10 replies to this topic

[oreo_]

hey all, i havent been on these forums for a while, anyways i always had moderate-severe type acne, ive tried every cream there is and minocin has always worked for me until it started giving me an upset stomach and then i had to go off. I've been off minocin for 3-4 months and it is looking... horrendously ugly. My dermatologist had suggested that i go on accutane, i have university studies coming in sept and i could start on accutane tomorrow if i wanted to. My question is:
1) Whats the initial breakout like? and for how long is it? i dont want to go back to school first week of september looking downright AWFUL!
2) seriously, what are your experiences with accutane, sometimes i'm led to believe the side effects are just blown out of proportions yet it still scares me
3) post any other relevant information that you think may be useful and knowledgable.

Thanks, i hope to hear from all you accutane users, successful or not!

oh right, few more questions, how long do you usually have to be on it? is it 4-6months? it is august so i'll be taking it till dec-feb, it gets really cold here so that could also play a factor

and how bad is the redness? like i think there was this one kid that i never talked to in my class, he had pretty bad acne and his face was always cherry red like he was blushing, and i hope its not like that..

Thanks once again.

[icedtea1]

hi

I took my first pill about a week ago so im experiencing the initial breakout, and for me it really isn't all that bad, if anything my acne is starting to dry up and starting to heal. But my skin is very dry, but nothing a little moisturizer can't fix.

My doc put me on accutane for 3 months and each month I will be taking 60 m/g dose.

And lastly, ive been experiencing back pain for the past few days, I know ive only been on the medicine for a short while, but ive never felt it last this long so it leads me to believe its one of the side effects.

[Red_Sun]

hey. i have mild-moderate acne. Been on it for a week. Initial break out isn't too bad. As far as symptoms chapped lips and dry skin, thats been it pretty much. My skins not nearly as oily. First few days i had joint and lower back pain but that went away and it wasnt too bad. taking 40mg a day right now. do it and just get it over with. Youll thank yourself in a few months

[oreo_]

its just weird to see that you guys have mild-moderate acne and are willing to go to accutane to fix that, while im here with more serious acne and im just too worried...so i keep avoiding it =(

[pimpinpoodle]

When I started accutane the acne I had flattened out in almost no time but then my face became quite oily but no severe break out at all. It has pretty much been smooth sailing. The side effects I have experienced thus far include sporadic joint pain, dry lips, occasional dry skin rash, a bit of a depressed mood, lethargy, and mental cloudiness. At this point my chest, back, and face are entirely clear and I am truly happy to no longer be in physical pain with my face. I really recommend going for it. It is not the easiest thing in the world by any means but it finally feels like you have the upper hand against acne which is just a wonderful feeling in and of itself. Best of luck.

[oreo_]

do the joint pain go away after u go off accutane? and same with other sideeffects, do they go away as well, the depression etc, i dont want to come out of accutane as a completely different person.

[JBHK]

do the joint pain go away after u go off accutane? and same with other sideeffects, do they go away as well, the depression etc, i dont want to come out of accutane as a completely different person.

My joint pain went away after about the first 2 to 3 weeks of my Accutane course. However, I have seen some people complain of discomfort after their course. I suspect they are a small minority however.

I came out of A a completely different person - happier and more confident than before. If you decide to go ahead with it, I wish the same for you.

[oreo_]

do the joint pain go away after u go off accutane? and same with other sideeffects, do they go away as well, the depression etc, i dont want to come out of accutane as a completely different person.

My joint pain went away after about the first 2 to 3 weeks of my Accutane course. However, I have seen some people complain of discomfort after their course. I suspect they are a small minority however.

I came out of A a completely different person - happier and more confident than before. If you decide to go ahead with it, I wish the same for you.

hey, seeing that you're from hong kong, are you chinese too? how does accutane affect in terms of redness, asian type skin, is it a blushing type of redness that appears on the face?

[assassinated beauty]

I'll be honest.

My initial breakouts were BAD. But healed quickly..They continued for the first month..and the second when my dose was upped. My last was the end of month four.

My course was supposed to be 4months, but my acne persisted so i was given 5months. (finish in 2 weeks)

My face has been bright red for maybe...the last 2 months. And yes, it looks like I'm blushing, but my mum tells me I look healthy.

The side effects ARE REAL. Very real for me atleast. Aches and pains, nosebleeds, bad mood swings (possibly down to my mental state when I realised I'd hoped for too much too soon) I am not blaming this on the drug, but you need to continue telling yourself that it will take time. And...dont believe by the end of a course that "clear skin" means perfect skin. Mines is a mess. I have 2 pimples. Thats it. But my face is a mess. This again takes time to heal.

All I can say is dont take accutane when exams are coming up. I'm not the only person who sleeps too long (I slept a whole day and night) and could still feel tired. I had no desire to move..or see my friends.

I can understand your not wanting to be seen while your acne gets better...but just think of the compliments you'll get!!

Accutane isnt for someone afraid of the consequences. You have to accept that it will be tough, you may look awful and people might notice it...but you have to be strong enough to get on with it. For me I was more embaressed about the state of my lips than my face!

But anyway, you'll know if you're despairing with your skin so much that accutane is your only option. 4/5 months of looking this awful means nothing to me. I'd do it 10 times over for the result I hope to get.

[m00sie]

That was a really informative post assassinated beauty

[ccmrose]

I'm about halfway through month 3 right now, on 120 mg. I started on 40 and increased one each month.

My initial breakout wasn't as bad as I anticipated. It was only like my normal pre-period breakout, just a little worse and a lot longer. But then my skin started to smooth in month two, and progressed. Since I've upped to 120 mg, I've had my worse breakout so far, but even it's starting to cease, slowly.

My worst side effects are joint pains, mood swings (I'll be completely happy one second, then the next I'm really depressed. It always passes though), LETHARGY. I think being constantly tired is the worst for me. I can sleep for 24 hours in a row and still be tired when I wake up. Not fun when you have to get up for school at 6.

I'm pretty sure these will all start to disappear when I stop taking it though. Accutane remains in your system for a month or two after you stop, but I bet the side effects will be less intense.

I'm also lucky enough to have a friend who took Accutane 2 years ago, and knows what I'm going through. His side effects weren't as bad as mine, but he still helps. I call him when I need him.

So if you do decide to take Accutane, tell a friend or family member that you can talk to, even if they just have to listen to you bitch. You'll feel better. And they can monitor you and make sure you aren't getting too depressed, too sore, too tired, etc.

Right now I'm feeling down on Accutane because of my breakouts, but I keep imagining a few months from now, how happy I'll be. I just hope and pray that it will work, and tell myself everyday that this is worth it.


Good luck. =D