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Rachel! Gorgeous! I'm so happy it's working for you.
Bummer about the blood levels. One of the most overlooked ways to lower your cholesterol is to exercise. Try to do some cardio to the point where you're sweating, for about 30-45 minutes a few times a week. This will help lower triglycerides, too. Overall, decreasing sugar (soda, candy, sweetened beverages like mochas, etc.) and even switching from white rice to brown rice will help lower your triglycerides. The worst thing is to drink alcohol, but it doesn't sound like you're boozing it up. lol
Another great way to improve your levels is to eat more fish, and less whole-fat dairy and red meat. I know you said you take your pills with milk, but maybe there's another way to just drink it with water but make sure the meal has fat in it instead? These are just some suggestions...milk isn't a huge problem, but if you want dramatic results, decreasing dairy and increasing nuts, avocados, and fish will give you better cholesterol levels (or at least we hope!).
p.s. Green tea lowers cholesterol, too!
http://www.umm.edu/a...-tea-000255.htm
Thanks for the tips, Gina! 🙂
I do take my morning pill with whole-milk, which I wouldn't drink if I wasn't on Accutane. I also eat one or two slices of whole-wheat bread with peanut butter. So, there's some healthy fats in there too! Lol.
I'm definitely going to work on lowering my cholesterol and triglycerides over the next month. My derm isn't worried about it, but it won't hurt to be healthier for a change!
QUESTIONS.
I'm picking up my prescription tonight. However, just like last time, my pharmacy only has HALF of my prescription in stock. I'll only be able to pick up 30 pills tonight. The other 30 will be available on Saturday. According to iPledge, the last day to pick up my prescription is tomorrow (Friday). Will this be a problem?
Pharmacies know about the seven day window, right? So, they should know that my window is up tomorrow? Or am I the only one who knows that? I plan to ask someone at the pharmacy about this when I go in tonight. I wasn't going to ask the ignorant woman on the phone because she doesn't know anything. She just hands out meds and answers the telephone. And one time she accidentally charged me for stamps and couldn't figure out how to give me a refund. 
Also, when does the seven day window start? The day you get your blood work done? I got my blood work done on Saturday and that's when my seven day window started. Does your derm have to enter in the blood work date on iPledge? Because the fact that I have two days to get my prescription this month is a huge inconvenience.
I guess I should note this is what I found on the iPledge website:
Prior to filling the prescription, contact the pharmacy to ensure that they have enough product in stock to and dispense the prescription. The pharmacy must fill AND dispense the prescription within the prescription window. If the pharmacy cannot meet this deadline, the patient should go to another pharmacy. In most cases you will be able to re-start your window after your current prescription window expires. However, a potential lapse in treatment could result when a registered patient does not fill and pick up the isotretinoin prescription within the prescription window.
Only problem with that is... My derm calls in the prescription. I don't. So, I wouldn't know that my pharmacy didn't have enough pills in stock AGAIN. It's not like I can take a piece of paper to another pharmacy.
It looks like this is going to be a problem every month.
I'd be upset, too! I mean, the thought of stopping this drug at the end of my course is scary. I sure wouldn't want to stop now! Lol.
Thanks for the tip about Cheerios! I'll have to do that. I actually love oatmeal, which I know helps lower cholesterol. The only bad thing is, no one can make oatmeal that tastes as good as my great-grandma's. I do exactly what she does and it STILL doesn't taste like hers. Maybe I'll have to go to her house every morning and get her to cook for me.
That's great your derm's office takes care of iPledge while you're still there. That's much easier! I guess because my derm only works in the mornings on Wednesdays, the woman who handles iPledge stuff never got around to it. I called this morning and she confirmed everything right away, thankfully! I don't need to fight with them all day! I already answered my questions, so I'll pick up my prescription later today. What's weird though... You know how we have a seven day window to pick up our prescriptions every month? Today and tomorrow are my last days to get my prescription. Even though it was just confirmed today. When does that seven day window start?
I also got my appointment rescheduled for next month. I was supposed to go in on Monday the 16th, but I would be out of pills on Friday the 13th. (Friday the 13th! Eek!) She rescheduled my appointment for Friday, so that'll be good. She started going on about the seven day window and my derm was going to be out of town that week and whatnot. I didn't understand anything she was telling me.
But since she handles all the iPledge stuff, it should be fine to have my appointment that Friday instead. That's 30 days from now. If I went on that Monday, it would have been 33 days from now.
That's kind of weird how she won't see you until exactly 30 days. I have to get my blood work done outside of my derm's office. He doesn't do that. So, I have to get blood work done three days before my appointment. It's not like these appointments for Accutane take a long time. They can surely squeeze people in! Every single time the receptionist at my derm's office says, "Well, we're going to squeeze you in." Like, I get it. You're busy. Squeeze me in. Lol. At least she's nice about it, I guess!
That always happens to me when I try to make family recipes. I can't get them to taste as good as I remember them tasting. I am sure that there is a little extra dash of something here or there and thats why it doesn't taste the same. It is like that when I make my moms lasagna, or my grandmas blueberry buckle. I just can't get them right!
It is really nice that my derm office does iPledge right away. Today after my appointment I was driving home and I had my pharmacy calling me to ask me if I took the iPledge quiz thingy so they could start filling it. I live like 10 minutes from the office. I was like ummm hold your horses guys I am on my way home, then I will fill it out! For once they were chasing me down, not the other way around!
About the 7 day window. That is not good that you only have 2 days to pick it up! Not giving much time to account for all the errors that usually happen along the way! I thought that the window started right after your pregnancy test comes back negative. I could be wrong but I was under the impression that is how it worked. I wonder if she entered in information for when your blood test results came in or something. I would mention that next time because she could have screwed you out of getting you medication. I mean what if your pharmacy didn't have it and they needed to order it in for you! Not good!
Nice you were able to get your appointment moved up! I have mine scheduled for 31 days from now. That way I should get pills the day after I run out of month 4 pills. God forbid I have extra pills or something, damn derm. I hate cutting that so close. Funny you mention the being squeezed in bit. I was squeezed into my appointment for next month too! I could care less if you need to squeeze me in. Just do it.
That always happens to me when I try to make family recipes. I can't get them to taste as good as I remember them tasting. I am sure that there is a little extra dash of something here or there and thats why it doesn't taste the same. It is like that when I make my moms lasagna, or my grandmas blueberry buckle. I just can't get them right!
It is really nice that my derm office does iPledge right away. Today after my appointment I was driving home and I had my pharmacy calling me to ask me if I took the iPledge quiz thingy so they could start filling it. I live like 10 minutes from the office. I was like ummm hold your horses guys I am on my way home, then I will fill it out! For once they were chasing me down, not the other way around!
About the 7 day window. That is not good that you only have 2 days to pick it up! Not giving much time to account for all the errors that usually happen along the way! I thought that the window started right after your pregnancy test comes back negative. I could be wrong but I was under the impression that is how it worked. I wonder if she entered in information for when your blood test results came in or something. I would mention that next time because she could have screwed you out of getting you medication. I mean what if your pharmacy didn't have it and they needed to order it in for you! Not good!
Nice you were able to get your appointment moved up! I have mine scheduled for 31 days from now. That way I should get pills the day after I run out of month 4 pills. God forbid I have extra pills or something, damn derm. I hate cutting that so close. Funny you mention the being squeezed in bit. I was squeezed into my appointment for next month too! I could care less if you need to squeeze me in. Just do it.
I have no idea about the seven day window. When you log into the iPledge website, what day does it say your window started? It really should be the day you meet with your derm because you can't your prescription until then!
iPledge is just way too complicated.
Day 31
Well. After spending my entire afternoon stressing about what would happen with my prescription Everything turned out okay.
The woman I spoke to on the phone today told me half of my prescription was ready today and the other half would be ready Saturday (which is after my seven day pick-up window ends). Tonight, I went to the pharmacy to get what pills I could and a girl told me the rest of my pills will be in tomorrow. This works out perfectly since tomorrow is my last day to get my prescription. I'm not sure why I didn't have much time to get my pills. My seven day window started on the day I had my blood work done (this past Saturday). Is that normal? I'll ask my derm about that next month.
As far as my course goes I'm staying on 40mg, which is fine with me. Since I'm doing alright with this dosage and my skin has been clearing, I don't see any reason to increase. Yesterday my derm still said he's planning on me taking Accutane for four months, maybe five. But, as I've mentioned before, I'll be fighting to take it for six months.
And my skin I've developed a teeny tiny pimple along my jawline on the left side of my face. I mentioned feeling a bump near my chin, also on the left side of my face. I still feel something there, but it's so small that I can barely feel it. I do see a small red mark there though. There's also a small red bump on my right cheek. The good thing? All of these spots are small and they don't seem like they'll become anything big.
My left cheek has been the driest spot on my face and it's definitely dryer today. That's probably because I was putting salicylic acid on those little bumps that won't go away. (That doesn't help them, by the way.) My lips seem to be dryer today too because I feel like I've had to reapply Aquaphor more often than usual.
I'm not going to lie, the possibility of things getting worse before this course is over still freaks me out. It seems like things have been fine so far, so I feel like if I've made it a month without things being terrible, I should be good to go? Did anyone experience their skin getting worse in the second month?
Day 31
Well. After spending my entire afternoon stressing about what would happen with my prescription Everything turned out okay.
The woman I spoke to on the phone today told me half of my prescription was ready today and the other half would be ready Saturday (which is after my seven day pick-up window ends). Tonight, I went to the pharmacy to get what pills I could and a girl told me the rest of my pills will be in tomorrow. This works out perfectly since tomorrow is my last day to get my prescription. I'm not sure why I didn't have much time to get my pills. My seven day window started on the day I had my blood work done (this past Saturday). Is that normal? I'll ask my derm about that next month.
As far as my course goes I'm staying on 40mg, which is fine with me. Since I'm doing alright with this dosage and my skin has been clearing, I don't see any reason to increase. Yesterday my derm still said he's planning on me taking Accutane for four months, maybe five. But, as I've mentioned before, I'll be fighting to take it for six months.
And my skin I've developed a teeny tiny pimple along my jawline on the left side of my face. I mentioned feeling a bump near my chin, also on the left side of my face. I still feel something there, but it's so small that I can barely feel it. I do see a small red mark there though. There's also a small red bump on my right cheek. The good thing? All of these spots are small and they don't seem like they'll become anything big.
My left cheek has been the driest spot on my face and it's definitely dryer today. That's probably because I was putting salicylic acid on those little bumps that won't go away. (That doesn't help them, by the way.) My lips seem to be dryer today too because I feel like I've had to reapply Aquaphor more often than usual.
I'm not going to lie, the possibility of things getting worse before this course is over still freaks me out. It seems like things have been fine so far, so I feel like if I've made it a month without things being terrible, I should be good to go? Did anyone experience their skin getting worse in the second month?
Yep, the seven day window starts on the day that you get your blood-work done. It's so stupid. All these time restrictions! 🙁
I think if you've made it one month and things haven't gotten too bad, you won't experience any bad breakouts. I know everyone is different though, and this drug works in so many different ways for everyone. My worst points so far were week two through week eight.
Yep, the seven day window starts on the day that you get your blood-work done. It's so stupid. All these time restrictions!
I think if you've made it one month and things haven't gotten too bad, you won't experience any bad breakouts. I know everyone is different though, and this drug works in so many different ways for everyone. My worst points so far were week two through week eight.
Ugh. That's crazy! My derm has me get my blood work done three days before my appointment. My appointment was on a Wednesday, so I got my blood work done on a Saturday. So, the day of my derm appointment was already the fifth day of my seven day window. And they didn't confirm everything to iPledge until my sixth day! It's ridiculous! Plus, it doesn't help that my pharmacy never has enough in stock.
I just have to remember to stay positive! Who knows what will happen over the next month, but I'll keep my fingers crossed it won't be anything bad.
I'm pretty sure my seven day window starts from the time my derm calls in my perscription after they do their part in ipledge the day of my appointment. I ususally get my bloodwork done a week to 10 days before because I have to go to a lab and then they send it to the derm. For instance I'm getting my blood drawn on Tuesday the 19th and then go to the derm on Tuesday the 26th. On the 26th my derm will do all the ipledge stuff after she sees me and will send the script to the pharmacy and I have seven days from then to pick it up.
I don't think you'll have any more bad breakouts either. I'm on 40mg too and my worst part so far was from weeks two through about five or six. I'm currently in healing mode waiting for all the leftover bumps to go all the way away but I'm scared too that a big breakout is just around the corner. This medicine makes you nuts! But then again so does acne! 
Glad you're doing good Rachel.
I'm pretty sure my seven day window starts from the time my derm calls in my perscription after they do their part in ipledge the day of my appointment. I ususally get my bloodwork done a week to 10 days before because I have to go to a lab and then they send it to the derm. For instance I'm getting my blood drawn on Tuesday the 19th and then go to the derm on Tuesday the 26th. On the 26th my derm will do all the ipledge stuff after she sees me and will send the script to the pharmacy and I have seven days from then to pick it up.
I don't think you'll have any more bad breakouts either. I'm on 40mg too and my worst part so far was from weeks two through about five or six. I'm currently in healing mode waiting for all the leftover bumps to go all the way away but I'm scared too that a big breakout is just around the corner. This medicine makes you nuts! But then again so does acne!
Glad you're doing good Rachel.
Weird. That's definitely not when my seven day window started. 🙁 I'm going to ask my derm next time because I cannot have an issue like this happen again if I only have a couple days to get my pills!
Thanks for the reassurance! 🙂 It's hard to not worry about how our skin might be between now and the end of the course, isn't it? I'm always afraid of waking up to a new zit forming. Things have been pretty good so far though, so I'll try not to let it bother me! You shouldn't either! 😛
Day 32
Remember those little bumps I said I had on my left cheek? Most of them have disappeared! The pin-sized bumps are pretty much all gone, only the few bigger ones remain. The bigger ones are just sitting there. They aren't zits, but they aren't like millia (which I've had before). A couple of the bumps were flaky today. I scratched the flakes off and that's when I realized the bumps were gone.
I also have two of the same kind of bumps on my jawline on the right side of my face. The zits that were popping up on my right cheek seem to be going away. I did put salicylic acid on them, so I'm sure that had something to do with it. The zit on my left cheek is slowly going away. It doesn't stick out as much as it did originally, but it's not completely flat yet. Overall, my skin is looking good.
A rash is starting to appear on the backs of both of my hands. Gotta keep them moisturized!
I've been feeling just a little achy the last two days. It's nothing uncomfortable since it's really only noticeable when I walk. I'm going to start doing some light exercise and hopefully that will help. And I'm trying to drink more water... Trying.
I happened to see Bag Balm when I was at Rite Aid tonight. I figured I'd try it since everyone raves about it, but the fact that it was originally for cows still disturbs me! Lol. It feels great on my lips. I'm not a fan of the smell though.
Oh! I got the other half of my prescription tonight, so I'm good to go!
I checked my iPledge and it started the day I saw my derm, this really doesn't help much though considering that I get my blood work done the same day I see my derm. I would for sure check with your doctor next time because with the time frame you are given and your pharmacy not having all the medication on time isn't a good thing. You would think that your derm would know that this issue could come up.. My dermatologist told me that if the pharmacy I get my Accutane filled at doesn't have the full amount of pills or if they have to order it to call her and she will call it in to another pharmacy. My first month of pills I got the prescription sent to walmart's pharmacy and they didn't have it, and I ended up calling around to 4 other pharmacies and NONE of them had it. It took Walmart 6 days to get my prescription filled. I was so worried that I wasn't going to get it before that 7 day window. I since time have switched Pharmacies to CVS because Walmarts was terrible and never had anything I needed. CVS has been great about always having the medication in stock so that is great!
It's funny you mention being scared of waking up with a new zit. I check my face everytime I wake up in the middle of the night. I run my hands over my face and tally them up. Pathetic I know
I am not a fan of Bag balms smell either! I get used to it though and I don't even notice it anymore. It does feel great on the lips though doesn't it?
Good to hear that those little bumps went away for the most part. Mine haven't moved a bit, I fear that one of them is getting bigger. I am sure that I am paranoid though and it's not. I can feel one of them though, I couldn't before. So I am scared they are clogged pores and it is just going to get bigger and bigger. I hope not!
I'm definitely going to ask my derm about it next month. Hopefully this won't happen again. Even if I did need to call another pharmacy this time, I doubt I would have gotten my prescription before the seven day window ended. My pharmacy is at a grocery store here and I've never had any issue before. They just don't seem to want to keep Claravis in stock!
Lol! Every time I wake up in the morning I feel my face for new zits.
A do have a few that got bigger, but I'm pretty sure they aren't going to turn into zits. I'm not sure what they are exactly, but I don't think they're anything to worry about! I think they'll go away on their own. I've just been making sure to exfoliate with the Cure gel and moisturize the bumps with the CeraVe cream. I had been putting salicylic acid on them just to see if it would help, but I'm not sure if it did.
Walmart doesn't keep Claravis on the shelf either. I asked them if this was going to be a every month thing where they had to order it in. She said yes, they don't get enough requests to keep that in stock.. I said well I will be taking it for the next 6 months can you order it in and keep it in stock for me? She looked at me like I was crazy and told me no. So I dropped that pharmacy quick. I also ran into this problem with them after I had surgery to remove my tonsils. I was prescribed a liquid form of vicodin because I couldn't swallow pills. Never the less they didn't have that in stock and wanted 2 days to order it. Like ohhh yeah guys I'll just sit here for 2 days with half my mouth cut open and missing waiting on you to order me some pain medication. CVS pulled through for me that time too. So I just switched to over there and I asked them is they keep Claravis in stock and they said Ohh of course we do, we always have it in 10,20,and 40 MG. So far that has been true, hope it stays that way. It sucks though because I used to be with Walgreens and then they stopped taking my insurance so I had to switch walmart was the next closest and they sucked so now I have a 15 min drive to CVS. Sucks because walgreens and walmart are like a block and a half from my house.
I seriously hate Walmart everything about it. No one dresses decent in there. Like they think where is my tweety bird shirt and heart jama pants I'm going to Walmart! Like come on here people we are out in public! I wouldn't walk to the mail box looking like that. If you have ever been to the people of Walmart website it is seriously like that. I am so excited they are almost done building a target close to my house!! I'm a target whore so its been killing me to shop at Walmart! Can't wait for it to open!!
I know! I hate that kind of stuff. I'm very "old fashioned" I guess for my days.. there are freshman entering highschool pregnant, everyone drinking talking about stds.. I made sure to pick a boyfriend who didn't use the words like fu** for sex, or all these different ways of saying stuff that's supposed to be romantic. He doesn't drink, smoke, and has never been with anyone else when we started dating, so thats one thing I loved, cause I haven't been with anyone that way either. It's just weird that my city is getting one, cause I know 18 year olds can get in, and I'm sure thats where a bunch of guys will be going.. and I feel bad for the girlfriends of these guys, and even single girls cause now all these guys can do is go see a girl strip if that girl won't do anything.
Dumb 
. Wow I missed some fun convo last night!
Rachel and Betsy - I totally take inventory of my face every morning! I don't even realized I'm doing it sometimes. When I was going through the first breakout I dreaded getting up every morning and looking in the mirror. Right now my biggest issue is the leftover cysts that just won't go all the way away. So stubborn, they're pissing me off! I also get my meds at CVS and so far haven't had a problem. I'm glad to hear they typically have it in stock. I usually get my perscriptions at the local grocery store but I know the pharmacists really well - one of them has kids that went to school with my kids and I didn't want them knowing I was taking accutane (I know, very vain and insecure all at the same time) so I had it filled at CVS instead. They've been efficient so far.
Taylor - A strip club instead of Target? Sheesh!! I'm with Betsy, if they want to see naked ladies they should go home to their wives! I'm not ultra conservative or anything but I really hate strip clubs. You picked a winner of a boyfriend! I am raising my son to be like him - one of the few good guys in the world. Someday his wife better thank me!!
I have a cute Saturday morning story for everybody: My baby boy (15!) is on his way to Universal Studios with his friends for the day. It's the first time we've let him go by himself with his friends, he's been with his sister but she's like a second mom- we bought him an annual pass for his birthday and he's so excited. In his group of friends not everyone has a pass so it turned out to be two of the girls and him today - how super duper cute is that?? My husband is driving them down and one of the girls' parents is picking up. I am anxiously awaiting his text to tell me they got into the park okay.
I seriously hate Walmart everything about it. No one dresses decent in there. Like they think where is my tweety bird shirt and heart jama pants I'm going to Walmart! Like come on here people we are out in public! I wouldn't walk to the mail box looking like that. If you have ever been to the people of Walmart website it is seriously like that. I am so excited they are almost done building a target close to my house!! I'm a target whore so its been killing me to shop at Walmart! Can't wait for it to open!!
Ditto! Walmart is just full of crazies. The Walmart here isn't as bad as what's on the People of Walmart website, but the people are still a mess. Plus, going to Walmart here is basically a high school reunion. You're guaranteed to run into someone you know. That's why I go to Rite Aid. Always. I don't care that it's a little more expensive. It's so much easier than Walmart for me. Rite Aid is never busy here. It did get robbed twice while I was there though! Lol. Pretty crazy. Nothing happened though.
I would loooooove to have a Target here. Unfortunately, I have to drive like 45 minutes to go to a Target. 🙁
Omg about how people dress at Walmart, es loco! I totally know what you mean. They were going to build a target right in our city! But what are they building instead? A strip club.. yes, a strip club.
Kill me.
A strip club?! 
Wow I missed some fun convo last night!
Rachel and Betsy - I totally take inventory of my face every morning! I don't even realized I'm doing it sometimes. When I was going through the first breakout I dreaded getting up every morning and looking in the mirror. Right now my biggest issue is the leftover cysts that just won't go all the way away. So stubborn, they're pissing me off! I also get my meds at CVS and so far haven't had a problem. I'm glad to hear they typically have it in stock. I usually get my perscriptions at the local grocery store but I know the pharmacists really well - one of them has kids that went to school with my kids and I didn't want them knowing I was taking accutane (I know, very vain and insecure all at the same time) so I had it filled at CVS instead. They've been efficient so far.
Taylor - A strip club instead of Target? Sheesh!! I'm with Betsy, if they want to see naked ladies they should go home to their wives! I'm not ultra conservative or anything but I really hate strip clubs. You picked a winner of a boyfriend! I am raising my son to be like him - one of the few good guys in the world. Someday his wife better thank me!!
I have a cute Saturday morning story for everybody: My baby boy (15!) is on his way to Universal Studios with his friends for the day. It's the first time we've let him go by himself with his friends, he's been with his sister but she's like a second mom- we bought him an annual pass for his birthday and he's so excited. In his group of friends not everyone has a pass so it turned out to be two of the girls and him today - how super duper cute is that?? My husband is driving them down and one of the girls' parents is picking up. I am anxiously awaiting his text to tell me they got into the park okay.
That's great that CVS has been good about the prescriptions. I don't have one near me. 🙁 I'll have to figure out the issue with my seven day window. It's not a problem picking up half of my prescription one day and getting the rest the next day as long as I have enough time to get it!
Aww! Sounds like your son will have a fun day! 🙂
Walmart is definitely a dump which is such a shame because their prices are so good! We had a new super walmart open close to us several years ago and at first it was sooooo nice but it turned into a dump shortly - so weird that happens.
My adorable son made it into the park okay and is now about to go on his first real roller coaster - used to be called Dueling Dragons but now it's in Harry Potter World and it's been renamed. It's two roller coasters that kind of run side by side each other and it goes upside down! Ack!!
Fortunately, the Walmart here isn't a dump. It's just the crazy people that are a problem! Lol.
I wanna go to Harry Potter!! I'm such a nerd.
Hope your son has fun! Sounds like he'll have a blast!
Did you read all the books? My husband and kids read them all and saw all the movies. You'd love Harry Potter world at Universal, it's really cool and you can tast butter beer!