The start of the journey

Hi!

I'm Louise, 21 years of age, and just started taking Roaccutane. This blog has been created for anyone who is also taking it, anyone who is considering going on it, or anyone who is just curious about it!

I'm going to provide a regular update of my life on Roaccutane - the symptoms, the skin improvements, the ups, the downs. Before I launch into my first few days, here's some background info.

What is Roaccutane?
Roaccutane is a drug prescribed for severe acne problems - or acne that is in danger of scarring. It is usually viewed as a last resort - if all antibiotics and creams have proved unsuccessful, then it's the next step to battling acne. It's a pretty intense drug, and you can only be prescribed it through a dermatologist.

What does it do?
This part is based on what my dermatologist told me (I asked her about a million questions...).
Roaccutane helps to balance out the levels of oil in your skin. When you have severe acne, the levels of oil are much higher than they should be, and during the course of Roaccutane, it'll be forced lower. By the time the course finishes, it should regulate and settle into a happy, spot-free medium. My dermatologist also said that the oils in the skin produce something similar to a 'bug', so that whenever you touch your face or get any kind of germ on the skin, it'll inflame and a spot will appear.

What are the supposed side effects?
Like any drug, you're warned and warned about the side effects that could occur, but in this instance, there are precautions that have to be taken. The main one they warn about is birth defects that are likely to occur if you got pregnant whilst on Roaccutane. This is why they only prescribe it when you are on a contraceptive pill, although if you are sexually active, it would be best to use two forms just to be safe.
There is also a huge list of possible side effects, from very common to rare. Dry skin, chapped lips, sensitivity to sunlight, the list goes on - but as my blog continues and time rolls on, I'll be able to give you a personal account of the side effects I encounter!

Now a bit about me! Thinking about it, I first got acne around the age of 16, probably when I first started to get hormonal. I ignored it for a while, tried covering it up with makeup, but found that makeup simply aggravated it (although I did continue to wear it for confidence sake). I went to my GP and was initially prescribed Oxytetracycline - the weakest pill for acne. As expected, it didn't do much at all. My GP told me that when I wanted to try something else, to go on a combined pill. I then met my boyfriend (who I have now been with for 5 years), and before long, decided it would be best to go on the pill anyway! I was then prescribed Dianette.

I personally found Dianette quite effective, but you aren't supposed to be on it for longer than 18 months at a time, so once that 18 months was up, I was put onto a regular contraceptive pill, Microgynon, and took nothing for acne (at this point I was 17). For a while, my skin was relatively clear - not red or inflamed, but still always seemed to have at least one spot.

I stayed like this for about 2 years - simply coping and trying to ignore it. At one point I also decided to stop wearing face make-up (I still wore eyeshadow and mascara), to see if it would make a difference and stop aggravating my skin. I still only wear it on occasions.

At the start of 2012, I got a spot on my chest. Nothing too bad, just one of my regular spots. However, it never went away. I realised after 2 months that it had been there for quite a long time, and then decided to stop wearing a necklace as I thought it would be making it worse. By July 2012, I decided enough was enough, and went to my GP. He was pretty annoyed I'd waited so long to do anything about it, as it had become infected, and I went on a course of antibiotics to get rid of it.

May 2012 - clear(ish) face, spot on chest.

It went away, but left bad scarring, and once the course had finished, another one appeared in the same region, and my skin on my face was 10 times worse than it had been before going on antibiotics. So I went back.

I was then put on a course of Erythromycin. It was a long course of around 3 months, and it seemed to clear my skin a bit - to a manageable state. I reached a point where I was unsure whether it was the Erythromycin making my skin clear, or that my body had simply run its course of acne and that was the end (wishful thinking...). At the end of last year, I decided to come off everything - came off Erythromycin and Microgynon and left my body to figure out what the hell was going on.

My skin worsened. A month ago (April 2013), I'd reached my limit, and went back to my GP. He had mentioned going to a dermatologist a couple of times, but this time I thought enough was enough, and I requested to be referred to one. He put me on Erythromycin to clear it up in the meantime, and I was referred.

April 2013 - before last course of antibiotics.

May 2013 - morning of dermatologist appointment.

This brings us almost up to date! I went to the dermatologist (Hove Skin Clinic) on Tuesday this week, and was prescribed Roaccutane. I was expecting it - I'm lucky enough to have two best friends who have both been on it, and they had been raving about it to me for ages. They had, however, told me that I would need a blood test beforehand, and being the complete sissy that I am, I had avoided it due to my fear of needles. However, this all changed recently when my best friend's sister went on Roaccutane, and she never had to have a blood test! So when I was prescribed it, I asked about the blood test situation, and she asked me if I binge drink, which I don't (I barely drink any alcohol), and she said the blood test is only to check your liver, and as you're young and don't drink it's not necessary. So I was pretty happy with that!

Next thing I know, I'm picking up my prescription and knocking back the pills. I'm on 40mg a day (2 pills - around the same size as a Nurofen Express tablet), been prescribed for a 6-month course, and have been taking them for 5 days now. My friend has told me that I won't notice any side effects yet, and I've been driving my family and boyfriend crazy by suspecting every little thing is a side effect! Day 1, I was touching my hands going, "God, they're so dry!" and "I'm struggling to see things in the dark, this is happening so quickly!" (that's another side effect I read in the brochure).

5 days on Roaccutane.

Realistically, now after 5 days, my skin has cleared up quite drastically. I have been warned, however, that it is likely to get worse before it gets better, so I'm expecting a break out! My dermatologist also said "The first month you'll experience the side effects without the benefits", so I'm excited to see the back of this first month already! I've started to experience the dry lips I was warned about. I yawned yesterday and my lip split slightly at the side and I thought, ohhhh it all starts from here! I've been piling on the lip balm, so hopefully it'll keep it at bay for the time being.

So there we have it! The beginning of the journey to clearer skin and a whole new bout of confidence. I have been stocking up on products that my friends have recommended, so when these dry-skin side effects start to kick in, I'll let you know which products I've found useful :)

Louise x