Posts by Sarah Murphy8

So, I’m wondering about getting blood work done... honestly, they haven't even bothered to bug me about it yet. But everything seems fine—I had surgery about two or three weeks ago, and if anything were actually wrong, I’m pretty sure they would have noticed by now.
I was just down at the beach, catching a little sun (you gotta pay for it after all, right $6.75!), and nothing happened. Not even a hint of redness, just a slight tan...
I went back and re-read the Accutane instructions again: apparently, the heavy complications usually kick in when you're taking higher doses than your body can handle. They suggest around 0.5mg/kg, and since I'm on 30mg a day at my weight of 47kg, it feels totally manageable. Even my dry lips aren't a huge deal anymore; I just slather them with some local balm or aloe vera before bed and call it a night...
Can someone please explain this to me: the manual says you shouldn't be out in the sun, but then it says UV therapy is okay...

I’m not even checking my cholesterol or triglycerides right now, but I am seeing my dermatologist every two weeks for check-ups.
I actually just went in today, and she prescribed me more Yasmin and Accutane. She mentioned she’s going to scale back my dosage now that it's summer, and she's being super strict about me using that Avene lightweight SPF 60 gel during the day—especially since it's summer... again, I'm telling you, I don't have any nasty side effects at all. And honestly, I'm a pretty sensitive person. My body has been through the wringer with surgeries my whole life; I've already had two just this year, which totally drains you. The only thing I really deal with is my lips getting insanely dry, and that's it. This stuff isn't for everyone, but I'd recommend Accutane because it worked fine for me. I think I'm in a good position to give my two cents, so please... for crying out loud, people on this forum post such nonsense anyway, so if you want to believe the garbage, go ahead, whatever. It's not like I'm forcing the pills down your throat.

Look, I seriously didn't mean any harm by recommending Accutane. Just because I've been through it myself doesn't mean I can't share what worked for me. And here we go again with the Yasmin talk—good grief. Some people love it, some hate it, but why do we have to start a witch hunt just because it doesn't work for everyone? Personally, both have helped my life out. Am I supposed to toss them aside just because my friend, my neighbor, or some random person on this forum thinks they suck? And then fight about it too? No chance.

Bradley Ramirez5, if you want to try it, go for it. If you do, just see how your own body reacts to the meds and leave it at that. You’ve got a brain; use it to make your own calls.

Linda Peterson, you're sweet and I really appreciate the kind words, but you can't really act like that either... being thrown under the bus like this is getting old. Life isn't just black and white; there's plenty of gray area.

Ashley Flores, where on earth are you getting burns in February from? Aren't people still wearing gloves then? Btw, yeah, you totally could've made a quick buck off those pills, haha...
btw, yeah, you can get Accutane without a standard prescription, but you have to bring your medical history, and then all your info gets logged under the dermatologist. That's the only way to buy it.

In my case, genetics were the main culprit behind my skin issues. I take after my dad—oily skin, huge pores & stuff, plus stress.

btw, Bradley Ramirez5...
It doesn't cost you anything, really. You just head to your primary care doctor and ask for a referral to a dermatologist. It didn't cost me much money (not getting into the weeds there), just a massive, massive amount of time spent waiting around. Good luck!
Before I started Accutane, I went through three different types of antibiotics. Then they sent me for blood and urine tests. They wanted to run some hormone panels too, but I just ran out of time. That was pretty much it.

Linda Peterson, I’m with you on this...
This stuff isn't meant for long-term use; they say you top out at 8 months (maybe 4 minimum, then take a break and restart if needed). Honestly, it's not even that big of a deal. We need to stop being so dramatic. If everyone on this forum actually followed their own advice, I probably would've kicked the bucket from Yasmin ages ago. You guys totally spooked me with all those warnings and horror stories, but when life happened and I had to start taking it, I didn't have any bad side effects at all. In fact... nothing! And I've been on it for 3 months now.
And yeah, you can't donate blood for two weeks after finishing Accutane. It's not like your blood composition changes drastically or anything; it's just because there's a risk a pregnant woman might get it, and we already established it causes birth defects.
Also, you have to avoid getting pregnant for a month after.
The reason I brought up creams and lotions is because I was stuck on that kind of therapy for years, and only when things got worse did I finally move on to antibiotics and eventually Accutane.
Anyway, those abscesses have an endgame: after an incision that was—by the way—totally botched (done at some crappy local clinic), I ended up with these weird scars that barely healed. I actually had to go to a private surgical center to get them cut out. Currently sitting here on sick leave because of it.

I’ve been using Granuflex patches for a while now. I get them regularly via prescription, but the only headache is waiting about ten days for Medicare to greenlight everything. It’s not some crazy complicated process or anything. Basically, your specialist—in my case, a dermatologist—notes in your medical history that you need these specific patches. Then you take that to your primary care doctor, they give you the paperwork, you take it to Medicare, and then you just sit around waiting...
By the way, I usually just pick them up at a CVS, I think they're made by Convatec. They run about $30 for a pack of 6x6 bordered ones. But honestly, Convatec is cool enough that they’ll actually let you grab the patches once you hand over the request, and then you just bring them the official paperwork once Medicare finally approves it. As far as I know, Medicare usually covers 10 patches a month, and there are 5 in a pack.

hey there, bradley ramirez5...
so, here's the deal:
I went to see a dermatologist at my local community clinic. If you're dealing with acne, I know they usually start you off with topical stuff—like Clindamycin or creams like Skinoren. Btw, ever since that Normaderm line hit the shelves, I saw girls on the forums raving about how amazing it was, so I tried it immediately. Honestly? Can't say it did much for me. But then again, most creams don't work anyway...
The real move is that after the spot treatments fail, they put you on antibiotics. And if those don't cut it, then Accutane is the answer. Mind you, if you're good at playing the "please help me" eyes, I bet you can get Accutane sooner. You can even grab it with just your medical history from the pharmacy if you don't want to wait, but apparently, that'll run you about $60 boxes worth of cash. At least that's what I was told.

Personally, I think you should handle all your skin issues with a dermatologist first. FYI, even getting a professional facial at their office is way cheaper than some boutique spa.

You have to be on Accutane for at least four months. Usually, during the first month, things actually get worse, which is basically just a sign that it’s starting to kick in. I didn't really deal with that breakout phase because I had been on antibiotics for a while right before.

Basically, in a pretty short amount of time, your skin goes from being an absolute grease trap to being super dry. You'll need to switch to heavier moisturizers, and you'll definitely deal with some serious flaking at first. I used to wake up looking like I had a Santa Claus beard because the skin around my mouth was peeling so bad. It passes, though.
And you can't go tanning while you're on it. Probably because your skin is already so dry and you shouldn't dehydrate it further, but look, I tried it once and nothing terrible happened.
With Accutane, you take it a number of times a day equal to your weight in kilograms—just remember the ratio later. And make sure you take it strictly after a meal or with some milk.
Also, women absolutely cannot get pregnant while taking this stuff because it causes birth defects. You have to sign a waiver saying you'll be careful, and you're supposed to start on oral contraceptives before you even begin the Accutane.

Got more questions?

so...
as far back as I can remember, my skin and hair have always been incredibly oily. It all hit a breaking point when I started getting these massive abscesses on my right cheek—one was literally 5cm wide!—that actually had to be surgically drained. Basically, my acne was pretty extreme. Nothing worked. Not a single cream recommended by doctors or even people on random forums 🙂 , and antibiotics were useless too. I read later that most of those creams don't even touch serious cases; they’re only good for mild breakouts. Total waste of money...

Then, they finally put me on Accutane (which is basically a Vitamin A derivative), and honestly, after being on it for maybe a month and a half, my skin has changed so much I just had to share this with you guys! My face is totally clear now—I'd go as far as saying it's flawless. My skin and hair are super dry now, too... which is a huge deal because until recently, I had to wash my hair every single day. Now? I only wash it every four days.
There's more to the story, but I'll dive into the details if you guys want to hear it.
later,

Sarah Murphy8

Can I ask velvetwolf92 why you actually went with Aromar?
I was looking into massage schools for aromatherapy a while back, and honestly, Aromavita seemed way more serious and rigorous—like, much more professional. Plus, it looks like you get automatic membership into the 'International Society for Professional Aromatherapists' right after you finish. Most of these schools are basically cut from the same cloth, but
So, just out of curiosity for my own future planning, what was it about Aromar that actually caught your eye?

watched...

nothing special...it was watchable, sure, but predictable, logical, and just your typical TV movie. You know the drill: ambitious girl wants something more than her small-town surroundings, hits some obstacles, overcomes them, throws in a romance, and boom—happy ending.

honestly, I felt bad about wasting my money on the rental. There are so many, so many better movies out there.