Accutane Diary - The Never Ending Saga

[Mari]

Hello accutaners, future accutaners or just any of you just looking!

Im on third month of accutane and my skin is doing fantastic! Im 99% clear and receiving compliments on how nice my skin looks!

I keep being prescribed 60mg but i have been dropping on my own sometimes to 40mgs (my derm doesnt know this hehe)

I continue using Clinique's Super Lip Balm and Estee Lauder's Fresh Air tinted moisturizer.

For cleansor I still contue using Clean & Clear for senstive skin which is the same as Purpose liquid cleansor.

Leper, Shinyface, Nico, Mark, acnekiller, Jalon how about you guys? I will be waiting for you guys here! :splat

Mari

[lepermessiah]

hey, good job with the site Mar. Ive kinda tailed off on my dosage towards the end of my treatment as well. more and more derms. are agreeing that smallers doses over long periods may producde better results and defentitely cause less side effects. and just as long as u keep getting prescriptions filled u can take it as u wish.
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"day of judgement god is calling. Underneath the war pigs crawling. Begging mercy for their sins. Satan laughing spreads his wings."- Black Sabbath

[Jalon]

Well I'm on day 39. My face is a little better but still has a long ways to go. Chest and Back are still kinda bad. I used to get some neck acne but tahts' all pretty much gone. Side effects arent bad at all. Face is okay as long as I use moisteruzier (yes i spleed that wrong). Lips are okay with chapstick. I'm on 60 mg per day. Only bad side effect is back pain when I lift weights. I hope things continue to improve for me and I hope everything goes well for all of you!!

[Angel]

Hi everyone,

I've just been reading about Mari's experiences on Roaccutane and it's really encouraging for me. I'm into my 3rd week of Roacc and my skin is getting so much clearer on my face.

Still a few breakouts but the usual oil slick on my face has completely disappeared - miracle! I'm on 40mg per day but going back to see derm on Thursday. My back is taking a lot longer though - is this normal? Still a long way to go there but I guess it's early days.

I'm using Carmex on lips and Clinique soap with Trixera moisturiser by Avene which is fab and especially designer for those on anti-acne medication.

One worrying this is that my scalp is so dry and flaky and I can't seem to control this. I'm using Phytology for sensitive scalps which is supposed to be THE best but it's not really working. Black tops are definitely OUT this season for me unless I can sort this out. HELP!!

Lots of love Angel censored

[Amelia]

Yes Mari and Lepper~ I to have dosed myself especially once I was on 60mg....the stuff is so much more wicked on that high dose...I found myself going back and forth between 60 and 40 and sometimes only taking 20 for the day.....I also was known to totally NOT take my pill for a couple of days just to give my body a break~ I'm done now and am clear so keep on trucking as they say and take all those littl basterd pills! Amelia

[the is hack3]

WHAT... Seriously, how can you complain about 60mg? I am on 80mg right now and the side effects are pretty minimal. I weigh like 170, but I am a guy. I'd take 100mg if I could...

[Kittybella]

Well, I'm on my first day of accutane on only 10mg for now. If I don't get a headache (like I once did years ago on 40 I think, and then had to stop taking it ) then the doc will up my dosage until I reach whatever dose he thinks I need. Has anyone had any headaches at all? I am wondering now if a mild headache is really ok, or what? My doc seems to think that it would be better to go with as high a dose as possible cuz he feels that would produce the best after affects. He said in my case I could get the job done with a low dose, but it won't give me the long term change I need If the tane don't work then I have to try bcp's! I really don't want that!

Anyway, GOOD LUCK to all of us!!!

[kristivera]

hey there kittybella.
i also have headaches on accutane. im on 20mg at the moment, and will probably go up to 60 or 80mg. my derm wants to really hit it on the head now so it wont come back in the future.
as for headaches. i get them all the time! from day 2 i believe. they hurt like hell. but the derm said that i should try and put up with them if i possibly can, and that its nothing to worry about unless you're also vomiting, have vision disturbance, and feel terrible at the same time. so the way i see it, if having headaches is what it takes to have clear skin, im all for it i cant wait till i finish this stuff!

[Amelia]

[Kittybella]

I'm surprised your derm said to try get through the headaches! I am really under the impression that headaches are BAD, but especially if they are really BAD headaches! I am also under the impression that even a mild long lasting one that doesn't go away is a reason to stop the accutane. My doc said to stop immediately if I get one. Now I am really wondering about this. If I don't get a headache for the 10 days I am prescribed this accutane dosage, then I will be going back to the docs office to get a higher prescription, and I will ask again about the headaches! I am really concerned about hair loss too. My hair is dry normally and a bit fragile, so I hope I don't lose too much to scare me or anything!!! The price we pay for clear skin! I don't know yet if I can handle any side effects , but we will see.

[Amelia]

Yes headaches are a "common" side effect in the early stages of accutane therapy. As I stated in my previous post~ headaches that are of the "pressure cooker" type that you can get NO relief from ARE SERIOUS! Get off accutane as I stated and see your doc ASAP! Brain swelling is a SERIOUS side effect a rare one but a serious one....Otherwise a headache that you can find relief through motrin or relaxation~ is a common side effect early on...I had them in my first month...and then they went away....so that is what I meant....when I said bare with it...it will probably go away UNLESS it is a SERIOUS PRESSURE HEADACHE that you can't get rid of. Amelia

[lepermessiah]

im done with dis stuff. took my last pill last night. still have a few zits in odd places where i never used to get them before like my thighs. u are supposed to continue to get better over the next two months after u quit, i think. I still have a ton of redness from he zits on my back, probably about 70 red marks.
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"day of judgement god is calling. Underneath the war pigs crawling. Begging mercy for their sins. Satan laughing spreads his wings."- Black Sabbath

[Amelia]

Good job! ALL done! It feels great doesn't it? Actually you will continue to heal for about 6 months.possibly longer depending on your bod..this stuff will stay with ya for awhile:) start some vitamins...basic ones though are enough...I'm actually only on vitamin c and e(as of yesterday for the e) and a calcium~now with the clearing you can also clear your head and get down to the business of finding out your cause:) which is very hard to do when your all broken out....Happy for you! Amelia

[Kittybella]

Hello,

well, it's only day 3 at 10mg, but so far no problems. Can someone please tell me at what point did the side effects start at the higher doses? Also, in general do they get better or worse? If anyone can comment on this I would appreciate it

Also..MARI...can you please remind me what dose you are at? It's great that you aren't having any problems!!! I hope to be the same

[Kittybella]

Sorry Mari.......I just re-read the post above!!! I don't know where my head is!!!! I am reading so many forums at this point I can't remember it all!!!!!

Can you tell me tho why you are dropping the dosage yourself? Have you in fact started to experience anything negative from the higher dose??