153 replies to this topic

[acnefreeitalian]

i was 20 years old when decided to talk to another dermatologist about isotretinoin( because my dermatologist wouldnt prescribe it)
at the first meeting with the derm. she started me on claravis 40mg-1 capsule daily i believe i was 125lbs give or take 5lbs,but anyway
almost immediately i got the dry eyes side effect which i cured with some artifical tears, i used aquaphor ointment on my lips for the chapped lips a few months down the road when the derm and i didnt notice improvement on my bacne she doubled my dose to 80mg of claravis a day and i did that from about sept-january now months later my acne on my face is gone i still have somebacne but nothing that i cant control with some useful tipsfrom dan im gonna try benzoyl and alpha hydroxy lotion.

[thefloydfan]

19/11/2011(Active cystic acne) ------> March (Active cystic acne gone) ------> May 2012 (course over and remaining hypertrophic scar flattened).

I still have a scar on my cheek from the hypertrophic scar, which I shall tackle in 12 months from now with professional skin treatments. Whilst it does get me down a little bit when I look in the mirror, I take solace in the fact that had I not taken isotretinion my face would be absolutely covered in them.

It was defiantly worth it, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

[Travisimo]

It was the best decision for my type of acne. I have no side effects post treatment.

Edited by Travisimo, 17 June 2012 - 12:39 AM.

[Davis Rachel]

here's the post accutane update u all been asking for. I been off it for over 6 months and still satisfied with accutane.

Dry lips was the only side effect that i got.

Edited by Davis Rachel, 09 August 2012 - 04:11 PM.

[broncofan12]

New to this site but I wanted to post about my experience with Accutane. I had severe acne starting around 13 years old. I saw a dermatalogist regularly and tried many drugs until I was a sophomore in highschool at 16 years old. The dermatalogist suggested accutane and explained the side effects. The acne bothered me but I was still social and outgoing and no where near depressed. After taking it for 6 months my skin was clear with an occasional pimple here and there but no breakouts. I also played sports (football, basketball, baseball) and sweated tons. Before accutane when i sweated I would breakout almost everywhere on my body after the treatment I never broke out sweating. I am now 25 and still have clear skin just washing it with regular bar soap every day. I found that the acne soap dried my skin out to much after taking accutane. I know there are problems with the drug but based on my experience and 9 years later still with clear skin just by washing it once a day I would suggest accutane. While taking accutane I never experienced depression or any major side effects besides having dry skin which was so nice after dealing with real oily skin for 3 years. As with any drug there are side effects you just have to be educated and weigh the pros and cons of taking it.

[Mceal]

I started getting acne in the 6th grade, around that time it seemed I was the ONLY one who had pimples all over my face. Through middle school it only got worse, I'd wear my hair in my face just to cover the blemishes and eventually I started wearing makeup because I was too embarrassed to show my face to anyone. I'm 15 now, and earlier this year my mom caught me crying in my bedroom because my face looked terrible and hurt so bad. I was miserable and I had no self confidence whatsoever. My mom scheduled an appointment for a dermatologist that night.
The minute the doctor walked in she took one look and said "She needs to be on Accutane." I knew what Accutane was but I never thought she would prescribe me it. I was thinking she would give me some cream or something, but after getting my first bloodwork done a month later I got the pills.
She started me out on 40 Mg a day, and then after two months of great bloodwork she raised it to 30 mg twice a day.
I was worried because I'd read online that sometimes people didn't get results until a month after after they finished Accutane, and some people had there skin get worse before it got better.
Turns out, after three months of treatment my skin responded wonderfully to tane. The difference was like night and day!
The nasty, red, gross looking pimples were gone and the painful cysts were no where to be found on my face. I was so happy, I am happy. Im on month 5 now and still have 1 more to go. I've stopped wearing makeup and now only put on a light layer of tinted moisturizer before I go out, and although my face still isn't 100% clear, it is 100% better than what it was. I can't wait to start my sophomore year this august, It will be the first day of school in 4 years that I haven't worn foundation.

[monkeeeeeeee]

Severe Acne sufferer
Accutane 20mg twice a day for 6 months

I have been off Accutane for about a year and I have a great experience with it. I didn't have any nasty side effects except for the dry lips. I've been clear and free of horrible breakout for about a year now It feels sooooo good to be clear!
I am so glad I went on Accutane...I don't regret it at all.

[CONTACTMC]

I had severe acne as a teenager which went away on its own when I turned 20.
Around my 30th birthday it decided that I had been on a break from it for too long and came back in force.
I took Accutane for about 7 months for my cystic acne, it is the best stuff ever, nothing else even touched my acne, topicals just irritated it and made it worse, even just washing with water made my skin dry and irritated, so I would moisturise and then my skin would switch and go mega oily, I felt like I could not win!
After 3 years and various courses of anitbiotics and creams / gels I finaly pleaded with my gp to send me to a derm as I was getting scars. Been off the Accutane for nearly 3 months now, I have a few scars but my skin is clear, I get the odd spot, but instead of them lasting months and causing me pain, they come to a head and go away after a day or so.
I now just use Cetaphil face wash and moisturiser and nothing else, this stuff is also amazing.
Only side effect I had was dry lips and some dry skin on my arms which is now going away.
Whoever created accutane is a god, I feel like myself again!



Oh, I just wanted to add that if you are suffering with cysts etc then please dont wait 3 years before asking your gp to see a derm, just do it, if I had asked sooner and got on the accutane when it first came back I probably would not have the scars, but as always start slow with it, I was originally prescribed 40 mg a day, but for the first week I took only 10mg a day just to make sure my body could handle it, in the end I was taking 80mg a day with no problems ecept peeling lips and dry skin.
Anyone still suffering with Acne I wish you all the best and good luck with your battle to come!

Edited by CONTACTMC, 26 August 2012 - 05:09 PM.

[Davis Rachel]

i finished my accutane journey few days ago, i thought i could share with everyone my experience.

[will1578]

Hi All,

I am going into my third month of accutane and I would like to report, my experience has been MORE than positive.

My skin has not been this clear probably since elementary school (I got my first zit in the 5th grade) and I am now 25!

As for side effects of depression, honestly I suffered from depression bouts before the drug and I am much happier now with a renewed since of confidence. I am no longer afraid to walk around without makeup, I feel so much better about my skin. I had no idea it was sooooo bad before until I started seeing the clear side of life. As for side effects, yes, its true, they do exist but I'd take them again for the results. Here are my pros and cons.

Results:
Cleared acne, only about 1-2 bumps every now and then however, I am on a fairly low dose going into my third month, I still have 3 whole months afterward! I wish I would've started this sooner!

Cons:
Dry lips (aren't as bad as others have described, I apply chapstick or Eucerin throughout the day)
White spots
Dry skin
Exhaustion
Thirst

I can't tell anyone whether or not to take this medicine but if I had to redo things overagain, I would have gone on this in my teens. The confidence you get from being able to hold your head high free of a skin disfiguring disease pays in dividends in the rest of your life, trust me.

Good luck to everyone!

[HappyForOnce]

Hi all,

I had cystic acne for many years and began taking Accutane in December 2009 (I was 17) and ended my course in April 2010. I was taking 40mg and only needed the one course to clear up my skin. Prior to Accutane, I had taken various antibiotics, RetinA, Proactiv (garbage), basically name it and I tried it with no success. The only significant con I can name with Accutane was that my skin got very dry during the time that I was taking it. I used moisturizer for mature skin during this time because other ones weren't strong enough. At this point my skin has regained its oilyness but I still get the occasional dryness depending on the weather. I do get a few pimples around my jaw/chin but mainly just around the time of my monthly visitor. I also have really dry lips STILL. I exfoliate and use carmex or vaseline religiously otherwise I will have pretty nasty lips. Exfoliating and using carmex does the trick though. I would definitely do it again in a heart beat. Accutane saved my face

[JB772]

Here is my Accutane thread, best decision of my life:


http://www.acne.org/...ing-experience/

[determinedtowin]

The only regret I have with Accutane is not taking it sooner!

I tried N-Lite when it first came out (which cost my family a small fortune) every antibiotic under the sun but NOTHING worked.

Unfortunately I am on my 3rd course now and it is proving hard to work but I'm sticking with it

The down side is my scarring but its not as bad as it could have been although it does still get to me

[Screwed]

Thought would post my Accutane experiance so it might help others. I started accutane after going to new derm for a cyst on my back that I wanted gone. My face was in bad shap at the time also. He asked if I wanted to try accutane or try some antibiotics first, I was 33 at the time and had tried everything else, so I decided to go for it. I start at 40 mg daily but my skin actually got worse way worse, so at next apointment he said I should step down to 20mg a day and that the course would take longer. This sucked, but basicly the toatly course went over 6 months instead of 4, and I must say the fist 2 or 3 months were hell. Back ached constantly and my entire body was dry and itchy, bloody nose, bloody ears. And I'll be honest it did seem to make me a bit more depressed and more of a shut in. But by month 5 my skin was completely clear and and has been for over a year now. Months 1-4 might be like hell, but it will be worth it. I really wished I had done it sooner. I'm not sure if the internal scars will ever heal, I still have social axianty to some degree and still wonder what could have been if I had perfect skin like others. Don't wait like I did, if your acne is bad enough to stop you from enjoying life start your accutane journey now....