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Second Round Of Accutane (40Mg), Here Goes Nothing.. (Pics)

 
MemberMember
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(@3wishes14)

Posted : 04/28/2015 5:03 pm

Day 71

 

Hi all! So last week I had two breakthroughs...

 

A week ago today I was feeling pretty low about the large bumps under my jaw. On my journey back from work though, I couldn't help but notice that some of them felt as if they'd developed/come to a head. I looked at my face in the mirror when I got home and sure enough I was able to pop a few! Ever since then, everything seems to have been going in the right direction. Everything is feeling flatter and everything is drying out. I had one new pimple come up on that area between top lip and nose again but that's been it. A mix of my instinct and experience on accutane last time tells me that I've reached a turning point here. I'm feeling excited!!!

 

Second breakthrough. Last Thursday I invested in Blistex 'relief cream' which is for cracked/dry/sore lips and it's by far been the best thing I've used so far. It heals my lips well and does not make them as red in colour as all the other things I've mentioned in this thread. Still not perfect though... But at least I don't have to apply it as much as I was applying the intensive moisturiser.

 

So feeling quite good at the moment. My self esteem is still quite low though as my scarring is bad.

 

Ongoing side effects: dry skin all over arms, massive mood swings (I've argued with just about all of my friends since beginning this- coincidence? Unlikely!) and dry skin.

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MemberMember
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(@3wishes14)

Posted : 05/04/2015 2:52 pm

Day 77

 

My right hand side of my jaw is continuing to look better and better. However, when I pull my skin taught there are still some little white bumps underneath so I know that JawGate is far from over.

 

My most problematic area at the moment is my chin. However, it's kind of a blessing in disguise because all the little bumps on my chin are finally coming to a head, albeit in a very very ugly way!

 

Lips are still so sore and one of the corners of my mouth is in a dire state at the moment. I'm still using blistex relief cream.

 

I thought a few weeks back that my pores were shrinking but I think I was wrong, they look pretty similar to be honest. Still feeling really down about my scars and feeling very self-conscious about myself at the moment :/

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MemberMember
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(@3wishes14)

Posted : 05/08/2015 2:15 pm

Day 81

 

Into the 80's! Getting there :)

 

Skin is continually improving. Things drying out and flattening out. I still have those small bumps under my right hand jaw but they don't seem to be doing anything at the moment! I would be so ecstatic if they just went down and didn't come to the surface.

 

Continued side effects: my lips are still horrific. Tips for cracked/dry corners of mouth desperately needed! However, the dry skin on my arms is getting better and I haven't had as many mood swings lately!

 

I notice my hair has grown a LOT over the last few months. Has anyone else noticed this on accutane? I have been treating my hair better lately, but my roots have grown massively so the fact it's growing from the root faster suggests something else is going on here!

 

Got my 3rd check up next week. I'll try and post pics at some point too!

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MemberMember
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(@3wishes14)

Posted : 05/10/2015 3:45 pm

Day 83

 

UGH!!!!

 

I knew something very bad was going to come of my dry, cracked mouth corner (right hand side). I woke up this morning with a large crusty scab! It's very painful and hurts when I talk and eat. After doing some research, i'm pretty sure i've got something called angular cheilitis. I took a picture but not sure if i'm going to upload it because it's pretty gross. Basically, the corner of my mouth (right side) has got infected which is unsurprising given how dry my lips have been whilst on accutane. Angular Cheilitis is a part fungal part bacterial infection.

 

Luckily, my family has a whole host of skin problems between us which means our bathroom cabinet is practically a pharmacy. My mum recommended something called Fucibet which she uses when her dry eczema becomes infected. I did a google search and there's a few people who have sworn by Fucibet for AC although on most websites it says that Fucibet isn't suitable for fungal infections so that's a bit confusing..

 

The good news is that I have my 3rd derm check up on Tuesday so I will be asking her to prescribe something for me. I really need this gone in the next two weeks!

 

Oh accutane. I really do hate you! I had another small bump on jaw come up today so slowly but surely things are continuing to get clear. I just wish I didn't have to spend my days slathering cream all over my lips and now smearing anti-bacterial cream on this disgusting cretin in the corner of my mouth. The things we do eh?

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MemberMember
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(@3wishes14)

Posted : 05/12/2015 2:40 pm

Day 85

 

THREE MONTHS!

 

Three whole months on accutane have gone by. I had my third derm check-up today. She is happy with my progress and has confirmed that this will now be my las t prescription! This time in 4 weeks I will be popping my last pill :)

 

My angular cheilitis has calmed down slightly... it's not crusty and awful anymore but the cracks in my lip are still there. I have been prescribed an anti-bacterial cream by the derm to deal with that.

 

Got a new pimple on my neck and, sadly, one on jaw gate. Told you those bumps were still coming to the surface :/ Quite worrying really seeing that i'm 3 months in. However, technically the ones coming up on my jaw aren't really new pimples... they have been sitting under the skin as little bumps brewing for quite a while.

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MemberMember
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(@3wishes14)

Posted : 05/26/2015 8:07 am

Day 99

 

Hi everyone

 

It's been a while since my last post.. But it's fair to say that things got worse after my last post on day 85. Lots of bumps becoming inflamed etc in the usual areas, jaw and chin! I was feeling really down but things are a lot better now- especially my chin where I don't think I have any bumps left!

 

Side effects are the same plus I have been getting some red non-itchy rashes on my arms. can't wait for my lips to go back to normal when this is all over, I'm sick of the comments from everyone!

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MemberMember
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(@3wishes14)

Posted : 06/01/2015 3:41 pm

Day 105

 

Grr grr and grr. I'm nearly done with my fourth and final month, so why do I feel dreadful? Two small bumps on jawgate have ballooned into two painful lumps and I've got a new pimple between my cheek and nose (right hand side of my face). What on earth is going on!?! :( I feel terrible. Only one week left. I was long clear by now on my first round.

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MemberMember
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(@linndk)

Posted : 06/02/2015 3:35 am

Hi 3wishes14

 

I'm on my second round too!

Couldn't you talk to your derm about prolonging your course? Because it sounds like such a waste of the time you have already spent, to stop your course now?

I am currently in month 7 of 20 mg/day.

Crossing my fingers for you!

 

Linn

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MemberMember
3
(@3wishes14)

Posted : 06/03/2015 2:19 pm

Hi 3wishes14

I'm on my second round too!

Couldn't you talk to your derm about prolonging your course? Because it sounds like such a waste of the time you have already spent, to stop your course now?

I am currently in month 7 of 20 mg/day.

Crossing my fingers for you!

Linn

Hi! Unfortunately I'm away next week when my last appointment is, so im not seeing my derm for a while- by which time I would have already been off accutane for two weeks. I will still see what she says though, maybe she can put me on a low dose. Hope your course is going well!

 

Day 107

 

So deflated.

 

I've got another cold sore. Thanks a bunch accutane! I swear that there is always something on this drug. If my lips aren't covered in cold sores, my arms are covered in scaly dry patches. If I'm not having a breakout then my lips are peeling red raw. There is just always something!

 

Only positive is that that group of spots I mentioned in my last post are beginning to dry out!

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MemberMember
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(@3wishes14)

Posted : 06/21/2015 6:41 am

So sorry for the lack of updates everyone - I have been blogging but haven't had chance to add them here, so I will backtrack!

 

Day 109

 

Jawgate is still drying out, but had a nasty spot come up on the back of my neck!

 

Day 110

 

Got the most painful spot right on my forehead. Hurts constantly! Why oh why am I getting new spots...

 

Day 112

 

Jaw gate spots are still disappearing one by one which is good to see, but the area is still pretty itchy. In other news - this morning, I reduced my dose from 60mg to 20mg as i'm on vacation and don't want my bleeding, peeling, cracked lips to ruin it! Let's see how this goes

 

Day 116

 

Lips are defnitely not as dry as they were. They aren't peeling and i'm managing them with nivea lip balm applied every 45 minutes or so! I've not had any new spots/bumps come up on Jaw Gate at all so the area is seeming flatter.. but I do have two enlarged bumps that have been hanging around for a while. Spot on head has gone.

 

Day 120

 

LAST DAY ON ACCUTANE!! I've just taken my last tablet! My skin is looking pretty good but I am terrified to stop taking it given that i still have two 'active' bumps on Jaw Gate. All the way through my journey on both Doxy and Accutane i've talked about these small white dots under my skin which manifest as these large, sometimes itchy bumps mostly on my right hand jaw and some on chin. Well I must have had nearly 100 at the beginning of my journey. Nearly all of these have manifested as these large bumps and then gone which has been a VERY slow process. I now have about 1 white dot on my chin and 3 on my jaw. Although this is a huge improvement, I am gutted that I am at the end of my journey and still have a few dots which I know will show their heads at some point. Last time I was on accutane, although I did;t have this type of acne, I remember being clear for a long time before the end of my journey was over. I will continue blogging over the next few weeks!

 

Day 3 Post-Accutane

 

So one of those two lingering bumps on my jaw has finally gone. The other came to a head this afternoon so squeezed it- that will hopefully flatten down now too. Although my lips were very well behaved on holiday, since i've been home they've been very dry again and i've had some cracking in the evenings. They still aren't as bad as they were but i'm surprised how slowly they are improving. On the flip side, at least I know that the accutane is still in my system and (hopefully) still doing some work!?

 

Day 5 Post-Accutane (today)

 

I could swear my lips are drier still! I've also had very dry eyes over the past few days. I've not had any new spots, breakouts, no more dots coming to the surface.. but this morning I did squeeze a very tiny blackhead on my chin which I hadn't noticed before. I hope this isn't already the start of a slippery slope to relapse!!?

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MemberMember
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(@jaimieb94)

Posted : 06/25/2015 8:27 pm

I would really try talking to your doctor about prolonging your treatment! Many logs that I have read sound similar to yours- a rough first few months but then a miraculous turn around in months 5 and 6! Hopefully your doctor will do whatever it takes to help you out!

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MemberMember
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(@3wishes14)

Posted : 07/07/2015 2:56 pm

Day 7 post-accutane

 

Had my final check-up today! It was very brief. Mentioned that some of the bumps are still going down but my derm was reluctant to keep me on accutane for any longer and I was OK with that!

 

Day 16 post-accutane

 

The dry lips are really starting to wear off fast! I've been leaving the house this week forgetting to apply lip balm and to be honest, not really needing to either.

 

Day 22 post-accutane

 

Uh oh. Disaster has struck. I've had a lot of milk spots pop up on my face, about an inch or so under my eye. I stupidly squeezed one yesterday and did manage to get some white stuff out of it. However, i've now got a zit brewing not far from where the milk spot was and it can't be a coincidence! It's my fault for squeezing the milk spot. This new gigantic spot i've got is brewing under the surface right underneath all my ugly pores.

 

Day 23 post-accutane.

 

The spot has escalated. It has three white heads! I squeezed one head last night but there are two remaining. This is the worst spot I can ever remember having...

 

Day 31 post-accutane (today, I think!)

 

Luckily the mega-spot went down but there is a small scar there still. Wouldn't be surprised if it scarred permanently! I've had one tiny blackheady type thing come up next to my mouth but nothing else. My skin is looking pretty amazing now minus all the scarring of course! On the down side, today was the first time in forever I can remember my hair feeling and looking greasy, seems like the oil is returning!

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