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Ha ha! Funny that you still prefer the medicated version. I like it, but I still prefer the medex version - I just find it lasts longer. Sometimes I layer them both, and that is pretty good. Medex over aquaphor is still my go-to, and I am avoiding angular cheilitis and cracked bleeding lips so far, so I think it's working well.
I found the time that I had to take 5 days off my meds due to a canceled derm appt. my side effects decreased substantially. I barely had chapped lips by the end of the 5 days, so I think your lower dose should help a lot.
Glad you are feeling better.
I love the blistex medicated under aquaphor at night. very smooth, and it makes my lips feel good. So far I haven't had issues with anything except a, "Wow, your lips are so dry!" comment from my sweetie, after a kiss. 
The burns did blister, but they are already healing fairly well. 
I don't think they will scar
It is a GORGEOUS day, and I intend to spend some of it (most of it?) outside. Sunscreen for me today!
Yes, DONT FORGET THE SUNSCREEN. My honey and I went bike riding a couple of weeks ago. Me, being the very good girl that I am, slathered SPF 60 all over my arms, legs and back (and my face, of course). Somehow though, i missed the top of my fore-arms. By the end of it, the top of my arms turned bright red, peeled like a snake, and now the texture is all weird. 
Moral of the story: Make sure you get that sunscreen in every nook and cranny because the sun will find a way to burn your skin and accutane is more than happy to oblige!
My adventure in the sun worked out perfectly, and I didn't get burnt at all. Of course, I got burnt pulling cookies out of the oven later that day.
I am still clear, even though I am only taking 40mg a week. My lips are staying pretty dry, and so is the rest of my skin, and my hair, which has been having an extraordinary number of good hair days. Of course, it is getting quite long, which means pretty soon those days will be done. My derm gave me the number of her stylist, so I'll be checking that out shortly.
Hope everyone is doing well!
She said that I could actually stay on it long term. She's prescribing at the "normal" monthly range, so there will be plenty of "left overs". I am really hopeful that things will work out so that I stay clear, even on the lowered dose. So far, so good.
There is a possibility, following an EGD, that I will need to take a course of steroids. I'm not sure how that effects Absorica, but it is one of the questions they ask every time I go to the derm, "You're not on steroids are you?" so I am going to have to find out what is going on with that. I would hate to have to stop, but the ability to swallow food is somewhat important, really.
Okay, so noting much has changed, except I've discovered a "spot" on my face. It isn't exactly a zit or a cyst, and it isn't really a scar. It is a circle, about the size of a pencil eraser, slightly darker than the surrounding skin. There was a cyst there years and years ago, but it went away, and never came back when i was about 16. I am curious about what is going to happen with that.
I am having some pretty intense headaches, but Iam not going to blame that on the absorica. I think it is more likely related to stress.
The pain in my back is nearly completely gone which is a huge relief. I've also stopped having so much morning pain in my feet and ankles. I definitely think reducing the dose was the best thing to do.
The lips are slightly less dry, which is also a good thing. In the first couple of months I went through a tube and a half of aquaphor, 3 tubes of Blistex Medicated, as well as little bits of other things I tried. Lowering the does they don't seem to dry nearly as quickly, and they aren't as painful.
The circle seems to be staying. Reading my post I wasn't terribly clear about it... just the outline of the circle is dark. It kind of looks like someone took the eraser out of the pencil, heated the metal, and burnt a spot on my skin, using the very end of it. Of course, it doesn't feel like a burn, fortunately.
Huh! Is there a firm area or bump underneath?
There's actually noting underneath. At first I thought there was a "dip" underneath, but there's nothing there, just a circle. Terribly confusing. 
I had my EGD yesterday, and I never want to have to use "conscious sedation" again. I have huge holes in my memory of the day yesterday, and I still feel groggy today. I will be glad when all of that is past.
My skin seems to still be doing very well. My next appointment is next week, and hopefully I will know then if I should just keep going on the course I am on.
Also, I seem to be having brain issues too. I think some of it is stress, but I've been doing things that are SO unlike me.... forgetting to deposit a check (when the bank is an hour from home), buying milk, and then forgetting to bring it in from the car... I mean, I'm blonde, but normally I am very 'together". <sigh>. I look forward to being able to think clearly again.
I have this hyperpigmentation spot - it looks basically like every other place where I have recently had a zit, except that I HAVE NEVER HAD A ZIT THERE. Just the spot showed up, and the skin is fine, no bump or anything. Accutane is a strange thing.
Glad the skin is going well. I think my body is starting to be ready to be off of this too. I was a bit livelier when I did this in my twenties!
Hope the bran fog clears. Sorry about the conscious sedation. I had that for my wisdom teeth surgery, and it was fine, but so did my brother and he had some sort of weird horrifying experience.
Blah! When I had my wisdom teeth out, I was consciously sedated (I believe they called it twilight anesthesia or something to that effect). I thought you were supposed to "come out of it" with no memory of the procedure, but to this day I *distinctly* remember the dental surgeon telling his assistants dirty jokes while he cracked my teeth to remove them from my jaw. Surprisingly I don't really remember the pain, but I remembered being annoyed that the surgeon told the joke completely wrong (it was a joke about roosters that I won't tell because I don't want to offend) and I remember the sound my tooth made when it cracked *shiver*.
Blah! When I had my wisdom teeth out, I was consciously sedated (I believe they called it twilight anesthesia or something to that effect). I thought you were supposed to "come out of it" with no memory of the procedure, but to this day I *distinctly* remember the dental surgeon telling his assistants dirty jokes while he cracked my teeth to remove them from my jaw. Surprisingly I don't really remember the pain, but I remembered being annoyed that the surgeon told the joke completely wrong (it was a joke about roosters that I won't tell because I don't want to offend) and I remember the sound my tooth made when it cracked *shiver*.
I had the same experience! Except without the dirty jokes. 
I remember hearing the sound of my tooth crack and shatter. Ugh!!!
Hope the backpains stay away. I have had some bad pains myself lately, but going to 0, then 20, then 30 mgs, seems to have helped. As far as the brain fog goes, it is probably one of the ways you recognize people on accutane. Just look for the person slamming into sliding glass dors and leaving their wallet on the kitchen shelf. I was like that before this, so you can imagine what I'm like now. On the bright side, I have only fallen down the stairs twice.
Concious sedation is a weird experience. Had it twice, once for my mouth. There was some tearing, and ripping, and cutting involved, and the way my head was moved around it felt like they were trying to tear it off. And the sound was weirdly creepy. I remember thinking about it calmly then, the ah - whatever feeling being the one in control.
Hope you are doing well! When you get done with accutane, you will be rid of acne, dry skin, and brain fog!
I had my wisdom teeth done when I was 15. They never actually came in because they were growing into the roots of the other teeth. I do have some very distinct memories while being under the sedation. Including being annoyed at the nurse who told me that I wasn't awake yet, and the doctor who kept telling me to move my tongue when I was pretty sure it wasn't in the way. This experience was very different, I guess because Versed was involved, and that is known to cause memory loss. Also, when I was at the dentist I remember being annoyed because I had been told to fast and as I was being prepped they were all talking about what they'd had for breakfast that day.
My skin is doing pretty well. I haven't developed anything new, the circle is still there on my face, and I am terribly, horribly dry. I went to the doctor the other day (GP) because I had developed a rash that was similar to poison ivy, but the "pattern" was all wrong. There were little speckles everywhere instead of the normal clusters or streaks. I was mortified when she lifted my pant leg, and I looked down to see that my leg looked chalky white because of all of the dry skin. And I KNOW (with reasonable certainty) that I had lotioned my legs that morning! <Sigh>.
I have an ppointment with the derm on Wednesday. I've put it off twice because of finals, so I guess I had better go to this one.
My skin is doing pretty well. I am pleased with the results, so far. I do have a scar from the cyst that started the whole journey, but hopefully hat will continue to fade.
I got sunburned yesterday. Not everywhere, just a stripe on each arm, with very distinct edges. Apparently I do not do very well with sunscreen. haha. It hasn't blistered so far, and I'm hoping that it won't. I'm moisturizing like mad, and putting aloe on.
I wen tto the derm today, and got a couple of surprises. First of all, this was apparently my last visit. I am going to be keeping up with a very low dose, enough to keep my clear. Second, when she walked in, she looked at my skin, and said, "I want to take those moles off." I had 3 moles on the side of my face, one right at the corner of my left eye, nd 2 on my cheek. I said, "okay", thinking that she meant sometime in the future. She went scooting out of the room, and came back with the stuff to do it right then! I asked about scarring, but she said that these were shallow enough not to worry about. I surely hope so. I don't need any more scars. My face hurts now that the numbness has worn off. The worst place is the one by my eye because that place is so mobile.
My skin is doing really well. The sunburn still shows some, and the skin is drying and flaking, even though it didn't blister. It is very strange. The itchy rash that I had has also gotten a little hyperpigmented, but I think that will fade with time. I've noticed that on the lower dose things aren't quite as dry. The only place I mind is my hair, because I had gotten to liking having dry hair.
I was accepted to nursing school this fall, and because of that I have to find a different job, which means a loss of health benefits. I was very nervous about how that would change things with the derm, but I guess it doesn't matter anymore.
So I am currently plagued with perioral dermatitis, which apparently can be fixed with Accutane.... good thing I am already on it, I guess. It has made the left side of my mouth extremely sore, and I kind of look like I have been drooling red koolaid. I also have a section of it right in the corner of my nose, and trailing down toward my lips, on the right side. It is very flaky, and putting hydro-cortisone on it makes it much worse. Bleh.
Kim, the moles have been on my face for as long as I can remember. They were removed, and tested, and they are all benign, fortunately. The spots are healing very nicely. The places are just a little pink right now. The one near my eye has taken longer to heal. I think she must have taken a bigger "bite" out of that one. Part of the scab came off today, so I am hopeful that will heal into a tiny little scar.
I actually had a couple of very tiny little zits. they hurt a little, but they never developed into white heads or anything. I was surprised, because I haven't had a single one of those in a long time!
A little "tidbit" that provided much encouragement, one of my kids (the ones I work with) was griping about his acne. He looked at me, and said, "Miss Jess is lucky. She never has zits, and she has good skin." I was THRILLED!!!!!
How have you been doing this month?
It is great to get compliments on your skin, especially knowing all that you have been through to get there. The other day - my co-worker (who usually has fantistic skin but has been struggling with minor breakouts recently) asked "Are you wearing makeup?!" I said "not really - I have a little concealer on my red spots but that's it". She sighed, and with a hint of bitterness, said "Wow. I thought you were wearing a full face of makeup, I wanted to ask what foundation you were wearing. Your skin looks FLAWLESS." I said "Thank you! Except for the spot near my mouth, I am pretty happy with the progress!" (I had a red moon orbiting the corner of my lip)
I reveled in the glow of a nice compliment until my face apparently caught the light in a different way, which prompted her to exclaim with barely concealed glee - "OH! YOU DO HAVE A BUMP NEAR YOUR LIP, JUST LIKE MINE!!" and grinning, she pointed to a tiny little flea bite by her nostril.
Well - jelly coworkers aside, a compliment is a compliment to me in any light!
How have you been doing this month?
It is great to get compliments on your skin, especially knowing all that you have been through to get there. The other day - my co-worker (who usually has fantistic skin but has been struggling with minor breakouts recently) asked "Are you wearing makeup?!" I said "not really - I have a little concealer on my red spots but that's it". She sighed, and with a hint of bitterness, said "Wow. I thought you were wearing a full face of makeup, I wanted to ask what foundation you were wearing. Your skin looks FLAWLESS." I said "Thank you! Except for the spot near my mouth, I am pretty happy with the progress!" (I had a red moon orbiting the corner of my lip)
I reveled in the glow of a nice compliment until my face apparently caught the light in a different way, which prompted her to exclaim with barely concealed glee - "OH! YOU DO HAVE A BUMP NEAR YOUR LIP, JUST LIKE MINE!!" and grinning, she pointed to a tiny little flea bite by her nostril.
Well - jelly coworkers aside, a compliment is a compliment to me in any light!
Hahah, nice like the fact that you acted like you didn't care and took everything so lightly while she was working herself up to ask you what products you've been using. Accutane bia**h 
She probably had a raging monologue in her head for a while, not being able to swallow the fact that you're changing into a different person lol..until she exclaimed that you have a pimple. How pathetic
How have you been doing this month?
It is great to get compliments on your skin, especially knowing all that you have been through to get there. The other day - my co-worker (who usually has fantistic skin but has been struggling with minor breakouts recently) asked "Are you wearing makeup?!" I said "not really - I have a little concealer on my red spots but that's it". She sighed, and with a hint of bitterness, said "Wow. I thought you were wearing a full face of makeup, I wanted to ask what foundation you were wearing. Your skin looks FLAWLESS." I said "Thank you! Except for the spot near my mouth, I am pretty happy with the progress!" (I had a red moon orbiting the corner of my lip)
I reveled in the glow of a nice compliment until my face apparently caught the light in a different way, which prompted her to exclaim with barely concealed glee - "OH! YOU DO HAVE A BUMP NEAR YOUR LIP, JUST LIKE MINE!!" and grinning, she pointed to a tiny little flea bite by her nostril.
Well - jelly coworkers aside, a compliment is a compliment to me in any light!
Hahah, nice like the fact that you acted like you didn't care and took everything so lightly while she was working herself up to ask you what products you've been using. Accutane bia**h She probably had a raging monologue in her head for a while, not being able to swallow the fact that you're changing into a different person lol..until she exclaimed that you have a pimple. How pathetic
Well, she does know I am on accutane but she was originally very judgemental about my going on it. And I don't think she is very good at giving compliments.