11 hours ago, Juwalker said:

I was advised to take the dose (60mg) altogether with your main meal for optimum performance. I asked about 20mg of fat idea ( because I had read that advice somewhere) but the doc said that it is just advised as above and to keep eating healthily. Did have fat in main meal though which was probably around 20 mg including pudding ( chocolate). Had a probiotic drink too each day which I also read somewhere was advisable . Had last dose yesterday. All finished now. Skin totally clear on face. Back almost there. Doc said will remain in system and keep improving for up to 6 weeks. Good luck!

Didn't take any vitamins at all during the accutane course. Previous to course took a multivitamin and omega 3 and will go back to that in about 6 weeks.

Glad to hear that hydrocortisone helped. Did that also. Stopped and started as needed. No prob with that.

Unlucky about the cold. Hope it keeps improving.

Thanks for the advice. I will stick with the full 60mg with my main meal. I just took my first 60mg dose, spacing them out by 5 mins or so seemed to help my stomach. Have been thinking about taking milk thistle to clear my liver a bit or fish oil/glucosamine to ease joint pain but am probably already taking too much other stuff.

Glad to hear that you have had such a positive experience, what were your side effects? Bet you're really pleased to finally be done and have clear skin. Do you now have a lot of red marks and/or scars to contend with?

One other thing I noticed whilst I was at the gym today, is that I seem to bleed a lot more than normal. Had the tiniest cut on my finger and an absurd amount of blood came out of it. Nothing serious, just a bit annoying, probably due to the blood thinning effect of accutane.

Side effects included very dry lips ( cracked corners, other facial skin was not dry though, redness, headaches at times ( manageable and occasional), achey back and joints, fatigue, dry eyes (not to the extent that needed drops) , feeling low in mood on occasions but may be due to tiredness and when acne flared in early days generally. Delicate skin that cut and scratched easily. All temporary and not severe. Top of back still has a pustule and some blackheads / white bumps. Not sure why that hasn't totally cleared up. Hopefully will. Forgot to say that took the tablets 3X2Omg at same time with approx 100-150ml of milk and main meal and had no stomach issues. We are all different though I suppose! Good luck.

Redness generally but can't really see any red marks as such. Have heard red marks and redness does continue to fade throughout and post the course.

Day 38: no real changes to my skin, with this being my 8th day on the higher dose of 60mg. Still breaking out just as regularly as I was pre-accutane.

Side effects wise, nothing major, hair is less oily which is nice, I'm now washing it once every other day which I've never done before.

Skin has days of being dry and flaky but easy to moisturise and sort that out.

I get back pain and some other joint pains quite a lot but that's manageable.

I've found my new favourite moisturiser which is cerave pm, goes on really light but is moisturising.

Dr dan's cortibalm finally arrived (which has hydrocortisone in it) and I've found it nowhere near as good as using standard OTC hydrocortisone cream for lip cracks.

Fatigue has been better the last few days for some reason, not sure if that's just better sleep or accutane related. Surprising given that I'm now on a higher dose.

Day 45: so I think my skin may be getting a bit better, still lots of active acne but they are less angry than they have been previously. I've got one particularly horrible cyst on my neck at the moment though which is uncommon.

Lips have been really dry the last few days, and very flaky at the ends so I'm back on the hydrocortisone trying to repair the damage.

I have a blood test coming up next week which I'm hoping goes okay.

I got complimented by a family member the other day, saying that my skin had improved and was less red. I'm not sure whether this was just them trying to be nice tbh, as they know I am on the drug and if anything accutane tends to make your skin more red.

I'm back to washing my hair oncea day again as the oil seems to have returned there.

The inside of my nose is really dry and even one night of not putting aquaphor up there will make it really uncomfortable. Some strangely coloured liquid will come out of nose the morning after.

Day 60:

So by my count, I just took my 60th pill of accutane. A few things to update on:

-I had my blood test and although I haven't had the all clear yet, I had a skin over the differences between this time and last time and although cholesterol levels etc. have gone up, it was still in the reasonable range. So hoping this will be fine.

-Continuing to feel very tired all the time

-My skin seems to be dry by the afternoon/evening, regardless of which moisturiser I use, does everyone else have this problem?

-Lips are exceptionally dry despite regular aquaphor and hydrocortisone use. When I wake up in the morning, they will be very cracked and sore even after nighttime application. I had my first experience of my lips bleeding in public the other day which was fun.

-Inside of the nose is still dry and bloody. Also occasionally get blood in my spit as well, feels phlegmy so nose related I believe, derm said not to worry.

-Still getting joint pains, mainly on my back

-Not sure if I have any brain fog as such, I do seem less productive than usual but that may just be a placebo effect.

-In terms of my skin, my derm said that he counted 24 acne of various sorts of my face when I first visited him. By his count now, it is currently 10. So still a long way to go but has improved.

-Any clearing of acne has just left lots of hyperpigmentation and some scarring, my skin has in the past seemed exceptionally slow to heal from this.

-2 and half months left, I can't wait to be off this drug, it feels like I am damaging myself with every pill.

You are healing yourself not damaging yourself. It will get better. Hyperpigmentation will fade and is far better than acne. All the very best. Keep strong.

Day 73:not really much change to be honest.

In terms of my skin:
-Fewer breakouts on my cheeks, but one massive cyst next to my ear which has lingered for 10 days or so and another on my neck
-Breaking out more on my neck than previously
-Probably still around 10 active acne

Side effects wise:
-Still got a bloody and runny nose and sometimes spit blood.
-I have started getting abdominal pains, I already have acid reflux and have read a lot about isotretinoin and digestive changes so I feel it could be related to that. Not too painful but have consulted by derm to see what he says
-Skin rashes on my hands and chest have got worse and more noticeable
-Not much back pain recently
-Skin around my mouth is exceptionally dry as are my lips. Have found lip cream for cold sores to be better than hydrocortisone for cracks.
-Have felt slight mood changes and just generally being unhappy. Happy to go through this for what could be the end result.
-Continuing to be very tired throughout the day, regardless of how much sleep I get

Hoping I reach thethe stage soon that everyone talks about where your skin improves every day. Around 2 months left now. It feels like I've been on this drug half of my life.

Day 84:

My skin has improved since I last updated, probably done to about 5 actives, still got those cysts next to my ear and neck, but they have gone down a bit. Lots of redness and some scarring.

Side effects:
-Stomach pains are less frequent and painful. My derm didn't seen bothered about these when I raised it, just said if it bothered me I could reduce my dose. Will just carry on.
-I had a really sore foot, along the side where the bone is, for around 7 days, where it hurt to even walk. This happened a couple of days after a long run so impossible to say if its isotretinoin related, but it was a strange one.
-Felt dizzy when I woke up this morning but that has gone.
-Still getting bloody and runny nose and occasionally spit
-Lips haven't been too bad lately
-Hand rash appears to have gone for the time being
-Getting back pain more regularly
-Have been less tired lately and generally happier

51 days to go and counting. I am getting there!

Any before or after pics?
I'm starting a 4 month course of 70mg next week!

On 02/03/2018 at 2:08 PM, jPablo said:

Any before or after pics?
I'm starting a 4 month course of 70mg next week!

I won't be posting any pictures, sorry! Hopefully all of the above can be of some help regardless.

Good luck, are they putting you on 70mg straight from the start? Or 35mg for the first month?

Day 92: So I've (in theory) had all my remaining pills delivered. So I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

A bit concerned though as I was delivered 40 more days (aka 130 days total), but was told my course would be 4.5 months so an extra 5 days. I have read a lot around success rates etc. and it seems a cumulative dose of 120 mg/kg is the best recipe for not having a relapse. At 130 days I would be just shy of this so I am going to call my derm's PA to hopefully get this ironed out.

In terms of my skin, I've had 1 new cyst on my left cheek which is disappointing. Still got the lingering two cysts next to my ear and on my neck. The one near my ear has improved a lot though. No noticeable improvements to my skin tone but I do think it's a lot smoother, probably just because of the lack of actives I have at the moment.

In terms of side effects:
-Very fatigued, but working long hours at work atm so difficult to isolate that to the accutane
-Still got a bloody nose 24/7, not bothered about this
-Lips are dry but not cracked, lots of aquaphor use
-Skin has been particularly dry recently
-Having some back pain

Not much else to report really, counting down the days now!

1 hour ago, vtr said:

I won't be posting any pictures, sorry! Hopefully all of the above can be of some help regardless.

Good luck, are they putting you on 70mg straight from the start? Or 35mg for the first month?

 

Day 92: So I've (in theory) had all my remaining pills delivered. So I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

A bit concerned though as I was delivered 40 more days (aka 130 days total), but was told my course would be 4.5 months so an extra 5 days. I have read a lot around success rates etc. and it seems a cumulative dose of 120 mg/kg is the best recipe for not having a relapse. At 130 days I would be just shy of this so I am going to call my derm's PA to hopefully get this ironed out.

In terms of my skin, I've had 1 new cyst on my left cheek which is disappointing. Still got the lingering two cysts next to my ear and on my neck. The one near my ear has improved a lot though. No noticeable improvements to my skin tone but I do think it's a lot smoother, probably just because of the lack of actives I have at the moment.

In terms of side effects:
-Very fatigued, but working long hours at work atm so difficult to isolate that to the accutane
-Still got a bloody nose 24/7, not bothered about this
-Lips are dry but not cracked, lots of aquaphor use
-Skin has been particularly dry recently
-Having some back pain

Not much else to report really, counting down the days now!

Yeah starting and staying on 70mg! Hope everything clears up great for you

Another milestone reached, today is my 100th day on accutane! It feels like its gone quickly but at the same time has taken ages.

No new or that bothersome side effects to add to the above, happy to put up with dry lips etc. for what Im hoping is the end result.

So I now have 35 days left and I will reach the magical 120mg/kg.

I still have those same three spots (lol) but they are healing. No new ones and for the first time since I can remember, it doesnt feel like Im about to get any new ones either, there is nothing lurking beneath the surface.

I still havesome scars and lots of redness, I am hoping they will start to fade over the remainder of my course.

I cansee the light at the end of this dark tunnel.

2 hours ago, vtr said:

Another milestone reached, today is my 100th day on accutane! It feels like its gone quickly but at the same time has taken ages.

No new or that bothersome side effects to add to the above, happy to put up with dry lips etc. for what Im hoping is the end result.

So I now have 35 days left and I will reach the magical 120mg/kg.

I still have those same three spots (lol) but they are healing. No new ones and for the first time since I can remember, it doesnt feel like Im about to get any new ones either, there is nothing lurking beneath the surface.

I still havesome scars and lots of redness, I am hoping they will start to fade over the remainder of my course.

I cansee the light at the end of this dark tunnel.

Great news buddy! Congrats

I think my counting has been a little off over the course of the last few posts!

I have 27doses remaining, which puts my final pill to be taken on 22ndApril.

I have been a bit disappointed of late tbh, I have developed 2 new cysts, so I currently have 4 actives, with not long left on my course. No signs of the redness reducing anytime soon either. I have seen loads of comments about acne being quick to heal on accutane, for me, it seems to take far longer for spots to heal.

I have an appointment with my derm next week, so I will see what he says then. I don't want to be on accutane much longer but at the same time, if it means clearance for the foreseeable future, I would be happy to carry on.

16 days to go!

Just had an appointment with my derm who confirmed he's happy with my progress and for me to stop accutane. I was pretty worried going in as I still have 3 actives (not new ones from the above) but they are getting smaller. He said that they will continue to get smaller and that the drug will stay in my system for 6-8 weeks. Okay to start drinking again after 2.

No new acne to report. Redness hasn't improved at all really but just happy that I will be off the drug in 16 days time. Counting down now!

My derm warned me against using any topicals till I absolutely need it and to just go without at first, no topical retinoid or anything like that. He also warned of the sun, which is getting more of a problem due to the time of the year in the UK.

Just took my final pill. Really happy to be finished and no longer have to take accutane. Hopefully my battle with acne has now come to an end.

In terms of my skin, I have 1 active (not bothered about this), I'm sure it will pass and the red marks/scars are very slowly starting to fade.

Side effects wise, nothing major, the usual dry lips, skin isn't too dry, still feeling fatigued and getting joint aches, eyes are dry and sore.

Really hope I can now go about my life without having to constantly worry about my skin. I hope this has been of use to some of you, I will update now and again in terms of how my skin and side effects are getting on. Onwards and upwards.

3 weeks post accutane:

-Skin still completely clear, no signs of any acne emerging as of yet.

-Still contending with red marks, shallow scars etc. I went to my derm to discuss what I can do about this and he suggested that from 5 weeks post accutane onwards I should have 2 dermarolling sessions and a peel which will cost around 700 so I will be starting that process in July. The way I see it, if someone looked at me on the street previously, they would say I have acne. Now, someone would say I used to have acne. Now, I want to get to the stage that no-one would know I ever had acne.

-Joint pains have got better but lingering a bit, I am taking flaxseed oil and glucosamine w/ fish oil
-Eyes are still a bit sore and red but have improved
-Lips not particularly dry, once a day application of lip balm is now enough
-Skin not dry at all
-Still able to wash my hair once every other day which is an added bonus
-Fatigue has largely disappeared
-Skin routine is just cleanse with cetaphil gentle cleanser in the morning and apply simple lightwieght moisturiser with added neutrogena clear face spf30 together afterwards. Nothing in the evening. Keeping it simple.

11 weeks post accutane:
Still very few spots and skin remaining clear.

I have started a course of treatment to help with the remaining hyperpigmentation and scars. I have just undergone by first dermastamp treatment which was incredibly painful! I have 1 more scheduled in around 5 weeks then I will have a peel after that. I am using vitamin c serum morning and night and using lots of sun protection.

No real lingering accutane effects that I am aware of.

Hi all, it really pains me to say that a little over 8 months after my course finished, my acne has returned.

It started a month or so back where I was getting a couple of small pimples and I just put up with it, given it didn't seem too bad. Now I am getting angry cysts on my face, chest and back. The acne isn't yet as bad as it was pre-accutane but that was post a particularly unsuccessful skin treatment and I feel like my skin is getting worse bythe day.

At a complete lost end and feeling very unhappy again, I never thought I would be coming back on here again, it is devastating. My derm isn't around till a couple of weeks so without his advice, the next couple of weeks will be painful.

I still also have a good deal of red marks and scars lingering despite 3 dermastamp procedures.