So just a quick background. I'm 28 years old and I've had acne since high school but it was very mild (mainly hormonal) until after I graduated high school. Once I hit my 20's i started to get pretty bad i would say pretty moderate. I've tried minocycline/differin combo, retin-a micro and a few other topical combos with very little success. The minocycline worked pretty well but my acne would return as soon as i stopped taking it. My mom and my sister both had bad acne and my younger sister did a round of accutane when she was 13 because it was so severe. It was as if she had a rash on top of severe acne all the time. Her acne completely cleared up after accutane so my fingers are crossed it will work for me! So far i'm on day 34 of Myorisan(claravis) and my derm. just increased my dose to 40mg 5 days ago after a month of 20mg. My side effects haven't been bad at all. Dry lips started about a week in(aquaphor is my BEST FRIEND!!) and then i started getting some bloody discharge in my nose(not an actual nosebleed) that i get occasionally still. I've had some peeling on top of my nose but that cleared up after a few days right around day 15. I did get a really strange rash type thing on one of my hands that was a bunch of tiny red bumps that dried up after a few days of using aquaphor and a steroid cream my derm gave me at my last appt. I have only had a flare up of my acne (my skin was completely clear minus some old non-active pimples ironically when i started) right before/during my period and it was not bad at all, only a few pimples that dried up quickly and one cyst like that has already gone away. I have not broken out AT ALL other than that one breakout. I haven't gotten my period yet this month so my fingers are crossed i won't get another breakout before/during it but do you think it's a good sign i haven't broken out any in between? I would say my acne is mainly hormonal but i have never seen my skin look so clear/smooth!
I am in a very similar situation, I'm 30 and finally gave in and decided to try Accutane after refusing it several times before. I am also on 40mg of Myorisan (Day 43!). =) I've also tried multiple other medications, including several antibiotics, topicals, a couple of different birth control pills and a ton of over-the-counter products. Ironically, my face cleared up pretty significantly in the month between when I started the iPledge process and when I started Accutane. Anyway, I think it's a good sign you haven't broken out yet this month, hopefully you won't although from what I've read breakouts during the first couple of months aren't uncommon and some people break out even longer. Enjoy your clear skin and if you ever want someone to talk to who is in a similar place, don't hesitate =) Good luck to you!