Hi! I'm always on acne.org reading about accutane stories and i've finally decided to make one of my own. A little bit of background:
- I had a huge huge huge break out october 2011 which I was able to combat it using tea tree oil and retin-a.
- I didn't leave my house (with the exception of school) until January 2012 when it started to get better. I literally cringed every time i looked in the mirror and cried almost every other day.
- I was left with purple/black/red hyper pigmentation on my cheeks (where the break out was) because I was also chemically burned from benzoyl peroxide.
- The scars are pretty much 85% faded away now (YAY ) but any type of 'breakout' makes me super anxious and stressed out.
- I have VERY stubborn acne. I'll be clear for 3 days and breakout around my 'time of month' and it'll take another 3 weeks to clear. Even though it is now moderate acne.. it's very stubborn. I've tried: Doxy, clindamycin, benzoyl peroxide, retin-a, and a ton of branded acne solutions and nothing would keep my acne away for more than a week. So one day, i was just like "AHH, i can't take this anymore!!!"
I started accutane aug. 13 2012 with 40mg a day. I'm 5'8 and 155lb. They just boosted me up to 60mg 3 days ago after my first month check-up. I take 3 20mg pills a day. Here i'll be keeping a log of my progress and whatever happens throughout the medication. I'm about a month a three days of using accutane.
So far:
- I started getting dry lips around the end of my first week and into my 2nd week my lips were a complete mess. This is was soooo irritating to me because I REALLY take care of my lips.. haha but now, after trying out 2390231 different lip balms, i've found out what works for me and now my lips are better than it was pre-tane
- I don't really know if i experienced an initial break out? I broke out a tiny tiny tiny bit during my third week but that was about the time of my period so it could have been from either-or. But other then that my skin has showed improvements from day 1!
- I've had about 3-4 nose bleeds in the past month? Which i'm sure is from tane because I hardly ever get them.
- Pre-tane, I had a very oily t-zone and very oily hair and now it feels like my hair never gets oily. at all. It kind of sucks not being able to wash it every day or else it'll start falling out. and my face doesn't get oily anymore!
[*]I do have lower back pain whenever I lay down but it's not a searing pain. It's more like it's decompressing but it's intense. Otherwise, I still continue to dance and swim without any joint pain.
[*]****THIS ONE WAS COOOOL!*** So about 2 weeks in, I noticed a lot of blackheads all over my nose and around my eye bags. I knew i had some but everything was visible. I was freaking out because they look quite disgusting. But soon after, they just started literally falling and pushing their way out and a week later all of it was GONE! My nose is nose blackhead-less and it's a great feeling.. haha.
That's it for side effects! As far as progress goes, I've been getting better since the first day. I can't for sure blame accutane for that tiny break out because I always breakout during that time. Currently, I have about 4 actives but they look like normal pimples.. not huge cystic ones or they're not surrounded by a bajillion other pimples. I can't wait until i won't have to worry about breakout because of everything I do. Let's just hope I evaded the initial breakout *fingers crossed* (: Oh, and sorry if I typed way too much.. lol
Update 39 days:
Nothing bad to report (Thank goodness!). I'm down to 2 actives which are hardly noticeable! I'm getting so excited. I can't wait until I can sleep over at my friends house without having to worry about all my facial products and if I'm going to break out if I forget to wash my face for one night.
http://static.acne.org/ipb_uploads/emoticons/default_smile.pn g' alt=':)'> I've been at the gym swimming everyday for the past few days and I was worried that my face would react to all the chlorine, but it only gets 3905x more drier, but if i bring moisturizer then it actually feels really nice! my foreheads been peely lately.. I don't know if its from the increase of dosage or because i forgot to moisturize the first few days after the pool. but it's not too bad. Things continue to get better and i'm so excited! I haven't had to wear makeup for the past month and it's so liberating!
- Pre-tane, I had a very oily t-zone and very oily hair and now it feels like my hair never gets oily. at all. It kind of sucks not being able to wash it every day or else it'll start falling out. and my face doesn't get oily anymore!
- I've had about 3-4 nose bleeds in the past month? Which i'm sure is from tane because I hardly ever get them.
- I don't really know if i experienced an initial break out? I broke out a tiny tiny tiny bit during my third week but that was about the time of my period so it could have been from either-or. But other then that my skin has showed improvements from day 1!
Hi,
I had really bad cystic acne all over my face last year.I mean the big pussed ones.Im 24 yr old female, the derm prescribed minoz od 100 mg for 3 months(I could feel the difference within 20 days). and after 3 months I dont remember having any big pimples.Then he put me on SOTRET 20 mg for 3 months.My skin got so better, I dint get even a single pimple during medications,..I was super clear.My scars starte fading i applied Retina -A, that gives peeling and helps in new skin.I was super clear for almost 8 months(not even a single pimple).I was so happy that I never had to deal with this crap again.Then it started one by one like 2 cstic acne in 1 week.Then graduall increased.now its again a mess.I dint have any side effects with SOTRET except thinning of my hair.
Hope its a permanent solution for you
Glad its going really well
would love to see some progress pictures ! Sadly mine keeps getting worse ATM on roaccutane
are you on birth control also?
I was contemplating whether or not i should post pictures.. 
but I maybe i just might! Possibly later on today. And as for birth control, I am not on any. I told my derm that i'd remain abstinent through the whole medication and he trusted me to do so. I was on birth control last year for my acne and it didn't do much, actually made it worse. Hopefully you accutane starts kicking in and that you get through your initial breakout quickly! 
It'll work sloooowly but surely.
Hi,
I had really bad cystic acne all over my face last year.I mean the big pussed ones.Im 24 yr old female, the derm prescribed minoz od 100 mg for 3 months(I could feel the difference within 20 days). and after 3 months I dont remember having any big pimples.Then he put me on SOTRET 20 mg for 3 months.My skin got so better, I dint get even a single pimple during medications,..I was super clear.My scars starte fading i applied Retina -A, that gives peeling and helps in new skin.I was super clear for almost 8 months(not even a single pimple).I was so happy that I never had to deal with this crap again.Then it started one by one like 2 cstic acne in 1 week.Then graduall increased.now its again a mess.I dint have any side effects with SOTRET except thinning of my hair.
Hope its a permanent solution for you
Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear.. Thats one of my biggest fears right now. 
I'm scared that it'll come back after i'm finished with the treatment. that would be such a tease. are you planning on taking a second course of accutane?
Glad its going really well
I was contemplating whether or not i should post pictures..
but I maybe i just might! Possibly later on today. And as for birth control, I am not on any. I told my derm that i'd remain abstinent through the whole medication and he trusted me to do so. I was on birth control last year for my acne and it didn't do much, actually made it worse. Hopefully you accutane starts kicking in and that you get through your initial breakout quickly!
Hi,
I had really bad cystic acne all over my face last year.I mean the big pussed ones.Im 24 yr old female, the derm prescribed minoz od 100 mg for 3 months(I could feel the difference within 20 days). and after 3 months I dont remember having any big pimples.Then he put me on SOTRET 20 mg for 3 months.My skin got so better, I dint get even a single pimple during medications,..I was super clear.My scars starte fading i applied Retina -A, that gives peeling and helps in new skin.I was super clear for almost 8 months(not even a single pimple).I was so happy that I never had to deal with this crap again.Then it started one by one like 2 cstic acne in 1 week.Then graduall increased.now its again a mess.I dint have any side effects with SOTRET except thinning of my hair.
Hope its a permanent solution for you
Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear.. Thats one of my biggest fears right now.
Accutane is a permanent solution for many as I know..Dont worry ..However watch ur diet during accutane medications.Im a foodie and had lots of junk as I dint even get a single pimple.I thought My acne went for ever and celebrated . ...My derm says there is nothing to d with diet as its hormonal.I dnt think its that way.Sugar is directly linked to acne.Our body produces more Insulin to combat high sugar diet which we eat which in turn results high androgen productions from Ovaries.Follow healthy diet and regular exercise.
.Since my acne turned up again My derm asked me to get a scan of ovaries, However he dint suspect PCOS initially as I always have regular cycles.
After the scan It was confirmed that I have PCOS.From last 10 days I have been taking medications for PCOS which controls hormones(testosterones).Hope it works...Accutane should ideally work for any hormonal imbalance.PCOS is hormonal.
My doctor says it takes minimum 3 months to see results for these medications.Im now going through the initial breakouts due to these medications.My face is a mess now...Im worried that I have to live with these big bumps for 3 months
.Just keeping my fingers crossed.
I might consider going on a second course after these medications, totally depends on wat my derm and endocrinologist tells.I dint have any side effects when I took the first course, even my derm was happy abyt the reults.I dint even breaking of lips or any such effect.Thinning of hair started after 6 months of medications.I also went for straightening of my hair.Not sure my hair fall was because of that or because of accutane.
Urs is a totally different case.DOnt worry..Relax
Update day 41
Hello hello! Well there isn't much to update actually.. I got another pimple in between my eyebrows (UGH!!) along with the other one that popped up first. So i have two there..and i hate to admit but i'm a picker.. so I picked and picked and now i have 2 decent sized red mark in between my eyebrows. Attractive, right? Haha. It's okay though. Hopefully it'll be gone soon but i really need to kick that bad habit. I have no complaints about side effects. :] nothing has happened *knock on wood*. Hopefully the next time i update, I'll have nothing but good things to say!
Sorry it's been forever since my last update! I've been busy busy busy.
I'm not so sure what day i'm on anymore. I've lost track x) but i'm around 3 months and 3 days? I went in 3 days ago for my monthly check up and I was boosted from 60mg to 80mg. Since my last update, I experienced a small breakout around the time of my period 
When do I not? Haha, but it's gone now. My acne has been very very calm these past few days and i'm hoping it'll continue to get clearer and clearer! A lot of my side effects have stopped, surprisingly.. I no longer experience any back pain, loss of hair (people have actually been complementing me on my hair), dry eyes. I still have dry lips but it's easily maintained. I have had about 4 nose bleeds in the past 3 days though. Not fun. I haven't had any problems with joint pains. I dance every other day and it's never been a problem. I have 3 pimples on my forehead. 2 of which are covered by my bangs, so i'd say things aren't too shabbbbyyy 
From what i've heard, somewhere around month 3 is when things start to get better and better so i'm hoping and praying!
Hellotheree, what lip product are you using? I've been on the Tane for a month and my lips are absolutely ruined! Been using Aqueous cream and Carmex, but even the Aqueous Cream has stopped working.
Can't actually talk much today because my lips are so bad - didn't expect them to get this dry!
Hope your treatment is going well:)