Going into my 4th month!!

The hardest thing is remembering to take my 2 pills a day. One pill is easy but busy days it's so hard to remember it twice with a meal!

Back soreness/ pain has gotten worse this month and my hair is also shedding. Nothing crazy and I have super thick hair anyway so it's sort of welcome.

BLEH! Got my first cyst on accutane this past week   I'm feeling kind of nervous because I don't think you should be getting those 4 months into a course this high? It was a small one on my jawline right before my period. I also had a couple zits on my legs and I don't know what that's about.

I see my derm tomorrow for my last refill! I'll ask her what she thinks.

I totaled up my final dosage per kg and at the end of my course I will be at 198... well above the needed amount for remission. These cysts better stay away or I'm going to be totally devastated.

Annoying side effects: Crazy cracked lips is really getting painful. I'm getting little blisters even around my mouth from the irritation. I bought some cortisone ointment that my derm recommended to put on the cracks when they flair up. Back pain and stiffness is still happening too. I highly recommend taking glucosamine chondroitin complex with vitamin D in it.  A pharmacist recommended it, it's normally used by old people for their joints but it's lessening symptoms here too. 

I've also gained like 5lbs because I've been paranoid about having a lot of fat with my pills. I'll be happy when I can get back to my regular eating habits and not worry about loads of fat with every pill. 

Thanks for sharing your progress. All the best.

^^ Thanks!

So I met with my derm. She's still OK with me finishing up my course without adding another month. She reminded me that accutane will still keep working for two months after you stop it. I really like my derm, she also was on accutane when she was my age and also had cystic acne. She's been clear for 10 years now and she's such a positive example for me. Great to have a doctor that has been through what you have. She offers good recommendations and tells me about her side effects too (no lasting side effects).

Nothing special to report in side effects. Every now and then I'll stumble for a word I'm looking for when talking to my fiance lol who knows if that's accutane or just me being me.

Does anyone recommend green cream for after accutane? My derm gave me the option of differin or a low grade retinoid but I've sworn off retin a forever after a terrible experience. Differin I'm open to, but I'm curious about green cream: https://www.amazon.com/Green-Cream-Potency-Retinol-Airless/dp/B00181OV2I

Woohoo! Just did my second to last blood test and the last one I need for my medicine. I'm peeling like a lizard on my face right now. My symptoms come in waves. I'm heading to the mall today too. I'd like to find a nice product to help reduce the facial redness. Even off of accutane I have a redness to my skin.

I've ended my course with 3 weeks to go. My body is just telling me it's done. I'm already at like 161mg per my body weight so that's a big reason why I don't feel too bad quitting early.

Bad side effects for me at the end: fatigue (I can easily sleep 12 hours a day), hair falling out, everything hurts when I move and my vestibular migraines are acting up which is the worst thing so far. 

Oops actually I just did the math again and I'm at 170mg per my weight. Remission dosages are suppose to be between 120-150mg based on a formula with your weight so I'm above that and feel good about where I ended

1 month post accutane:

State of complexion:

• I have little pin like pimples popping up here and there in places I wouldn't normally break out. I've also gotten two zits on my shoulder/back too. I don't know what's up with that? I hope they go away and this isn't a sign of a relapse  
• I bought over the counter differin the other week and have been using that nightly. It's making my face sooo smooth and nice. I hope it works to keep the acne at bay. 

Side effects:

• Dry lips are gone and my dry skin is now probably just from the differin. My hair is still falling out like crazy. Big wads of it come out every day. Pretty much every time I run my hand through my hair I get a big handful. You're probably wondering why I'm not freaking out, basically I have the thickest hair imaginable and it's still thick as can be, so losing some hair is honestly welcome right now. If I start seeing bald spots then I'll worry. 
• There is still come back soreness but it's gotten so much better.
• This is so gross and embarrassing but I've been pooping so much  Like 3 times a day and diarrhea a couple times a week since I stopped. I don't feel sick or upset to my stomach at all. It's super strange! I'm taking probiotics just in case. I'll make sure to mention all these things to my derm when I see her in a month or two. 

keep updating. I am 2.5 months post Accutane and yea I am also kinda breaking out, not the cysts but small annoying whiteheads here and there and the hyperpigmentation is very stubborn, just doesn't fade!!

I wonder ... do you think the reason some people have these weird side effects AFTER stopping accutane is that your body is reacting from having a huge dose of vitamin A every day to suddenly having none, or very little? I mean, you have an adjustment period when you start taking it (and you usually increase the dose gradually), why not one afterwards? That could be what's triggered the hair loss? Once your body adjusts, maybe it will just sort itself out?