Accutane -- Worse before Better

[usedtobeclear]

i am taking biotin can i still take that? i want to be prepared in case my hair thins. that wld be HORRIBLE! i have more questions too.

-shouold i moisturize at night? if so what kind?(i am using cetaphil face wash.)
-when and where do i put the aquaphor?
... like i need help finding a routine. any advise??:)

[Lauren]

jano wrote:

im doing my blood test tomorow, im kinda scared of needles any ways im doing this to never get acne for my teenage life does it work? and im a little scared about the side effects im 14 years old

Don't Worry!! the needles aren't so bad. Im 14 too and I'm on accutane and have nearly finished the 3rd week-at the moment the side affects aren't bad at all. i have nose bleeds loads neway,and ive had 2 since the beginning of treatment, so i can deal with it easily. My lips are dry, but i just smother them in vaseline all the time which works for me.:)

i have quite large cysts although right down the middle of my face is really clear (?) is this normal ne1??? i use my hair to hide it but my fringe needs cutting and so im putting it off until xmas. i have (had yay) acne on my arms and its clearing up now thank god same goes for my back.

hope to be clear for my birthday on march 25th :)
Good luck evry1
Laurenxx

[Danny]

im on my first month of accutane and have noticed m yacne is getting worse which is worrying me so is that normal. as of side effects ive experienced dry sikn and dry lips

[Margarita]

Guys,

The last time I wrote I had a problem with the blood work of my accutane results. Turns out I must've eaten something heavy the night before and that's why my bloodwork was altered. My advice to ANY ONE on acc. PLEASE try to eat healthy avoid fried food and alcohol. MY doctor said if my results this month came back high I'd have to stop treatment. And there's NOTHING I want more than clear skin.

So I have now been upped dosage to 40 mg once a day. I am on day four I believe but I can say my lips were worse the first month. I DO notice small papules on my cheeks that weren't there before and I have a new cyst on my jawline that really hurts. Other than that I've kept my old breakouts!! My skin is DEFINITELY not oily and my back and chest have been breakout free :] Also the skin around my arms has become SO dry and flaky but I know this is because of the treatment ! What has everyone noticed in their month 2 of treatment !?

[Chris]

I have been on acctuane for a month now. I had severe acne mainly on my forehead. The weird thing is my forehead has cleared significantly and my acne has spread to other parts of my face. Still breaking out very badly, but my dermatologist said it would likely get worse before improving. I have to go back to see him next week for a check up and to get my prescription refilled. The only side effects I am experiencing is some light nose bleeds and severe dry lips. I am using blistex by tube lol. The side effects are nowhere near as bad as I heard they would be. I am going to stick it out because I am confident it is working.

[GreggysMom]

Gregg's been on Acutane for almost 3 months now. We go on the 23rd and she hopes to increase him from 40 to 80mg. His back, chest and shoulders are terrible! He says it hurts to take a shower or bath and yet they insist that he needs to get them wet daily to heal. Cystic Acne sucks! He looks like he was a burn victim. I'm hoping he doesn't scare more with the Acutane then if I would have just let him have severe acne for 3-6 years...? He has occasional acne on his arms or belly... its strange. His face has cleared up pretty weel... he has some on the jaw line and back of his neck. I hope it gets better soon.

[GreggysMom]

usedtobeclear wrote:

i am taking biotin can i still take that? i want to be prepared in case my hair thins. that wld be HORRIBLE! i have more questions too.
-shouold i moisturize at night? if so what kind?(i am using cetaphil face wash.)
-when and where do i put the aquaphor?
... like i need help finding a routine. any advise??:)

Aquaphor can be found at our local grocery store or Rite Aid... Its a God send... ALSO my son uses Dr. Dan's Cortibalm. It is WONDERFUL! If you can't find it, ask you local pharmacy to order it... they did it for us at no extra charge and they can do it by the tube so you don't need to order a case or anything. Our Dermatologist said he should use the Olay Body Ribbons body wash... my son thought it was girly but we've noticed a great improvment in his dry skin. Gregg's acne got a whole lot worse in the 2nd month. Seems to be improving now. We are 1 week shy of completing 3 months. Good Luck and remember you can tolerate anything for 5-6 months...

[Aimee]

i have been on isotretinoin for 2 weeks now and apart from the dryness of my face and sore lips i started to see an improvement. however, 3 days ago i woke up to find a had completly broken out in cysts and white heads. since then it has got gradually worse. do you think this is normal?? im feeling disheartened about taking this medicine and wondering if i should see my doctor about it. my acne had never ever been as bad as this... i hope i start to see an improvement soon. has anyone else experienced this?

[Jenny]

Just started my second week of Accutane. I took this med almost 15 years ago and am trying again. I don't remember how long it took to work but I am worse than ever. I have huge cysts popping up everywhere. I am leaving for vacation in less than 2 weeks, I am not looking forward to my vacation pics. I hope I am not like this for several months, I don't know if I can do it.

[Margarita]

Jenny wrote:

Just started my second week of Accutane. I took this med almost 15 years ago and am trying again. I don't remember how long it took to work but I am worse than ever. I have huge cysts popping up everywhere. I am leaving for vacation in less than 2 weeks, I am not looking forward to my vacation pics. I hope I am not like this for several months, I don't know if I can do it.

Hi, how old were you when you took your first cycle and how would you hav considered your acne before accutane? How long were you clear before you went for your second term?

[ambiguous]

hey guys! well, i'm in my 6th day of accutane treatment at 40mg a day. i only weigh about 43kg though. so far only side effects i've noticed are minor headaches and my lips are slightly dry. my face however refuses to dry up and produces enough oil to rival the freaking OPEC countries :(

approximately how long will it take before i can expect a significant reduction in the amount of oil produced?

[Jenny]

Margarita wrote:

<quoted text>
Hi, how old were you when you took your first cycle and how would you hav considered your acne before accutane? How long were you clear before you went for your second term?

I was 25 when I took my first dose. I had acne since the age of 14 and I do not have many poc marks but I do have many red marks that I can cover up with make up(although I would love to go without makeup). Accutane helped for several years, I can't remember when the acne came back but it did. I have had 2 children since and no long term effects. I have been trying everything for the past several years and some things have helped a little but still wake up everyday with something new. I will be 40 on my next birthday. Never in a million years did I ever think I would still be battling this. I am hoping this round of accutane can give me several more years of clear. I am so tired of the battle.

[Lilmama]

I hear that biotin makes it even worse before better..I was on biotin but than I stoped because it had vitamin A which made my face really really bad. Cetaphil is the BEST for moisture..I use it all the time and aquaphor is the BEST for lips..use it whenever your face is dried, but usually cetaphil last all day

[Dermot]

I finished an 8 month course of accutane 10 months ago and my dermatologist wanted me to go on it for another 12 months recently because it came back. Im hesitant to go on it again not so much for the side effects but because it got alot worse before better for me and i was wondering does it do the same even for a second course? Also, Are the side effects less for those with less severe acne compared to those with more severe acne?

[sss]

Yesterday I started Accutane for the second time in my life. The first time was about eight years ago and I was on it for maybe five months. The first course really helped for a while and my side effects were minimal.(just the usual very chapped lips) But in the last three years my skin has been terrible - I can't leave the house without make-up and most of my acne is around my mouth. I am hoping that the effect will be longer lasting this time around and that my acne won't return after a few years. I'm 28 and having been dealing with bad skin for pretty much half my life. Getting a little tired of it!
For those concerned about depression and suicide - they are rare but just be aware of yourself and your emotions. But for the vast majority of people it is not an issue and should not stop them from going on Accutane if their acne is bad and has not improved with other medication. And for me, having acne and severe breakouts has at times made me extremely depressed and frustrated. It improves my mood to be on a medication that works. There are days my skin was so bad I have missed school, work or other activities in my life.

[Fel]

I'm on roaccutane- 20mg for 1 week per month. M suppose to take it over a period of 6 months.. I've just finished my 1st course. Instead of lesser breakouts.. I'm getting more zits on my face! Looking so horrible now.. I wonder if roaccutane is the culprit for this..

[whoknows]

blah. well i'm on my 10th day of accutane and... nothing. my lips aren't even that dry, and my face is still as oily as it was before i started. no IB yet. sadness ;asdkfj;ds
when do most people start experiencing noticeable changessssss?

[Kayleigh]

Margarita wrote:

<quoted text>
Hey thanks for the reply !
Tell me more about the initial breakout? How long has it lasted for you and how far in your treatment did it begin to appear. I have friends who say it lasts about two weeks, others two months. Before accutane do you consider your acne mild,moderate, or severe?

Hi sorry on real long reply. My acne was moderate to start with, mainly on my chin and forehead. My inital breakouts from what i can remember were after the first month they would calm down and then flare up again almost immediatly. I am about to finish my 3rd month and right now my skin is looking so much better, next monday i think i will be going on to the highest dose possible for me which is 60mg a day. I also had a problem with my cholestoral after the 1st month but he said i should be ok. I just feel releived that at 24 im finally getting rid of it. Great news that you are able to carry on with the treatment hope it is working good for you. Let me know x

[Kayleigh]

whoknows wrote:

blah. well i'm on my 10th day of accutane and... nothing. my lips aren't even that dry, and my face is still as oily as it was before i started. no IB yet. sadness ;asdkfj;ds
when do most people start experiencing noticeable changessssss?

I have just about finished my 3rd month and i am starting to notice big changes, hang in there

[Kayleigh]

Aimee wrote:

i have been on isotretinoin for 2 weeks now and apart from the dryness of my face and sore lips i started to see an improvement. however, 3 days ago i woke up to find a had completly broken out in cysts and white heads. since then it has got gradually worse. do you think this is normal?? im feeling disheartened about taking this medicine and wondering if i should see my doctor about it. my acne had never ever been as bad as this... i hope i start to see an improvement soon. has anyone else experienced this?

Do not give up it is normal for it to get worse , alot worse before better. Just make sure you keep it clean and moisturised to minimise the scarring x