Hi I'm on the same dose as you and I also don't usually get inflamed acne but hundreds of tiny clogged pores. They give my skin a bumpy texture and they are all over my cheeks. But anyways, it seems like accutane is working on your clogged pores which is exciting to here because it's the reason I'm in accutane. I've also been getting some inflamed pimples in my first couple if weeks, which I never get. Well glad it's working for you, hope it does the same for me. Good luck!
Month 2 and 30 mg
Hi Mindall- yea I had a mix of clogged pores/oily skin and inflamed pimples here and there but not consistent cysts or anything, I was on retinoids for a long time before which helped clear some stuff up and the Spiro was helping a little with inflamed stuff but neither were doing an excellent job. Since accutane I got some cysts on my chin at the beginning which cleared up and a bunch of clogged pores started coming to the surface and popping out. I helped some of them out with a gentle squeeze but a lot of them just came out on their own in the shower. The power of accutane! I used to get 4-5 new clogged pores a week and since accutane it had slowed to maybe 1-2 every 2 weeks. How long is your course?
Currently I have maybe 2-3 small clogs on my entire face and it is the smoothest and oil free I have ever felt! I haven't had a pimple in weeks. My only real complaint so far is the chapped lips. My skin is not too dry at all. My hair has gotten a little dryer but I jus have to be careful about shampooing too much and using a moisturizing shampoo and good conditioner. I also started washing my hair once every other day. I started 30 mg today so I hope no IB happens and side effects don't get bad. I will have 6 months after this.
45 days
Its been about a week since I bumped up to 30mg. No new pimples, but my lips have been a little drier/flakier than before. Something a little strange I have been noticing - there are some raised swollen ish areas on my face, not like pimples, more like just areas of the skin seem a little irritated and slightly edema like. Mostly around my chin and a bit on the side of one of my cheeks. It even feels weird when I touch my skin, like just a little bit distended. I noticed ths to a lesser extent when I first started, but it went away in about a week so maybe this is the same thing. Has anyone ever had this before?
Still off the Spiro and hoping the abdominal area goes back to normal. I'm wondering a little if I gained a little fat around that area and it's not just swelling. I'm pretty thin, so it's hard for me to didcern the difference and no one else even notices except me. I've been working out at the gym a lot more than usual so if it is weight, probably due to the Spiro lowering my testosterone and causing estrogen dominance, I should know soon. I've considered that it could be the accutane but it seems very unlikely.
Turning 29 this week! The last year in my 20s, I guess I better make it a good one.
51 days
Been working out like crazy and restricting my calories. Lifting weights at the gym - trying to tone up. Soccer starts back up in a few weeks. I only occasionally feel poofy around my abdomen now. I've lost some fat around there in the past two weeks and am back to I think I had put on a couple lbs from Spiro and crazy hectic night classes all summer.
Face is great, still only chapped lips - if I could trade lips for clear skin the rest of my life Ide do if in a heart beat! I started wearing bronzer again this week - I stopped a couple years ago when my face was freaking out and I tried ruling everything out. I forgot how nice it was on smooth skin! People have even commented and told me how awesome my skin looks. 
Still no pimples but was noticing more noticeable scarring today. This happened before in my first month and then I felt like it kind of went away...and now is back. I don't know of it's the tane or this is just how my skin is now or what...but it's like every pimple I have ever picked left a slight slight indent. I showed my husband tonight and he said it maybe looked like I has a few patches of slightly different color but he couldn't see anything else. When I look closely at my skin tilted in light I can see indentations all over, like the skin is just uneven and needs to be smoothed out. Sometimes it worries me and sometimes it doesn't...I would just really like to know what it actually is and if there is anything I can do post tane to smooth it out. Can this heal or is it just tane doing weird things to the skin? Anyone have any exp with scarring and tane ?
I have the same thing. Sometimes I look in the mirror and think, "Yikes! That scarring is BAD." But the fact that it seems to come and go (some days look better, some days look worse) makes me think it's not as bad as it looks. I think the lack of oil just makes the skin look "sad" and makes the scarring and any wrinkles (I'm 21 HOW DO I HAVE WRINKLES!?) more noticeable, but as soon as oil production ramps up a little I think it plumps everything out a bit more and makes everything look healthier.
I've found a moisturiser which has rehydrated my skin to the point that the minor forehead wrinkles I'd developed from BP and differin use have disappeared. I've been using Eucerin Adjunctive Hydrating Care as my moisturiser since I started on accutane and I've experienced little to no dryness and my skin is very soft now. It has spf too which I really like. I don't know if it would be suitable for you, but I've found it makes my red marks and scars less noticeable because my skin isn't so dry.
70 days
I wish I could stay on accutane forever...except for the chapped lips....and possible liver damage and deformed baby possibilities...
Still no pimples since that second week. I get a small clogged pore maybe once a week.
Saw my derm last week and asked her if she saw scars (of course my face was glowing the day I went in there). She said all she could see was maybe a few discolored spots which would fade. She also told me I could stay on accutane as long as 10 months but I dont know about that...ide be way over my max dose. I asked her to calculate for my next appointment.
I am 100% sure accutane makes my skin texture change monthly....in sync with my cycle so probably related to estrogen levels. Last week my skin was glowing. I started the period this week and my chin and cheeks are are taking on that weird slightly swollen ish/not very smooth look that I have been getting since on accutane...but I am getting the hang of the drill now. This will last for about a week then go away and it will be normal looking for a few weeks, then super glowy then period time again. I wonder if its the hormone and oil levels changing, but reacting more sensitively because of the accutane. Orr the accutane is killing the oil glands when they act up that time of the month (yea I know that sounds real scientific). Anyways....its so weird how accutane effects skin texture from week to week! Generally I am in awe when I look in the mirror these days...its so smooth and clear.
I have been going and hanging out at the pool and have experienced 0 sun sensitivity. I wear spf on my face of course but havent on my body and I have just tanned like normal. Mosquito bites ( I get them almost daily) seem to last shorter time and get redder than ever before. My lips peel these days but I can deal with it. My nose (top) is dry and gets pink from time to time. The rest of my face and body are not dry at all.
Heres to month 3!
So it's been a little over a month since I got off Spiro. I wasn't sure enough to say this earlier, but today I for sure have an increase in oil. It's not like my face before but noticeably oilier than it had been in months. Been increasing the past few days. My nose isn't really even dry right now either and that has been dry the whole time.
Has any one noticed random increases in oil during acutane course, or could it possibly be my body adjusting from the Spiro change?
2.5 months
I have my first pimple in almost 2 months...I guess it was bound to happen at some point. And it's not even that time of the month. I had a pimple on my shoulder blade a few days ago (which was my first pimple period in 2 months) so I guess they come in pairs (hoping not packs). It died in a day and a half. The face pimple is near my mouth..kind of halfway to my nose, and it's small but pink. Let's see what happens to face pimples while on accutane if I don't pick...I'm hoping this is just a random pimple and not some second breakout or something. My face has been spotless since week 2.
Anyone have any idea if you get off Spiro while on Accutane if you might breakout without the Spiro, even if the accutane should be taking care of all of it? I don't know what to expect without Spiro but it's been about 1.5 months now. That bloating I was getting while on it went away.
Starting month 4
That pimple I had a month ago went away in less than 2 days. Things are still going along pretty smoothly. No more pimples since and my skin still feels perfectly balanced, not too dry, not too oily. I put some oil free moisturizer on in the morning after my shower. I went to California for some surfing and it was amazing not having to worry even once about my skin.
Things to report:
dry peeling lips
every month after my period my skin gets kind of less smooth feeling with what I can only describe as slightly irritated/inflamed feeling in areas. Like some of my pores are attempting to do something but nothing is happening. This lasts for about a week or so then goes away. Very strange. I chalk it up to the accutane and whatever my skin is doing that time of the month with hormones. Its noticeable to no one but me.
Odd question - I am still having a GI issue (it started months before I started accutane, so it cannot be blamed on the tane) and if it doesnt clear up in another week the doc wants to do a colonoscopy. Can you have this done while on accutane?
5 Months to go until 150mg/kg!
Apparently I spoke too soon! Woke up with a pimple on the side of my chin this morning boo!
Second one since being clear on tane and it's almost exactly at the same time as last month...a few days after period stop. I thought PMS pimples were before not after!! ??
Well I guess if I get one pimple a month from now on I can live with that...I still have 5 months of tane so maybe it will still kill the monthly period pimple.
It's amazing how quickly pimples disappear on Accutane, isn't it? Although, I have one small cyst at the moment that's been hanging out longer than normal . . . grrrrrr.
I'm intrigued by your low-dose, long term treatment, and have been reading along. I'm on 40mg a day, with the plan to bump me up to 60mg for my fifth and sixth month, but I may not be able to tolerate it. In which case I'll go into a seventh. (I thought a sixth would do it, but I just did my calculations and realized I won't hit my cumulative dose that way).
Glad to hear things seem to be going well. As for your colonoscopy, check with your doctor, but I'm sure it will be fine. He/she knows you're on Accutane and would have brought up any possible issues.
Haven't posted in forever! I just started month 6 at 30mg per day. I now have 3 months left (for a total of 8) and haven't had a pimple in months. In the latter months I am noticing minor muscle and joint aches after I work out or am in the same position for a while. Delayed healing is deff noticeable on little cuts I get. On a brake from soccer until February so that's good. My triglycerides have somewhat elevated over the length of my blood work. Still well within normal but doubled from 53 to 106. Just something of note for those with liver issues or with unhealthy trig levels - accutane does mess with your liver. I haven't had alcohol in 7 months and am going to limit my meat and fat in the final months.
Here's to full remission afterwards. So far accutane has been a miracle!
6 months down
What has been everyone's experience with back pain in the later months of tane ? I have been having a lot of back pain mostly between my shoulder blades that won't go away along with a pulled muscle in my lower back/upper glute that hasn't healed in over 2 months.
In other news...6 month checkup last week. 2 months to go! Face is perfect, increased face and lip dryness in winter, Thank God I live in TX and it's only for two months. Haven't had a single pimple in like 3 months.
Soooo great!!
Im about 45 days in and cant wait to turn the corner and not break out anymore..hoping that is soon
Can I ask what moisturizer u are using?
Also is your dr ok with low dose longer treatment
I weigh 128 and im on 40mg
my dr wants to bump me to 128-130mg for 4-5
I would rather stay at 40mg for 7/8 mnths
but dr wants shorter duration and think if I dont go up to 80 mg treatment wont work
Thanks for any insight
glad things went so well
kim
I use Sanitas oil free moisturuzer and it's kept me from getting too dry for the past 6 months. I was pretty oily before though. I use aquifor and burts bees on the lips.
Yes my doc is ok with me doing the low dose for longer. Just as long as I get the cummulative dose in the end. A lot of recent studies are showing the same results with longer low dose but with much less side effects. Some docs are weird about changing what they are used to.
Soooo great!!
Im about 45 days in and cant wait to turn the corner and not break out anymore..hoping that is soon
Can I ask what moisturizer u are using?
Also is your dr ok with low dose longer treatment
I weigh 128 and im on 40mg
my dr wants to bump me to 128-130mg for 4-5
I would rather stay at 40mg for 7/8 mnths
but dr wants shorter duration and think if I dont go up to 80 mg treatment wont work
Thanks for any insight
glad things went so well
kim
I use Sanitas oil free moisturuzer and it's kept me from getting too dry for the past 6 months. I was pretty oily before though. I use aquifor and burts bees on the lips.
Yes my doc is ok with me doing the low dose for longer. Just as long as I get the cummulative dose in the end. A lot of recent studies are showing the same results with longer low dose but with much less side effects. Some docs are weird about changing what they are used to.
Soooo great!!
Im about 45 days in and cant wait to turn the corner and not break out anymore..hoping that is soon
Can I ask what moisturizer u are using?
Also is your dr ok with low dose longer treatment
I weigh 128 and im on 40mg
my dr wants to bump me to 128-130mg for 4-5
I would rather stay at 40mg for 7/8 mnths
but dr wants shorter duration and think if I dont go up to 80 mg treatment wont work
Thanks for any insight
glad things went so well
kim
Thanks os much
yup, I think that is y Dr for sure....said if I dont increase my dose it wont work
Hasnt she red benefits of low dose accutane treatments..ugh
i hate to do it but if she is persistent, I was thinking of taking the higher rx but only taking 40mg and not bumping..Im not going to do what I am not comfyw ith
My only issue is that I wont be monitored with blood tests etc
we shall see
might consider 50mg....
Good luck..hope things ocntinue ot go well!
kim
I have heard some people take a lower dose than what is prescribed because the doctor refuses to go lower. You could take only one pill or take one every other day. If your bloodwork has always been good, then that's probably not a huge concern. Pregnancy would be the most important thing to watch if you aren't having the blood tests. It is a shame some doctors do not keep up with new studies. My doctor told me to pay attention to my side affects and skip doses or do every other day depending on how it affects me.
I use Sanitas oil free moisturuzer and it's kept me from getting too dry for the past 6 months. I was pretty oily before though. I use aquifor and burts bees on the lips.
Yes my doc is ok with me doing the low dose for longer. Just as long as I get the cummulative dose in the end. A lot of recent studies are showing the same results with longer low dose but with much less side effects. Some docs are weird about changing what they are used to.
Soooo great!!
Im about 45 days in and cant wait to turn the corner and not break out anymore..hoping that is soon
Can I ask what moisturizer u are using?
Also is your dr ok with low dose longer treatment
I weigh 128 and im on 40mg
my dr wants to bump me to 128-130mg for 4-5
I would rather stay at 40mg for 7/8 mnths
but dr wants shorter duration and think if I dont go up to 80 mg treatment wont work
Thanks for any insight
glad things went so well
kimThanks os much
yup, I think that is y Dr for sure....said if I dont increase my dose it wont work
Hasnt she red benefits of low dose accutane treatments..ugh
i hate to do it but if she is persistent, I was thinking of taking the higher rx but only taking 40mg and not bumping..Im not going to do what I am not comfyw ith
My only issue is that I wont be monitored with blood tests etc
we shall see
might consider 50mg....
Good luck..hope things ocntinue ot go well!
kim
I hear ya!
NO WAY i can get pg..so that is absolutely NO concern
I thought b/w also monitored your liver?
My Dr did say that is the higher dose was too much...I could take baby steps up to 80mg..so go to 50, than 60, 70 ..rather than 40mg to 60mg to 80mg
BUT she still wanted me to get to 80mg day
I dont know why she is in such a rush..LOL
She seems sensitive to my minimal side effects of course she said if I felt depressed STOP asap (which is not at all an issue)
thanks again!
I see her the end of the mnth
kim
The blood work checks liver function by measuring your triglycerides and cholesterol. If those are high your liver is having a hard time. Avoid alcohol and high cholesterol foods if it starts to creep up.
I hear ya!
NO WAY i can get pg..so that is absolutely NO concern
I thought b/w also monitored your liver?
My Dr did say that is the higher dose was too much...I could take baby steps up to 80mg..so go to 50, than 60, 70 ..rather than 40mg to 60mg to 80mg
BUT she still wanted me to get to 80mg day
I dont know why she is in such a rush..LOL
She seems sensitive to my minimal side effects of course she said if I felt depressed STOP asap (which is not at all an issue)
thanks again!
I see her the end of the mnth
kim