Thursday, May 13, 2004
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day fifty-seven, week eight
I'm finally to the point where my face actually looks better than when I started this whole process. If perfect skin was a 10 and disgusting mutant skin was a 0, I started out at about a 5, dropped to a 3 after starting Yasmin birth control, then down to a 1 after starting the accutane. Now I'm about up to a 4. It's to the point where you actually can't tell I have acne when I'm wearing makeup. So here I am, proof that patience pays off.
current medications/supplements:
- accutane 80mg
- Erythromycin
- Yasmin
- vitamin e
current products:
- Neosporin cream with pain relief
- Visine Original and Visine for contacts
- St. Ives 24-hour lotion
- cetaphil moisturizing lotion
- cetaphil face wash
- blistex lip balm
- lots of water
current symptoms:
- constantly peeling face
- moodiness/"Evander Holifield" syndrome (Friends fans, you know what I mean)
- bloody nose
- dry, chafed skin and rashes
- dry, irritated eyes
- dry lips
- dehydration
diet changes:
- none, since my cholesterol is back to normal now! My triglycerides are a little bit higher though, so I did reduce my "meat" meals from 3 to 2 per week. No big.
WEEK EIGHT REPORT: I can see the end from here! After two months, I'm finally seeing progress. My forehead is totally clear now, as is my chin and my nose (nose wasn't ever a problem before, but I can celebrate it anyway, ja?) My problem areas are still my cheeks and the sides of my face, but I only average one new zit every couple of days. VERY big for me. I had my 2-month appointment with the dermotologist and he increased my dosage to 80 mgs/day. I'm supposed to keep an eye on my symptoms though, they're pretty hairy as it is. He also injected a few of my bigger zits, and they're already gone.
RECOMMENDATIONS: This is the point in the therapy where symptoms can become less physical and more emotional/psychological. Accutane, in conjunction with whatever crappy birth control you end up on (*cough*YASMIN*cough*), makes you really prone to all kinds of mood swings. Here are my recommendations for battling all the different flavors of moodiness: - The "I-Need-To-Hit-Something-Right-Now" mood swing - for this, I recommend kickboxing or some other high-impact physical activity. My favorite is sprinting on the treadmill for a few minutes. Feelings of intense anger and frustration happen because you have too much energy and nothing useful to do with it. Wearing yourself out through exercize protects the people that have to live with you from undue abuse and gets you in shape all at once.
- The "I-Need-A-Boyfriend-Right-NOW" mood swing - Also known as the "Evander Holifield" syndrome because it's a lot like the Friends episode where Rachel is pregnant and SUPER horny, so she's attracted to a cutout of Evander Holifield. Anyway. Best cure? Go out there and flirt! Go clubbing, get someone to fix you up on a blind date, get a little peskier with that one person you've been flirting with for months... before long you'll remember what a waste of time the opposite sex is. The best cure for horniness really is bitterness, trust me.
- The "Life-Sucks-And-I-Hate-Everyone" mood swing - These seriously come out of the blue and sometimes you really can't do much about them. The hardest thing to hear when you're depressed is to "snap out of it" or "cheer up." The most important thing to remember is that it will pass, everything will be ok. Be sure not to get caught in negative thought patterns that will only make it worse. Try to keep yourself busy and distracted until it passes.
- The "I-Don't-Want-To-Live-Anymore" mood swing - for that one, decrease your dosage and see the nearest shrink IMMEDIATELY. This is not something to take lightly and, even though it doesn't happen very often, should be treated like a serious threat to your life.
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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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