Hey guys!

 

I want to start accutane and have already seen the dermatologist and he said I was a perfect candidate, so we went through the ipledge stuff and did the blood tests. I'm suppose to get the login for the program in the mail, but I haven't been home in like 2 weeks due to Christmas.

 

I am 17 (18 in May) and have somewhere from moderate to what I think is bad acne. It's also really bad on my back (already scarred pretty bad) and on my chest. (not too bad on my chest) I get really deep and big spots on my chin I've tried everything from antibiotics to creams and nothing worked. (I'm also really small, 100lbs, so I'm guessing my dosage won't be that high)

 

 

Only problem I'm having is my mother and having her be on the same page as me. At first when we went to my PC she was all for it and supportive. She then started talking to my aunt who was on it. My aunt was on accutane while she was in college and it messed her up, her acne was not bad but she was allergic to the antibiotics, so they tried accutane right away. I also think she didn't respond so well because she was away from home and didn't live a healthy lifestyle.

 

I also really want to be all done with this before I go to college

 

So a few questions,

1. How bad is the initial breakout? My aunt's was really bad, and that's the reason why she doesn't want me to start

 

2. What are some good products to use while on accutane? I've read through the threads but can't find a good enough answer.

I use h2o plus for moisturizer, but can never find a good lip balm (using EOS right now) I will probably use the simple line of face washes, I love those.

 

3. What's a good breakfast for someone who usually doesn't eat breakfast? (Stupid question haha) I usually feel pretty sick in the morning and can't eat, which causes a problem with me taking medicine.

 

Thanks!

Courtney

1. The initial breakout doesn't happen for everyone, but it does happen enough to be a valid concern. I would say that most people describe the IB difficult, but not more severe than the worst break out they've ever had. I'd say what made the IB different for me was that it was more dramatic than a normal breakout. For example, before accutane, I would often have several cysts at one time on my cheeks. That being said, they tended to form one or two at a time. As soon as one would heal, another would pop up to take it's place and so on. This contrasted with my IB on accutane - where I had 6 or 7 cysts form along my cheeks almost simultaneously during a matter of days.

After those healed, I continued to break out, but the breakouts became less and less severe until they stopped all together after I finished my course. I think alot of people expect miracles on accutane, and it is a miracle drug (at least, it has been for me), but it is definitely not an easy medicine to take and it still takes quite a while to see results sometimes. In my case, I wasn't completely clear until about 2 months after stopping accutane! However, I saw massive improvement after about 4 months on the drug.

2. I would look at the accutane logs for answers, but I would say the big one is Aquaphor (the kind that comes in a tub). It's great for your lips (which will get very dry). Cetaphil cleanser for sensitive skin is a good simple cleanser (some might argue that, but I've always liked it). For moisturizers, sticking with simple fragrance free brands with ceramides is a good bet. I used Cerave PM lotion at night. I used a Vichy brand moisturizer with high SPF in the day time, but that's just a personal preference. I would also keep cortisone gel on hand for rashes (these are usually caused by dry skin), and Eye drops for when your eyes get dry, I used the gel kind.

3. If you feel sick in the morning, you might try something liquid. Smoothies are always a good bet, and it's easy to add a little fat in (which is necessary to absorb the medication) like almond butter or full-fat milk. You can also tried powdered breakfasts, like Carnation instant breakfast (not my bag, but some people really like it).

Hi Courtney,

What megtree suggested above are all good answers to your questions. I've been through a course of accutane and understand the hesitations that your mother has with you going on the medicine. Overall I had a really great experience on accutane so my opinion is biased, but my personal recommendation to you is take it if you can. Keep in mind I'm not a doctor, and everybody's experience is not going to be the same (it's possible that you could have a bad one). But I've seen first hand what it can do for your skin and it can be incredible. Balance the risks with how much you want the possibility of results and come to your own conclusion. If this is something you really want then make sure you are educated/informed and chase it, you're the only one who's going to live your life in the end.

Mike.