HI there 
I have had acne since i was 14 
i have tried so many things like topical creams, BP, antibiotics, the pill etc... but nothing has worked. I was only on Dianette for 7 days but came off as it made me very ill and now my skin is worse than ever! My back is the main problem and i feel so embarrassed. i wear clothes to hide my shoulders and my clothes actually hurt my skin. Its itchy red and painful cysts at the moment. Tomorrow im going to my doctor to ask to be referred to a derm again and from there i want to try accutane. it was mentioned to me by a derm about 6 months ago but i didnt feel in the right place mentally to be on it, but now im ready.
I have moderate acne on my back, chest, shoulders and mild on my face (mainly blackheads but 2-4 red spots on my jawline.
I know my GP doesnt think i should go on it but i am going to be firm as i cant go feeling this sore!
Anyway i thought id do a pre accutane entry in preparation
Will let you guys know what happens bye for now!
Hey lalaland, good luck! I am taking 20mg/day now and will increase to 40mg next week. It's been almost a month, so far so good! Make sure to take the pill with a meal and start applying lip balm from Day 1. I put a thick layer of lip balm on before going to bed, which helps a lot. I haven't had very dry lips yet (knock on wood). Again, Good Luck!
DAY 3
so i have noticed a few tiny white pimples which i don't usually get, on my cheeks. they appeared yesterday but are practically gone now so i dont know what that was about! haha i feel a bit itchy to be honest but not sure if thats a side effect or not. my hands are dry though so i bought some hand cream today.
Good luck with your treatment! I am in the process of asking my derm to start my isotrentenion. I have been kicking myself lately for not getting on it earlier, its pretty evident that this will be the only thing that can provide long term remission. Since my acne is not too bad but scarring none the less, I am confident that maybe just maybe there is a bright future ahead. The only things prohibiting me right now are two excisions that are still healing and the fact that I am on effoxor for anxiety and deprerssion, both come from suffering from acne. Hope it all works out for ya!
DAY 4
woke with a headache which im sure is the tane as i usually dont get them. its not too bad and im sure it will go with some paracetamol so not bothered about that really but thought id note it down.- doesnt help that my wisdom tooth is coming through and hurts like crazy!! ah well im going out tonight so that will get my mind of it if ts still sore
LuckyDory- i have suffered with depression too so know the dilema too well. ive always known why i was depressed- due to skin or a particular stressful situation. im not meds for it anymore BUT i know its something i need to be careful with and my derm knows about it. if you do go on tane make sure you have a good support network- if you feel low, talk about it, thats the most important thing
(just realised i said i would update weekly but hey haha)
Day 6
so nothing much to report but my skin is getting a bit drier now, even when i moisturize. oh and i have a agonizing wisdom tooth! nothing to do with the tane but still...its annoying....
i am finding i seem to be staring at my skin in the morning for ages as if its going to change before my eyes lol which i know it won't but hey...
DAY 10
scalp is ITCHY ahhhhhh thankfully neutragena t gel shampoo is really soothing, but stinks yuck! i had a big spot come up above my eyebrow but it dried out and disappeared before getting horrible. i feel like im about to break out on my chin...its really itchy and i can feel small bumps wanting to push out of the skin- weird as i dont usually break out there. my back is the same but quite dry. i would say any spots i get so far seem to heal quickly which is good. feel ok mentally.
im so bored though as im currently unemployed and going through some financial stuff which is stressful! and with all this rain i honestly dont know where to go or what to do to chill out... anyway sorry for the brief moan....
Hey guys. Day 8 of 40mg/per day for me. I had headaches too - quite bad ones for the first 3 days but they've gone now. Also look like I've been tanning on my face - which to be honest I'm not complaining about as the redness will help hide the occasional spot.
I too had a small breakout on my chin and a couple on my cheeks. The ones on my chin are still there but not as bad and the ones on my cheeks are drying up now. Lips are ok. Been using lots of lip balm since day one and they're not too bad now. Skin a lot dryer but still producing oil especially around my t-zone. I've got really oily skin though. Also had a weird taste for a few days but not so bad now.
I started off on 40mg per day but I'll be going on 60mg next month. I think that's when the side effects will emerge. Although, I've read that the initial breakout happens in the first week or so and some don't even experience that, so it would be nice if that was the case although I'm not that lucky.
Good luck everyone! You hear some horror stories with Roaccutane but so far I'm feeling pretty good.
DAY 16
ok so its going well. my back does look better. less inflamed and no new spots. i have broken out on my shoulders but i can deal with that. my face feels quite rough around the t-zone where my blackheads are. possibly because they are coming to the surface. im pleased that my hair and face just isnt greasy at all! i haven had to wash my hair in 3 days and it looks fine
the only thing is that i haven't been feeling that well the past few days. been a bit irritable (but that could just be me in all honesty lol) I have felt a bit sick and lost my appetite a bit too. BUT, i do have ME so i do get that sometimes anyway. i will monitor it and see how things go.
DAY 18
ha d a headache all day yesterday but has gone today which is good. but my forehead is breaking out. i have 10 active spots showing themselves and the skin there is like sandpaper. i never breakout on my forehead so its weird for me. on the plus side my fringe covers it lol
my blackheads are coming to the surface and feel rough. i thought i had hairs growing on my chin this morning but realized it was blackheads poking through the surface!!!
anyone know if the blackheads will come out themselves? im resisting picking as i dont want to aggravate my skin further but its very tempting!!
DAY 20
so a heads up- dont sqeeze blackheads...no matter how tempting- i went all red....anyway, besides that i think im on track (?) my skin seems to be pushing out blackheads. they're arent coming out properly but are on the surface meaning my skin is still like sandpaper and bumpy all over the place.my forehead, nose and chin are the worst texture wise. i did have about 4 whiteheads come up on my jawline but they are already going and dont hurt. any spots that come generally go quite quickly for me at the moment. not much improvement as yet but it is early days and i know i have alot of junk in my skin that needs getting rid of. no new side effects.
DAY 24
i have been getting an exma (cant spell) rash on my hands a bit which have cracked and bled in the cold but its my own fault for not putting cream on!!! lips have been drier and peeling more but not too bad i guess. im still positive as its worth it for nice skin. parts of my back are smoother -im mainly left with red dots where old spots are healing. the only new ones are on my shoulders and a couple on my face. my blackheads have been coming out more which is nice(in a weird sorta way) i think i will exfoliate once a week, gently, to encourage them out a bit. my face is red red red! but i guess im lucky as i can put a little make up on to cover it when i go out. i make sure i have days without though so my skin doesnt clog. my forehead is getting smoother in patches where the blackheads are going only a bit , but im being extra positive!
i have to say i was worried about the mood effects of this drug but so far im ok.sometimes i get down but i think that is just me rather than the drug itself and it soon passes.
DAY 24
i have been getting an exma (cant spell) rash on my hands a bit which have cracked and bled in the cold but its my own fault for not putting cream on!!! lips have been drier and peeling more but not too bad i guess. im still positive as its worth it for nice skin. parts of my back are smoother -im mainly left with red dots where old spots are healing. the only new ones are on my shoulders and a couple on my face. my blackheads have been coming out more which is nice(in a weird sorta way) i think i will exfoliate once a week, gently, to encourage them out a bit. my face is red red red! but i guess im lucky as i can put a little make up on to cover it when i go out. i make sure i have days without though so my skin doesnt clog. my forehead is getting smoother in patches where the blackheads are going only a bit , but im being extra positive!
i have to say i was worried about the mood effects of this drug but so far im ok.sometimes i get down but i think that is just me rather than the drug itself and it soon passes.
How sensitive are you to the sun?