Isotretinoin (Accutane) Reviews

Wow! Accutane is great! I have had severe cystic acne for the past three years. Although I'm only three months into a 6 month course the difference is astounding. I don't get the painful nodules like I used to and my cystic whiteheads are actually shrinking. They are now capable of being extracted. My face is almost clear and after the cystic white heads are extracted I will be in much better shape than I already am.
Understand that Accutane should be a last resort. I literally went through every acne drug before arriving at Accutane including Proactive, Mary-Kay, Nature's Cure, Differin Gel, Tazorac Gel, Erithromycin 2%, Benzoyl Peroxide (2.5%, 5%, 10%), Tetracycline, Benzaclin, Clindamycin, etc. You get the point.
Try everything else as Accutane is very powerful and cannot be taken lightly. The side effects are well documented and can be very serious. But they are nothing that can't be dealt with. I am currently on a 40mg dosage twice daily. Get Aquaphor for your lips! It is a life saver. Godd luck to everyone. I hope that eventually we can find a real cure to acne. Until then, this is as close to a cure as we are. Good Luck!

Works great. I was 13 when I started medication. It takes about 4 months for acne to completley vanish, but starts working right away. There are possible bad side effects, none of which I got.
* My best advice for people who have bad acne is to go to a dermatologist. They are experts and can tell you exactly what will work for you because everyone's acne is different. *

I've been on two separate treatments of Accutane in my life, once when I was 15 for 6 months, and once just recently (four years later) for 4 months (at a much stronger dosage). The side effects have definitely been worse the second time around: extremely chapped lips (but nothing a little carmex can't handle), aching back, loss of night vision, VERY easy scarring (seriously...do not get ANYTHING waxed, I can only imagine how bad the scarring would be, I pulled a bandaid off and there's still a mark), and my cholesterol has been slightly elevated throughout, which is odd because I'm vegetarian.

However, 3 and a half months ago when I started this treatment I had the worst acne I've had in my life and now my face is almost COMPLETELY clear. My dermatologist recommended the shorter treatment period with the higher dosage and said most people who do that never ever see their acne again. Let's just hope he's right.

As for affordability, I have found that the generic Amnesteem is only $20 per month and has worked exactly the same for me.

This is the only medication that has cleared me up, and I have tried every single OTC and prescription availailable over the past 4 years, and that is no exaggeration.

As expected, I experienced dry skin, dry lips, dry eyes, muscle/joint/ligament aches, but that was no surprise. Everyone is well-informed of the common and uncommon side-effects. Anyone who complains about them is entirely out of line.

I'm very annoyed by anyone who posts complaints with accutane on this page. You know it's going to be a trade-off between comfort and clear skin. If you can't tolerate some discomfort for 6 months for practically guaranteed clear skin, then you're either a spoiled baby or your acne isn't bad enough.

The truth is, accutane is the closest thing on the market to a miracle drug for acne. I personally think it IS a miracle drug. If you've been scanning these comments to decide whether to go on accutane, ask yourself these questions:
1) Does acne make my quality of life worse?
2) Is my acne highly persistent and/or cystic?
3) Am I otherwise fairly healthy?
If you answered "yes" to all three of these, then please do yourself a favor you will never regret (unless you're a wimp) and ask your doc about starting accutane.

questions? email me. [email address removed]

I have tried literally everything in the past and nothing gave me sideffects this bad with this sh*t, i hate this it ruined my face and body. It made my lips, hair, skin, face and everything else all dry and cracked. I bled from my butt everywhere and it hurt. i also lost alot of hair and almost went bald, the my weight dropped like 25 pounds, so i was definately screwed after all that. because the scary thing is i stopped using the medication like 4 weeks ago and the side effect keep going, and just write now im riting this on my labtop from the hospital because i cant stand all these effects. Feels like its taking over my body, im scared. And one more thing there saying my liver is in trouble!!!!!
Hope i helped anyone, DONT USE IT!!
-Mike-

dude accutane works so freakin well. its gonna feel bad first 2 months but then ur skin clears up wit a snap. i had liver disease and that caused acne it was so stupid. i had some pretty bad sideeffects like dry lips and mood swings but its worth it. be careful if you have weak liver it may damage it

Hi. This drug is tricky - it works so well but has AWFUL side effects. My skin - in only one month, and after five plus years of moderate acne on my back, chin, and cheeks - was peachy and glowing. But around the same time, my personality went to s*#%, my heels started to hurt, my eyesight worsened, my butt started to bleed (SERIOUSLY!), my back hurt, my hair got very dry, and I JUST FELT WEIRD. I had to quit after two months - I COULD NOT TAKE IT. However, it worked for a lot of people I know, and even worked for me, minus the side effects. good luck to all who are willing to try it, and may you have better luck than me! I am using proactiv and HOPING the acne stays away!!!!

I have ever had acne..........really from since my 14....and now I'm 30!I took a lot of things(diane,antibiotics ect....).I took roaccutan(or accutan in USA)at 25 years old for the first time and this plague went away but it goes back after some years.Im now in month 1 of my third course and thing are in the getting worse stage before it gets better.....my face looks awfull and probably i should take the pill(yasmin)for ever! Roaccutan is good but it doesn't work for every people at the same way...

I was also very scared when I read all about roaccutane, but after 4 months of taking it, I am extremely happy I did. My skin is completely clear now- after 3 first months of a worse breakout, that IS true! But now is better than ever. I take a small dose: 20mg/day, and I ALWAYS moisturize my lips with a moisturizing antiwrinkle cream for lips with collagen and on top of that a normal moisturizing lip gloss...believe me, it works, my lips are hardly ever dry! Keep your skin moisturized aswell and you´ll be fine!ANy tips to help diminish scarring while on roaccutane?

I began to have acne at the age of 12. Back then it was mild, but quickly grew to be severe. By the time I was 14 I was ashamed to have people see my face. I tried every topical treatment the doctor could give me. At age 15, the last solution given to me was to take Accutane. I gave it a shot, and I've been thankful ever since that. Within the first month my face started to clear up. I already had a lot of scars, everywhere, on my cheeks, forehead, even my chin, and since taking Accutane my scars have improved 50%. I haven't had a break out in over a year and there's an 80-90% chance that I will never have another break out ever again. Although there are some side effects that may be discouraging, if you see your dermatologist regularly you should be fine. I experienced mood swings for the first couple of months, and that was it. The cost is a bit pricy, but if you have insurance, it should be covered. If you're thinking about using Accutane, I would definatly recommend it. It gave me back my self confidence.