i was just wondering if anyone on here knew of anything that is available to buy that could maybe helpe with dry skin, scarring the common side effects to roccutane any comments would be a big help thanks michael x

Well, my 16 week roaccuane  course finished like, 2 months ago! LOL

Seriously, the monthly hospital visits, sore bones, chapped lips and dry eyes were worth every single complaint

My skin has improved so much, I get so many compliments about it, some people actually found it hard to recognize me at first!

Roaccutane has been a life saver. I’m much more confident about myself, I haven’t had a spot in months.

I still have scarring mind you, but it takes up to a year for that to fade, not like it bothers me too much.

I apologise for randomly abandoning my updates after week 6, with my GCSEs on the way I didn’t get on the laptop much, but now they’re over - wayhay! Now results and 6th form to look forward to! JOY!

My summer has been wicked so far I met my favourite band the other day (The Answer!) I was sooo chuffed. I was also in Paris for 5 days the other week and it was lovely, it just went far too quickly - it sort of feels like I never went :/

Anywho’s, I’ll upload some pics to show you guys why roaccutane changed my life. And how much my skin has cleared up.

If you have started roaccutane or are going to start it - best of luck, you will not be disappointed

It changed not only my skin, but myself as a person

Trish x

Edit: Bloody thing won’t upload my pics!! Grrrs

Hi All

Hope you are coping with the sunshine. Isn’t it awkward all this sun! I burn at the best of times (am Scottish!) I’m so glad my skin looks better, I can’t imagine plastering on thick make-up like I used to, trying to cover up. My skin’s not perfect but am happy to go out with just my factor 50 on my face. I using Nivea Factor 50 for face and hands and it seems to be doing to trick. Although, I have just cycled 20 miles so let’s see how pink I look by the end of the day.  I was worried about using sun cream and getting all sweaty but would rather risk blocked pores than sunburn.

I can’t believe how well the steroid injection worked - big nasty stubborn spot has completely gone. I had it for 3 months, and it’s gone! I do have a red scar but it kind of looks like another freckle.  One day I’ll post some pre and post injection shots - it literally disappeared over night. 

Hope you are all doing well, take care in the sun. 

Lynda

x

Finally bought my Roaccutane this morning. My dermatologist almost wanted to talk me out of it, but I insisted that this was what I want, and what I’ve been wanting for a very very long time. I’ve had acne since I was 17 years old, back in junior college, and I can still remember the harsh words that people have said to me then. And it stung.

7 years later, and throughout the years, my confidence took a beating, and so did my self-esteem. I couldn’t bring myself to join singing competitions (something I love to do) because I don’t think I’d look good on TV, I swim alone because then nobody will see me without make-up. And I even wear foundation when I have camps in school, when the rest of the girls can simply wash their face and get to bed.

It’s been bugging me for years. I just want to wake up one day and not worry about where’s the next zit gonna come out, and not put on any make up when I go out or do sports. And more importantly, I just want my confidence back.

I’m on 30mg/day. Cost a bomb, but luckily I’ve started working already so that’s no matter. Just a bit about my background. Currently just graduated from a university in Singapore. A 24 year old girl, currently working.

This is the beginning of something I’ve been looking forward to in a long long time. Pray it ends well!

Anyway, hello to those reading this post.

Hi All

I had my latest derm visit last night. He was lovely and hugely supportive as usual. He was really pleased with my progress but wanted to give me the best chance of long term success so he’s extended my course, I’ll be staying on 40 mgs for another 2 months. 

I’m sure I’m going over my cumulative dose.  Sparks - the Queen of Calculations - what’s the formula again….? I’m 57 kgs. I did 30 days on 30 mgs, so far 110 days on 40mgs and now another 2 months on 40 mgs. 

Remember the big nasty stubborn spot on my cheek that I’ve had since March….it got a steriod injection yesterday. HA HA! Not so big and nasty now, are you Overnight it has deflated loads. I’d rather have a red mark than a big bump. It didn’t hurt too much and has helped loads. 

Good luck everyone, keep on top of those side effects and think of what perfect skin we will all have.

xxx

Hi everyone

my lips arnt that peely or dry when i am taking the medicine but i just been using normal lip bam for the past month and i didn’t think about using something else like Vaseline and it s apperently very good i hear from all ur posts but i didn’t think about. I din’t think that i’ll need to use vaselin or any other good lip bam.

Today i woke up and my lips were swollen and large and red, I hurt so muchhh and when i press my lips together i feel little pumps and its so gross!! I don’t know it was the lip bam i been using and that i had a bad reaction to it or its the medicine.

I went to boots today and got vaseling and nivea lip bam but im scared to use them as i think it might get worse. My lips are like a bee had stung it, it looks so bad.

Do u guys and girls know any other lip bam that might help sooth this or vaseline good?

Thank you

lulu

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hey,

Before I start just give u a little bit of background. Im 19 :) I started gettin mild acne from about year 9 so im guessin I was about 13-14? Cant really remember lol. Anyway think i must of started taking all that usual stuff the doctor puts u on aswell around that sort of time, u no oxytetraclycline, lymecycline, benzyl peroxide all the usual mild antibiotics, they worked to an extent but they never got rid of my acne but it certainly controlled it. Spots never really bothered me that much as Ive always been fairly confident and always had a great set of mates around me. It was only when I started college that my face started gettin worse, but still it never really used to bother me that much. I was still taking the pills and thinking it would get better…but it didnt lol. It was only when my face sort of exploded towards the end of last year if i can put it that way lol, that I realised it wernt goin to go away on its own and with the medication I was taking.

So got hold of my doctor around christmas time I think, and managed to get a derm appointment at the end of January which was pretty quick I thought. So went along, was prescribed 60mg of roaccutane from the start as i weigh around 10 stone, gave my bloods, they did all there tests and stuff and I was all good to go. Only problem I thought I was going to have was the no alcohol rule, as everything I seem to do wiv my friends seemed to involve alcohol, alot of u probs understand where im coming from. So I sort of bent this rule, instead of going out 3 or 4 times a week I made it just one of two. Not the right thing to do, but worked for me

So the first few weeks were some of the worst from what I can remember, had alot goin on at the time, had just started college again (wasnt enjoying), broke up wiv my girlfriend (bad times) and had some family issues. So as u can imagine taking roaccutane wasnt helping with any of these matters as I was one moody lil shit lol. And to be honest all I wanted to do was to go out n get smashed wiv my mates but that couldnt really be done to the extent that I would like as i always feared my liver was going to implode or somin lol. So started hittin the gym alot more then usual and found this a good way to relieve the stress, might help for some of u, certainly did for me lol.

But ye started gettin all the usual side effects, couldnt sleep, face started turning a lovely shade of red, lips started to fall off (or dry out how ever u want to put it lol). So started having to use alot of moisturising products, started using simple moisturising face wash in the morning and evening, then used aqueos cream for my dry skin on my face and neck, this was absolutely brilliant and dunno what I’d of done without it. O ye, started using it as like a shave gel towards the end aswell and to be honest its probs best thing I’ve used for shaving. That tip was just for the guys as dont think it really applys to the girls lol. O and on my lips in the mornin n evening, that works quite well to. Also had palmers cocoa butter lip balm (god i sound so gay lol) but ye that works pretty well to. Think that was about it for the moisturising, except I did occasionally get dry upper arms?? Random i know lol, so found some cocoa butter around the house n that did the job on them. Think thats covered all that.

I think I noticed the changes quite quickly, my face became far less oily, my black heads seemed to disappear and my skin definately dried up causing no new spots to appear. Think I may have got the occasionaly break out within the first 8 weeks, but from then on nothing really. My shoulders seemed to clear up within the first 8 weeks, so that was a result and it looked pretty promising. Went back to my derm after the 8 weeks to give blood, I was ok i think, they said one was raised and i got a feeling it might of been the one relating to alcohol intake as i dont really eat any dairy products so doubt it was my cholestoral. But ye they let me carry on and everything just seemed to get better and better. Face started clearing up, all older spots started to fade and disappear. Probably only got one or two tiny ones in following 8 weeks and they came and went in no time. So it looked like this drug actually worked unlike the others. Went back after 16 weeks and saw the nurse who made me do one more blood test and prescribed me one last prescription for an extra month… to be safe then sorry apparently. Probs a good idea but I was really looking forward to coming off the drug that day and had got all excited, then to hear that was like getting kicked in the face lol.

Sooooooooooooooo went to see the derm for the last time last Tuesday and after being on roac for 20 weeks she said I had tollerated the drug very well and that was the end of my course :) :)  I have to say it has made an amazing improvement on my skin. Only wish I had been prescribed this a few years ago. Forgot to talk about the derms n nurses, they were pretty awesome, always had time to talk and answer my questions if i had any and were always very helpful.

Really looking forward to the summer now, so thankful for being able to go on roaccutane, really has made a major difference. Now just looking forward to my holiday next week wiv mi amigos (im buzzing lol) :). Just hopeing i wont burn as Ive been fairly ok in the hot weather so far, but got my sun lotion all ready and im ready to hit the beach!

I think I tollerated the drug pretty well, although I did have some bad days and some even worse days at the start of the course so if anyone is just starting out or if anyone just wants to ask any questions or anything feel free to email me or add me on msn. Mike_S_10@hotmail.co.uk

Anyway, hope this has been helpful to all of you that have to slog this course out, but trust me its well worth it and you wont regret it once its done its business. Stay positive X

(O ye goin to try n put some photos up of before n after, hopefully it’l work)

Wont let me put photos up. Anyone know how to do it??

Hi guys..

So Im almost on week 12 which means Im halfway through my course..YAY!..but on the downside there is still no sign of improvement:(..Im still on 25mg and even though my lips and skin on my body has dried out my skin on my face hasnt really dried out that much.I still have a lot of big blackheads appearing as well as a new giant spot every day as well as that they take about a full week to go away and leave a big red mark or scar!Im back at the dermatoligist in about a week so hopefully she will increase my dose which might help a bit.My mood has been fine the past week so thats a good thing also.My aunt had been on the tablets last year and her skin is still perfect so I just look at her and think that mine will hopefully be that good in another 3 months!!

Talk soon

xx

Today I took my last pill of roaccutane….after 6 months of being on it, I’m finnally done. I’m so excited and happy about the results, my face looks really clean and spot less!! I hope this lasts forever and I don’t have to deal with acne ever again. I feel more confident about myself…I can go anywhere without makeup on and feel good!!  I haven’t done that since I was like 14.

My derm says I look great and prescribed a topical medication to use from now on in the evenings. He said I could drink alcohol as of now!! Can you believe it?? I’m still going to take it easy, I’m not a heavy drinker but I definitely can’t wait to have a margarita this weekend! 

I will try to upload pics later on and I will keep you posted on how everything is going….hopefully still clear without any drugs!! Good luck to everyone and stay strong….I believe in this.

Cristina

I haven’t posted for a while but I think that I am now around week 18/19… I went back to the derm at week 16 and he raised my dose from 25mg to 30mg. I was really really pleased because I didn’t think that 20mg or 25mg were doing me any favours whatsoever. I just kept thinking, “I am paying all this money, I still have spots and I feel dreadful - what is the point?”

Well, I do think the raised dose is having a positive effect, I am still getting spots but they are fewer and more far between. They do also dry up quite quickly. I reckon I will be on for 6 months minimum - has anyone been on for longer than 6 months?

My side effects include: dry skin, dry lips, painfully dry interior of the nose, the occasional achey muscles (I have not made it down the gym for months, they must love me down there, I pay them for nothing)!

On a more embarrassing note, I have another very awkward possible side effect. I DO THINK that I read somewhere that this was possible, but I looked back at the product information sheet and I have scrawled the pages on this site, alas I have found nothing about it. So - here goes - my trusted fellow roaccutane pill poppers, I have a question for you: has anyone noticed an itchy bottom???? There, I have blurted out the most awkward and embarrassing thing I could and please, sensible responses only, I have turned a tomato red colour I cannot tell you!