Day 116
Got a pimple or two near mouth. Thought I was done breaking out in that area. Matter of fact, thought I was done breaking out along jawline too, until recently. I know I should be patient, but it's hard, considering I'm starting month 5 soon and my skin is covered with red painful cysts.
Day 119
Seems like I'm getting another painful pimple near the lip. So frustrating. One of the main reasons I took Accutane to start with was so I wouldn't have to smear BP near my lips anymore, and for maybe two months I didn't get ANY acne near the mouth. Now it seems like it's starting back up again.
EDIT: It seems like ever since I started 60mg, I've been breaking out like clockwork. A new pimple every 1-2 days that takes FOREVER to go away. Also I forgot to mention, I recently started breaking out on the back of my neck again.
I got upped from 40 to 60 today at the one month mark. Hope it isn't too rough. The back of my neck and hands have been super dry lately, and I think I'm going to have to stop using soap on my neck/back in the shower and just rinse them good with water until the skin gets a little less sensitive. Still dealing with a little bit of back pain when I sit or lie in an awkward position. Had a few bloody noses recently, my first ones in years. On the bright side, the sides of my cheeks and jawline are looking the best they have in a long while. I've had some minor breakouts around my mouth recently and those kind of pimples are the absolute worst ones, just hoping they go away soon. There's a real cute girl in my new second semester catering class and I can't be looking like I've got herpes while talking to her. 
P.S. Sorry I've been kinda borrowing other people's log threads to share my own details. If you'd prefer I started my own thread instead of hijacking yours just let me know and I'll gladly do that.
Sorry to jump into your log but I am about to pick up my first pack of accutane tomorrow and I needed to get some input: I am going on to New York on the 17th-21st and didn't know if I should risk getting a (initial) break out or extremely dry skin/lips during my trip. Based on everyone's experience would you guys recommend starting my doses tomorrow when I pick it up (10th) or possibly compromise and start my doses on the 14th, or completely wait till after my trip to begin? Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
* I have moderate persistent acne, prescribed 40mg.... Thanks
Day 138
Haven't updated in a while! Been really busy. Moved a new apartment with my gf and have been really busy getting everything set up before the new semester starts. I'm actually taking the semester off to work FT though, so I can make double-sure all the bills get paid on time.
In terms of Accutane, I've been upped to 70mg since my last derm visit (around 2 weeks ago). However, there was about a week where I didn't take any Accutane because the price of the pills (30mg + 40mg) came to around $700 for the month, and I was waiting on a check so the medicine wouldn't leave too big a hole in my bank account.
Anyway, been on 70mg for about a week. I've been getting random pimples here and there on my legs (?), the backs of my hands are red / dry / rashy... still breaking out of course. Have some on the back of my neck and a bunch on my face. The facial acne has actually been coming in slower than usual - I woke up to a big, swollen red one on my left temple today, but other than that I haven't had any new major pimples in a couple days now.
Still frustrated, mainly because I'm paying big money for a medicine that so far has given me mediocre results. I hope my complexion improves drastically in these last two months. I'll extend my course if I have to (and if the derm thinks it's necessary)...
Day 143
Since my last update, no new cysts. Have gotten some smaller ones, as well as some semi-acne near the lip, but overall things are more controlled than they were a week or two ago.
My face seems to have gotten oilier, however. Also the eczema / dryness on the backs of my hands has gotten to the point of cracking / even bleeding.
Day 153
Had derm appointment today. She bumped me up to 80mg and also said she'd prescribe prednisone and bactrim to help with inflammation and bumps that I've had lingering for a while.
EDIT: I've had maybe 2-3 cystic types since I started 70mg... mostly just small comedonal stuff here and there, and even those have been rare. Also my face has stopped getting oily since my last update and has dried up again. I'm feeling optimistic about 80mg.
Day 159
Stopping by the pharmacy later today to pick up my Accutane, prednisone and bactrim. Since my last update, I've had one or two biggish ones on my forehead (not big enough to be considered full-on cysts though), and a bunch of smaller whitehead-type ones around my nose and mouth region. My scalp has also been SUPER dry - flakes everywhere! However, as I mentioned before, my skin has stopped getting oily again after the brief scare I had, and aside from the random pimples I get here and there (as well as old bumps lingering) my skin is pretty smooth. Looking forward to what will hopefully be my last month of this medicine.
Day 164
Now taking 80mg, plus prednisone, bactrim, and Pepcid. New breakouts have been almost nonexistant. I AM somewhat worried about my body being able to handle all these drugs at once, but so far the only side effects have been dryness, slight eczema on the backs of my hands, some brain fog / drowsiness, and an incident or two of upset stomach.
Day 174
Trucking along. New breakouts have been minimal. I have maybe 3-4 "actives" right now and the rest are just remnants. However, I do have tenderness just to the left of my nose, so it might be 4-5 "actives" soon.
I'm around the midpoint of month 6 right now I guess, in terms of how much medicine I have left. Where I stand right now is decent, but I wish it could be better - and I'm hoping for further improvement. I have a LOT of hyperpigmentation - some of it is literally blood red. I also have some raised bumps which seem to be cysts that never surfaced. My skin, face especially, is quite dry, red and fragile overall. On top of that I still get occasional acne, which takes forever to heal.
Day 174
Trucking along. New breakouts have been minimal. I have maybe 3-4 "actives" right now and the rest are just remnants. However, I do have tenderness just to the left of my nose, so it might be 4-5 "actives" soon.
I'm around the midpoint of month 6 right now I guess, in terms of how much medicine I have left. Where I stand right now is decent, but I wish it could be better - and I'm hoping for further improvement. I have a LOT of hyperpigmentation - some of it is literally blood red. I also have some raised bumps which seem to be cysts that never surfaced. My skin, face especially, is quite dry, red and fragile overall. On top of that I still get occasional acne, which takes forever to heal.
Blegh. Redness.
The redness will subside, especially if you use sunscreen to prevent more redness and sun damage.
Do you have rosacea too?
Day 174
Trucking along. New breakouts have been minimal. I have maybe 3-4 "actives" right now and the rest are just remnants. However, I do have tenderness just to the left of my nose, so it might be 4-5 "actives" soon.
I'm around the midpoint of month 6 right now I guess, in terms of how much medicine I have left. Where I stand right now is decent, but I wish it could be better - and I'm hoping for further improvement. I have a LOT of hyperpigmentation - some of it is literally blood red. I also have some raised bumps which seem to be cysts that never surfaced. My skin, face especially, is quite dry, red and fragile overall. On top of that I still get occasional acne, which takes forever to heal.
Blegh. Redness.
The redness will subside, especially if you use sunscreen to prevent more redness and sun damage.
Do you have rosacea too?
I don't think I have rosacea. I get occasional eczema in the typical rosacea areas (forehead, sides of nose / cheeks), but that's only when I neglect moisturizing.
Day 179 New breakouts have been almost nonexistent - the only fresh pimple has been a little tiny uninflamed whitehead. Old stuff subsiding / drying up, sloooowly but surely. I've had eczema / dryness / cracking on the backs of my hands but a recent aggressive moisturizing campaign yielded significant improvement.
Day 187
So... face is staying cyst-free. However, I am not acne-free. I still get tiny red ones, albeit not often (I have maybe 1 or 2 on my face at a time MAX). Plus, they get lost in the sea of red marks that covers my face. In addition to perpetual redness from the hyperpigmentation (Accutane seems to have made any HP from the past year flare up again), I've also experienced some facial flushing.. Although, my skin IS whiter right now than it has been in a looong time, considering I haven't spent much time outside in a looong time as per the Accutane... so I'm thinking getting a healthy tan once I'm off the medicine will help mask the redness a bit.
I believe I have 5 days left of my 6th month... dermatologist appointment this Thursday.
Overall though, Accutane has been fantastic so far. Sure, there have been side effects, but the confidence boost it has given me has been worth it. I feel so free! Hopefully once the red marks heal it will only get better. I'm not sure what will happen after I'm done, heck I don't even know whether I'll be done soon or have to go another month... I don't know whether acne will stay away or come back, but right now I'm trying to savor every pseudo-clear-skinned moment as much as I can.
Day 189
Oh snap! Had end-of-6 month appointment today and was informed that I'm going on to month 7, since they want to have a month with no breakouts before they take me off... to decrease the chances of acne returning after I'm off treatment.
Got a haircut recently too. Nice and short. I don't have to try and cover up cysts with bangs anymore, and I can shave / trim my facial hair as much as I want without having to navigate through a sea of pimples. 
Day 200
Soooo... Since starting month 8 I've gotten 2-3 pimples... I don't know whether it's the absence of prednisone / bactrim or just the last couple bumps getting pushed out by the 'tane, but again, it's frustrating not being 100% clear after 6 months. My lips were also an unholy mess when I woke up yesterday... sooo dry and peely... and after I removed a lot of the peely skin they were super red and irritated. I put a lot of Aquaphor on during the day and during the night, so now they feel better, but on the downside, I've gotten a couple tiny clogged pores / whiteheads along my lipline. Oh well.
It's just a waiting game now... hopefully the Accutane clears me up 100% before the month is over, because I really, REALLY don't want to go on to month 8. This stuff is expensive!!!
Day 211
So far, the second month of 80mg has been a real hell for my lips. They dry out SOOO fast, plus they peel constantly - not just the lips themselves, but the perimeter of the lips as well. I've had a reddish ring around my mouth for a while now because of all the dry skin I peeled off the sides. I've also been getting small whiteheads around the lips - whether from irritation, from dead skin buildup or from lip balm I don't know. They don't hurt, just feel somewhat tender sometimes, but due to my skin being so pale and fragile they get very red and noticeable no matter how small they are. As I've mentioned, persistent acne on my lipline was one of the big reasons I took up Accutane, so this is quite frustrating for me.
I also still get the occasional pimple on the rest of my face - maybe one at a time, two tops. These are likewise small and non-cystic, but get quite red.
Other side effects - my eyes are dry (I can still tolerate contacts though) and more sensitive to sunlight, my scalp is dry and flaky, and my joints / muscles ache a lot more (but it's only if I've performed strenuous physcial activity or slept in an unusual position). I also tend to flush around my ears sometime in the late afternoon: my head feels warm and sometimes my ears get really red. Finally, just today I've noticed a rash on my left elbow and a tiny one on my right. This is only the second rash I've had on the medicine: the other one was when I first started on 20mg.
Long story short, I have maybe half a month left, and from there on I don't know - maybe I'll go on an antibiotic. I don't want to do this for another month - it's quite expensive and the side effects are starting to get old. Or perhaps I can go on a cheaper maintenance dose or something. So far, it's not a miraculous cure, but it's close.
Day 215
Still getting small clogged pores on my nose and around my lips that get red and inflamed for a short while due to the sensitivity of my skin. Other than that, one big-ish painful pustule left on my forehead, and a really sore, slightly smaller one on my left temple. Long story short, month 7 coming to an end and I'm not clear.
Derm appointment is next Monday.
Day 222
Well I still have a couple actives on my face. My forehead for the most part. Yesterday, my derm told me that she wants to taper me off (40 mg this coming month, then 20mg)... but I told her if it was too expensive then I'd prefer to just stop cold turkey. She said she'd write out the prescription anyway, and I could see for myself if I wanted to go through with it or not.
Anyway, she also told me that after I stop the medicine, they want me to wait three months before I use any other acne medication (this includes topicals / creams). So yeah. If I had unlimited funds I'd stretch the course as long as I needed to, but unfortunately, I don't 
Day 232
So here's the deal. I missed a bunch of days on my last month of 80mg, because I was trying to stagger it last until I figured out where my last month was heading.
Anyway, turns out 30 days of 40mg was only $100 this time, so I'm still on Accutane. Started yesterday. I have to say, it feels comforting to still be on the medicine. Especially so because I've had more breakouts than usual on my chin area in the last week or so - small, painless ones, but they still get really red as they emerge.