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Pre Accutane, Any Advice Is Welcome 🙂

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(@miickey-mouse)

Posted : 07/26/2013 2:28 am

Hi I am at the age of 19 and have had recurring cystic acne for about 4 years now. I have tried various medications, both topical and oral. During my use of doxycycline it worked great for about 6 months but then I guess I became immune to it. I am currently on 600mg (High dose) Alprim - Trimethroprim (Bactrim) but it has been about 6 weeks and my skin is only getting worse. My skin can sometimes be really dry and then extremely oily. I am considering biting the bullet and going on Accutane, I'm not too fussed about the side effects, only those involving pale skin (I'm tanned) and hair loss. Also severe scarring left from the Initial Breakout (when does this occur for most people?). I know how Accutane works as I am studying medicine, but would very much appreciate any experience from those who have been on Accutane, how well it worked, how was your skin on it, any side effects? My derm is pretty keen to get me onto it as well. Any feedback is welcome smile.png

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(@emilyology)

Posted : 07/26/2013 9:43 am

I went on Accutane when I was 16 (?) or maybe earlier at the tail end of 15 - I can't remember because it was about 5 years ago! I never had hair loss, just really dry lips and dry eyes. Those were the only side effects I had from Accutane. I was initially worried about the possibility of my depression, anxiety, and ADHD getting worse, but they had been monitored since age 10 by my psychiatrist, and I have been medicated, so things actually got better once I started looking better.

I was on Bactrim as well during my Accutane treatment to avoid flare ups, and that worked. Do I have some scarring? Yes, but not super noticeable, and it wasn't from the Accutane, it was from the acne I let go on for too long.

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(@miickey-mouse)

Posted : 07/27/2013 12:36 am

I went on Accutane when I was 16 (?) or maybe earlier at the tail end of 15 - I can't remember because it was about 5 years ago! I never had hair loss, just really dry lips and dry eyes. Those were the only side effects I had from Accutane. I was initially worried about the possibility of my depression, anxiety, and ADHD getting worse, but they had been monitored since age 10 by my psychiatrist, and I have been medicated, so things actually got better once I started looking better.

I was on Bactrim as well during my Accutane treatment to avoid flare ups, and that worked. Do I have some scarring? Yes, but not super noticeable, and it wasn't from the Accutane, it was from the acne I let go on for too long.

Hey Emily, thanks a lot for your reply. Im glad things worked out for you. So you would suggest accutane to someone in my position? Im sure the bactrim will start working soon but I don't want to go through all of this only to come off it and the acne returns. I am going to see if they will let me use bactrim with accutane, so hopefully like you I can avoid an IB.

How is your skin now, post accutane? And yeh i know what you mean about the scarring, most of my major scarring is from the past - it can be treated anyhow.

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(@herbielk)

Posted : 07/27/2013 6:54 am

Hi, I have been on 20mg roaccutane for 5 weeks now, I think I have been very fortunate, as my side affects have been very manageable, sure my skin and lips are dry and my skin is just starting to clear this week after my initial breakout but things are going well. Things that have helped me so far - during the day

Lots of water, (I seem to get dehydrated a lot quicker)

QV lip balm, applying severely times a day whenever I feel a bit dry (no cracked lips yet)

- eye drops, on hand but have only used occasionally

At night

Glucosamine tablets ( I'm a runner and gym goer so trying to prevent joint soreness, so far so good)

- oralife peppermint lip ointment very thick last all night

-systane eye drops

- Aveeno ultra calming cleanser

- avene skin recovery moisturizer for face

- organic coconut oil if my skin is still a bit dry

- QV intensive moisturizer all over body ( have always had dry skin so I have always used this)

This is what I'm using and so far so good no cracked lips or headaches

I hope it helps :)

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(@miickey-mouse)

Posted : 07/29/2013 6:30 am

Hi, I have been on 20mg roaccutane for 5 weeks now, I think I have been very fortunate, as my side affects have been very manageable, sure my skin and lips are dry and my skin is just starting to clear this week after my initial breakout but things are going well. Things that have helped me so far - during the day

Lots of water, (I seem to get dehydrated a lot quicker)

QV lip balm, applying severely times a day whenever I feel a bit dry (no cracked lips yet)

- eye drops, on hand but have only used occasionally

At night

Glucosamine tablets ( I'm a runner and gym goer so trying to prevent joint soreness, so far so good)

- oralife peppermint lip ointment very thick last all night

-systane eye drops

- Aveeno ultra calming cleanser

- avene skin recovery moisturizer for face

- organic coconut oil if my skin is still a bit dry

- QV intensive moisturizer all over body ( have always had dry skin so I have always used this)

This is what I'm using and so far so good no cracked lips or headaches

I hope it helps smile.png

Hey Herbielk, thanks for your reply. Today I was prescribed 20mg Ro-accutane which will hopefully progress. I'll be sure to buy many of those products you suggested. Do you find that moisturizer helps in the recovery of burst pimples? Also when did your Initial Breakout begin? Im going to take bactrim with my ro-accutane to help minimize the Initial Outbreak as I already have quite a bit of scarrring. Some positive insight, when I wen't to get my blood test today, the phlebotomist told me both her daughters had been on accutane and it was the best thing they have ever done. I have a good feeling were both gunna make it buddy :)

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(@herbielk)

Posted : 07/30/2013 3:05 am

It's hard to say when my initial breakout really occured, since the age of 14 i started getting consistent pimples, im now 27, so I just became used to always having between 10 and 15 large pimples at anyone time. So for the first week/ week 1/2 this remained about the same, except my skin was a little bit sorer, i guess due to the dryness, and i was finding i was getting large blackheads like never before!, but at about the 3 week mark i started getting pimples in places i had never had them before, for instance my cheekbones, under my chin and across my neck and shoulders, so i kind of assumed this was my 'initial breakout', but everything seems to be healing and i dont seem to have any permanent scarring just redness at this stage. I went back to the dermo yesterday for my 6 week check up and he was pretty happy with how it is looking, he said i look to be over the worst of it, but i may still have small spikes over the next 6 - 8 weeks. as far as moisturinser and healing goes, i know some people say that thick moisturiser can contribute to more breakouts, but in my case, i choose my moisturiser wisely to make sure it was specific for sensitive/acne medication treated skin, and if anything, pimples that i am getting seem to be healing a lot quicker, not sure if that is the moisturiser or the roaccutane? All up from what i have read my experience with Roaccutane has been relativelytrouble free, so here is hoping your experience will be the same!

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(@emilyology)

Posted : 08/01/2013 11:36 am

I went on Accutane when I was 16 (?) or maybe earlier at the tail end of 15 - I can't remember because it was about 5 years ago! I never had hair loss, just really dry lips and dry eyes. Those were the only side effects I had from Accutane. I was initially worried about the possibility of my depression, anxiety, and ADHD getting worse, but they had been monitored since age 10 by my psychiatrist, and I have been medicated, so things actually got better once I started looking better.

I was on Bactrim as well during my Accutane treatment to avoid flare ups, and that worked. Do I have some scarring? Yes, but not super noticeable, and it wasn't from the Accutane, it was from the acne I let go on for too long.

Hey Emily, thanks a lot for your reply. Im glad things worked out for you. So you would suggest accutane to someone in my position? Im sure the bactrim will start working soon but I don't want to go through all of this only to come off it and the acne returns. I am going to see if they will let me use bactrim with accutane, so hopefully like you I can avoid an IB.

How is your skin now, post accutane? And yeh i know what you mean about the scarring, most of my major scarring is from the past - it can be treated anyhow.

Sorry for the late reply! Yes, I would recommend it to someone in your position, or at least bring it up to the derm. I'm still on Bactrim to avoid flare ups, and it works. Then again, I'm someone who has no problems taking a pill each day since I already take a few. Post accutane, my skin isn't scarred. It has some craters, but those were present *before* starting. Good luck!

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(@miickey-mouse)

Posted : 08/01/2013 11:41 am

I went on Accutane when I was 16 (?) or maybe earlier at the tail end of 15 - I can't remember because it was about 5 years ago! I never had hair loss, just really dry lips and dry eyes. Those were the only side effects I had from Accutane. I was initially worried about the possibility of my depression, anxiety, and ADHD getting worse, but they had been monitored since age 10 by my psychiatrist, and I have been medicated, so things actually got better once I started looking better.

I was on Bactrim as well during my Accutane treatment to avoid flare ups, and that worked. Do I have some scarring? Yes, but not super noticeable, and it wasn't from the Accutane, it was from the acne I let go on for too long.

Hey Emily, thanks a lot for your reply. Im glad things worked out for you. So you would suggest accutane to someone in my position? Im sure the bactrim will start working soon but I don't want to go through all of this only to come off it and the acne returns. I am going to see if they will let me use bactrim with accutane, so hopefully like you I can avoid an IB.

How is your skin now, post accutane? And yeh i know what you mean about the scarring, most of my major scarring is from the past - it can be treated anyhow.

Sorry for the late reply! Yes, I would recommend it to someone in your position, or at least bring it up to the derm. I'm still on Bactrim to avoid flare ups, and it works. Then again, I'm someone who has no problems taking a pill each day since I already take a few. Post accutane, my skin isn't scarred. It has some craters, but those were present *before* starting. Good luck!

Haha I just took my first 2 pills a couple of hours ago (40mg to start off with) Im feeling confident about this, and yeh the derm is letting me stay on bactrim for the first 4 weeks. Are you saying your still on bactrim post accutane?

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