Accutane

I am probably going to be starting Accutane in October when I go to my dermatologist (man she is baaaaaaacked up with appointments!), and I was just curious if anyone here has tried it and what their experience was or is like?  I am 19 and have severe acne (have tried EVERYTHING including expensive $1,000 each laser treatments.. I've had 7 of those thanks to my parents' wallets, other oral medications, medicated face creams, EVERYTHING- this is my last hope to not have permanent scarring for the rest of my life due to this horrid acne that I have)

Thanks!

I took accutane when I was 17 years old. It worked amazingly, just as it was suppose to. The side effects are harsh and I gurantee you will be in a world of hurt if you ever forget to leave the house without your chapstick!
Have you considered the long term side effects of accutane? It can wreak havoc on your kidneys as well as your whole GI tract... You should think about taking acidophilus or some other probiotic supplement to offset the mayhem the accutane will play on your intestine's good bacteria.

I'm certain you will be happy with the results of accutane, just be sure you are well informed of the consequences!

I am very well informed, which is why I haven't started taking it yet.   But I'm sick of being the only person in my entire college (well it is a small college) who has acne still.  My aunt had it until she was in her mid 30's and her and I have a lot in common, so I worry that the same will happen to me.. I don't want to be in my mid 30's having acne still if I can help it.  That's all =/  The side effect I'm most worried about is the depression one.  I  have a mental disorder and I need to be under direct care of my psychiatrist if I do go on accutane.. but I had a friend who went on it who has the same issue as me and she was fine with the exception of inredibly dry skin.  So you never know =/

Wow... $7000 for acne treatment... I can't believe the NHS is being slagged of in America. I don't know if it's available in America, but I tried Duac once daily cream, it's pretty much worked. BUt if you decide to go on Accuatne - good luck. You could find there are many things worse than acne.

I've been on both Tazorac and Duac for about 2 years now.  I use it religiously and it still hasn't done me much good.

I wouldn't mind the acne if it was mild, but it's really putting a damper on the little self esteem that I have.  My face doesn't just have a few pimples.. it is covered with acne and the actual tone of my face is red while the rest of the skin on my body is very pretty and very smooth.

Accutane is a mircale drug for acne except don't take it on an empty stomach and it is quite a pain in the butt that you have to go in every so often to get blood work done to make sure everything is in order but otherwise its a good drug... Expensive too... when I took it back in the day it was $10 a pill! ha ha!

hey! wasn't accutane pulled off the shelves? that's what I heard. Maybe I made that up lol. 

But anyway, I took isotrentonin, which is basically the same thing as accutane. It really really works. I was only on it for 3-4 months, which was great. You probably won't need it too long. If you take it for a year or less, I wouldn't worry about the side effects. You have to get blood work done every month to make sure your liver's okay, so if the doctor sees a change, she'll pull you off of it. 

Just don't freak out if you break out even more the first month. That's very common - it happened to me! but then it clears up very soon after. good luck :) i know how bad it sucks to have acne!

P.S. Get a new dermatologist!! that's ridiculous you have to wait until october. there are plenty of good dermatologists, just find a new one that's more accessible!!!

I would get a new one, but I really like her.  Plus I get my acne facials at her office and the make-up that I prefer using is sold there, etc.  She just really knows me well from all of the laser surgeries haha, I would just mutter random things.. but yeah, I just feel more comfortable going to her.

Accutane changed my life, cured my acne. I have never looked back.

Do not go in the sun (sunburn like never before) and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Also use vaseline or chapstick on your lips at all times. In fact, since I went on Accutane 15 years ago, I do not wear lipstick anymore ever ... too dry. But who cares, my skin looks great!

nycgirl, ance meds dry out my face anyways so hopefully it won't be too much of a difference!  What kind of moisturizer do you use?  All the ones that I use that actually work end up breaking out my face =/

I was on Accutane 6+ years ago and have never looked back.  Yes, it dried out my skin and lips; my face was red, sensitive and patchy for a period of time.  Yes, I was aware of the other possible side effects.  But at 29, I felt I was too old to be dealing with acne.  My dermatologist told me to clean my face and moisturize with Cetaphil products - and I still use them daily.  I get compliments regularly on how wonderful my skin is.

i've been on accutane about...5 times during my high school years. The typical treatment cycle is about 3-6 months, once.

You do have to go for blood tests once a month, and chapstick is definetly your best friend. My favorite chapstick was burts bees..oooh how amazing it is. As for moisturisers, I used Johnson & Johnson baby lotion (comes in a pink bottle), I found it soaks in quickly, moisturises well, and doesn't feel oily at all. That, and sometimes certain moisturisers can aggrivate acne because of the chemicals and perfumes. I figured baby lotion would be the best option as far as that goes.

I found that within, say, 2-3 weeks of being on accutane my skin was pretty much clear, and it reversed all the scarring I had (I've had acne since i was about 12, I just turned 20.) It was fantastic and I did get TONS of compliments when I was on it. My problem with it was that after I finished a treatment my acne came back within a few weeks. 

If you are willing to go on it, definetly read and KNOW the side effects list. Make SURE you are on at least 2 types of birth control, stock up on chapstick and moisturiser, and always have kleenex near-by ["mild nose bleeds"...my butt!]



I have recently changed doctors by accident, and was just told on Monday that the reason it may not have worked was because my previous doctor didn't give me a perscription that was strong enough for my weight. She said something about 1Mg of accutane per KG of your weight is what she normally goes by, and what I had before wasn't nearly strong enough.

you may want to ask about that so you don't go through a treatment for nothing

I am being sent to Vancouver on the 28th to go to a dermatology clinic at one of the largest universities in Canada. Hopefully they'll figure my stuff out there.  Obviously I wasn't a typical case 

Good Luck!

I was on Accutane last winter and it completely cleared up my skin. I'm in a dry cold climate for college so it really dried my face and lips. My face was red from being so dry and peeled, my lips often felt like they were burning. I had previously tried lots of medications and never had a problem with drying. My dermatologist recommended Aquaphor lip moisturizer. It's not too expensive and is at most drug stores or grocery stores. It really helped, make sure you apply it every few hours to keep your lips from drying and cracking. I used Murad moisturizer, it was the best for me and didn't burn my dry skin (which some moisturizers did once I started taking the Accutane). It's really trial and error but your skin will greatly improve. If you have any other questions feel free to PM me.