Good Skin
The skin on my back is really looking pretty good at the moment. I wore a backless dress a couple of days ago and actually felt pretty confident! It’s a good feeling.
My only spotty problem at the moment is a big nasty one on my chin, though it’s healing now. Other than that, my skin looks really good! Yay!
Dose Up
I had my three month appointment. After a month with no migraines and increased spottiness, my dose has been gently nudged up to 30mg from 20mg. So far I started at 30mg, doubled to 60mg, dropped to 20mg and have crept back up to 30mg!
I have to have more fasting blood tests done before my next appointment, so fingers crossed the nurse doesn’t have problems like last time! I’ve never felt like such a pin cushion.
Otherwise in terms of side effects, things aren’t too bad. My skin is less dry than it was on 60mg but drier than it would usually be, lips are dry but not peeling off. The most noticeable problem right now is the fact that I’m waddling a little because I have such bad stiffness in my upper legs and bottom!
Another Appointment Approaches
My next appointment is on Tuesday. I’m hoping they might up my dose again because 20mg, while reducing side effects (and I haven’t had a migraine this month) is definitely proving much less effective. I don’t know if it’ll be possible though, so fingers crossed.
Getting Worse
Since the reduction of my dose from 60mg to 20mg due to migraines, the skin on my back has gotten noticeably worse again. Several painful nodules have decided to crop up. Rubbish. I hope they increase the dose again the next time I´m at the hospital in about ten days.
Grumble
Since reducing my dose to 20mg, my back seems to have gotten spottier again, which is a shame.
Other than that, everything is pretty much the same – lips are still dry, but not peeling off to the same extent… oh, and I’ve developed scales instead of skin on my shoulders!
20mg A Day
Well, I’ve been on 20mg a day for over a week now, after being on 60mg a day for a month. The reduction in side effects is noticeable. My lips are still dry, but they’re not peeling off any more. My face is much better and the joint stiffness is much reduced.
I haven’t had another migraine as of yet (hurrah), but it does feel like the rate of improvement of my skin has significantly dropped. I’ve had quite a lot of headaches, but mild and dull sort of ones. I’ve also noticed that for the past few days the tip of my nose has been quite tingly, as if it’s going a bit numb, though that doesn’t seem to be the case as I write.
Reduced Dose
I had my first appointment since doubling my dose of isotretinoin today. While the nurse agreed that my back is looking pretty good, when I mentioned my increased migraines she went to ask a doctor what he thought and my dose has been cut by two thirds to 20mg. This means that progress is going to be slower, unfortunately, but along with taking half a 75mg aspirin everyday until a couple of weeks after I stop treatment, the hope is that it should help to stop me getting extra migraines. Fingers crossed.
Migraines
I had my second migraine since starting on roaccutane last night. I have had migraines before, but never this close together, so I think I’d better mention it at my appointment today!
Two Months
I have my next appointment tomorrow. My second since starting on roaccutane, my first since starting on the doubled dose.
And what will I be reporting? Increased dry skin, very dry lips and stiffness in my legs and shoulders… and a massive level of improvement in my skin.
My back looks SO much better already. I’m delighted. My lips might be falling off in chunks and my skin might flake off when I touch it, but it’s temporary and my back is looking relatively spot free! Hurrah!
Cuticles
Another week before I go back to the hospital again.
Yesterday my lips continued to peel off in big clumpy white pieces. The skin around my chin is particularly dry.
I also noticed that quite a bit of dry skin is peeling off on my elbows, and, curiously, that my cuticles seem to have disappeared!!
