went to the dermatologist today...need some help/advice

[mesco]

ok so about 1-1.5 months ago i finished a simple prop/cyp cycle and i got some acne on my back and chest towards the end of the cycle. this was the first time i ever got acne from a cycle and im assuming it was casue it was a test only cycle, something i never did before.

once the cycle/pct was over it started to get a little worse. i searched on EF and tried a bunch of OTC type things and went tanning and all that shit.

fast forward to like 2-3 weeks ago i saw that ag guys started carrying accutane so i bought a bottle. got the bottle and when i started to really research it before taking it i was kind of alarmed at all the posts about blood tests once a month, chol. levels, etc and decided to not take the accutane on my own and make an appointment with the dermatologist.

well i just got back from the doc and as soon as he looked at my back and chest he told me that i have steroidal acne (acne from gear) and that it was Cystic Acne. i played dumb and wouldnt say that i took juice, just some multivitamins, flax, fish oil, potassium, taurine, whey, etc.

he said he recommended i go on accutane for 6 months and i told him i knew all about it and the sides and blah blah blah. told me id have to get blood work done first and some other jibber jabber.

now heres my dilemma:

1> its summer, i got a few trips coming up and he said i cant be in the sun and have to wear sunscreen all the time. if i wait till the winter will the acne get worse?

2> i felt like he was really pushing the accutane without anyother options. he rattled off a few other names of drugs (none of which i heard of before) and said that they were all basically long term meds or laser removal but said 'i dont care how deep your pockets are, its expensive'. what are my topical options?

3> i have my next cycle all planned out and already started grabbing all my shit. i was gonna start in the next few weeks, should i hold off on the cycle and do the accutane first or cycle first then accutane in the winter time when its colder out and i dont have to worry about the sun?

4> should i just go on the ag guys accutane or stick with the doc?

5> if i go for these blood tests now, what is the doc going to see? anyway he'll be able to see i was on the sauce?

im pissed and depressed at the same time with this shit, i work so hard to get my body to the next level and i cant even enjoy it.

K to some helpful replies, thanks and sorry for the long ass post.

 

[CO B-man]

Seriously go to a tanning salon or spend the weekend in the sun. It works. Try that first before you go sticking stuff into your body that makes you really super sensative to sunburns like that.

 

[VascularitY]

the reason hes really pushing the accutane is because the shit WORKS, as long as you dont go with a stupid high dose you will be fine. I take maintenance of 20mg ED while on cycle and i stay acne free, I had cystic acne from gear just like you and 40mg ED cleared that shit up quick, and I DO NOT get acne anymore. At a low dose you can go in the sun without getting burnt, as long as you use sunscreen. I would advise you to try it at 40mg ED and see how you react. If the sides are tolerable you can go up a little or down a little depending on how it affects you.

Tanning and all the other BS wont do shit for the acne your having right now, I tried it all and in the end Accutane is the only thing that worked.

 

[lanky]

i have been on accutane 3 times

1. yes wear sunscreen..you will be very photosensitive, even with sunscreen..are your asking if your acne will get worse if you wait to start accutane in the winter.

2. There are various topical based products(some retinoid based chemicals like accutane). Retin A Micro(the topicals will not cause your whole body to be sensitive to light, just the places you apply it to)

3. sounds if you are going to be on a few trips in the summer at a place where there is a lot of sun and you will be outdoors a good amount of the time you may whant to talk to the doctor about a medication that will allow this.

4. If you are going to be on accutane go with the one p[rescried by the doctor, you are insured what you are taking is actually accutane and are monitored by monthly doctor visits and bloodwork/.

5. the doc will monitor liver function, CBC, and triglycerides,,maybe something else i am forgetting...

again if you go on accutane buy los of chapstick type products for your lips that will shed like a snake...

 

[doublefister]

I started having really bad acne worse than puberty when I started my TRT. I also went back to my clinic where they also do skincare and told them about the problem. They gave me a skin care line which is similar to ProActiv but STRONGER. The line they have is Topix Solvere. I ended up going with a stronger solution which is 5% glycolic/2% salicyclic acid face wash, 5/2 face pads, 5% benzoyl peroxide face cream, then lotion. They get up to 10% actually but I picked the on in the middle. I haven't seen the Solvere in different strengths online but I have seen different brands that have different strengths such as Peter Thomas Roth.

Since I started this I noticed results in 1 day which I was amazed because I have used everything from Murad, Proactiv, and even the new Loreal line that came out. I also dont get as oily or hardly oily at all like I was to where I needed to cleanse my face during the day too so a total of 3 times a day instead of twice.

I would see what acne skin care line your dermatologist has and then go with the ingredients I told you. It has done miracles for me and I have been preaching it to others and many have also seen the same results as I have.

 

[nydj66]

If you decide to go with accutane, do it in the summer. It really dries out your skin and chaps your lips so it's a bitch in the winter.

I have reasonable (but not total) success with retin-a and differin (both topicals). They made my shoulders sun sensitive at first but it went away over time.

 

[lesarin]

Ag-guys Accutane is da shit. I have had off and on acne problems since 15. im 27 now.I have super oily skin,and get most of acne on my face.Been on it for 18 days now.

I would say oil production down 90%. I have very chapped lips, luckily its summer and they don't hurt. Im taking 50mg a day.

I dont have insurance and my last cycle i did 4 years ago, and haven't done one since because i get HORRIBLE acne after.

I would say use accutane if you get acne even off a cycle. If you only get acne while coming off a cycle, i would think long and hard about the sides and look at other possibilites.

 

[ProtienFiend]

Ok Ill give my two cents, if you choose to follow please do so carefully:

1) Hygiene: Take a shower in the morning, immediately after physical activity, and after sweating AT ALL. Get a loufa or scrub brush to exfoliate skin in shower. Get an antibacterial soap (I use tan colored SafeGuard). Dont wear shirts that youve previously worn, dont sleep in shirts you wore during the day, and change sheets weekly (or atleast biweekly).

2) B5 Supplementation (Pantheotic Acid): Take 4-6 grams of this a daysplit in 2 or 3 doses. Side effects: Dry skin.

3) Salicylic Acid 2%: Also known as clearisil. Use a few times daily. May dry out skin.

4) Diet: Cut back on high sugar/high fat (greasy, fried) foods.

5) Tan: Makes acne less apparent. Can help dry out skin. Make sure to shower after. Side effect: Can make scars darker and more visible.

If you follow this closely you can see improvement within weeks and recession within months with or without tanning.

 

[ErikZ]

I always took (during puberty) and continue taking a combo of Azelan (Azelaic acid cream ) and Isotrexin (Isotretinoin the same active ingredient of Accutane and Roaccutane) TOPICAL GEL.

One day use Azelan, the next use Isotrexin.
It worked for me, today I have baby skin
If your acne does not recede, you should then think about the intra-use types of Isotretinoin. Remember that it is an extremely aggressive substance, which is very toxic. Do not drink whilst taking it. Do not sun-tan whils taking it (unless you are wearing EXTRA-STRENGTH UV-blocking lotion). Remember to carry a Chap-Stick around for them lips.

Hope you get well soon man...
And remember to do as proteinfiend said and take good care of your skin's level of hygiene.

Cheers

 

[solidspine]

Interesting you got that bad of a side just from test,

I would ignore the MD, sounds like a moron, get some retin-A, and work up to the strongest dose, does wonders on any kind of zit. I got zits for A-drol, looked like skin cancer, the retin-a did the job.

 

[black sheep]

I had the same problem. Doc said that accutane was for severe, severe acne and was a drastic step not needed. He gave me Benzaclin (sp*) cream to rub on it twice a day and minocyclene orals. He said neither of those would make me overly sensative to the sun. I live out west and have a pool at my house, I expained to Dr. that I spend a lot of time in the sun and in the pool - he said these were good options. It took about 2 weeks, but is cleared up completely. This was a at the end of cycle major breakout - the first time it ever happened to me as well.

 

[black sheep]

ALso - hold off on your next cycle until you get your body back to homeostasis - get everything back to normal before you screw with your hormones again. Don't be stressed - see another doc and talk to him about the 2 items I told you about. They work, and they work fast. It was magical how fast the shit worked without ANY of the accutane sides.

 

[cranny]

First of all why not be truthfull w/ your doc? To me, they need to know what you're doing in order to properly treat it. You said he noticed it right off the bat and correctly told you what you had been doing. I don't think he's going to tell anyone. Both my doc. and derm. know what I'm on. They don't really agree w/ it but are willing to help me w/ skin problems, bloodwork and such. Neither give me any shit about it. Secondly, all the alternatives bro's have suggested to accutane are prob. worth trying. Maybe my case is worse than yours but I've tried vitamin B-5, creams, sponges, Pro-active, all types of cleansers to no avail. When I first went to my derm. we tried 3 dif. types of antibiotics. Only one of them half-assed worked. So now I'm going to try a course of accutane this fall. I would try the alternatives as suggested but if it dosen't clear, I would def. go w/ the accutane. Most of all, be truthfull w/ your doctors. I really don't think they'll call the steroid police on you

 

[mesco]

thanks for all the replies, much appreciated.

i wanna give everyone in this thread some K and started to but ive never done it before and not sure if im doing it right. do you just click on the karma icon in the same box as the persons user name and then what? whats that % thing? i gave K to 2 bros first and all it took off from my karma hits was 2. i dont know if thats right but i dont want to be a cheap ass, is there someplace where i can type in the amount of k to give?

let me know and ill hook everyone else up. thanks.

 

[mesco]

im def going to explore some of these other options that you guys posted before i listen to the doc. i like the regime that proteinfiend posted and ill def give that a try.

cranny, im not worried about the steroid police, lol. as far as telling the doc about the juice i tossed that back in fourth in my head in the waiting room and decided against it based on what ive read in the past about bros going to see docs in general and then the docs telling the insurance company that you juice and i didnt want to go down that road right now, especially with a doc that i was seeing for the first time and dont have a relationship with as of yet.

 

[njmuscleguy]

Proteinfiend and doublefister have some solid advice... I use a skin care line which I think it superior to Proactiv (it's called Exposed)...it contains glycolic acid, salicylic acid, etc.... you can find it online, and it's inexpensive...takes a week or so for it to start working... in the meantime, don't shower more than you have to... the more you shower, the more you SCRUB, the more you aggrevate the acne... I also use Neutrogena body wash .. sometimes it works perfectly, sometimes it takes a while to clear...gotta be patient... go tanning once or twice a week (don't use the lotions)... also, if you're going to a beach, the salt water will do your skin good too!

 

[EX1855]

Look man, I have had to use Accutane two different times (both were pre AS use but that dosen't matter). Accutane will make you sensitive to the sun, I.E you will burn very easy, but with high sunscreen you will be alright. Also it will give you the worst case of chapped lips you have ever had, but this can be solved with prescription lip balm. If your doc says Accutane then I would bet your acne warrants it.

 

[vitamix]

Acutane helped me out tremendously. I get a zit about once every 2-3 months. Its nothing compared to what I used to get. I would recomend that you play it safe while you are on it. Its no joke. The chapped lips things sucked and made me look like a crack head hooker. It was well worth it in the end.

 

[SwolK]

I used it in my teens. worked great, but you have to be careful as mentioned, you will burn up in the sun...and bad chaped lips

 

[ProtienFiend]

use caution with accutane. some side effects: Depression (cases of suicide), liver damage, dryness & photosensitity. Depression and liver damage are the most dangerous due to AS users fluctuating hormones and liver stress while on cycle.

 

[sharpshooter]

i think the side effects of accutane are wayyyy exaggerated. i used it for 6 months at 80mg, no depression or any of that shit, nuthin but a little dryness. i ran a test cycle while on accutane and it had no negative effect on my blood work. no other product worked for my skin, i didnt have one zit the whole time i was on it, and i get a zit here and there every so often now since the treatment stopped about 5 months ago. im on cycle rite now and usually week 7 or 8 the zits start to multiply all the way thru PCT, but i havent got one pimple on my body so far, accutane is the shit.

 

[mesco]

use caution with accutane. some side effects: Depression (cases of suicide), liver damage, dryness & photosensitity. Depression and liver damage are the most dangerous due to AS users fluctuating hormones and liver stress while on cycle.

yea i read about the depression thing and the binder the doc gave me actually has this website that you have to go to and print some shit out and then sign a release or some shit that you are aware of all the side effects. it did say however that depression is more likely to occur in teens that use accutane.

 

[mesco]

If your doc says Accutane then I would bet your acne warrants it.

word i know what youre saying but i got this feeling that he was more or less pushing the accutane (to get his kick back) especially when he made the comment 'ive prescribed accutane to 80% of _______ (boro i live in) over the past 20 years' and he had a whole shelf of accutane binders. when i asked him for alternatives to the accutane before trying it he pretty much blew me off.

 

[mesco]

when you get acne from juice and if youve never had acne before in your life, if you stay off the juice for a little while will it go away on its on once hormone levels return to normal?

 

[njmuscleguy]

when you get acne from juice and if youve never had acne before in your life, if you stay off the juice for a little while will it go away on its on once hormone levels return to normal?

I can't remember ever having broken out anywhere on my body before starting AAS... and I sweat alot too... but the only time I break out now is during PCT while my body's hormone levels are adjusting.... but after I'm recovered, it goes away...

 

[mesco]

thanks nj, how long would you say it took to clear?

 

[mesco]

Ag-guys Accutane is da shit. I have had off and on acne problems since 15. im 27 now.I have super oily skin,and get most of acne on my face.Been on it for 18 days now.

I would say oil production down 90%. I have very chapped lips, luckily its summer and they don't hurt. Im taking 50mg a day.

I dont have insurance and my last cycle i did 4 years ago, and haven't done one since because i get HORRIBLE acne after.

I would say use accutane if you get acne even off a cycle. If you only get acne while coming off a cycle, i would think long and hard about the sides and look at other possibilites.

hey man could you please clear your pm box i wanna ask you a quick question about the ag guys accutane, thanks.

 

[njmuscleguy]

thanks nj, how long would you say it took to clear?

well, I'm doing PCT right now... I'd say the onset of acne came at about the same time as starting PCT... I'd say usually for the duration of PCT, plus a week or so past that (once all the stuff is out of your system and the levels go back to normal)

 

[Ramcononer]

Yo you might not believe this but it works...here it goes..Ive read post about this before also...NIZORAL...use it to wash your back with a lufa..It is a shampoo but it has an active ingredient that is used for skin care..my boy actually had these spots on him that made him look like a fuckin lepper. you can buy a small bottle at cvs or eckerd or some other store for like 6 dollars..it works for alot of people...try it..for six bucks you can't go wrong..takes about a few days to notice the change..lemme know if it helped youl.