posted 12-15-2002 06:51 AM            

Omg man I can so relate to this. I would basically just SLEEP until my breakouts were over or a pimple was gone, and that could be for days at a time. I soo understand what you mean by wanting to get back to life.

also takeitez posted this: "They reoccur because the pore is already damaged, blocking the path for which the oil can surface. Therefore, the oil gets stuck under the skin and builds up to form a whitehead. then when it becomes infected, it turns into a cysts."

In what way do you mean the pore is damaged? Just wondering? like what happened to it in the first place etc

posted 12-15-2002 08:39 AM            

for women - have you considered the acne preventing form of the pill? it is called dianette (there is also one called yasmin that is more expensive and has only been around for a couple of months) and you have to give it at least 6 months for it to work properly. so far i'm on my 4th month and at the moment i now never get (touch wood!!!!) and big red or huge "i've hit my head" spots or whiteheads. blackheads are also clearing up. bogstandard zits are becoming fewer and far between. i have not noticed any side-effects (also - this also clears up any spots you may have elsewhere - i used to have lots on my back and upper arms aswell and they have all completely gone) althought i am sometimes a bit more intolerant to cheese than i used to be but my doctor has not confirmed that that could be in any way related to the pill. i strongly recommend you try this, especially those of you that are having second thoughts and doubts about accutane. i'll also keep you posted on how my pill treatment goes so you can compare the two different treatments.

posted 12-15-2002 01:54 PM            

Thanks so much for your fabulous Accutane journal. It takes a lot of effort, courage, and energy to keep us updated, especially when there are critics out there; also I know some days you must feel so frustrated you don't even want to log on...

How are things going? I'm curious to hear if you decide to try Spiro (even though sticking to Accutane for a while is probably a good idea.) As you mentioned, it's probably hormonal in part if you break out when ovulating and your estrogen + progesterone are high. My problem is I break out whenever the Forces That Be decide, so I'm not sure Spiro would work for me. The other prob is I REALLY hate the pill (last time it gave me awful hyperpigmentation, which led to me looking like I had a mustache!! Not my best look.) Anyway with Spiro most derms recommend being on the pill as well..grr.

posted 12-15-2002 06:12 PM            

-carbs& insulin resistance (gp had diabetes; i crave carsbs; i think i am hypoglysimic (sp?))
-pcos& spiro
-flare bad during ovulation and a little right before my period
-concentrared on lower half of face (face and aroud mouth)
-forehead and upper cheeks and nose clear
-mom has digestion problems and needs to take fiber supplements
-i have the obesity in which i can not lose weight
- i get tired and have cold hands all the time
-when i took the quiz in cosmo ( i know this sounds silly) it diagnosed me as a carb lover and that i need to cut back on these; also described me as having weight in the middle of my body- like an inner tube around the stomach (pcos symptom!)

[This message has been edited by 21withacne (edited 12-15-2002).]

posted 12-19-2002 01:43 PM            

Did your dermatologist start you on a low dose of accutane with the intention of increasing it half way threw the treatment? (This is a new approach to treatment to avoid the really terrible acne flare in the beginning)

Or are you on a full dose now (1 mg to every 2 kg of body weight)?

If you are on low dose intitially this may explain why your acne is taking longer to clear.

I was on a full dose from day one (60 mg of accutane and I was 137 pounds) and I went from bad to monsterous in that first 6 weeks or so. It wasn't until I was in month 3 that I saw improvement and by month 4 I was noticably clearer. But really only in the last stage of treatment (last 4 weeks) did I totally clear.

posted 12-23-2002 03:28 PM            

I am also on accutane, a few details about me are: i'm a 17 yo male, i weigh 63.5KG, I have a yeast infection on my skin (seborrheic dermatitis (spelling?), have had acne since I was 13/14 so like beginning of puberty I guess. My skin has never really been oiley and I only break out on the lower half of my face really, a few breakouts on my forehead but it tends to stay clear quite well.

My skin is looking so much better now but you're way further into the treatment than I am!! i'm on day 36 of mine at 35mg/day.

My main problem is how much my skin is flaking, the moisturiser I use is non pore blocking and slightly tanning so when I have like practically no red marks it covers then up beautifully and my skin looks clear, but this flaking looks like i'm wearing a beard and moustache of flakey skin!

dunno what to do about it

I'm this close to asking this girl to go out with me and I am about 95% she likes me in that way I made her laugh and stuff last time I saw her and I know she's single so in her texts she always says she loves me, misses me and wants to be with me

well anyways let me know how things go, must be harder being a women coz as a bloke I will prolly grow out of it within a year or two anyways, in fact maybe I am already?

Chris.

posted 12-31-2002 06:19 PM            

The only way it tastes sick is if I forget about it next to my desk then I drink it and its COLD..!! or if it's NOT warm ENOUGH....It has to be HOT for me to drink it and like it

posted 01-06-2003 03:23 AM            

why don't you just give accutane a little more time? you aren't even at month three. so many accutane users don't see good results until month three...or month four....and some people don't even see very good results until they have completed their 5-6 months. i can understand it must be totally frusterating, but it most likely will be good results in the end. everytime you get a zit you say you're ovulating or pmsing. maybe you're just still breaking out. lots of people experience an initial breakout, but it doesn't stop there. they still get breakouts until the treatment is almost over. accutane=patience. and you need a little more patience. forget about spiro and everything else right now. most people who go on accutane have a successful treatment. sure, some people have to take it again...but seriously, most people are pleased with the results. just because you break out around the time of your period doesn't mean your acne is hormonal. that just happens to most girls....period. so stop stressing...and give accutane a better chance. i truly hope it works for you...just be a little more patient. you won't regret it.

posted 01-06-2003 03:55 AM            

accutane does not work overnite or over 1 to 3 months in some cases.

posted 01-09-2003 12:31 PM            

Feel like I am finally getting somewhere with my problem. I will wait and find out what meds I will be put on.

posted 01-10-2003 10:32 AM            

I know what you mean about accutane......I've been on it for about 5 yrs. and never been clear....however, I also have lupus and am on a maintenance dose of accutane in relation to that. But I have tried spiro and even that isn't really doing what it should. So now, on the advice of the dermy, I added yasmin.......

only to reasearch one of the other meds I take for lupus and find out that finally acne is listed as a possible side effect.
I am very disheartened and now do not know what to do. I guess maybe I will try to call the dr.
Why don't they just tell you about that....I remember about 4 years ago researching this med and it wasn't listed as a side effect. I pulled up about 3 or 4 sites with it listed as the 3rd one in line.
So I bravely took the yasmin last night....I gave my body estrogen that I haven't had any of since my hysterectomy.....and now I find out it could be caused by the other stupid medicine.....
So this is probably the rest of my life, fighting between the lupus and it's treatment....and the side effects and acne. I am not sure if that is really what is causing it, but now if I drop the lupus med, I won't know if I am breaking out from the yasmin, the lack of this med....or just as usual.
If I stay on the lupus med...I won't know if that's is what is keeping me from feeling better. I hate the days when I have to think all day about what to do..and even then have a hard time making a decision. I really hope the accutane will kick in for you....I hate the waiting game too.

posted 01-13-2003 11:46 PM            

i like the aqua glycolic!
thanks for the advice sporadic!