uhmm, a little worried here..

[Meghan]

Currently, I'm taking 80 mg a day, and I'm in the middle of my 4th month. I still get new pimples, but the breakouts are better than before. I'm actually sort of worried, because my doctor seems to think I only have a month left, and I'm not so sure. Is this normal, or what? I've always been told that by about the 4th month you should be good to go, and that they only keep you on it to make sure you stay good...help!!

[Will]

Hey Mehgan

Lower your dose to 40mg a day, that way u still have a high dose and it prolongs your course to get better results. I actually lowered my dose after a while to just one 20mg tablet daily, and i am still clear 7 months on *touches wood it will stay like that*

Good luck, and lowering doses really doesn't make it less effective, i found it worked better for me, smaller doses over a longer time. Less side effects too.

keep us posted

[Meghan]

My appointment is next Tuesday, so I should be able to ask questions then, but I'm just so fed up with waiting!
I've been waiting since February, and, well, where are the results I've been promised??
=(

[Ummm]

If I were you I would stop taking this drug all together- it gave me degerated disc disease...it is posion.

[Meghan]

Look, I dont need someone to tell me whether or not to be taking this. It's up to me, and I made that decision months ago. Too late now, sweetie. The side effects have been getting better over the past 4 months. My only complaints are the joints, but that's because I am very active in sports: I play catcher in softball, specifically.
I have made my choice, and I will not go back. I would appreciate it if everyone would not preach to me about taking or not taking this drug. I just need advice from those who have already taken it or are currently taking it.

[Will]

Glucosamine Sulphate 1500mg one tablet per day, a couple of weeks and your joints will be perfect.

[Meghan]

I'm allergic to any sulfa based drugs. Hahaha, I already looked into it.
=)

[Mark]

Meghan,

I took my first course of accutane last summer and I had the same problem as you. While I started out at 40mg(generic) a day my 1st month, my derm thought it would be a great idea to bump to 80mg daily starting my 2nd month. I got a huge breakout almost the next couple of days after taking 80mg. I had continuing breakouts all summer long. My 2nd month was the worst by far and the 3rd was still pretty bad but probably 40% less breakouts I guess. The 4th month I still had ongoing breakouts that would come and go so to speak. A few small white heads here and a couple cysts here. It was only until my 5th month (still on 80mg daily) that my acne lessened to a point of only one tiny(I'm stressing the tiny) zit every other week. Then I was put on 40mg again for my last and final month 6 because I was complaining about my back. The side effects lessened tremendously and I felt less groggy than on 80mg.

After my 1st course last year, I started to get zits again only one month after. I don't mean to be negative and I hope you will have better results than me, but some people do get their acne back and may consider to go on another course like I chose to. I am, however, going to stick with 40mg the entire 2nd course this summer and hopefully my results will be longer lasting. During this course, I swear I only had one bad week during my initial breakout around day 10 where a bunch of pimples came out as if my body recognized the accutane and it immediatly went to work. Since then I had a few deep zits but nothing major and now finishing my 3rd month tomorrow I can proudly say that I am nearly acne free at the moment. I do hope the rest of the course will only make the results last longer than previously.

Hope this helped. Ask any questions and I'll do my best to answer.

[Meghan]

Thanks, Mark. That was really very helpful. =)

[Emmett]

Hey Meghan, I'm having sort of the same problem! I'm actually nearing my FIFTH month of accutane and I will probably have to go onto a sixth month. I took 40 mg for the first two months, than 60, and now I'm on 80. The side effects and my skin have been getting better, but I still have like 2 pimples that are considerably large, and on this medication it takes FOREVER for them to go away. I don't really have any other acne besides the two, though. I had a HORRIBLE break out on this medication, worse than I've ever had before. I still have a lot of purple scars that are fading, but they fade SO SLOWLY. This medication is really frustrating, but I know it is working and I'll probably have to go on it for another month. I don't want to (cuz I'm tired of it :(), but it's just a month! My skin still doesn't look great because of the fading scars, but I know it will look better soon! I would trust what your derm says, but if you're really concerned, you should just ask about another month. 6 is the usual number, so he'll most likely oblige you!

[Meghan]

Emmett,
This medication is REALLY frustrating. I mean, I know I'm getting really done with having to be really careful with moving my back, and flopping down onto my bed, cause that hurts, too.
I think I will ask for another month (ergh!!), but I'd rather be sure than hopeful.
Let's just hope that neither of us have to do a second course!=)

[Meghan]

Went to the doctor, today. She thought that it was my last month, but when she saw my face, she said that probably another two months would be good. Apparently, i had my dates wrong. I'm now beginning my 6th month. i was even futher behind than i thought. My derm says that she's had kids who've had to be on it for up to 9 months, as long as my lab work is okay. But she also perscribed birth control, so that should help. still very frustrated here.

[Eicke]

Why are you getting frustrated? You did not even suffer the hair loss side effect which is even more stressful. Maybe you would like to try it as well?

[Meghan]

you've GOT to be kiddking me.
How long have you been on this medicine?
Obviously you dont realize what years of horrible acne can do to a person, when all her peers have perfect clear skin. Do you realize the self-esteem drop? And then when she thinks she's found a cure that takes about 3-4 months to make your skin perfect...she waits and it's not working. She has to PULL HERSELF out of playing a sport she loves, has a passion for, just because her joints hurt from the medicine. She still gets the big painful cysts and breakouts even though she's taken the medicine for 5 MONTHS.
And actually, during my first month, my hair did fall out. In chunks. Along with my eyelashes. And then there was depression on top of that. So don't even go there with me. watch what you say on these fourms. dont be so tactless.

[Emmett]

So Meghan... I feel ya
I'm finishing up my fifth month anddddd I can't decide if I want to do a sixth month, I haven't called my derm to make an appointment because I don't want to do it.:( I don't have any more actual pimples now, but I have all these purple scars from where I had the acne. I'm thinking accutane makes your skin heal slow, so if I go off it my scars will heal faster and I'll look fine... I don't know what to do :/ My hair is starting to come out when I brush it even more now... which isn't that bad considering I normally have REALLY thick hair, so now it's just thinner. aaaaaand my lower back aches from time to time... I'm SO DRY, I can't stand it. I just want to feel normal and i HATE this medication... I mean I'm really thankful for what it has done, but i am DONE with it! I just want these scars to go away and be done... and I keep getting cuticle infections from it...really uncomfortable. AND I CANT GAIN ANY WEIGHT. I weigh 120 lbs, 6 ft tall... I've weighed 137 before. I am not happy, haha, I want to gain weight and I can't on these meds. Sorry for that long rant. ANyway, you aren't the only one who got severe, deep, red acne bubbles... they tell you most people have a mild breakout, mine was HORRIBLE for like THREE ENTIRE MONTHS... worse than i ever had it before i went on it, so thats why i have all these fading scars now... just stick through it, itll start to go away. my last one didnt actually go away until like a week ago... sorry this is long, im frustrated hhah :/

[Paul79SoFL]

Definitely ask your doctor about a 6 month if you feel you might need it.

I took 80mg a day for 6 months but my skin cleared up by the second month.

You might end up needing a second course.:(

If you can't take any sulfate based drugs, couldn't you just take a Glucosamine supplement that doesn't have the Chondroitin Sulfate component?

Good luck.

__
Paul Michaels
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
www.AcneTreatmentJournal.com

[Meghan]

update: bout halfway through the month. nothing has changed. birth control hasnt helped much, it might even be causing me to break out more, i'm not sure yet. still pretty worried, but hoping everything will work out. no appointment this upcoming month, only a phone call.