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(@mandycandy)

Posted : 05/20/2014 1:46 pm

Back history...Had smooth skin no bad breakouts before, occasional cyst once a year. Nothing I couldn't live with. Now I'm approaching *cough30cough* birthday and all of a sudden I've been bombarded with breakouts and cysts for the past 7 months. So I finally broke down and went to a dermatologist who recommended Accutane.

And here I am Day 12...

Lips are extremly dry and so is my face. Other than that Im not noticing any other symptoms. My face is so itchy!-I litterally want to take a cheese grader to my face! My face is the worse it has ever been, not sure if I'm going through my IB stage yet or not. But for the month wait before I could start accutane, my doctor had put me on an antibotic that I had an allergic reaction to and broke almost 75% of my face out. Please tell me it won't get worse than this.

I hope results show fast. posted a picture, note the lighting isn't that great and I have makeup on.

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(@zoso84)

Posted : 05/20/2014 3:56 pm

All I can say is stick with it and moisturise at every opportunity. I tried a fancy Nivea sensitive, no alcohol (blah blah blah) moisturiser that I'm convinced made my IB 100% worse, it was almost an instant reaction. After reading all about the merits of cetaphil I tracked some down and it is amazing---haven't reacted to it all and it has helped so much with my dryness.
Still looking for a solution to the dry lips, or something to make it more bearable :/
Also, its a massive cliche, but take one day at a time. I'm on day 22 (100 mg a day) and there have been periods where I just wanted to stop taking this stuff---dry lips, flaky skin, constantly red face, eczema (which I've never had a hint of in my 30 years on the planet) all over one hand (cetaphil got rid of it though!) but I keep telling myself, to just 'man up' and get on with it. If I stopped taking it now (almost a quarter of the way through the course, I hope) I'd always be wondering what the final result would be...Sometimes I seem to literally alternate good and bad days. Quite early on someone at work commented that my complexion was looking better, then today, someone else said ''bloody hell, you've caught the sun'' (we had a mini heatwave over the weekend). Of course, I hadn't been anywhere near the sun, it's just this bizarre medicine makes my face red ALL the time.
Lastly. I'm a big believer in getting a wallchart and marking the days off so you can actually SEE the days ticking by---I don't see this as wishing my life away, it's purely motivational and it seems to be working.
Good luck on your journey.

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35
(@mandycandy)

Posted : 05/21/2014 1:42 pm

Thank you for the advice! I hope the good days out way the bad days for you. Honestly I feel like Im just going through the motion of my days. Not really good and not really bad-As long as my days consist of work and then home. Here's to better days ahead of us and good luck to you!!

Day 13:

Today my lips are not very chapped at all. However the dryness around the corners of my mouth are really flaky :( and Ive gotten more breakouts on my forehead. Dryness is the only symptom I'm noticing right now. When about does initial breakout usually occur? And with the IB, is there an abundance of breakouts or just in a spot or two? I know everyone is different, I think I'm just dreading it. Maybe the more I'm prepared for it, it won't be so bad?

Anybody use anything on your breakouts? I've been treating pimples ever since I've gotten pimples. So not putting anything on them other than moisturizer is driving me slightly crazy.

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(@andrewbleah)

Posted : 05/22/2014 10:22 am

Not trying to brag but I had the baddest IB around here.

You'll improve day by day until you have not acne at all,just don't worry about it.

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35
(@mandycandy)

Posted : 05/22/2014 2:33 pm

Not trying to brag but I had the baddest IB around here.

You'll improve day by day until you have not acne at all,just don't worry about it.

Lol nice!

Tane is definitely pushing my cysts to the surface. 4 day weekend is just what I need for some rest, relaxation and not having to go anywhere!

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(@bordercol71)

Posted : 05/22/2014 7:26 pm

Hey there! It looks like we are pretty close to the same start date. I am on day 16 today and I'm on 60mg/day. What dose are you on? It's nice to know that we are in this together! I've noticed that besides the dryness my face is pretty constantly red. Do you have this also?

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54
(@kim28)

Posted : 05/23/2014 10:53 pm

I don't think you can do much for individual spots. Accutane will push everything out so quick, you won't get a chance to anyway. You'll run a greater risk of scarring if you dry stuff out more than it already is.

IBs are different for everyone. Some people do not have one at all. They usually occur in the first month or two, and start to subside by month three or four.

Best of luck!

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35
(@mandycandy)

Posted : 05/27/2014 11:31 am

Hi Bordercol71! Congrats you've surpassed day 20! lol I can't wait to hit day 20 it will feel like Im actually getting somewhere. Im on 40mg dose and have no redness. Just the dryness, my lips haven't ever been so chapped though :( got any tips? I feel like Carmex and blistex just aren't doing the trick. Its good to have someone so close to my days, but yet a little further so you can feel me in on what may be coming next!

Hi Kim28 and thanks! I know I need to learn to leave them alone! One of my worst habits. Although I did start using neosporin on them and woke up to almost a 50% difference. Not sure if it was the neosporin or just accutane in general, but it was definitely refreshing to see!

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(@mandycandy)

Posted : 05/27/2014 12:03 pm

Day 15: Woke up feeling incredible, slight back pain but went away quickly. But my face looks almost 50% better. I couldn't even wait to leave the house (which hasn't happened in a long time due to the acne). I didn't do anything different but use neosporin. But the cysts just aren't living as long as they used to. I could get used to this

Day 15 thru 19: All the little pimples that I had on my face have smoothed out only a few cysts remain. And one cyst opened up and let a lot of nasty out, so maybe it will be shrinking soon! I am noticing the joint pain now. Mainly only occurs at night and morning. Face is doing good no overly dryness. Lips are very dry, Ive started using Vaseline on them at night. The Vaseline has helped with making them not look chapped from everyone else's eyes but boy do they feel it! I don't know what to do about the corners of my mouth, they're so dry and chapped i can't open my mouth too wide. No new breakouts though. A cyst did get slightly bigger but nothing I can't handle. Hopefully this isn't the calm before the storm.

Overall, I'm feeling good, seeing progress and the breakouts I do have aren't too bothersome. Even took a selfie in the car, course a few little guys made a cameo

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(@mandycandy)

Posted : 05/29/2014 11:18 am

Day 21-

Check out the evil cyst that came to full blown yesterday. I can't even hide the thing. I am thankful it doesn't hurt! Other than the planet growing on my face I feel really good. No back pain these past couple days. I haven't used my moisturizer on my face in a few days too, I figured I would start using again if I noticed my face drying but I hate the oily feeling it leaves. No new breakouts. Lips are doing good, except for the corners of my mouth. The inside of my nose is feeling dry, which is new.

No sign of IB yet. Maybe I won't get one because I got one with the medicine the dr gave me while waiting to start accutane? I've just come to recover from that breakout and my face is surprisingly smooth! Although I can now notice my first pitted spot. Its from an old cyst but its so prominent now. No more picking my face for me!

With the cyst growing I can feel myself start inching my way back to seclusion of work, home, work, home rinse and repeat. I'm thankful for the last several days though, getting back to the old me, not trying to hide my self. It felt good. -looking forward to getting more days like that someday!

Anyone notice weight loss with accutane?

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(@catmama)

Posted : 05/29/2014 8:11 pm

Sending you good vibes!

You made me smile in your previous post of not being able to wait to leave the house... I can't wait for those days! :)

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(@bordercol71)

Posted : 05/29/2014 10:02 pm

You are doing great so far! I know you must be bummed about the cyst but hopefully it won't last as long as usual with the accutane to help speed up the healing. One thing that worked wonders for the cracking corners of my mouth is Dr. dans cortibalm. My derm gave me a bunch of samples and you can probably ask your pharmacist where to find it. It healed mine up in a day! My nose gets super dry too. I have been using a q-tip to put aquaphor on the inside of my nose everyday, sometimes twice a day. It has helped so much.

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(@mandycandy)

Posted : 05/30/2014 10:58 am

Sending you good vibes!

You made me smile in your previous post of not being able to wait to leave the house... I can't wait for those days!

Aww good I'm glad I could! I live for those kind of days

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(@mandycandy)

Posted : 05/30/2014 11:18 am

Thanks Bordercol71 for the advice, I will have to find out how I can get my hands on some of that! How are you doing on Tane? You're just a few days ahead of me got to keep me informed on things to come!

Day 22: Nothing new to report.. Cyst is still huge, I'm pretending its not there. Works until I see a mirror or reflective glass anywhere LOL my spirits aren't down though so I'm handling this thing like a boss!

My lip arsenal!!

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(@mandycandy)

Posted : 06/02/2014 9:31 am

Day 25:

Really fed up with this huge cyst think Im going to talk to my DR about getting a cortisone shot. My neck has been itching like crazy. And im noticing pitting from old cysts that had long gone. Sucks.

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(@mandycandy)

Posted : 06/03/2014 11:06 am

Day 26:

Cyst opened up and drained last night. Maybe it will go way down before dr appt. and even better by this weekend. My right eye turned a little red yesterday. I wear contacts so hope accutane isn't drying my eyes up too much to wear contacts. Using refresh, must of worked today isn't red at all. No new breakouts. Neck is still itchy. Still no more joint pain.

Question: Anyone wearing contacts and on accutane-Did you get dry eyes to where you couldn't wear them? And if so when about did this occur?

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(@bordercol71)

Posted : 06/03/2014 12:27 pm

Hey! I had a really itchy neck and arms the same time you did, but it subsided a couple days ago. Now my arms and chest are peeling no matter how much moisturizer I use.

I don't wear contacts so I'm not much help there. I can say that my eyes have been more irritated, itchy, and red since being on absorica. It gets worse at night before I go to bed.

Yay for the cyst finally draining. Hopefully now it disappears before the weekend. That is interesting about the pitting. I have not noticed that at all. Hopefully it resolves itself soon!

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(@mandycandy)

Posted : 06/04/2014 9:29 am

Thanks! And by the way you were a life saver with the dry nose

My rash on my neck itches treating it with some cortizone cream hope it helps!

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(@bordercol71)

Posted : 06/10/2014 10:03 pm

I hope your rash is better now. Any new side effects? Have you noticed blurry eyesight when you look at digital clocks? It's really strange but it's like digital lights are blurry and everything else is pretty normal.

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(@mandycandy)

Posted : 06/11/2014 12:42 pm

Yes rash is better you can still see it but its completely flat and smooth. I have noticed occasional blurriness.

But man oh man I feel old lol achy joints are legit. Its not bad just when I get up from sitting somewhere for too long. But after a few seconds back to normal. Other than that no new side effects. Still clear face for you? I'm so jealous!

A week since Ive updated....

Where do I start...I couldn't take the big cyst on my face anymore. So when I went to my routine monthly check with derm. Monday I had him shoot it with some cortisone. Its there still but slowly going down. Thank goodness that thing was really cramping my style!

AND sure enough yesterday morning the cyst on my cheek that has been flat all this time and never hurt is trying to become a full active. Seriously just my luck! I am leaving it alone but if I was knew it was going to start its nasty business I would of gotten it shot too. Sometimes I feel like I can't win for nothing. It'll get better though . At my dr appt. the nurse was taking all my information and doing the normal when she mentioned she had been on accutane. I quickly scanned her face and nothing but clearness. She was very positive about accutane-so it was encouraging!

My dr office scheduled my appt. way off so this is officially my 3rd day without medicine. I get my prescription delivered straight to my door, so I called them and it wont be shipped here until tomorrow. Grr! So annoying. I hope this doesn't affect anything.

Only positive thing I got going on is I got 1 month down!

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(@mandycandy)

Posted : 06/11/2014 12:58 pm

Oops forgot, I'm being bumped up to 60mgs. Start tomorrow, we'll see how it goes!

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(@zoso84)

Posted : 06/11/2014 4:29 pm

Best of luck---keep marking off the milestones. I had a similar experience to the one you had with your doctor, we have a Polish truck driver where I work and when he started with the company a few months ago, his skin was in a really bad way---I know that sounds mean but it's not meant to, it's just he had these enormous red cysts all around his nose and his hands were completely covered in---you guessed it---a type of flaky, white rash. He's a nice guy but seemed so uncomfortable and to be honest, he looked in pain with it all. Haven't seen him for a while---agency staff come and go---but he's back in this week and I literally could not believe the change=His hands have completely cleared up and his complexion looks amazing. No spots whatsoever, even skin colour and tone. I haven't had chance to ask him but I'm convinced he's been on Accutane and it's little moments like this that make me think it'll be worth all the side effects in the long run :)

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(@mandycandy)

Posted : 06/12/2014 9:46 am

Thanks! Yes seeing results in people keep us going! I've read stories and Ive heard all the success stories but theres just something about seeing it first hand that makes it all worth it.

I am so frustrated right now. SO my doctor apparently didn't send my prescription in until 2 days after my appt. and i had gotten my blood work Thurs before my appt. Which now puts me past my 7 days. Called the drs office who wanted to say it was the pharmacy;s fault then call the pharmacy to only find out its my drs fault. The guy who I talked to with the pharmacy was so much help. He said he would get ahold of my dr and get it all figured out. I swear they better take care of it. If they don't Im not really sure what happens. I'm hoping that if they can't fix it Ill just have to go have lab done again. But I have no idea what to do now. Just stuck waiting to hear back. Anyone else have this problem? I don't want to go a whole month without the medicine. I swear its take one step forward to only be knocked 3 steps back-Grrr!

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(@bordercol71)

Posted : 06/12/2014 10:05 pm

Ugh so annoying for you! Let us know how it goes.

I am really feeling the achy muscles...I feel like a 90yr old lady. Lol

Hoping you get your prescription soon!!

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35
(@mandycandy)

Posted : 06/13/2014 2:49 pm

90 year old lady here too, isn't that crazy? I dread getting up after sitting because I know it will ache.

Had to take another pregnancy test, and do questions on ipledge all over again. But my medicine will be here Monday. Puts me a whole 9 days off the medicine. Oh well I guess its a perfect time to have a stiff drink Lol

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