Photos of my acne before starting treatment
Well I have been on Accutane a week now. The dermatologist has started me off at 20mg a day for the first 2 weeks. After 2 weeks I have to increase the dose to 40mg a day.
The side effects I have suffered so far (in chronological order) are:
Stomach Problems
The first few days of Accutane saw some terrible effects on my stomach take hold. I mean abdominal pains and having to rush to the toilet. The worst of this peaked at day 5 and by day 7 had improved slightly.
Dry/Cracked Lips
This was one of the first signs of my skin drying up. Even before I noticed the skin on my face begin to peel my lips felt sore and dry. I used Vaseline every 30 mins to try and combat this at first but by day 6/7 it was really starting to get me down. The vaseline wasnt sinking into my lips enough and they just peeled and cracked. I invested in some Blistex Cream (about £2.50 for a teeny tiny tube which will probably last me about a week the rate I am getting through it!). But I have seen much improvement in my lips now and they are more moisturised and smoother.
Dry Skin and Spots
This started around day 4/5 for my face and around day 6 for my scalp. Slowly skin is starting to peel around my chin and upper lip - the spots on the sides of my face look slightly less raised which is good. I have had some unusual spots come up around my ear. The itching on my scalp has become a nightmare as of today and is reaaaaaally itchy - I have been told T-Gel is good for this so I might invest in some of that. I have also been using E45 on some dry patches on my hands.
Eyes
From day 4 my eyes started to itch and become very irritated. I went to the pharmacy for some drops to combat this - I really wanted the Optrex spray that you spray on your eyelids and it sinks through, but the pharmacist said I couldnt have this as it has Vitamin A in it and you're not allowed extra Vitamin A!
SUMMARY
Not a massive improvement in my acne (wasnt to be expected after only a week!) and side effects quite annoying. But overall not as bad as expected.
Hi! I just wanted to wish you luck with your Accutane journey. I've almost finished my course, and I don't regret a moment of it. For the first time in a long time, my skin is actually clear.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes!
Thanks Sarah, it is always good to know someone who has had good results on it. To have clear skin would be fantastic! Thanks for your comment :)
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