Posted in Abi's Roaccutane Diary by abi


 

abi: Abi’s Third Course – 8 Months In!

January 10th, 2009

8 months of roaccutane! This is my longest course ever (and hopefully my last!). Well, thought id update a bit on how my skin’s doing. I havn’t had a single spot in about 5 months now, which i think is pretty good going! I am currently only taking 5mg a day and I’m going to continue to do so for 5 more weeks, and then this course will officially be over! I really really don’t wanna come off it though as I’m gonna be so gutted if I relapse AGAIN, ideally i would like to keep taking 5mg a day forever! I’m gonna suggest this to my derm if my skin starts breaking out again and see what he reckons!

I was suffering quite badly with my arm rash, however, since i posted pictures it has calmed down quite alot so i’m pleased about that. I think the fact i’m also only on a tiny dose now has also meant that all of the side effects are subsiding. The overall appearance of my skin is pretty good, it is red and blotchy in places with a few marks, but i think iv made my peace with the fact it’s never going to be flawless. My main area of concern has always been my forehead which seems to have the most marks and dents. I always find that when i look in the mirror i always just seem to scrutinize the skin on my forehead. I have looked into having chemicals peels or dermabrasion on that area but then i had the ingenious idea to just get a fringe! Now I can’t see my forehead, and i’ve saved my self a hell of alot of money

Hope you’re all okay!

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This entry was posted on Saturday, January 10th, 2009 at 6:59 pm and is filed under Abi's Roaccutane Diary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

« Pictures of my arm rash!!
Abi’s Third Course – Finished + Picture »

24 responses to “Abi’s Third Course – 8 Months In!”

  1. jay2008

    15th Jan, 09

    Hey Abi, Just wanted to ask do you reckon that taking 5mg is actually doing anything other than keepin your mind at ease, I’m saying this because i’m on such a low dose, so I’m hoping your gonna say it is working. By the way I’m on 20mg everyother day.
    x

    at

  2. Abi

    15th Jan, 09

    Hiya Jay,

    The 5mg a day is definetly doing something as my hair is still staying non-greasy and I still have some facial dryness, therefore, if it wasn’t doing anything then I would expect those side effects to have disappeared. Is your dose going to be raised or are you going to do a whole course on a low dose?

    xxxxxxx

    at

  3. stu-pants1985

    15th Jan, 09

    Abi!

    I finish my course 7 weeks today.

    Although I will have ten boxes of 5mg tablets, each box containing 30 pills. Do you reckon I should take 5mg a day like your doing? I’m very tempted.

    at

  4. Abi

    15th Jan, 09

    Hiya Stu! :-)

    I was supposed to be on 50mg a day so I had boxes of 20mg tablets and boxes of 5mg tablets. I decided to save up all the 5mg ones and when id finished the 20mg ones, take a 5mg a day, just to try to draw out my course longer. Most people like to get their courses over as quickly as possible due to the side effects but because I have relapsed before i really wanted to take it for as long as possible this time as my skin is always really good whilst im still taking it. Id like to take 5mg a day permanently, but i haven’t quite managed to convince my derm to let me yet!

    On this course iv just done, i took 40mg a day until my skin was pretty much clear, then i reduced it to 20mg and then to 5mg. If i were you i would probably stay on a bit of a higher dose until your skin is almost clear and then start to reduce the amount you are taking.

    How did your derm appointment go the other day?

    xxxxxxxx

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  5. jay2008

    16th Jan, 09

    Hey Abi, Good I’m glad you reckon 5mg is working anyway my derm said because this is my third time on Roacc I should be on a long term low dose. Can I ask one more thing…. how long is it since you stopped taking the 20mg and started taking the 5mg? Sorry if I’m being confusing.
    x

    at

  6. Abi

    16th Jan, 09

    I finished my 20mg capsules about a month ago so iv been taking just 5mg since then, and my skin is continuing to stay clear :-)

    at

  7. Sophie

    18th Jan, 09

    Hi Abi,
    I’m on my 2nd week of 20mg/40mg on alternative days (age 17) , and I’ve been reading some of your posts and they are really helpful for someone like me who isn’t exactly sure what to expect yet! So thankyou very much!
    I can see you’ve been inundated with questions from people already, but was just wondering as many people have said that their acne comes back even a few months after Roaccutane, should I expect my skin to become greasy and gross again after coming off it? Really worried about that, it’s so nice to not have to worry at the moment about have a horribly shiney face and putting powder on it all the time!
    Thankyou! :)
    Sophie

    at

  8. Abi

    18th Jan, 09

    Hiya Sophie!

    After my first course of Roaccutane my skin never returned to the greasy state it was before. Prior to roacc, i had to wipe my face with those special oil blotting papers during break times at school as my skin was so shiny so i can completely understand why you would be worried about going back to that cos i was too!

    Even after roacc i now use moisturiser which is something that would have seemed crazy before! My derm explained to me that roaccutane shrinks your sebaceous glands and that’s why your skin stops getting oily and even when you stop taking roacc these glands stay fairly shrunken.

    Hope that helps and good luck with your course! :-)

    xxxxxxxxx

    at

  9. Esther

    24th Jan, 09

    Hi Abi,

    I’m on my second course of roaccutane and have been reading your posts ever since my first round – beginning in april last year! This third course you’re on, if you took your allocated 50mg a day, would it have lasted four months? I have been thinking about drawing my course out too, im on 60mg a day atm but do you think i should just take 20mg a day for the next few months? Or say use 40mg for a while then switch to 20mg? I relapsed really quickly after my first round, within two months I had greasy skin like never before and spots everywhere. So im quite worried it will happen again!
    Esther

    at

  10. Abi

    24th Jan, 09

    Hello Esther!!

    Yes, if I had actually been taking the amount my derm gave me for everyday my course would have been over ages ago!!! It was my personal decision to draw it out longer as for one it reduces side effects taking less each day, and i prefer to be on it for longer as at least while im taking it my skin is nice and clear!

    If you feel like taking it longer, id reduce the amount your taking slowly, maybe taking 40mg for a few weeks then dropping to 20mg a day or something. I would check with your derm before making any changes though :-)

    xxxxxxxxx

    at

  11. Nikki

    5th Feb, 09

    Hiya Abi great to hear things are going well skin-wise. I’m on a very long term low dose course now. I have been taking 20mg a day since october 11th and will continue taking this until may. Then I will be doing 20mg 3 times a week I think. Don’t know how long for though. The aim is to get me right down to just one 20mg tablet a week. I got the impression from my derm its ok to for people to stay on 20mg a week indefinately unless they want to have children or are having bad side affects. To be honest I just feel happier taking it. It’s like I know things can’t get awful all the time I’m taking it. I have had a small breakout in the night but whereas I would have been in tears and worrying constantly had I not been taking it, today I just scowled but thought “well it will be gone in a couple of days and it’s not going to get worse, the roaccutane won’t let it”. Well good luck with everything. Oh and the fringe idea…pure genius lol take care x x

    at

  12. Abi

    5th Feb, 09

    Hiya Nikki! Nice to hear from you :-)

    I’d be delighted if my derm let me take a long term low dose, I just havn’t managed to convince him yet. If my skin relapses after this course I’m gonna have to be very persuasive as I do not wanna spend my days taking course after course of roaccutane lol. I know what you mean about feeling happier whilst you’re taking it as well, cos you know that your skin can’t get out of control and that any sort of break up will heal quite quick.

    I only have a couple of weeks worth of tablets left and i really don’t wanna have to stop taking them!!! I’m gonna continue taking dianette tho, in the hope that will help to keep my skin clear! What products do you use these days?

    xxxxxxxxx

    at

  13. stu-pants1985

    5th Feb, 09

    Hey Abi!

    I finish my course in just under 4 weeks. However, I have a few boxes of 5mg tablets leftover. I think my derm miscalculated and gave me them in error. My gain I suppose!

    I intend to take 5mg a day for a few months like you have been doing. Please tell me the side effects wear off considerably when the dosages is reduced?! My skin is so dry just now- refusing to use moisturiser!

    at

  14. Abi

    5th Feb, 09

    Hiya Stu!

    You’ll be glad to know that they do!! Since taking the 5mg a day my arm rash has got alot better, my lips are definetly nowhere near as dry and my skin has stopped flaking off!

    The only rubbish thing is that I now have to wash my hair everyday again, i love it wen im on a higher dose of roacc and my hair stays great for days!!

    xxxxxxxx

    at

  15. stu-pants1985

    5th Feb, 09

    Fantastic news!

    You say your skin no longer flakes which is music to my ears but has the oil stayed away?

    How long did it take for them to wear off? I will be dropping from 60mg to 5mg. I’m guessing it will be a few weeks?

    at

  16. Abi

    5th Feb, 09

    Yes, everytime i finish a course of roacc my skin never goes back to being shiny and greasy like it was before i had ever taken roaccutane, i couldn’t bear that!

    Going from 60mg down to 5mg is quite a massive leap, id imagine after about 2-3 weeks of being on a lower dose you’ll start to notice your lips are less dry etc…

    xxxxxxxx

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  17. stu-pants1985

    5th Feb, 09

    Your a star Abi.

    still got 4 weeks left. skin still not up to scratch and is really dry. still confident it will get better. i’m keeping the faith.

    will let you know of my progress!

    at

  18. Nikki

    7th Feb, 09

    Hi again Abi, yes definately be persuasive if things go downhill again. Its not just about the acne, but your own peace of mind and how you feel about yourself. Some people think its all a very superficial thing but its not when it takes over your whole life and its what you think about all the time. Getting that across to people can be hard at times though. As for products, still using Simple everything although I have heard great things about some new products by Eucerin. What about you, whats your choice these days? X x

    at

  19. Abi

    7th Feb, 09

    I’m still using the simple face wash or there’s another fragrance and colour free one by Johnson’s i use sometimes if i wanna mix things up a bit lol. Iv also been using a boots expert sensitive moisturiser with spf 12 for over a year now and really like it, i’m sure i remember you posting once that u didnt get on very well with it though lol. It’s annoying when you finish a course of roacc cos you never know whether to just continue with the same products or whether to start switching back to oil-free things, and my derm has never given me any product advice so it’s all a bit hit or miss!

    xxxxxxxxx

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  20. Nikki

    11th Feb, 09

    Nooooo! Not the evil Boots moisturiser! Lol no to be honest I think I was sensitive to something in it because it gave me a rash. Not spots, just a rash. It was a shame cos I really liked everything else about it. Lucky it hasn’t had that affect on you though. And yes I remember when I came off the tablets and was constantly debating over whether I should change my products or not. I carried on with the same Simple moisturising face wash but switched my moisturiser to the light rather than the rich and eventually switched again to the oil control one. I remember it was a really confusing, and actually expensive time. And no my derm was not helpful there either. Tut. X

    at

  21. Foxy82

    22nd Feb, 09

    Hello Abi,
    Just wanted to ask you a few questions please.
    How long have you been taking roaccutane and how often have you relapsed?
    I was on Roaccutane for nearly 18 months and came off it in august. But my skin in the last 4 weeks or more has gone really dry and flaky and very red again. Im thinking of going back to see the dermatologist again and be put back on it.
    The highest dose i went upto was 70mg.
    xx

    at

  22. Tom

    12th Mar, 09

    Hi Abi

    Brilliant diary! been prescribed 40 mg this morning. and after reading about all the lovely things thats going to happen to me during the course, in the colourful leaflett they gave me, your diary has somehat put me at ease! :D Kudos!

    How’s it going now that your 5 weeks of 5mg “roac” (im well using roacutane slang now) is up?

    I ask beause the dermo pretty much promised me that after 4 months of the stuff i’d never have another spot. I wanted to make some kind of waiger on the contrary but i guess he wasn’t a gambling man…

    Thanks again. Heres to a grand old 4 months!
    Tom

    at

  23. Abi

    14th Mar, 09

    Hiya Tom!

    I’m so glad my diary has been helpful to you :-) It can be very alarming reading all the stuff it says in the leaflet so i think it’s always good to be able to read about peoples actual experiences.

    My skin is still looking fabulous as the moment, and it better stay that way as I feel 3 courses of roacc is quite enough!!!!

    Some people are lucky and they do only ever need one course, unfortunetly, i was not one of those people! Are you on quite a high dose? On my first course i was on a very low dose which is why i don’t think it was successful and i didn’t take a full course the second time round, so im hoping this third course has done the trick!!!!

    Good luck!!! :-)

    xxxxxxxxx

    at

  24. Tom

    14th Mar, 09

    Hi Abi

    Im on 40 mg, what dose were you on when you started?

    Lets hope this is your last one eh?!

    Take care!
    xxx

    at

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