Pimple and Cyst- mid month 5

Why am I still getting stuff???!!!!

I got one pimple/blackhead thing on my temple today. One pimple on my scalp yesterday. And a small cyst is living in my cheek for the past few days.

Why is this happening on the accutane?

Was it the pizza from this weekend? Why am I so stuck on this dairy and acne relationship?

On the plus side most of my bad side effects are gone. I don't feel 100% physically, but I am feeling so much better!

No Whey! No Milk!

So I bought 4 different almond milks and 1 hazelnut milk today. (I can not eat too much soy because of its relationship to my migraines (soy become MSG when processed)) I will be performing taste tests and reporting on the different tastes of the 5 nut milks here. However, nut milks have only 1 gram of protein per cup, compared to the 8 grams of protein per cup of skim milk. This prompted me to do more research about weather or not I could maintain my protein intake by using a whey supplement? Well in short, No Whey!

This is the most prolific article I've found about the dairy acne relationship. It covers both the growth hormones that are NATURALLY occurring in pregnant and lactating cows (this is not an issue of the growth hormones injected into cows, its in all milk, made worse by artificial growth hormones), but it also suggests that the protein whey contributes to the acne as well.

So my protein options continue to narrow. I have until now lived happily as an omnivore that consumes little meat. But my vegetarian sources of protein are now left to beans and wheat gluten. I'm afraid to read about them....

Skim Milk vs. Acne

Yikes! I drink skim milk everyday, and after reading some posts on acne.org about the link between dairy and acne, I did my own search and came across this post on Dr. Weil's site which I respect.

Does anyone know where to get calcium fortified almond milk? I am quiting my daily skim intake, completely. Maybe this is why I've suffered so long. Maybe this is why the accutane isn't working as well as it should.

I just LOVE milk and will miss it so much.

Frustrated- beginning of 4th month

This weekend I had some emotional break downs. I succumbed to feeling ok and getting lazy with action.

For a while I was feeling optimistic with only 2 months to go, past the 1/2 way mark! But this weekend I was like, "How can I do this for another 2 months?"

I'm tired of being tired. I'm tired of condoms. I'm tired of my skin hurting, and not wanting to shower. And why am I having pimples now, when I didn't earlier in the treatment.

Don't call it a come back! (please) end of month 3

In the past two weeks I've been getting some pimples, one cyst, and it seems like the blackheads are budding. Whats going on?! Are they figuring out how to survive in this harsh accutane tundra, or is this the last of the stuff hiding deep below?

I have been feeling somewhat better in the past couple weeks too. Not like I am going to ride my bike to work, like I so desperately want, but not like I feel like I'm falling apart. Maybe I had an actual cold before.

3rd Blood Test, Injection and Sunblock

My third blood sample was taken without incident, lets hope it doesn't get lost between the office and the lab!

Julia (the physician's aide who supervises my treatment) is really nice. She saw the big pimple on my cheek and was like "Oh, do you want me to inject that?" and I'm like, "Inject it? With what?" She says, "I'll inject it and it will be gone by tomorrow!" And of course I'm like "Yeah!"

I get these dark patches on my skin, symmetrically sorta down from my near the inner corner of my eyes, and expanding outward onto my cheeks. It looks kinda weird, like symmetrical dirt or like a cat, but it is also on my forehead. I am not sure if it is skin damage from the acne or hormonal stuff like "the mask of pregnancy" that it resembles. It shows up from sun exposure.

I can treat it with bleaching cream, but haven't been since starting the accutane, but Julia said I totally can!

She also told me that the Neutrogena Helioplex stuff is not strong enough, and that I need something with zinc oxide in it. She gave me several samples, and I will look for make up with sunscreen that has zinc oxide it as well.

3rd Blood Test Today

Today I go for my third blood test. Hopefully there are no mix ups or screwups this time, I only have 3 days of medicine left.

My body aches have reduced significantly after taking the naproxen sodium twice a day for several days. I am not taking it now, but I will again, if I need to. It seems to sorta "build up" after taking it for several days.

I have one big red pimple/cycst on my cheek, and its been there for about a week. And a crack is forming in the corner of my mouth no matter how much I put Aquaphor on it.

Look for the texts from my phone and the ipledge/pharmacy circus tomorrow.

Joint Pain, Acne, and Cuts: 1 1/2 months

Today I felt like and old woman. I feel this is probably what arthritis feels like. I feel like my bones are grinding together. This joint pain is a recognized side effect so I looked on line to see if I could find any recommended relief. I am shy to take any pain relievers because I really don't want to tax my liver anymore.

I found a helpful question and answer site covering this topic at MedHelp.org. Unfortunately it costs $19 to ask a question, but the posted questions and answers are helpful.

I also found this wikihealth site over all very helpful. It lays out typical side effects and experiences by month of treatment. I will add this to my links column.

The last entry in this forum recommends Glucosamine Sulphate which is used by arthritic people. Go figure. I will call my doctor or pharmacist to find out if its ok to take.

This forum recommends more water! That sounds like a good idea too. I try to drink as much as I can, but sometimes I forget, and sometimes I don't want to have to pee all the time.

At 1/2 way through my second month my skin looks better, but the pimples are still putting up a fight. I've had a few small cysts break through this week.

Also cuts are happening more easily and taking longer to heal. I've had some mystery cuts on my face. Did I do that when I was sleeping?

day 24, month 1

Tomorrow its off to the doctor's for a blood test.

Make sure I'm still not pregnant.
Make sure my liver works.

My skin has been very poor, blotchy, blackheady, yucky. I hope they will consider giving me a higher dose.

I hope I don't regret that.

Day 22, Month 1

My skin on my nose and around it is peeling, but there are tons of really nasty blackheads there too. I hope the peeling starts to peel out those blackheads.

Right after my last post, I got three big cysts, one is still clearing up.

But other then that, the dryness, even in the desert was manageable.

Day 9, Month 1

I still don't have any side effects. And of course I hope that I never get a depression side effect, but I did associate the expected dryness with the medicine working. I am breaking out a little, and taking that as a good sign, but if I don't get other side effects, like dryness by the time this month is over, I will ask the doctor for the higher dose of 40mg twice a day. I'm not doing all this birth control stuff and not drinking, to get anything less then the best results possible.

Although, I have had a couple glasses of wine over the holidays, but very little.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow, I will begin the accutane acquisition. Last week on Thursday I had my blood drawn to confirm that I am still not pregnant, and that my liver works, and I could have gotten my prescription on Friday, but the ipledge program would not let the doctor prescribe it to me until the 15th. Why? I am not really sure.

So tomorrow I will wake up, meditate, and begin my calls. First I will call the wonderful nurse Georgia, who as soon she can, will log onto the ipledge website for the doctor and indicate that I am not pregnant, that my liver works, and that I am using an IUD and condoms. She will then call Walgreens and place my prescription. I then have to log onto the ipledge website and take a quiz about, I'm sure, mostly birth control. My answers concerning what I am using must match what the doctor said I am using, other wise I fail. And failing this process can mean I am locked out from getting accutane for 30 days! So no pressure. Then I will walk to Walgreens to pick up my prescription, and hopefully there will be no problems with my insurance coverage.

On a positive note. I will only have to this 5 times, once a month for five months.

Starting Monday

I will start taking Accutane on Monday.

But the challenges began a month ago when I had to join the FDA mandated ipledge program, in which I pledge not to get pregnant. Accutane causes serious birth defects. So being a woman of child bearing capabilities I must pledge to use TWO forms of birth control, for one month before I even begin accutane, meaning one hormonal and one barrier. I've been married to my lovely husband Michael for almost four years, and using a condom has been challenging for both of us. Hopefully it will result in more creativity and humor, but currently it feels frustrating. What is additionally frustrating is that even though I was given a book to read on how to use and choose two forms of birth control, it did not truly inform me of any drug interaction between accutane and hormonal contraception. I feel like this program is a scare tactic, when I would prefer being informed.

Accutane also threatens its users with depression, of which I am no stranger. After practicing sitting meditation for nearly three years, I have felt confident of my abilities to thwart off depression with great ease. This confidence resulted in me not meditating everyday, which has resulted in a resurgence of impatience, irritability, and anger. In preparation for this treatment, I have once again been meditating everyday, and I am meeting regularly with my meditation instructor at The Shambhala Mediation Center. I will use the discipline of meditation to keep a watchful eye on my mood.

So before the accutance has even started, I feel as though I am in a battle and I am preparing for more. What I took as good news from my doctor is that all of the bad symptoms will happen in the first month. So I feel like if I can handle the first month, I will be able to handle all five!

Accutane works in many ways, and while I'm on it my skin, nose, eyes, everything will be very dry. I have started collecting a kit of lubrications, but I should be more prepared. I should have travel and domestic versions of all the moisturizers I'll need.

At my last appointment, where they took my blood, my doctor greeted me by asking if I was ready to have acne free skin? She said I shouldn't do anything to my skin that wouldn't be done to a new born baby. I am getting new skin! For so many years, I though my acne would clear up. I thought I am too old to have this, so it will go away. I thought and heard from others that it wasn't that bad, but it was. It was really bad. Last year when I started on antibiotics and my skin became clear, I could tell people treated me differently, even Michael. And now, if this is successful, I will have clear skin. Not for the five months of treatment, but for all time after.