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35 yr old female with cystic acne. Have had acne since age 13. Been on everything under the sun. This is my 2nd course, but never completed the first as dose was too high. I had headaches. Now I try again 9 years later. So over acne.
Day 1 on 10mg:
Feeling a little irritable, had some stomach indigestion so I drank some milk. Will keep updating. I will be more interesting, but pretty tired from the first dose and just a busy work week.
Oh, n until it kicks in I am using tazorac. Once my skin is dry, I will probably just spot treat with benzamycin, not in large patches
30 yr old male here.. I too did not complete my 1st course which was years ago. Now im on my 2nd course, 10mg everyday. I just finished my 1st month, didn't breakout maybe 1 to 2 pimples only.
side effects so far = dry lipsand uncontrollable temper. Had a fight with one of my good friends over a stupid joke.
hi ironhide, i don't currently have a facebook. sorry to hear it is making you irritable. I discovered my irritability was due to the fact i was actually catching a cold. I have been sick all day. ick.
Day 6: other than being sick, just 2 cysts starting to go away. i can't tell what is my cold and what is accutane. i think the side effects have been minor. I do think I need to go up in dose to 20mg.
day 7: very dry lips. a few papules on my jaw. 2 cysts still clearing. my cold is still here but getting better.honoring myself today for being a perfectionist. wanting beautiful skin and the picking is part of a perfectionist side. instead of looking down on it, i am looking at it with kindness. i love myself so much that i am trying to bring out the most beauty i can and make the skin be as clear as i can. i am done with being angry at myself for this issue. i send only love to myself.
day8: all the same. 2 cysts still healing, now scabs. 2 papules on jaw line also scabbing. so, skin is in healing mode. doesnt look clear, but nothing active so that's good. still have a cold. dry lips only side effect. still using tazorac since i am on such a low dose. still slightly picking face, but only for 5 minutes here and there. very glad about that. have to get my blood done. my other doc said i have high triglycerides from not digesting fats well. this may be a root of my skin problem. I had this before accutane. so i am trying something gross sounding: ox bile. it is supposed to help digest fats. will let you know. this may have mistakingly been masking itself as a dairy allergy.
Day 10: Finished my first packet of pills. Woo hoo! I will probably start updating once a week so there is more to share. Scabs and one active cyst and 2 papules. skin looks ok with makeup, but still not good without. stomach has been a little upset a few hours after i take pill. not sure if it is a supplement i am taking for other things. my lips are very dry. my cold is gone.dont really feel tired. just the dry lips. i look forward to increasing dose so i can see more skin clearing.i want this to be the last time i have to do this or deal with this ever again!
This is my 3rd week. I broke out with cysts coming out every few days. I can tell the skin is cleaning itself out, but it doesn't look so good. i have been using benzamycin on the cysts. they seem to take a while to go away. thank goodness for makeup. face not looking good. very dry lips. i bought some goldenseal ointment, but it is not working. the aquaphor doesn't bring lasting relief. i may get this stuff from la roche which heals lips. It is called Cicaplast and was referred from a facialist who was on accutane. it is pricey, but if this is how my lips are on a low dose i can only imagine when i up it. i have not gotten my blood test yet. i have to go at 7am here and that has not been something i feel like doing, though i know i need it asap to get my next prescription. other than cysts and dry lips, no other side effect. but also not looking great. accutane please work!
Week 4: I didn't really use much on my face other than jojoba oil and some Retin A micro on a few days. I hate to say it, but my face looks worse than when I started. I know this happens to many so I am not shocked. But I am disheartened as I have scabs all over from cysts that came up. And my picking is back to the full effect. I can't stand seeing scabs so I pick them off. It is horrible. I am pretty depressed. I want to call in to work, but i can't. I just feel awful. I know I have to be patient. I am almost out of my benzamycin as I have been trying to use it as a last resort, but I am going to see if the derm can raise my dose and give me a topical. I am not really dried out except for really drip lips. I don't go to derm till 1 week and a half though.
Week 5: I have been upped to 30 mg. I took one pill yesterday and already notice a small improvement, however, I think this is due to a couple other things. My face got pretty bad. I had 9 cysts and when they healed the skin was raw and inflamed, peeling, scabby, and it just wasn't getting better. I literally felt like I wanted to die. I wouldnt let my husband see me without makeup on, and with makeup, still felt like crawling in a hole. This has been torment for so many years, I need this to be my miracle drug. I was waking with areas that were cysts trying to heal with scales (peeling skin), and due to my skin picking disorder, I would just pull of the skin and then it would never heal. PIcking went back to 2 hours a day. It is crazy because I have healed myself of a lot of problems over the years, and this picking one wont shake, so I need the acne to just go away. I prayed so hard as my job is actually to help others, and how can I when I feel so bad all the time? It was like God asks me to be a helper in the world, but then I suffer all the time. I truly just felt what is the point of living this week, and believe me, it is not because of accutane. It is how I have felt many times before because of acne. So, I went to the derm, and thank GOD she gave me cindamycin gel to put on the areas. Within one day, the inflammation is down, and the red areas are not bright red but pale pink. Also, my husband went and got me vitamin E gelcaps, and I rubbed vit E all over my raw, scaling areas, and all of the areas peeled off. AND, I put all the products that I used out of desperation that were burning my face including Retin A away. The derm told me to get Cetaphil acne wash until I get more dry, and Cetaphil Acne Prone moisturizer. Just simplifying and using these things has made a difference in 24 hours. We have family coming to visit soon and I believe I will be able to face them. A sigh of relief. So far, no side effects but dry lips. I am so happy to be on the higher dose now. I was scared to, but honestly, any side effects will be better than how I have lived for all these years with so much pain and hatred of my face.
Ok I have been on 30 mg now for a week and a half. Loving it. No side effects except dry lips and itchy dry arms. Not even dry skin on face yet, but all acne gone. Between the topical antibiotic and the vit e, face looks fine with makeup. With makeup it is scarred with lots of brown marks. I am going to use some fading cream next week once i am sure the face is all healed up. what a relief. starting to be able to relax. I also take vitamin D3 to balance out the excess A, B complex, and garlic capsules to keep my immune system up. plus digestive enzymes and ox bile capsules so i have no bowel issues so far which i know can be an issue. I will be going up to 30mg twice a day starting next month. I am going full on into a normal dose with courage that all will be well. my mood is back to normal now that the acne is gone and the peeling skin all gone. just brown spots. i use hydroquinone for those. but i know they try to say wait for that till after course, but my skin is still not dry on my face at all. i do want it to get dryer. hoping for the best!
Month 3:
Derm keeping me on 30 mg. She said she wants to keep me in the lowest dose that I am staying clear at. I am worried about not meeting cumulative dose, but trying to trust her expertise. I have very very dry lips. They peel several times a day. Face is totally clear and has remained clear for weeks. I am loving it. I am fading scars still with hydroquinone every other day. I do have lower back and muscle aches, but only after I work out. However, it is definitely more pronounced since on the drug. I also have dry skin on my arms. These are my only side effects. Smooth sailing now. I even fall asleep sometimes with my makeup on because I dont worry about breaking out from it. I am relieved. I am hoping this cures me for good. Definitely happier and feel better about myself. I even walk my dog in the morning with no makeup on. Huge for me. Never have done that before. For lips I am using goldenseal ointment. Seems to help but have to use it 3 to 4 times a day. Hope everyone's courses are going well.