tezza,

You are going to be fine. This is my second go round. It will work and you will be shocked. It might be a hard road...my first course was. It was not the physiological effects of the drug that were/are so difficult, it is/was the fear of the unknown. You want it to work so badly, there will be days you will try to convince yourself its not working..or you will never stop breaking out. It will work swear to god.

The best advice I can give is to embrace it, this is the only drug that will lead to complete remission. You know that that is why you have decided to do it. I applaud your decision, make it that much easier on yourself and accept the difficulties They pale in comparison to the long run results. I am fully aware this is easier said than done...probably took me 4 months into my 6 month course for me to accept and say fuck it. When you are done you will be kicking yourself in the ass for not having done this sooner. Scouts honor.

Best of luck my friend, if you need any type of practical advice from a fellow around your same age-don't hesitate.

Mate glad to see a fellow Aussie on here, in particularly someone from NSW.

First of all good luck with your treatment, hopefully you'll be clear in no time.

I also started on 20mg/day. It was meant to be for only a month, but became three months because of how my acne flared up. I'm definitely glad that I started on a lower dose, it can lessen the initial breakout and also minimise an potential allergic reaction (for the odd person who is unfortunately allergic to Accutane).

Also where in Thailand are you going? Phuket I'm guessing, that's where us Aussies tend to go.

As for the drinking check with your derm, but my derm's done professional studies on Oratane (Accutane) and he says it's fine, to an extent. I can have between 1-3 drinks a day, every 2-4 weeks (you could do it more often I think, but ask), but that could be taking into account that my blood test results were prefect. Either way enjoy your holiday when it comes around. Also there is certain sunscreens that my derm said can cause (or increase the likelihood), rather than prevent, skin cancer. Funnily enough the one that came in the product pack he gave me was one you can't use while on this medication. The one he supplied me to use is Neutrogena Ultra Sheer dry-touch sunscreen lotion spf 30+.

What are you using for your lips? If they start getting too dry try lansinoh, a nipple cream (weird but it works). It has worked brilliantly for me. People in the UK and United states can use Aquaphor, but I haven't found it in Australia.

If your interested in watching professional fights or martial arts Muay Thai is an awesome combat sport.

Good luck

wsmith,

Cheers man really appreciate it, but yeah your exactly right, I kinda just got to point where it was getting ridiculous like my social life was just non exisant and it really is true when people say life is too short not to take a few risks... and lets be honest the chances of getting any of those serious narsty side effects are fairly low so yeah im not angry that it took me so long to make the decision to do it, its only logical to try everything else first because youd never forgive yourself if you rushed into it and it didnt work out well, but yeah PUMPED MATE!! its just gunna be a long road...

Yeah thats it, im just going to embrace it and let it do its job...

its day 3 and not feeling anything yet, from what other people have said it takes a week or so on a low dose and so just see what happens in the next week or so... no wait one thing ive got some very slight redness on my shoulders... hardly worth reporting

jamie,

Glad to hear from an aussie too mate! Where abouts in NSW are you from? im from quakers hill, west of parramatta.

yeah i hope i dont get a flair up, though i seem to get random ones before accutane so who really knows if its the accutane, though nothing has happened yet no dryness no new acne nothing as of yet lol

but yeah im just gunna follow whatever the derm says i just figure do what he says hopefully wel only have to do this once then ill never have to think about it again which will be one hell of an amazing feeling since its all ive thought about for years haha so in 2 weeks its 20mg/40mg/20mg and so on.....

yeh man thailand should be great we've been planning it for ages and ages! Have you been?

Kinda sucks that its going to be during this treatment but whats done is done, the derm acutally said drinking is fine as long as im not getting totally shitfaced everynite (which i wasnt planning on doing anyway i wanna be able to do things during the day ect) but its a relif to be able to drink a little bit cos I had a 9 month break i was dying for a drink

He said the sun is the biggest concern so yeah i was acutally looking around for a good non oilly sunscreen is that one you used any good?

I really need a good one over in thailand getting burnt badly could ruin the trip... Its pretty lame but ill defiantly swim with a rash shirt...

For the lips ive got carmex which was given to me and ive also got vasaline... yeah ive heard really good things about Aquaphor but i think its only americans can get it... ill prob get some differnet chapsticks and a few other ones to try out....

haha yeah i heard the thai fighting is pretty intense! defiantly will have to check that out, im just going to phuket and ko samui, I really wanted to go to the full moon party but it didnt go with our mates days that they could get off, so pissed about that!

One thing that amazes me about accutane OR roaccutane is the price over in america, its fukin insane! some people are paying up to $800-900+ a month for all this, just absolutly crazy... in australia the second derm visit didnt even cost me anything lol still dont no why but i wasnt waiting to ask questions and for 60 tablets its only 35$. how can the american heath care system justify it? who knows i feel sorry for them though...

Mate I'm from Nowra, about an hour and a bit south of Wollongong.

I'd also get flare ups prior to Accutane and I haven't had anything to bad, considering what it could've been if I'd started on a higher dose. So far I've had a few huge cystic acne spots on my back and the odd other spot. My face got a fair bit of cystic acne, but nothing to drastic compared to when I was in high school. My face tended to get more, but not as severe, acne during the first six weeks at 20mg/day and when my dose got upped to 40mg/day.

I haven't been to Thailand, but I might be going either to Thailand or Italy in 2014 with my family. I might stay after and train in Muay Thai for a couple of months, depending on whether I go to Cancun or Panama City Beach for Spring Break. If you like crazy parties it might interest you, post Accutane of course.

My sunscreen has been good. I play soccer and I've been using it since around late June and I have been burnt. While it may have not been summer time there were a few exceptionally hot days, also my games went from 12.00 to 13.30 roughly.

As for the rash shirt part, Ive always worn a rash shirt. I have always had quiet bad body acne, worse in high school, so I haven't been too keen to not wear a rash shirt. It shouldn't cause you any problems; once youre having fun I doubt you'll notice/bother about it.

Thai fighting is awesome. I was meant to have my first semi-contact fight back in March, but had to pull out because of an ankle injury and class with a music festival. I know quite a few training camps in both Phuket and Ko Samui. So if you want to check them out just ask. Personal training costs between 20-30 dollars an hour (doing your own warm up). But you probably shouldn't do it, unless you want to just learn how to punch and kick. I had to give up my training because I didn't believe training was the smartest option with sensitive skin.

The full moon party is crazy, from what I've heard the parties start a couple of days before. I could probably get you some information if I've saved it on my laptop, if you end up going to Thailand again. The new years on is meant to be the best. You get to party for New Years and for the full moon. The drinks are also insane and cheap.

I think it, the cost of Accutane, depends on if they have health insurance to start with. I'm not saying its fair (some paying the price you mentioned), but some of them don't pay anywhere near that amount. Glad we're in Australia, though it would probably cost a bit if we didn't have health cover/insurance.

Oh yeah i kniow where Nowra is been there a number of times...

Yeh im defiantly prepared for a intial breakout, i dont think it will worry me much as long as its not too bad ive experienced shitty random ones before cant see it being much different. but with the dosage increase that may cause it so im very keen to only up the dosage very slowly...

ohk yeah Italy would be awesome as well, i think next year the family might be going to america, we went in 08' loved it, so im very keen to go back!

Cancun or Panama City would be amazing!!! ive always said I wanted to experience what spring break would be like and id without a doubt go to cancun. but yeah defiantly post accutane. Its on the top of the long list of places to go

Yeh ive got it on my shoulders, its not terrible anymore as ive said before the 9 months spend 'holisticlly' trying to clear my skin did help alot and ive got alot of red marks on my shoulders and maybe of couple of active stuff going on there but im still very conscious of it and will only wear a rash shirt anyways...

yeah nah ill prob wait til after the treatment for any of that i reckon, im even thinking about stopping cricket being out in the sun for 4 hours every week prob isnt the best thing what do you think about that?

even if i wear a crap load of sunscreen i can still see myself getting really burnt...

yeah man thats the plan i think, the full moon party seems to be one of the life experience things so id say wed go back at some point to do it, yeh i heard the NYE ones are the best! im pretty sure they sell booze by the buckets and yeh there really cheap. one thing about australia our brooze is not cheap thats for sure

yeah very true, some people who do have heath insurance over there is does come down in price but its still insainly expensive compared to aus, some people have to pay an absolute fortune for the drug.

how much were your derm visits and the drug is you dont mind me asking?

Bros,

During my first course I was on my fathers health plan. He was self employed/retired thus our deductible (amount you have to pay out of pocket b4 insurance kicks in) was absurdly high. maybe like 5k. So we paid the full price of the pills - it was 600-700 USD. Really really absurd. Seeing that is has gone up to 800-900 is the even more shocking part.

I am now employed with wonderful insurance. Doc visit is 10 bones and my script is 5 bones. Pales in comparison. The only justification being people will pay, america tends to take this road more often than not. Sad reality.

A bit of advice in regards to contact sports. Your skin is going to be paper thin. When you start to feel it, you'll know exactly what I am talking. The most minor thing used to tear, not only my face, but my arms/body as well. Wasn't looking and a friend tossed a basketball my way-popped my upside my head very lightly...huge gash. I experienced this similar situation several times...didn't stop me at all. Just saying be prepared to bleed.

Jamie, can you attest being a footballer?

Yeah and the worse part is all those cuts you could potentially get take a real long time to heal while on the drug... Yeah well cricket isn't a contact sport but my worry is the sun, you can be out there for 4 hours sometimes... Even with a boat load of sunscreen would you advise to stop playin? Does the sun sensitivity get that bad?

Yeh Americas Heath care system really sucks, if it works for them I guess they'd say money well spent but if it didn't it would one of the worst decision financially ever!!

yeah nah ill prob wait til after the treatment for any of that i reckon, im even thinking about stopping cricket being out in the sun for 4 hours every week prob isnt the best thing what do you think about that?

even if i wear a crap load of sunscreen i can still see myself getting really burnt...

how much were your derm visits and the drug is you dont mind me asking?

 

Mate my appointments with the derm cost $110, with a $35 rebate.

The buckets look awesome. I'm looking at going to Cancun, or PCB or South Padre if my friends don't want to go to Cancun, in 2014. So depending on when you look at going I might see you there. If its as good as they make it sound then I might go a few years straight, depending on study/work and savings.

You could maybe look in a long sleeve skins top. They have paricular skins that keep your body cool, just si your not wearing something that will overheat your body. But I recommend you asking your derm about whether that would be enough cover, I can't see why not if you were to also wear a hat.

A bit of advice in regards to contact sports. Your skin is going to be paper thin. When you start to feel it, you'll know exactly what I am talking. The most minor thing used to tear, not only my face, but my arms/body as well. Wasn't looking and a friend tossed a basketball my way-popped my upside my head very lightly...huge gash. I experienced this similar situation several times...didn't stop me at all. Just saying be prepared to bleed.

Jamie, can you attest being a footballer?

 

Mate I can definitely support your contact sport statement. Yesterday was the first week, in about four, where I didn't graze myself and I usually don't graze myself often. That is why I've given up my Muay Thai and potential semi-contact sports.

Can you remember by what month you were clear by (first course)? I'm on day 172 of my treatment, three months at 20mg/day. While I'm on day 172, effectively its day 82 of my accumulative does. From what I've read it appears within the last two months, or a month post accutane for the odd person.

To start off with the football part- I usually call it football, but at large have given up calling it that to another Aussie (that I don't know). I've being playing football since I was five or six. The teams I support are Chelsea FC, Real Madrid, Rangers and Inter Milan, as far as the European legaues are concerned. I also like watching the South American leagues, though they aren't played often. I've supported Chelsea since 1998, when free to air television starting playing the EPL, when Zola, Desailly, Matteo, Poyet, Terry, Gudjohnsen (2000) and Hasselbaink (2000) played for our club. I know that the English Championship has two automatic promotion positions, for the top two clubs obviously, and the next four sides go into a play off for the remaining spot. I hope that answer your attesting comment. Oh yeah I want to go to Stamford Bridge, and please don't support the cheats (Manchester United). I can accept any other club.

Yeah cancun would be amazing, I hear there's a lot of places in Mexico that are great!

Yeah it's prob just a case of covering up as much as possible wel see how it goes...

Day 4. Slight dryness to the hand and slight red skin other than nothing to report, plus slight breakout nothing substantial.

Yeah cancun would be amazing, I hear there's a lot of places in Mexico that are great!

Yeah it's prob just a case of covering up as much as possible wel see how it goes...

Day 4. Slight dryness to the hand and slight red skin other than nothing to report, plus slight breakout nothing substantial.

 

A lot of the places in Mexico are affected by drug Cartels. Fortunately Cancun doesn't appear to be affected.

As for the dry hands part, try using a hand moisturiser/cream like Avene hand cream. Also if you have hayfever moisturise your body regularly (should been done even if you don't have hayfever and your body's skin is drying out), because you have the genes to get ezcema.

Glad to hear that you're not experiencing any major side-effects so far.

Yeah I think if cancan had problems with the drug cartels Mexico would have a major problem on there hands since its mostly tourist run.. But yeh would totally love to go one day that's for sure...

Yeh the dry hands really isn't a major issue at the moment anyway it's just slightly dry around the knuckles and fingers but nothing serious at all, I'm using aveeno at the moment I was gunna go out and buy all cetaphil products seems everyone likes them but I'm gunna try aveeno first I think...

Yeah man I'm kinda surprised not much has happened yet I thought I'd be getting some dry lips by now just gunna have to keep pushing on and staying positive!

In 3 days my dosage gets increased so maybe some more significant changes will happen then.

I flared up a bit around day seven, then it calmed down (before my initial breakout). But still nothing to really complain about. Even if your acne flares up a bit, just take it as a short period of extra acne, compared to a life of it, and then clear skin within half a year.

Also I haven't really had any major side-effects on 40m/day, so hopefully you'll be the same as me. We're pretty much the same weight, so it would just depend on how the higher dose affects you, and so far you haven't noticed anything, which I imagine you would've if the medication was to harsh for you. Now it's just a case of what dose suits you.

Yeah actually I have noticed a little flair up nothing huge but defiantly something worth noting... I'd say I will be similar to you everything will prob kick in around the 7 day mark or so I'm thinking, but yeah what you said and wsmith said is exactly right, you just gotta push through it, and stay positive. Because the end result will without a doubt outweigh the negatives.

Yeah I'm interested in what's gunna happen when I up the dosage who knows, I'm really just turning into a real patient person now I'm thinking what life will be life in a years time or even 6 months time, whatever happens now i.e big breakout, more marks ect doesn't worry me too much at the moment now that I'm on the right track!

But yeah anyways tomorrow is gunna be day 5 to be honest I'd thought more would of happened by now, but sure what are you gunna do 6 months is a long time it's prob a good thing the drug is moving slow...

Did you go any higher than 40mg? Depending how that goes I might be keen to stay around that from what I've heard a lower dose is just as effective as a higher dose with less chance of serious side effects... Though you have to take into account the total dose at the end I guess.

When you hit the paper thin skin point, all you will be able to think about is how MUCH the drug is affecting you. Patients is the only virtue you need to follow whilst on the tane. Just kidding.

Jamie-I was asking if you could attest to getting nicked up etc...but I love soccer. I really do, both my parent played in college and I played up until college. I am certainly not as enthused as you are, and I gotta say barcelona is my club. Just because they are absurdly good and I am an American so you gotta cut me some slack.

I really loved basketball. (college) Basketball, for me, is what soccer is to you. Go Tar Heels.

As for the tane specifically-I started mid october 2010...like most I was expecting a miracle, instant remedy. False, anyway I honestly didn't clear up until the very end of 3rd month-mid point of 4th month. The end of month four I was 100% no more actives simply dealing with the red marks. Month five was flawless and I finished up one week before spring break. As a side note, I have noticed your infatuation with spring break. It is absolutely everything you think it is. Absolutely everything you think it is. Anyway, that particular trip I was flysishing in the bahamas for bonefish. The weirdest thing I got a tiny whitehead while there and afterwards I did not have a pimple for a year and a half. Or maybe two. Then it got semi mild a month or two into my senior year of college and persisted until present. That, to my knowledge, is the best recap I can offer. I can't remember if I was altering 40mg one day and 80mg the next or 30mg and 60mg. But it was one of those two the entire course. No starting low and working up. This go round I am on 30mg for first month and 60 the remainder. For now I can see little difference between the two regimens. But I will keep you updated.

Keep up the good work boys.

Tezza,

I cannot stress enough how badly you will burn anywhere on your body. I got roasted several times, and just as you said, any skin damage takes ages to heal. This time around-I am taking no chances. Everytime I go out on the water I am covered head to toe. I look absurd, I'll get a bud to snap a pic this weekend to show yall the extreme lengths I go to to avoid the exposure.

That bahamas trip I mentioned-I was a complete idiot, as I had stopped the drug, I thought tane rules no longer applied despite my docs warnings. Wow it was so bad. This was my biggest battle while on tane. Hopefully yall can avoid some of the dumb mistakes like that.

hey mate what did you do for the red marks? time i think is the best healer in terms of the red marks ive been told...

yeah defiantly show us what you mean, and if its that serious i may consider not playing this year, i really don t wanna fuk with this just wanna get it done and move o.

but yeah im still worried about thailand, but im gunna try and not let it affect the holiday if i do get burnt its just life i guess, yeah the derm said the sun is a much larger concern than even drinking soit must be bad!

Jamie-I was asking if you could attest to getting nicked up etc...but I love soccer. I really do, both my parent played in college and I played up until college. I am certainly not as enthused as you are, and I gotta say barcelona is my club. Just because they are absurdly good and I am an American so you gotta cut me some slack.

I really loved basketball. (college) Basketball, for me, is what soccer is to you. Go Tar Heels.

 

I hate Barca, but I will forgive you for it. They're still not United, so I can at least see why you might like them, considering you're not a fanatic about the sport. I don't mind basketball, but I've got so many sports that I watch, that I rarely get time to watch any.

I haven't so much as cut myself, beside shaving, but I have grazed myself quite a few times. Seems I have miss interpreted how question wrong.

Yeah I am obsessed with Spring Break. I missed out on my countries version of it, only available to people about 17 or 18 years old, because a few of my mates didn't want to pay for it (funnily enough they didn't even go on our cheaper camping trip). Where do you consider to be the best college Spring Break?

Lastly thanks for the information about your first time on Accutane.

hey mate what did you do for the red marks? time i think is the best healer in terms of the red marks ive been told...

 

Mate were you the guy that was using Aveeno products? They have something that's meant to be able to use for discolouration/redness. Links are http://www.aveeno.com.au/Pages/Soy and http://www.aveeno.com.au/pages/skin-sensitive . I personally haven't used them, but I read that someone on this site uses them, just can't remember who. They appear to be a complete line of products, so they might be worth looking into. But you are right in saying most people are happy just to allow time to reduce redness.

Did you go any higher than 40mg? Depending how that goes I might be keen to stay around that from what I've heard a lower dose is just as effective as a higher dose with less chance of serious side effects... Though you have to take into account the total dose at the end I guess.

 

My dose is only going to be 40mg/day for the whole course, it just means my course is longer.

Question, do you think a scratch test of all those foods at an allergist is beneficial or is that ALCAT or whatever blood test really helpful in finding out what foods your body has an intolerance to?

I even get hives sometimes and I'm sick of avoiding every food I love when it might just be a few or something. Is it a waste of time to go to an allergist?

 

hey mate what did you do for the red marks? time i think is the best healer in terms of the red marks ive been told...

 

Mate were you the guy that was using Aveeno products? They have something that's meant to be able to use for discolouration/redness. Links are http://www.aveeno.com.au/Pages/Soy and http://www.aveeno.co.../skin-sensitive . I personally haven't used them, but I read that someone on this site uses them, just can't remember who. They appear to be a complete line of products, so they might be worth looking into. But you are right in saying most people are happy just to allow time to reduce redness.

Did you go any higher than 40mg? Depending how that goes I might be keen to stay around that from what I've heard a lower dose is just as effective as a higher dose with less chance of serious side effects... Though you have to take into account the total dose at the end I guess.

 

Yeah mate I haven't actually started using the aveeno products yet, I've got some nature instincts products that I plan on using up first, but then I'm gunna go out and buy some I've heard good things about aveeno and they get good reviews so I may as well how em a go. But as we have Said unfortunately there isn't a whole u can do about the red marks, kinda sucks I've had marks that have been what has felt as forever but I know they will fade in time... My derm calls them scars lol and I'm thinking nah mate they aren't permant but he seems to think they are weird...

Yeah 40mg sounds good I'm looking forward to being on that now since I've been on 20mg for days now and really haven't seen any changes if anything my face has actually improved a little bit, got some slight redness and I've broke slightly as I said yesterday but that might not even be the accutane who knows

So yes to give a update its day 5 and no change! Should I be concerned? Hmmm

I'm not sure weather I should post pics on this log it seems a good way to keep it up but what do you fellas think?

clambak3,

Well I got a blood test for my food sensitivity test, do I recommend it? Yeah it was both interesting to see what foods cause you problems, it without a doubt helped my skin, it did cost a lot though 400$.... I'm still using now like for example I was highly sensitive to cows milk and basically all types of milks, wheat, sunflower seeds, beans, raspberry, pearch and a few others so I'm still trying to stay away from most of the high sensitive foods. But my diet was so riduloiesly restrictive I didn't have a life so what was worse acne or that?

So now if I have some wheat or dairy it's not the end of the world as long as I don't eat a lot of it...

Ohk thanks for the heads up, doesn't cetaphil had a lot rubbish in them as well? It seems really hard to find natural products these days

I mean Spring Break is really absurd. College in general here is absurd. We always had our spring break coincide with several college that good friends just happened to attend. So we would combine forces and go somewhere like the Bahamas, Key West, Mexico, or somewhere else in Florida.

As most conferences have different spring breaks, check out the schools that party the hardest and see when their SB is. I graduated from University of Georgia, any SEC school is a safe bet. Find me on facebook and check out some pictures. You'll get a fairly good idea of what its all about. It is really difficult to pin down the best spring break you dig? The best college party spring break type deal, in my opinion, is the Florida -Georgia game-regularly called the largest outdoor cocktail party in the world. Scope it out:

Everyone has their own opinion on this subject for sure. Fact is, no matter where you go youre going to have an incredible time.

I

hey guys,

DAY 9.

so not has happened besides a few minor breakouts, nothing out of the ordinary really, skin has not gotten dryer at all 20mg must be a very low dose... in 5 days it get increased to 40mg every second day so im looking forward to that, i think 20mg is way too low however to avoid the inital breakout I was willing to stick it out... Hopefully after a few months of the 40mg wel start to see some bigger changes because after 9 days I really thought id have seen at least some dryness/redness or something! hope they gave me the right drug! LOL

Ok so day 31,

This might sound strange but after only a month I can already say this is the best decision I've ever made, seriously this is the clearest I've been in 3 years... Got a fairly mild IB really got one cyst on my back and one one my neck but they have cleared and everything else is looking really good!

I can't see it going anywhere else but up from here so I can not wait for 6 months from now!

If everything keeps going to plan I should be clear of active acne by the next month or two and then it's just waiting out on the red marks.

Honestly guys I don't know if its too early to recommend accutane but so far I'm loving it!

Side effects so far only dry lips which is easily fixed with some good ole Chapstick and Carmex, besides that nothing skin is just normal now not oily which drove me crazy and likewise with the hair only have to wash It every 4 days or so now not every single day!

Will update every month or so.

Good lads