Hello Everyone! I started Absorica on March 6th and wanted to start a log to track my progress. I have been reading all of the Accutane logs all year and I was supposed to start my treatment on February 5th, but there was an issue with iPledge and I wasn't able to start until last week.
I am 27 years old and I never had an issue with acne until last year and since then it has been non-stop and absolutely nothing has worked. I am vegan, so I eat mostly fruits and vegetables and I consume absolutely no refined sugars. I only drink water and green tea, so my diet wasn't an issue and this problem seemingly came out of no where. It was almost like one day I woke up with cystic acne and I didn't know what to do, Since then it has been pretty bad and I finally decided to ask my dermatologist about Accutane. She recommended that I use Absorica because it is supposed to be absorbed better and have less side effects... My health insurance is awful and I basically have to pay for everything out-of-pocket so the Absorica actually came to be less expensive than the generic because my doctor gave me coupon. I am currently taking 60mg/day - 30mg with breakfast and 30mg with dinner. So I started last week and I have logged my daily updates below:
Day 1 - I couldn't get my prescription until the afternoon, so I only took my evening dosage (30mg). I was anxious about it, but I did not experience anything.
Day 2 - I experienced my face getting really hot and red in the afternoon, but it went away quickly and hasn't come back.
Day 3 - Dry lips
Day 4 - A few bumps under the skin feel sore and are starting to come out.
Day 5 - 2 new actives near my mouth
Day 6 - 2 more new actives coming out - 1 on my cheek and it appears to be the largest pimple I've ever had and 1 on my chin. Both are sore. Also my face has become very itchy.
Day 7 - Have had a few nose bleeds but nothing serious. No new actives, but the 2 I got yesterday are big and do not look like they are going away any time soon
Things seem to be going OK at the moment in terms of side effects, but I'm a little concerned about the IB. I knew that I was most likely going to experience an IB, so I tried to prepare myself for the worse, but it is hard not to be upset about it. I am trying to stay positive and thinking about it being worth it in the end!
Also, since no one in my family has had acne, they don't understand why I'm so upset about it, so any support is greatly appreciated!
Good luck! Acne is the WORST. The only thing worse is that iPledge program. Did you use retinoids before you tried Accutane? I'm wondering if taking them before Accutane can cut down on the IB period. The good news is that a majority of opinions I've read are people who are glad they tried Accutane and have clear, glowing skin.
Hi Kim! Thank you!! I know the iPledge program is awful, my course was pushed back a month because I wasn't properly registered?! I was supposed to start in Feb, but they said that I couldn't start until March, I was pretty upset about that but I was relieved when I was able to pick up my prescription last week!!
I did try retinoids before (I tried pretty much everything before) and my skin was probably the worse it even has been a few weeks before starting Absorica. Now that I've started, most of my previous breakout has cleared but now the IB is starting. The pimple on my cheek is absolutely huge so I'm pretty upset about that because there is no hiding that one!! And I'm starting to breakout on my chin and around my mouth. I really hope that I am just getting the IB over with early. I know its only been a week but I hope things start to clear up soon and the IB doesn't last too long!!!
Good luck on your journey, and keep us posted!
Good Luck Smiley! I hope things clear up for you soon. One thing I noticed is that cysts/zits are somewhat anticlimactic on Accutane. They show up, and then go away all of a sudden, with no popping, or anything.
Hopefully now that you are in the system you won't have any issues getting your medication from now on.
Good Luck Smiley! I hope things clear up for you soon. One thing I noticed is that cysts/zits are somewhat anticlimactic on Accutane. They show up, and then go away all of a sudden, with no popping, or anything.
Hopefully now that you are in the system you won't have any issues getting your medication from now on.
Thank you PersnickityChick, rachelll1995, and Kim0728!
I know I haven't updated in a while, I've been busy with work and I also wanted to be able to report some good news, however things continue to get worse. I'm on day 50 (I think) of 60mg/day and I continue to break out with at least 1 new active per day. Each one leaves a scar no matter what (I don't pick..heck I don't even touch and I am very gentle when I wash my face and apply moisturizer). Things have been tough because I'm not seeing an improvement at all, in fact I think it may be worse since I started. It is also very discouraging how much scarring I have after having this problem for 1 year out of my 27 and with each new pimple/cyst comes another scar!
Sorry for the rant, I guess I needed to vent to someone...I have my 2nd month derm appointment at the end of next week...hopefully things start to clear up soon.
To the Accutane users who have been on it for a while or before...How long did it take you guys to start seeing improvement?
Also, my back has started to hurt this past week. Other than the breakouts and back pain I don't really have any other side effects. My nose bleeds stopped and I developed a rash on my hands during the first month, but diligent moisturing cleared that up pretty quickly.
@SmileyJoy -- I'm a 27 year old female and just started Absorica four days ago myself. So far I have only experienced a warm sensation on my arms and face. It feels like a mild sunburn, but without the redness. Sounds similar to the first few days you were on it. I'm on 30mg once a day and my Dermatologist plans to up the dose to 60mg when I go back in a few weeks.
Here's a little more about my situation...
I NEVER broke out in high school, however, I was on birth control at a fairly young age (14) due to a heavy flow, ect. At 19 I had a blood clot and was no longer able to take bc pills. Instead I have an IUD, which I got at age 20. Around my 21st birthday I noticed my chin area began to break out pretty bad. I continued to get breakouts on and off for the next year and finally went to the dermatologist. I have been put on numerous topicals and antibiotics since then. Some worked for a while, some didn't work at all. The breakouts continued to come and go, but my face was never completely blemish free. I tried cutting all dairy out of my diet, loading up on foods that were known to be good for your skin, multi-vitamins, Pro-Active and all the other "3-step" kits available, ect. Nothing was working. I had my hormones checked as well and they were within normal range. My skin has always been SUPER oily. I'm talking 10 oil blotter sheets a night oily! The more I learn about how acne forms and the type of acne I have the more Accutane [Absorica] makes sense. And at this point I am confident that I have tried it all. In fact, most insurance companies won't approve coverage if you don't have a history of trying other antibiotics first.
Of course I have concerns over the initial breakout and other symptoms, but like you, I am trying to stay positive and patient knowing that the outcome is going to be worth it. You mentioned that no one else in your family has had to deal with acne. I have faced a similar situation with my friends (family is 2,500 miles away). Some are supportive and others continue to ask whether or not I "always wash my face at night". It's hard for people to understand that this is a disease that, in some cases, requires medicinal intervention. Best of luck to you and I look forward to hearing more about your journey and sharing a bit of mine as well!
-Amber