I grew up having terrible acne since around age 14. I did a course around 18, a second course around 21 (it came back), and now I'm doing my 3rd course at age 26.
I'm on day 17. I started at 40mg every other day, then 40mg every day, now at 40mg alt w/80mg. I'm supposed to be at 80mg/day by the end of the month.
So far after 2 weeks of Accutane, the biggest problem I've experienced is a red face. I've been using Neutrogena moisturizer/sunblock in the mornings, because at work they swear I've been tanning in a tanning bed, and they can't figure out why my face is beet red. When they ask if I've gotten sun lately (because I look burned every day), I just say "yes" and leave it at that.
I'm hoping the redness goes away soon, it's kind of embarassing. I'm also hoping that the 3rd course at age 26 puts the acne at bay for a little while longer this time, maybe a few years. I'm always so impressed how flawless and perfect my skin looks a couple months after completing an Accutane course. Just hoping this course will be a little more permanant.
Any comments about 1.) if 3 courses of accutane puts it in remission for longer, and 2.) anything i can do to avoid the embarassing red face that makes my coworkers swear i'm tanning (and burning)?
how long were you on course 1 and 2?
well i think there's no way to get rid of the redness. my face is pretty red too and my eyes as well. that is even worse because a lot of people think i were high. lolz god. so don't worry just tell them that it's a seasonal/weather allergy that you have or something like that
3 courses? Wow
Might I ask which insurance you have?
I have OneNet PPO through Alliance I think. I work for a doctor's office, so I have decent healthcare.
Wellgetbetter, each time I do a 6 month course, it clears my skin to completely perfect (I'm ecstatic) but after about 2 years it comes back. So at the very least, I'm looking forward to 2 years of perfect skin after this. Hopefully though, if/when it does come back after that, it will be easier to control with topical retinoids.
Day 22
Face is no longer beet red. Definitely lots of drying on my lips and face though. Exfoliating with a washcloth and cetaphil cleanser at night, using Cetaphil moisturizer at night, and using Eucerin face moisturizer with SPF 30 during the day. Scalp itches. Acne looks worse.
Most day: 40mg/day, every 3rd day or so 80mg/day. Seeing the dermatologist for month 2 on Thursday, he'll want me on 80mg every day by then. Just still trying to hide this from my coworkers. Don't want everyone to know I'm on accutane.
Day 23
My acne is starting to look a lot better, maybe the IB is fading. Mine isn't as bad as a lot of folks here. It used to be for courses 1 and 2. But since I can finally do the 3rd course on my insurance I thought I'd get it while I can. My skin is going to be perfect after this, I'm so excited.
Getting really tired, like I can just sleep all day. Dryness is manageable, no soreness or muscle aches. Did my fasting lipids today. Still doing 40mg alt w/80mg and i'm 73 kg.
Day 25
I don't think my triglycerides are too high, reference range is 54-110, but a doctor hasn't yet reviewed and commented. Especially if they are only going to be high for a couple of months, I can stop eating so much mcdonalds and workout a little.
Red face is gone, now it's just really dry, the corners of my lips are so dry they're cracked. Headaches (like dehydration headaches) and so exhausted. I'm also feeling pretty irritated, but I don't know if that's from the accutane or not. Also finishing up the semester so that's a lot of stress.
Plugging away at this! Mostly concerned my dermatologist will want to lower my dose after that lipid profile, we shall see. I'm going to try and convince him not to change it and let it ride.
Day 26
Time is really flying by. I'm definitely irritated today (emotionally). It might be the accutane, but it's not earth shattering. Derm appointment coming up on Thursday, so I'll post after that. Been on 80mg/day for 5 days now. Had been doing 40mg alt w/80mg just prior. Acne is looking worse and worse, I have painful whiteheads around my lips, the kind that aren't ready to pop, but feel really sore, and I can feel them sticking out, highly self-conscious of them. Maybe they'll die down overnight, and I'll use a hot towel in the morning to tame them before work.
Really dry lips, no amount of Carmex is helping... oh well, it's working I guess. I'm almost done my first month, so it's flying by!
You're still early in your treatment so hang in there. I know it sucks right now but patience is rewarded with accutane. Get some Aquaphor for your lips... it works well. Also, if you have any really bad bumps, go get your doc to inject them with Kenalog and they will be gone practically overnight. Lastly, as hard as it is to not stare at your face(or wherever your acne is) just stop doing that and relax. You're likely going through an IB and it will pass.
Day 28
I just had my appointment with my dermatologist. He says he isn't concerned about the triglycerides at 233, he only becomes concerned when they get 600+ because of damage it can do to the pancreas. Also he says the counts are highest 2 months in.
He was concerned that my acne is so aggravated, it looks kind of bad right now, very nasty. He said to step back down to 40mg/day for 2 weeks, then go back to 80mg a day.
In the meantime, he injected my acne with Kenalog to tame it. He filled the syringe with 1mL and sort of poked it everywhere and injected a little. He had to have stuck me at least 10 times in the face with that needle. It was okay, I didn't mind... it's not like I wouldn't have picked at it 10 times with my fingernails. Hopefully the Kenalog makes it all better for a little while.
Oh thanks 
That big one on my hairline is from brain surgery! Now i just need skin surgery, this damned blotchy, inflamed mess.
I'm so frustrated right now, I can't stop touching it, looking at it in the mirror, looking at that picture above, obsessing, making sure I can feel every bump on my face that I see in that pic with my eyes. Wondering if the Kenalog helped, wondering when it will start looking normal. I'm really embarassed to be seen in public or by anyone I know, because I just know all they're thinking is, oh my god, his face looks awful.
Why bother doing laundry and shaving when my face looks this awful? I might as well go out in a burlap bag with holes cut out for my arms. I wouldn't look any worse!
Do the places you got the injections look any better today? I hope so. I can totally relate to wanting to dig a hole and crawl in it. Been there, man. Here comes the weekend - If you don't have somewhere you need to be, like a job, just lay low for a few days and get some rest. Maybe go for a short walk in the sunshine(not too long though). As much as you hate the way you look right now, just hang in there and have enough faith in the medicine to let it do it's work. It will work, just not on "our" schedule, necessarily. You'll get through it, dude. Trust me on that!
Gl man, Hard to imagine taking tane 3 Times. Most people say that is suppose to work after ONE treatment, but you say two years of acne free? That sounds like a good chunk of time there.
Q: How long does it take for tane to fully work? I'm only on month 3 and I still break out. Nothing MAJOR, but more like 2-3 pimples every other week or so. Ideas?
Do the places you got the injections look any better today? I hope so. I can totally relate to wanting to dig a hole and crawl in it. Been there, man. Here comes the weekend - If you don't have somewhere you need to be, like a job, just lay low for a few days and get some rest. Maybe go for a short walk in the sunshine(not too long though). As much as you hate the way you look right now, just hang in there and have enough faith in the medicine to let it do it's work. It will work, just not on "our" schedule, necessarily. You'll get through it, dude. Trust me on that!
They definitely look less inflamed. But they still look like dots, so many though that I'm sure there's a storybook worth of brail on my face.
25 days on Accutane, here is my Lipid profile, reference ranges (in perenths)
CHOL 223 mg/dL (0 - 200) H
TRIG 233 mg/dL (30 - 150) H
HDL 29 mg/dL (40 - 100) L
CHOL/HDL RATIO 7.7 (0.0 - 6.0) H
LDL (Calculated) 147.4 mg/dL (0.0 -130.0) H
Gl man, Hard to imagine taking tane 3 Times. Most people say that is suppose to work after ONE treatment, but you say two years of acne free? That sounds like a good chunk of time there.
Q: How long does it take for tane to fully work? I'm only on month 3 and I still break out. Nothing MAJOR, but more like 2-3 pimples every other week or so. Ideas?
I'd say it worked each time for a good 2 years completely clear. Then it came back, slowly at first, then worse and worse. Those 2 years went by so fast.
For me, at least for the first 2 times, it didn't really "work" until I finished the course then stopped taking the pills. Then it just continued getting clearer and clearer until it was perfect. It probably looked much better toward the end, but the magic didn't happen until I was completely done and stopped taking it. And my complexion looks good (moist but not oily) and the scars and nonsense healed up.