Hey guys...I mostly just want to vent to people that may understand my situation. Has anybody seen their acne become 100X worse since they started accutane, but then it NEVER get better? My acne is just so much worse than it was before I started, and I'm starting month 5 now and I'm nowhere near better. I've been on such a high dose (160 mg), so it's so frustrating that this is not working for me. The most frustrating thing of all is that my acne was not this bad to begin with--I believe, now, that I could have lived with what I had, but this stuff makes me want to cry. I seriously do not want to see family I haven't seen in a while because I look completely different. If someone can give me hope, or if someone wants to vent with me, I would appreciate it . Sometimes it really helps to talk this stuff out..thanks

Well if Accutane's making your acne worse, and it doesn't get better throughout the rest of the course, when you stop Accutane your acne will probably go back to the way it was. And from there you can work towards a different treatment that still has a chance to clear you up.

This post has been edited by Captain Ahab: Nov 6 2009, 05:53 PM

Oh my god that's terrible! Some people say they do not see any results until the very end of their course so I would stick it out since you have already been going 5 months.

I can't help but wonder if your results are due to the very high dose you have been on. May I ask why you were prescribed such a high does, when you say your acne wasn't even that bad? Did you start out at a lower dose?

I started out at 40 mg the first month, then bumped up to 80 mg. I wasn't experiencing ANY side effects whatsoever, my lips weren't even chapped, so the derm thought that I need to be bumped up to 120 mg. (BTW, I ALWAYS take this stuff with fatty foods, so it wasn't that). Tried 120, and although I was a little bit drier, the derm wasn't satisfied because by that point the acne had gotten ridiculous. So I went to 160 last month, and I'm still there starting month 5. My lips and face are very dry, but the severe acne remains.

I honestly wish I hadn't had been so vain. Yes, I have had acne since I was in grade school (isn't that sad?), and I was so very desperate for a cure, but now that I look back, it was nothing that make up couldn't handle. This, on the other hand, is almost make up resistent

I've almost convinced myself that the accutane is causing all this breaking out business, but I've never heard of this happening to anyone else so I'm almost scared to go off it for fear of it working in the near future...

Hi Jebri31508, I can relate to your situation right now.

I started off with mild but persistant huge cyst that will eventually become a whitehead. And, to think of it, my acne was not that bad to begin with. I had my initial breakout on months 2-4(my cheeks, my jawline, my neck!). And let me tell you, its SOOO BADD that people can't even recognise me! I just wish that I can stay at home all day long without having to face anyone! At that time...I was so devastated!! I sorta regetted taking this so called "miracle drug".

Now, I'm in my 3rd week of month 5 and the initial breakouts are settled down...but still I think I look worst than before I was on this drug- the red marks left over and some healing spots on the areas I never had before.

BUT, luckily I can see they're all healing now and my face is smooth, just that the red marks makes it look really annoying. Of coz I get occasional whiteheads but they come so TINY and goes away really fast, like one day and it's gone.

So, I think you'll have to stick with it and this drug will HEAL your acne cause by the initial breakouts. Just stick with it...

Cheers.

If your bloodwork is good and you aren't having any major side effects I would stay on it. Logically, every person who starts a log and get's bumped up says they were bumped up because the side effects weren't bad on a lower dose. Maybe you are just super tolerant to this stuff? It could happen. Are you a big guy, if you don't mind me asking? Could have something to do with it.

Stick it out unless your bloodwork and side effects get really bad. I was on it for 7 and a half months, but I took 40mgs for 2-3 months then was on 80mgs for the rest.. I couldn't imagine being on 160mg :/ but if you aren't experiencing a lot of effects then keep at it.

Mine is currently much worse and has been for the past 3 months since I started. Unfortunately you have to just stick with it. On my first course it wasn't until a month after my spots finally cleared away. But they properly cleared to an extent that I simply couldn't believe.

Remember that accutance is different for everyone. Everyone reacts slightly differently to the drug. Some people's clears away in just a week (lucky buggers) and others don't see any improvement until the course is over. Either way, you actually have a chance of being cured on accutane as opposed to going back to the face washes, pills, creams etc.

You may also find that it looks worse because you have roascea partly thanks to accutane. Roascea is inflaming of the skin so it will make imperfections look more angry. Again, roascea usually clears up after treatment.

Lol I'm laughing about your question about me being a big guy. I'm a 135 lb girl (5'5"), so that's why this is so strange!

Thanks so much to everyone for the advice. I'll just see where this month takes me