I just finished8month (though with extra weeks here and there between appointments was a week short of 9 months)of accutane with a final cumulative dose of 280-300/kg. I'm 65 kg (60-80-80-80-100-100-100). Yes very high. It was a roller coaster the whole time. I would almost clear, then again break out. It was the same the same tune the whole time. Some months it was lots of small pimples, some months cysts would make an appearance. It came and went came and went.I had the side effects, but my skin would not stay clear. My Derm said I fall into this small percent of patients (5-10%) that do not clear up during the course. He said, however, some of those patient will clear AFTER the course. So at my appointment last week, I stopped taking it with the hopes it would clear over the next month or two. He said due to my side effects and my cumulative dose itwas time to go off it and see if it would clear once my skin went back to normal. I will say it did seem toclear a bitsoon after stoppingand was clear as can be on Sunday. Then Monday brought one small, one inflamed pimple, and thentoday - WOW! I'm devastated. I have now two inflamed and six medium to small pimples. I'm losing all hope. I figured since I may have to start a second round in a few months, I might as well track now. If it does magically clear in the next month or two, maybe this will help someone. if it doesn't, maybe it will help me to talk about it on here(was sobbing in the shower tonight).
Day 1 (Wed) - Several small (about five) one medium sized. Several red marks
Day 2 (last derm Appt) - One small one (note I had 6-7the day before but they had healed up b/c the knew this was my appointment with the derm - I swear your skin always knows). And then some red marks fromprevious ones. By end of day medium one next to nose.
Day 3- Smallone on nose and next to nose almost gone.
Day 4 (sat)-small one above eyebrows between eyes
Day 5 (sun)-Nothing new, and by night time skin looked great, some of the red marks had healed,almost didn't want to go to bed b/c was nervous what the next day would bring. Was excited once again thinking maybe itsworking.
Day 6 -In the Morning, one medium on cheek. By night, one large onjust below temple/next to hairline (it's almost a cyst but can't quite tell so hoping it is not).
Day 7 (tues)- (the worst!!!!!) In the Morning, another medium one on cheek (close to the one the day before), hairline one still angry, but then four small ones: bottom of chin, next to nose, two right above eyebrows between eyes. By Night: two more, one on nose, one under lip. Fun times!
Hoping next few days this breakout calms down. Any words of encouragement much appreciated. I am a college professor and have to get up and teach students, it's beyond embarrassing. Gutted!
Day 8 (wed) - good news,several from yesterdays big bad day calmed down and a new one on my forehead of this morning is already gone tonight. Bad news, new one on nose (so two somewhat angry ones on nose) and new small one in between eyes. Still trying to keep up the hope it clears up this month. But besides the one almost cyst, can only see three actives. Better than yesterday.
Day 9: Still breaking out. One quite large (either large pimple or small cyst) on cheek in the morning and by eveningtwo tiny oneson side of lower nose and medium coming in left of mouth. Most of the others have flattened or gone, still have tworecovering on nose and between eyes. I think the writing is on the wall that I will have to do another course in two months.
Day 10 : I messaged my Derm because I'm just breaking out all overthe place. Another one on my poor nose, the one next to my mouth from last night grew, and I have a swollen on one my lip and a small one on hairline. The ones from yesterday are already healing. It is weird how fast they are coming and going. I messaged and asked if I should go back on the Tane low dose OR can I use some topicals. I get some people clear in the month or two after, but do they get worse in the meantime??!!!!
Day 11 (sat): still going quick but all coming quick. Pretty much all the ones from yesterday are flat and either gone or almost gone. Had two small ones on forehead this morning and another one between eyes and to side of lips tonight. So four small ones. I feel like if I could go one day without any new ones I would be clear. Since coming and going so quick feel like its still the medicine doing something. My derm did send in a prescription for amoxicillin for one month to help with transition, but holding off to see if it clears on its own. #hoping.
Day 12: okay so small ones are lingering more than big ones, oddly. The one on side of lip is pretty much gone. The one between eyes is smaller but still there as is one (of the two from yesterday)on the forehead. Got two more on forehead (again both small) and new onenext to my nose,small whitehead . So no big ones right now just five to six small ones, with a few of those almost gone. Again if I could go one to two days without a new one would be clear. Heres hoping that happens.
I was excited that there werent any inflamed ones but then felt one above where the cyst was last Monday. Not huge but inflamed. Its in my hair in front of ear so covered. Just odd bc never had one there before.
Day 13: morning was good ha. Most of forehead small bumps were down and just two small new ones. Rest of face (besides big one in hair line) good. Then looked tonight (trying not to look as often ha): and a few more small ones on forehead so since forehead is oddly going through something going to just say forehead small but a good number of pimples until it hopefully stops instead of exact number (so odd bc forehead wasnt a big issue during TANE) besides forehead got a redishwhite head (slightly inflamed butnot huge) right side a bit from mouth and a tiny white head above that. So two in addition to whatever forehead is doing. Its for sure coming and going quickly still. Trying to keep the hope is that Im still going to clear post TANE.
Day 14 (tues): This morning skin was looking pretty decent, got excited. Few healing on forehead, two right side of mouth had gone way down, feeling pretty good. No new ones. But of course by night, things turned again (coming and goings so fast).
Forehead: just looks conjested, hard to explain, not any big ones, just small.
Rest: Two on right side of mouth still going down. But then two inflamed pimples one on nose and one on left cheek. So sad. And then two small ones on left cheek as well (one where sunglasses would hit by nose, and a tiny one on left side of mouth). So mostly small annoying ones besides two inflamed. Going to give it a few more days then start the antibiotics if not better.
Day 15 (wed). Im getting close to starting antibiotics. Morning again things looked better. Oddly during Accutane mornings were the worst for surprises. Now it seems by night things are flamed.
forhead: looking irritated quite a few small red bumps, old ones not going away and new ones forming by the day.which I didnt have during accutane in this aiwaor even before for sure getting worried about this area
Rest: So the two inflamed ones from yesterday are GONE. Like legit gone. Odd. But two smaller ones formed by the previous on on left cheek. Notthere till tonight. A medium one on jaw line. And a small one by left side of lip. The two on the right side. One gone. One almost gone but inflamed a bit more tonight. If forehead was clear rest probably wouldnt bother me that much.
