I'm 30 years old male and have had mild to moderate acne since i was 20 and it never really was an issue until now. I started getting cystic acne on my forehead a couple months after I quit smoking cigarettes and changed jobs at the same time which was January 4 2016. My last job before January 2016 I worked in a warehouse for 7 years doing customer service and physical labor in hot a cold temps through out the year and got dirty from grease, oil, dirt, dust, metal shavings in my face, welding and a boss that was a bit stressful to work for at times and I only had mild to moderate face acne (I always showered when I got home).
On January 4 2016 I started a job as a inside salesman for new a company. It was a complete 180 from being the grunt to now sitting in the office. I was happy with the change, but dont really like sitting around all day so I usually try to walk around the office and warehouse as much as possible. Now at the same time I quit cigarettes after 13 years and wasnt really effected to much by the cravings and felt I was powering through it well. Around March 2016 I started noticing more acne and just got worse from there turning into cystic painful bumps. By June 2016 I was freaking out and depression was at all time high due to the cystic acne all over my face and forehead. I have bipolar and been taking lamotrigine for the last 10 years for my depression. Then it hit me, I started getting cystic acne when i quit smoking and started my new job! But I could never could get myself to start smoking normal again, but I would sometimes bum a cigarette on a friday or saturday night of drinking with some friends.
September 2016 I went to the dermatologist and they immediately prescribed me to 60mg of Accutane. It took me a month to finally pop that pill due to being scared of all of the side effects and I also was doing a week long dual sport dirtbike ride and wanted to be in good physical and mental state. When I started in October I started noticing the common side effect, dry lips, sore joints, hair falling out like crazy, flaky skin all over my face and I have fair skin so I put neutrogena sensitive lotion on any time I washed my face or showered. Dandruff was falling out of my beard like crazy and my hair as well. Then after 3 weeks of being on the Accutane, I started freaking out mentally, but would hold in my emotions around my co-workers and friends. I would get these manic attacks just from sitting on the couch and start crying when I was alone watching TV. After the 4th week I had to call it quits on the Accutane.
November 2016. My forehead cystic bumps were gone and the occasional normal pimples on my face and nose were gone to. I was feeling great and confident again to talk to women in over 10 months.
December 2016 and the cystic acne and pimples came back in full force like someone beat my head with a stick and have bumps the size of marbles.
March 2017 I decided to start taking Accutane again but only take 30mg a day. After about a month I notice some improvements and was feeling confident that this was going to work. Mid April I started noticing I was balding in the front and getting a widows peak and my hair started falling out at a alarming rate and my acne redness, bumps all coming back. Now Im really getting angry and depression is at all time high and have been drinking alcohol after work more. I barely have any interest in anything like riding my motorcycle or do any outdoor activities. My dermatologist tells me I need to start taking 60mg or Im not going to see any results for awhile. I feel like screaming and crying at everything being on this horrible drug.
I need an honest answer hear and I dont care if its not the healthiest decision. Should I start smoking cigarettes again to see if it helps get rid of my cystic acne. Because its obvious that I have hormonal acne and Im pretty sure the smokes help bring down the stress hormones. Also Ive seen people online that got acne from when they quit smoking and it just got worse over time and they started back up and there acne went away. I really hate this Accutane and I feel like its going to screw up my life more and lose my hair. Or should I change jobs
smoking actually increases cortisol with every cig and testosterone levels so smoking is not going to help with hormones. I'm starting Accutane myself in 2 days and I'm already in a mess and smoking lol I plan on quitting though when I start Accutane because like I said about the hormones (and being female, yes also increases testosterone in females) because after Accutane I want to have my bases covered and work on balancing hormones during my course so this shit doesn't come back. when I didn't smoke (or vape)I had best skin ever! I only started smoking again because I was vaping and felt maybe that was causing it but was stressed as fuck with acne and waiting to start Accutane so thought I would hold out.
Listen, Your not seeing the end game here. Your looking at just NOW and not potentially the rest of your life. Trust me, I'm off work sick at the moment due to acne (sudden onset at 28) spiralling me into a depression plus my job is stressfull!! I'm a psychiatric nurse. I cry daily over it but I still have to pull my socks up and help myself and know that this is temporary and long term my acne/anger/depression will be gone and this nightmare will be just be another part of my life.
one huge stress buster is walking. not hard exercise, that stresses the body, but just 30-45 minutes walking outside each evening to clear your head and it is also shown to burn up excess glucose (can bring down insulin thus testosterone) reduces cortisol and it literally burns off those feelings. again, when I walked 5 nights a week I had perfect skin. My fucking job ruined my life basically lol.
Continue Accutane, try the advice to help yourself with stress/feelings and see after a couple of weeks how you feel then reassess. Good luck x
On May 17, 2017 at 5:47 PM, nikki_gargin said:smoking actually increases cortisol with every cig and testosterone levels so smoking is not going to help with hormones. I'm starting Accutane myself in 2 days and I'm already in a mess and smoking lol I plan on quitting though when I start Accutane because like I said about the hormones (and being female, yes also increases testosterone in females) because after Accutane I want to have my bases covered and work on balancing hormones during my course so this shit doesn't come back. when I didn't smoke (or vape)I had best skin ever! I only started smoking again because I was vaping and felt maybe that was causing it but was stressed as fuck with acne and waiting to start Accutane so thought I would hold out.
Listen, Your not seeing the end game here. Your looking at just NOW and not potentially the rest of your life. Trust me, I'm off work sick at the moment due to acne (sudden onset at 28) spiralling me into a depression plus my job is stressfull!! I'm a psychiatric nurse. I cry daily over it but I still have to pull my socks up and help myself and know that this is temporary and long term my acne/anger/depression will be gone and this nightmare will be just be another part of my life.
one huge stress buster is walking. not hard exercise, that stresses the body, but just 30-45 minutes walking outside each evening to clear your head and it is also shown to burn up excess glucose (can bring down insulin thus testosterone) reduces cortisol and it literally burns off those feelings. again, when I walked 5 nights a week I had perfect skin. My fucking job ruined my life basically lol.
Continue Accutane, try the advice to help yourself with stress/feelings and see after a couple of weeks how you feel then reassess. Good luck x
This is some great advice, but I'm pretty sure now being on accutane has turn me into and depressed alcoholic. I either need to bump my dose up to 60mg from 30mg or I'm not going to see any improvement as my dermatologist says. Also now that weather is nice and sunny I burn REALLY easy and I have fair skin already and now sunblock hardly works I feel like being homebody more then ever and I can't imagine how bad my face with flake up, sunburn really easy and any other problems like waking up sore back and Any other activities I do. All I think about when I'm coming home is cracking open a beer and veg out to music or tv on the couch.
How have you been doing now since you started accutane Nikki?