Friday, April 09, 2004
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day twenty-nine, week four
Had my one-month derm checkup, and he says my face is calming down quite a bit! He increased my dosage to 80mg every other day, so I'll average 60mg/day for the next month. I also got my bloodwork back from the lab, and my cholesterol and triglycerides have gone up. With the heart problems I've already got, I've implemented some new diet changes to keep that under control. Anyway, here's the grits:
current medications/supplements:
- accutane 40mg (now 80mg every other day)
- Erythromycin (antibiotic - makes me sick to my stomach)
- Yasmin (birth control)
- iron
- vitamin e (*really* helps! details later)
current products:
- Neosporin cream with pain relief (for broken skin and zits that won't go away)
- Visine Original and Visine for contacts (for dry, irritated eyes)
- St. Ives 24-hour lotion
- cetaphil moisturizing lotion
- cetaphil face wash
- blistex lip balm
- lots of water
current symptoms:
- delicate skin- lost of scrapes and blisters!
- red, blotchy skin all over
- VERY dry, irritated eyes
- dry lips (without constant lip balm application)
- dehydration
diet changes:
- minimized red meat intake to 2 meals/week
- switched from whole milk to 2%
- switched from ranch to italian dressing
- increased intake of citrus fruits (can't turn down an excuse to drink more orange juice...)
WEEK FOUR REPORT: Things are definitely winding down, slowly but surely. Like I said, there's really nothing to squeeze anymore. Red spots come and go, but they never get swollen anymore, they just kinda go away without much ado. My most bothersome symptom right now is how uncomfortable my eyes are... 100% positive it's because I've forgotten to take my vitamin E for the last few days. Bad llama! A little PMS-related moodiness, thanks to Yasmin, and mild anxiety to go with it. But nothing I can't handle, and nothing I can blame on Accutane.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Take your vitamin e!
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The Guinea Pig |
My name is Allisan, I'm a 21-year-old college student with very bad acne and a chip on my shoulder. I'm taking Accutane to kick the thing in the butt once and for all, and documenting the experience for the benefit of anyone else considering giving it a shot. Read on, fellow acne sufferers!!
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About Accutane |
In Laman's terms... Accutane limits the body's production a natural oil called Sebum that builds up in your pores and causes acne. Generally you spend 5 months on it, and most people see results within 2 months. It has a 75% success rate after the first round, 85% after 2 rounds - that means that the acne never, ever comes back for most people. During the course of the therapy, the most common side effects are dry flaky skin, chapped lips, dehydration, irritation while wearing contacts, and backaches. Basically it makes your body tissue really sensitive to EVERYTHING. Some people also experience moodiness and, in rare cases, severe depression. It also causes some nasty birth defects, so they make absolutely sure you can't get pregnant while you're on it.
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Products I Swear By |
- Mary Kay medium coverage foundation
- blistex original lip balm
- neosporin cream (not ointment)
- St. Ives 24-Hour body lotion
- Cetaphil moisturizer & face wash
- Generic vitamin e supplements
- Visine original eye drops
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Products I Swear *At* |
Blistex Complete Moisture lip balm - Jackie recommends it, but I disagree! It's really thin (heavy petroleum-based ointments are the best) and makes your breath smell funky.
Victoria's Secret lotion - Love the smell, but it stings like a mofo. Same goes for Bath&Body or any other heavily scented lotion, accutane makes your skin VERY sensitive to that kind of stuff.
Proactiv products - great for semi-problematic skin, but totally useless for severe acne. They *do* give your money back, so it *is* worth a try. But if you're serious about dealing with your acne, try something else.
erythromycin - if you get this, make sure they prescribe the capsules, not the tablets. This stuff is powerful, it can really upset your stomach.
Yasmin birth control - makes acne *worse*, turns you into a hormonal one-woman soap opera.
Chapstick brand lip balm - nothin but glorified ear wax. Buy the medicated stuff, folks.
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