DAY 85 UPDATE

iPledge is the single most absolutely annoying, frustrating, stressful thing in this whole process. I wanna pull my hair out!
I understand the consequences!! I don't wanna have unhealthy children!! I will not get pregnant!! Ugh!

Anywayz, I just transferred over to my new doctor (who's a little erratic) & luckily he was able to do the iPledge for me again so I wouldn't have to go get more blood taken. BUT hes talking about getting me off the medicine after this month. I'M BARELY ON MY 4TH MONTH. what if I break out all over again after he takes me off & all my progress is lost?

So here's where I'm at...

• My skin looks really good! I have no active pimples right now! When I put makeup on you can't really see anything besides some scars & dry skin. But i think with time my scars will look way better too!
• Back still has just a few lingering pimples but it's looking a lot clearer as well!
• I feel great, no crazy mood swings or anything.
• Extremely dry nose. I've never experienced anything like it :/ but its a super minor symptom.
• Dry lips aren't to bad they're manageable now.
• Haven't experienced bad hair loss... just a slight normal amount.
• To be honest i haven't been the best at drinking a lot of water & moisturizing. I forget all the time or i'm lazy lol. Upper arms & the backs of my hands are dry & flaky. I put hydrocortizone on them so they don't itch.
• My hip muscles get sore, like the front & sides of my hips. The back of my ankle/heel also gets really sore.
• My face been very red too but i hear that goes away after i'm off the medication. It also feels hot for all reasons. Its just sensitive right now.

DAY 90 UPDATE

Yay i finished 3 months & starting on my 4th month! My face looks sooo good I haven't had a pimple for awhile, it feels too good to be true!
My face looks really dry & flaky. When I put make up on it makes my face look bad but its only temporary... grrr. My back is clearing up as well I think I just have a few scabs now. Still have that dry nose. Skin cuts very easily & turns red & hot very easily too.

Looking forward to amazing skin!!!!!!!!!!!

Day 90 After 3 months on Accutane

DAY 100 UPDATE

Friday was my 100th day on Accutane.

I've gotten a few pimples around my face but they clear up fast.

As for my back i'm still breaking out every so often :/

I'm getting dry patches of skin on my arms & back & chest & chin.

I'm scared my Derm is gunna take me off Accutane i wanna finish out the course! & not have it come back after i finish! ):

I want these gone forever!!! haha

holy crap!
your skin looks amaaaaaazzzzzing!
mist be thrilled

u were on 40mg the entire course? is your Dr going to have u stay on 5mnth course?

Kim

Kimber: Thank you! I started at 40 mg then my dose doubled to 80 mg a day after the first month. I want to stay on it for my 5th month to finish out the course & be done with this for good! But my last docter visit my new doctor told me he wanted to take me off already. I will see him again Wednesday next week & he will decide if hes gunna take me off or not. I really hope he doesn't im scared to lose my progress ):

I hope your journey with Accutane is going good! Do you have a Log?

DAY 110 UPDATE

So I have my doctors app on Wednesday & we'll see if i'm gunna stay on for the 5th month. I'm pretty sure hes gunna take me off of it. At this point i'm either or.

So i'm going through a breakup & its really hard.. & i'm not sure if the Accutane is effecting me but I've never felt so low... I've had breakups before but this really hurts :/ i mean i'm not suicidal or anything so I don't think its a problem but I have been very stressed lately... I haven't been eating properly, I can't sleep, I feel weak, I feel nauseous, I can't really function... i've lost weight & everyone says I look horrible ): idk...

• Well my skin looks great! People say it looks awesome & that they didn't expect it to take away so many of my scars!
• My back still gets the occasional pimple -___- but its a lot better than before.
• My lips are still constantly peeling. I hate putting on so much chapstick all the time I feel like I eat so much chapstick throughout the day it makes me sick ;/
• My lips don't crack at the sides anymore & they haven't for a while. Thank goodness!
• I get small dry patches around my chin, back, chest, & arms.
• My hair is amazing! I haven't really experienced any abnormal hair loss, but it never gets all greasy!! the only think is I feel like it doesn't really grow due to being so dry..
• I feel ok walking around without makeup now! I mean sometimes its best to put some on to cover up the redness & look even more freaking amazing but as of right now i'm so excited with my results!

It's crazy sometimes I look in the mirror & think I have make up on! & then i remember i don't... it feels great!

Sorry about the break up

I def feel more moody and emotional at times on tane

Im also lethargic so I think feeling tired alot makes normal things feel more streffsul (never mind a break up)

i dont have a loh

My tane schedule has been a little wacky

I started 2 week son 20mg and moved up to 40mg the following 2 weeks

I than bumped up to 60mg for about 2 mnths until my eyes went nutty

thought I was going to have to stop tane but worked through it

I staye don 60mg for a while but bumped down to 40mg as my lips were insane and my eye trouble started popping up

My Dr wanted me on a 5 mnth course but I was never able to make it up to 80mg

So now I may add a 7th mnth

My plan is to get to a cumm dose of around 9600 (130 pounds)

IDK my 5 mnth anni was 4/17 and today i got, though small, 4-5 tiny tiny prominent red bumps

Ive been feeling pretty low today

BUT my Dr said if I am not getting large breakouts or cysts she still may want me to stop at 6 mnth

Good luck to you!

If your skin looks great at 5 mnths and you have reached your cumm dose..may not need to continue

BUT I know how scary it is to stop early fearing a relapse

GL

Kim

I am on day 10 of 60mg a day at the moment and have only had minor side effects, reading your log has made me drink more water that's for sure!

> dry lips, started cracking in the corners today

> dry, flaky skin, putting any sort of moisturiser on burns like crazy but I just sit tight! Also, purring babies sun cream factor 50+ also burns!

> dry mouth and nose has flaky bits of blood every morning..

I've been taking mine around 12-1 so will try later tonight! Have also found I wake up around 4-5am every morning, it's driving me crazy and making me super tired everyday I'm in work!

Luckily the pregnancy prevention program here in UK is urine samples on every derm visit

Pics look fab! I will make a log after a month, I'm keeping a daily diary at the moment

Kimber: Thank you (: have you talked to your doctor about how you've been feeling? & yeah you're right about being lethargic & it being stressful :/ I've been feeling a little better so that's good! Yes the 80mg was intense but I pushed through. The worst I have right now is the incredibly peeling dry lips... like they are moisturized 24/7 but they still peel regardless ;/ How's your progress coming along?

Krystelle: Best of luck to you! I started off at 40mg for the first month then got bumped up to 80mg. Yeah water is your savior!! haha you will notice the difference in side effects depending on how much water you drink (: Omg the cracked corners of your lips is the worst )):

I so hear u

My lips werent that bad the first few mnths but now I cant do anything about it

I apply lip balm every 30min..drink more water

what has helped a little is using a humidifier at night

The last time i spot to my derm she thinks the red mark or red bumps arent breakouts but dur to dehydration

BUT I disagree because i used more moisturizer..even bought a hydrating toner/spray and i still get them in the same areas

I see my derm again next week

wish me luck!

thats awesome u pushed through the high dose and will be done soon!

DAY 120 UPDATE

Just finished taking 4 months of Accutane! My doctor took me off because he said I was on a high dose & he didn't want me to stay on it more. So i'm done with all the appointments! Except that last blood test. I'm bittersweet about it. I wish i could stay longer & never have another pimple for the rest of my life haha but i'm also glad to get my body off this medication. IDK

Total of 8,400mg (still have 480mg left - 12 pills 40mg each left) so technically i've only taken 7,920mg

So I have like 6 days worth of pills left... & I stopped taking them a few days ago... is it ok if I take a week break then finish them off? I just freaked myself out a little bit & feel like my body NEEDED a break. After a week i'm gunna finish taking the rest & i'll spread it out to 12 days 40mg a day...

So the reason I freaked out is kinda TMI but here goes: I noticed some blood in my booty when I would go to the restroom. I guess it could be several things but I just wanted to play it safe & take a little break. What I think it is is i'm just really dry & maybe it was just a little tear down there which i've heard is common for people on this. But it could also be more serious things so i freaked out & im taking a little break. I hope it doesn't mess up my progress )):

I got a pimple by my eyebrows... I think its cystic... WTH!!! I'm so upset I was under the impression that I wasn't gunna have cystic acne anymore at least for a while...

Also, should I be scared to come off of birth control??? Am I gunna break out like before if I come off of it??? I'm scared ))): I've heard stories of girls getting off birth control & breaking out pretty bad )): I don't want to stay on birth control permanently...

Im NO Dr but I have to say I wouldn't take a break if u can push through only 14 more days!

From what I understand the cummalative dose is important and think breaks mess that up..though not sure exactly how log the break would be for it to really be an issue

Unfort. some still break out until the course end

after u stop tane is still in your system and still working

GOOD LUCK

sorry about the

nasty

side effects

feel your pain

kim

DAY 140 UPDATE

Just took my last pill! Total 8,400mg

I took like a 8 day break & took my last 12 pills once a day instead of twice.

I feel good! My face has been good the only thing is I got little red bumps on the tip of my nose & idk what they were I don't think they were pimples.

I LOVE MY FACE!!!

I'M SO HAPPY WITH MY RESULTS!!!!!!!!!!

My only thing now is just the scars but that's something for another day! Oh & I still get a few big pimples on my back but I can tolerate that I guess.

I have more confidence! I feel great!! I'll try to post a progress picture soon!

Awesome results! Standard American dermatologist dosing is 120-150mg/kg total cumulitive dose and you're coming in at about 132mg/kg. Most studies show that doses on the higher end or even higher than 150mg/kg offer better results that are longer lasting. You sure you don't want to go for another month at 40mg? Day 120 is tomorrow for me and I'm going to stay on until my derm won't let me anymore lol.

POST ACCUTANE UPDATE

Its been about 40 days since I took my last pill & I just wanted to stop by & give you guys an update!

Not many threads on here post after they finish unless its negative so here it is!!

WHY DIDN'T I DO THIS 5 YEARS SOONER!!! THIS IS MAGIC!!!

I HAVEN'T HAD A SINGLE PIMPLE ON MY FACE!!!

MY CONFIDENCE & SELF ESTEEM HAVE IMPROVED.

I CAN LOOK PEOPLE IN THE EYE WITHOUT HAVING A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN.

MY FRIENDS & FAMILY CAN'T BELIEVE MY FACE.

I FEEL LIKE MY ACNE WAS A HORRIBLE DREAM FROM THE PAST!

The reason I say I should have done this sooner is because my skin is not perfect.

I have a lot of scars from all the years of having acne.

I've read almost everywhere that Accutane does not help scars,

but in my experience with it, it helped fade my scars substantially but not completely.

I have to wait 6 months after getting off Accutane to do laser treatments to help my scars subside.

I'm just looking forward to that now!!

For the moment, I am ecstatic with my results!!

We are never truly happy & we are always trying to better ourselves or fix something else.

So as of now, I am extremely grateful to have clear skin for the first time in about 10 years!

hey, how is your skin doing now? do you have an instagram or anything with current pics?? looks AMAZING

Hey, how is everything going? Could we get an update please?

On 1/13/2015 at 10:06 AM, BriGar91 said:

Well this is my first post & I guess i'll fill you in. (Started 1st pill Jan. 1st)

 

I'm 23 & I have had acne since I can remember. I don't know what it feels like to wake up with smooth, soft, even just clear skin. I've tried multiple treatments from pills to creams to gels to routines to diets to birth control to chemical peels. Nothing has worked for me, so this is my last resort.

I was trying to avoid Accutane because of all the harsh side effects & I want to have kids in the future. I heard about a lot risks & I looked into it more & heard that women have been fine as long as you wait a while before having kids. So i'm not planning on making babies till maybe a year after i'm off this drug.

Anyways, I went to the doctors & I told him I wanted to get on Accutane because nothing else has worked & he agreed & made sure I was ok to be on it. Went to get a blood test & fainted (turns out i'm not good with needles lol). Everything checked out.

The doctor put me on a 5 month course of Myorisan (generic brand) one 40mg pill per day to take with food. (i'm 5'5 & 140 lbs if that matters)

 

Lets see how it goes!!! *fingers crossed*

 

Feel free to give me some input !

Not worth the side affects. Oil on skin doubled after 6 months of treatment. Developed sebaceous hyperplasia, and my sinuses are all messed up!!