Lets start the 2010 with Sotret!

[MarkS. 0]

Hi guyz, my name is Mark and i had been lurking in this place for about 2 years now. I went to see a new dermatologist today with the hopes that she will start me on accutane and lord and behold she did. I told her she's the best doctor I had ever had...lol. Like all of the peepz up here, i'd been battling acne for quite some time now (about 7 years) and I just started seeing dermatologies about a year ago right after I graduated in college and got a job. I was using all the OTC products you can ever imagine as well as the ones that i get my hands onto that is being advertised on TV/internet! I've used benzoyl for awhile but i develop sensitivity to it. When i started seeing the derm, I have been prescribed with bezaclin, ziana, and solodyn but nothing came to avail. Solodyn was a great drug though, didnt have any side effects that I've encountered and it cleared me up but the problem with it was, after two months it comes back, same old new breakout! I took Solodyn 3x (3 months each).

I moved to my own place about 2 months ago and I decided to see a new derm since my old one is quite far away where I live @ now. My first thought was like, "I hope I get a female derm so I can tell what I really want" I am a Registered Nurse and I know that Male MDs are very authoritative and they don't listen sometimes..hehehehe. I'm a guy and heck I know...lol. Anywayz, in the mercy of God, I got a female MD. I told her my stories with acne and how it's affecting my self-esteem and she told me I have two options, 1. Start Abx pills for 3months see it from there or 2. Start accutane. I was like Accutane baby!!!

Anywayz, she started me with Sotret 30mg twice daily.. I was hoping she would start me with maybe juz 20mg but what the heck. I guess i'll be posting my updates here in the next 5 months.

fighting!!!!!

[NYgirl83 0]

Good Luck! I just started about 1 1/2 weeks ago on 60mg of Sotret also.

Hopefully we'll both be clear before we know it!

[MarkS. 0]

Day 2

Not much changes. my face is pretty much clear with no new pimples, although I had a whitehead on my jaw line that just popped! *gross* Still oily skin, lips are getting a bit dryer though. I had some slight headaches at time otherwise no main side effects...yet! After all, it's only the 2nd day. I hope i don't get initial breakout like so many people are having while in Isotretinoin regimen. I can't wait 'till my face becomes matte. i I hate the oil. my co-nurses and even some doctors will make about how shiny my face is....uhgg!!! hate them....hahaha. Mind your own business...lol! Also, many of my patients will make suggestions how to clear my face...how EMBARASSING!!! Thanks for the advice but...no thanks..lol!

Edited January 13, 2010 by MarkS.

[c'est la vigne 14]

Moved to the Accutane Logs board.

[Jezika 0]

Good luck to you. I'm sure it'll clear you right up in no time. And it's bad enough when people give you advice on your face when you're not in the medical profession, but when you are... seriously? Got to love it.

[faithinhim 0]

Just wanted to wish you good luck on your course! I'll be keeping up with your log.

[MarkS. 0]

Thanks Jezika and Faithinhim...

Week 2

I think I had a taste of the IB thing everybody is talking about, although it's not bad at all. I broke out around my chin area with those itchy whitehead..although as we speak, had all disappear. I have 2 white head on my forehead but they ain't so bad. I wonder if this was IB, although maybe I'm just breaking out as it since I haven't had any significant amount of pimples for awhile. I hope I dont break out into cystic acne. That will be horrible. I never have cystic acne. Mind were/are mostly papule or white heads.

My nose had been very sensitive 3 days after I started with this program. It has been constantly peeling and I put a lot of moisturizer but no avail....sigh! Anyone can give me an advice about which moisturizer to use.

Oil?? This is the most excited part of this treatment..hehehhe. It has diminished significantly. At this point, I'm not completed matte yet. Although when I'm not working, my face usually stays matte, but when I'm at work, my body produces oil enough to make my face shiny. NO LIKE IT! hahahah. Although I still have the next 4mon and 1/2....oh, blackheads are almost wiped out. MIRACULOUS!!!!!

Side effects..what side effect??? hahahah. The first couple of days I had HA but I dont know if that account to Sotret since when I started, I was already sick in the first place and was running a fever. The inside of my nose is dry as well..hahah, although it hasn't really cause any problem, no nosebleed whatsoever. My lips are dry but not crack. I use burtsbees lip balm religiously. It does the job so far...no problem. I'd like to try aquafor since everybody is raving about it. But it's going to wait until my burtsbees does not do the job anymore..heheh

Here some progress pics. lighting somewhat makes my face looks good, but honestly I have a lot of redmark. I get really flushed as well and it makes them look bad @ times. Anybody has a suggesstion about red marks, that would be gladly appreciated.

[meheh 12]

Hey, I just started reading your log and wanted to wish you good luck in your course. Your skin is looking like it's improving greatly. I'm glad that your "IB" is over with, hopefully it gets better from here on out.

I also use Burt's Bees lipbalm! That stuff kicks ass!

[moxie1 0]

Hey Mark,

My derm just prescribed me Solodyn, but thinks I should consider Accutane. Trying to decide if I'm brave enough. She gave me a 4 month prescription for Solodyn, and said to come back in 2-3 months, to see if it works. Is it normal for Solodyn to be given short term, stop, go back on, stop, etc? Or do most people just stay on it for months until they go resistant to it? Did you wean off Solodyn each time? How bad did your acne come back when you went off?

Good luck with tane.

Edited February 15, 2010 by moxie1

[MarkS. 0]

hey, guys, finally i'm back and i'm posting some updates...after all i left you all out after week two. I'm a sucker. anyways..it's been four months since I've been on Isotretoin (Claravis). I didn't really have any side effects after the first two weeks so I was very thankful that my body received the medicine pretty well. I just finished month 4 and I'm completely clear by the third month. Unfortunately, last week I had a pimple on my cheek but now it has almost dried down, so no worries. Although, to be honest, i get really paranoid that pimples must be creeping back up again, but so far thats was the only one so I'm keeping my fingers crossed! I'm going on my 5th month but I missed my appointment last week and I'm trying to reschedule but the office was saying that their booked until the end of June and I was begging them..lol. I'll find out tomorrow. I have to if not I'll ran out of my prescription and I will miss my blood work. Anyways, skin wise, my skin is matte, no oil on site, clear, but I have a depressed scar on right cheek, which doesn't look bad. Actually, it looks likes a dimple..heheh. I account this to the cortisone that my derm injected on a pimple that was there on my second month. This never happened before not until she gave me that shot. I will not get those shots anymore...I should have said no in the first place since I though I really didn't need it. Skin pigmentations have finally diminished so much. Friends, family, and co-worker are all saying how my face looks better. I'm thankful to them, but sometimes I feel annoyed because I feel like "So you were judging me when I had acne"...lol. I know they meant well though! I really wish this medicine will be my final cure. I hate going through acne. I don't mind breaking out once..but now everyday and 10 pimples at a time. I'm thankful to God, to the medicine, to my family and friends who has been very supportive. I heard that oil production starts coming back after Isotretoin. I don't mind it but I just wish that it's not as bad as it was when I started. Anyways, that's all for now. I will leave a pic to show the huge progress in my life.

[MarkS. 0]

i just took this picture yesterday when we were going home after hiking...this should give you a better idea on how my skin look now.

[Missfig59 2]

Wow, really great progress!

[MarkS. 0]

it'been alsmost 2 months since i was off Isotretoin. So far things had been going good until last week when I notice that I get really oily when I'm at work. I guess my oil glands are finally awake. it's weird though that when I'm at home or not working, my skis is less oily. I guess stress factors might be adding up to it. I had some few minor breakouts but very little ones on my forehead that disappear rather quickly. but two days ago, another popped on the R side of my cheek bone area. It doesn't hurt or anything but it's slightly red and very noticeable. After my coarse, I'd been really paranoid about this. I'm slowly getting back my life and been dating here and there and I don' want to ruin my momentum. my hyperpigmentations had diminished significantly but I have noticeable depressed scars on both of my cheeks. here is what i look like now. I'm praying that this menace won't ever come back.

Edited August 30, 2010 by MarkS.

[MarkS. 0]

it's been awhile since I last posted in here but here I am again. I'd been off accutane about a year and a half. I haven't had much breakout since but oh boy I feel like I'm starting to again. This really suck, it sucks big time. I have very oily skin...again. I have some left over pill on my last course and I'm thinking of start taking them again every other day just for the oiliness. I haven't had much pimples but in the last month I'd been getting them. Nothing major or anything but still, it leaves this nasty hyperpigmentation. I notice also that my face is more irritated and red ever since my oil came back. I'll take Isotretoin again if my derm will let me.

any solutions for oily skin? the one that truly works??