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21/m 40Mg/day Oratane Log

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(@paulxdragon)

Posted : 01/28/2013 4:59 am

 

Ok, so basically to keep a long story short, I started breaking out in high school around the age of 14, I would only get the occasional pimple on my face like every other teenager, however, after turning 16, things quickly turned ugly, my acne started getting worse, a lot worse, I was now prone to breakouts all over my neck and face, and it wasn't just any type of acne, it was that deep under-the-skin type of acne that never forms a head, just big red lumps... Anyway, I figured that with topical creams I could keep it moderately controlled enough to live a half-happy life, I was wrong. 2 years later and I was breaking out like crazy all over my chest and neck area, big painful under the skin bumps, the funny thing is, ever since then I've never had acne on my face, not one spot, my shoulders and back are also perfectly clear, the only place I break out is my neck and my chest... So anyway, after years of bad breakouts and trying every product under the sun, including oral antibiotics, I finally plucked up the courage to take the "tane", and by "plucked up the courage", I don't mean the courage to take a drug that could potentially leave me with undesired side effects, no, they don't bother me at all, what bothered me was the fact that I had to take blood tests, as I have a phobia of needles, this was a big obstacle for me to overcome, but ultimately I decided it was worth it if it meant having a life again.

Anywho, I'm kind of starting this thing a bit late as I'm already close to finishing my 3rd month , and while I have noticed some good improvement, I am still getting pimples (as recently as today I had one form on my neck), I am confident that this treatment will put an end to my acne, I just wish that the results would speed along a bit faster.... I'd been researching and discovered that most people have that "ah-ha!" moment (when their skin starts rapidly clearing) around month 2-4, so I am hoping that within the next 2 weeks I will have reached that stage (in time for my 21st birthday, which is on the 8th of February).

...So currently my chest is clear, and on my neck I have two under-the-skin pimples, which may not sound bad, and may sound like progress, but I have good days and bad days it seems, and at this stage in the treatment I really didn't expect any more acne to form...

 

For anyone who's interested, here is some information about my course.

Generic Isotreinoin Brand Name: Oratane (New Zealand brand)

Started Course: Tuesday, November 6

Current Date: Monday, January 28 (83 days)

Weight: Between 63 ~ 66 KG

Dosage: 2 weeks on 10mg, 1 week 20mg, Current dosage 30mg. (hoping to increase dosage to 40mg or 50mg come next week)

Skin Type: Not oily, but I do tend to sweat a bit, and shower a lot, I'd consider my skin quite dry.

I'll upload a before photo (from day 1), but I wont be uploading another photo until I finish my course, as I'm quite camera shy (hence why it's only a blurry picture of my chest tongue.png)

post-133661-0-34674600-1359367185_thumb.

post-133661-0-34674600-1359367185_thumb.

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(@paulxdragon)

Posted : 01/29/2013 11:10 pm

Day 84

- the 2 pimples on my neck are healing well, the one on the left side is barely visible now, however I've developed another small pimple around my collar bone area, it seems I can rarely stay breakout free in that area. I have high hopes that it will already be starting to fade by tomorrow, it seems that I've hit that stage where, when I get a pimple, it's not very big, and stays around for a short time.

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(@paulxdragon)

Posted : 01/31/2013 3:03 pm

 

Day 86

Ok so I woke up today and I'm rocking 3 new pimples on my chest... I have no idea how this happened, I was positive it was on the way to recovery, but I guess I was wrong... On the positive side, I have no active pimples and only 1 mark on my neck!

 

I guess I can hide the pimples on my chest easily with clothing, but I don't like the fact that they're there.

If this morning has told me anything, it's that, at this stage in the game, I really need to up the dosage, because I feel this isn't good enough, I should not have breakouts like this at 3 months in.

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(@paulxdragon)

Posted : 02/15/2013 10:59 pm

Day 102

Ok so I haven't updated in a while, due to having no internet for the past couple of weeks (I am only updating now because I'm at my mums place using her internet and I suddenly remembered I had a responsibility to document my experience on this drug)

So anyway, now to progress... Progress has been... AMAZING. At the moment I only have marks, no active pimples, my neck looks completely clear except for 2 small grouped marks and on my chest just a few marks here and there (but no raised bumps, hooray!), I should also take the time to mention that my dosage was upped by 10mg, meaning I am now taking 40mg, I'm not sure how long I've been on 40mg, but it's probably somewhere around a week now, also I've noticed that when I get a pimple now it's very small and lasts all but 2 or 3 days, as opposed to the 2 or 3 weeks they used to last, that is a major improvement.

Now... Side effects wise, I have noticed I am forming something of a dermatitis on the backs of my knee's, and it is getting worse with each passing week, but it is ONLY on the backs of my knee's... I don't know what it is for sure... But it is worrying me a little, so if anyone else has had any similar occurrences, I'd like to hear from you. I'd get a picture for you guys, but I don't have my camera with me :/.

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(@paulxdragon)

Posted : 03/01/2013 10:34 pm

Day 117

Ok so things went a bit down south over the past few days, probably due to excessive binge drinking over 3 days, and last night ._. I caved in... I decided my skin was looking good enough to go to town and hit the clubs, worst mistake EVER, I seem to have messed up my progress and I am now quite worried... Also this sudden break out could be due to me taking 120mg like on 2 different days because I wanted to finish off some extra pills (yea yea... bad idea, I know).

Anyway... I've only got 1 healing pimple on my chest which is nice, except my neck has several pimples... Admittedly they are healing fast but I am worried there may be more on the way, the most annoying ones are basically at the bottom of my neck where my neck meets my collarbone, there are 3 pimples there that just don't seem to get better or go away, I blame my clothing for this, my collar probably constantly rubs against it, but there's nothing I can do about that because I'm trying to hide my acne :/

Anyway, hopefully I'll get some better progress in the coming weeks.

EDIT: Oh, forgot to mention that the dermatitis thing on the back of my knee's is going away, probably due to using aqueous cream and hydrocortisone cream on it.

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(@paulxdragon)

Posted : 03/07/2013 5:58 pm

Day 125

So... Things have gotten a bit worse on my neck, don't know why... I think it's due to taking extra pills (I'm supposed to be on 40mg, but on a few days I've taken anywhere from 60 - 120mg to get rid of extra pills), my chest is still clear, only 1 red mark from that healing pimple I had about a week ago. I really wish my neck would clear up, it's the only part of my body that has acne that I can't really hide (turtle necks in summer, bad idea, not to mention they look grotesque and they make my acne worse.....

Anyway, that's all for now, internet is still down unfortunately so I don't know when I can update this log next.

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(@paulxdragon)

Posted : 03/13/2013 3:46 am

Day 131

So... I've got 2 pimples on my chest that I've had for the last 4 days or so and they're on there way to healing which is good, I still have the pimples on my neck, but only the right side, and they're getting better slowly, also it seems that I've somehow developed ringworm or something simmilar, a very inflamed red ring with light-ish pink color in the middle and slightly raised around my thigh area right beside my crotch... I haven't been sexually active for 3 years so I doubt it's any type of sexual disease.

All things considered, I think I will need to spend longer on my medication, because my skin seems to be a lot less dry, and although my oil production seems to not have gone back to the way it was, I am concerned that it may.

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(@paulxdragon)

Posted : 04/11/2013 9:50 pm

 

Day 161

Ok so in the last month, things have been absolutely terrible, my skin has been all over the place, but ultimately it is back to the way it was before I started the treatment, the only difference is there are no bumps, my pimples seem to be flat red marks (well, at least on my chest), my neck however, is another story, I have your normal under-the-skin pimples on both sides, although they are a lot smaller than usual...

 

I don't know what to think any more.. I was certain I'd be all cleared up by now, but I guess not. I plan to beg my doctor for some prednisone, as I've heard it can just blow out your acne in a week while you're on accutane...

 

Anyway... As of now, my total cumulative dosage is around 87.7mg/kg, so I guess to reach a goal of 120mg/kg, I probably have a few months left. Ah well, there's nothing like fighting the good fight, although in the meantime my social life continues to suffer.

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(@paulxdragon)

Posted : 04/27/2013 10:55 pm

Day 178

Things have been looking up for the past week or more now, my skin is in good condition, however I seem to have some small bumps on my neck (just 2 or 3) that aren't flattening out as fast as I'd like them to.... They're not inflamed or very red, so it's not that big of a deal, but I wish they'd hurry up and go away... Anyhow, I picked up my last prescription 2 days ago, I have about 3 months left which should allow me to reach a goal of 150mg/kg, after which I plan to stop my treatment and let things settle out, it will be a huge relief to finally be finished with my course, I can't wait!

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(@paulxdragon)

Posted : 05/07/2013 5:34 am

 

Day 188

Since my last post I've only had 1 very very very tiny pimple appear on my neck (so tiny I don't think it's really visible, but I can feel it when I run my finger over it), apart from that the bumps I had have faded a little bit more, but still not completely gone, ah well, can't have perfect skin. Anyway, I've decided tomorrow I'm going to buy some topical BP to see if it speeds it along a bit more, but as for now things are looking great, seems the medicine has finally started taking affect to my skin.

 

I think it's amazing that I've only had 1 barely noticeable pimple considering the past week I've eaten 2 pizza's, a lot of sugary vodka drinks (I had a night out drinking, I know, I'm bad, but temptation gets me), and to top it off, I've had a lot of lollies lately... So it really is very pleasent!

 

My current mg/kg ratio is about 108mg/kg, so I'm well on my way to finishing my course! Not too long from now!

 

 

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(@paulxdragon)

Posted : 05/16/2013 11:32 pm

Day 198

So my chest is still clear except for 1 or 2 marks that are there which aren't really noticeable, but the right side of my neck is quite badly broken out (but healing), however my left side is completely clear with no marks... Which is strange really. I think the breakout had to do with drinking/eating pizza... Such a shame.. Oh well. I've actually been told to stay on the medication until I stop getting acne, so now I'll be on it for probably the rest of the year by the looks of things. Apparently according to my doctor, the 120/150 mg/kg thing was the old way of treating acne on accutane, apparently now it's all about waiting for the acne to go ._.

Anyway, just for the hell of it, my mg/kg is now 115mg/kg

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(@jamie-o)

Posted : 05/17/2013 7:38 pm

Hey mate I'm glad to hear that your acne is clearing up. I Actually have found that my skin is still clearing up post-Oratane, after having a few minor breaks within the days of finishing my course. But your dermatologist would do it his way for a reason, so as long as it works who cares.

Good luck with the rest of your course mate.

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(@paulxdragon)

Posted : 05/18/2013 4:17 pm

Hey mate I'm glad to hear that your acne is clearing up. I Actually have found that my skin is still clearing up post-Oratane, after having a few minor breaks within the days of finishing my course. But your dermatologist would do it his way for a reason, so as long as it works who cares.

Good luck with the rest of your course mate.

It was clearing up, unfortunately I've screwed things up almost completely. For the past week I've been showering in excess of 4 times a day and scrubbing my skin with antiseptic surgeon soap and antibacterial soap, my chest has exploded into about 7 different zits again.

I guess from now on it's 1-2 min showers in the morning and night with no soap whatsoever. Hopefully things will get back to normal. I'm at day 201 now I believe.

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(@jamie-o)

Posted : 05/18/2013 11:10 pm

 

Here are the answers to the questions you asked on the other person's log.

1. I have a question to ask, how often do you shower while on accutane?

I shower once an day, unless I am doing sport or going to some function/event with friends at night.

2.Do you just shower with hot water and for a small time? Or do you use soap and shower for a long time?

I tend to shower for a shorter period of time. Also what do you consider a long period of time? I can shower, wash my hair and use a body wash within about four minutes max (I am not saying that I never have a longer shower). As for the soap part, soap can irritate some peoples skin (even those who are not on Accutane), I use a body wash by QV. The body comes in both normal wash and one that moisturisers your skin. I think most people would only need the normal one, unless the skin on their body (chest, back, arms etc) is drying out. I had to use a moisturiser on my body because I got a little bit of eczema (due to it being linked with hay fever somehow) when I didn't moisturiser at the start of my treatment, so I don't know what the average person would need.

Hope this helps mate.

 

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(@paulxdragon)

Posted : 05/23/2013 6:13 am

Here are the answers to the questions you asked on the other person's log.

1. I have a question to ask, how often do you shower while on accutane?

I shower once an day, unless I am doing sport or going to some function/event with friends at night.

2.Do you just shower with hot water and for a small time? Or do you use soap and shower for a long time?

I tend to shower for a shorter period of time. Also what do you consider a long period of time? I can shower, wash my hair and use a body wash within about four minutes max (I am not saying that I never have a longer shower). As for the soap part, soap can irritate some peoples skin (even those who are not on Accutane), I use a body wash by QV. The body comes in both normal wash and one that moisturisers your skin. I think most people would only need the normal one, unless the skin on their body (chest, back, arms etc) is drying out. I had to use a moisturiser on my body because I got a little bit of eczema (due to it being linked with hay fever somehow) when I didn't moisturiser at the start of my treatment, so I don't know what the average person would need.

Hope this helps mate.

I see.

Well the showering less has helped dramatically, as well as using less or no soap. I am now 100% certain that I had a breakout due to damaging my skin by excessive showering, I used to shower 4 times a day for 15 mins at a time, now I am showering once in the morning and once at night for like 2-4mins.

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(@paulxdragon)

Posted : 05/29/2013 11:04 pm

Day 212

So things have been improving since my last breakout, despite having a few energy drinks and a pizza here and there... I believe I am now at 124mg/kg

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(@whoartthou1)

Posted : 05/30/2013 1:49 am

do any of your acne scar?

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(@daniel777)

Posted : 06/06/2013 11:04 pm

Hi Paul,

I'm also from New Zealand and I feel as if we have the exact same problem. Everything you've described in your logs are the same as me. My face is clear, however I only get acne on my chest and neck. I started oratane 21 days ago and just yesterday, I had a major break out on my chest. However my diet is pretty clean and I don't drink. I'm on 20mg a day and your logs are very encouraging. Could you please give me some advice and tips? I get the red acne too, do they scar after they go? Is it bad to pop them? Thanks

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(@paulxdragon)

Posted : 06/08/2013 7:35 pm

do any of your acne scar?

Nope, scarring has never been an issue for me, none of my acne has ever left even the remotest scar. However, my red marks tend to linger longer than usual.

Hi Paul,

I'm also from New Zealand and I feel as if we have the exact same problem. Everything you've described in your logs are the same as me. My face is clear, however I only get acne on my chest and neck. I started oratane 21 days ago and just yesterday, I had a major break out on my chest. However my diet is pretty clean and I don't drink. I'm on 20mg a day and your logs are very encouraging. Could you please give me some advice and tips? I get the red acne too, do they scar after they go? Is it bad to pop them? Thanks

Hey man, I'm happy to see that I'm not the only one in New Zealand who suffers from just chest and neck acne (it's the worst isn't it?). My advice to you is to stick with the tane no matter what, and don't overtake your dose like I did (for some reason, I feel this screwed up my progress). I also suggest that you don't use acne washes or topical creams, just let your skin be itself. Wash with an antibacterial soap maybe 2-3 times a week, but gently.

If you follow this guideline and just stick the treatment out until the end, you will be overjoyed with the results, just like I am now, I haven't had a zit in close to 3 weeks now, and the ones I did have are now all healed.

And just a reminder, some people on this forum see results after the first 4 months, for me, it's taken a lot longer, it's just about being patient, the medicine works for EVERYONE, you just need to give it TIME.

 

Day 222

All of my acne has now either healed or gone away, I think I'm now finally in the clear, which is great because I've got a triple 21s't coming up in 2 weeks, and can't wait to get my drink on and have a good time. I am now at 130mg/kg, of course I will still be taking Oratane well past my 150mg/kg goal, as my doctor has prescribed me for at least another 3 months, and quite frankly, I don't find the side effects that annoying.

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(@whoartthou1)

Posted : 06/10/2013 6:45 pm

do any of your acne scar?

Nope, scarring has never been an issue for me, none of my acne has ever left even the remotest scar. However, my red marks tend to linger longer than usual.

>Hi Paul,

I'm also from New Zealand and I feel as if we have the exact same problem. Everything you've described in your logs are the same as me. My face is clear, however I only get acne on my chest and neck. I started oratane 21 days ago and just yesterday, I had a major break out on my chest. However my diet is pretty clean and I don't drink. I'm on 20mg a day and your logs are very encouraging. Could you please give me some advice and tips? I get the red acne too, do they scar after they go? Is it bad to pop them? Thanks

Hey man, I'm happy to see that I'm not the only one in New Zealand who suffers from just chest and neck acne (it's the worst isn't it?). My advice to you is to stick with the tane no matter what, and don't overtake your dose like I did (for some reason, I feel this screwed up my progress). I also suggest that you don't use acne washes or topical creams, just let your skin be itself. Wash with an antibacterial soap maybe 2-3 times a week, but gently.

If you follow this guideline and just stick the treatment out until the end, you will be overjoyed with the results, just like I am now, I haven't had a zit in close to 3 weeks now, and the ones I did have are now all healed.

And just a reminder, some people on this forum see results after the first 4 months, for me, it's taken a lot longer, it's just about being patient, the medicine works for EVERYONE, you just need to give it TIME.

 

Day 222

All of my acne has now either healed or gone away, I think I'm now finally in the clear, which is great because I've got a triple 21s't coming up in 2 weeks, and can't wait to get my drink on and have a good time. I am now at 130mg/kg, of course I will still be taking Oratane well past my 150mg/kg goal, as my doctor has prescribed me for at least another 3 months, and quite frankly, I don't find the side effects that annoying.

what diet do you consume?

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(@paulxdragon)

Posted : 06/11/2013 6:28 pm

do any of your acne scar?

Nope, scarring has never been an issue for me, none of my acne has ever left even the remotest scar. However, my red marks tend to linger longer than usual.

>Hi Paul,

I'm also from New Zealand and I feel as if we have the exact same problem. Everything you've described in your logs are the same as me. My face is clear, however I only get acne on my chest and neck. I started oratane 21 days ago and just yesterday, I had a major break out on my chest. However my diet is pretty clean and I don't drink. I'm on 20mg a day and your logs are very encouraging. Could you please give me some advice and tips? I get the red acne too, do they scar after they go? Is it bad to pop them?

Thanks

Hey man, I'm happy to see that I'm not the only one in New Zealand who suffers from just chest and neck acne (it's the worst isn't it?). My advice to you is to stick with the tane no matter what, and don't overtake your dose like I did (for some reason, I feel this screwed up my progress). I also suggest that you don't use acne washes or topical creams, just let your skin be itself. Wash with an antibacterial soap maybe 2-3 times a week, but gently.

If you follow this guideline and just stick the treatment out until the end, you will be overjoyed with the results, just like I am now, I haven't had a zit in close to 3 weeks now, and the ones I did have are now all healed.

And just a reminder, some people on this forum see results after the first 4 months, for me, it's taken a lot longer, it's just about being patient, the medicine works for EVERYONE, you just need to give it TIME.

 

Day 222

All of my acne has now either healed or gone away, I think I'm now finally in the clear, which is great because I've got a triple 21s't coming up in 2 weeks, and can't wait to get my drink on and have a good time. I am now at 130mg/kg, of course I will still be taking Oratane well past my 150mg/kg goal, as my doctor has prescribed me for at least another 3 months, and quite frankly, I don't find the side effects that annoying.

what diet do you consume?

I wouldn't say I really have a "diet" as I eat when I'm hungry, I don't eat breakfast and I don't even eat lunch on most occasions, I just eat when I take my pill. I am a student, and so I don't have much money to live on... the food I eat is mostly healthy, I try to stay away from fizzy drinks and buy orange juice or cranberry juice instead... I would say some of the major foods I consume are rolls from the bakery (consisting of fried chicken, lettuce, carrot, cheese and mayo), pumpkin soup (home made), and a lot of bread. This is basically (as boring as it sounds), my "diet".

The myth of whether diet has anything to do with acne is most likely not true, HOWEVER, I have noticed that whenever I consume ANYTHING caffeinated I will get pimples only on my upper lip, and I'm sure this is to do with caffeine, because otherwise I never get acne on my face.

I hope this answers your question.

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(@paulxdragon)

Posted : 06/20/2013 11:55 pm

Day 235

Acne continues to improve, haven't had a pimple in almost a month which is exciting news, however, tomorrow I will be drinking a shitload, due to having a triple 21st party to go to, we'll see how things go after that.

I'm now at 139mg/kg

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(@paulxdragon)

Posted : 07/03/2013 8:36 pm

Day 249

Woke up this morning rocking 1 new small pimple on the back of my neck (most likely due to consuming junk food, and only junk food over the course of 1 and a half weeks now... chocolate, chips, fizzy drink, fried chips, you name it, I ate it). Anyway, other than that I have been acne free, though the one pimple on the right side of my neck that has been healing for some time, is still healing as it has been for almost a month now.

I am now at about 148mg/kg.

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(@paulxdragon)

Posted : 01/16/2014 6:27 pm

Just like a mega late update, I finished my course at 10 months in I believe and have been relatively acne free, I had a VERY mild breakout of 2-3 pimples about 3 weeks after ending my accutane course, but now everything's great! - I will add, however, that I still have some red marks that are taking their time to fade, but they're only visible for about 3 hours after I shower. I've noticed that not showering has greatly improved the condition of my skin as well. I think it's the over use of products and the showering daily that causes acne, just let your skin be itself, sometimes I don't shower for 3 days, despite sweating it out at the gym for an hour every day and then walking 5k's home in the heat my skin still looks great, if not better than when I do shower.

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