Update

Well, it's a been about a month since I last posted.  I've taken update pictures but just haven't taken the time to login and post them.  Since week 12, I haven't really seen much of a difference honestly.

No new breakouts, still just that one on the right side of my chin.  It's gone down considerably, but still there.  The hard scar on my cheek seems to be going away some too.

On my last appointment, she said this is the month I should see a considerable difference.  I go back in next Tuesday for my 4 month appointment.  That Friday, November 28 will be the 16 week mark.  I can't say that I've seen a major difference from month 3 to month 4.

She did warn me in the last appointment that for 6 months to a year after stopping, I can't do anything to my face like waxing, facials etc.  wahhh, The skin will still be very sensitive and can cause scarring.

I just worry about the redness that's still there.  I don't see that going away anytime soon.  Maybe I just need sun on my face with no makeup and it will fade away eventually.

Side effects-wise.  My lips are crazy dry and my nose is super dry.  Its bloody every morning and the skin peels off from the the inside throughout the day.  My back and hips are still bad.  My immune system is pretty low too.  Working out with my joints hasn't been easy.  I stretch a lot which has helped some.  I didn't realize how tight my hips were until I (use your imagine) tried to climb on top of my man friend and hada very difficult time doing that, and then one I did, I couldn't actually move!

Anyway, I will FOR REAL post pictures next week after my appointment.

12 weeks

Sorry for the last post and missing a week.  Man, to have a life, geez!  haha.

I went to NYC the weekend of October 3rd.  Great weekend.  Between the last time I posted and now, I have had extremely chapped lips as as well as a bloody nose.  My nose constantly feels like there is a scab in there about to dislocate.

So as of my last blood work, my white blood cell count was low.  Well, apparently, I've had a sinus infection basically since I got back from Vegas.  I've mentioned I've beem sniffly and sneezy.  Apparently, my allergies, led to a minor sinus infection which led me to a minor middle ear infection.  (minor my ass).  I get sinus infections occasionally, but wonder if the low count effected it more of setting in.

I woke up Sunday morning with my ear hurting.  Thought maybe I'd slept on it weird.  But all day it was bothering me.  Woke up Monday with it bothering me still outside as well as in.  I decided to go to a walk in and she said it looked like my sinuses were inflamed which caused fluid build up in my ear to cause the pain,  My ear was the worst part!  I haven't had an ear infection in over 20 years!

So she prescribed me a nasal spray to use once daily, an antibiotic to clear up the minor infection and ear drops for the pain.  I made sure nothing interacted poorly with the accutane with practitioner as well as the pharmacist.

Anyway.  my lips have been super chapped, as well as inside my nose.  I've had a bloody nose almost every day for the past 2 weeks.  I've been putting moisturizer up there, and it burns at first, but definitely helps.  The lethargy is still at an all time high.  I just have no energy whatsoever.  The joint aches have remained, but not gotten any worse, so that's OK I guess.

I've got these little extra dry tiny spots on my face.  Wouldn't even be able to get them in a picture they're so small.  There are two on my forehead, one on the tip of my nose, one on my ear lobe, and one on my left cheek.  They're smaller than a pencil eraser.  They end up coming off, and I moisturize, but they come right back the next day in the same spot.

I'm now half way though my cycle!  I haven't seen many changes in the past month or so, but nothing else new has come up, so now I guess I just wait for this monster on my chin to go away and the redness to subside eventually.  I wonder if after my course, if any sort of peels will get rid of the red blotchy scars.  Anyone else know?

Her are my update pictures!  Week 12, signing out!

Week NINE!

Good evening fellow tane-ers!

I did my monthly blood work Tuesday morning.  They drew blood from a different spot than normal and it left my arm a little sore.  Weird!  Got the call from the doc the next day.  Cholesterol and triglycerides are still just a bit high, but are leveled off, and my white blood cell count is still a little low.  I know Accutane is supposed to leave you a bit lethargic, and I don't know if the meds themselves are causing thing the low blood cell count or if they're low on top of that, but that has to be why I'm so tired all the time.  I have absolutely no energy or motivation to do anything except get through work, and go home and chill on the couch.

Last week has to be the WORST so far with chapped lips.  They've been peeling so bad!  And I can not keep a thing of chap stick to save my life.  I always have it at work.  Some how leave it there, come in the next day, and boom, gone.  Fine one that I lost a week ago (usually in my laundry), use it for a day, and gone again!  These past 2 months I've probably bought 3 chap sticks, and had 3 or 4 at home that I've had already or some sort of lip salve from a birch box, and now they're all missing.  I haven't had one in about 4 days and I'm dying!  But I then have no energy to stop at the store to buy a new one.  Woe is me.

I go to NY at the end of this week.  Hoping the change of pace perks me up, gets the ball rolling again on the physical activity after all the walking around we'll do.

Oh my, and I can not wait to be able to do some sort of hair removal once this course is done!  I am a brunette with thick hair, I am naturally going to have some unwanted facial hair and plucking is just awful.

Here are my end of week 9 pictures.  No real changes in the past few weeks.  But I guess that's better than getting worse.  Haven't had an actual new pimple in well over a month!

Week 7

I've been doing really bad on my eating.  It's crazy, b/c I've always been so health and food conscious, and now that I've been told to eat low carb low fat, I'm pigging out.  Is it just b/c someone said I can't that now I feel I have to?!  That's not usually me anyway!

My next doctors appointment is a week from today.  I'll do my blood work that day too.  Until then, good food and no drinks!

I took these pictures this weekend.  Coloring wise, it looks like my big monster on my chin is smaller, but actual size wise it is not.  My back and hips are still achy, and I really noticed the hips while doing sumo squats at the gym last week.  I don't really want to tell my doctor though b/c I want to keep this up and get rid of my acne for good!

I tend to take these first thing in the morning and I look so puffy and cranky!  haha

Week 6

Not much has changed since last week.  It's a little frustrating b/c even though you're told and you read all over the place that it takes a while to notice any differences, you still want to see it.  I also don't experience too bad of drying out, which makes me wonder if it's working on me!  Only time will tell.

I did go back and look at my starting picture compared to this week and holy wow was I inflamed!  The redness of my face has definitely gone down dramatically and I haven't had any new cystic come up since that first week where my chin exploded, so I've got that going for me, which is nice,  Take a look at this side by side from day 1 to week 6!  The lighting is a little different (not sure why since it's the same bathroom!) but you can still see the drastic purple-redness in the first one.  There's not filter on this either from picstitch btw!

I went to the beach Wednesday and got a little burnt.  I was out for an hour and half, wearing 15 SPF and my chest got red, but it has faded.  The accutane has definitely made me more susceptible to the sun.

Hips and upper back are still mildly achy and my rib cage hurts when I sneeze, which has been a lot since my allergies are going crazy.

Here are my week six pics!

Week 5

I didn't get a chance to post my Friday, week 5 pictures on Friday, but I did actually TAKE this pictures on Friday, so they're still on the same timeline as the rest!

Please disregard that hair!  Woof!  I was out quite late the night before and I look it!

So I went 2 weeks (since Vegas) without drinking.  I went out Saturday night and got a little crazy.  I figure if I keep it to just every once in a while I'm OK.  My doctor hasn't told me to stop drinking and they just said for my triglycerides to cut back.  I ate relatively healthy all week and I have 3 more weeks until I get my blood drawn again so I'm on all the low fat foods!

So I DID start the 60mg last week.  The doctors office said that it was the 30 mg prescription and when I picked it up, it was still technically the 30, but double the boxes, so I guess we were both techinically correct.  I've been taking one with either breakfast or lunch, and one with dinner.  

Last week I said my face had completely dried out.  This week seems like its gotten a little oily again.  Not like it used to be by any means, but a little.  I haven't had any new pop ups this week, but the area on my left cheek (picture 2) feels like there may be something underground brewin'.  I hope not!

I definitely do think that the accutane is doing something to my joints.  My hips feel like they need to pop all the time (I pop them and now I can't and they are constantly feeling stiff) and my upper back hurts.  I also used to pop my toes, and now they won't pop.  I've literally been doing it for 20 or so years!

'til next time, have a good week!

Follow up Friday-Week 3!

Hey ya'll!  As of today, I am 3 weeks in to my Accutane journey.  I have been very dry this past week.  Lips are quite chapped and I'm flaky on my chin and in between my brows.  The pimples that have popped up on my chin since starting do seem to be going away quicker than what they used to, except that damn blister of a zit that I've had forever!  I wish that thing would get a weak spot, a little piece of skin, SOMETHING that I could work with to make it leak a little!

My nose has also started doing something weird over the past week.  It's like whatever is in my pores is being pushed out.  My pores were looking bigger, and then this morning it almost looks like teeny tiny little hairs are sprouting.  I tried to take a picture but you couldn't tell.  I scrubbed it in the shower and now its gone anyway.

I mentioned in my last post that I was going to get waxed, and I randomly thought to google waxing and accutane and dummy me you can't wax while on it!  Glad I didn't just go and do it!

Anyway, here are my week 3 pictures.  No real changes.

 This one by my mouth was the one that kept me from going earlier to get waxed.  It's pretty much flat now, just a little flaky.  More red than anything

 There's that sucker on my chin that hurts like a mother f'er.  It looks and has the smooth feeling of a blister.  The cheek looks worse than it is in my opinion.  It's pretty flat unless you press on it and you can feel it underneath.

 The chin as a whole.  Also up under my nose I got a couple of white heads that came up and have since popped and gone down.  Those ones on the nose really hurt before you can actually see them!

And straight on.  

I'm headed to Vegas in the morning!  Lot's of sun, booze, bad food, tons of makeup and little sleep.  That should do well for my skin!  The dry weather itself is probably going to make me shrivel up and maybe have nosebleeds (happened my first time there, now with this medication, I bet it will happen again!)  

My next doctors appointment is this Tuesday the 19th to put me on the 60 mg.  I'll prob do my blood work that day too.  I bet its going to say the same thing with my cholesterol b/c I will have been eating bad and boozing it up!  BUT, after this weekend, its lean meats and boring food and no booze for quite a while.  No more ketogenic diet for me.

Follow-up Friday!

One week down of the 30 mg dosage.  I'll have 3 more weeks of this before it doubles.  So here is how the last week has been!

As I said in the previous post, my skin started drying out almost immediately.  It hasn't gotten to bad, but the first couple of days putting make up looked kinda gross.  It all rubbed off and now it doesn't look so dry.  I've been moisturizing my face every time I take my make up.

On Tuesday I had really bad nausea.  I have no idea if this had anything to do with the medication, something I ate or didn't eat, or a combination of the two, but I woke up earlier than normal because of it.  While getting ready for work I had to keep sitting down by I felt so ick.  I ate my regular breakfast and went to work.  I stayed at work for a couple hours and came home.  After I ate some lunch and took a nap, I felt perfectly fine!

My lips finally started getting that dry, crackiness everyone talks about on Wednesday.  I've just been using my regular Chapstick that I have, not medicated stuff, and it seems to be helping.  If it gets worse, I'll look into getting some of the more recommended stuff that I've read about like Aquaphor and Cerave (spelling?)

My body doesn't seem to be drying out anywhere except my face which is nice.  I do feel kind of itchy on my legs and arms like it is drying out, but it doesn't look like it.  I've been lotioning up the bod too tho so it should help!

I wish I didn't know what some of the side effects are because now I'm like "is this from my meds or am I imagining it or has it always been like this?!"  For instance my doctor said I could have muscle aches and soreness as well as joint stiffness.  Well, I've been working out really hard and I'm sore, but am I EXTRA sore b/c of the meds or have I just pushed myself harder?  I also have always popped my hips and most of my joints.  They seem to not be popping as easily, is it the meds or just my head!  I also feel a little extra PMSy.  It's not my time to be PMSing, so is the Accutane affecting my moods?!  I'm sure its in my head!

THE PURGE.  I'm sure everyone who has stumbled across this has read a million other acne and accutane websites.  And everyone has read that pretty much everyone in their first few months breaks out worse before it gets better.  In this first week, my chin has exploded and it is painful!  I'm glad they haven't popped up other places that I normally don't break out and it has stayed on my chin, but it doesn't look good!  Also, some of the ones that I had that were seeming to go down, have gotten more painful to the touch.  Anyone else experience that?

Here are my Week 1 pictures:

My next topic of discussion will be diet and acne, coming up early next week!  I've read so much stuff and it has me so confused!

Breakout Background

Hello internet world!


You've probably stumbled upon this b/c you're looking for information on acne and Accutane.  That's the reason I've decided to blog my experience.  I have googled so many before/after/during pictures, experiences, side effects, etc. etc., I thought I would add to the masses and maybe help some others out with what I am about to experience.


Now, I'm new to all this blog stuff, not sure what all I need to link, what it takes to make this look pretty and whatnots, but I guess it will all come along!


For a little back ground on me:  I'm a 28 year old female, who has had cystic acne for as long as I can remember.  It's not awful, I get it mostly on my chin, but no acne is good!  I can remember being in the 4th grade and having this giant thing on my face.  That's NINE YEARS OLD! 


Early middle school my parents took me to the dermatologist for the first time and I got put on tetracycline and Retin-A.  Well, being a middle schooler, I probably forgot to take and use my stuff as directed, but one way or another, it didn't really work for me.  Fast forward through high school.  I had perfected my makeup routine and didn't want to go back to the dermatologists for some weird reason.


Mid-college I started using Proactiv and got on birth control.  Now, I don't know if this actually helped with my cystic acne or if it was just a time in my life when my hormones were working in my favor, but I stopped getting the huge underground pimples that lasted for a month.  I used it for years and still had a lot of breakouts, but they weren't huge and painful, and could easily be drained once it came to a whitehead.  But sometime after college, while still using Proactiv and being on the same pill, the cystic came back slowly.  One a month turned into 3, turned into 8, all lasting for long periods of time.  OUCH!


I decided it was time to see the dermatologist again, why I waited so long, I have no idea.  My first doctor I saw twice.  She barely looked at me, asked what I had been on before, I told her it didn't work, and she prescribed me the exact same thing.  Three months later for a follow up, nothing had changed so she changed me to minocycline and a stronger Retin-A.  Still didn't work so I gave up for a while.


I found a new dermatologist a year and a half ago who really seems to care.  She has tried everything on me (doxycycline (several dosage changes), Oracea, Spirolactone for the oral stuff, and Benzacline, Tazorac and Aczone as topicals.  Sometimes different meds seemed like they were semi-working, but it wasn't what either of us were hoping for.  I also had some bad experiences with yeast infections from the medication, so that was just awful.  I can honestly say I think I'd rather had acne than get regular yeast infections.  UGH, they're awful!  Anyway...


That leads us to this week.  On Friday, I go to take my second pregnancy test and get my prescription for Accutane.  I'm nervous about it, especially the "it gets worse before it gets better" phase, but to (fingers-crossed) be done with this adult acne in a measly 6 months would be amazing.  I do hate that I will be in Vegas in 1 month with what seems to be the worst time for the initial breakout, when I'm trying to look my hottest, but oh well, I have mastered the covered up makeup!


So in this blog, I plan to take weekly updated pictures, talk about pain, changes in moods, what I'm doing to help with dryness, make up coverage, blood work etc etc etc., in hopes that it will help some people also going through/planning to go through this crazy little drug called Accutane the way other blogs, Youtubes, and websites have helped to guide me.


I will take some "before" pictures this week, as well as my cover up make up routine, and then an update Friday of what happens at my doctor's appointment.


Until next time!