I finally had a derm. appt. today. I didn't have a derm in this town, so I scheduled with someone totally new. It turned out that today was the derm's first day. She was very hesitant to give me Accutane. She told me that the FDA is heavily regulating the process, and who gets it, and that my skin is just not bad enough for it.

Of course, today had to be one of the clearest days I had in forever. She asked me what I thought about my skin today and I guess she expected me to say it was horrible or something so she can declare me mental. Instead, of course, I said that my skin looks fantastic today.

I tried to explain to her that my breakouts are very unpredictable. I will get 5-10 cycts in one day or be clear for a week. Today, I only had about three small pimples. I am also very prone to scarring and prevention was my main reason for wanting a low dose.

She told me that none of the derms in that clinic will prescribe it to me. She tried to sell me a million other creams, lasers, peels, etc., but I simply thanked her and refused. I hate how going to the derm often feels like a sales presentation.

I am so frustrated. asfadsdfksjalgjasdflkjdsa!!!

I am going to make some more calls and schedule new appointments. I am thinking about asking to talk to a doc on the phone to explain my situation before I schedule the appt. so I can get the feel of how he/she feels about Accutane before I go.

Any tips on how to go about this?

why did you refuse other treatments, you should work with your doctor, and not go in there with your mind set on one treatment. some of the topical medications, especially the retinoids, are very effective for mild acne. also hormonal treatments can be effective. also, if the treatments didn't work for you the doctor would most likely put you on accutane. you will probably not find a doctor who will use accutane as a first line treatment for less than severe acne (especially for a woman) but if the acne doesn't respond to other prescribed treatments they will probably put you on accutane.

I have tried retinoids, BP medications, SA medications, Sulfur based medications, peels, lasers, and antibiotics over the past years. None of it has helped.

The only thing that worked was when I took Accutane the first time. This would be my second time and this time I only want a low dose.

Hey girl! I sympathize with you. The derm. that had perscribed me Accutane the first time 3 yrs ago wouldn't prescribe it to me this time around. But her reasoning was outrageous. Actually ridiculous and i'm glad I didn't stay with her. I'll tell you the short version, she claims that there was to much of a process now to get the drug and that she didn't have the "time" to sit on the phone with iPledge for a half hr nor does her nurses. Ridiculous!
Anyways, she recommended another derm. and thankfully she had perscribed me it. But after convincing!! She told me that my acne was not that bad and that she thinks she could clear me with topical creams, etc. No way! Been there done that for years before I took Accutane. That drug was the only drug that had ever cleared me. Sorry went on a little tangent there!

But... I wouldn't give up if I were you. You don't happen to live in NJ do ya? I'd give you my derms name
Maybe you can take pics of your face when you have a bad breakout so you can show the next derm. you go to? Incase you happen to be on a clear day the day you go. Do you scar at all?? B/c you can stress that you need a second treatment to prevent scarring? Just some ideas?

Good luck!!

no wonder accutane has such a bad name, even derms are stupid as fuck about it

Um..no. Most dermatologists know what they're doing. Accutane is not a cure all and its a very dangerous drug. You can't just look to Accutane every time you get a pimple.

Yes Accutane is a quick fix but there are plenty of other and less harmful medications out there that work just as well with a little patience.

I just find it quite amusing. Just a couple of days ago, there was a topic around here mentioning that accutane ruined his face and wished he tried other things instead and people were saying accutane is being given out like candy nowadays, no more stingent rules . Now you say your derm refuses to give it to you. Its like so opposite You said you took accutane before, is it the same derm that prescribed it to you before. If it is, there is no reason why she wouldn't give it to you again. Otherwise just find another derm that will give it to you.

I see you tried a line of treatments before but you dont seem to have tried contraceptives yet. Have you looked into it before taking accutane again because I heard that contraceptives clear women up great after an accutane course.

Thanks so much for sharing your story JnC73. I am so glad to see someone understands.

Yes, I mentioned scarring to her since I am prone to it.

Also, I was on contraceptives for 2 years with no impact. This was not the same derm that prescribed Accutane to me the first time. I now live in a different city.

Obviously u don't get my point

I had the same problem originally, but then I barged into my doctor's office when my face was bad and cried to him about how much it's depressing me and I won't date anymore, blah blah blah.

What about doing something like that?!

Yeah i like acne-prones idea my acne is very mild but derm was great, he said all his kids took it so i think he understands the impact of acne on young people.

Just find a more leniant derm, like you mentioned it would be a good idea to ring around and get their opinions of accutane. My derm is older, so maybe the older they are the more exp theyve had with accutane and the less paranoid they are about it?

Good tips, guys. Thanks so much. I will let you all know what happens after I make some phone calls.

GOOD LUCK!!

Over the last 12 yrs of dealing with acne, I saw several derms, none of which prescribed Accutane after exhausting almost every other option.

Sooo... for 2 yrs I saw no derm... figuring I was going to have to just live with it.

Finally got the courage to see another derm a few months ago... and she immediately said, "You need to be on Accutane".

It's been about 55 days on it, and my skin has finally improved, after all these yrs!

My point? Find another derm!!!

I would have to agree on WackyJacki on that one about finding a new derm. My first derm after 4 years of nothing working finally said lets try accutane but he referred me to a derm in the town I go to college at. After the treatment, my face started to break out again so she gave me Clindamycin pads and Tazorac. The clindamycin sucked. i have really oily skin and she didn't seem to understand. She told me she would only see me every six months fron then on. I called Kansas University Medical Center and got an appointment with there derm before my six month appointment. Truthfully I went to KUMC for my keloid scars but they treated me for my acne too which I was suprised. So at my six month appointment I told my derm I am going to KUMC, I don't think she was to happy but she wasn't helping. The Dermatology department at KUMC seems to really care about their patients if you ask me. I see a resident and the Department Head and they both agreed on a second round of accutane. So, if you have a medical school near you with a medical center see if they have a a dermatology department which chances are they do and call them up and see what they think. Explain about your flareups and cysts and the fact that you clear up some days. I have flareups then good days. I drive two hours to the derm now. Hope this helps

Drs dont like being told how to do their job and they dont like it when people insist on stuff. Maybe you should reconsider and try other stuff before you go on accutane

I agree that we shouldn't be telling them how to do their jobs, but I also believe we need to be our own advocates. While I greatly respect drs and the grueling education they've received, I certainly don't see them as gods who know everything! There's nothing wrong with making suggestions to them or asking questions. Any dr who gets offended by that needs to get over themselves and their egos. A lot of medicine is opinion, not hardcore facts, and we have to take that into account.

I'd say that many dr's/derms r willing to exploit their patients.
A doc with an ego is bad news.

Exactly. I agree with you.