Starting Accutane - 19 Y/o. Thousand Oaks, CA

I am starting accutane in 3 days and I feel alone and scared. After trying (and failing) to express my fears to family and friends (none of which have dealt with severe acne), I decided maybe this would be a good place to go to talk about my journey. I have been suffering from moderate-severe acne for 6 years. I have tried everything from prescription meds to changing my diet and exercising, none of which have cured my acne. At this point I feel totally defeated by my bad skin.

I started getting acne at 13. I don't remember much from that time except feeling completely and utterly lost. Suddenly my face was bright red all of the time (I didn't know how to take care of sensitive skin) and I had pimples and blackheads all over. When I was 15 I started taking an oral pill (I can't remember the name) and tazorac. Within a few months my skin cleared up completely and I had no redness, but after just over a year, it suddenly stopped working. I felt hopeless at that point. Fast forward a few years of trying to accept my fate and learning to apply heavy makeup, I started taking birth control for my cramps. It took a while, but it cleared up my skin pretty well. I still had breakouts but for the most part I had clear skin. Then, just over a year later, it stopped working and I had the worst breakout I'd had in years. I was devastated! At that point I started trying alternatives. A few months ago I started working out and trying different diets (gluten free, sugar free, fat free) but saw no results. I realized at this point that I either had to suffer with terrible skin for who knows how long, or try something drastic. And here I am!

I am very worried about many of the side effects I have read about, but reading the success stories is the only thing that keeps me motivated. I am getting my blood drawn tomorrow and I am starting Wednesday. I am so tired of dealing with oily, red skin and all of this horrible acne! It makes me feel so insecure and keeps me from enjoying so much in life. I am ready to get rid of it and finally be able to feel normal and beautiful! I will keep you guys updated on my journey. Hopefully at the end of all of this I can help motivate other people out there with my story. Wish me luck!

So initially I was worried about all the terrible side effects I had read about online, but week 1 has gone surprisingly smooth. I was debating whether or not I should actually update because I have had zero side effects. Yes, ZERO! Then I started worrying that it wasn't working, so I called my doctor and the receptionist (who had been on accutane) said you usually don't see the side effects until around 2-4 months.

I started my period the day I started accutane, so all week I have been super oily and got my normal breakout (which was maybe slightly better than it usually is). The scars on my face seem a little lighter and are a little less noticeable. The first couple of days my lips would get a slight stinging sensation, but that's about it!

I'm really glad I talked to the receptionist because I was under the impression that you broke out and got terribly dry skin on day 1. She said I should see changes in my complexion but won't get the dry skin/lips until about 2 months in, although I may have aches in my muscles/joints sooner. I'm relieved that I don't have to deal with it now, but I'm anticipating the day my lips start getting dry! I will either update at my 1 month mark or when I start seeing new side effects.

Thank everyone for supporting me thus far, hopefully the rest of my journey will be this smooth!

In my last post I forgot to mention that I'm on 20 mg twice a day.
Things are still going pretty smoothly. I kind of just feel like I'm on my period all of the time. I have some gnarly pustules on my forehead and lots of blackheads on my chin. My skin is still pretty oily but SUPER sensitive. This morning I tried putting on some BB cream to cover the scars but after deciding it looked bad, I rubbed it off with a cotton ball and makeup remover and my skin was so red! It went away but now I know I for sure I can't wear any makeup.
I go to the gym regularly so some muscle soreness is normal for me, but now it is a lot more intense and lasts way longer! I tried a new stretch and my neck and shoulders hurt so bad for days!
Also, I now get REALLY intense headaches when I'm strained?! It was AWFUL and it's happened twice so far; once at the gym and once in bed with my boyfriend (such a mood killer!) It starts suddenly and only lasts for about 10-15 mins. It is mainly in the front and top part of my head, but I've never felt anything so bad! I really hope it stops happening. Regular headaches are a little more common too.