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I first had acne when I was 14. It was no big deal because so many other people in school were just the same and quite a few were considerably worse. Still I was told I would grow out of it and left alone. As I approached seventeen I started to use a few topical over the counter remedies. These did little bar keep my face clean. But come the following year I went off to university.
At this point in time I wasn't badly spotted. I had enough to say it was acne and not just the odd zit but that was all. By a strange coincidence my roommate at Norwich was a bad acne sufferer and I think it was Dave that encouraged me to do something about acne. He was already on antibiotics and had an avid cleaning routine. I was now beginning to notice an outbreak of spots across my chest and back but nothing too bad.
I tried tetracycline for about four months at the start of my third year at university. This seemed to work but in my innocent naivety I didn't pursue matters any further as I was still a bit apprehensive about appearing vain. However, after returning home on completion of my university course I decided that I was going to attack things. I had grown up a lot by now and was willing to grasp the mettle.
That September I went off to my GP and asked for help. I went on tetracycline at first, but after 4 months of that I went onto Vibramycin. I took this for about 6 months and it really seemed to kick in. My face cleared really well but my body didn't reflect the same improvement. By now I had very sore pustular acne all over my back, shoulders, chest, tops of my arms and even the tops of my thighs. I constantly had problems with spots bursting in my sleep and leaving blood spot on my sheets and t-shirts. I found it very uncomfortable to settle at night as I found myself in constant discomfort.
Over the next three years I tried varying degrees of Vibramycin, and Minocin, together with Retin-A cream and gel of differing strengths. I got nowhere fast. I seemed to have a small respite to start and then as my body appeared to be coming to terms with the medication I found the effects diminishing. During all this time I was finding my self-esteem going even lower. I couldn't even face having my photo taken and the thought of meeting someone I'd get close to terrified me.....
I was now 24 and decided that the best thing to do was to take a year’s break to clear all the antibiotics out of my system and see what effects developed. This would give me a baseline to work from. Summer 1995 I approached a friend of mine who was a practising aroma therapist and qualified in treatment by alternative medicines. I was a bit reluctant but tried a course of sulphur therapy with some other eating changes and potions and lotions. This had very little effect and April 1996 I went back to my GP.
My GP tried me on some Vibramycin together with Retin-A. I had some improvement and continued until the October on this course until I went back to my GP and (heart in hand) asked to be referred to the hospital for consultation. Being the NHS it meant I had to wait ages for my appointment but July 1997 I went to the hospital. The consultant dermatologist decided that there was no explanation why the antibiotics hadn't worked before and put me on Oxytetracycline and Differin gel for my face with Hibisol to wash the rest of me in. Hibisol is the stuff used to disinfect operation areas before surgery and scrub up with. It was an effort to get it. Differin is an isotretinoin compound gel.
Six months later I had proved to my consultant that antibiotics didn't work!!! It was agreed that I would start on Roaccutane.
