Sotret blog (accutane) - treatment journal

1 year, 5 months after my Sotret treatment

2011-10-08T14:46:00.000-07:00

1 year and 5 months have passed since I was done with my treatment. My skin looks good, I have not had my usual acne problems again. I get a pimple every now and then, but I am totally okay with it.

Anyway, as side effects, I still have back pains and sometimes I feel that my bones are not that strong as they should be. So I guess the high amount of pills I took for my acne to disappear affected my bones.

To conclude, I must say that I am very happy I went for this Sotret treatment. If any of you has any kind of questions, please send them through via comment or email.

Have a nice sotret treatment! :)

11 months on Accutane

2010-01-23T05:43:00.000-08:00

Hello again!

On 20th Feb I will have finished 1 year of treatment. I know it's quite a lot, but at the moment I am on a low dose. I take 2 pills of 10mg Accutane per week. My skin has no problems at all, I have no pimples and my lips are better. However, the skin is producing a little more sebum as when I was on a higher dose (which is normal).

Although the doctor told me it is possible to finish the treatment before Christmas, she said it is better this way, to make sure the acne will not come back.

I am very curious if my skin will remain the same after finishing the treatment.

8 months on accutane (sotret) - doctor visit

2009-10-17T02:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to see my doctor. As I expected, she lowered my accutane dosage to 10mg per day. Also, she told me that I will finish the treatment before Christmas. I am happy with the results so far. Moreover, I have no new pimples and my lips are way better than before. I don't even use the lipstick anymore.

I will keep updating this sotret blog.

7th month on accutane (sotret) doctor visit

2009-09-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

I recently visited my dermatologist. She said to continue taking 15mg of Accutane and to come see her at the end of September. Although I was sure she will reduce the amount, she told me I will have to wait.

I still have a clean face.

Offering some answers

2009-09-03T14:33:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be nice to answer to some questions people typed in Google before getting to my isotretinoin blog.

How to reduce lip drying due to sotret - it is perfectly normal for lips to dry when on isotretinoin treatment. This is the most disturbing side effect: skin drying; the lips feel the most uncomfortable. The best thing you can do to reduce the lip drying is to drink a lot of water and keep yourself hydrated. I also had a post about the products I use while on treatment. Nivea lip care is my choice for moisturizing the lips. It works fine and it doesn't cost much

Do you always breakout on accutane - no, not necessarily always. You might expect some breakouts during the treatment, but not always. The IB (initial breakout) is the worst and occurs during the beginning of the treatment. For instance, I have been experiencing breakouts (some of them were mild, others were aggresive) until my 5th month of treatment. It took 5 months for me to see improvements. So if you are experiencing any breakouts, just stay calm, your skin will also improve.

~190 days on Sotret / Accutane

2009-09-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

On September 20th I will have finished my 7th month on Sotret and Accutane. Although I don't think I will stop taking the pills, I will continue with a low dose.

I recently had a pimple near the right side of my nose, but not anymore. I've started taking 2 x Accutane 10mg per day for 2 weeks because of it, but now my face is clean. Next week I will visit my dermatologist and if I won't have any new breakout, I am sure I will start decreasing the dose again.

I haven't had any side effects lately and I am feeling quite good. Until now, I have been taking around 65 mg of sotret / accutane per kg (my weight is 65 kg).

~165 days with sotret / accutane

2009-08-05T18:16:00.000-07:00

So I have around 165 days with Sotret / accutane and I haven't had any new breakouts lately. I had my latest 2 pimples 2 weeks ago and now my face is clean (except the scars).

I even went to the beach, I got a little sunburnt, but nothing serious. However, I don't recommend it while on treatment, as you may experience side effects.

I went to the dermatologist last week and since August 1st I lowered the dose to Accutane 15 mg per day.

Keep following this thread to find out how is it going for me!

Starting my 6th month with Accutane (Sotret)

2009-07-18T07:14:00.000-07:00

Haven't posted anything lately because the situation is the same as the one in my last post. Finally, I can see some improvements! My 6th month will start in 2-3 days.

Since the 1st of July I have been taking 20mg Accutane per day (I switched to roaccutane from sotret, as the last one is not being produced anymore). I haven't experienced any new side effects because of the switching, but I do have a cyst on my left cheek and a pimple on the right one. However, I can say that they started to cure. So I am very happy at the moment.

Since I switched to 20mg from 30mg per day, my fingers stopped peeling and my lips feel better.

In the end of the post, I just want to repeat: don't panic if you can't notice improvements in the first treatment months. As you could see in my case, the treatment took 5 months to notice improvements. Moreover, I heard that there are people who notice them even later. So keep your faith!

PS: you can ask questions or anthing in the comment section or sending an email (you can find it in the sidebar)

5th Sotret (accutane) month

2009-06-25T15:26:00.000-07:00

So on June 20th I started my 5th month on the isotretinoin treatment. I have talked to my dermatologist and she said to keep taking Sotret 30mg per day until July 1st. Then I will lower the dosage to 20mg. And after finishing my Sotret medication, I will start taking Accutane (as you may already know, sotret is not made anymore).

The best part: my skin has improved! Still have the scars, but just a pimple per week (and getting away after a couple of days) is excellent at the moment! I hope I won't have any new breakouts. So the results worth waiting for 5 months (at least in my case).

I haven't noticed any new side effects, except that my fingers started peeling because of the dehydratation. Not a big deal, though.

110th day with accutane (sotret)

2009-06-10T08:53:00.000-07:00

So basically, in 10 days I will have completed the 4th month on the accutane / sotret treatment. I haven't noticed any new side effects beside the ones already mentioned here and I haven't had new nose bleeds.

My face has been cleaner than before for the last 2 weeks (and I'm proud of it) but a few days ago a new pimple appeared on my left cheek. I hope I will get rid of it soon and my face starts cleaning, as I am already on my 4th month.

For the record, on June 8th I saw my doctor and she told me to continue on the same dosage: isotretinoin 30mg/day and to meet her again on June 20th.

By the way, she confirmed that sotret is not made anymore and said that I will get Accutane after finishing my sotret pills.

Sotret (accutane) nose bleeding

2009-06-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

The previous week I noticed another Sotret side effect. For 3 days, I've been having daily nose bleedings. The first two days it happened in the morning, while for the 3rd time, it happened in the afternoon. My nose has never bled before on isotretinoin and I got pretty scared after it happened because I thought it's not normal for me to bleed that often.

The reason why your nose bleeds while on sotret treatment is because it gets very dry (as the pills dry all your skin). If you want to avoid this side effect, make sure you drink a lot of water so that you'll be hydrated. Another way of dealing with it is to have a bowl filled with water in your room. This way the humidity will rise.

However, what I don't suggest you to do is to use vaseline. As long as it's not made for oiling the human nose, why use it?

So if you get this side effect while on treatment, don't panic! It's normal.

Sotret not produced anymore

2009-05-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

Or this is what pharmaceutists told me. I asked for Sotret in more than 10-15 pharmacies in my town and just one of them had 1 pack of Sotret 10mg, while I needed 2 packs of Sotret 20mg. I was told that it can't be found anymore. However, I have hardly got my needed medication through a friend. I don't know how.

Anyway, Accutane can still be found in pharmacies.

ps: maybe you will find this link useful (FDA Takes New Regulatory Action Against Ranbaxy’s Paonta Sahib Plant in India)

Why you should give Sotret (accutane) a try

2009-05-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

note: sotret is the same thing with accutane. The only thing that differs is the brand name. But both of them contain the same substance: isotretinoin, which helps control the acne. So whether I'm using "sotret" or "accutane", I am talking about the same thing.

I am sure everyone thinks deeply before starting a Sotret (or accutane) treatment. And I'm saying that because I did that too. I knew that this new dermatologist was going to prescribe Sotret (as I have a colleague that was on this treatment and visited the same doctor) so I had thought before if I should go for this treatment or not. And I did it.

Well, let me say my opinion about this. First of all, you should think whether you need the sotret/accutane treatment or not. If you have mild acne and you haven't tried anything before, I would suggest you not to jump right into it. Just try to see the reason why you suffer from acne. It may be the hormones, the dirty skin etc. And of course, visit a doctor. If everything seems to be fine but you can't get rid of that acne, then ask your dermatologist if he is ok with you following sotret treatment.

But to stick to the treatment you have to be motivated. Of course, while some people are motivated by their extremely bad acne, others still try to inform as much as possible about the treatment. Before starting out, read the sotret side effects (see my 2nd months side effects here). The first side effect you will notice is the dry skin and lips (I wrote about it here). Keep in mind that your skin will peel and it will not look that good in the first months. I accepted this challenge because my acne looks damn crappy anyway. So why would that side effect bother me, while the pills may cure my acne? The other side effects you may notice are: back aches/joint pain, lack of concentration (I notice both of them), bleeding nose etc. Not to forget the fact that you may experience breakouts (during the entire course, periodically, rarely or never, depending on your luck). Also, you should take regular blood tests (1 test per month/a month and a half would do), to make sure the liver is not affected by the sotret treatment. And if you notice some weird or bad side effects, let your doctor know.

Now that you are aware of all the sotret side effects and you know for how much time you will take the pills (some people do it for 5 months, others for 8 etc), maybe you should start the treatment. By the way, don't even think about following the sotret treatment without seeing a doctor.

And to mention what motivated me: there are lots of chances to get rid of the acne. I know I'll have cracked lips and skin for months, I know I can breakout so I may look worse than ever. But who wouldn't prefer this for a couple of months than having acne for a long period of time?

I will decrease the daily Sotret (accutane) amount

2009-05-14T11:53:00.000-07:00

Today I went to my dermatologist and she told me to keep taking 40mg daily until May 20th. After that I will take 30mg/day.

My left cheek cyst is still there, but it's quite smaller.

I have been on Sotret for 83 days now. It's not going very good at the moment, but I hope better days will come.

Another doctor visit

2009-05-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

This one didn't go well, actually. She didn't decrease the Sotret amount as I hoped, but she asked me to visit her again next week. The reason is obvious, I still have a big cyst on my left cheek (by the way, I have always had more problems with my left side, while the right side was cleaner) and another one near my mouth is trying to get to the surface. Bastard.

So I guess this is another breakout, I'm quite upset now. However, I know this is normal while on isotretinoin so I am still optimistic. I have been on Sotret for 76 days now (which means 2 months and a half), I hope things will work out.

Heads up!

70 days of Sotret (accutane)

2009-05-01T04:02:00.000-07:00

70 days passed since I started the isotretinoin treatment. I'm very happy that I started noticing some results (after finishing my 2nd month I wasn't that sure). I still have 2-3 whiteheads on my chin, but that's so not a problem. My face is cleaner than before. Obviously, my old scars are still there, but there are more days to come. I hope that sotret will work well for me.

Oh, and I should mention that after spending some time in the sun, I think my skin turns red (not that bad, though). I don't feel itchiness or anthing, but I can see the colour. And it doesn't last long.

Next week I will see my dermatologist again in order to reduce the medication amount (at the moment I'm taking 2 x Sotret 20mg per day).

Skin dryness

2009-04-28T07:51:00.000-07:00

Once you start taking isotretinoin (sotret, roaccutane or any other brand), you'll notice that your skin will dry. That's because one of this medicine's effects are on the sebaceous glands. In my case, as I used to have an extremely oily face (3 hours after washing, my face was already shining, haha), it took 3 or 4 days after starting the treatment to notice the sebum reduction. 4 weeks after, my skin started exfoliating and my lips cracking. It's normal to happen like this and I knew about it before deciding to go for these pills.

Anyway, I will post what my dermatologist recommended for dryness:

first of all, a baby soap. At the moment I use Nivea Baby, it works fine.
when washing your face, use lukewarm water (not cold, not warm).
your lips may get on your nerves, so always have a lip balm in your pocket. I use Nivea Lip Care. Oh, and if you are a male too, get the blue one. Or if you want some colour on your lips, get something else.
in case you feel your eyes dry: Visine - I don't feel the need, so I don't use it.
if you want to apply a moisturizer, my dermatologist told me to use something light. For instance: Hydrance Lejere or Hydracristal fluid termal (from Uriage). - I also don't want to apply anything on my face (I've been using Brevoxyl for more than 2 years, enough with cremes), although my skin is peeling. It's not that bad, though.

As you may see, I don't use the last 2.

So, if any of you uses or recommends anything else, please post a comment.

My 2nd month's on sotret (accutane) doctor visit

2009-04-25T02:16:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in this post, I had to visit my doctor. The important facts:

She prescribed the pills for the next month and said that I am doing better since my last visit (which took place 3 weeks ago). I can't argue with that, she's right :D.
I told her about my recent breakout and she said that it is absolutely normal. It could happen without me taking Sotret, but while on treatment, it will cure faster and better. However, the point is: you shouldn't worry if you notice an erruption while taking the pills (the brand doesn't matter). It is normal.
First, the doctor thought that I am ready to decrease the amount (40mg/day), but she decided me to continue like this for 2 more weeks and to go see her again.
I asked her when do people usually see the effects of this treatment and she responded that it takes up to 4-6 months to see some important results. So be patient! :)
From time to time, you are allowed to drink alcohol, but don't exaggerate. Otherwise, your liver may not feel good. The same thing for fatty food: don't exaggerate!
Avoid sun exposure! For those like me who are on the treatment on this time of year it's kinda difficult, but it's not impossible. Wear caps/hats and avoid walking in sunny areas.

I think these are the most important things I discussed with my doctor. No side effects appeared beside the ones I already mentioned before. Feel free to ask anything and hang around. New posts will come!

The first 2 months on Sotret (accutane)

2009-04-17T04:11:00.000-07:00

In 3 days I will have completed my 2nd month of treatment. However, the results are missing. Anyway, as many of you may know, this medication reacts differently from person to person. For some people 1 or 2 months are necessary, while for others it may even take 4 months. Moreover, I have recently had an outbreak but now it's gone. But taking into account the fact that I've been having bad acne for 3 years, why panic? I'm sure the medication will have good results.

Oh, not to forget. At the beginning I started with 30mg of Sotret daily. For 1 month, I've been taking 2 x Sotret 20mg. The next week I will see the doctor.

Regarding the Sotret side effects, I must say that it's not that bad in my case. It's true, my skin and lips are very dry and from time to time, I feel some slightly back aches (lasting a couple of seconds). But these are regular effects which you are aware of before starting taking the pills. Oh, and I haven't noticed any kind of depression.

If necessary, I will come back with more details after I will visit the doctor. Nevertheless, keep visiting this blog to find out how the treatment is going and to see my complete sotret review.

Hello everyone!

2009-04-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! First of all, I want to say that I started this blog to help all of you suffering from acne. I'm doing it because, well, I have been suffering from it for over 3 years now. After the first year I went to a doctor and I kept visiting him for more than 2 years. Beside the fact that I followed minocycline treatment 2 times (first time I got nice results, but not for a long time; the 2nd time I didn't see any result), I didn't do anything. I've just been visiting the doctor once a month to clear my face. Exactly, by squeezing the pimples. So after a time I thought that it's time to see another doctor.

Well, so this is how I started the Sotret treatment (it happened on February 20th). First, the doctor prescribed Roaccutane, but when I found out its price, I asked for Sotret, as my insurance covers only its costs. I'm in the 2nd month of treatment now, but I'll explain the details in another post. If you have a question, don't hesitate. Everyone is free to add a comment and I will try to help.

PS: Take into account that I'm not paid to write on this blog. I am doing it to keep a journal of my treatment and also to help other people planning to follow the Sotret treatment. So keep reading!