Hi,
I'm a 21 year old male and I started Accutane for moderate acne on the 14th August.
It's day 16 now and I've been prescribed 20mg for the first month and 40mg for the second and then we will work from there.
In the first week I had bad back pains, bad headaches and sore joints (particularly the knees were bad). I had no initial breakout although I'm expecting I may have one when I double my dose to 40mg. My skin has gotten much drier and this is apparent because I already had dry skin. My lips are very dry (Vaseline works wonders) and my ears are very dry! Another side effect I have is a sensitive scalp. The joint pains have stopped as have the back pains and the headaches. I've noticed no real change in skin texture as of yet. I'm using Cetaphil cleanser and moisturiser.
I have a horrible habit of picking spots and I know it may not effect me right now but as the weeks go on this may be a horrible choice as Accutane can cause scarring. I've noticed any spots I pick hang around a bit longer but any small whiteheads that I leave alone will go away quickly (2-3 Days).
I would describe my acne as pretty moderate. I get maybe 2 spots a week that form under my skin as a raised red bump that will eventually form into a whitehead (I'm not sure what these are called). Then I will get maybe 4-5 whiteheads a week. I'm quite conscious of my skin and as I work and go to college I'm always under the eye of the public. I'm more at the stage where I'm sick of acne now and I've had it since I was 13.
My dermatologist initially refused to put me on Accutane as I wasn't bad enough but after a few sessions and coming to the realisation that Accutane was the only option as a 'cure' then the decision became much easier. When I was younger I used to ferociously scrub my skin with Clearasil with the sight of a spot. I also think this may have lead to problems down the line. Then at 17/18 I did laser treatment. This was useless and cost about 1,500. Then I was put on minocin then tetracycline and Duac and Differn. The tetracycline was good at the start but my body just outgrew the drug and it's performance stopped. Putting creams on every morning and night became a tireless chore. I'm not sure what effect the creams had, I think my skin liked the Differin but not the Duac.
I will update this log daily with a brief analysis of the changes on my face and any re-curing or new side effects. Hopefully by the end I will have clear skin! I hope my log can provide some users with Accutane some re-assurance or possibly even potential users advice on Acctuane and what side-effects I had and how I dealt with them.
The last point I'll make today is that Cethaphil moisturiser leaves your skin looking unbelievably greasy!
Thanks guys and girls and I hope you enjoy!
Day 18:
Two small whiteheads have formed over the past two days. Scalp irritation seems to be the most persistent side effect along with the dry lips.
As of Day 18 there appears to be no early onset of dry skin yet however this effect may be offset as I already had dry skin previously. I expect further progression of symptoms as my dosage increases. My diet is normal and I am trying to avoid fizzy drinks.
I am taking my tablet every morning with toasted white-bread. I would prefer to have milk but I believe it may impair absorption of Accutane due to previous experiences with tablets and milk.
Day 32:
No great change in my skin yet. My lips are so dry and I'm only starting to cope with that.
I just started 40mg on day 29 and no initial response has occurred from my skin yet. However, a skin coloured spot that is unnoticeable unless I open my mouth to stretch the skin has popped up into a red spot after months of just hiding away under my skin.
I am concerned about my dosage and I'm only on 40mg. My derm has described my acne as mild so maybe that is the reasoning. Has anybody else experienced success with a low dosage?
Day 34:
That skin coloured spot blew up by about 25mm yesterday. It was filled with different layers of puss. I put Duac on it last night and then stupidly re-popped it again this morning and put Neosporin on it. Hopefully that stopped it. Hopefully that is the last time I pop a spot again.
The only side effects at the moment are the dry lips and the top of my forehead is quite red and dry but it's not very noticeable.
Day 40:
Minor improvements so far. Skin is soo dry and lips are like a flake bar. Whiteheads seem to be forming in a way that they are smaller in width but larger in size as in they are protruding further out of my face.
Today is the first day in since starting Roaccutane that I don't have a horrible red spot on my cheeks, I have one on my jaw line but I don't mind that. I can feel a few ones that are forming under the skin however but I'm happy to see it's had an effect on my skin.
I was talking to a guy who was on the drug two years ago and it didn't work for him and he has experienced everything I experienced so far so I'm worried that we may end up with the same results.
Hey,
I was on antibiotics for 2 years and yes it's solely on my face.
Day 57:
I've noticed my ability to concentrate has diminished. I've had mabye four spots in the past 3 weeks which is very good for me. All are minor ones (TG) but I'm putting that down to the change in weather.
My skin looks very red. It's not fully red, it just appears red in places where acne once existed. My skins recovery rate has completely dropped and the skin on my hands is very dry and it's causing them to appear very chapped and red.
I'm not sure about the Accutane. I can see a halting of actual spots on my face but at the moment my face looks as bad as it did when I had acne pre-Accutane becuase of how badly it recovers from former spots. I hope this fades with time and I'm going to speak to my dermatologist about it becuase I'm sure I can relieve the redness while I'm on Accutane but I just want to configure this with my Derm.
I'm also getting tired of Cetaphill. It's so greasy and might also be the cause of some of the redness on my skin, especially the moisturiser, but ,again, I will speak to my derm about this as I really don't think my face can handle being washed twice dail [i had dry-ish skin pre-Accutane] and I thinking washing it twice may have irritated it more than doing it any good. I don't really see the effect that a wash can have on Acne as it is not caused by dirt but can be caused by clogged pores which is what I feel the moisturiser is doing and at worst it's making my skin look fragile and red.
After a bit of research and with consultation with various Health "professionals"; I've come to the conclusion that Accutane is simply the only solution to actually preventing Acne in the long run as Antibiotics are temporary, Benzol Peroxide is simply an "Acne killer" which won't prevent Acne but will help it die. Topicals in the long run will probably do more damage than good and as especially at how uneducated people are at using them, I think that may be the cause of the more serious outbreaks I had, will actually end up doing more damage to your skin than good.
It sucks having bad skin. After 8+ years with Acne I don't think a regimen exists that will keep you acne free. You will hear about these good stories from people who are having success on regimens but I'd put that down to good timing rather than what a new regimen is actually doing for your skin. Somebody is going to wake up tomorrow and might only get an odd spot for the rest of their lives because of some unknown phase or stage that their body has past through after years of suffering and looking like a pizza. Sometimes results will be down to what people stop doing rather than what they are doing. Maybe the new regimen is stopping an old regimen that was causing that person to break out in Acne. I just don't believe it. I've been a sucker for hundreds of different products and all have had various results but alos I was Acne free for about half a year and all of a sudden my body changed and I had acne again, it's your body 99%. I also don't believe that food or drink for that matter has any affect on Acne. Water is good for you but it doesn't improve Acne and anyboy telling you otherwise is lying.
Well that's my entry today done!
Thanks for reading if anyone is paying attention!
Echron, so happy that accutane is working for you. Redness will eventually go away too. As for accutane being the only solution for preventing acne, i wouldn't put all my eggs in one basket. While a few people have permanent remission, many of us have our acne return to a lesser degree. Topicals have a place and once your treatment is done, you may want to maintain with a retinods, especially if your hormones are still misbehaving.
As for diet and acne, i do believe it can help us healthwise but acne wise, it never made a difference to me. I think though that early eating is the best way to go though as our body will work better when we treat it with respect.
Good Luck and keep us posted
Echron, so happy that accutane is working for you. Redness will eventually go away too. As for accutane being the only solution for preventing acne, i wouldn't put all my eggs in one basket. While a few people have permanent remission, many of us have our acne return to a lesser degree. Topicals have a place and once your treatment is done, you may want to maintain with a retinods, especially if your hormones are still misbehaving.
As for diet and acne, i do believe it can help us healthwise but acne wise, it never made a difference to me. I think though that early eating is the best way to go though as our body will work better when we treat it with respect.
Good Luck and keep us posted
Hi, after further review I can accept that topicals definitely have a place in acne treatment but they only really work when a spot is appearing they tend to not prevent acne.
Day 59:
3 new spots today. I'm face looks very red form all the places where spots used to exist. I got very little sleep maybe four hours and that may have contributed which leads me to believe that it may be more a hormonal issue than I thought which is disappointing. It's quite depressing I have to say waking up to three new spots after a small period of hope. I had been to the dermatologist yesterday and to wake up with a cyst and two whiteheads is very disappointing. My bloods came back fine (meh!) so today I started into my "3rd" month [i had technically entered my 3rd month on day 57]. My dosage remains the same and I was recommended to only wash my face once a day at night-time.
I have to say my levels of optimism have dropped massively over the past 24 hours.
I estimate I will probably be on this drug until the end of January!
The redness of my past spots is the worst. Has anybody else any experience with this? Does it last for the 6 month course?
Hey,
I was just wondering if switching your moisturizer helped with the clogged pores?
I am feeling low about my course as well so I feel your pain... I was on accutane years ago and it was a miracle for me so I do trust it enough to say keep at it 
the results for me were llife changing and they did last several years.
Hey,
I was just wondering if switching your moisturizer helped with the clogged pores?
I am feeling low about my course as well so I feel your pain... I was on accutane years ago and it was a miracle for me so I do trust it enough to say keep at it
the results for me were llife changing and they did last several years.
Nope I think that may have caused a small breakout. I've reverted back just to keep the balance. How's your acne now? I'm glad you got the results you wanted!
Day 65:
No new spots today. Face is red in 'problem' areas. I can see the difference in my skin in the way a spot now develops but they don't seem to go away any quicker.
Day 84:
What an awful two weeks my skin has been through. Constant sore spots under the skin which were full of puss have formed over the past 2-3 weeks. Maybe 6-7 in total.
They are really red and yesterday I got a weird spot where it appeared to form all of a sudden but was dry and hard but I had to squeeze some of it out. It was out of my skin by maybe 2-3 mm but it wasn't a normal spot it was a string of puss. It left a tiny mark.
I'm due back to my derm in 3 weeks. I think I may need to up my dose becuase I'm not seeing any results or is this normal?
Day 92:
Yesterday I decided to cut dairy from my diet, eat a low gi breakfast and where possible become healthier. I also decided to take my tablets with dinner now too as opposed to in the morning which I don't think worked too well as my body is under a lot of stress in the morning (shower, breakfast, pack bag, drive 40KM etc.), it's a bit of a rush and plus my meal in the evening is far bigger than my breakfast. I also got rid of cetaphil for the moment. I think after being on a facewash for two years it just doesn't work for me. I'll also be taking Omega-6 supplements.
My skin? I got two new bumps this week and picked them. XD
However, a spot that was picked 2 weeks ago is just a small red cump now? Can anybody tell me what the hell that is? Any insight?
Anybody still reading?
This is my second course.
Everything you are describing is perfectly normal. As you have undoubtedly read, everyone reacts differently. First go round I didn't see clear results until month 4 of 6. It was the unknowing fear that continually got me down. So unsure about everything. Unsure if the products I was using was contributing to the problem. Unsure if the drug even would work. Unsure if my derm was correct. Unsure why I wasn't seeing dramatic improvement. I get it. I completely understand where you are coming from. I lived it, experienced it, and struggled with it. Until one day I just said fuck it. Harder to do than to say, but embrace the fact your on tane. The light at the end of the tunnel is worth it. You know it, you wouldn't have decided to partake. You have, I am telling you, just accept it. Do not hide from it. Hiding will only perpetuate your downtrodden self esteem.
following your blog. hang in there man, totally worth it.
You are probably analyzing this post and scrutinizing why I am on a second course. I was completely clear post tane for a year and 3/4. The it progressively got a bit worse till I got to the point of one nodule/pustule/cyst a week. I wouldn't even call it mild...maybe light. Just bit the bullet to get it over with instead of waiting.
Thanks guys^
Day 105 now and I've had one of those under the skin spots since cutting out dairy and that was after eating fast food while in the airport. Still not happy and I don't think I will be becuase I'm a huge critique of my skin and I'm the sort that hasn't a hair out of place.
My skin improving could be anything from the change in cleanser and moisturiser, to cutting out dairy to eating more low gi meals etc.
I've a hypertrophic scar on my cheek, I think, for the past 3 weeks or so. Anybody have any sucess treating them?
Day 111:
Got two cysts yesterday, although the were minor they suck balls and I drank hard Friday night and had about 3 Cheese Pizzas so my diet was destroyed.
Anybody still get small cysts this late into Tane? It's really depressing getting them this late.
I have 61 days left now so I think that brings me to the first of Feb.
Anybody any advice at this stage?
