Thursday, May 20, 2004
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day sixty-four, week nine
Apparently, as the course of Things As They Are would have it, I'm due a slight disappointment or two after last week's small successes. If I were to chart my success graphically, it's looked more or less like an inclined roller coaster, where I'd expected somewhat of a smoother ride. No worries, though... it's still better than when I started.
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:
- fatigue, muscle aches
- irritation, anger
- bloody nose
- severly dry, chafed skin and rashes all over the place
- extremely dry, irritated eyes
- dry lips
- dehydration
WEEK NINE REPORT: Like I said, I've seen some downhill progress this week, but it's not getting to me yet. I HAVE noticed that my lips aren't as chapped recently... I forgot my lip balm this morning and am surviving on a bottle of water and a note on my hand that says "DON'T LICK YOUR LIPS!" It's a nervous habit I've never been able to shake. So that's something. On the other hand, my skin has gotten extremely dry all over the place, to the point of making most of my clothes very uncomfortable. It probably doesn't help that I spend about 8 hours a week in chlorinated water. So now I have these nasty dry, bumpy rashes all over the place. Very gross. My solution: wear more lotion!! Also, no serious moodiness or depression but I have noticed increasing tendencies toward frustration and sudden angry reactions to the dumbest stuff and irresistable urges to punch people, walls, computers, etc. Not that I could actually hurt anyone if I tried, but that's getting rather bothersome.
RECOMMENDATIONS: hmm... can't think of any this week, sorry. Follow all of my other advice, that's my recommendation.
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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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