12/20 Update

Things are going well. I have had a huge reduction in cysts--only one right now on my lower chin! Yay! My skin looks much better; people are noticing a difference. I am too.
The nosebleeds have started also--my nose is very dry (like my lips) and I have had a (minor) bloody nose a couple times today. I am going to try coating my nostrils with Aquaphor.....hey, it works on my lips, right?!
I go back to the derm on the 30th and I will post new pics then. I went in on the 14th for a checkup--all good, but the glycolic facial (5%) stung like crazy. Before Accutane, I wasn't even bothered at 20%--skin much more sensitive. Lips dry, nose dry. That's it! No "horror stories" to report here! Yay!

One month on Accutane photos....

Well, I am going today to get my Accutane refilled after blood work, online questionnaire and a visit to my dermatologist. I hope all goes well. I have been on Accutane for a month now. I actually ran out early, so I have not taken a pill in 6 days. =( The pics above were taken yesterday.

I am hoping that won't matter. I have read that people go on and off and switch to lower doses, so I don't think it will. Derm told me that the effects are "from a cumulative dose".
I have 4 more months to go!

I still have cysts and my chin/cheeks are bad as usual. However, I am still encouraged because I know results take time.

I am only washing my hair about every 4 days now. I am not oily at all. I do notice certain things about my face have cleared up: I don't have little bumps on my chin anymore and fewer blackheads. My pores seem smaller. I am still using tons of Aquaphor on my lips. They are very dry. I am also using moisturizers around my eyes and sometimes all over my face, just to keep it from peeling as much. It peels and flakes a lot, especially where my acne is bad.

Side effects are a little weird: my lower back aches like crazy! I feel like a creaky old woman. I also have a rash on the backs of my hands. I used a hand sanitizer in my anatomy lab a week or so ago, and instantly, I broke out in this rash. It's dry, not itchy....just little flaky-looking patches. I will bring it up today at my visit.

Quick update

I am really achy--my lower back is especially stiff most of the time now. My eyes are starting to get dried out, although I am not wearing contacts so it's hard to tell HOW dried out. Face is looking okay, no real improvement or worsening. I think I have more cysts now than before the medicine.
I am hopeful and I know that it will take about 3-4 months to see any improvement. The online photos of others' before-and-after also is encouraging. The acne seems to get worse before getting better.
My hair is not oily at all. I actually went 6 days between showering/washing my hair. Of course, I kept myself cleaned up (LOL) but my hair did not feel icky even when I finally washed it today. My oil glands are definitely doing something!

A little over 2 weeks in.....

My lips are still dry, but the Aquaphor has helped tremendously. It is really incredible stuff! My pimples/cysts are peeling and my skin is a little sore in those areas. Overall, I am doing well. My acne has definitely gotten worse for now; I have huge, deep, painful cysts especially on my chin. My ance always seemed to be worse on my chin, the side of my mouth and my lower cheeks.
I am itchy and these cysts are really bugging me.
I have also always had the worst time not picking at my skin; it's really tough not to and I am doing it too much. It's a habit! I am not sure how to keep myself from doing that, but I have to figure something out because I don't want scarring.

Weirdo things I have noticed being on Accutane...

My lower back is really stiff when I get up or sit for a long time. My joints are a bit achy all over and I am slightly more tired than normal. My lips are insanely dry; the only thing that has helped is Aquaphor. I tried cocoa butter (all-natural you know!) but no luck. Aquaphor has been awesome. No depression, no craziness! Couple really minor headaches, itchy skin (I'm scratching like Tyrone Biggums on Chappelle's show! LMAO) and hair that only needs washing every 3-5 days (wow!). Bloody nose-gluck when I blow my nose, but no nosebleeds (yet).
That's about it.

Some helpful stuff:

Here's a good website of ingredients to look for/avoid if you're dealing with acne:

http://www.zerozits.com/Articles/acne_detective/article6.htm

Zeno didn't work for me. It's an expensive little gadget that you put on a zit 4X/day to "kill the bacteria" with heat.....not so much. My derm also thought this was a little optimistic. And NOT worth the $100!
Proactiv helped but was not enough to battle my cystic breakouts. It is THE BEST over-the-counter thing I tried. The cheaper system ("Acne-Free") is not the same, and I did not like it as much. My advice is: try Proactiv for 6 months, really following the directions. If you still break out, visit a derm and try their suggestions. Accutane is the last resort, most derms won't prescribe it until other things have failed.
Antibiotics also helped, but I broke out as soon as I stopped them. Also, antibiotics can cause side effects like yeast infections, diarrhea, etc.
Vitamins are awesome, but I still broke out; you should always look to see which can aggravate acne. For example, I believe I read that Iodine (like in shrimp) can worsen acne....so check on what you take.
Retin-A totally sucked for me. I broke out more, my face felt like it was on fire ALL the time; even laying on my pillow hurt! My new derm also said they don't think it's helpful for acne.
Metrogel was prescribed for a friend with rosacea. I tried it for a while (I know it's not good to share drugs! I was desperate!). The metrogel did nothing for my acne.
Benzoyl Peroxide does help. I like 2.5% which I put on every evening; it was one thing in Proactiv....helpful. Can be drying and can bleach linens.
Salicylic Acid was not especially helpful.
50% Lactic Acid Peel that I bought online was nice; it made my skin soft and lightened my dark marks left over from pimples....but it did not do much to stop the breakouts.

Hope some of this helps if you are having problems with acne. A friend of mine told me her dermatologist recently tried to sell her a line of "cleansers" for $150. Personally, I would find another dermatologist. Mine prescribed antibiotics, a cheap ($10) cleanser and a cheap lotion [they formulated the stuff themselves], gave me injections and facials with each appointment.
This other doctor who is selling $150 cleansers sounds like he/she is mostly after money. Just sayin'!

At my 2-week check-up!

So, I went to the dermatologist today after getting my bloodwork done yesterday and......my cholesterol is actually a little lower (15 pts) and my triglys are normal!! Yay! This means I get to stay on the drug for another month!! WOOT!!!

I am DRY, DRY, DRY like crazy, especially around my mouth and on my lips. I was using cocoa butter every 10 minutes (really) on my lips, but I found something better that people recommended online. The derm gave me a trial bottle of Eucerin Aquaphor cream. It looks like petroleum jelly, but is not....and you can use it on skin or lips. Mainly I just need it for my lips. It has really helped.

I have some monster cysts on my chin and on my right cheek; however, a lot of it is clearer than it was. My face feels burny and sting-y from being so dry. Plus, they gave me a 5% glycolic acid peel (I usually was getting 20%) and even just that small amount of glycolic stung after a second or two. My face is very sensitive. I feel fine otherwise, maybe a little more tired? But that's hard to tell....overall I feel good.

I am not really motivated to do much as far as go out, etc. I don't feel like I look very good right now. I kind of want to hide from the world until my treatment is done! I am sort of in that sweats-and-hoodie-stay-bac

k-cuz-I-am-sick mode.
I will take pics tonight and post all of them soon. Wish me luck!!

PS--I think the cholesterol drop to 235 was due to 2 things: I am taking plant sterol supplements now and trying to eat less crap. I am not "dieting" but I am not trying to go get a burger and such all the time!

These pictures were taken 2 weeks into my Accutane course.....it's dried up a lot....but still broken out. They say acne gets worse on this med before it gets better. I'm hoping so!!

Another quick update a little after a week into treatment.....

So, I upped my Accutane dose yesterday and I have been on the stuff for 9 days. My lips and face are SO, SO dry. Otherwise, no side effects (yet). My face is also sensitive. Anything I put on it stings a little. I go for blood work on Tues, so I am SO hoping my cholesterol levels are okay!!! Wish me luck!

One week into treatment; my dose increases....

Well, I am very dried-out as far as my lips and my face go. My skin is tolerable, still broken out. But, my lips are very dry. They are not bleeding yet, but they threaten to crack any time I am not putting on my cocoa-butter stick every 15 minutes!

Tomorrow, I switch from 80/mg day (total) to 170 mg/day of my Accutane (well, the generic equivalent!) and I will be curious to see how dry THAT dose gets me! Yikes!
Have not noticed much else. I have read many people's blogs which all say the acne can blow up a few times during treatment and that I should not expect to be "clear" until the last month and when I stop the med.

Having my blood tests done next week and HOPING SO MUCH that my triglycerides and cholesterol is low enough to be able to continue. I would not want to stop regardless, but if they're too high the doc will make me stop. =(
More when things change!

10/28/09 Start Day

After bloodwork a month prior (in September), it was time to start Accutane. Here's how my start day went:

Wow! What a HUGE hassle! Went like this:
1. went to the Lab on Moross for a urine pregnancy test.
2. went to dermatologist & got injections/facial; had to wait another hour because the test hadn't been faxed over.
3. went to Walgreens. They told me they had no Accutane in stock (after I called 2x on 2 different days to make sure they DID.
4. they had it--the tech didn't look and thought they had to order it.
5. was told the iPledge system (national database) didn't have my info from the doctor. They did.
6. was told I had to go online to fill out a questionaire/test before I could get the Rx filled (no one told me this prior).
7. went home, got online, registered with the database and took a quiz.
8. back to Walgreens.
9. waited another hour at Walgreens while the technicians spoke to my insurance about why they could only cover this, that or something else for X number of days....
10. got frustrated, wanted to strangle someone.
11. FINALLY got the Rx filled PARTIALLY because they only had a limited amount/dose in stock.
12. came home from the Walgreens, took my first pill and hung up Halloween decorations to relieve stress. I had already missed my 3 pm class, so I figured I wouldn't worry about it too much and just decompress for a few minutes. Heading to WSU shortly for my Spanish midterm.

So, it was a crazy day!!! You'd think I was getting a Rx for heroin or something. It probably takes less effort to find and buy Anthrax from someone.

I am SO excited. I looked at my face in the rearview of my car and wanted to cry. My acne is so bad, and has been for so long. I feel ugly and I am tired of feeling ugly. I don't even like to be without makeup in front of my own husband (I never told him that though). No one should have to deal with such a crappy condition, but especially not at nearly 30!! I should be worried about wrinkles, not zits and wrinkles! I feel so bad for other people I see with this, because I know how it can rob your self-esteem and make you feel horrible about yourself.
I am hoping, PRAYING, that I can stay on the medication and don't have any cholesterol issues that would make me have to stop.

About me!

I am 28 (29 in November 09) and I have had acne since my early 20s. My skin was really pretty and clear in High School but I started breaking out later; I have spent close to 10 years dealing with cystic acne.
My acne is not as bad as some people's, worse than other people's.....but it has caused me a lot of sadness and self-esteem issues. I HATE wearing make-up; I feel I must wear it to cover the redness, pimples and swollen cysts I have. I am embarrassed to go without makeup in front of my own husband. Before that, I was ashamed in public and even around friends or boyfriends.

I have used just about everything out there: benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, Proactiv, every OTC product. I even spent $100+ on a Zeno tool (supposed to "heat" zits to death!). I have been to 3 dermatologists including the one I see now. I have been prescribed Retin-A, minocycline, ceftin, various cleansers. I have scrubbed, left it alone, picked and not picked. I have done home chemical peels and doctor's chemical peels.

My face clears up, then it breaks out again and I am back to square one! SO discouraging!!

Finally, I decided to try ANOTHER dermatologist. Luckily, my husband has insurance that will cover a referral. I have been seeing Drs. Amy and Anthony Cardellio in Warren, MI. From the beginning, I knew I had found a better derm.....they are really "hands on". During my first visit, they injected my cysts with steroids, gave me a Rx for an antibiotic, face wash and I get a glycolic/sulfur facial at every visit. I have been seeing the Drs. Cardellio for the past year.

After being frustrated with STILL breaking out (although it did improve with antibiotics temporarily) I asked Dr. Amy for Accutane. She agreed it was time to bring in the "big guns" for my acne. I did not want to be on an antibiotic long-term; plus I was taking Nystatin (anti fungal) to combat the raging yeast infections that the antibiotics would give me!

So, here I am. I was prescribed Accutane and this is my blog about my skin, my meds and my journey to (hopefully, finally) clear skin!

If you are reading this and have acne, my heart goes out to you. I know how hard it can be, emotionally and physically. Don't lose hope!

The pictures here were taken the day BEFORE I started Accutane.