
2) My hair loss was only noticeable to me, and I would basically be studying at a desk, run my hand through my hair, and notice that 4-6 strands would fall out, so I'd run my hands through my hair again, and another 5 strands would fall out. That's how I noticed it at first, and later on my hair did feel a little thinner to me. It was only temporary though and my hair is nice and thick now.
Good luck with your course. Stay strong.
Excellent freaking excellent post. I am 6 months in and I discovered Aquaphor at Wal-Mart 30 days in. That stuff is a GODSEND!!!! USE IT. Nothing else. Accutaneinmybrain is absolutely right. Use a humidifier in your home is something I would like to add it really helps to heal while you are at home. I drank twice a month as well and everything is normal so far. Accutaneinmybrain is also right about the side effects. If you know in your mind and heart that the risk is worth living acne free rather than non because it is that bad than the side effects have no bearing on your decision. I am acne free, no aches, no pains, no side effects really at all except very chapped lips, but Aquaphor heals them everyday I wake up. Mild nose bleeds have been consistent as well I guess but nothing else. 60 mg a day for 5 months now (going on 6) 170 pound male. I am thinking about upping to 80 mg a day.
Thank you for the support bud. I like the humidifier idea.
Well... it's hard to imagine that it has been a year since I finished my course of accutane. I can gladly say that acne is a distant thought in my mind, which is amazing considering I only thought about it 24 hours a day before accutane. My complexion is great, and my face's oil balance is perfect.
Before all of this, my entire life was obsessed with acne. Treating it, curing it, hating it, looking at it, refusing to look at it, thinking about how my life would be different without it. It was on my chest, my back, everywhere. I had no confidence whatsoever and let it run my life for too long. So to everybody out there who is feeling the same emotions right now, I know how you feel, and you're never alone. I said previously that my only regret is not taking accutane sooner, and I stand by that. If you feel bad side effects, obviously stop and be safe first; but I would argue that the risk of getting to that point is worth the benefit because you are giving yourself the best chance at curing the damn thing.
I'll check in from time to time if anybody has questions or comments. If you read my journey, thank you. It meant a lot to me to put this out there and share my experience, and even more to have people that thanked and shared their own thoughts with me as well. A lot has changed in the past year, but my intention of writing this has remained very still: if I have positively affected at least one person by writing this, then it was all worth it.
I had a pretty similar experience the first time i took acutane (2 years ago) except my miracle month was number 5. I stayed clear for 1 year then the acne came on slowly and mildly at first but now its back full throttle again so I've started using acutane again. I'm now on day 5... I have a long way to go but it's the only thing that's ever worked for me so I trust this product a lot.
I wanted to comment just to give you some quick advice. If you happen to find yourself with acne showing up again (which it might about a year after your first treatment) my advice to take acutane again as soon as you can! I waited too long thinking it would go away by itself. I wish I would have taken it again as soon as the acne came back mild but now it's real bad again so i'm starting all over again. The good news is that likely after the second treatment, acne should not make a reappearance sometimes 2 times is the charm... hoepefully not 3.
AccutaneInMyBrain, thanks so much for this post. I've bookmarked it & read it again from time to time to keep my hopes up.
I'm 27 years old and I'm on day 38 of my 40mg/day Decutan course. (This is my second course. I had went through another course back when I was about 14 years old, but apparently it hadn't worked as well as was hoped) My dermatologist now also prescribed Dalacin 150mg tablets for the first 6 weeks, in order to keep down any flare ups that are expected in the first few weeks.
I just received my first blood test results (4 weeks into the treatment), and my cholesterol spiked up by about 20% (which apparently is expected when taking this drug). The result says 5.38 mmol/l, and the "normal" range is 2.0 to 5.0. What is worrying me the most, however, is my potassium level which soared dramatically from a normal 4.14 mmol/l to 5.76 mmol/l, which is considered high up in the caution zone. There's a chance this could be an invalid blood sample, so I'm considering taking another test before seeing my dermatologist to double check. The rest of the result values seem okay.
Anyways, it'd be great if you (or anyone) has anything to share regarding your blood test results during treatment. I think this is essential to keeping one's mind re-assured that everything's as expected during treatment. Thanks again, & good luck to everyone!
Great read... since that post was a couple years ago now, how is your skin doing?
I'm middle of month 3 and it's only this week that I start to see the turn around... Although a little white head sprouted on my face overnight, the dryness is gone (except the lips) and skin is feeling a bit shiny and new. I hope my results are as good as yours.
I need to have a look for this Aquaphor, i hadn't heard of it or seen it around!
Thanks for your reply AccutaneInMyBrain. I re-checked the tests & it seems it was a false positive. Apparently potassium level tests are unreliable occasionally.
LyannaStark, I'm using Aquaphor w/ Sunscreen. Link here [Edited link out]. It's a good moisturiser & has SPF30 protection from the sun. Apart from moisturising, the sunscreen helps since Isotretinion makes you more sensitive to sunlight. In my case, it also helps prevent cold sores caused by sun exposure.
My lips need to be constantly drenched in Aquaphor (or Cicaplast Lip Barrier Repairing Balm, which I use alternatively). As soon as I wipe it off my lips (after eating, drinking, etc), my lips get extremely dry & start burning. This started to happen about 3 months into my course. Before that, my lips were okay, just mildly dry. Sometimes I even get small blisters across my lips, which at first I thought were cold sores. I even treated them like it was cold sores, only to realise they weren't after 2 weeks without improvement. They faded eventually just by moisturising, but they do re-appear from time to time.
I'm in month 5 now. Acne is pretty much clear, but I still have a lot of redness & scars. I'm hoping these will fade once I've completed the course. I also developed a cellulitis infection on my scalp half-way through the course, for which my dermatologist prescribed strong doses of antibiotics. It's been 3 months with this infection & it's been a nightmare. I'm hoping it will heal soon.
Anyway, good luck to everyone. I'll give an update once everything is over.
Hey brother, I'm on my third month... I don't breakout hardly ever anymore. Just the occasional little pimple once in a great while. My skin is so smooth to my touch compared to months earlier when it was horrendous! ..but it's still red and there's still the deep red marks and patches of skin from all the acne before, is this normal? I'm just waiting for it to heal up and return to it's normal color- frustrating! Do you know what I mean? Also just wondering if you could post any before and after pictures
Hey there lynna and light, again sorry for such the late response but I only visit the site infrequently nowadays. I'm glad you guys could answer each other's questions though. 2 1/2 years later, and I am happy to say I'm still acne free, but my update will be to a slightly different tune than my usual accutane praise today. Although I am acne free, it did come at a cost. I continually experience dry lips and eyes, almost every day. And on top of that, my hair is dramatically thinner and drier. I've had increased stomach pains and forming ulcers. If I could go back and do accutane again, I'm not as sure as I used to be that I would. Long term health vs clear skin is something to not take for granted.
Hello again everybody. This is probably going to be the last update I do considering it's now been 3 years since I started Accutane and I don't think any other side effects are going to present themselves at this point. (It should be known, however, that I do get nostalgic so don't be too surprised if I show up in this post at some point...)
This isn't a usual update with my current side effects or progress, it's pretty much all out there already. Instead, I wanted to thank everybody that took the time to read this post. I spent a lot of time on it because I know how much acne can impact somebody's life and it was unfortunately a very large important part of my life for a long time.
I created this post because I just wanted to reach out to or help at least one person that is dealing with the same things I was. After looking at this post today, I was shocked to see almost 20,000 views as well as all the comments and responses I'v received from people. I never would have thought that it would have even reached that many people. And I really do love getting the feedback and responses from you guys, it makes this real and I appreciate it. I hope everybody I've talked to has conquered acne and found peace with themselves in one way or another, you guys were all very nice, appreciative, and supportive and again it all did mean a lot.
Good luck to everybody on their own journey.
Goodbye for now.