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Losing hope

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(@kunus999)

Posted : 05/24/2016 7:51 am

I have acne for 8 years. I used many topical medications that never worked long-term (Epiduo, Isotrexin, products with benozyl peroxide, duac, normaclin) My acne isn't super bad, but it's super stubborn, and every single pimple leaves a red mark that just doesn't fade.

I went to my dermatologist 6 months ago and I've been prescribed accutane, 40mg daily for not less than 6 months (my doctor said that If I won't be clear after 5/6 months we will extend the course to 10-12 months). I have completly no serious side effects, I don't even feel that I'm taking such serious drug, because my only side effects are common, dry lips, dry skin, some upper back pain once a week, but nothing serious.

The problem is, my skin isn't improving AT ALL, and sometimes it looks even worse than pre-accutane (because of redness, the red marks from existing/before acne look 919214912 times worse). Today is 164 day (I started 11 December 2015) (6540mg total 88mg/kg cumulative dose)

Today is my birthday and in December 2015 I expected that I will be looking at least "OK" on my birthday but nope, forget it, I am sitting at home whole day because I don't even want to meet with friends, cause of my face. And yes, I take accutane with fatty food, I have healthy diet, and I use good sunscreen whole time) Did someone clear after 160 days of no improvement at all? I browsed sooo many topics about people clearing in first 3 months, and I'm really starting to feel depressed..

At the end of June (203 days) my cumulative dose will be 109mg/kg so it's not enough, and my course will be extended, but I don't belive in miracles such "one day I woke up with clear skin, it was a miracle !1!1" F*ck my fate.

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2
(@dontcrybaby)

Posted : 07/28/2016 5:27 pm

On 24.05.2016 at 2:51 PM, Kunus999 said:

I have acne for 8 years. I used many topical medications that never worked long-term (Epiduo, Isotrexin, products with benozyl peroxide, duac, normaclin) My acne isn't super bad, but it's super stubborn, and every single pimple leaves a red mark that just doesn't fade.

I went to my dermatologist 6 months ago and I've been prescribed accutane, 40mg daily for not less than 6 months (my doctor said that If I won't be clear after 5/6 months we will extend the course to 10-12 months). I have completly no serious side effects, I don't even feel that I'm taking such serious drug, because my only side effects are common, dry lips, dry skin, some upper back pain once a week, but nothing serious.

The problem is, my skin isn't improving AT ALL, and sometimes it looks even worse than pre-accutane (because of redness, the red marks from existing/before acne look 919214912 times worse). Today is 164 day (I started 11 December 2015) (6540mg total 88mg/kg cumulative dose)

Today is my birthday and in December 2015 I expected that I will be looking at least "OK" on my birthday but nope, forget it, I am sitting at home whole day because I don't even want to meet with friends, cause of my face. And yes, I take accutane with fatty food, I have healthy diet, and I use good sunscreen whole time) Did someone clear after 160 days of no improvement at all? I browsed sooo many topics about people clearing in first 3 months, and I'm really starting to feel depressed..

At the end of June (203 days) my cumulative dose will be 109mg/kg so it's not enough, and my course will be extended, but I don't belive in miracles such "one day I woke up with clear skin, it was a miracle !1!1" F*ck my fate.

Did anything change? How is your face? Accutane doesn't work for me as well. It has ruined my skin actually. I wonder if your post-accutane skin got better finally

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(@kunus999)

Posted : 07/29/2016 10:06 am

I'm currently at ~ 7.5 month mark (40mg for 6.5months, 1 month at 80mg). I still get breakouts that leave marks, and there wasn't a day without a pimple for me.

The 5 and 6 months were the worst for me because I broke out with like 3-4 BIG CYSTS that took like month to heal, but they left big red marks.

My side effects: dry, sensitive peeling skin, back pain (once a month, so It's fine), sweating (especially on the face, on my nose, under nose and on eyebrows)

To sum it up, texture of my skin improved slightly. Like 15% improvement maybe? It's still red, and peels like hell on my cheeks and I still have closed comedones and whiteheads and I get them everyday. AndI'm really depressed, being a person that doesn't respond to such medicine just sucks. Few of my friends took it and they were clear after ~ 3 months, and here I am - almost 8 months and my parents ask me "when it's going to work, because we feel like it's waste of money". Discouraging.

I'm at 132mg/kg

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0
(@toddy)

Posted : 08/06/2016 7:56 pm

Hey man, thanks for replying to my post. Any improvements?

Have you checked your stomach?

Something is definitely going wrong. I have a feeling that it has to do with small dosage or fake pills. Or we're having some sort of untreatable form of acne which is resistant to fucking everything. I feel like my acne is evading the medication. Fuck knows. I guess my life wants me to suffer.

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8
(@kunus999)

Posted : 08/07/2016 3:27 pm

Yeah I have been checked for any stomach/guts problems like parasites, or bacterial infection. Nah, pills are not the problem, I tried various of generic accutane during my course and there is no difference for me. I think that it's some kind of bad gene mix that cannot be cured, because it's simply genetics. I don't know. My derm wants me to be on it for 2 more months, and I don't really care If Im eating the pills or not because the only problem for me is extremly dry skin and lips, but I have no other side effects besides this.

I just hope the time is the miracle cure for everything.

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(@toddy)

Posted : 08/07/2016 5:15 pm

Do you see any improvements now? Is your acne activity reduced (amount of active pimples)? Are you willing to take another course?

Nah, time is our enemy because this shit can stay forever. I'm 20, my life is getting flushed down the toilet. I'd rather have a lung cancer than this shit.

Anyway, if this will matter, but I'll pray for both of us. Hang in there dude. I hope the drug will kill that fucker before I kill myself.

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8
(@kunus999)

Posted : 08/09/2016 6:33 am

Yeah, I can see difference in texture of my skin, it's not someting big but yes, as long as I see even a SLIGHT difference I still have hope. Pimples are still there though. Some of them are small ones, that are gone after 1-2 days, but once a two weeks I get that one cystic pimple that leaves red marks which never goes away.

And the most stupid thing is, when I wash my face the progress resets.. my skin is super dry, tight, and shines because of that dryness and over-exfoliation. Moisturizer also makes my face worse so I don't use it. I just gently splash my face with cold water once 3 or 4 days. I am hoping that next 2 months will make my pimples go away, so after I stop my face will recover from all this dryness.

After my course ends, I will try to maintain any results using topical retinoid - Isotrexin. Every time I used it my face was always looking better, but I don't want to use topical for my whole life..

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(@toddy)

Posted : 08/09/2016 10:42 am

I just talked to some of my friends and other derms online. Something is definitely done wrong and it's not our fault. There may be relapse after the course, but if NOTHING changes within the course - it definitely means that something is done completely wrong. I was already suspicious when the derm prescribed me the drug in such a low dosage.You and me have the same problem because of the low dosage. I feel that the derms are just fucking with us.

I mean, how the fuck is it possible to not cure something with the strongest drug without intending to? When I'll visit my derm, I'm gonna slap the bitch for fooling me and continue the course on my own with the proper dosage. Fucking bitch was propably looking forward it.

I really hope that at least one of us will finally become cured. Please update if you'll see improvements in the future.

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(@kunus999)

Posted : 08/09/2016 6:33 pm

I doubt that our derms have something with it. I trust my derm because he cured few of my friends with accutane, and he is a really good dermatologist overall. Acne iseither a blessing or a curse for us, I blindly belive that things happen for a reason.

I will update after my derm appointment (24 august)

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(@grooving-till-old-till-dust)

Posted : 08/10/2016 12:04 pm

Your derm is on your side when it comes to accutane.

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MemberMember
8
(@kunus999)

Posted : 08/24/2016 11:03 am

quick update for anyone who cares:

I met with my derm, gave him my blood tests which were perfect (I'm on 60mg). He was like : it's odd that you can't see any improvements, so let's try switching the brand of the pills (I am now on Axotret, previously on Actaven). He didn't bump my dose but he wants me to stay on it for 3 additional months minimum. I'm really fine with that because I don't have any serious side effects besides REALLY dry skin and lips.

Acne wise.. nothing changed. Skin looks red, ugly and dehydrated. Getting new spots everyday, and I'm pretty sure I have reached like 160mg/kg + I have bad mood all the time, but I'm 100% sure it's not related to my brain chemistry and isotretinoin - it's because how shitty my skin looks. Once a week or 2 I have "good skin day" and looking in the mirror doesn't bring me such pain, and I can even leave my house (when it's dark outside, but still better than nothing :) ).

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(@toddy)

Posted : 08/24/2016 10:15 pm

Hey man, I hear you. You have a damn good derm and you gotta be really tough to easily absorb such a huge dose without repercussions.

About dry skin, I think it's better to moisturize it, cause it makes scars look worse. I tried not to moisturize but it didn't affect my acne activity.

Have you tried antibiotics? I remember when I first used doxicycline it actually completely stopped my acne activity for a while, but it all came back. Maybe it'd be a good choice to combine tane with antibiotics or some special vitamins and external medications?

My derm told me that there's no point in continuing the treatment if there's no improvement and cancelled it which was basically a one big "fuck you" to me. He prescribed me differin (external isoterinoid) but I don't use this shit, because the problem is inside.

Dunno what to do next. I guess our acne isn't severe enough to be treated with tane and too strong for external medication. Maybe it's just a part of our body that will never dissapear and nothing will stop it. Fuck this. I'm out.

I hope that at least you will survive this shit and become cured.

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MemberMember
8
(@kunus999)

Posted : 08/25/2016 10:02 am

I tried doxicyline and lymecycline, acne came back after treatment. Differin didin't help me at all, isotrexin (topical isotretinoin + erythromycin) did.

Yeah I don't really care about my dose and side effects, you can't be dead twice, and I feel like I'm already dead with such skin so ehh ..

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