Im a 27 year old white male living in the Midwest with plenty of wind and dry air to irritate my skin. I started developing severely clogged pores in 9th grade and tried everything to combat the abundance of under the skin acne. I was spared cystic nodules for the most part but decided to do a course of Accutane b/c everything I tried either made my skin irritated or simply didnt work. I did a cycle consisting of 40, 60, and 80 mg. I had the typical side-effects of very dry and a slight redness to my face and upper chest. However, my acne completely subsided and I had near perfect skin. I never experienced any suicidal or depressed thoughts. I think most teenagers go through some sort of negative feelings so I could never contribute a bad day to Accutane. I was clear for a couple years (best years of my life!) and slowly started to break out again. This time it was stubborn, deep, cystic acne on my cheeks and jaw bone. I started shaving regularly at this time and I think my inability to correctly shave and treating my body like crap only made things worse. I will note that I regularly (every day) smoked marijuana and also binge drank on the weekends, thus completely neglecting my face aside from facewash and lotion. I decided to do another cycle toward the end of my senior year and had the exact same results: near perfect skin and confidence to match. I went off to college and lived the dream. I spent most of college with a few spots on my face but nothing to worry about. After college, I took a job in the finance industry and have many stressors (girls, works, bills, etc.) and my face started getting out of control. It killed the confidence I once had and makes it near impossible to look people in the eyes because I know what theyre thinking.
On to the side effects:
Flushing. Wow. Every time I have any sort of emotion (happy, sad, mad, etc.) my face implodes with flushing and it literally looks like Ive been punched in the eye. I cant tell you how many times Ive had to make up an excuse as to why my face flushes bright red for a half hour and then subsides. It generally leaves red marks near my eyes for an hour or so but all goes back to normal.
Rectal bleeding: I never experienced this while on the cycles but it would start shortly after. This sounds gross, but to this day, I cannot wipe after bowel movements without seeing blood on the TP. Its not painful, just very alarming.
Nose Bleeds: I have to put Vaseline in my nose most nights because the dryness never went away.
Prone to scarring: I dont have much cystic acne but my comedomes come to a head a few times a month and I use an extractor to remove them. No matter how soft, I always get a scar that takes weeks/months to fade. This NEVER used to happen and has only recently become a problem.
Rashes: Never had one in my life until Accutane. Now I randomly get them on my arms and have to lather up in Vaseline and wear a long sleeved shirt to sleep. Not fun but they go away after a few days.
Dry skin: I never had to use lotion anywhere prior to Accutane and now I cannot go anywhere without it. I fear the rain now because I know one or two drops can wreak havoc. And the dry skin isnt just on my faceits everywhere! I have to wake up 15 minutes earlier every day to lather my arms and legs to avoid ashy skin. My knuckles crack every week and its just something Ive gotten used to. Lots of people have told me you have old man hands. Gee, thanks.
Chapped lips: Never ending cycle. In college, girls always knew Id have a fresh tube of Burts Bees and would religiously apply it throughout the day. It works wondersbut Id like to not have to carry it everywhere.
Thinning hair: I come from a long line of full-bodied hair and mine is getting thinner each week, with a receding hair line to match. Both grandfathers had full heads of hair in their 60s and my Dad does as well (hes 63.) Im terrified to lose my hair because Ive always been known to have great hair. Hair stylists used to tell me how perfect my head was and I havent heard that in a couple years.
Joint pain: I cannot fully contribute this to Accutane but Im hardly able to run because of the pressure in my knees. Ive played physical sports my whole life so I definitely think that plays a major role. However, Im sure Accutane hasnt helped!
Bottom Line: Accutane works. It clears up your acne and gives you a new found confidence to tackle life. It really helped me in HS and college to live my life with a smile but there are definitely aspects you need to think about prior to starting the cycle.
Another note: I dont eat processed foods, drink caffeine, or ingest much dairy. I work out regularly and am in tip top physical shape. I do drink alcohol in moderation a few times per week but nothing crazy. I think my acne is mainly genetic and stress-related. I do know that Accutane is simply not an option moving forward because of the issues Im dealing with 10 years later.
If you cant have a perfect face, get better at everything else. Be the smartest kid in your math class. Be the fastest kid on the track team. Be the strongest one in the gym. Learn how to play guitar. Learn how to fix cars. Do something! You only have one life and you cannot waste it looking in the mirror feeling sorry for yourself. I know its hard, but your skin is never as bad as you think it is and you need to understand that life gets better. Money comes and goes. Relationships end. However, youre always going to pick yourself up and keep on keeping on.
I just finished my Accutane yesterday, and I just had some fatty food [cheese, butter] and it started itchiness on my cheek and nose that starts 5 min after and persists for about an after the food . I used to have similar experiences [before accutane] that would result in cystic bad severe acne.
Accutane: 80mg for 5 months
it was okay while I was on accutane
i just applied little bit of steroid cream over it, its not red or anything, not visible but i can feel it like i used to before accutane
I am confused to what it is that's not going away and fear this would not cause acne.
I am not sure if I can use this betamethasone valerate cream indefinitely
I will start retin-a as that seemed to help it a bit i guess, i dont even remember now
what the hell is this if accutane can't even hold it for 2 days
I just finished my Accutane yesterday, and I just had some fatty food [cheese, butter] and it started itchiness on my cheek and nose that starts 5 min after and persists for about an after the food . I used to have similar experiences [before accutane] that would result in cystic bad severe acne.
Accutane: 80mg for 5 months
it was okay while I was on accutane
i just applied little bit of steroid cream over it, its not red or anything, not visible but i can feel it like i used to before accutane
I am confused to what it is that's not going away and fear this would not cause acne.
I am not sure if I can use this betamethasone valerate cream indefinitely
I will start retin-a as that seemed to help it a bit i guess, i dont even remember now
what the hell is this if accutane can't even hold it for 2 days
I was on accutane in 2003 and I am still recovering. I came across Stef on youtube where he said in one of his videos that he is still hanging around at the org, so I had to check it out and give my two cents.
A short recap of my situation:
My symptoms pretty much coincide with yours, whereas some have improved over time, I will tell you what helped later. I have tried and experimentet a lot.
Doctors in most cases were not able to help or contribure in any way, I will spare you the details... would be a different story. Unlike you my acne came back pretty fast after getting off of the drug and it became far worse actually. My skin lost its ability to rejuvenate altogether for a quite long period of time and I am talking about the whole upper body where the skin had simply dried up. I did not suffer from depression or anything the like, but my state of health was rapidly decreasing after getting of the drug. To this day my eyesight decreases steadily, I had to start wearing glasses shortly after getting of accutane. Besides the common sideeffects I suffered severe cartilage damage in my knees, which cut my career as a basketball player short. My knees have not and probably will never fully recover, exercises involving running are a no go for me.
As I mentioned, the drug did not cure me! Quite the opposite, as my health worsened, so did the acne and at the same time I became extremely sensitive to stress and got tired and fatigued ever more quickly. My situation became so bad that in 2006 I realised that should I not be able to turn myself around I would soon be for a lack of a better word be "disabled". Some weeks or month after getting off the drug I also started passing gas, like all day nonstop, it was embarrassing and lasted until around 2006. This is when I went gluten free. In 2006/2007 I made the turnaround with juice fasting and liver flushes mainly, see tips below.
A friend of mine who initialy recommended the doc to me who put me on the drug went on two cycles of the drug and was never cured either. Instead this once very smart guy became extremely fatigued and started to suffer from paranoia. He had to quit his studies and has become pretty much unemployable. He recently tried suicide, because of an altercation he had with his dad about him not being able to start a real life and get a job. After the injuries he suffered from the suicide attempt he will probably never be close to normal again.
I have pretty much turned myself around, although I am not back to normal. Stomach is still messed up...
Lol my doctor's judgement was one of the worst over the past 6 months that I knew what bullshit to expect each time I left the office. Everything was going fine, and I use the word loosely, from October when I started the treatment to about the second week in January. The first sign of trouble was when my moisturizer was only burning my skin instead of cooling it. At that time, acne began to increase after 3 months of progress and no change in dosage (only 40 mg/day, but it was doing the job for then.) That next appointment at the end of January, I told the dermatologist the situation, and he basically shrugged my concern and said "looks good." At the end of February, same results except I started to use a redness reducer moisturizer (which basically felt like make-up.) The next visit to the office he for whatever reason cut my dose in half to 20 mg/day. I have no fucking idea why as I never heard anyone who did this unless they were having side-effects. Redness strangely remained as bad as it was on the higher dose but much more acne breakouts, even black heads started showing up. Three weeks ago I specifically told him where and how many spots I would get over a course of a couple days, and how we're only taking steps back in the treatment, and his idea was..
"Ok, everything looks normal. I think you need a break from the medication."
I can't wait to show up at his office next Thursday when he meets my September 2011 face again. If he says nice to meet you, I'm calling the cops
This drug has caused me to be depressed/suicidal for the last 6 years.
I took Accutane in December 2005, up to May 2006. I was due to take the drug for another month but it was making me feel terrible. I was crying without a logical reason and had many other issues.
I'm male and now 21 years old.
I now have:
- Sexual dysfunction - No sex drive and inability to get an erection
- Hair loss/ Terrible and weak hair texture/ a dozen visible grey hairs (at 21!)
- Thyroid/adrenal problems which shows up in testing.
- Seemingly I have Liver problems, despite bloodtests saying I'm okay. I feel ill for days if I drink alcohol.
- Dry eyes and dry mouth -This can lead to cavities. I used to eat a tonne of sugar when I was younger, in terms of sweets/chocolate etc. Now, I eat healthy because my overall health is so bad and I seem to have food allergies/sensitivities, and in the last few years have had 3 fillings. I have other teeth that look like they have cavities, despite having very good oral hygiene. My gums are receding too. Others have said about this after Accutane
- Joint/back pains
- Very low energy even after long hours of sleep
- Depression and anxiety. These started on the drug and nothing has helped.
- Chronic constipation which does not respond to a good diet, fibre or whatever else.
That's it for the most part.
I am unemployed and couldn't care less if I died today because this drug has taken so much from me.
It is a chemotherapy drug (Fact) and should not be given to people for acne.
I was in perfect health before taking Accutane and now I feel like I'm already dead.
I'm not someone who writes this for fun. This is real life. I have to deal with this crap every day.
My acne was moderate - not severe.
I strongly advise people to avoid this dangerous drug.
See my videos on www.youtube.com/fireyourdoctor to learn more about this.
The FDA need to answer a lot of questions. This drug has got away with murder(literally, in some cases) and ruins lives.
I will be taking part in a documentary which will air in the UK. I hope I can help people avoid the fate I now have.
Over the last 6 years, I have seen my health get worse and worse. I have spent thousands of pounds on supplements, health experts and organic produce. There seems to be nothing I can do. I can no longer see a future for me, and I know I'm not alone in this. Many, many people have the exact same problems as me. Some of these people are very smart, and yet - Nobody can figure out what to do. It's like the glass has smashed and can't be put back together.
I now see how little a problem acne is when compared to this.
13 and 14 years olds take this. It's crazy.
They are not warned of these risks. I certainly wasn't in 2005. I could not have prepared for this.
Permanent damage.
Some people take this drug for 2 weeks and they're screwed.
Some get away with it.
Do not play russian roulette with your health.
To read my book about my experience, search 'Accutane - The Truth' on Amazon. It's available on the Kindle.
My mother took Accutane when she was a teenager, and although she never told me her side effects, she only said "Accutane is horrible." I should have listened to her.
I am 21, and several months ago I started my treatment. I was supposed to take 90mg a day for 6 months. My insurance would not cover 90, so I took 80mg per day. About 2 and a half months in, my skin was pretty nice. I was actually able to leave the house without wearing makeup! I had experienced the typical side effects, such as dryness, painful joints, and some hair loss, and high triglycerides, but nothing that majorly changed my life.
Later, I realized I could not concentrate at work. I would stare into space for hours, and hardly get any work done. I could no longer multi-task, and for someone who normally had a very sharp mind, I felt like an airhead. I could not rememebr things that were said to me only moments before.
I started to feel very on-edge all the time, and stressed. The stress of my decreased mental ability caused me to have panic attacks. I had my first panic attack on March 20th and I went to the emergency room because I thought I was going to lose conciousness.
I had many tests done at the ER, and everything was negative. I stopped taking my Accutane that day, save for a few pills here and there. (I took a total of 4 and a half months)
I have continued to have frightening symptoms ever since. I have seen several different doctors with different specialties, but no one seems to be taking my Accutane theory seriously.
I was always healthy; overweight, but I'd never had anything worse than asthma.
Since taking Accutane, I now have the following:
- Heart palpitations
- Extreme lethargy
- Muscle weakness
- Lightheadedness and vertigo
- Ringing in the ears
- Loss of concentration
- PVCs (premature ventricular contractions; extra heartbeats)
- My digestive system is not regular
- Constant nausea
- Imperfect vision
- Facial flushing
- Hypothyroidism.
I used to have 20/20 vision or better. I used to be able to leave the house without having a panic attack. Heart conditions don't even run in my family. I was once a very detailed and precise driver, and I almost kill myself every time I get behind the wheel. I fail to see cars that are headed right toward me. I accidentally change lanes without even looking behind me! I fear for my life every day, and I do not believe my symptoms are all "coincidences," like my doctors seem to think. I had to quit my job because my brain is mush.
Accutane does so many things that are not documented as Side Effects. When I was reading the pamphlets, I thought "sure, I can deal with some stomach pain" and "Chapped lips? Big deal!" but nothing could have prepared me for all of this. It all happened so fast and with no warning. I have not taken a dose in about 2 months, and I have only gotten worse.
All of my tests are negative for any problems: no cancer, no high cholesterol, no brain tumors, etc.
I have no other option than to blame the Accutane.
People think we are crazy for going on such an intense medicine. They think we don't need it, and we're doing something unnecessary, like plastic surgery. But we live in a generation that does not accept people for looking different. Kids are ridiculed for having a pimple, and are taught that people with acne are gross. I wanted to cure my acne because I thought I would never be taken seriously in the world without looking "perfect." It's proven that prettier people make more money and are considered more trustworthy. I thought that taking Accutane would be pretty-much harmless, and would be a good choice in the long run. But as I am sitting here, with pain in my chest, a blurry eye, and a roaring sound in my ear, I know that it is not worth it. Temporarily being acne-free is not worth the potentially lifelong problems. I would love nothing more than a day in court with the drugmakers.
I have been trying many herbal solutions to my current problems: I drink a lot of chamomile tea for my stomach and anxiety. I've been trying reiki and chakra healing, for the anxiety. But some things require real medicine, like Synthroid for my hypothyroidism. And Xanax helps me forget about my irregular heartbeat. Because I quit my job, I lost my insurance. I was approved for new insurance, so at least I can keep seeing doctors.
Please, if you are a parent, teach your children to accept people as they are, because I would hate for the generation behind me to go through this shit for something as trivial as a zit.
I took this drug for 5 months and now feel depressed every day. Accutane has caused me ear fullness, crackling, twitching and lots of other preassure related symptoms which is really frustrating to deal with every day. If anyone has had any type of problems with their ears from taken Accutane please contact me and tell me how you dealt with this and if you can treat it. I must also ass that i get a hearbeat in my neck when playing sports and sometimes just moving about, never had thus before Accutane and i have no idea what this is.
I also have an ent appointment for july 17th which i will describe everything. If anyone can recommend anything thank's.
Hi everyone,
If you have a few minutes to read below, it would be greatly appreciated...
I am a 25 year old male from Australia who has been suffering from a chronic headache since November, 2005. I had been taking Roaccutane for 12 days and woke up on the 12th morning with this pain/discomfort around my forehead. At the time I had been working as a Landscaper (mowing lawns mostly) for roughly 4 months. When I woke up with the headache it was sitting on a 4/5 out 10, but I went to work. After a few hours of being at work I told the boss that I needed to go home because I had this headache, so I got home and took a couple of painkillers and lay down for an hour or so. I got up only to find the headache was exactly the same. I immediately thought to myself 'this is strange' but didn't think too much of it, as I was expecting it to just go away a bit later. I went to bed and woke up the next morning with the headache still exactly the same. This is when I started to worry a bit. After a couple of days of this persistent head pain, my Mother rang the doctor who prescribed the Roaccutane and asked if I should stop taking the drug and the Dr said to stop taking it immediately. All up I was on the drug for 15 days (15 x 20mg tablets). I booked an appointment with my GP a few days after and the Doctor told me that it may be a sinus headache because it is located around where my frontal sinus are. I was prescribed a weeks worth of Antibiotics to clear my sinus but it had no effect and the pain remained the same. After the antibiotics hadn't cured my headache, I started really worrying that I might have a tumor or something serious. However, I had a CT scan performed which showed no abnormalities, so anything serious was ruled out. Since then it has been a constant search to find a cure. My family and I have spent over $30,000 on the following treatments..
Sinus surgery (2006)
Acupuncture
Chiropractic work
Massage therapy
Hypnotherapy
Cranial-sacral therapy
Chinese Medicine
Bowen therapy
Botox injections x 2 and every pain medication under sun. The list just goes on and on.
About a year into the headache, I developed an anxiety disorder from constant worry, frustration and stress about my headache so I went on anti depressants for a few years. To a degree I think they did help me cope with the constant pain but more than anything they just helped me hold a happy face and pretend I was alright. The last thing I ever wanted from everyone is sympathy so I didn't tell my friends about the extent of pain because I wanted to seem like I normal. Only until recently, I have kept my pain a secret from a lot of people because I'm still not after sympathy from anyone. If I did have the occasional headache when I was younger, I would just prefer to ask Mum for a panadol (pain killer) and go to lye down in my room until the pain went but it has now been 6 and a half years, and I am tired of not enjoying my life. I am desperate to get rid of the pain so I can live life how it was intended to be for all of us. I have even had some people (even my own Mother) think it's a Psychological issue from being stressed out about my acne before taking Roaccutane, which really makes me feel like shit. That makes me feel the worst out of everything. I think a teenager should be able to get stressed out without developing a chronic headache that persists for 7 years, even when the acne clears up. I am open to any possibility though and my Mother is the closest person to me and has shown the most support, so I am seeing a Psychologist for pain management.
Over the years, we have researched 'headaches as side effect from Roaccutane' but all the articles we found just said that all side effects should go away once Accutane is out of the system. However, after reading posts from the actual people who have taken Accutane, It makes me wonder who is writing these articles saying that accutane side effects should go away after you have stopped taking it.
About 3 weeks ago, I had the biggest breakthrough yet after bumping into a man named George who is a pharmacist at my local Pharmacy. I was just in the store looking at vitamins, when he walked up and asked me if I needed any help. At this point in time I had been losing all hope and was desperate for help, so I told him about my condition. The more I told him, the more he seemed interested and deeply concerned about my headache. We talked for about 20 minutes and he asked If I minded if he called me tomorrow to discuss it further. Since then I have been in to see him weekly along with my parents and we have talked about all the possibilities of the cause of my pain. George would have to be the most sincere, knowledgeable person I have came across since the headache began. He understands my headache and is highly suspicious that Roaccutane is the cause. He believes my body has had an adverse effect which has manifested in this head pain. After all this time, it makes sense. Why was my health perfectly normal up until 12 days of taking this poison?
I have no other side effects besides the head pain. I have developed an anxiety disorder because of the constant worry and frustration (anyone would). My joints are fine, my vision is fine, my hearing fine. I do have fatigue which I also think is normal for someone who has a headache. However, I have managed to keep myself in shape and looking healthy. I have quit drinking, smoking and eating junk food. My skin is the best it's been and my diet is very healthy. I am currently off all pain drugs and antidepressant but have not noticed any change in the pain. I have noticed that my hair has gotten thin on top though. Not really thin, but definitely noticeable.
So here's the theory.....
George has me taking 3 Vitamin A tablets a day as well as 5 x 1M Palmitate Vitamin A liquid drops. He believes that the the toxic shit in Roaccutane has pretty much poisoned me and is stored in my liver as a fat soluble, so we're boosting my vitamin A levels for a couple of months in hopes of overriding the poison in Roaccutane. He explained it much clearer than I just did, but it does make sense. Because I was only on Roaccutane for 15 days, does not mean that it is completely out of my body. Even 6 years later. The strength of this drug is undeniable and it should be taken off the market. I have been on the natural vitamin A for three weeks, but haven't noticed anything yet, but George said it will take time. It may not work, but hey..it's worth trying. At this point, I am willing to try anything.
I know my story is quiet different from most people on this forum, but I thought it may be relevant. I commend you all for being so strong though and believe me, I know how hard it is living with the effects from this evil drug but we will get through it.
I've felt like giving up many of times but I'm not going to let this piece of shit drug beat me. Even though it sometimes seems like it's just never going to go away. There will be better days.
If anyone has any suggestions, ways of helping,questions or comments, I will be checking this forum regularly from now on so please feel free to reply to this post or contact by email at [Removed]
Cheers for reading and stay positive..
P.S - a message to Roche:
There may be a lot more clearer faces in the world, but that does not make up for the young people who are suffering because of your product. If someone told me Hitler invented this drug, I wouldn't argue the possibility
Reminder of the purpose of this thread. About five or six posts are now invisible.
This thread is here for people who had a NEGATIVE experience with Accutane. If you are sorry you ever took this drug, this thread is for you.
Please make just one post describing your experience, and edit/update that post as needed ... this will make it much easier for readers to follow each person's story.
It would be helpful, of course, to know the length of your course(s), your dosage(s), and when you started or finished. Please do not post until AFTER you have finished your course.
Please do not post links to other sites. This thread is here for personal stories of Acne.org members only. It has been pinned so that it will not be lost in the shuffle.
Neither this thread nor the "positive experience" thread should be regarded as definitive proof of anything, pro or con, about Accutane. This is by no means a scientific sampling and we are not checking up on anyone who posts here. It is simply a place where people can tell their stories and keep them up to date in a simple format that is uncluttered and easy to follow.
Something to keep in mind when reading this thread: quite a few people do get directed to Acne.org from anti-Accutane Web sites for the specific purpose of posting their negative experiences on this board. It's usually pretty obvious who these posters are (lengthy posts, one-time posters, etc.). However, this is a very open forum, and so long as these people stay within our rules and guidelines, we welcome them.
Arguments, flaming, and off-topic posts will be invis'd.
Well, here goes my negative accutane experience.
First, two of my oldest brothers were put on accutane and none of them got any rare side effect as I did. Took this drug in March of 2012 for only four days.
I received severe tinnitus (ringing of the ears - it's like a hiss sound you get after listening to loud music, but in my case probably worse).
I also have oilier skin after getting off of it. I understand that it is not listed as one of the side effects, but I garuntee you that my skin is twice as oily since getting off of it.
The third side effect that has not gone away is constant sweating (hyperhydrosis). I constantly sweat even at the slighest effort to do anything phsyical.
I am not here to degrade accutane or scare people away from taking accutane, but to post my negative experiences with it. I still live in fear of acne every freaking day and it has totally shattered my confidence, my relationtionship with friends and family, and possibly my future. But considering I only took this for four days, I can't imagine what would have occured if I took this for six months. Take this drug at your own risk, but it is really gambling with your life. We could all blame acne for this crazy mess, and hopefully there will be a cure of it one day.
I am 23 years old and I know my acne is not as bad as some, falling into the moderate category with a few painful cysts, however, it has been persistent and unresponsive to other OTC treatments, antibiotics, retinoids, and oral contraceptives. I was thrilled when I went to the dermatologist 3 weeks ago and right off the bat he prescribed me Accutane, 50mg daily. It was the start of a new school year and within the first week of being on the med I started seeing a dramatic improvement. Literally within the first 3-4 days the pain of my cysts diminished, giving me so much hope for the healing of my skin. After a week the stubbornness of my acne seemed to subside, leaving only fresh scars that were finally being given time to heal properly. My reason for going on Accutane was also because my dermatologist told me it was quick, and I was so happy that the guy moving to VA that I have been talking to for a couple months would see me with beautiful skin. To me, it was worth it to have some hair loss, it was even okay that my skin on my scalp and lips would bleed randomly, that my eyes were dry and bloodshot, that I was tired and sick. I kept telling myself this was all temporary and worth it to be beautiful in the end. What I did not know is that the Accutane would cause me to spiral into a deep state of depression with suicidal thoughts. I stopped taking the Accutane a couple days ago because the depression got so intense I have been having trouble getting up to go to classes, work, eat, and I do not see friends. The people I want to call and talk to I neglect because of this. I pray that this will go away with time. It's kind of sad because I only really had MODERATE acne, and in retrospect it was not that bad and not worth it to feel this way. Well, the guy I was dying to see for so long and just wanted to be beautiful for is coming here tomorrow, and the energetic, happy person I was before seems to be gone. I would give anything just to go back in time and change what happened so I could feel happiness like I did before. I wrote this in the hopes that if anyone else has here is contemplating going on Accutane for mild-moderate acne they will give it a second thought because it should only be a last resort, not something that should be frivolously prescribed by ignorant dermatologists who do not care to evaluate their patients' past history with psychiatric disorders and inform them of the risks. If you already have a predisposition to depression, try to consider if your condition is worth this. Nothing is worth feeling this way.
I took Accutane for around five months and have been off it for four months now - I still get really dry eyes, horrible joint pains and painful muscles if I walk for more than a mile or so. I really regret taking it - would much rather deal with the cystic acne i had before. Just hoping the side effects will go away eventually. Some of my friends have taken it and they were absolutely fine, I was just unlucky I guess 
I am sorry for whoever will read this post but this is the harsh reality.
If you think Accutane is this 'wonder drug' which will free you from acne forever you will be disappointed.
I was promised to be free from Acne for at least a few years but it didnt happen.
I recently saw my Dermotologist again and he told me "Accutane only works for 50% of cases, and unfortunately you are in the other 50%"
I took Accutane twice.
Once in 2005 and again in 2010.
Second time was worse than second time.
Took two pills per day once in morning and other at night for both rounds.
2005 - Acne cleared in about 6 months - Clear skin lasted for about 1.5 years before slowly creeping back...
In between did try alot of OTC products as well as Retin-A which ruined me. Therefore had to go back on second round of Tane.
2010 - Acne was more severe, took it for about 10 months before clear skin - Clear skin only lasted about 1 year.
It is now bad again. Taking differin + BCP, hopefully it works.
Side effects from Accutane that still remain (which I did not have to begin with) include;
- sore joints
- always tired
- dry eyes
- dry throat (constantly thirsty - causing bad breath)
- brittle/weak nails
- constantly feeling depressed/anxious
- IBS
- hair is extremely dry - static even, fly aways constantly needed something to be put on to keep it down. very annoying
- sensitive skin - my old skin wasn't even sensitive to start with....
Unfortunately Accutane diddn't work for me.
It might work for you as everyone is different. Goodluck
I finished my course about a month ago, taken off a month early because i was having extremely bad migraines lasting for days at a time, blurred vision, nausea and vomiting. Since starting my last month on the drug, ive felt generally ill. Extreme lethargy. Sleeping 18 hours a day, waking up feeling like I haven't slept in weeks. I've had constant sinus problems, joint and back pains, the list of side effects I've ended up with from these pills is as long as my arm. I feel extremely run down, as a result of this going on for months I'm now pretty depressed as well. Taking this has affected my day to day life. I've missed quite a bit of my college course due to feeling so ill.
Don't know about the rest of you, but the doctors in the UK are USELESS. One GP told me to go home and take paracetamol and ibroprofen when i told her about my migraines and my vision being messed up. She actually had to get a medical dictionary out and look up the side effects of accutane. "Headaches are listed as a known side effect, theres nothing I can do." Wow. I said I wasnt feeling myself and felt a bit out of sorts, and she gives me a leaflet for group therapy.
Do the pills work? Yes. I'm 90% acne free. I still have one or two actives on my face, but a lot of pigmentation on my cheeks and nose, I feel like rudolph! Just in time for Xmas..
I regret taking this drug. I've just turned 24, and I feel 74. My body is aching as I type this. I get out of breath if i climb a short flight of stairs and I've started coughing and wheezing at night time. I've heard accutane is a chemo drug? Sounds about right. Its sucked all the life out of me. I don't feel passion to do anything anymore.
Overall, I've experienced these.
Extreme fatigue
Dry skin
DRY LIPS
Pressure headaches/migraines
Nausea
Ears pop all the time like I'm on a plane..
Stiff neck
Sore dry eyes sensitive to light
Blurry vision
Can't see in the dark at all anymore
Trouble concentrating (brain fog?)
Joint and back pain
Extreme mood swings and depression
Heartburn?!
Rectal bleeding
I'm still experiencing most of these.
When I first got the referral from the NHS, I was terrified they wouldn't prescribe me accutane as nothing else had worked for me and it was my last resort. I couldn't bear the thought of just having to live with looking like I had some sort of disease all over my face. However I've come to realise the NHS dont actually care that much about whose put on what drugs. I seen one derm for an initial consultation before being put on the drug. She examined my skin. Said I was a candidate, and I signed the necessary paperwork. The different derm I seen throughout my course, never even seen my skin...ever. She never seemed to care. I'd come in every 4 weeks for the appointment and she'd ask the usual questions and give me the prescription. I had my liver functions checked about halfway through the course, and no one even bothered to tell me the results, I had to pester several doctors to go and fetch them. It sickens me the lack of interest, care and thought put into dispensing such a dangerous drug. Its controlled for a reason! I can't believe 13 year olds are being given this and not even having a proper consultation.
I just really hope that its early days for me, and all these awful side effects will wear off in time. Otherwise I see myself ending up as bitter and angry as some of you who have posted here after taking this deadly chemo drug. I've known people who have taken accutane and been absolutely fine. I guess we all seem to be the unlucky ones, although I'm starting to think theres a lot more of us out there than the statistics report.
I'm 18 mnths out from a 12 mnth course of 60:40mg.
Hair loss started 3 mnths after and continues to this day. Have purchased a wig and I willmist likely have to shave my head as my hair has been destroyed.
Severe dry skin with fine lines and deep wrinkles
Chronic dry mouth and lips
Thinned skin all over my body that no amount of lotion relieves the dry tightness
Fat atrophy in face, hollow eyes and temples
Thin brittle yellow nails
Premature aging in general
Chronic hair growth on face, back, neck thick vellus hair growth
Pains in joints that crack and pop especially ankles and knees
Hyperpigmentation all over my face. My skin has become brown and mottled from the dryness/ thinning of skin also dilated pores all over my face
Easy bruising
Insomnia and depression........
The list continues to grow.
Basically roaacutane has destroyed my skin and hair - ironic that both were beautiful before this
drug and the acne that's cone back now is more severe than the acne I had before and now my skin cannot heal andno longer can produce any protective oils whatsoever.
This drug has destroyed Everything and fucked my life.
Hi my name is Brad and I am 22, I was on accutane for little over 1 month and noticed that my hair had become very frail, brittle, and dry. IImmediately lowered my course from 20 mg a day everyday, to taking 20 mg every third day.
My hair nearing the end of the first month started thinning rapidly throughout my scalp and began to itch, wherever i scratched, hairs woulld fall out., it yielded a positive pull test but the thinning was more apparent then the amount of hairw faling out each day (30-40 telogum hairs ). I immediately stopped taking the drug.
From the date of first noticing that my hair went dry and brittle, it has now been 4 months and if anything the thinning of the hairs has worsened considerably to the point that shaving my hair is the only option, (not a look thats suits me very much but its gotta be better than what im having to work with now)
The way althouh in compaison the way it look now each individual strand is very very thin almost as if nothing were there.
Since that fateful day, i have read many many forums on this topic and feel that I may have a drug induced hairloss from accutane, whether it to be Diffuse AA or some other form alopecia, I am currently taking botin and another hair care product in form of an oral supplement concentrating in Vitamin B6 and saw palmetto. as a
well as topicam minoxidil 5percent applied every nght.
It has now been month 3-4 and since, and have seen no improvement, it is safe to say that i am now falling into a depression and this whole situation seems hopless especiall the thought of havin thair lik this for the rest of my life!
any suggestions from anymore who feels they encountered a similar encounter after taking accutane,
or any help in this matter in anyway will be hugley appreciatd,
Thank
P,s, Please god let my hair com back i miss it so much!!
Oh and no history of Mpb runs int he family.
Help Please
I tried accutane when I was 20. I had to discontinue after 3 weeks due to chillitus of the lips. No product I used would help. My lips were literally disappearing. I could not drink or eat anything outside of my house because of the embarassment. My lips were literally melting off my face. To this day, nearly 10 years later, my lips still haven't returned to their original state.
Posted this in another forum - has everything on -
Teresa, (and anybody on roaccutane)
I've just read your post and seen that you are taking this medication.
I have taken it myself, 7 years ago when i was 23, i am now 30 -as of last week.
I can completely empathise with your situation, i remember the reason why i paid over 1000.00 for the drug. It was a last resort and i was totally sick of acne. I was the only one of my friends still with teenage acne. But the irony was, the only person that cared about this was me.
I was so desperate for clear skin i reasoned that life was so shit with acne that it was worth the crazy risk of my health.
Ok, so seven years on here i am and i'd like to share how it's gone for me.
I took the drug, went through all the temporary dry skin super chapped lips , the acne got worse and then one day there was not one spot on my face. Awesome!! i thought and i could count the number of spots i've had since on one hand.
However, this is why i want you and anybody taking the drug to stop right now and ride out the zits, (because they will go all by themselves). This drug has some serious long term side effects, so i'll tell you the story of my last seven years:
Shortly after finishing roacutane, i developed severe anxiety, i would tremble and shake. It was so bizarre, i'd never felt anything like this. Then this started to happen around people in social situations, it still happens to this day. To give you an idea of the person i was before, i had lots of friends, i was one of the most laid back people i knew, i was in a band, loved my music i was a pretty laid back guy - well other than the acne.
As the years went on, my general health has deteriorated, i have had a number of auto immune disorders, and you have to remember i'm a young guy at this stage in his prime who takes care of his health. I've ended up with chronic fatigue, i'm basically exhausted all the time. And worst of all is i have cognitive problems with memory and feeling like i'm on a different planet. I lost lots of friends and hardly moved forward with my life at all.
Now there is no clear way of proving that this was because of roacuttane ( it's a drug pescribed by a doctors, and they know what they are doing right? it's not like a drug company is a billion dollar industry?) but please, there are too many people that this has happened to for it to be coincidence, I'm pretty sure, if not 100%, that what happened to me was because of this drug.
Do not risk your health for beauty, when you're older you'll understand, and please i really empathise with all your situations, acne sucks it does i know, but you'll get into your twenties, it may even be towards the end of them if you're unlucky, and it WILL go. But if you fuck your health up you will have a way shitter time than acne trust me.
Please don't do this, if your health goes to shit because of it there is little it seems can be done. You only have one life and one body - look after it.
And i am a real person. My name is nick i live in manchester england, and if anybody wants a chat i'll do my best to warn you.
Also i know this post is not what you want to hear, so please don't get mad. If i'd had no bother with it afterwards i'd be telling you to go for it. I feel it's my duty to warn you as i would hate this to happen to anybody else.
cheers,
Nick
Just wanted to share my experience with Accutane and acne overall as it might help someone.
About two years ago at the age of 27, shortly after I moved to the UK I started to develop Acne. I've never really had acne problems and couldn't understand why this was happening, it started out with small white closed comedones and it escalated to moderate acne with occasional cysts. I went to my local GP who put me through two courses of different Antibiotics and differin cream over a two year period, none of this really worked and the acne kept on coming back. From previous experience, I have learnt that incompetent doctors can cause serious harm, so I kept on insisting to get a hormone test as I thought it was hormone related, but was told that I'm not allowed hormone tests at my age on the NHS. The 3+ GPs I've spoken to didn't take me seriously and only after begging to go to a specialist was I referred to a dermatologist two years down the line.
My dermatologist back in SA has always been an absolute genius (Dr Hardie de Beer) and I knew he'd be able to help, but couldn't get to him so I opted to go to an NHS derm in the UK. I knew something was causing this problem and that something wasn't right, but the derm just shoved a course of Accutane in my hand even though I didn't feel comfortable taking it. After the first tablet I started noticing a ringing in my ears, but nowhere on the accompanying information that the dr gave me could I find ringing ears side as effect. Only after a search online did I realise how serious this could be and stopped taking the medication - also my kidneys started to ache and I feared organ damage. This all was after taking it for about two weeks 30mg a day, which I reduced to 10mg due to severe dry eyes. My eyes are dry on a normal day so I expected an increase any way.
After an extensive search online, I found information about vitamin D deficiency and acne. As the sun never shines in the UK you'd think doctors here would be more aware of potential vitamin D deficiency - apparently not. I was also getting colds about 4 or 5 times a year which to me was abnormal - I mentioned this to my GP but his response was that some people get colds more often than others - great to know this absolute numpty was concerned about his patient's wellbeing, right?
In my search online I also noticed people getting results from lemon juice as topical, so I started taking 1000IU of vitamin D3 daily and used lemon juice under my moisturiser at night. It's been three weeks on the vitamin D and a week with the lemon juice and my skin is clear and almost back to normal. I don't have excess oil in my T-Zone and my hair is also less oily.
The incompetence of several NHS doctors who were happier to give me various courses of antibiotics, topicals and finally accutane than to figure out what was wrong has now given me tinnitus. This constant ringing is not stopping, I'm going to see a specialist and hopefully seek legal advice as I don't think these apparent experts should get away with misdiagnosing people in this way. I seriously hope the ringing ears will go away.
My advice to anyone with acne: Before you take accutane or any atibiotic, get a vitamin deficiency test if you can - you might be refused one if you're going through the NHS though. Also try lemon juice as that might help. I wet my hands with lemon juice at night and spread it over my face and neck, wait a few minutes and put a moisturiser over it, it really helps with the scarring and red marks as well. Everyone is different and your acne might be caused by something else, but in my opinion it's caused by something, it won't just appear out of thin air so do everything you can to figure this out first before you put your body through this kind of trauma.
Good luck, I hope this experience helps someone and that you will be saved from years of pain an suffering due to incompetence and not being taken seriously.
Before considering accutane, I'd read other people's negative experiences and always assumed it was due to their high dosages.
Well, I have made two very brief attempts at a low dose accutane course and it's clear that accutane is just not for me.
The first time I tried 10 mgs per day - immediately I got the pins and needles sensation in my hands which was weird, but tolerable. Around the 4th day I felt a strange pain in my lower abdomen/back. I freaked out and stopped taking it right then and there. I was self-medicating which I know now is incredibly stupid when it comes to accutane.
So I decided recently to try again and go through a dermatologist. She recommended 20 mg a day. My first pill in my hands and feet got extremely cold and felt numb within an hour. Later that night, I felt a strange pressure all around my head that was almost like sinus pressure but a bit more intense.
The next day I just felt off all day. Anxious and had a very hard time getting work done. And I had a lot of work to do so it sucked.
For a while I thought I would ease into my course by taking it every 2 or 3 day, but after reading up on it, the side effects I was experiencing with just one pill in were troubling. I couldn't imagine what the future held for me if I continued taking this drug.
It's been almost a week since the first pill and my hearing has become much more sensitive. Typing on the computer sounds so loud right now -like each key stroke is pounding straight on my ear drums - I feel like it caused some kind of inner ear havoc.
Anyway, if you're considering this drug, please realize that some people just can't tolerate accutane. In a way, I consider myself lucky that I found this out about myself before getting in too deep into my course. After one 20 mg my IB was already starting too - I shudder to think what would've happened if I found myself in the middle of a horrendous IB and having to suffer through the side effects to get my skin clear again.
I'm back on the BP regimen plus the supplements I've been taking and I feel positive about it because it's working after a few days. I'm done being ashamed by the fact that I need to slather my skin with acne medication - which is the main reason I never stuck with it - my stupid vanity.
I took Accutane for around 4 months at the age of 14 (in 1999) as I was entering high school. I got bad mood swings that ruined a few friendships, but kids are stupid and so was I. I think the drug played a role, but didn't cause it entirely. I also remember having really dry lips that cracked at the corners and vaseline did nothing to help, and I had cotton mouth all day at school. So those were the immediate problems, and my acne mostly went away, despite only being mild to begin with.
At 17 i started to notice pain in my joints, but nothing terrible, just occasional stiffness. I was never athletic anyway. But by 19 my hands started to hurt so bad I couldn't draw with a pencil. I could no longer walk to school due to my back and feet hurting. I got depressed during this time and eventually fell behind in my classes. I moved back home and over years learned to deal with my situation. I'm now back in school although I'm always tired and exhausted for no reason.
Over the last 8 years my joints have cracked and popped in multiple directions constantly. There's a relief associated with the process and it's become second nature to me now, although it carries a stigma and people often tell me to stop. If my joints catch and I don't pop them they begin to ache terribly. I know how to effectively relieve every joint in my body. Toes, ankles, knees, hips (these are the worst because it looks like a rendition of "I'm a little tea pot" and I have to do it in public sometimes), pelvis (yeah, pelvis. Only happens when I lay on my back), lower back, fingers, wrists, thumbs, elbows, shoulders, every vertebra all the way up my back to my skull, and my jaw (not a crack, more of stretch to release a few subtle pops deep in the joint).
My knees are bad when they catch because the pop is like a lateral explosion through the joint as the pops come in succession. This usually happens after I've been sleeping or sitting a long time. My back does the same thing, running a string of loud pops. My hips are loud, my wrists are very sharp and painful. I twist them to get the pop where the ulna and radius connect. My fingers (like my knees) require sideways pressure to release, which is every few sentences as I'm typing this. If I don't get the pressure right the first try they'll catch worse and ache. I'm good at finding the right angle though. And my ankles catch when I flex dorsally, which I do intentionally because the relief is at the extent of that range of motion. They catch when my heel is stretched downward and my foot stretched up. However I can't stretch or even touch the bottom of my feet because they are sensitive and fragile. The tendons under the arch and along the length of each foot can easily get pulled which is painful and debilitating, requiring a long recovery. My shoulders pop in connection with my neck, so I'll stretch a shoulder blade (the blade not the deltoid area) and it releases pressure on part of my neck, making a pop come available in the cervical vertebrae. This unconscious roadmap of connections has embedded itself into my daily life so that I'm always maintaining a level of relief.
My days are a symphony of popping. I have to constantly adjust for new angles, and sitting in one position is a nightmare. I'm a terrible fidgeter due to this. If I sit next to someone they think I'm telling them to move when all I'm doing is adjusting my hips or resetting my back. But the worst part is that I never knew what this condition was (I still don't really know, I just know the common cause is this drug), and I can't get any help for it. I just manage.
In the last year or two I've been having severe headaches in the evening. It happens light or dark, hot or cold, humid or dry.
To be honest, I would take back the acne in a heartbeat. I'm unable to walk in stores with hard floors or go to the mall or walk at festivals, I can't take standing jobs, I hate sleeping in the same bed with women because I fidget for an hour before falling asleep, I can't dance or jump around without damaging a joint which can wreck my precarious exercise regimen, and I can only lightly row and bicycle for exercise (swimming pops my shoulders, running is impossible, rowing fast stretches my elbows and knees, and cycling fast compresses my elbows and knees). Accutane has impacted every part of my life and I would turn back the clock if possible. I complained a couple times about zits as a teenager and this is what I got instead. I can't find any cosmic justice in that.
I'm 2 weeks into month 4 and I'm still breaking out.
I'm still getting white heads and recently started to get blackheads which I never got before I took accutane.
My face is covered in red marks, and my face just looks a LOT worse.. I'm also feeling VERY depressed which u have fine through your my course, i think taking accutane might have been my worse decision yet.. I'm feeling more paranoid than ever about my face + carnt even look people in the eye and I hate looking in the mirror :\
Also when I wash my face it always always makes my face look worse. Iv got every single cleanser + moisurizer there is and everything makes it look worse and red, when I don't wash or put anything on my face it looks slightly better but then it's covered in dry skin
I'm 2 weeks into month 4 and I'm still breaking out.
I'm still getting white heads and recently started to get blackheads which I never got before I took accutane.
My face is covered in red marks, and my face just looks a LOT worse.. I'm also feeling VERY depressed which u have fine through your my course, i think taking accutane might have been my worse decision yet.. I'm feeling more paranoid than ever about my face + carnt even look people in the eye and I hate looking in the mirror :\
Also when I wash my face it always always makes my face look worse. Iv got every single cleanser + moisurizer there is and everything makes it look worse and red, when I don't wash or put anything on my face it looks slightly better but then it's covered in dry skin
I'm 2 weeks into month 4 and I'm still breaking out.
I'm still getting white heads and recently started to get blackheads which I never got before I took accutane.
My face is covered in red marks, and my face just looks a LOT worse.. I'm also feeling VERY depressed which u have fine through your my course, i think taking accutane might have been my worse decision yet.. I'm feeling more paranoid than ever about my face + carnt even look people in the eye and I hate looking in the mirror :\
Also when I wash my face it always always makes my face look worse. Iv got every single cleanser + moisurizer there is and everything makes it look worse and red, when I don't wash or put anything on my face it looks slightly better but then it's covered in dry skin
I'm 2 weeks into month 4 and I'm still breaking out.
I'm still getting white heads and recently started to get blackheads which I never got before I took accutane.
My face is covered in red marks, and my face just looks a LOT worse.. I'm also feeling VERY depressed which u have fine through your my course, i think taking accutane might have been my worse decision yet.. I'm feeling more paranoid than ever about my face + carnt even look people in the eye and I hate looking in the mirror :\
Also when I wash my face it always always makes my face look worse. Iv got every single cleanser + moisurizer there is and everything makes it look worse and red, when I don't wash or put anything on my face it looks slightly better but then it's covered in dry skin
PLEASE STOP TAKING IT NOW
I'm 2 weeks into month 4 and I'm still breaking out.
I'm still getting white heads and recently started to get blackheads which I never got before I took accutane.
My face is covered in red marks, and my face just looks a LOT worse.. I'm also feeling VERY depressed which u have fine through your my course, i think taking accutane might have been my worse decision yet.. I'm feeling more paranoid than ever about my face + carnt even look people in the eye and I hate looking in the mirror :\
Also when I wash my face it always always makes my face look worse. Iv got every single cleanser + moisurizer there is and everything makes it look worse and red, when I don't wash or put anything on my face it looks slightly better but then it's covered in dry skin
I'm 2 weeks into month 4 and I'm still breaking out.
I'm still getting white heads and recently started to get blackheads which I never got before I took accutane.
My face is covered in red marks, and my face just looks a LOT worse.. I'm also feeling VERY depressed which u have fine through your my course, i think taking accutane might have been my worse decision yet.. I'm feeling more paranoid than ever about my face + carnt even look people in the eye and I hate looking in the mirror :\
Also when I wash my face it always always makes my face look worse. Iv got every single cleanser + moisurizer there is and everything makes it look worse and red, when I don't wash or put anything on my face it looks slightly better but then it's covered in dry skin
PLEASE STOP TAKING IT NOW
http://www.acne.org/messageboard/gallery/member/187201-livetoregret/