Bliss. keep your head up. im in the same boat. lets get it done sista!

Day 3:

I don't have a lot to report yet, it's been uneventful so far. My lips are already starting to get a little bit dry but I've been putting on a lot of Vaseline lip therapy so it hasn't been too bad. My skin isn't dry yet. I have been moisturizing with Cerave a lot so hopefully that'll help! I feel a little nauseous when I take my pills but not for too long.

Day 5-

I broke out all over my face the other day in places that I normally don't break out in but it all cleared up pretty quickly. My lips are starting to feel very dry even though I am constantly applying aquaphor and vaseline to them. I also got sunburnt pretty bad yesterday but who knows that might just be from not seeing the sun all winter.

Day 6-

My face and lips are starting to dry up. I have been constantly putting on lotion and aquaphor but I guess I need more or something? My eyes are a little dry too. I noticed that when I got out of the shower my face had some flakes of dry skin and that my lips looked really dry. I'm starting to get a little worried since all I have been doing is moisturizing and I'm already drying out.

I only have a few new zits but nothing bad. They come to a white head quickly. My face looks a little red in general. Hoping that I dodged the IB!

I have been a lot more thirsty than normal I think. I already drink a lot of water all the time but I have been drinking even more.

Day 7-

Today my face started to peel A LOT. My scalp is also very dry and I think I'm starting to get dandruff . I have been moisturizing at least 5 times a day and I am constantly putting stuff on my lips but I am still feeling so dry.

Oddly enough, my face is basically 100% clear right now. I don't know if it could be due to the accutane because it is so soon, but I also can't remember the last time my face looked this good. Maybe it's the moisturizing?

Day 8-

My lips feel dry no matter what I do. Normal chapstick, vaseline lip therapy, and aquaphor have not been working at all. It's kind of weird, but I put Cerave lotion on my lips and then aquaphor over that and this seems to be doing the best job. I don't have any cracking in my lips yet but they feel awful unless I have lotion on them.

In the middle of school today I got a pretty bad nose bleed. I was definitely not prepared for that, but it wasn't too bad. I have been drinking ridiculous amounts of water (about thirty two ounces per hour) so I don't get too thirsty or dry.

During the day I apply cerave on my face at least 4 times. My face doesn't feel or look too dry but I have noticed a lot of peeling. I am trying to figure out how to exfoliate without irritating my skin too much. I might try a face mask to peel off all of the dead skin.

I only have a few new spots on my face, but nothing out of the ordinary. Right now, I am pretty happy with the way my skin looks.

Day 9-

Does anyone know if it is normal or not to have chest pain? I have been getting a little bit of chest pain here and there but then last night when I was lifting at the gym my chest was hurting pretty badly. This could have been due to my soccer game before I lifted, so maybe I was dehydrated or something. But I don't know.

My face is breaking out a little bit on my cheek, maybe 3 or 4 new ones. My face looks a little red too.

Days 10-12

I have been breaking out the past few days. It's not the worst break out I've ever had, but I think it might be because I went out a few times this weekend and haven't been sleeping a lot lately in addition to not eating so well the past few days. So I am thinking it is probably that.

I have been waking up in the middle of the night with bloody noses, as well as randomly getting them in class. My lips are also extremely dry and starting to flake. The redness in my face has gone down though.

Also, the inside of my nose is soooooooo dry. It hurts worse than my lips do. I am thinking maybe a humidifier will help?

Days 13- 22

I haven't had a bloody nose in over a week, I have been using aquaphor and a humidifier to help with that.

I had a really bad break out on my left cheek, but it has been about a week and it is almost gone. It was a nasty and painful breakout, haven't had one like it in years. Hopefully I won't get too many more of those.

I have my dryness under control. I put cerave on my face about 5 times a day. After I shower, I notice how awfully dry my face is. But otherwise it isn't bad. Aquaphor wasn't doing anything for my lips. I started using Bag Balm and it is a miracle for me. It's the only thing that helps my lips right now.

I get a lot of headaches but nothing too unmanageable. School makes them worse.

I don't know if I actually hurt my back from lifting at the gym or if it is the accutane, but my lower back hurts a lot quite often as well as my neck. When I lift weights and sometimes after I play soccer, my chest hurts pretty bad too.

I go see my derm in 4 days, I do not know if my dosage will go up yet. I am feeling pretty hopeful so far. I am almost a month in and hope that I have clear skin for the summer!

Days 23- 27

I went to the derm today and for my second month I will still be taking 30 mg twice daily. He also told me that I will only be on accutane for 4 months total. That makes me very happy to hear, but is that normal? It seems that everyone is on it for 6 months.

I have not had any changes. My face is mostly clear, I have a few pimples here and there but nothing too horrible. My face overall looks pretty good. I am getting quite a bit of lower back pain though.

The time your course takes all depends on your daily dose and the cumulative dose you would like to reach. It's a pretty easy calculation, if you want to see if you're on track. I'll use myself as an example:

First, calculate the total dose. For me this is easy because I never changed my dose from 40 mg. Can't recall your daily dose or if it changed through your course. For example

- 40 mg x 30 (pills in a pack/month) = 1200 per month. I am doing a 7 month course, so 1200 x 7 = 8400.

Second, divide the total dose by your weight in kilos. I weigh about 64 kilos. 8400 divided by 64 = 131.25

Although you will find some people on here that believe higher dosing is better, it is generally accepted that you want to reach a cumulative dose of between 120 and 150 mg/kilo. If you find that your calculation puts you below the 120 mark, you might want to talk to your derm. Many people who do higher daily doses do a shorter course.

The time your course takes all depends on your daily dose and the cumulative dose you would like to reach. It's a pretty easy calculation, if you want to see if you're on track. I'll use myself as an example:

First, calculate the total dose. For me this is easy because I never changed my dose from 40 mg. Can't recall your daily dose or if it changed through your course. For example

- 40 mg x 30 (pills in a pack/month) = 1200 per month. I am doing a 7 month course, so 1200 x 7 = 8400.

Second, divide the total dose by your weight in kilos. I weigh about 64 kilos. 8400 divided by 64 = 131.25

Although you will find some people on here that believe higher dosing is better, it is generally accepted that you want to reach a cumulative dose of between 120 and 150 mg/kilo. If you find that your calculation puts you below the 120 mark, you might want to talk to your derm. Many people who do higher daily doses do a shorter course.

Thanks, Kim! That is a super useful calculation . I have been doing 60 mg per day for the first two months. I calculated that if I continue on 60 mg per day for all 4 months, it would put me at about 116. So if he doesn't bump me up in the last two months I'll talk to him. Thanks!!!

Days 27-33

My skin is pretty much 100% clear right now. My lips are soooo dry and get sunburnt very easily but bag balm has been my savior! I scalp is very itchy, and I think I am starting to get eczema on my arms, so I'll start putting a lot of lotion on. I have only been putting lotion on my face, I've been a little lazy and ignored putting it on the rest of me. I am not sure if it is the stress of school and what not, but I have felt a little extra crabby and moody lately. My back aches a lot as well as my neck.

Overall, I am very pleased with the results so far. I don't think my face has looked this good in a very long time.

Days 33-45

I don't have a whole lot to report. The side affects haven't been so bad lately, or I am just getting more used to them. My chest still hurts when I go to the gym but it usually isn't too bad. My lips are the driest part but when I tried to put make up on the other night, I noticed how awfully dry my face was. I have eczema in a few places, like on my arms and stomach, but it isn't hard to handle.

The products that I have been using are cerave, normal eye drops, bag balm, and aquaphor.

As far as my face goes, I had a few minor break outs this past week. I think it was because of exams and not sleeping a lot. My face hasn't made a ton of improvements lately but I am still hopeful. I guess I still have over two months left of the treatment, but I thought that by now I would stop breaking out.

Days 45-50

My skin hasn't been looking it's best lately but it definitely isn't at it's worst. It's pretty dry and it peels a lot, but other than the peeling, it's not too bad. My nose is extremely dry and still bleeds, I have eczema everywhere, lower back and neck pain, and possibility more emotions than normal. I don't know if it is the stress of school or the accutane that is making me emotional but I have been feeling more sadness lately. I still get chest pains when I work out though.

I still use bag balm constantly for my lips and it's great. My face was starting to look very greasy so I stopped putting lotion on it for a few days and I think that helped. I was putting cerave on my face multiple times a day. I had a few bad breakouts last week but they seem to be going away now. Maybe it was because of wearing make up or lack or sleep, I don't know.

Overall, my accutane experience hasn't been too awful so far. I am almost half way through and I can't wait to see the results at the end.

Days 50-58

I go back into the derm in a couple of days for my 2nd month check up. I am almost half way through.

Side affects:

-face is peeling really bad

-face is very red

-face is very dry without lotion on it

-I sunburn very easily

-I've felt more emotional than normal

Products:

-bag balm for my lips

-cerave for my face and skin

-fish oil tablets

-vitamin e

Other stuff:

-I barely ever have to wash my hair anymore

-I have eczema all over my arms

Days 58-80

I haven't updated this in awhile because I felt like there was nothing in particular to report. Most of my side effects have gotten better or I have gotten use to them almost completely. My face is 100% clear. I maybe get a pimple or two during the week but they go away fast and are small. It about the middle of my third month and I only have one more month left to go after this.

Side effects:

-I feel crankier or sadder than normal here and there.

-eczema on my arms

-lower back pain when I lift weights

Products:

-bag balm for the lips still. Best thing!

-aquaphor/vaseline to keep my nose bleeds away

-cerave to put on my face and body

-fish oil pills and vitamin e

For those of you who lift weights or play a lot of sports, I have experienced more joint and back pain than ever during this course. It is not awful but it is not fun. I lift weights almost everyday and play soccer too. I have not had to stop these activities but due to the back pain I get I don't do as many leg days or back days anymore at the gym. I know they say you are not supposed to use protein shakes while on the tane but I have drank them nearly everyday and been just fine.