This past February, I went to the dermatologist to talk about acne. My acne didn’t really develop until my 20s and got MUCH worse during the beginning of my pregnancy. I also can’t leave my face alone – if there’s something there, I’m going to mess with it and make it 10 times worse. So, I was over it and the dermatologist said I would be a good candidate for Accutane. Anyone who has ever been on the medication knows it can work really well, but it can have a lot of nasty side effects like extremely dry skin, stomach issues, and severe birth defects if you pregnant while you are taking it (or even for a little while after you stop taking it). You also can’t give blood while you are taking it because if a pregnant woman received your blood, her baby could be affected by the medication as well. It’s serious.
I discussed it with Mason and we felt like this was a good time to begin the medication since we weren’t planning on having another child for a little while (and I was hoping if we got the acne under control, it wouldn’t be an issue with the next pregnancy). So we started all the necessary blood work and pregnancy tests and I began the medication in March. My acne got much worse for a while and my lips were so dry and cracked that I had to have Vaseline within reach at all times throughout the day or I literally couldn’t open my mouth to talk – my lips would just split open. Women have to have monthly visits to the dermatologist, be on two forms of birth control, take a pregnancy test, and then log on to an account where you answer questions about birth control and birth defects before the dermatologist is allowed to call in your refill. And typically there is 6-8 months of this. It’s a hassle, the side effects suck, and I wasn’t seeing that many results, so I would be resentful of this medication if I didn’t believe it might have helped me realize something was wrong, and potentially had a hand in saving my life.
Life One Step At A Time 