Eek! Your lips, looks really painful, you're not getting the creams on them are you? I've never heard of a derm recommending any dosage of Isotretinoin with topicals. Especially one that is a topical analogue of Isotretinoin- isotrexin. I don't even think that is marketed here in th U.S. A 20mg dose is also super low unless you're planning on doing a longgggg course. I realize a lot of international members think U.S. docs use higher than needed dosages, but research definitely supports the length of efficacy of Accutane is directly correlated to cumulative dosage.

Again I'd get rid of those topicals! You're basically chemically burning your skin from the outside concurrent to Accutane shutting down your natural sebum production. I feel for you! Try and find a sugar lip scrub with peppermint oil. Leave it on while you're at home- then gently wipe it off once it's all but absorbed to get the sugar crystals off our lips, and apply lip balm. This will help the balm reach healthy skin, plus the menthol will soothe the chapped feeling. Hang in there and def consider doing away with the topicals and potentially increasing your dose to a 1mg/kg/day. I won't lie, you'll still have drrrrrryyyy skin but at least you won't feel so irradiated as well!

-Jordan

Eek! Your lips, looks really painful, you're not getting the creams on them are you? I've never heard of a derm recommending any dosage of Isotretinoin with topicals. Especially one that is a topical analogue of Isotretinoin- isotrexin. I don't even think that is marketed here in th U.S. A 20mg dose is also super low unless you're planning on doing a longgggg course. I realize a lot of international members think U.S. docs use higher than needed dosages, but research definitely supports the length of efficacy of Accutane is directly correlated to cumulative dosage.

Again I'd get rid of those topicals! You're basically chemically burning your skin from the outside concurrent to Accutane shutting down your natural sebum production. I feel for you! Try and find a sugar lip scrub with peppermint oil. Leave it on while you're at home- then gently wipe it off once it's all but absorbed to get the sugar crystals off our lips, and apply lip balm. This will help the balm reach healthy skin, plus the menthol will soothe the chapped feeling. Hang in there and def consider doing away with the topicals and potentially increasing your dose to a 1mg/kg/day. I won't lie, you'll still have drrrrrryyyy skin but at least you won't feel so irradiated as well!

-Jordan

 

Tomorrow i have an appointment with my derm so maybe he'll raise my dose.(he said it will be a 6 months course(at least)) sometimes i feel that it do nothing, that is too low. he didn't even ask me how much i weigh so i don't know how he plans my treatment

NOo noooo i don't get creams on them. he said that the isotrexin will be used only for a short time, not along the entire course ( yeah i'll see what he says now haha, but sometimes i just can't use it)

thanks for your advice. may it be a DIY sugar lip scrub with peppermint oil? idon't think i'll find something like this in my city

DIY is probably cheapest, but those sugar scrubs with peppermint oil really got me through. The company Philosophy here in the U.S. (cosmetics) makes one, it's silly expensive for the length of time it lasts on Accutane, but I think they post their general ingredients- perhaps you could combine that with a DIYers recipe.

And again I'd really scrap those topicals, the burning you get isn't due to Accutane (accutane does dry your skin out) but it shouldn't feel like you've been burned by uv (unless your sunburnt) or chemically burned. That's the topical causing that awful feeling. Your lips are going to stay annoying/painfully chapped throughout the Accutane course, but they shouldn't be so bloody ish if you're applying lip balm every hour ish (what I recommend) or at least every few hours obviously the one exception being when you're sleeping! I'm on day 15ish of my second course in less than a year for super mild acne (which a lot of people think im crazy for)- so far this round I haven't had the lip scrub I referred to, and I'm really noticing it I can't tout it enough. Hope it helps/you get the right regime figured out. It does work and is worth putting up with the uber chapped lips for a six month period (maybe 7 months) by the time the drugs affects wear off).

Day 27

Yeah today i had the appointment with my derm and i came home so pissed off!! I ask him if he'll raise my dose and he said no. and he won't do it the entire treatment maybe only decreasing the dose. and i was something really?! whyyyyyyyy?! everyone has bigger dose than mine. 20mg/day.

in this way i'll reach my cumulative dose in 9 months!! 9!! no waaay!

and moreover today went my cousin(boy) and a friend of mine(girl) at this derm too. and they received the same treatment 20mg/day,in the morning Skinoren and in the evening Brevoxyl ( Isotrexin can't be found anymore he said so they will use Brevoxyl. but i will still look after Isotrexin and i don't know what i'll do if i don't find it)

when i arrived home i was so i don't know affected about this, i felt so confused that i started to cry. why i have to stay on the same dose while you, the others are on 40, 60etc mg/day and why everyone receives the same treatment like me, i mean doesn't matter how much you weigh and how severe is your acne and all this things?

my parents said that maybe i'm on a so low dose because i have the creams too and i don't know what else.

anyway today i wasn't me haha i got mad very easily and usually i'm a calm person

and about my skin

-so soo dry lips

-i have blackheads everywhere on my face( you can see them, don't you?)

-in the first picture you can see near my mounth new cysts ( btw the doc. said that the new cysts will not break out so bad now, well i'll see)

and here it's 22:52 and i don't know if i have anything else to say hahaha

today's photos

left cheek

right cheek

chin

nose

forehead

and @aracon504 i have to continue with these topicals

I would look for another physician. Ultimately, the unique thing about Accutane is its ability to fight acne on numerous levels (kills bacteria, acts as an anti-inflammatory, reduces sebum production, causes new cell-turnover) its mechanism is a synthetic derivative of vitamin A that is fat soluble and similarly the body produces small amounts of a natural substance in small amounts. That being said its stored in your liver and thus the idea of cumulative dosage being the only important factor. If I were you'd I'd definitely want at least 40mg (anything lower is generally considered an indefinite long term dose- as Accutane has a T1/2 of roughly 29 days. So it's affects do eventually ween away. But back to what my issue would be if I were you is the topicals and skin discomfort! It must burn like hell!

Don't worry,you'll be on Roaccutan for 9 months but in the end it's gonna worth it!Btw,your eyes are stunning!

Hey! I feel your frustration, I would be pissed if I had to stay on 20mg for longer than a month. My derm put me on 30mg for the first month just to make sure I coped well with the drug and for the next 4 months she's put me on 70mg. I was quite shocked at the dosage increase as I was going to ask to be bumped up to 50, but the more the merrier. You will still get the same results if you hit your cumulative dose but maaannn that's a long time! Stress to your derm when you next see him that you're not experiencing bad side effects and that you would like your dose increased. If he doesn't then I would probably see a different derm. Nine months is a very long time.

And I was thinking that same think before I seen lazychristina's post, you really do have lovely eyes!

DAY 31 ( DAY 1 MONTH 2)

yeee i finished one month of many others hahaha. still on 20mg/day.

i have like 5 nodules or what they are under my skin, on my left cheek. they came out little by little everyday. i want them gonee. i haven't had still now so many nodules in one place

fortunately my nose and my forehead look nice now \: D/

now i'd rather stay home if i really don't have to go out but in 2 weeks i'll start the school and i'm a little nervous about it. x_x i won't be able to hide myself anymoree

today's photos

left cheek

right cheek

nose

forehead

chin

@heather135 i'll ask him the next time again hahaha because i don't understand why he doesn't bump me up to 30-40 at least

Hey there Sweetie

First of all....I agree with everyone, your eyes are STUNNING! You are super pretty with or without acne (but who wants acne? Right?) I feel for you. My acne is pretty similar to yours and I'm just a few days behind you on my course. My skin will seem better one day and supershitty the next. I'm on 30mg and I'm not nearly as dry as you. I'm not using any topicals though....And I'm going up to 60mg next week. I'm sure I will see some serious dryness at that point but I sure as hell hope I see fewer zits too!!! I'm sorry you are having a rough time with your doctor. I hope one way or another you get the clear skin we all deserve. Hang in there.....Don't give up.....try and keep a positive attitude.(Ishould take my own advice. haha) I know it's hard because I'm frustrated every day when I look in the damn mirror....It's a shitty road but you are not alone <3

~Celia

Hey there Sweetie

First of all....I agree with everyone, your eyes are STUNNING! You are super pretty with or without acne (but who wants acne? Right?) I feel for you. My acne is pretty similar to yours and I'm just a few days behind you on my course. My skin will seem better one day and supershitty the next. I'm on 30mg and I'm not nearly as dry as you. I'm not using any topicals though....And I'm going up to 60mg next week. I'm sure I will see some serious dryness at that point but I sure as hell hope I see fewer zits too!!! I'm sorry you are having a rough time with your doctor. I hope one way or another you get the clear skin we all deserve. Hang in there.....Don't give up.....try and keep a positive attitude.(Ishould take my own advice. haha) I know it's hard because I'm frustrated every day when I look in the damn mirror....It's a shitty road but you are not alone <3

~Celia

 

Thanks Celia. i have some days when my morale is down, like the day when i had the appointment with my derm. Yeah, i think the topicals dry my face more but i have to use them :-L. That's all i'm dreaming now, waking up one morning and having a perfect skin *-*

DAY 36

11 days left until i start school .

my skin is so dryyy(see the photos) and my lips auchh. 2 days ago i was so lazy to look for my lip balm because i was watching idontknowwhat but then i regretted it. god my lips were burning, that's what i felt. no more laziness from now hahaha. and if i was talking about burning right now i feel that on my face. I want to stick my head in the freezer. that's because i put moisturizer on my skin and i'm so red and my face is shining. what will i do during the school? x_x

a good thing(until now) my hair is drier and rougher. even looks better when i make a ponytail and i have again my lost curls. i hope that when i'll use the curling iron my hair will look good i mean i'll have the curls for more than 20 minutes hahaa.

and a bad thinggg about the hair: i'm losing a lot of hair. more than ever. i do not like it!

and that's all for todayy because i have to goo to my pilates class

today's photos

right cheek( yeah that hair )

left cheek

nose

forehead

chin

DAY 45

So today i am at the half of the second month. And i do not start school this Monday yeeeyyy. The last weekend we found out that they give us one more week of holiday.

About my face... IT'S HORRIBLE!! i mean it looks really really bad. especially my left cheek where i have these nodules/cysts near my mouth( see the image), now they aren't so big like a few days ago but are still there. and are so red.

my mom said too that at the beginning my face wasn't so bad.

and my lips my dear lips hahaha so dry, they are peeling, they sting auchhh and i'm always using the lip balm. i already finished one (it has 4.25g/0.15OZ) i'm using the second now and my mom ordered two more hahaha. usually i use one tube of balm (this one it's the best, http://clara-weiwei.blogspot.ro/2011/01/aloe-lips.html review) in several months.

i keep working out even if after my PowerPilates class all my body hurts hahaha

the last weekend i had an awful shoulder pain but i don't know from what

the next week i'll do some blood tests because my GP said that every two months is enough

*when i go to pilates i cannot wear makeup(in this moment i cannot wear makeup at all anyway) and i have only the moisturizer on my skin and it's so uncomfortable i mean i feel that everyone looks at me and the teenagers, most girls look at me so strange, like they couldn't be in my place 8-|. you cannot know what your future holds*

and i don't know what else to say

today's photos

left cheek

right cheek

nose

forehead

chin

full face photo - yesterday

Hi there,

Hope you're ok... I know you've discussed this already but I really think you need to be on a higher dose before you start seeing results...

How much do you weigh if you don't mind me asking?...During my course i found this calculator useful... you can see how long you need to be on the drug to get your minimum dose etc...

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php/topic/271565-accutane-treatment-doseduration-calculator/

p.s. You are SO stunning, regardless of your skin

x x x

Hi there,

Hope you're ok... I know you've discussed this already but I really think you need to be on a higher dose before you start seeing results...

How much do you weigh if you don't mind me asking?...During my course i found this calculator useful... you can see how long you need to be on the drug to get your minimum dose etc...

http://www.acne.org/...ion-calculator/

p.s. You are SO stunning, regardless of your skin

x x x

 

i weigh 46kg(101.41lbs google says hahah) the calculator 'said' that i'll be on this drug between 9 months(minimum dose) and 11 months(max. dose)

i don't know what i'll do, sometimes i think that ok, i'll stay on 20mg/day all the treatment if finally my face will be clear *-* but sometimes i think it's a so long period of time

and my derm. didn't say anything about the treatment duration and anything about the cumulative dose i have to reach. and i won't accept to interrupt the treatment until i reach the minimum dose at least

I totally understand... My derm wanted to stop my course way before i'd reached the cumulative dose... so I had to tell her about the research, and then she went to look it up (on google probably!) and gave in and gave me more drugs!!

As long as you reach the minimum you should still get the results, so it's up to you what you want to do This was my log by the way if you're interested!!

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php/topic/306982-my-face/

Good luck!! x x x

Day 51

Can't believe i'm already on 51th day .

Yesterday i had blood work done and today my GP said that the results are very good, yeeey. In 2 months i'll have to do them again.

and yesterday i finallyyyy had my eyebrows done. usually i have no pain when the beautician is plucking my eyebrows but now i feel something in my ear and it hurts. strange no? i'm pressing my ear with the hand and then it's ok. i think i'm more sensitive now.

this monday i'm starting school and i still can't use makeup. great!!!

i think i had the IB :/ but slowly!! my face gets better.

at the end of this month i'll upload a comparative picture: beginning, end of month 1 and end of month 2

my hair is not so dry like a few weeks ago, it's ok. and my skin aa sometimes is so dry, sometimes it's ok. i should drink mooore water? hahha i'll force myself to drink more

today's photos

left cheek

right cheek

nose

forehead

chin

face

and @Quiescence i read your log and you're face is so beautiful now™¥

You are doing great hun! Keep your head up, it does get easier trust me (i've been on a few courses of accutane so i have some experience in that area).

I may or may not be finishing an incomplete 3rd course next months (if my blood tests come back ok). If not, the search continues

Good Luck

DAY 56

This week i started school uuuu. No more sleep until 10 o'clock. I have to wake up at 6.30am, because i have to wash my face, then i'm wainting until it dry, then i'm applying Skinoren, again i'm wainting, then i'm applying the moisturizing cream, theeeen i'm wainting again and finnallyyy i can put the tinted cream on my skin and put mascara on my eyelashes and i'm donee with the face.

Until now i used to make photos of my skin after i waked up and cleaned my face. buut now at that time in the morning is not enough light outside and i don't like using the flash soo i'm making the photos after i come home and remove the makeup.

tomorrow i have the appointment at my derm., i know he will not rise my dose so will be another month with 20mg/day.

my skin is pretty dry sometimes. i mean my tinted cream do not looks natural on my skin at all!! when i'm applying it it's like it came off :/ thanks to god that any of my classmates did not say anything about my face. it would have been so embarrassing :" > :" > but i can see how anothers look at me or maybe it is just in my mind hahahha.

today i had periods when i hadn't been able to understand what it was written on the board. i had like blurred vision and i had to wink a couple of times to dissapear. :/ did maybe my eyes become dry? am i not hydrated enough? it's so annoying, i have "to visit" the bathroom every break hahah i just cannot drink more water!

another side effects i think no :/ only my lips but i'm using all the time my lip balm

and again i'm sorry for my writing mistakes :">

today's photos

left cheek

right cheek

nose

chin

forehead

i have my tinted cream on my skin, it's after 6 hours at school.

DAY 61

my face is a mess!!! if a few days ago was bad now is worse, i think i'm still having the IB. blackheads are so sooo visible. *only 7 months more, just 7!! just 7 more and i will be ok ^-^ *

don't know what to say ...

here these days was soooo cold and i cannot drink so much water and i had some headaches and i do not like them.

and because of the cold weather and because i didn't moisturize my hands, appeared on my right hand some red spots, you know that place where the hair grows, that pore, if u know what i mean was so red and visible and my hand stung but i put my aloe lips and i moisturized my hand and now it's ok(fortunately).

how are you guys?

comparative photos

left cheek

right cheek

nose

chin

forehead

DAY 70

uff day 70. just 206 more (at least) hahaha

well my faceeee hmm has bad and good days, but the bad days are more ):

right now i have on my chin another head hahaha incredible how they come out. i mean 3 days ago i had a small pimple and now a huge cyst/nodule there. but i want it gone!!! it looks disgusting'

i got sick the last weekend, still being a little ill and i hate it. i mean i always i'm so thick dressed because my classroom is soo cold.

my skin is not so dry like at the begining maybe because i'm using every morning the moisturizer haha

i must use always the lip balm

my nose is the prettiest now hahaha among the others parts of my face

i have a lot of blackheads on my forehead- it's possible that in the picture it cannot be seen

my cheeks - lots of nodules and little bleackheads

since i started school i do not sleep enough i feel it. i hope it will not affect my face moreeeeee.

Today's photos

left cheek

right cheek

nose

chin

forehead

Ohh my love I feel for you I really do, your spots look so sore

I remember that horrible feeling of it being painful to sleep/shower etc but accutane really is a wonder drug and I'm sure you will start seeing results soon.

x x x

Hey!

I'm just a few days ahead of you (day 74) and I'm not seeing significant results yet. Hoping that our skin improves!!!

Hey good luck looking at some of your pictures they are like mirror of my cheeks and my nose cleared exactly like yours. Do you have hyper pigmentation or is it just the acne flaring up?Looks like things are going to get better from now on so good luck and keep moisturising

Good morning my friend:)

I am thinking about you and wishing for the best, I know how frustrating it can be when one day is good and the next day is not so good. Each day you are closer to the end and each day you are closer to being clear. I feel very lucky to be getting clear already but maybe it's because I am on a higher dose even though I'm just a little behind you in our treatments. Everyone is different of course but keep moving forward and stay strong. School is very stressful isn't it? I don't sleep so well myself.

You are not alone!