Hi all, I started a week ago on 30mg twice a day. I've had stubborn adult acne for years, mostly whiteheads with occasional cysts. Previous treatments include BP & SAW washes (not effective), adapalene 3% gel (mixed), and oral antibiotics (effective but temporary). I seem to have a lot of diet triggers including dairy, soy, and iron supplements - removing these helped. This is a quick log for anyone interested in user feedback while on accutane.
I created a warchest in anticipation of this that includes cetaphil (gentle cleanser and moisturizer), sun screen, moisturizing body wash, BP spot treater, cerave SA renewal lotion, aloe body lotion, aquaphor.
Day 1 - Obviously not much to note here. The first night my skin was abnormally oily, I've seen others get this as well.
Days 2 & 3 - Skin is less oily and looks pretty good. I know this is the calm before the storm. On the horizon is chapped lips, dry skin, and breakouts. Despite no dry skin I've started twice daily moisturizer on my face and twice daily aquaphor on lips. I've increased water intake. It's better to be proactive than reactive with dry skin.
Day 4 - Wew lads. The initial breakout came swift and hard. Two painful and large whiteheads. One on chin and one above mouth/beIow nose. I didn't know it was even possible for the heads to be so large. A few smaller ones on cheeks and around lips. Pretty embarrassing as most of them developed during the day when I was out with others.
Days 5 & 6 - Large whiteheads going down a bit. New small pimples each morning, mainly in the area below my mouth. Neck and forehead has remained clear. None of the usual side effects yet. Skin below my nose feels tight, this is either the start of dry skin there or from a pimple by my nose, it's hard to tell. I was told to discontinue use of items with medicated ingredients (BP, retinoids, SA) due to dryness but since dryness isn't present yet I'm going to spot treat with BP for as long as I can.
Days 7 & 8 - The dryness is starting to set in. The most surprising thing so far is my lips are still holding up. Some advice - buy a bottle of water and drink it, then learn where the water fountain is at your work/school and refill multiple times during the day. I'm not big on water but I've been craving it with the dryness, and you save money over buying soda or juice.
The IB has quieted down. The main hotspot for me is the "mustache" area and upper lip. I've had three whiteheads so close they were practically on my lip. Those have been the worst in terms of covering up. Neck and forehead is still o.k. One or two inflamed spots on my chest. I haven't woken up to 5 new whiteheads like days 5 and 6. Hoping it quiets down for a while.
I've been doing 200UI Vitamin E every couple days, which isn't a lot, but I haven't had major dryness issues.
2 weeks! It's going pretty quick. In terms of expectations the initial breakout is more annoying than I thought it would be, and the side effects not as bad .. yet. At this early stage there's always the "yet". The IB can get you down but I find being on accutane makes me care less about active pimples, it is what it is. The cough medicine tastes bad but you drink it. I know there's likely a dosage increase coming eventually (60 to 80) and that'll probably cause me issues too before it calms down.
The past few days have been ok. Some inflamed spots above and below my mouth. Also had my first couple forehead spots since starting. Had one spot near my sideburns yesterday. Still spot treating with BP without issues which helps. Shaving my face was not horrid despite the dryness. Splash a lot of water and use shaving cream and you'll be ok.
I will be getting a blood test in 10 days. Liver function is a concern, I have two medications going through my liver. Still drinking a lot of water and limiting alcohol and hoping for the best.