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Mild, persistent Acne, 27/M. Course 1 & 2 Logs

 
MemberMember
23
(@tranceaddict)

Posted : 03/13/2016 5:47 pm

Hello all, 

Welcome to my log! I have been on this site before and had a log going for The Regimen about  6 years ago. I have been on BP ever since and although it didn't clear me, it has helped control my breakouts and keep my acne relatively  'mild'. Applying BP twice a day is a huge pain in the rear and has restricted my lifestyle greatly, Ie. scared to go swimming, can't go camping, have to be home every night, etc. About 2 months ago I switched from the gel to a wash and although it's helped with convenience, I still dream of the day when I don't have to use anything topical and can live carefree. I have also tried just about every vitamin combination out there and nothing has worked. 

I have mild persistent acne that affects every area of my face and at any time I usually have 2-4 active spots, mainly whiteheads plus a few red marks from recovering pimples.I have oily skin although I rarely get cysts. I don't scar easily, but recently, over the past year, I have noticed that my skin takes much longer to heal and the red marks take about a week to disappear. I always have facial hair to hide my acne, I can't even remember the last time I shaved (I trim my facial hair). My last visit with my family Dr I asked him to prescribe me 10mg/day of accutane after doing research on low dose accutane and he obliged. My blood work came back fine so I started my course. 

A little about me:

- 26 year old Caucasian male who lives in Western Canada where the weather is extremely dry
- Extremely active and play sports 6 days a week (hockey, v ball, badminton, softball, gym/lift weights)
- Generally eat well and maintain a balanced diet

My regimen:

- BP wash 2x a day until my skin clears, then ween off or until my skin becomes too dry
- Cerave moisterizer 2x a day after BP wash
- Vitamin E, Zinc, Probiotics and 10mg Accutane
- Salicylic Acid to spot treat

I'm really hoping Accutane is the answer as acne has affected my life in so many ways, I can't even begin to put it into words. Every night when I lay down in my bed I dream of having clear skin and not basing every decision I make on my the state of my skin. It's debilitating. 

From Days 1 - 14 I will be taking 10mg every other day to ease my body into the course and from days 14 on I will be on 10mg a day. 

Week 1 (10mg EOD):
Regular breakouts, about 1-2 everyday, about 6 red spots on my face that are noticeable. Skin is oily and have to wipe it down a few times a day. Haven't noticed any side effects. Feeling optimistic about the process |::)

Week 2 (10mg EOD):
Got a few large, painful ones this week that took forever to come to a head in addition to regular breakouts of small - medium spots. Nothing out of the ordinary, nothing seems to have changed. Still no side effects. 

Week 3 (10mg/Day):
I am about halfway through the week, Day 17, and my skin looks terrible!! I have broken out on my forehead quite bad. There are 2 big, red, painful spots with no whiteheads and there are about 4-5 little bumps in a cluster that are red that I usually don't get. Other areas of my face have red marks from previous acne as well, but don't see or feel any new bumps aside from my forehead. I'm really hoping this is the Initial Breakout. Had to cancel a date for tonight, ugh. No side effects. 

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MemberMember
23
(@tranceaddict)

Posted : 03/15/2016 10:50 am

Days 18 & 19:

Make that 4 large painful spots on my forehead. I can tell they aren't coming to a head and are swollen and red. The smaller bumps are starting to go away. Left side upper cheek always became inflamed but came to a head quick so I popped it, as well as another small one on the right side of my chin. My forehead looks like a war zone, this is definitely the worst it's looked since University. Hoping this is the worst of the IB because I'm beyond embarrassed right now. I went to V Ball last night and wore a hat to hide it but I was actually contemplating telling the team I was sick. I just want to stay at home and not be seen, although I know that won't do me any good as I'll be thinking about my skin 24/7 which somehow will lead to more spots. Thank goodness I work from home, I couldn't imagine having to go into an office looking like this. Trying to remain positive and focus on the end goal.

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MemberMember
5
(@savo0057)

Posted : 03/16/2016 2:24 pm

On 2016-03-15 at 11:50 AM, tranceaddict said:

Days 18 & 19:

Make that 4 large painful spots on my forehead. I can tell they aren't coming to a head and are swollen and red. The smaller bumps are starting to go away. Left side upper cheek always became inflamed but came to a head quick so I popped it, as well as another small one on the right side of my chin. My forehead looks like a war zone, this is definitely the worst it's looked since University. Hoping this is the worst of the IB because I'm beyond embarrassed right now. I went to V Ball last night and wore a hat to hide it but I was actually contemplating telling the team I was sick. I just want to stay at home and not be seen, although I know that won't do me any good as I'll be thinking about my skin 24/7 which somehow will lead to more spots. Thank goodness I work from home, I couldn't imagine having to go into an office looking like this. Trying to remain positive and focus on the end goal. 

Yea I know that feeling of wanting to just stay home and skip what ever you have planned, its so unfortunate :( lets hope all works well for the both of us haha GL with your cycle my friend.

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MemberMember
23
(@tranceaddict)

Posted : 03/17/2016 10:40 pm

Days 20 & 21 (End of week 3):

Week 3 was a nightmare! The initial breakout hit me hard, which I found surprising as i'm only taking 10mg/day. I popped 2 of the large ones on my forehead as they was extremely inflamed and finally came to a very large (white)head. The other 2 are starting to fade and became less inflamed. Got another 2 on either side of my cheek, one was very large and the other was small and came to a head fast. My face looks awful but it seems as though the worst is over and i'm just waiting for the red spots to heal. I feel another small one developing near the other spot I popped on my cheek, so i'm spot treating it with SA in the hopes I nip it in the bud before it surfaces.

Side effects: I didn't have any side effects until day 20. My face started to become red and it felt like it was flushing. I also began to get headaches at night (I take my pill at ~2pm) and my right lymph node between my ear and jawline became inflamed, although it was only like that for one night.

All in all i'm happy to be going into week 4 and I hope I don't get any crazy breakouts like I did in week 3.

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MemberMember
23
(@tranceaddict)

Posted : 03/19/2016 6:11 pm

Day 23:

Decided to add some photos. Face is still breaking out like crazy :( it's way worse than it was pre-accutane. Some spots are healing, but it seems like they are popping up faster than they can heal. Another large one on my right cheek and some smaller ones all around my face. 

Headaches are still there but are manageable. My lips are getting more and more dry, but I always make sure I have lip chap in my pocket. I am also applying vaseline to the inside of my nose as my nostrils are extremely dry. 

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Naimur97 liked
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MemberMember
51
(@diamond98)

Posted : 03/20/2016 12:10 am

Hey man, looks like you're just a few days ahead of me! Nice to see we can document progress together!Honestly your face looks pretty good, I like the facial hair! I've found that chugging 20oz of water at the onset of a headache does wonders for me. haven't had a bad one yet after drinking more!

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MemberMember
23
(@tranceaddict)

Posted : 03/20/2016 12:22 pm

12 hours ago, Diamond98 said:

Hey man, looks like you're just a few days ahead of me! Nice to see we can document progress together!Honestly your face looks pretty good, I like the facial hair! I've found that chugging 20oz of water at the onset of a headache does wonders for me. haven't had a bad one yet after drinking more!

Thanks for the tip! I have been drinking plenty of water to try and offset the dryness, I think that's why the headaches have stayed rather mild. Good to know we are pretty well at the same point in our course. Always nice to know theres people going through the same thing :) 

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MemberMember
23
(@tranceaddict)

Posted : 03/24/2016 1:27 pm

Day 28 (End of week 4):

I am continuing to break out like crazy! I have one new cyst on my forehead but other than that it's mainly whiteheads. Im not popping them and letting them heal for the most part but it's hard because they look awful. Luckily I can hide some with my facial hair. I have an appointment with my Dr tomorrow and I am going to inquire about increasing my dose to 20mg/day. I am breaking out way worse than I did before Accutane so I know the drug is working and I am purging. 

My headaches have gone away and my lips aren't as chapped as I thought they'd be. The back of my arms are rather dry but other than that im not too dry anywhere else. 

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MemberMember
23
(@tranceaddict)

Posted : 03/25/2016 11:09 am

Day 29:

Went to see the Dr this morning and he upped my dose to 20mg/day. I am also getting off the bp wash which I am extremely scared about because I have been using BP for years and I fear I will have a huge breakout. I will be using cetaphil oily skin cleanser.

Face wise, a few more whiteheads today plus all the other spots. Ugh. Staying positive.

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MemberMember
23
(@tranceaddict)

Posted : 03/28/2016 12:49 pm

Day 32:

Decided to include some pics of my latest breakout :) my forehead is a disaster right now. I also have a few hiding in my beard. My breakouts are way worse than they were pre-Accutane and I have been breaking out consistently for 2.5/3 weeks. I would have hoped to see at least a little improvement by now but I realize I'm on a low dose and it will take time. On the plus side I haven't had a headache in a while and the dryness is very manageable. Im also off BP which is very exciting and may be contributing to my latest round of breakouts. 

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MemberMember
23
(@tranceaddict)

Posted : 03/31/2016 4:59 pm

Day 35 (End of week 5):

Face is still breaking out quite badly.  The large whiteheads on my forehead have dried up and are now just red marks. I now have a very large cyst developing in the right corner of my jaw. Lots of little bumps on my chin that I stupidly squeezed the little stringy gunk out of and are a little red. Face still looks awful with lots of recovering spots/marks. Can't wait until the day I can finally be clean shaven. I'm glad i'm off BP, it's actually liberating an marks a huge goal I've had for the past several year. Small win 

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MemberMember
13
(@naimur97)

Posted : 04/07/2016 7:27 am

hey tranceaddict.
I hope things get better with time.Redmarks are gonna linger for quite a long time.Just stay patient.
and thanks for stopping by my log.

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MemberMember
23
(@tranceaddict)

Posted : 04/07/2016 7:51 pm

Day 42 (end of week 6):

My face is still breaking out everyday :( my forehead is developing cysts and painful red bumps that don't come to a head on a constant basis. My face has never been this bad before. I don't know if it's from Accutane or the fact I stopped using BP. Probably a combination of the two. This has been a very discouraging process, my face has been a constant mess this entire journey. I haven't had one day where I've been anywhere near clear. I can't picture myself getting completely clear on this but I dearly hope im proved wrong! Side effects have completely subsided other than my lips being a little dry. 

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MemberMember
0
(@caroline_altinor-yahoo-co-uk)

Posted : 04/12/2016 1:59 pm

On 4/8/2016 at 8:51 PM, tranceaddict said:

Day 42 (end of week 6):

My face is still breaking out everyday :( my forehead is developing cysts and painful red bumps that don't come to a head on a constant basis. My face has never been this bad before. I don't know if it's from Accutane or the fact I stopped using BP. Probably a combination of the two. This has been a very discouraging process, my face has been a constant mess this entire journey. I haven't had one day where I've been anywhere near clear. I can't picture myself getting completely clear on this but I dearly hope im proved wrong! Side effects have completely subsided other than my lips being a little dry. 

I'm going through the EXACT same thing as you. I'm on Day 44 (I think) and I have not had a single clear day since beginning my treatment. Normally I have a couple clear days once or twice a month, but now I've had minimum 10 spots on my face at all times. My skin has only gotten significantly worse since starting the drug and I've also stopped seeing many side effects. 
Very interesting that we started at the same time and are having the same problem - maybe there is a defect in this batch of accutane pills? It's a  paranoid thought, but I just find it strange that we are having such similar reactions, and it seems different than what I've seen in most logs. Especially since I am located in Canada as well. What brand are you taking? I'm going to bring this up at my doctors appt next week. I'm supposed to have my dosage increased and I will take that for one month, if it conitnues to get worse I'm going to stop. I'd rather have moderate acne like I had before starting accutane than the severe acne I'm getting now!

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MemberMember
23
(@tranceaddict)

Posted : 04/13/2016 10:31 am

20 hours ago, anne2015 said:
I'm going through the EXACT same thing as you. I'm on Day 44 (I think) and I have not had a single clear day since beginning my treatment. Normally I have a couple clear days once or twice a month, but now I've had minimum 10 spots on my face at all times. My skin has only gotten significantly worse since starting the drug and I've also stopped seeing many side effects. 
Very interesting that we started at the same time and are having the same problem - maybe there is a defect in this batch of accutane pills? It's a  paranoid thought, but I just find it strange that we are having such similar reactions, and it seems different than what I've seen in most logs. Especially since I am located in Canada as well. What brand are you taking? I'm going to bring this up at my doctors appt next week. I'm supposed to have my dosage increased and I will take that for one month, if it conitnues to get worse I'm going to stop. I'd rather have moderate acne like I had before starting accutane than the severe acne I'm getting now!

Hey Anne, thanks for the response! It's always nice knowing someone is experiencing similar tribulations. Accutane has certainly not been kind to us thus far, however it's important to stay positive and trust that this drug will work. Im on Roche Accutane. If we received a bad batch there would be no change in our acne. The fact that we are breaking out more than ever means the drug is doing its' job of eradicating all the junk we have in our skin. Don't give up just yet! Some people don't clear until the 5th or 6th month. Unfortunately for us it has to get worse before it gets better. We have come all this way, we might as well see it through to the end :) 

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MemberMember
23
(@tranceaddict)

Posted : 04/14/2016 4:55 pm

Day 49 (End of week 7):

I'm still breaking out every day however no cysts in the past week. I hope the painful and dreaded cyst part of this process is over as my acne was very rarely cystic before I started Accutane.I had 4 new spots come up yesterday so my face still looks like a train wreck, but the spots are manageable and not as large as they were in previous weeks. Still a lot of red marks from previous cysts/spots. My back gets a few spots every now and again but this past week I have noticed a few crop up. I have my Dr's appointment next Friday and am hoping he will increase my dosage up to 40mg/day, which is the highest I want to go.

As for side effects,I have scoliosis (curvature of the spine) so I have always experienced lower back pain, however the past week it has been a little worse than usual. Although that might be from lifting weights (felt a tweak) and playing hockey 5 times in 3 days. The back of my arms are very dry, as is the tip of my nose. Nothing that isn't manageable.

Side note: I am LOVING being off of BP! My twice daily routine would look something like this:

Shower, apply jojoba oil, wait 5 mins, apply BP, wait 20 mins, apply moisturizer, wait 20 mins, re-apply BP to actives to hide them a bit. Now I simply shower, apply moisturizer right away and be on with my day! Also, I can steam/shower at the gym without worrying about re-applying BP, or come home after a late night and not have to spend an hour on my face. It's liberating. Yes, this process has been frustrating and exhausting at times, however I remain optimistic about the outcome!

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MemberMember
3
(@cpie95)

Posted : 04/21/2016 8:27 pm

Hey! I've been following your log. Hope things are starting to look up. I was wondering, why are you on such a low dose and why is 40mg the highest you want to go? I read somewhere that the lower your dose- the longer you will go through an IB because it's taking longer to push everything out. Maybe that's why you're still breaking out! Hang in there 🙂

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MemberMember
23
(@tranceaddict)

Posted : 04/22/2016 12:32 pm

Day 57 (End of week 8):

Still breaking out everyday, although (maybe, slightly) not a bad as previous weeks. I had one nasty cyst on my jawline/neck and currently have a small one on my forehead. I have plenty of whiteheads to deal with, currently about 5ish plus 5 recovering spots which is still more than pre-accutane. My theory is that my acne was a lot worse than I thought pre-accutane due to the fact I was using BP everyday for years. My skin texture is nicer and my oil production is a lot lower since the start of treatment. As for side effects just some dry patches on my arms; nothing some moisturizer won't take care of. 

I had my Drs appointment this morning and he noted that there has been improvement! I didn't think so but It was nice to hear him say that. He put me on 50mg which is more than I wanted to do but honestly I just want to hit my cumulative dose and I feel like 50 isn't too high. 

I have a work trip/meetings next week in Montreal and I am praying that my skin doesn't break out like crazy because of the increased dose!

Cpie - Thanks for following along in my journey :) I have reviewed a lot of literature on Isotretinoin and found that initially the general consensus was 1mg/kg/day was the most effective dose but after some consideration and retrospective analysis they have now altered their tune a little bit and recommend 0.5mg/kg/day for the most optimal efficacy vs adverse effects profile. Of course, every Dr is different and probably has a different opinion based on their experience with Accutane. Also, my acne was pretty mild and I am scared of the side effects, both short and long term. I already have thinning hair so I wanted to ease myself into the drug and see how my body reacted before continuing on a 'normal' dose. Thanks for the support!! I hope things work out for the both of us!

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MemberMember
18
(@stephen23)

Posted : 04/27/2016 7:33 pm

On 4/14/2016 at 5:55 PM, tranceaddict said:

Side note: I am LOVING being off of BP! My twice daily routine would look something like this:

Shower, apply jojoba oil, wait 5 mins, apply BP, wait 20 mins, apply moisturizer, wait 20 mins, re-apply BP to actives to hide them a bit. Now I simply shower, apply moisturizer right away and be on with my day! Also, I can steam/shower at the gym without worrying about re-applying BP, or come home after a late night and not have to spend an hour on my face. It's liberating. Yes, this process has been frustrating and exhausting at times, however I remain optimistic about the outcome!

Def one of my favorite things about accutane lol. I don't mind taking care of my skin, but it can get ridiculous.

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MemberMember
23
(@tranceaddict)

Posted : 04/30/2016 1:20 am

Day 64 (End of week 9):

This week was extremely busy as I had a work trip to Montreal and it was my first week on 50mg/day. At the beginning of the week I wasn't having too many problems with the 50mg, maybe just a little flushing and a few breakouts, but nothing crazy or out of the ordinary. I flew out Monday night after our first softball game of the season (we won 25-17! ) and my back as a bit sore afterwards. When I finally landed my back was very sore, a lot more than usual. I shrugged it off and went to my meetings. Everyone commented on how sunburnt my face looked. I had about 3 spots of my face that were quite noticeable but honestly it could have been a lot worse. After meetings we went out for dinner and drinks and by then my back was really bothering me, it's all I could focus on. When I finally got back to the hotel I could barely move. I didn't sleep all night even though I was exhausted  In the morning I could barely move. It took me 15 minutes to get out of bed and it hurt to stand up and breathe. Everyone noticed I was basically a cripple and so I decided to take Advil extra strength. It helped a bit but I was really scared. I don't know if accutane is the cause but I'm sure it was a contributing factor along with not stretching very well before softball and sitting idle for hours in those notoriously uncomfortable seats. So I didn't take any accutane the next day (Wed) and dropped down to 30mg Thursday and 40mg today. My Back is still quite sore but a lot better than it was. Maybe it's because I have not stopped taking advil every 5 hours but I hope it gets back to normal. 

In addition to the terrible back pain and tane burn (face looks extremely sunburnt) I started developing a terrible rash on both my arms and hands around mid week. It looks like I am turning into aqua man or something. It's scaly and looks like a rash. The increase in dose really hit my hard. My face is also extremely dry and is peeling. I had to use so much moisturizer and my face just looked un-natural. 

In saying all this I am definitely improving, with only about 1, mayybeee 2 smallish whiteheads everyday. It was a bad week for having the fewest pimples since I started this process but I am still optimistic. I really hope my body gets used to the higher dose soon. I am going to take 40mg until my body adjusts and then go up to 50mg once I feel ready. 

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MemberMember
23
(@tranceaddict)

Posted : 05/05/2016 1:40 pm

Day 70 (End of Week 10):

 
Finally, progress!! My skin really started clearing up this week! I had a few pimples, about 1 every day, maybe every other day, but they are small and manageable. I am sooo happy :) I didn't get any larger spots and everything is starting to look much better; better than pre-Accutane for sure. I should really knock on wood haha. 
 
I didn't take a pill on Saturday because I was drinking but I took 40mg until Tuesday and now I'm back up to 50mg. Side effect wise, my back is much better. The dryness is pretty bad, especially on my arms. I forgot to moisturize one day and the next day both arms were incredibly flaky. I don't get headaches anymore although I do experience a little bit of cloudiness. This morning I blew my nose and there was a bit of blood. I rub Vaseline on the inside of my nose everyday and it definitely helps with the dryness. Otherwise im sure I would have a million nosebleeds.
 
It definitely gets better, stay positive everyone!

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MemberMember
3
(@cpie95)

Posted : 05/05/2016 5:10 pm

Yay! So happy for you!

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MemberMember
13
(@naimur97)

Posted : 05/08/2016 10:44 am

Hey there@tranceaddict!
Your skin's looking amazing.Great results so far.So what's your cumulative dosage gonna be?I assume somewhere around 120-150 mg/kg?
BTW,at what age were you able to grow your beard?I know it's irrelevant but I'm almost 19 and can't even grow a goatee!Just hoping my facial hair starts filling in with age so that I can hide my scars to some extent.

Good Luck on your course!

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MemberMember
23
(@tranceaddict)

Posted : 05/08/2016 4:03 pm

5 hours ago, Naimur97 said:

Hey there@tranceaddict!
Your skin's looking amazing.Great results so far.So what's your cumulative dosage gonna be?I assume somewhere around 120-150 mg/kg?
BTW,at what age were you able to grow your beard?I know it's irrelevant but I'm almost 19 and can't even grow a goatee!Just hoping my facial hair starts filling in with age so that I can hide my scars to some extent.

Good Luck on your course!

Thank you! I constantly look burnt but I'll take that over pimples every day of the week 🙂 The Dr hasn't actually told me but I will push for 120mg/kg at the very least. I could grow a beard (albeit, not a great one) at around 21/22. Look at your dad's ability to grow facial hair, it's probably pretty close to what yours will look like. Glad to hear your progressing as well!

Naimur97 liked
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MemberMember
13
(@naimur97)

Posted : 05/09/2016 4:11 am

18 hours ago, tranceaddict said:
Thank you! I constantly look burnt but I'll take that over pimples every day of the week 🙂 The Dr hasn't actually told me but I will push for 120mg/kg at the very least. I could grow a beard (albeit, not a great one) at around 21/22. Look at your dad's ability to grow facial hair, it's probably pretty close to what yours will look like. Glad to hear your progressing as well!

Thanks for the response.
I agree with you that you should atleast try for 120mg/kg.Many derms say 150mg/kg is ideal because the chances of recurrence is less than 120mg/kg.

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