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My Little Accutane Log

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(@aed2712)

Posted : 10/18/2012 10:38 am

Hi everyone,

 

After reading things on this site for years, I have finally decided to make my own post because I am starting a course of accutane today. :) I will make my long story short, hopefully. :-) I am a 21 year old female... I have tried almost everything, just like most people on here. Benzoyl peroxide and moisurizer keeps my face under control most of the time. My main problem is my chest, back, and upper arms. The acne on my face and these places is not severe, but it is EXTREMELY persistent. I have suffered with acne in these places for 9 years and nothing has helped. I have not worn a swimsuit or tank top since I was 12! Understandably, it makes me depressed. After many trips and emails to multiple dermatologists, I have finally decided to go on accutane and risk all of the scary side effects I have read about. I was offered it when I was 16 and refused...I wish I would have just taken it then. :-/

Anyway... I was supposed to start this medicine on September 17, but there was a mess up between my doctor and the ipledge program. I wasn't registered with ipledge when I took my first pregnancy test, so it didn't count. We didn't think this would be an issue, but I had to redo both pregnancy tests and here I am a month later than I was supposed to be. Oh well. Today I get to pick up the wonderful stuff and take a pill tonight. I think I am starting 30mg/day for the first month and then going up to 60mg for the remainder of the course. I am most worried about the initial breakout and possible hair loss. My face doesn't look terrible right now...so I'm really hoping it doesn't freak out too much. I don't care if my chest and back have an IB because I've been covering those parts up for 9 years....a few more months isn't going to kill me. I am worried about the possible severe/long term effects, but I just have to suck it up.

So far the products I will be using are: Clean and Clear Sensitive wash (the only wash that doesn't break me out), Cerave lotion (not cream),Cetaphil cream (have never tried this), Aquaphor (for the soon to be dry lips), and Burt's Bees chapstick. I hope I can get by with just this stuff! I do plan on working out as usual unless I have bad joint/back pain.

I will most likely post pictures once I get a new battery for my camera and update frequently. Here goes nothing!!! 😀

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(@aed2712)

Posted : 10/19/2012 10:50 am

Took my first pill last night! I was very worried! Obviously nothing new to report . I did feel dizzy in the middle of the night, but that might just be in my head. I'm one of the biggest hypochondriacs ever..... so I will probably think I'm having side effects when I'm not. :P

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(@aed2712)

Posted : 10/20/2012 11:02 am

I woke up this morning to a few new pimples. Oh no!! I don't know if these would have come up without the accutane or if the medicine brought them up. Here's to hoping they go away fast. :) Other than a few new ones, I don't have any side effects yet. I've only taken two pills though. I'm sort of anxious to get some kind of dryness. Lol!

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(@smallbirdie)

Posted : 10/20/2012 11:41 pm

Girl I am on the same boat! I started the same day as you so I'm excited to watch your log!! I am soo ready to be done with acne. I get horrible horrible acne on my back too. My face can get pretty bad around my time of month, but body acne always sucks. So hopefully we will finally be able to wear backless shirts soon :) I'm definitely ready to see some dryness too, even though I know I'll regret saying that in a month probably. And I'm horrified of an initial break out. I'm not good with breakouts and I don't think I can take anything worse! So I'm praying that we'll skip that phase. But good luck with your course!! I hope all goes smoothly!

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(@sonrisafingida)

Posted : 10/21/2012 8:12 am

i hadn't problems with the IB until the middle of the second month(~) but i'm at 20/day only and i have problems only with my face.

good luck!!

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(@aed2712)

Posted : 10/21/2012 9:50 am

Thanks for the replies, ladies! Smallbirdie- How funny we started the same day! Lets definitely keep comparing. :)

 

No new updates today. My face is doing quite well, but I'm sure that will change once this drug really gets into my system..... but maybe not! I have no side effects at all as of yet...

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(@jenneyefurrose)

Posted : 10/21/2012 12:59 pm

I take my 6th dose tonight so I am slightly ahead of you. Maybe I could let you guys know the side effects I experience before you get them. Of course we are all different, but it couldn't help to know!

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(@aed2712)

Posted : 10/22/2012 10:29 am

Day 5??? Took first pill on Thursday, so does that count as day one? Yeah, I think I'm on day 5. So, my face and scalp are starting to get drier! They get randomly itchy....it's kind of annoying to have an itchy face. Lol. Have gotten a few small pimples, but they weren't too bad. Hmmm..... I think that's all. My lips aren't drying out yet. Nothing has happened to my chest or back yet. Hopefully something happens there soon! I will post pictures... I just keep forgetting to get a camera battery! :)

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(@jenneyefurrose)

Posted : 10/22/2012 7:56 pm

All day my eyes have been SUPER DRY! I got gel eye drops for dry eyes at walmart because normal drops weren't helping for more than 20 minutes. They don't really feel like gel and I definately reccommend them.

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(@aed2712)

Posted : 10/23/2012 10:32 am

Day 6!! I am definitely drier!! My face is dry and my lips are getting chapped. I'm so excited to notice something! Lol. I had a decent headache last night, but that could be many things. My face is doing quite well....I don't have any breakouts today.... strangely, it seems to be clearing. I think it's just the calm before the storm!!!neutral.gif I hope hope hope things stay good and I skip the initial breakout (or at least get a minor one). That's all for today. smile.png

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(@aed2712)

Posted : 10/24/2012 9:37 am

Lips are officially dry! Yay! grinwink.gif Last night at work I was super tired....it was pretty bad. Not really any breakouts. My face feels kind of rough and it's dry. I tried the cetaphil cream but it was way to shiny so I don't really like it. My scalp is dry....I think I may need to buy some head and shoulders. :( It's okay though cause that stuff smells really good! I still don't see much as far as my chest goes...hmm. I have this weird sore spot on my upper arm that feels like a rug burn, but there's no redness or anything. It's a little weird. I think that's all. Everything is going well so far! Oh, and I think this is DAY 6 even though I took my 6th pill last night. Tomorrow will be a week since I started... oops!

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(@aed2712)

Posted : 10/25/2012 11:07 am

DAY 7!!! One week down! Yay!! Felt like a piece of doodoo last night. My back and my stomach hurt, but I don't think it was related to my treatment because now it's gone and I feel fine. My lips are getting quite dry and my poor little scalp is itchy and dry. I had to buy some head and shoulders. I think my scalp is so dry already because I dye my hair too much. :P My face looks pretty good (knock on wood). I don't have anything active on my face right now! Chest, back and shoulders look pretty much the same....maybe slightly smoother. I hope it's just clearing from here on out!! If I do suddenly break out everywhere, I will have to try my hardest not to freak out. Lol

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(@aed2712)

Posted : 10/26/2012 12:05 am

I am not so sure I want to continue this medication! I don't know why, but I was sucked into reading the horror stories all over the internet about hair loss and permanent joint pain. My back is KILLING me and it hurts to move and laugh. I have always had slight back pain because I have scoliosis, but this is unbelievable!!!!! Pain reliever only helps for like an hour. I don't want to be permanently ruined from this med.... Why am I so scared all of the sudden?!?! Many people live perfectly normal after using accutane, right? I read it shortens the life of all the healthy cells in your body...is that true? Am I going to die earlier if I finish a course of this?? Ahh!!! :'(

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(@insonia)

Posted : 10/26/2012 9:35 am

You know I have always asking myself daily this question if I should continue. Now I have taken this pill for 61 days.. Lets go through this journey together and achieve good skin at the end of the course. Look at all the successful logs here, it certainly is encouraging

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(@aed2712)

Posted : 10/26/2012 10:47 am

Day 8.... After my little freak out last night, I'm not feeling much better. I emailed my doctor about the back pain and he said lower back pain is common and to try Aleve. Well, I have all over back pain....So, I'm not sure if that's any different to him. The pain is gone for now, but I'm sure it will come later in the day. I also have two sore spots on my scalp, but that's probably because it's so dry. Last night I layed in bed thinking about what this drug is doing to my joints and liver.... It freaks me out! :(

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(@aed2712)

Posted : 10/27/2012 11:40 pm

Day 9! For the last two days I have been going back and forth trying to decide if I should continue this medicine. I don't know why the hell I've been reading every single horror story, but I have. It's driving me crazy!! My current worries are: permanent hairloss, blindness (yes, the medication paper says that could happen!), psychosis, and permanent joint damage. Ahh!! Is it worth the risk?!?! I will at least stick out the whole first month and see how I feel at my next derm appointment.

 

Anyway, currently I don't really feel any side effects. Yesterday I had a terrible headache, but it could have been dehydration. My new shampoo is helping my scalp. Back pain was not present today, so that's good. My chest seems to be getting smoother. My face has a few teensy new zits, but nothing bad at all. I can see this stuff is helping, but I really don't want something worse to happen just because of my annoying (but not life threating) acne.... : /

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(@leelowe1)

Posted : 10/28/2012 12:56 pm

Hello - i am sorry that you are having these doubts. A word of advice, if you continue to think the way you do (focusing on the negative side of accutane and the what could be's), you won't make it 6 months. Yes accutane is a drug, yes it has side effects, yes it can have permanent and irreversable side effects but if you have tried everything else for your acne, then what is your alternative?

 

My advice is to:

 

eat healthy (cut out processed foods and other things that tax you liver such as alcohol)

up your fruit and veggie intake

exercise, exercise, exercise

be gentle with your skin

realize that some side effects are normal for accutane (aches, pain, headaches, dry and itchy skin, etc)

 

No point in worrying about what can happen until it does

 

GoodLuck

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(@aed2712)

Posted : 10/29/2012 10:22 am

Day 11: Nothing new, really. I have a weird rash on my hand that's been there almost the whole time, but I forgot to mention it. My face is the same, chest is smoother. That is all really! I probably won't update until something new happens! :)

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(@aed2712)

Posted : 11/01/2012 11:40 pm

Day 14. So, I have bad news. I took this medicine as directed for two weeks. For the last three days I have had an incredibly painful and unpleasant stomach ache. I have been miserable. No puking or the watery poo (thank the lord!). I am one of those people who NEVER get stomach aches. Seriously, I don't remember the last time I had one. I didn't eat anything different, the rest of my family is fine, which makes me think this is not food poisoning or a stomach sickness. Unfortunately, the only thing I can think of is the accutane. Could it really already be damaging my poor little guts?? Anyway, I have decided to take a break for a few days from the meds to see if that does anything. I will update after my little break is over.

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