10 replies to this topic

[StephenMcl]

Hey everyone, had an appointment with my gp today, for my acne again!, explained to her everything that i have tried, done and how i feel, i told her basically that i hate myself, i don't like going out at all anymore and just sit in my room most of the time, she then said that she couldn't see any acne and refused to give me accutane because my acne is only classed as 'mild' god i was so fucking angry, so because my acne isn't as bad as someone elses i should just suffer and become even more mentally insane that i already am!, she said that she thinks i have 'negative self body image' and asked me if i wanted to see a physcologist, i said, all i want is to get rid of my spots and then i will have no problems, i dont have physcological issues, if my spots go, my life improves, that is it, when i asked about accutane again she said that, no because it can cause liver damage, to which i responded 'i don't care, aslong as i can get rid of my spots' WHO THE FUCK ARE THEY TO DECIDE THAT I'VE NOT TO GET SOMETHING BECAUSE OF MY LIVER, GOD!!!!! I'M AT ROCK BOTTOM AGAIN, she then prescribed me differin, which i already have had, albeit in cream form, but she gave me the gel and told me that i wasn't getting accutane, what does it mean if the doctor wants you to see a physcologist?, do they think i am crazy, I JUST WANT GOOD SKIN, THAT IS ALL, NO MENTAL PROBLEMS, JUST CLEAR MY SKIN PLEASE!!!, also she guaranteed me that my skin would improve as i got older?. why did she say this?

Edited by StephenMcl, 24 July 2012 - 12:08 PM.

[PaulH85]

To me, it means exactly what she said it means; if your skin isn't bad enough to meet the criteria for Accutane, that's as far as you'll get with it. Ultimately, you could see that as a blessing. In any event, they wouldn't want to refer you if they couldn't be sure you'd treat the drug responsibly, and to say that you wouldn't care about any possibility of damage could suggest to them that it would be unwise to prescribe it to you.

I totally understand because I've been there. I went through the A to Z of antibiotics over the years and my doctor flatly refused to refer me to the dermatologist even then. By definition, my skin did respond to the medication. Even though it didn't clear my acne, there was a response and that's one of the things they'd use to decide that I didn't fit the criteria. I remember posting a thread here about ten months ago after I got that response from my GP and that probably reflects how frustrated I was. It's hard to feel grateful or whatever that your acne isn't sever when it's bothering you regardless.

Speaking of which, maybe your GP was onto something. I spoke to a therapist about unrelated matters shortly after that visit to my GP and I happened to link a few things back to my battle with acne. She quite openly said that my skin wasn't bad and asked me to grade it from 1 to 10. With 10 being the worst, I graded it a 7. Looking back, it was probably a 3 by that point. It's not so black and white or right and wrong as to grade it like that, but I do think it highlights how the way we might feel about ourselves in general amplifies what we see when we look at our skin.

You can't guarantee that once you clear your skin, all your problems go away and you become someone new. It might not work that way. Personally, the only thing clearing my acne did was show me that I had so much more to work out. That's a good thing because I can use the knowledge and improved clearer perspective, of course, but it certainly wasn't the answer to everything.

Maybe you do have a negative image of yourself. Evidently you have negative feelings about your skin and that seems to be enough to impact on your way of thinking and the overall quality of life you experience, so perhaps it could be worth looking into seeking other forms of help. There's no shame in it and it's a great help for many people. New perspectives can bring new courses of action and that's never a bad thing because it's all about trial and error.

[Elvin83]

Doctors are some of the most arrogant pricks you'll ever get to meet. Don't expect any sympathy from them.
Unless your doctor has skin problems herself, she will never understand what you are going through. No one with clear skin will.

My advice to you is, if you are determined to try accutane, then keep changing doctors until you find one that will give it to you.
Don't waste anymore time with the one you have now, it's clear that she doesn't understand/care about you, so move on to the next.

Don't let them get to you buddy.

Elvin

[Peony7]

I had accutane twice and yes it was great whilst I was using it but only for those short periods I was clear. Once I finished the courses the acne immediately came back.

There are a lot of people in the same situation on these boards. The accutane didn't fix their problem and the acne came back.

Looking back on it I wish I hadn't taken it at all and I am scared about what it might have done to my body.

I think it's really important for younger people to realise that this is an internal problem. I've had acne since I was 9 years old; I have been back and forth to my GP ever since then. They palmed me off with topicals, antibiotics, accutane and contraceptives. I have reproductive problems now. And only now are the Drs linking the acne to a reproductive problem.

I know that won't be your problem because you are a bloke but the point I am making is that the acne is a sign of something wrong and accutane doesn't fix the problem. It is better to find out what the problem is now and address that.

[ClearDreaming]

I think Paul has really said everything there is to say, in the best way. There are criteria for drugs as harsh as accutane, and it is not a magic cure. It is prescribed generally for very bad, or treatment resistant acne. Both of these fall into the judgement of your Doctor. If you can truly say that you have given every other medication a chance, and it has not changed your acne one bit, then you should say so to your Dr in a reasonable way. If she thinks it isnt bad and has suggested that you see someone about your view of yourself, then you likely have a distorted view of it. That isnt surprising in acne sufferers, and if that is the case, clearing your skin isnt likely to fix your problems, however seeing someone might help and you will be happier in the long run. They are trying to help and I wouldnt turn that down lightly.

I battled to get on accutane as no one thought my acne was bad enough until I went in with photos without make up on. I feel like my Dr was reasonable with me, because I was reasonable with her. I told her what I had tried, I told her I was willing to try other medications, but I felt I met the accutane criteria. She decided to give me one last shot with differin for 3 months, and then she referred me. The way your post is made suggests you dont understand the slog accutane can impact on your body and Paul is right, they wont prescribe it to you if they think you are unprepared, likewise it has been linked to depression, and they wont prescribe it to you if you sound like you might have it...

Since you havent stated your age, she may have implied your skin will get better as youre older as you are a teenager (or in fact they often say under 21) and your hormones fluctuate around that time and can cause skin problems.

The other peoples suggestions here are worth listening too. I know it is easy for me to say since they gave me accutane, but its not the end of the world.

[ForQuestions]

Doctors are some of the most arrogant pricks you'll ever get to meet. Don't expect any sympathy from them.
Unless your doctor has skin problems herself, she will never understand what you are going through. No one with clear skin will.

My advice to you is, if you are determined to try accutane, then keep changing doctors until you find one that will give it to you.
Don't waste anymore time with the one you have now, it's clear that she doesn't understand/care about you, so move on to the next.

Don't let them get to you buddy.

Elvin

That's probably one of the most reckless suggestions I've ever heard.

You must be a very bitter person.

Accutane, like everyone has mentioned, is a very, very SERIOUS drug, and should NOT be taken lightly. Not only is it usually not a permanent fix, it can seriously harm your body and internal functions to a very big degree.

If his Derm says his acne isn't bad enough for Accutane, than it probably isn't. There's no opinion more honest than someone other than yourself, especially when it comes to acne. You yourself magnify it by 1OOOx. I've looked at pictures of myself back when I thought I was in the worst position blemish wise in my life, and I didn't look as bad as I thought at all.

Not all doctors are heartless, in fact most of them are very sincere, especially long term doctors. The derm I had gone to in my younger years was very helpful and very encouraging.

OP, I strongly suggest you go with your Derm's advice and see a Psychologist. You can talk about your feelings towards your blemishes, and vent out your frustrations to a professional who can help while you're on the road to clearing up. Do not continue to switch doctors and beg them to put you on a drug that you are not ready for. A poster above me said that they won't put you on Accutane if you emit symptoms of depression, so that's another thing you should consider thinking about.

I also agree with everything Paul has said.

Good luck.

Edited by ForQuestions, 24 July 2012 - 03:06 PM.

[snsdgirl14]

I agree with Paul and ForQuestions. A few months ago, I had the worst breakout I've ever had. Red marks ALL over my cheeks, and big pimples that came to heads and just looked gross. My self esteem had never been lower. When I returned from school for Christmas break, my mom was so alarmed that she scheduled an appt with a derm right away. I was so down and out that I thought Accutane would solve all my problems. All I wanted was for the pimples and red marks to go away forever. Well....my derm did not agree with that idea. She classified my acne as moderate and simply told me Accutane was often a last resort kind of thing. She prescribed Monodox and Epiduo for me instead. I remember thinking, "How much can an oral antibiotic and a topical gel really do for my awful face??" It took time, but it DID work, wonderfully. After about six months I was not getting pimples anymore and my red marks were basically all gone.

I'm so glad I didn't go on Accutane. It truly is a last resort for acne. Accutane can work, obviously, but it does NOT always permanently get rid of acne. A lot of times, it comes back. Add that to the fact that Accutane has so many side effects - extremely dry skin, cracked and bleeding lips, joint paints, liver damage, depressive or suicidal thoughts. It is a VERY serious drug and should not be taken lightly or thought of as a 'miracle pill'. Accutane is meant for people who have severe acne for long periods of time and have tried everything else.

I know some derms are better than others, but I am 100% positive yours knows whats best for you. If she didn't want to give you Accutane and also recommended a psychologist then she is truly looking out for you and your skin. Derms know far more about skin than any of us do....they are MDs after all and have been to 10+ years of medical school. Trust your derm and try the Differin.

[arqa22]

u need to try benzoyl peroxide

[pokeblaa]

mya i dont get it, its your liver, your buisness what you do with it, but they probably need you too stay some longer to get cash from you. too much problems with accutane i read though, so i wonder why it is so popular again? you still need diet, still this and that and takes alot of time to start work, but its still not certain..so wait a minute. isnt it all the same old thing then? :/

[Ghostunit]

If it is mild, you don't need Accutane. It isn't worth it to go on Accutane when it is just mild. You should just keep eating the right food and apply natural products that won't harm your skin, etc.

[ledzep]

I read this post with interest as I've been fortunate enough to have been recently given a dermatologist referral after 10 years of dealing with acne (I am now 25). A lot of posters highlight your GP's response to your acne as enough reason to move on from considering accutane as a treatment as it has been analysed by a professional and has been deemed that it is not severe enough for that treatment. First, I believe that the 'severity' of acne's impact on a person's quality of life can be multi-faceted and should not be judged simply on the current state of the OP's skin when he went to see his GP. We all know that acne has an impact beyond the physical and so even if the OP's acne is physically quite mild it might be having a much greater damage psychologically which should be taken into consideration when trying to decide whether harsher treatments (such as accutane) should be prescribed. People may respond to this by saying that if the acne is having a greater psychological impact then it should be dealt with by a psychotherapist. Again, I agree this can be effective in part but it doesn't eradicate the fact that acne is a condition that has a tangible, empirical presence and if the OP genuinely feels that his quality of life would improve by dealing with the physical nature of acne then I do not see any reason why he should not be given the chance to try accutane.

As has been mentioned by others, the OP has not mentioned his age and this of course is a large factor, but I think If the OP is over the age of 18 and has informed himself of some of the possible side effects of accutane then he should be allowed to have that choice. During my 10 years of dealing with acne my skin hasn't always been bad. I had terrible cystic acne from 18-21 and from 21-25 I would say my acne has been 'moderate', in the sense that I still have persistent acne but only have to deal with cysts once or twice or month. For years I went to my GP asking to be put on acctuane and I was given largely the same response the OP had- that it was better to keep trying topical medications and that I would eventually 'grow' out of acne. In the end, I manged to get a dermatologist referral because I emphasized that that it was unfair for the GP to consistently judge my skin's condition purely on how it was looking when I went for an appointment. I mentioned that you have to take into consideration that it had been going on for 10 years, that I tried a huge amount of meds and acne was still giving me trouble on a daily basis. I also mentioned that the psychological impact of acne was dependent on the physical side of how my skin had been looking, as there have been periods in my life when I have had clear skin and I have felt very positive about life; maybe this is how the OP feels.

Finally, whilst your GP will be doing their best to give you constructive advice on how to deal with your skin, they are not dermatologists. This is the salient point in the OP's story and I am surprised it has not been picked up on. Derms are given specialist training far beyond what a GP receives to deal with skin conditions and they are much better suited to dealing with your acne. If you feel like accutane is really for you then I suggest that you educate yourself properly about the potential risks involved and if you still want to precede then try and see a different GP and logically present them with an argument of why accutane is the right choice for you.

Good Luck.

Edited by ledzep, 31 July 2012 - 09:58 AM.