Hi everyone! I am new here, so I apologize in advance if I am posting this in the wrong place.
Some background:
I am 20 years old. I weigh 125-130lbs
When I was 17 I was prescribed Claravis for 5 months. If I remember correctly, I started at 20mg, then 40mg, and finally 60mg. I decided to quit less than half way through the 3rd or 4th month. After quitting the medication, all I had left was hyper pigmentation. A couple of months later my skin was completely clear. I was free of acne for approximately 1.5 years. It slowly started coming back. When I was 19, I went back to the derm and he prescribed me doxycycline, and within the first week my skin was almost completely clear. Then it came back right after and stayed. I told him I've been through this before and I just want to get back on isotretinoin.
In January I was prescribed Absorica with a cumulative goal of 7,320-9,150mg. So... 1st month: 10mg, 2nd month: 20mg, 3rd month: 30mg, 4th month: 40mg, 5th month: 60mg, 6th month: 60mg, and for the rest of this month I am on 80mg. That will put me at exactly 9,000mg. When I was prescribed 80, I still had like 7 days of my 60mg (2 boxes of 30mg) left from missing some days the past few months. So to catch up quicker, I started taking 90mg. after 2 days I got 1 pimple. Other than that my skin is clear.
Now, my whole reason for writing all of this:
For the past 3 (maybe 4) months I have been feeling extremely tired. Like my brain feels foggy. I feel like I can't get enough sleep. When I do, I am only energetic for a fairly small part of the day. I am hardly productive at work. I get home from work and all I want to do is stay home. I can't find the energy to go out with friends anymore or to even clean my car (it doesn't help that it's like 95-105 degrees out). I just want to see if anyone else has noticed this effect from this drug. I can't wait to be back to normal.
Other side effects:
- DRY lips, nose, eyes, and skin (gotten pro with using aquaphor, lotion, and when it gets really bad, lubricant eye gel)
- Rash on back of arms worse in the earlier months (was prescribed an ointment with steroids that helps a lot whenever it gets bad)
- Back aches when I first lay down
- Weak nails/sore nail beds (within the last month)
Sorry that was obscenely long. I just wanted to make sure I got as much info out as I can.
Thanks everyone!
A lot of people experience lethargy while on Accutane, and it's kinda hard figuring out how long people will have it for considering some people don't get it at all while some people seem to experience lethargy for years after taking Accutane.
In my experience (and yes, I also took the Absorbica brand), my lethargy cleared up about a week or so after ceasing treatment.
Also, DON'T go over the given amount of medicine that the doctor prescribes you.