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Hooray for improvement! I love that you're tracking your breakouts; such a good idea. I have 1 more week until I hit the 1 month month. And all week long I've been experiencing the intial breakout phase. (blah) I'm contemplating taking a temporary leave of abscence from my job and becoming a nun or a hermit; so I don't have to show my face in public. Haha. I guess it's not uncommon to get worse before you get better; so I'm trying to remind myself that it WILL get better. (*fingers crossed* oh please pretty please).
P.S. Also crossing my fingers that the evil acne imps stay away and you have fun at your formal.
So interesting when you track it! I had a very similar pattern to you, and I think that is really interesting. I found this one other log once where the girl had almost the exact same breakout pattern as me, which is where I got my day 100 clear prediction from. She had made this little graph, and when I compared it to my notes (I kept notes every ten days), it was almost identical. She cleared up a little before day 100, and so did I! Super weird.
Anyway - you are looking super. The marks that remain have that nice healing colour to them, and it will be no time before they fade away! Super yay! I am so glad for all of us that we are making it through to the other side now. How much longer do you plan to go? What cumulative dose are you aiming for?
Thanks Yorkielove and Jess!
So interesting when you track it! I had a very similar pattern to you, and I think that is really interesting. I found this one other log once where the girl had almost the exact same breakout pattern as me, which is where I got my day 100 clear prediction from. She had made this little graph, and when I compared it to my notes (I kept notes every ten days), it was almost identical. She cleared up a little before day 100, and so did I! Super weird.
Anyway - you are looking super. The marks that remain have that nice healing colour to them, and it will be no time before they fade away! Super yay! I am so glad for all of us that we are making it through to the other side now. How much longer do you plan to go? What cumulative dose are you aiming for?
Kim, I think you and I were inspired by the same log, I think her username was Quiescence, maybe? Research and data analysis soothes me. My acne has been so chaotic, no pattern, no known cause, no known correlates, no known variables. If anything, I am at least comforted by the notion that my acne follows a pattern now and is altogether predictable (again, assuming it follows the same path).
Of course, when I mentioned to my dermatologist that I thought there was a cyclical pattern to my acne flare-ups now that I've started accutane, he screamed in a pirate of penzance-y sort of English Accent:
"Pish-posh and poppy cock! Accutane throws all that cycle nonsense out of the window you silly little woman! Hmph! There are no cyclical patterns to how accutane works. Hmph! ACCUTANE IS ABOVE YOUR MEANINGLESS STATISTICS GIRL! Tell her nurse. Tell her. Harumph Hmph"
Giving her best Natasha Fatale impression, the nurse turned, looked at me sternly and said: "You. Know. NATHEENG".
Well....ok. That wasn't how that situation went - obviously - but wouldn't it be cool if it did? Basically he said I was wrong. But - I'll show him. I'll show them all! Muahaha!
Ok, sorry Kim - I had a silly moment. To answer your questions: My doctor recommended I stay on my course for at least 2 months after I have become clear of inflammed acne. He predicted the total course would take about 5 or 6 months. So, I am hoping, if my progress remains good, it will only be a few more months. At 6 months, I should be just over my 130mg/kg, so that makes sense to me.
Dose 100,
Today will be my 100th dose! It was actually supposed to be yesterday, but I completely forgot to take it last night, so today is the day! Woohoo! I have not had any new activity since the 31st of March (so about 10 days) .This will be a pretty short post, not too much to update, but I did want to post the picture of the graph I've been keeping for anyone interested. On the x axis is date, and the y is the number of active cysts (I am not counting small pimples or comedones, since I rarely get pimples and the comedone count hasn't changed much). You can see that the severity of my breakouts has decreased subtly over the course of the last 3 months, and the points are starting to come closer together, forming a nice downward trend.
In terms of side effects, dryness is a big issue. My lips are still a disaster. I have cracks on the lips themselves and splits on both sides 
Keeping up with aquafor application helps the cracks on my lips, but I have no clue how to keep the sides from splitting other than to avoid laughing, smiling, eating, or yawning.
I am channeling Mr. Spock on a diet after 3 cups of coffee (do Vulcans get tired?), but I don't see that as being a long-term solution. Applying the hyrdrocortisone is probably not a great idea in the long-term either, so I am somewhat at a loss :\
Still better than dealing with cystic acne any day.
AWESOME!!!! Way to go you!! 
Love your graph, too. What a great way to visualize your journey. I really hope that you continue to stay clear.
Not sure what to tell you about the lips. Hopefully that side effect will ease off soon. My doc gave me something for my hands, and that worked really well on the itchy stuff that was on my face. I wonder if that would work for your lips? How long are you going to be on Accutane (if you don't mind me asking)?
AWESOME!!!! Way to go you!!
Love your graph, too. What a great way to visualize your journey. I really hope that you continue to stay clear.
Not sure what to tell you about the lips. Hopefully that side effect will ease off soon. My doc gave me something for my hands, and that worked really well on the itchy stuff that was on my face. I wonder if that would work for your lips? How long are you going to be on Accutane (if you don't mind me asking)?
My doctor wants to keep me on the medication for 2 months after my face clears. So, I am thinking I'll be done by the end of June (that would put me at 6 months) or sooner, depending on what the doc says.
I had cracks that I couldn't get rid of, until my derm nurse prescribed mupirocin 2% ointment 5x a day for 7 days. I've only been using it for 48 hours and already the cracks have healed. Can't recommend it enough! Maybe it'll work for you.
Thanks Astarte! I am slathering on every moisturizing oil/mild steroid/lipbalm/petrolatum product in layers every 1 hour or so, and that seems to do the trick. Of course, it continues to look like my chin is covered in grease, but hey - you win some you lose some.
One weird side effect I am hoping someone else might be experiencing:
I'm not sunburned on my upper thighs (not even a tan) but they have started peeling similarly to how a sunburn peels, except no pain, redness or blisters just painless skin shedding. And not like flaky rough dry skin, It's like onion skin that I can peel off in ribbons. It doesn't hurt, it's not even red. It's like I'm....molting.
I read this great short story about this guy who got turned into a lizard because he was in denial of his feelings in my queer readings class haha BUT HE BASICALLY SLOWLY TURNED INTO A BOY LIZARD AND STARTED MOLTING
i'm not saying this is happening to you. but. have you checked for a tail?
(i'm sry i'm useless, but the molting sounds annoying 
)
I read this great short story about this guy who got turned into a lizard because he was in denial of his feelings in my queer readings class haha BUT HE BASICALLY SLOWLY TURNED INTO A BOY LIZARD AND STARTED MOLTING
i'm not saying this is happening to you. but. have you checked for a tail?
(i'm sry i'm useless, but the molting sounds annoying
OH MY GOD! *checks backside* Phew. No tail. Buuut....Lizards don't get acne (as far as I know), so perhaps this is how accutane works? It is slowly turning me into a woman/lizard hybrid, thereby doing it's job - but at a terrible price. Like a twisted, evil Genie demon (not the Aladdin kind, the Jynne kind).
Oh well. Still better than cystic acne ;\
On 4/12/2014 at 1:12 AM, PersnickityChick said:I have had peeling skin similar on the inside of my left knee, and above my elbow, on the back of my arm. Not sure what all that is about either, and no tail for me... at least not the long, skinny kind.
HAHAHA!
Dose 105:
Still clear! I can't believe it. I still have a few blackheads that refuse to uproot and move on, but other than that, I am incredibly happy with how things are going. I haven't broken out in 2 weeks, which is the longest I've gone without a breakout in almost 2 years. Hizzah!
With the good comes the bad - constant rashes I now have a rash that has spread from my shoulders down my back, and I can't reach it to moisturize gosh darn-it! Also - unfortunately, headaches seem to have made a come-back. I haven't had any issues with them since the beginning of my course, but now I wake up with one almost every morning. I suspect that I may not be drinking enough water. Brain fog is also quite annoying and does not seem to be abating.
My brain seems to be constantly fogged these days. I still have the big, pealing patches in a couple of places, and other places I feel like a bear could scratch, and not get all of the itch to go away! I have rashy spots too, and my skin is even more sensitive than normal.
Hope you can find a way to drink a lot more water, and maybe that will clear off some of the rashy spots, and take care of your headache. Not srue what to say about the brain fog, since I can't see well through my own. 
Unfortunately the brain fog has not abated in the slightest, and actually seems to be getting worse. I fear I may be experiencing some of those dreaded psychological side effects everyone worries about, but I am waiting for my course to be over so I can get back to my life. Everything just seems so difficult and yet so pointless at the same time. I recognize these are signs of depression and I am doing my best to work through them and reminding myself that the medication may be the problem and that it is not a permanent feeling. My psychiatrist doesn't seem too concerned, and It's comforting knowing I have a support system. My honey has gotten a new Job in a different city, and I think his commute is quite difficult for both of us. I am also stuck in quite a rut at work that I know I need to do something about, but the thought of doing something seems so daunting! Blah. It helps to remind myself that at least I do not have to worry about acne on top of all this.
Sorry for the downer post. I needed a place to vent.
On more positive notes: I am still clear-ish! Side effects are still manageable. Doc wants to keep me on the full 6 months, which means I will be done by the end of June. The prospect is both a relief and a disappointment. I want to be done with ISO, but the thought is quite nerve-wracking!
Dose 116 -
Grrr. I am no longer clearish (( I am trying not to let myself worry over it, but I have two medium sized cysts - one popped up last night, the other one is in it's "I'm gonna be a perpetual whitehead!" stage. They both hurt, though not nearly as bad as my cysts used to before accutane. My skin is still generally clearer than it has been in a few years, so I am trying to keep it in perspective...it's just...ok. I am going to whine a bit here,,,
I'm almost finished with my 4th month, and while I figured I would still get a normal pimple every once in a while (I mean, even clear people have that issue, right?) but I was so hoping the cystic stuff was over and done with.
The doc still wants to keep me on for 6 months, so I have 2 months to go...
Anyway - I have 1 cyst on the left, and one on the right. No bad side effects to mention, my lips have even improved a bit.
I'm sorry to hear about the cysts. But they will go away, it's nothing other than their last feeble attempt to fight the accutane. The brain fog is incredibly annoying, and the feeling of not really, I do not really know what to call it, feeling like it is getting/going to get better sucks the energy out of you. It's a good thing you have people to lean on, and are aware of what is happening and why.
It is a tough cure to be on, but it is the closest thing to a cure there is. This is acne versus you.
Dose...? Like...130 something I think?
Things are iffy. My skin is not exactly breaking out (at least not by my definition) but little macrocomedones are becoming inflammed, will come to a head in a day, hang out for another one, then go away. I am hoping this is the last of the hangers-on clogged pores. I have about 10 (I have never been able to count them before because there were so many!) little comedones on my upper cheek bones and a couple on my cheeks. They don't really become inflamed (well, except for now), unless I mess with them. Sometimes, they turn into those weird blackheads that look like a tiny piece of sand got stuck in your pore and you get some tweezers and gently pull it out and HALLELUJAH it feels so satisfying you can actually hear your poor stretched out pore (ha!) whisper "thank you...thank you".
I found I got a lot of weird little whiteheads towards the end, after the barrage of cysts. I think this is a good sign!
I wish I had success like that with blackheads. I rarely get them, but when I do they stay around for years. I have no idea how to get them out, and I have an aversion to picking at anything from the scarring I incurred in my twenties.
People were logging that when they started Accutane their blackheads just 'popped' out magically. Not so much over here.
Sending clear thoughts!
I found I got a lot of weird little whiteheads towards the end, after the barrage of cysts. I think this is a good sign!
I wish I had success like that with blackheads. I rarely get them, but when I do they stay around for years. I have no idea how to get them out, and I have an aversion to picking at anything from the scarring I incurred in my twenties.
People were logging that when they started Accutane their blackheads just 'popped' out magically. Not so much over here.
Sending clear thoughts!
Thanks Kim!
Day 1 129 (officially - dunno why I thought it was over 130) -
Boop boop boop beeeeep beeeep beeeep boop boop boop
CYST ALERT STOP
THE PEEK-A-BOO CYST CAPER STRIKES AGAIN STOP
PLEASE SEND BACK-UP STOP
POLICE CANNOT STOP HIM AND AUTHORITIES HAVE NO INPUT AT THIS TIME STOP
RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF MEGTREE'S SKIN ARE LOSING HOPE STOP
A HERO IS NEEDED TO OVERCOME THE SHADOW OF THE PEEK-A-BOO CYST STOP
(to the tune of spiderman)
Accutane! Accutane!
Apparently the same thing as Vitamin A
Maybe helps maybe hurts
Causes rashes, wear long-sleeved shirts
Look out! It's month 5 of Accutane!!
Yikes! I had no idea it had been so long since I'd read your log! How is the rotten cyst? Has it gone away? Hope you are doing better.
Hi Jess!
Yes - I am doing better. It's been forever since I've posted!
So - It's been a strange, mostly good, ride. I had my last dermatologist appointment today officially on Iso, and he has decided that 6 months is enough (apparently my cholesterol became a little too high for his comfort). He initially told me he wanted to keep me on for 7 months, but ah well. I have another week of medication to finish and then its no more iso for megtree (at least, not for a while).
So let me re-hash the last couple of months since I have not been keeping up to date (I'm sorryyyyyyyyyyyyyyy)!
Good:
Compared to my skin before Iso, my skin is a billion times better. My pores are smaller, I am not as oily, closed comedones have mostly disappeared, and the amount and severity of my breakouts have reduced considerably. The side-effects have become barely noticable, with chapped lips being the only consistently annoying one. I can finally use makeup to enhance the features I like instead of using it all to cover up painful pimples and red-spots. Most of the red-spots have faded (although still somewhat noticable), and I have not acne on my body. The tone of my skin is much more even and it all together looks happier and "glowy-er".
Bad:
Darn it, I am still breaking out (slightly). Here's the thing - I can deal with the occasional breakout. I can! I am so ok with it. What I am scared of is it getting worst. The dermatologist admitted that my case was unusually persistent, which makes me very nervous. I wish I could have been completely clear before he stopped my dose, but it wasn't meant to be. He said we would revisit in 3 months. I don't particularly want to take another course, I am so ready to be done - but I am also incredibly nervous - what if it comes back just as bad? AND WHAT KIND OF MUTANT ACNE DOESN'T DIE WHEN YOU THROW THE NUCLEAR OPTION AT IT?!?
Altogether, I am happy with my results right now. The one stupid nodule/pimple that popped up last week is not a monster and it's not eating away at me like 4 or 5 of them would. I just don't want to obsess over this again - it sucks, it's awful, and if it gets worse, I will be very sad. BUT! I am trying to be optimistic, so here are the things I am doing my best to keep in mind:
-Sometimes it continues to improve after you stop taking the medication
-I can always go on another course (in the mean time, it's cheerios, oatmeal and olive oil FTW)
-The condition of my skin is so much better. I get compliments, even when I am not wearing makeup
**AND FOR YOUR INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY TO THOSE CONSIDERING ISOTRETINOIN BUT ARE FEARFUL OF SCARY LONG-TERM SIDE-EFFECTS**:
These horrible side effects NEVER happened: (All confirmed by my very thorough, very skeptical of my being on accutane, General Practitioner - i.e., NOT my dermatologist, to control for bias). He did my liver counts, kidney, thyroid, blood counts, etc.)
My hair has not fallen out (in fact, I would say it's a bit healthier because I don't have to wash it more than once every ten days and I use very little shampoo).
My eyes have not gone blind, and I can see just fine at night (they aren't even that dry anymore).
My booty is not bleeding (nor did it ever)
My skin is not falling off, blistering, or scarring. I do blush more easily and at weird times, but it's rarely a noticeable problem to me
My mind is still (relatively) sane (fatigue and brain fog did make itself known, but if I made sure I had enough sleep and enough caffeine, I was A-OK)
I never wanted to die. EVER. I have been diagnosed with a depressive disorder, and I never noticed my symptoms worsening - nor did my psychiatrist.
I never wanted to hurt myself or hurt anyone else (other than when I REALLY wanted to pick some whiteheads)
I didn't gain weight/lose weight
No liver problems
No pancreas problems
No broken bones, arthritis, back pain, or unusual stomach pain
The Initial Flare-Up was not a picnic, but it didn't leave any lasting scars
Some days I even forgot I was taking the stuff (until I realized I left my chap-stick at home. THE HORROR! THE HORROR!)
Side effects I did experience:
The dry-est dry lips the world has ever seen
Occasional annoying rashes that easily clear up with moisturizer
Flaky skin
Dry nose (I only had one nose bleed though)
High cholesterol (This does happen, but the dermatologist assured me it would go back to normal in a few months)
Occasional head-aches
Occasional joint pain (although I haven't experienced that in a few months)
Dry eyes in the morning (only occasionally after the 4th month)
To the average healthy person with moderate to severe acne that just wont respond to anything else, I recommend it. NOTHING ELSE WORKED FOR ME: tretinoin, BP, multiple antibiotics, Aczone, birth control, sprironolactone, NOTHING.
As I said previously, ISO did not clear me up completely. I define completely as 0 clogged pores, 0 blackheads, 0 whiteheads, 0 papules, 0 pustules, 0 nodules and 0 cysts. Since my 5th month, my improvement has sort of plateaued leaving me with 3 or 4 clogged pores (the little bumps that are barely noticable but sometimes turn into pimples or black-heads), 1 black-head, 0 whitedheads (but 3 or 4 milia), 1 papule, 0 pustules, 0 nodules, 0 cysts).
Isotretinoin is the only thing that made a considerable, and noticeable, dent. When I began, I had an uncountable number of clogged pores, blackheads all over my nose, t-zone and chin, and 5 or 6 nodules or cysts consistently sprouting on my face at any one time.
I will gladly post pictures of my improvement as soon as I am "officially" done with my entire dose (i.e., I still have a few days of medication left to finish). I hope everyone is doing well!
I will do my best to update this log while I am off the isotretinoin, as I know how much this helped me in my decision-making process to start.
Glad to hear everything is going relatively well. Fear of acne is so hard to get rid of. I still fear it several times a day. I am also at the very end of my course, and this is the worst time for fear.
But I think we'll be okay. We did our research and stuck it out and our odds are pretty good.
Looking forward to updates.