Acne.org Products
I think it has something to do with Omegas increasing the severity of flushing and inflammation post-Accutane users like us experience.
Lamarr has mentioned in a prior post: "Gamma linoiliec is the only thing orally that will probably help your dryness, try borage oil. (stay away from fish oil and any omega 3 including flaxseed)"
Hopefully his suggestion will help you re dryness here...
I think it has something to do with Omegas increasing the severity of flushing and inflammation post-Accutane users like us experience.
Lamarr has mentioned in a prior post: "Gamma linoiliec is the only thing orally that will probably help your dryness, try borage oil. (stay away from fish oil and any omega 3 including flaxseed)"
Hopefully his suggestion will help you re dryness here...
Thanks for taking a stab at it. So Gamma linoliec is Omega 6. Therefore Omega 6 is ok but not Omega 3?
I have hear some recommendations about Borage Oil. I'll probably give it a try one of these days.
Shantelle got it right, the omega 3's for some reason appear to make our systemic inflammation worse, suggesting it has a negative impact on our immune system.
Give the borage oil a try but keep a CLOSE eye on your flushing, the trouble with any of these oils is that they thin the blood, which can mean you flush/blush easier!
When my rosacea was at it's worst very few things DIDN'T make my rosacea worse so you need to add one thing at a time SLOWLY otherwise you don't know what's making things worse and what's helping!
Hey, I'm curious how everyone's flushing compares to mine. I posted a pic on page 45 of the thread. It was the last post of the page.
I'm just curious...don't worry about offending me. WHat I posted was a pic during a flushing episode in a warm room with stress. It lasted over an hour at least. But I do not get episodes like that everyday.
ok, so im uploading a picture i took of my face one time i was flushing. i have a mac, so im not sure if its the same for all screens, but when you tip your screen back and look at it from an angle, you may be able to see the redness more. but otherwise, from the glare of the light and low quality from my camera phone, it might not look so bad.
you cant see in this picture, but the flushing extends across my forehead too and of course the other side. my chin and i think my nose are the only parts that dont get so red. this particular day, i was in a lecture in a warm classroom. i starting flushing right in the beginning of class...then afterwards i went to the bathroom, about 1 hour 15 minutes after the start of the flushing, and took this picture.
I was just prescribed propranolol and I think this should help since heat and exertion have no effect on me in terms of flushing/blushing just nervousness and anxiety. I am only planning on taking it before I go out in social situations or whatever, and I was wondering if you guys could give me any advice on how long before I go out i should take it, what dose to take, and how long the effect will last.
I haven't taken Propranolol, but for Labetalol and Metoprolol (other beta blockers) I took 100mg doses and they seemed to kick in pretty quickly. I have read that 1 hour before is a good guideline, which sounds about right.
Personally, I felt like a "hangover" even the next day so it's hard to say when the effects wore off. Not sure if the side effects I experienced would dissipate if I took them more regularly.
Other more expert posters will chime in later.
Started 15mg Remeron last week. Slepts 10-11 hours each night. After the 3rd night I fell asleep AGAIN after lunch from 1-5PM. Reeeally makes me sleepy/sedated. For the 4th and 5th nights, I cut it in half and took 7.5mg. Basically felt nothing.
I've read that upping to 30mg actually ridded some people of side effects. But they also suspect doing so might reduce the anti-flushing effects.
I'm gonna stick it out and resume taking 15mg or 30mg. Perhaps after continued usage the sleep with normalize?
I was just prescribed propranolol and I think this should help since heat and exertion have no effect on me in terms of flushing/blushing just nervousness and anxiety. I am only planning on taking it before I go out in social situations or whatever, and I was wondering if you guys could give me any advice on how long before I go out i should take it, what dose to take, and how long the effect will last.
1 hour before the event, up to 40mg. If you are taking it more than once through the day (up to three times daily) then take 20mg.
I have taken 40mg three times a day with no problems, but i have been using this stuff for years now.
Start off with 20mg and see how you respond!
Hey Oli Girl! I have just been working and kind of just living with my sides lately. If things continue at their current levels I think I am just going to ride it out for now and just live with them. I'm now three years post tane so hopefully things won't get any worse.
In regards to dryness I have found that it is the only side that continually gets better for me from year to year. I used to have terribly dry skin up until a year post tane, but it has gradually gotten better over time. Probably a combination between natural improvement and myself getting smarter about taking better care of my skin. I don't know how long post tane that you are, but at least in my experience I have found that my skin dryness has stopped really being much of a problem.
I used to get way worse flushes than that as well, unfortunately haha. I do have an initial advantage over most of you though as I'm a redhead so my skin is naturally fairer toned. Nowadays I would have to get really worked up to let myself get that flushed, but back in my first year post tane it wasn't difficult to get as red as you were. However, when I had tests in college I would get destroyed. My neck would become super blotchy as well as my forehead and my cheeks would turn almost purplish. It was super disappointing and embarrassing, but at the same time I felt so proud of myself for still going to school and persevering.
Lamarr,
Hey man congrats. I'm really happy for you. I felt the same way when I graduated amongst the top of my class last year. After going through what we went through it was very rewarding to finish...
JT- That's really encouraging that the flushing has gradually decreased over the years. Hopefully one day, we will all be free of it whether one chooses to either wait it out, or control with the aid of medications. I'm pretty fair like you seem to be - do you have any trouble re broken capillaries??
Oli girl - Thank you for your kind responses of late.
Nine days in on 200mg Plaquenil and already seeing some positives (which I did not expect to see at this early stage!):
Positives so far:
* Fingers/hand condition very much showing improvement re: Chillblains/red nail beds/blistering/pin-point red ringed circles diminishing
* No hour-long flushing over the last two days (touch-wood!)
* Maybe very slightly less red in the cheeks??
* Rashes on my temple, forehead etc not there after showering the last few days. Usually they fade about half an hour after getting out of the shower, but now they aren't appearing to begin with at all! yay
Negatives:
* Noticing eyes getting quite dry which is wierd. So i'm using moisturising eye drops to combat issue.
* Couple of pimples on the chin, but nothing worrying at all
Hey guys
Ive been on Plaquenil for about 3 months and my flushing has gone down alot (still there but gone done) but it has not really made my face less red and im wondering if its because its summer and its hot and im getting more sensitive or what...
I also ordered this blue led light theraPy system that i have been using on my face for a month and lamar I am wondering if the Plaquenil can make u sensitive to the blue light theraPy and if the led lights are not good to use when on Plaquenil..
Hey guys
Ive been on Plaquenil for about 3 months and my flushing has gone down alot (still there but gone done) but it has not really made my face less red and im wondering if its because its summer and its hot and im getting more sensitive or what...
I also ordered this blue led light theraPy system that i have been using on my face for a month and lamar I am wondering if the Plaquenil can make u sensitive to the blue light theraPy and if the led lights are not good to use when on Plaquenil..
Hi Halfpipe - So good to hear it's helping your flushing! Re: Base redness... Good question, I'd like to know too for reference, as am 11 days into Plaquenil treatment. Maybe Oli Girl could give us some advice based on her experience so far?? 
Or maybe it depends on the amount of blood vessel damage made by the flushing????
Lupus patients are often very sun sensitive. Plaquenil is prescribed for Lupus and is also supposed to help decrease sun sensitivity. My Pharmacy stuck a sticker on the bottle saying my name (of course) and 'Protect yourself from too much sunlight' warning. Confused. Can anyone shed some light on the contradiction??
Seattle- Glad to hear things are better. How is the joint/muscle pain any better also.
Halfpipe- Glad to hear that most of the flushing is gone, give it a couple more months for redness, As it did take awhile and I still very rarely get pinkish color across the cheeks/nose. Be intersting to see if they retest your RA factor what the # would be as it was boardline prior to plaquenil.
As for light therapy, Lamarr correct me if I am wrong, but from what I have read light therapy has been good for some pts w/ autoimmune diseases such as lupus. I believe UVA1 therapy most lupus pts have recived, to help with certian symptoms and skin lesions. It is the longer wavelegnths they say benifit lupus pts. Be intersting to hear what you have to say about blue light, as I am not sure if it is the same type of light therapy and I believe you haven't had issues using it.
As for sunlight, I have to say it may just depend on the individual, as for me I do wear sunscreen(I make sure no retinol is included) but have seemed to be okay in the sun, though I don't make a point to be in the sun for long periods of time.
Just got back from 110 degree weather in Vegas. However, many lupus pts do have issues with the sun etc and plaquenil may cause sun senstivity more so in one person vs the other. If I continually have to take it could be possible for me to eventually become senstive I guess.
Shantelle- I am glad to hear some of your issues are clearing up w/plaquenil that is good sign. Ironically I have nail bed issues too.
As for blood vessels damage it could be the reason for still having some redness. I have a few across the cheeks, in the last 9 months that I have been on plaquenil I have noticed recently they are diminishing. Hopefully that will happen for anyone elese if they have them. Patience is a key in this process. I must say.
Hey everyone --
I just stumbled upon this board because I seem to be experiencing what everyone else has been in this thread....
10 years ago I took Accutane for 4 months for very stubborn facial acne.... It worked wonders and I was clear as ever afterwards. Unfortunately, my skin, scalp, and lips never returned to their original moisturized state and have forever remained insanely dry.
4 years ago, I began experiencing constant facial flushing (just to the cheeks) and nothing seems to help. It's even worse when I'm overheating or in social situations, but my cheeks still have a pink/reddish hue to them. It doesn't help that I can't find a single moisturizer that actually works...
Has anyone eventually grown out of the drying effects of Accutane and the facial flushing?
10 years seems like a long time for this to be going on!
Thanks in advance, It's great to see I'm not alone on here...
Mark
Hi Mark
You're definetly not alone in this. It's really good you found this thread- you will learn alot by reading others experiences, struggles and successes.
Most experience the severe flushing during or just after Accutane or Minocycline treatment. Whether one will outgrow the flushing induced by Accutane is 50/50 really. JT Seattle is one member who is three years post and says his flushing has slowely decreased in severity over time- so that is a positive sign. Most on this thread find flushing affects their daily life so much that they seek out medical treatment to find some relief. It is completely up to the individual how they manage it.
Would you say your flushing is still severe at this stage??
Do you use Vaseline on your lips? if not, this helps tremendously. Some find Borage oil useful to aid dryness (you will see info on recent posts a few pages back).
OLI GIRL - Thanks for advice. Will try to remain patient. 
Shantelle,
I think I may have confused you. I still have bad daily flushing (heat, stress, exertion). It has been the same for years now. Not really better or worse. I only really experienced change during the first year post tane and that was from insane flushing (where I could turn purple) to now more along the lines of normal rosacea. What I was trying to say was that my skin dryness has gotten way better. I used to have to put lotion all over my body or I would be dry and itchy all day, but now I really only moisturize my face, on a consistent basis, so its been significant improvement.
Oli Girl,
Everything is pretty much the same. Some days joints/muscles kill me, others not so bad, you know how it goes. I have been back running for 3-4 months now and I feel the increased aches/pains in my joints, especially the hips, but they have been tolerable. Still flushing, but I manage it way better than I used to and for the most part I try not to really think about it. Its still super depressing when I get a bad flush in a meeting or social situation, but it is what it is.
JT- A good thing the dryness and itchiness has improved for you over time. My skin has gone back to being pretty oily (worse than my mid 20s wierdly enough). Seems like the Accutane just loves to give extreme sides 
(
I'm 20 days in on Plaquenil 200mg day and now 3 months in on Doxy 50mg day. I'm more flushy these past few days than the first 2 weeks or so of starting Plaquenil... but it could be the increase in temperature and humidity lately... not sure, but it is abit wierd. I hope it really kicks in soon... having a problem with patience it seems )
Myleastfavouritemistake- How are you going on the Plaquenil now? no more stomach issues? I don't get stomach problems but my dose is lower than yours. I always take with breakfast. Is it increasingly helping with the flushing?? Is the Remeron assisting?
Oil Girl- Funnily enough the Plaquenil is very obviously helping my little toenail. It went slightly curved at the end in 2008 and my Derm thought my shoe was just pressing against it so i never worried anymore about it. Did you have any wierd nail things that Plaq has helped with? Maybe i've had these antibodies to dsDNA for years. Apparently the autoantibodies that my body is making, can attack tissues directly- that's quite scarey! I'm pretty sure the Accutane induced this autoantibodies issue, as I started that in 2007. I'm wondering if these autoantibodies are attacking my blood vessels?? (which they apparently can), inducing the flushing and the problems with my fingers/nail beds etc (that issues pretty much gone too thanks to Plaquenil). Who knows... the mystery of what Accutane can potentially do to disrupt our bodies...
Hey guys
Ive been on Plaquenil for about 3 months and my flushing has gone down alot (still there but gone done) but it has not really made my face less red and im wondering if its because its summer and its hot and im getting more sensitive or what...
I also ordered this blue led light theraPy system that i have been using on my face for a month and lamar I am wondering if the Plaquenil can make u sensitive to the blue light theraPy and if the led lights are not good to use when on Plaquenil..
There is no real reason why it should make you sensitive to blue light therapy, the light sensitivity (other than in very rare cases) is normally only in response to UV light. UV light has a cut off point of 400nm, so anything above this should be 100% fine (blue light is generally anything above 405nm up to about 450nm).
Red light is 100% fine as well.
Hey again guys. Just wondered how your flushing develops throughout the day..Today at school I got in this situation were I talked 2 this great girl, and normally I would flush like hell. You know..cute girl and a locked situation. Thats probably my nightmare, but today i didnt flush at all! 
So im kinda hoping its getting better.. at least in the mornings.
Haha so cute... I'm fine in the mornings but can be worse in the arvos or evenings, mostly dependent on temperature or whether i'm stuck in any sort of stuffy room. Plaquenil's seemingly helping a bit, being 4 weeks in, so quite happy about that. Hopefully things will improve over time. Lets hope your flushing is improving too!
I took accutane for 8 months and a few months in I started to blush at EVERYTHING. It was so annoying because I had never been the one to blush. I've been off accutane for a month now and it's gotten quite a bit better, but even a little heat will set it off. Hopefully it will fade with time.
Uggh! So yeah I went and had a little facial to help fade the broken capillaries and she gave me this redness relief cooling mask to take home ( I normally red no flushing in the cold weather) I haven't really used any products on my face since accutane except a mild soap.
So I use it 3 times and all of sudden start flushing again and am like WTF...I couldn't figure it out and then I look at the back of the mask and of course whats in there Retinyl Palmitate.....
Who would of ever thought a redness relief/cooling mask would contain an ingredient that causes redness 
Hope all is well with everyone I hope this dies down soon as I don't want restart the whole process or up my plaquenil.
Oh and Shantelle I noticed your question about nails awhile back, Yeah my nails are somewhat better. I use to get infections in the cuticles and nail dystrophy quite a bit, like the nail would grow back to only start the process again. The only thing that has stayed and probably always will is the dialted blood vessels in the nail beds, however not noticeable by just looking.