Week 1: For years I feared going on Accutane... I go through my first week of treatment at a dosage of 40mg Mon-Wed-Fri and 80mg Tues-Thurs-Sat-Sun, and I can't say as I have suffered a single side-effect. Now, I know it's early, very early, but it's a small victory. My lips are chapped right now, but we have been dumped with 122cm of snow so I've been out in the winter weather shoveling quite a bit - everyone has dry lips right now. I had a small breakout on my back, but nothing out of the ordinary, just a regular breakout - the kind I hope not to have 6-months from now... Another update in 7-days, hopefully, but not expecting, to be similar to this one...
Week 2: Surprisingly to me, week-2 was very similar to week-1, and that's a positive. My lips remain dry and chapped, but not very severely, certainly livable with a little "Chapstick"... The skin on my face is beginning to dryout, and my Dr. told me today that I can use a simple moisturizer to help it from feeling tight... I have experienced head-aches recently, but my Dr. and I agreed that it's probably due to four very stressful days at work, with little sleep in between. Still, because I have had the head-aches, we're keeping track just to be certain... The biggest annoyance right now (I won't even call it a problem) is an itchy scalp, so tomorrow the hair comes off (I have a "buzz" cut already - I'm just making it a little shorter) to see if it helps... Otherwise, no problems or changes with how I feel, or what I look like... I have been warned that the time will come when the acne will "flare" and that it's all part of the usual process... Until next week - any questions/comments please write...
Week 3: As week-3 finishes some side-effect have gotten worse, but I still have to say that I am positive because I have yet to have any severely visible side-effects. The biggest complaints thus far are extremely drip-chapped lips, and some moderately dry skin on my face, hands, and back. Around my mouth the skin has become white and flaky. I found a great cream called "Galaxal Base" used to make most prescription creams with (it's the base they use) and it works wonders. Another annoyance is my head. It's really itchy and the dandruff is terrible. I had an easy solution, I have very short hair (brush-cut) so I just shaved it all off, and man it feels better, but I know everyone doesn't want to do that. Finally, I have gotten nose bleeds. They don't come pouring out, but are kind of frequent, and very annoying. I still haven't "flared" up, nor have experienced nausea or joint pain - knock on wood...
Week 4: Still very little change in my appearance since starting Accutane. I take that as a positive as my condition still is hasn't flared up, and I realize it won't clear up for some time. The first part of my skin that Accutane has dried out is my hands. The back of my hands are very red, and the skin is flaking off. It's rather embarrassing because it looks like a contagious type rash. The skin on my back and chest is only slightly, very slightly dry. I can't say enough for two products. One being "Medicated Chap-stick" as the regular stuff did nothing, this has cured my dry lips if I apply it twice a day. Two is "Glaxal Base" cream for everywhere else, there's no dry skin on my face. I intake 4-litres of pure water each day (just over 1-gallon) so maybe that's helping also. Until next week, I still have my fingers crossed...
Week 5: Another week without much change... My skins appears to be clearing up, while the side-effects haven't gotten any worse. The biggest annoyance is the dry, flaky skin on my hands. The nose bleeds are a little more frequent, but nothing to terrible... I was with my doctor this morning and after applying dry-ice to my skin, he examined and poked it with something and say everything was progressing week... Until next week, I'll keep praying for similar reports...
Week 6: Well, something happened in week-6, and it wasn't for the best. It seems most of the side-effects were waiting in the wings for the right time to strike, and decided week-6 was a nice round number. The skin on my face is very, very red. The back of my hands have gotten very, very red, dry, and flaky (worse than before). The back of my neck, same story as my face and hands. My question is why this isn't happening to my chest and back, where my acne is the worst? I walk every day on a treadmill in my room, and my knees are aching like never before. Completely out of the blue all this hit me, and I am two weeks away from my next follow-up. Oh well, I shaved my head clean, it really helps as my scalp was a dry, itchy, flaky, mess. Slather on a heaping chuck of "Glaxal Base" moisturizing cream, and it feels better. Until next week... Anyone with the same side-effects, worse or not as worse - hang in there!...
WEEK 7 & 8: Two weeks went by with some more of the side-effects showing up. It's sort of a good news bad news type of situation. During the past few weeks my skin has become much more dry, red, and then flaky white early in the day. My nose and lips continue to be very dry, and I have finally seen (not that I wanted to) my problem flare up. A few large blemishes appeared in different areas, and they were painful, more so than before I started taking Accutane. BUT, I just saw my doctor today and as he examined me he said "this looks real good..." followed by "everything is doing just fine" and he seemed really pleased with the results of treatment so far. It made me feel better to hear him say that after a proper exam with different stuff, rather than me looking in the mirror. Until next time, keep positive!
WEEK 9-and-10: Another 2-weeks have passed with a downward turn again. In the last month I have been under siege with sickness. I didn't really notice the connection during my last report, just thought I had a cold & flu, but they just won't shake. Runny nose, scratchy throat, cough, the whole 9-yards. Once the symptoms go away after 4-5 days, they're back with 36-hours, only slightly different. Otherwise, my visible side effects remain fairly invisible (knock wood). The lips and nose are killers, but can't really be seen. I have had a couple of extremely painful lumps form in different areas, each time they have turned out to be nothing, and my doctor says the Accutane will do that. Other than what appears to be a tired and weak immune system developing, no change from the last report.
WEEK 11-12-13: Don't read too much into the fact that I haven't written a report in 3-weeks, it's not entirely due to any Accutane experiences, but there is a link. Last report had me battling cold after cold after flu after cold after flu and so on, but the good news is that has since stopped. Mydoctor feels it was partly to due with the effects of Accutane on my body, the main reason being that I was run-down and very stressed out at work. So the past 3-weeks have been a pleasant change to the previous two. All I can say at this point is same-old, same-old with the usual suspects. My lips are chapped, my skin would dry-out if I didn't use an excellent moisturizer, and I down over 4-liters of water per day. A word of warning, the sun is evil while on Accutane (to me anyway). During a 10-minute drive with my sunroof open, I got a pretty bad sunburn on my face and neck (while wearing moisturizer with an spf protector), and after washing my car (being outside late in the afternoon for about 30-minutes while wearing a hat and light clothing) I got "sun sickness" for the rest of the evening and the next day.That night I was very nauseous, and the next day I have absolutely no energy. Be careful with the sun, now that the warmer weather is coming. My back doesn't look great, the surface blemishes are gone, but you can see dark spots underneath the skin. I was hoping they would go with the acne and cysts, but they look like they're there for the long haul. My treatment ends May 20th, but my doctor said the next few weeks could be difficult with the combination of warmer weather, sunlight, and the effect the drug has on your body for the extended period of time. Until next week!
WEEK 14-15-16: Well it's May 25th and instead of being 5-days off Accutane, I'm 3-weeks to go and counting. In what was supposed to be my final visit while taking Accutane, my doctor found a few lingering spot beneath the surface of my skin on my back and felt that another 3-weeks MIGHT clear up the problem. The real bad news is if they don't clear up, it's looks like I'm off the treatment anyway come June-8th. Good news that it's over, bad news that it might not have gotten everything. BUT more good news comes out as well. In the last few days I have noticed that my skin isn't as dry, almost like the treatment is running it's full course and my skin is starting to smooth out and look halfway decent. I have seen the odd blemish appear which is bad news because at this point my doctor says if it worked, it has worked to the point where surface blemishes will not appear, That's bad news... Final words of warning before my treatments end that I've said before - be careful of the sun and the way you treat your skin. Although my skin looks better it's very fragile. I have cut myself (rather badly) accidentally with my finger nails just itching my face and even taking off a sweater and accidentally nicking my forehead - that cut almost required stitches. Your skin will be very fragile during the later stages, take care. On the good side - many people around me still know nothing of what is going on, that means you can pull it off without people that you don't want to
know not knowing. I personally didn't want the world to know what I was doing, and that seems to have worked. Until the minutes following my June-8th visit to the doctor - I'm keeping my hopes up!
