Day 3 and a little pre-iso background

Hi everyone!  Today is Day 3 of my Amnesteem (isotretinoin) treatment.  So far no major symptoms....I did experience some weird "stuff" while I was sleeping last night.  At one point in the night I was unsure if I was sleeping and dreaming that I was awake, or if I was really awake.  I don't know if that has anything to do with the medication but it was strange.  The dry lips, dry skin etc symptoms have not set in yet. 

Since I don't have a symptom list to give I thought I would discuss everything I had to do leading up to obtaining my prescription from the pharmacy.  At my first visit with the Derm I took a urine pregnancy test.  It is EXTREMELY important not to get pregnant while taking isotretinoin!!!!  It causes major birth defects.  During this visit I had to go over the mandated questions for the iPledge program, including discussing my birth control options.  While on isotretinoin you must use TWO forms of birth control.  We discussed my mental health past, isotretinoin has been known to cause mild to severe depression, suicidal thoughts, acting on irrational or dangerous behavior, hallucinations and such.  By the end of the visit my doctor had explained all of the possible side effects and the nurse gave me a rather large packet from the iPledge program.  I was registered in to the iPledge database and given my number. 

The iPledge program requires that you log in monthly before obtaining your medication from the pharmacy to answer questions about sex, birth control and such.  These questions are mostly common sense based and I'm not sure what happens if you don't answer properly. 

After my appointment was over, I was given a lab order to have my blood drawn.  They do blood tests monthly as well to test your liver function and lipid levels.  Isotretinoin is processed through your liver so it's important to monitor the effects of it.  I was also instructed to make a follow up appointment in 30 days, no sooner.  The iPledge program requires two negative blood tests 30 days apart before a prescription can be written. 

I had my blood work done prior to my second visit, all was good.  The doctor said that I am very healthy!  I had my second urine pregnancy test (negative again!  woohoo).  The Derm went over all the possible side effects again and then wrote my prescription.  I was instructed to make follow up appointments for the next 6 months. 

When I went to pick up my prescription from the pharmacy I ran in to a major hitch!  My dumb prescription company doesn't cover isotretinoin for "people of my age"!!  Excuse me????   My age?  First of all, I'm 31 not 60!  I understand that the typical user is in their teens or early twenties but geez!  I am less likely to get married than a teenager, and I can afford to pay for it myself.  So my only option was to have the insurance carrier send an "Age Restriction Prior Authorization" form to my doctor's office for completion.  LOOOONG story (almost a week later) short, I was able to pick my prescription up on the 6th day.  The iPledge program also requires users to pick up the prescription within 7 days of it being written.  This is because you could become pregnant during this time and not know it.  If you miss the 7 day window, you have to go back to the doc, have another pregnancy test run and receive a new prescription.  HASSLE!  I was glad that it all worked out in the end.  Of course, I had scheduled all of my follow up appointments and had to push them all out a week.  You can only get your prescription once a month, 24 days apart being the absolute earliest. 

Even after all of that I am glad that I can finally begin my regiment.  I am not looking forward to the horrible side effects I am expecting to experience but I think it'll be worth a life without painful, ugly cystic acne. 

As always please feel free to contact me with any questions!