day 5 now!!!
still nothing special!!!
i hate Epiduo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i have that bad acne cuz i have wasted a month on Epiduo and Doxy!!!!!
Yeah I know that feeling, I wasted 6 months on Epiduo and Lymecycline, although they didn't make my acne worse, they just didn't get rid of it, made my red marks scar and gave me loads of digestive problems.
Hey buddy, I wanna know which daytime SPF moisturizer are u using??
I brought Cataphil Daily Facial Moosturizer SPF 50
Never tried before
I'm just using Aquamol, a normal none-spf moisturiser, and then layering some Olay Sensitive Skin SPF 15 on top, but I'm avoiding the sun in general, a much better form of protection.
Day 51 (7 Weeks)
So I've been in Spain for a few days, laying on the SPF 50 everywhere and thankfully I haven't even gone a bit red.
I'm being good avoiding the pool and keeping as many clothes on as possible to avoid the sun, and not drinking of course.
I have a couple of new spots on my forehead, and that monster atop my nose is still there! Albeit smaller. Lately I've noticed that my side effects have pretty much completely gone, I never have to apply lip balm anymore because my lips are never dry, and I am only using the same amount of moisturizer that I was before starting Accutane. This sunday I'm going up to 40mg for 2 weeks and then onto 50, just to ease me into the higher dose.
It kinda sucks not being able to drink or tan, everyone's favourite things to do in Spain. Also cba to explain what Accutane is (don't even know where to begin to do that in Spanish) so I'm just telling people I don't drink, and that I burn super easy, seems to be holding off 
Day 51 (7 Weeks)
So I've been in Spain for a few days, laying on the SPF 50 everywhere and thankfully I haven't even gone a bit red.
I'm being good avoiding the pool and keeping as many clothes on as possible to avoid the sun, and not drinking of course.
I have a couple of new spots on my forehead, and that monster atop my nose is still there! Albeit smaller. Lately I've noticed that my side effects have pretty much completely gone, I never have to apply lip balm anymore because my lips are never dry, and I am only using the same amount of moisturizer that I was before starting Accutane. This sunday I'm going up to 40mg for 2 weeks and then onto 50, just to ease me into the higher dose.
It kinda sucks not being able to drink or tan, everyone's favourite things to do in Spain. Also cba to explain what Accutane is (don't even know where to begin to do that in Spanish) so I'm just telling people I don't drink, and that I burn super easy, seems to be holding off
I have just joined as I have just started taking accutane myself. I have been reading quite alot about it since I started and thought I;d let you know that I've read a few people noticing that when their dose is upped they really start to see results, so good luck!
Day 57 (8 Weeks)
Hola Amigos. I started taking 40mg on Sunday, doing that for 2 weeks before starting 50mg to ease me into it as I've been suffering quite bad lately with one side effect - tiredness!
It's probably a combination of the heat and sun, walking around so much (miles a day) and accutane, all of which are making me quite achy and just generally quite exhausted. So to ease me into my 50mg dose, I'm taking 40mg a week either side. So far, no real notice of worse side effects but it's only been a few days.
But does anyone have any tips on beating accutane fatigue?
I am however still breaking out a bit, I have 3 spots on my right cheek now, all in a line 
, they're being really stubborn! And can you believe that one on the top of my nose is still there? It's been about 3 weeks now, it just keeps draining and then filling up again! It's like dracula, keeps rising from the dead. Hopefully 50g will be the dagger in its heart xD
My skin is still not dry - although my lips and eyes were a bit drier than they have been as of late today, promising sign that the 40mgs is kicking in maybe?
By next week I'm hoping that my skin does start dry out more and the nose monster is dead once and for all!
i am on 2weeks now!
my new side effect is moody!!!get pissed off way easier!!!!!!!!!!
damn!
i was yelling at my aunty last friday!
i used to have good manners.
also, lips are drier than before, skin around my nose is getting drier,
lots if black and white heads!!!!!!!!!!!!
seeing my derm in 2weeks,
since my side effects are mild,
she probably up my dose to 60mg/day
anyway, we'll have clear skin in no time!!!
kill all those sexy bitches!!!!!!!!
So today has been 8 weeks! Not quite 2 months but still.
Anyway urgh.
Fucking skin.
I'm sick of having no life! Admittedly, having bad skin doesn't cause me to not have a life, it's a choice, but is it?
Although I'm perfectly capable of going out, taking photos of myself, I don't want to with such terrible skin.
I know that I'm 1/3 the way through and hopefully in 4 months all this will be over forever, they can't come quick enough.
Hey having a similar lock-in mindset at the moment, its awful but just thinking ahead helps, just to think this won't be a problem in a couple months, it'll all seem long gone.
Thanks for the sudocrem recommendation that worked amazingly well before my latest breakout came and fucked things up again. Still using it on blemishes works really well for me.
Day 57 (9 Weeks)
That week flew by! A few new tiny breakouts on my forehead but that's it, lips are dry again thankfully! Feeling that 50mg finally, also my hair is SO dry! it's unbelievable, it's like straw it's horrible, but I don't want to buy a nice expensive conditioner out here cus toiletries are so expensive in Spain.
I hope that by next week, my side effects haven't got worse, especially back pain because that took a while to kick in originally, and hopefully no new breakouts
x
Day 64 (10 Weeks)
Hey! Right so been on 50g for a week and a half now, and there has definitely been some changes.
Breakouts - I have about 5 spots at the moment, this is the worst it's been for a while, one on each side of my cheeks, a few on my head, one on my cheekbone It's not too bad though, I was expecting a breakout after upping my dose, I was expecting much worse, so I can deal with it.
Hair - My god is my hair dry! It's like straw! Can't style it, and no amount of conditioner or olive oil seems to moisturize it, and the air is humid here in Spain so god only knows how bad it's going to be in England.
Aches - My aches and pains have got a bit worse, I only had it before in my lower back at night time, now I find my shoulders tend to always feel tense and a bit sore, I feel quite tired and just achy sort of like a mild flu.
Cuts & Nails - My hands keep cracking and cutting! They don't even feel dry, but my finger knuckles have been cracking and bleeding, and I keep getting cuts on my hands on my tough finger skin, and they take so long to heal, I guess I'm like a peach, the slightest bruise and I just cut and bleed. Also my nails are sore, a few of them have sort of detached from my fingers at the top, you know how when you cut them too short and then they're sore, they feel like that, which isn't cool. My lips are drier too, started cracking in the corners again.
Finally, this ones sort of embarrassing but I've been sort of constipated. I've been making sure I get 2 litres of water a day, plus I eat loads of fruit and veg which provides even more, and I've always been big on fibre, loads of fruits and vegs, brown wholegrain carbs etc, anyway now I find I'll be constipated for days then go three times in one day, which for me is really weird cus I was always clockwork before, every day after breakfast without fail, a part of my Morning routine tehe. Yeah so not cool. Also getting really bad heartburn and indigestion especially at night time.
So, defs feeling this upping of dosage
x
Day 71 (11 Weeks)
Ahh, last night 4 or 5 new spots appeared, they're pretty small, but they're red, flat and painful, which from previous experience tells me they're going to be monsters that aren't in a hurry to go
My skin still isn't dry, I could easily get away with not moisturising in the mornings, and again my lips aren't that dry either. But that is more than compensated by how dry my hair is. Also I mentioned last week about the weird stuff going on with my fingers, my skin is sort of peeling around my nails, and I've had a few blisters, which is odd.
Still feeling pretty lethargic, not sleeping very well either, I guess the aches and dull headache probably don't help that. I really hope that my dermatologist does't suggest upping my dose next time, I don't think I could hack it, I'm already taking 0.79g per kg of body weight, the max. safe they could put me on would be 60g, but I'm getting the impression my body really isn't liking Accutane and I'm still not even half way through, I just hope that my symptoms fade as I get accustomed more
How's everyone else doing? Anyone else having any weird side effects or got any tips for dry hair? x
Day 78 (12 Weeks)
My last update from Valencia, I go back to England on Friday! Looking forward to being home but will miss this place
Right, skin. I have two pretty big actives on my forehead, both of them seemed to come out of no where, there was no initial redness or small lump, I swear within the course of an hour they grew from nothing into giant pus-filled volcanoes (ew).
I have a weird thing on my right cheek, it looks like a whitehead, a big one, but it's almost as if it's scabbed over, and as if the blackhead within is sort of pushing up around the sides? It's pretty small but it's been there for a while now, also I have a big blackhead on my lip line which has been there for about 5 weeks now and is showing no signs of budging. On the whole my skin's looking pretty good though, I think my scars are fading ever so slowly.
Other side effects, I'm still feeling pretty tired and run down, it sort of feels like I've got the flu, or at least the start of flu, my body just craves rest, I'm now naturally sleeping 9/10 hours instead of 7/8 for example. Also, I still haven't had a nose bleed but my gums have started to bleed a little bit, and my finger and toe nails are still all quite sensitive, a little red and a bit painful at times because they seem to be dis-attaching themselves from their beds at the top, anyone else had finger nail prblems?
Also a big thanks to Olay's Sensitive Daily Moisturising Fluid with SPF 15! It's the best SPF moisturiser that I've used, hasn't broke me out, has kept my accutane skin supple and hydrated all day long, and it's stopped my skin getting burnt from the harsh Valencian sun, so thanks to Dan for recommending it
I've used it for years when going to hot places and it's never let me down.
I've got my next Blood Tests on Monday and my Derm on Thursday, which will be just after exactly 6 months, I'll post on the Thursday next week
I really hope my bloods all come back normal, and I hope I'm kept on the same dose 'cus I really can't be doing with a worsening of side effects!
Love x
Day 85 (13 Weeks)
HALF WAY POINT! (Assuming I'm on the standard 6 month course)
That dragged, I hope the next three months go a bit quicker. Unfortunately, my body has decided to celebrate this landmark by breaking out in hives. My body itches everywhere, scalp & arms especially, I scratch, the skin swells and gets inflamed, oozes a bit of pus, scabs over. Its awful. Right now it feels like there are loads of ants crawling up and down my arms.
I'm glad this has happened in the same week as I'm seeing my derm, because it's not easy to get emergency derm appointments here. I'll let you all know how it goes.
I'd be really annoyed if they stop my treatment, so here's hoping my bloods have come back normal and this is just a standard side effect that maybe a medicated moisturiser will take care of
Also though, i've been having itchy eyes and been sneezing quite a bit, which would imply an allergy? I'm seeing my GP on Friday afternoon incase it isn't Accutane related.
I'm going to start intensively moisturizing by body every morning, my skin doesn't look dry but it could be, it can't do any harm anyway.
In terms of my acne, I've suddenly got quite a few raised bumps, sort of like whiteheads around my jaw line. I'm not really surprised though, I'm not impatient - I know that Accutane takes 4 months to show results, any improvement you see before 4 months is just luck/an added bonus, so for now, I'm not concerned, in 4 weeks time though if I still am breaking out, then I'll be annoyed.
See you all on Friday with my Post-Derm update x
Day 87 (13 Weeks)
Bad News
So I just got back from my Dermatologist. Firstly, that rash could potentially be an Impetigo infected bite which is now spreading, or something else horrific. They've took a swap and a different blood test to check for any infections and I have to call back Tuesday to see the results, if I do indeed have a Staph related infection, I'll need to stop treatment.
Also, my blood test results have came back unsatisfactory again. My Neutrophil count is down to 1.4
It was 1.4 before I started treatment, stayed at 1.4, then went up to 1.8 before I was bumped up to 50mg but now is back down to 1.4
2.0 or above is 'Normal'
1.5 - 1.9 is 'Low' but not dangerous.
Less than 1.5 is considered moderately bad. It puts you at a greater risk of infection, which could explain why I've picked up this Skin infection, but they also can't explain why it was so low to begin with, they asked if I'd been ill at the time which I hadn't. For the past year or two I've had on and off sinus infections, poor digestion and fatigue, they suspected I had Mono but it came back negative. But the doctors just won't listen to me. I've been saying I've been feeling 'off' for years, I basically get told either A) it's all in my head, B) I'm just stressed or C) oh your sinus infection is back again, here have another course of harmful antibiotics.
Useless.
If my Neutrophils are so chronically low, it is potentially indicative of a Viral Infection, auto-immune disorder or something else generally being wrong with my body - and quite clearly not all in my head. It's times like this I wish I'd studied medicine.
Anyway, I'm now having Blood Tests every 2 weeks and if my neutrophils fall any lower my treatment will stop immediately.
I really hope they increase, I don't want to have to stop now
But of course if it would be dangerous to carry on, I would of course rather stop than compromise my health.
Wah I need hugs
Oh also, my Derm said my skin is really dry, even though it doesn't look it (no flaking or visible dryness), and gave me these tips to combat it, I wish they'd have told me this before to have avoided all this drama:
- Only wash once a day, preferably bathe
- Don't scrub, just use your hands to wash!
- Don't use Soap, use a Soap substitute like Hydromol Ointment
- Use a bath emollient designed for dry skin/eczema when you bathe
- Moisturize your whole body after you bathe, not just your face, especially thin skin, such as Arms, Lower Legs, Hands, Feet, Neck.
- If your skin doesn't look dry, it doesn't mean it isn't dry - better to be safe than sorry!
Day 92 (14 Weeks)
Hey, so my infecton has totally cleared up, and without taking the antibiotics that my derm prescribed me (I forgot about them in the giant back of creams, ointments and other stuff they gave me, they rang today and said it's not impetigo, like I thought, but are sending me another prescription in the post for MORE antibiotics, I told them it's totally cleared up but they insisted! I have no intention of taking them, it's cleared up totally on its own without the need for antibiotics, it just goes to show you how much the over prescribe antibios these days.
ANyway I have one big new active right on my forehead, which is disgusting, and still have 3 or so 'inflamed emerging whiteheads' as I like to call them on my right cheek, experience has taught me that they're stubborn to go, but should eventually.
Other updates, my right thumb nail has sort of detached itself from the nail bed AGAIN, opening a can of sardines, has anyone else noticed that their nails rip up under the slightest bit of pressure?
Oh and my Netrophils have risen back above 1.5 so I can carry on treatment! Back for more blood tests next Friday though to recheck them, I'm really hoping they're sky high so that they can give me my last two months pills there and then to avoid having to carry on treatment in France.
I MOVE TO FRANCE IN 19 DAYS. Scary Times.
Hope that Accutane's not being too much of a bitch for all you lovely readers.
x
Day 99 (15 Weeks)
My skin is looking pretty bad at the moment
My face just seems to be really red, and my pores seem huge all of a sudden, especially my nose, massive pores and definitely got a rudolf resemblance going on here.
Also, I seem to be getting loads of big whiteheads all over my cheeks, which I really don't understand why I'm getting these this late in to my treatment.
My eyes are as dry as ever too, twice daily eye drops don't seem like enough.
Plan d'action?
Gonna start eating even more Salmon, Avocado and Nuts to get those lubricating Omega 3s.
Drinking EVEN MORE WATER not that that is even possible I seem to always have a glass/bottle in my hand.
And of course just stay positive
Day 106 (16 Weeks)
Well - that week dragged!
The whiteheads are still there on my right cheek, and my face is still super red and just 'unhealthy' looking But I don't have any bad breakouts, so I shouldn't complain. My nose has suddenly became really sore though, well the insides specifically, they're all crusty but still no sign of any blood thankfully, but they're sore enough to make me shout in horrendous pain when someone accidentally knocked it.
I'm back at the dermatologist on Friday for my Blood Test results and re-prescription, hoping they're all normal and I get to carry on. But I have a slight problem, I move to France for University on Monday for 4 months ( 
), but this obviously complicates my treatment because I can't pop back twice every 4 weeks to visit my derm, and equally due to their lack of Public Healthcare, I can't afford to have treatment in France, plus there is just the whole annoyance of having to change hospitals, and as good as my French is I wouldn't feel comfortable dealing with something so serious in anything other than English.
So, last time my derm said If my bloods had been okay, they'd have just given me my remaining months and I wouldn't have needed a blood test in October, but after the my Neutrophils went all pyshco on me, they probably won't do that now, so, I can come back around Halloween as we get a week off, so I'd only need an 8 week prescription - fingers crossed that my bloods came back fine and they can just give me my last two months until my 6 month review in November when hopefully I'll be off! YAY.
I'm not going to lie, I cried yesterday. Sometimes you just can't help it. I went down to visit my Girlfriend who I haven't seen since June. She has such perfect, olive skin, and there's me, this red mess. And looking around at people, it's just unfair.
But then there are people who contract awful diseases, suffer burns, and then me moaning about a few marks on my face which probably aren't permanent, really made me feel guilty.
Keep on smiling
Anyway, almost 4 months down now, hopefully just 6 months to go.
Day 108 (6 Weeks)
GREAT NEWS!
My bloods came back fine, I've been given the rest of my tablets without needing to go back now until the end of my course for a final check up,
Ive been given 6 more weeks of Pills meaning my last pill will be on 17th October which is 2 weeks short of 6 months but they said my skin was looking really good so it's fine. And then I'm back for one last check up around Halloween as long as I haven't had a spot by that point Ill be DONE. That's just 47 days.
Skin wise, still no new spots, a few 'emerging blackheads' still, one on my forehead one on my cheek, which are just whiteheads which are a bit raised and slighty red around the edges but I know within a week or two they'll be gone
My back is realllly starting to ache now, especially when exercising, and my eyes are getting even drier, it's worst in the morning when I wake up, it's painful to open them, thank god for drops!
Love y'all!
x
Day 115 (17 Weeks)
4 months tomorrow!
The end is in sight, less than 6 weeks left now, can't come quick enough.
My nose is starting to get really sore now, well, only my left nostril, it's always sore, and there are always big blood-coloured hard skin lumps/bogies lodged up there which is disgusting - still no nose bleed yet thankfully.
My lips are going through a dry phase, I can't remember what it's even like not to have dry lips anymore.
My appetite is going even more, literally I could quite happily just eat 3 pieces of fruit all day long, I blame the meds.
Also, I have definitely noticed mood effects now which is beginning to scare me a bit. When I'm in a bad/sad mood, I'm in a really bad/sad mood, but then the next day I can be totally fine/happy, it's probably down to the fact that I'm just so tired all the time, I feel like I have mild flu, 12 hours sleep a night is my new optimum ; less and I'm groggy.
But most importantly, NO ACTIVE SPOTS for weeks.