Clear skies ahead

Post-Accutane milestone

2008-07-03T04:53:38Z

I started my period today. I realize that isn't monumental; however, it IS worth noting, because this is my first post-accutane cycle, and I had NO premenstrual acne or skin issues whatsoever. I still haven't had a pimple since I finished the meds a month ago.

I'm also freaking happy to have finally started my period. I haven't had one since MARCH. I was a bad Accutane user, because I didn't get on the pill, and instead chose to be extra careful with non-hormonal methods and deal with the consequences if those methods failed. Luckily, that wasn't an issue. I've always had very regular cycles, and have tracked my cycles for years with the fertility awareness method. A side effect of Accutane is that it can make your cycles irregular. It was VERY strange to go 114 days without a period. I finally ovulated a couple weeks ago and started today.

Another plus of this period is that it's been 30 days now since I stopped taking Accutane, which means no more risk of earless deformed babies. We're certainly not trying to get pregnant this month, but it's a relief to know that if it happened, we wouldn't have devastating consequences to deal with. I think that (not unsubstantial) risk kind of killed my sex drive over the last 6 months. It'll be nice to have that be a nonissue.

Finished

2008-06-23T17:25:47Z

I haven't updated in awhile. Whoops. I went on a trip June 5th, and I forgot to pack my Accutane. I got home 4 days later, but I decided not to resume treatment. I made it 23 weeks, and I decided that I've had enough. My joints already feel 100% better, and I haven't had a single pimple in well over a month. I still have some light scarring, but I'm confident that the scars will continue to fade as time passes. I'll post some "after" pictures soon.

So yay for being done with Accutane!!

5 Month Dermatologist Appt

2008-05-29T18:46:36Z

I had my final blood tests yesterday, and my last dermatologist appointment this morning. Yay! I still have one more month of treatment, but no more appointments.

Things are going great on the skin front. I still have some superficial scars, but no "crater" scars or anything. I told my doctor that I'm still having joint pain, so he decided to lower my dosage from 80mg to 60mg for the final month. I'll be taking two 40mg pills one day, then 1 pill the next. Truthfully, this is probably pretty close to how I've been taking the pills anyway, because half the time I forget to take my morning dose. I'm going to try to be more consistent this month.

The doctor's office called me a couple hours after the appointment to let me know the results of my bloodwork from yesterday. Apparently my triglycerides are high, which is an expected side effect of Accutane. They're not so high that they're taking me off treatment, but I'm happy that it's almost done. I'm also happy that I made it 5 months before getting my first high result.

Another thing I'm grateful for is health insurance. I hadn't really thought about it, but Accutane is EXPENSIVE. Here is the breakdown:

Dermatologist appointments: $54.25 x 7 appts = $379.75

Monthly bloodwork: varied x 7 months = $291.01

Generic Accutane (Sotret) x 6 months = $2228.13 (~$500/mo for 80mg, $219/mo for 20 mg)

Total cost of treatment: $2898.89

If I'd used a non-generic drug, I'm sure that price would be twice as high. I've paid $0 out of pocket, besides my monthly insurance premium of $120-something. It seems a little insane to have spent $3,000 on acne, but I don't regret it. It's hard to even remember how painful it was to look in the mirror and see so many blemishes. I hated it. If I hadn't been treated, I'm sure I would have ended up spending $3k on therapy for low self esteem :)

FOUR MORE WEEKS!

Milestone!

2008-05-20T02:30:57Z

I went to the eye doctor today for my annual exam. The doctor said my left eye was a little bit worse than last year. I mentioned I was taking Accutane, since I know it can affect vision. When I said I was on Accutane, the doctor looked at me funny, and asked why I was taking it. That's when I realized that I needed to tell her my skin used to be really bad, but it's not anymore. I've officially reached the point where I used to have bad skin, but I just look normal now. Yay!!!

External validation is good.

Week 20 complete

2008-05-15T19:31:50Z

Nothing new to report. My face has been clear this week, and my skin is continuing to improve, so yay :)

My only side effect lately (aside from stiffness) has been a constantly runny nose, like the kind you get when you cry or have something stuck in your eye. I'm positive that it's because of my eyes, actually. Either because my eyes are scratchy from being dry, which creates more tears, or because I'm on the last legs of my last pair of contacts, and I need to go get an exam. It's annoying, nonetheless, to be wiping my nose constantly. My nose has been getting irritated and a little raw as a result.

Six weeks to go!

Week....I have no idea!

2008-05-12T18:22:20Z

I've officially lost count! Just went back and checked; it looks like I'm week 19.5. I'll admit it: I'm about ready for this Accutane stuff to be over with already. The last couple months have been rough with the joint pain. I feel like I'm 80 years old when I get out of bed in the morning. My body is just sore. I know that it's a common side effect, and that the pain will go away when I finish treatment, but...I'm just tired of it. Tired as in "considered skipping the 6th and final month of treatment" tired. That would be silly, though. I've stuck it out this long, and my skin looks so much better. I don't want to quit now and lose out on all of the benefits that the last month might provide.

I feel silly for whining now, when I've been fine for so long. I think that part of it is mental. I've been thinking more about babies, and Accutane is the antithesis of baby fever. We aren't going to start trying anytime super soon (not in 2008, at least), but it still kind of sucks to have that option completely removed.

Anyway, I know that I'll be READY to be done when I finish up in 6 weeks. Six more weeks. I can take it!

4 month hormone tests

2008-05-03T04:54:17Z

This month, the doctor tested my hormone levels (specifically, androgens (DHEA), FSH, and something else...LH, probably) to make sure I wasn't having hormonal issues that were fighting against the accutane. Anyway, I had the blood draw 10 days ago, and they finally got the lab results back today. My hormones are 100% normal. YAY! I didn't really expect them to be wacky, since I don't have any of the other typical side effects that accompany high androgens, like random facial hair or irregular cycles. I've always been paranoid, though, since it seems to run in the family.

7.5 weeks left til I'm D-O-N-E!

4 months complete

2008-04-28T16:33:33Z

I went to the dermatologist this morning for my 4 month checkup. I know I say it all the time, but my skin has made a lot of improvement in the last month. I had 2 random pimples that showed up on the same day last week, but overall, my face looks a LOT better. It's probably my imagination, but my face seems fuzzier than it used to be. I'm sure it's always been that way, but I'm noticing it more now since I spend a lot of time staring at my skin up close :)

I've only got one more derm visit before I'm finished! Next month, I'll get my last prescription. Once I finish that in June, I'll get my final blood test, then I'm done. He doesn't make his patients do a follow-up blood test a month after treatment; he just reminded me to not get pregnant that month. He also assured me that the Accutane would be well out of my system by the end of the month following treatment, and I'll be fine to get pregnant after that. We're not planning to get pregnant until probably next year, but it was reassuring to know that it won't stay in my system long-term.

Week 16 progress pics

2008-04-17T14:20:09Z

Week 16 (ignore the goofy expressions on my face)

The red spots are fading scars. I don't have any pimples today.

You can see how "dewy" my skin has become around my nose/upper cheek area here. My pores have also shrunk considerably.

As compared to Week 8-9 (2 months)

I hate these pictures, but here is pre-Accutane December 2007

Slowly but surely, the scars are starting to fade.

(almost) Week 16 complete

2008-04-15T14:10:00Z

10 weeks left to go, I think. I'm pretty sure my derm is having me do 6 months of treatment. I forgot to ask, so I'm just assuming.

Things are going very well on 80mg. My only side effect has been joint pain. I feel like I'm 90 years old when I ~~climb~~ hobble out of bed in the morning. The achiness passes pretty quickly, though, so it's not a big deal.

My skin has improved dramatically this week. You can still see some scars, but my face feels soooo smooth. I love it!

Week 14

2008-04-04T12:00:07Z

My skin has gotten a lot more clear since I switched back to Sotret for my generic. Yay! My biggest side effect this week has been majorly chapped lips. I have to apply lip balm every 5 minutes, or I feel like I'm going to have a nervous breakdown. As long as I keep them coated, they're not getting flaky dry. I've also been having some joint pain in my hips and legs, mostly in the morning. It's such a weird side effect, and it makes me feel like I'm old. The doctor said that is a pretty common side effect, though, so I'm not worrying about it.

Nothing else to report. Things are going well.

Week 13 - 3 months complete

2008-03-27T15:24:46Z

Where has the time gone? It's hard to believe how scared I was to get on Accutane, and now I'm more than half way done. Yay!

Had an appointment with my dermatologist this morning. Everything's going fine. He recommended that I *not* use Claravis as my generic anymore. I had been on Sotret, but switched last month due to pharmacy issues. After I take my blood test to prove I'm not pregnant & my liver is functioning normally, I have a 7 day window to fill the prescription. If I don't fill within that week, I have to redo my bloodwork. Last month, I got busy and didn't fill the Rx immediately. When I finally went to fill it, CVS couldn't get it in stock before my deadline, so I went to Walmart. My doctor said that Claravis is the cheapest of the generics, and he doesn't think it's as effective. He also said it might be the reason my skin's been breaking out a little this month. Needless to say, I'm going to fill my Rx today so I can make sure I get the proper generic. He's going to test my hormones next month, just to make sure I'm not having hormonal issues (androgens, or whatever) causing me to not respond to the Accutane. He also said that the pimples could be caused by the increased dosage, as my skin is pushing the gunk to the surface. Or something like that.

Other than that, nothing new to report. I had a dream last night that I was going on a date with my dermatologist, and I was trying to think of a way to tell my husband. Ha! He's pretty cute, but I think I'll keep our relationship professional in the waking world.

Week 11 complete

2008-03-15T02:59:58Z

I forgot to update last week. Not a whole lot to report. I'm on 80mg now, but that's mostly just a technicality, since I forget to take the second pill every other day (2 doses of 40 mg each). My goal this week is to take a pill with breakfast and another with dinner. I might bring a pack of the pills to work, just in case I forget in the morning.

My skin has been a lot worse for the last two weeks. I've had a few pimples, and they take longer to heal since Accutane slows down the healing process. The good part is that I'm SO not worried about a few pimples. I know there will be ups and downs while on the medication, so I'm keeping my eyes on the end result instead. The drastic improvement usually comes when you finish treatment, and for me, that's just a few months from now. I'm nearly half-way through. Yay!

Ugh

2008-03-05T13:23:20Z

My period started yesterday. Along with it popped up 3 pimples. I know I've gotten off easy the last 2 months. My situation has been a little unique, since most still get pimples while on Accutane. A lot of people even say their skin got worse on the meds before it got better. I guess I can't complain. I mean, 3 pimples in 2 months isn't bad. It just sucks that they're all at once. I'm mainly writing this to remind myself that Accutane doesn't work to suppress breakouts like other treatments; it works by changing the way your sebaceous glands function, so they produce less sebum.

Ok. Done. Life will go on :)

Week 9 complete

2008-02-29T12:52:34Z

I went to the dermatologist yesterday for my 2-month follow-up. I asked him about the thing on my face, and he said it's an acne bump that has stuck around for so long because Accutane slows down the healing process in your skin, or something like that. He told me to be patient, and it'll go away. It's getting smaller, so fine. He also looked at the other bumps I've had for a long time on my knee & back. The knee one was apparently caused by trauma. He says that most of the time they show up on legs from shaving injuries. This one showed up after a rollerblading accident in 2002 where I skinned my knees, so that's understandable. The one on my back is nothing to worry about, either. He also checked the moles on my back with his light thing, and they're all benign. Since I tolerated 40mg so well, he's doubling my dose (again) to 80mg. I have to go today for my bloodwork to make sure I'm still not pregnant & my liver is ok.

Other than that, nothing new to note.

2 month progress pics!

2008-02-26T16:08:06Z

I keep forgetting to charge my camera battery, so I snapped these with my cell phone a minute ago. I'll try to take real pics when I get home.

Before :(

Lots of scars & at least a few "active" pimples

2 months later :)

Definite progress! No "active" pimples, scars are starting to fade.

The bump you see on my cheek isn't a pimple. It's some kind of cyst that I'm going to ask my derm about. I have the same thing on my knee that's been there since 2002, and another that Frank discovered on my back last year. Not cool!

I still have about 4 more months on Accutane. The doctor told me my scars will continue to fade, and will likely be gone within a month after I stop treatment. The scars are a lot more noticeable in these pictures than they are in person, so that's even better.

Week 8

2008-02-25T14:56:57Z

I'm a few days late with my week 8 update, but there's nothing really to report. My skin just gets better everyday. Sometimes I'll catch my husband staring at my face. Yesterday, he told me he's never seen my skin look so glowing and soft :)

Side effects have been nil. No headaches. No super dry skin or chapped lips. Minor muscle aches in my legs. I know Accutane can cause muscle soreness, but I don't know if my sore legs are because of that or not.

Two months into treatment, my verdict thus far is that I LOVE Accutane. It's been a miracle drug for me.

I'll post pictures soon.

Week 7

2008-02-18T02:50:08Z

I'm a few days late with this update. All is well on the Accutane front. No major side effects this week. I've had a twitch in my bottom right eyelid that is driving me nuts, but I don't think that is related to the meds. The cyst is still on my cheek. I'm starting to wonder if it's not acne related. I have a small weird bump like that on my knee that has been there for years. There's another on my back. They don't hurt or anything, but I'm going to ask my derm about it at the next appointment, since the one on my face is more visible than my knee or back.

One HAPPY side effect is that my scalp has become a lot less oily. It wasn't super oily before, but if I skipped a day with washing my hair, it definitely showed. Now, my hair seriously never looks greasy, no matter how long I go without washing it. I sorta tested that theory last week, and I didn't wash my hair during my morning showers. After 4 days, my hair still looked fine. Not a hint of oiliness. I finally washed it today, and I'm not planning on skipping so many washes in the future, but I was surprised by how long I could go.

So far, I'm very happy with my progress. My face is already a LOT clearer, and it feels different. No complaints.

Week 6 complete

2008-02-08T13:30:43Z

The time is starting to fly. My doubled dosage hasn't resulted in an increase of side effects (yet). I don't think I had any headaches this week. I *do* have 1 cyst on my cheek, about an inch from my nose, that has been there for 3 or 4 days. It could be a sort of primary outbreak related to my increased dosage, or it could be due to the fact that my period started 4 or 5 days ago. The cyst hasn't come to a head or anything, and I've been leaving it alone. Apparently your skin is more prone to bruising/scarring while on Accutane, so I'm not taking chances.

Other than that, not much to report. Week 6 was uneventful. Let's hope it continues that way.

Week 5 complete

2008-02-02T14:00:56Z

Just realized I forgot to do a week 5 post yesterday. I probably forgot because I've been SO "normal," for lack of a better word. I almost feel like a hypocrite after writing the "dry skin" post a few days ago, because that stuff only lasted 1 day. No headaches this week. My skin is less dry than it was a few days ago. My eyes have been fine. My ears are nearly completely normal after a few days on the steroid drops. The inside of my nose hasn't been dry at all. Still no new acne. I'm a happy camper.

As reluctant/nervous as I was to start Accutane, I'm SOO happy that I did. My self esteem has gone way back up now that the constant break-outs have subsided. I don't feel self-conscious all the time, like people are staring at my acne. Now, it's like "What acne?"

Week 5 - midweek

2008-01-30T17:17:11Z

Week 5 will officially be dubbed "The Week of the Dry Skin." My ear canals hurt. The inside of my nose hurts. My face is dry and itchy. My eyes are dry. The doctor gave me a prescription for DermOtic Oil, a steroid ear drop to kill the dry skin/seborrheic dermatitis crap going on inside my ears. I filled that yesterday, and picked up some nasal saline "lubricating" spray & eye drops that are safe for use with contacts. I'm not exactly sure how saline (salt water) is "lubricating," since it seems like that would have the opposite effect, but that's what the bottle says.

Otherwise, I've had a very low side effect week. The only headache I've had was related to not eating for a million hours on Monday. I had breakfast that morning, a small salad that consisted of lettuce, artichokes, and dressing around 3, then nothing til very late (after 10p). I was starving within an hour of eating the salad, and developed an awful headache around 8. I'm not attributing that to the accutane, since it was clearly from not eating properly.

We went to a funeral on Monday for my husband's grandmother. Several members of his extended family were kind of heckling us for not having kids yet. Nothing curbs baby fever like being on a Class X drug that causes severe birth defects.

1 Month Derm Check-up

2008-01-25T20:24:57Z

I had an appointment this morning with my dermatologist. He's very happy with my progress thus far. He told me that my side effects aren't of the dangerous variety, and encouraged me to drink a lot more water to help with the dizziness. My dosage was doubled to 40mg. I'm a little nervous about the higher dosage (which is still a LOT lower than most people on the Accutane boards I've seen), but I wouldn't be me if I didn't worry, right? He said my skin dryness will get a lot worse before it gets better, and gave recommendations for eye drops and nose spray, since nosebleeds aren't uncommon when the skin dries out.

After the appointment, I went to the lab for bloodwork to test my liver, cholesterol/triglycerides, & to make sure I'm not pregnant. ~~The results haven't come back yet (though I obviously know I'm not pregnant), but they'll call to let me know the results before I fill my Rx.~~ The doctor's office called Monday morning. The bloodwork all came back normal.

I also got some steroid drops for inside my ears, since it's become extremely dry and flaky in there. Gross.

Week 4

2008-01-24T20:02:48Z

This week, my skin has been making the transition from dewy to kinda dry. Where it was feeling smooth & great, it's starting to feel a little rough and flaky. It's not noticeable when you look at me (unless you get close enough to see a tiny bit of dry skin on my forehead), but it definitely feels different. Still no acne to speak of. I have my 1 month check in with the dermatologist tomorrow morning.

The dizzy spells have diminished, and I haven't had any that I can remember. I've had a couple minor headaches, but nothing super painful. Someone on the Accutane community suggested that my dizziness might be attributed to dehydration, since the meds tend to make you lose water. I often forget to drink, so this could be a cause. I've been trying to drink more water to see if that helps. I also noticed that if I let myself get hungry, I get reeeeally hungry. Like low blood sugar / feel like crap hungry. Again, probably my hypochondriac paranoia making me think my blood sugar is messed up. I'm sure I'll be doing a Week 5 update saying that side effect is gone.

Week 3 (almost) complete

2008-01-17T15:29:41Z

This week was a little worse with the side effects than last week. The main thing I noticed were dizzy spells. Not bad enough to make me fall over, but just enough that I'd feel like I need to catch myself for a split second. This has happened 3 or 4 times, and it freaked me out. I also had a couple of headaches. Side effect searches tell me this is fairly normal, though, and I haven't had any dizziness in 3 or 4 days.

I reeeally dislike medications with side effects, because I'm already a fairly paranoid person when it comes to my health. I tend to think the worst is wrong with me when I'm feeling ill, so it's kind of making me a hypochondriac. I'm using a lot of self-talk to remind me that it's the medication, and all of the side effects are reversible when I get off the medication.

My skin is still getting better. I know it'll be worth it.

Week 2

2008-01-11T15:05:07Z

Two weeks under the belt now. I've noticed a pretty dramatic improvement over the last few days. I didn't say anything because I still feel like it's a fluke, but last night, my husband also noticed. After I washed my face this morning, I was looking at my skin in the mirror, trying to determine exactly WHAT was different. Then I realized. My skin is DEWY! I haven't had dewy skin...ever, maybe? It's mostly my nose and the skin under my eyes (upper third of my face, I guess), but it's getting there. I don't have any pimples right now, either. We'll see if it lasts.

This week, my side effects also greatly diminished. I don't think I had any headaches, and my lips aren't even chapped. That could be because I apply lip balm every 10 minutes (bad habit over the last 15 years). My night vision kind of sucks, but that's minor and not a big deal.