Was this a tretinoin purge (or a bad reaction)?

During 2021-2022 I was prescribed tretinoin for developing some cystic acne. Previously, I had acne of various kinds (pimples, closed comedones, blackheads, etc).

Tretinoin cleared out my cystic acne. Yet, I couldn’t tell if it helped with anymore because of my skins reactions (major breakouts for long period of times). I’m not sure if I was purging, as I never really saw my skin “clear up.”

I’m considering going back in tretinoin after seeing the results others have had after their purging periods. The images below are give or take what my entire journey on tretinoin looked like.

My skin has cleared up greatly but lately I’ve noticed some breakouts that seem to be cystic. Tretinoin is my back up plan to my current routine.

Was this a tretinoin purge (or a bad reaction)?