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So, after much thought and weighing up of risks I have finally decided to start Roaccutane! It wasn't an easy decision to make and I went to the dermatologist still undecided. After discussing it with the derm I decided to go for it - my plan originally was to wait it out and see if I could grow out of it but with skin as bad as mine it seems extremely unlikely and I can't be on antibiotics to keep it at a certain level forever.
The thing that swung it for me was when the derm said 'Don't you think enough is enough? You could have been prescribed this years ago, why are you still trying to struggle through like this?' I didn't really have an answer. I've tried countless things all to no avail, I'm sick to death of struggling through it, enough truly is enough this time.
About me: I have had acne for 6 years now. I started getting acne when I was 13 (19 now) and at first it was your usual teenage acne - not too bad but difficult to deal with at that age - especially all for your friends have clear skin still. When I turned 15 the acne began to become more severe, I would get cysts and massively inflamed acne all over my face, neck and top of back. I can remember there was only one other guy in my school with skin nearly as bad as mine but mine was still the worst, I got all the usual crap off other kids - 'spotty', 'zit face', 'pizza face', etc. It knocked my confidence and got me down a lot. This is when I first got medical treatments to help.
Fast forward to 17 and things got worse. The acne was even worse and seriously getting to me, I was depressed and it led me to some pretty dark places in my mind. Now I am 19 and the acne is still severe (if left untreated without meds, antibiotics keep it moderate, at best sometimes mild). My skin just seems to be getting worse and worse - painful, inflamed like you wouldn't believe and disfiguring - its quite frightening. I'm starting to get some noticeable scarring now also.
Acne is perceived as a teenage condition and I'd like it to be just that for me - nothing in the world would make me happier than having clear skin on my 20th birthday, which is why I have to take the risk and go through with this.
Things I've tried: Erythromycin, Benzoyl Peroxide, Tetralysal & Zineryt (worked the best), different diets, different supplements, natural remedies, masks, light treatments... the list could go on, nothing worked.
Course info: I was prescribed 60mg/day for 4/5 months (depending how it goes). I weigh 57kg so 60mg is as high as I will go. I was given some wash to help with the dryness also.
Day 2: I'm starting off with 40mg/day for 2 weeks since I thought starting with 60mg/day was a bit much to start off with and the derm said this was fine to break into it with. Popped my first pills yesterday, my skin is currently in a strangely good state (mild/moderate) thanks to Tetralysal, no changes to note just yet! Would add a photo but only have crappy camera and skin is not as bad as it normally is so there doesn't seem much point.
Exciting times
Good luck with your course MJ! I just finished two months and I think things are gonna be improving here on out. Just try not to stress about your skin every day like I did, and think about the end result of how good your skin's gonna look. If things get worse before they get better, it's accutane pushing out everything so it's a good sign!!
Time flies on this medication, best of luck
Good luck with your course MJ! I just finished two months and I think things are gonna be improving here on out. Just try not to stress about your skin every day like I did, and think about the end result of how good your skin's gonna look. If things get worse before they get better, it's accutane pushing out everything so it's a good sign!!
Time flies on this medication, best of luck
Thanks! Means a lot 
At the minute I'm trying not to think about it too much and just carry on popping those pills. I think there is a bit of a break out coming on but like you said it gets worse before it gets better
Good luck to you too
Day 4: Didn't really intend to do an update so quickly but the first signs of the 'tane are starting to show now - my face is definitely redder than it was and I'm getting facial flushing now (not very often though, once yesterday and once today so far). Pretty glad of this since these things are easy to deal with and its nice to see that something is happening!
Hey dude, you're in the right place for support! Everyone here knows exactly what you're going through, and we are also here to remind you - it gets better! Tyrean is right, if you keep busy and pushing forwards, you'll be clear before you know it. Good luck.
Thanks! I wasn't sure about making a log like this but I'm glad I did, it definitely helps to have contact with people who know exactly how this feels. Its going to be a challenge but I want this more than anything so I have to keep going
hey man, any photos of ur acne?
Sure, I'm back home for the weekend so I have access to a better camera now. I'll add the pics at the end of this post
Day 7: So its been a week already, it went pretty fast so I hope the rest of my course does too. I'm not getting the facial flushing anymore but my face is still redder, tight and hot like sunburn all the time. I did use some Cetraben cream that the derm gave me which did help cool my skin down a bit, can use it to help with dryness too but my skin isn't too dry yet (getting steadily dryer though I can tell). Apart from this theres no other side effects to report, woo!
I have been breaking out quite badly however since yesterday so I guess this is the start of the initial breakout. I was hoping to possibly get away without one but unfortunately my skin is going nuts at the minute. Getting a lot on my face, neck and back now, pics are what I woke up to this morning - a bit disheartening but no pain no gain right?
Day 10: Into double figures now and its still passing by pretty quickly. Broke out horribly yesterday and the day before but today things seem to have calmed down a bit, still breaking out but not as bad. Whole face is covered in all sorts of acne but about 75% of it is little bumps that you can't really see, I can feel them when I moisturize and wash my face though, bit weird since I've never had this before. Still got quite a few cysts on my upper back, nothing unusual there since my back only gets the cystic stuff, theres just more of it.
Facial flushing is nearly gone now, still getting it once a day but its nowhere near as intense as it was (I looked like a manky tomato...). That sunburn feeling isn't so bad now either, I think its fading too. Getting progressively drier now, moisturizing a lot though so its not a big deal. The only thing that is really annoying me right now is the headaches I keep getting recently when I try to sleep. Had a pretty intense one yesterday and couldn't sleep for a good while, its only right before I go to sleep though, the rest of the day I'm fine. Drinking tons of water and paracetamol doesn't really help unfortunately. Annoying but bearable
So yeah, things are looking better already! Long way to go yet but feeling good
I'm glad you're making such rapid progress! I'm through my first month now... it makes me cringe thinking about how painful it must be for you to shave with all the bumps. I know I absolutely hate shaving... so you have that to look forward to.
Glad the redness passed, mine seemed to also. As for the headaches, mine feel like dehydration headaches too, but no amount of water gets rid of them. Advil helps a little but not much. I guess it's the accutane causing it and not our lack of water. I too am getting them when I'm getting ready to lay down and try to sleep.
Keep plugging away, and we'll both be finished soon! I'll be keeping up with your log.
I'm glad you're making such rapid progress! I'm through my first month now... it makes me cringe thinking about how painful it must be for you to shave with all the bumps. I know I absolutely hate shaving... so you have that to look forward to.
Glad the redness passed, mine seemed to also. As for the headaches, mine feel like dehydration headaches too, but no amount of water gets rid of them. Advil helps a little but not much. I guess it's the accutane causing it and not our lack of water. I too am getting them when I'm getting ready to lay down and try to sleep.
Keep plugging away, and we'll both be finished soon! I'll be keeping up with your log.
Thanks! I'm going to put off shaving for a good while and just roll with a beard in the mean time haha. Hopefully I'll clear up more and shaving won't be so bad
Yeah my redness has definitely passed now. No facial flushing or looking like a tomato anymore it seems Even the headaches have stopped now which is strange because I thought they would last a good while... I seem to be getting side effects that are quite intense but pass after about 3 days, its strange. All I have now is dry skin and lips and if it stays like that I'd be very happy!
Its going way quicker than I thought it would, I'll check your log too, good luck!
Edit: Forgot to mention I had a dry & painful scalp at this point for a few days, I used some Oilatum shampoo stuff which helped things get back to normal thankfully
I'm 57 kg (125 lbs) and 178 cm (5'10") Day 15: Things are going great, still got a fair bit of acne on my nose & forehead but everywhere else has cleared up a bit, everything is starting to clear up slowly but surely - I can see a difference every day when I wake up! My nose especially was looking terrible, I counted 5 cysts on it only 3 days ago and my nose looked disfigured but things are calming down now. Nothing else to report, no side effects apart from dry skin & lips which is also getting easier to deal with now since not so much acne means not so much flaking
Bumped the dosage up to 60 mg a day today, this is hopefully what I'll be on for the rest of the course. Hoping it won't give me any side effects since I have only dryness now which is really nice, but if it does or it breaks me out a bit again I'm prepared
Don't want to tempt fate but things are going great! 
Day 18: Small update, everything is the same and I'm still clearing slowly but surely. The blackheads and clogged pores that are all over my nose (you can't tell from the pic since it isn't very good quality) are disappearing as each day passes. I cannot tell you how AMAZING that feels! My nose has been covered in blocked pores and blackheads for years, I could squeeze at them and use scrubs as much as I wanted, they would always still be there. Combine that with how oily my nose would get and it wasn't a nice sight.
Got a blood test on the 20th and seeing the derm on the 23rd, I don't think a lot will happen in the mean time so I'll give the next update after seeing the dermo
Day 26: Saw the derm, blood tests were fine so I'm continuing with 60mg a day for another 12 weeks (16 weeks total). Really happy about that since I will finish the course before going back to university again.
Skin is still clearing up nicely, still have dry skin and lips are getting ridiculously dry now (nothing Vaseline can't handle though) and sometimes bleed a little but apart from that, nothing else is new.
Flying through this now, I still remember to take the pills obviously but its as if I'm not even on Roaccutane since I don't think about it at all! When you consider how anxious and concerned about trying this drug I was before starting its pretty amazing.
So yeah, plain sailing at the minute but I am totally prepared if things take a turn for the worst.
Peace! 
Thanks soulivan, means a lot
Day 42: So its been a little while since my last update and I'm now roughly 1/3rd of the way through the course. Its still flying by. I don't have any new side effects to report thankfully! Lips have been dry as a desert and sometimes very sore and bloodied when I've woken up in the morning but thats stopped as of around 5 days ago (never forget your lip balm or whatever you use for dry lips - I did once and couldn't stop myself licking at my dry lips which only made it more sore!). Skin is dry but once I have applied some moisturizer its completely fine - not too dry or too oily, just 'normal' like everyone else!
My skin was pretty clear since my last update but when I touched it I could feel a sort of roughness to it, nothing to complain or be worried about at all but it wasn't like it is now. I don't think I've ever had such smooth skin and it still seems to be improving every day. I'm getting comments off people saying how good my skin looks and it means so much to me to hear that from people who have seen it when its been utterly awful. My back is also now completely free of acne, no more big painful cysts that sometimes made trying to sleep uncomfortable!
Unfortunately my grandma recently passed away (she had been ill for some time) but the last time I saw her she said how nice my skin looked and how happy she was for me. I'll never forget that because she knew how much it affected me, I am so glad she got to see it improve after these years, it made her happy.
And thats about it. I'm done with uni for the summer and the sun is shining here at home so I'm making the most of it (wearing high factor sunscreen of course!). Next update will probably be around day 60-ish.
Peace!
