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I had terrible cystic acne last Autumn and so went to see a dermatologist. He thought it best to start me on accutane as he was worried about scarring and no other antibiotics or creams I had been using were working. So I took some blood tests (which were all fine) and off I embarked on my accutane journey!
I started in November 2010 with a low dosage at first (20mg a day) just to see how I faired with it. After about a week I had some mild irritation in my nose but nothing too severe so I began to take a full dosage of 80mg a day.
I started developing more side effects such a really crusty and bloody nose and some patches of psoriasis flaring up, but nothing too serious so I was quite happy to potter on with it. I don't think my acne flared up too much from it. I had to start moisturising daily with E45 cream otherwise you could see that my skin was drying out and flaking on my face. Lovely stuff! I used anti dandruff shampoo throughout my course and didn't experience dandruff once.
I continued to do this over Christmas until in January I went for a check up where all was reckoned to be greatly improved (at least, I didn't have a massive pussy lump on my face anymore!). As I was intending to go away travelling in February (the last month of my course!) my doctor was concerned about the effect of sun (was going to be in Thailand for that month) on my skin whilst on the medication. We came to the agreement that I would up my dose further to 100mg a day for January and then bring it down to 60mg whilst travelling.
So I went through January on this greater dosage... no more major side effects that I can remember. I was used to having nosebleeds often and my psoriasis was under control from other creams. I experienced occasional dry and sore eyes but this was nothing some simple eye drops couldn't fix.
I came to leaving for my travels and I took the rest of medication with me knowing that I would come back 5 months later with it all in the distant past and with much better skin! I had a month in Thailand with my friends. I drank a little whilst my friends drank a lot (my doctor told me I could drink on accutane but that I should just be sensible). This probably saved both my liver and my money if I'm honest so I wasn't too bothered. I did have one night where I drank too much (which was stupid if I'm honest) but all that happened is that of normal alcohol effects. Alcohol doesn't seemed to have harmed me in any other way (as shown by another blood test I took when I got back home). I was certainly cautious with it whilst I was on and didn't drink anything before I went travelling, but I didn't experience any additional side effects when I did drink... Other than that of the alcohol!
One month into my travels and I finish my course! My face is still a little bit red with a few red dots here and there. I'm now home after the whole 5 months away and my face is SO much better. Perhaps a small amount of scarring (which may have been prevented by going on accutane earlier) but it is really unnoticeable unless you look for it!
In all I am SO GLAD I took accutane and in fact wish I had made the decision to do so earlier! The side effects were nothing compared to those of which you were warned of. A lovely crusty nose. Dry, sometimes flaky skin. Occasional dry eyes. Not a whole lot else to be mentioned of... I now have much nicer skin which doesn't hurt everytime I touch it! So very worth a 4 month course on accutane!
My mom took this, and gave birth to my older brother with a birth defect.
It worked to clear up her acne but now my brother has to live with this his whole life.
Personally, I think there are much better, safer and less riskier ways to clear up your acne.
What do you think?
Hi, I'm new here and became a member after searching for a way to support Accutane and all who think it can be a positive medication to take. With all the negativity out there about the health risks and effects, I feel compelled to share the tremendous positive impact it can have on a young woman's life (not that I mean to leave out the fallas) I'm 21 BTW. We're all very thoroughy explained the risks of taking it and are also provided with a hard copy of the risks and warnings associated with taking it, so as consumers we can decide to take it or not. I strongly believe in keeping this medication available to the public consumer bc it is the only treatment that has actually significantly helped to clear my skin therefore boosting my self-esteem and made me like seeing my reflection in mirrors rather than avoiding it... if it was no longer available, I would cry myself to sleep for many nights bc it is my only hope to feeling beautiful. I was on it for 6 months and my treatment ended ten months ago.. my derm. took me off it before my face had cleared up completely... my chest and back are clear from the black heads, white heads and those big bumps that are painful and take weeks to develop then eventually go away... but my face is back to the severity forementioned. There're more bumps than I could possibly count! It's terribly embarrassing and I just want to hide from the world.. I hope whole heartedly my only shot at feeling beautiful again isn't destroyed by the many lawsuits recurring... :/ ..incredibly scary thought. If you don't love yourself you can't possibly show your love to others.. the confidence can't develop. I called a new derm just today and requested I be put on Accutane again.. I am so happy it's still on the market!
Went on Accutane about 6 years ago with moderate/severe acne, I had tried EVERYTHING else persecription and over the counter and nothing worked. I do not remember the dosage but if I was to guess it was 20mg twice a day for the first few months then up to 80 for the last three. I was on for a total of 6 months and my skin has been clear until about a year ago. After I gave birth to my son my skin started to change again. I have tried everything once again even going the natural route didn't work. Right now I am on Solodyne and a topical. THe dermatologist says the insurence companies like to see you try several other medications before going on accutane. If your female they want you to you to have 2 forms of birth control and sign up for ipleadge. In 2006 When I was on accutane i had to go once a month for a pregnancy test and a blood test to make sure the organs were okay I am not sure you still have to do this. Right now my face is the worst it's ever been before so I am going to tell my dermatolgist that the only thing i want to go on is the accutane. It kept my skin clear for 5 years, to me it was a miracle because like i said before NOTHING worked. I hope I can get the same results as I did before. THe only side effects I had were dry lips (i used soft lips which worked fine) dry mouth, and brittle nails from what I remember. If you pay attention to your body you will no if the medication is good or not for you.
If you are debating taking this drug, please read my long, unbiased story. I just wanted to share my experience (as a woman with acne) because I remember freaking out before I started to take accutane. You read all the horror stories, but there are positive outcomes as well. In insight, I wish I took it sooner.
As long as I can remember I've had bad skin. Never totally cystic, and only around my cheek/jaw line...but as a female, I wanted decent skin. Looking back, I was blessed with an attractive face, thin body and was deemed generally attractive... but I never felt confident with awful acne on both my face and body. It kept me from being the person I wanted to be because I was so obsessed and embarrassed of my skin. I'd never wear a shirt that would expose my chest and forget about wearing a bathing suit. I couldn't look people in the eye, I didn't want to be seen by others so I hid most of my years away alone being paranoid about my skin. I never dated in high school or college because I basically closed myself away thinking I wasn't good enough to be around others. Acne raped me of my social life from 14-24 years old. I wasn't brave enough to put myself out there due to this problem.
I tried all the usual products, both prescription and over the counter. Nothing kept me clear. I went to so many dermatologists too. I remember being insulted by one who introduced himself to me by saying, so what can I do to clean you up? WHO SAYS THAT? Obviously I'm here for acne, you tell me what to do, jackass.
Finally, in January 2008 I started using Sotret. I started at 40mg the first month and was at 60 for the following 5 months. I am 5'7 and was around 130lbs at the time. I will admit, the first few months I developed HORRIBLE cystic acne, worse than I've ever had in my life. I suspect my main mistake was that I took Accutane during winter and that I didn't keep my face hydrated enough. Because of this, I developed mild/moderate acne scarring from the initial breakout. Naturally, the scarring became apparent months after my course finished and the redness faded. I was told to use Tazorac .1% after to maintain. My skin (minus the scarring which really did bother me) was flawless, poreless, matte and really wonderful after all the redness faded.
I finally wasn't afraid anymore and became the person I always wanted to be (albeit paranoid about the scarring which I hid behind my hair). I finally started to go out and meet people. I felt desired for the first time by men. I didn't feel ashamed showing my body because there was no acne on my chest or back. All along, I was this person, but I couldn't project myself because of the former mask of acne. I had never been so happy and confident in my life, and it was all due to the fact I didn't have a face full of acne. Had I never taken accutane, I never would have had this good period of my life.
I thought I would be clear forever now, not having acne on my face or body. But around this time last year it started to come back mildly both on face and back/chest. Why this occurred could be to several reasons, I think a combination of extreme stress and having to use a topical on my face for a fungus, which clogged my face up.. anyway. My forehead which has never been a problem area for me is a complete oil slick now for some reason. I'm getting tiny little bumps on my back and chest too. This bothers me and I'm quite tempted to try and get accutane again but I'm probably going to be without health insurance for a while so I'll have to survive on my final 2 tubes of Tazorac.
Was my story a 100% success? No, I scarred from taking this drug. Also, my acne is coming back.. but very light compared to what it was originally. I don't believe I had any pressing health issues to start with, nor did I have after taking it. I think the key factor to consider before taking is ARE you healthy as is? If you have some health issues to begin with, taking Accutane is a roll of the dice. You also have to consider that you might scar (even if you don't pick at your skin...I didn't and I scarred). Also, if this disease impacts your social life and generally mental well being, then I think it is worth considering. This drug gave me the confidence I never had in myself due to years of acne. But it should only be taken as a last resort.
If you do take it: Don't drink while on it, moisturize the shit out of your face AM and PM (even if you think you are oily), drink lots of water and eat well (take your daily tane with fatty food like peanut butter) and DO NOT pick at your acne. Just let it be. If you are a healthy person, you likely won't have issues.
If I could take it again, I would without question..
I'm a 180 pound female and was on accutane for 5 months. I had been on antibiotics for 4 years and had filled about 100 prescriptions from my derm, been talking to her about accutane for about 2 years every time i had a regular 3 month check up. I had extreme severe cystic acne, every kind of acne all over my body and was in a lot of pain. My skin was awful in every possible way and the dozen medications I was taking everyday weren't working anymore, so I went on it. My skin (permanently) cleared within 2 months, but had to go off because of my skin thinning, my skin's healing process slowing, and psychosis with severe paranoia. My skin is permanently thin and doesn't heal well, so now I am injured easily and for longer periods of time. I now have permanent severe paranoia, which really changes every moment of your life. I sleep as little as possible, have ocd-like things i have to do to feel safe and HATE being touched, alone, or unprepared in any way. My skin is the best it's been in years, now I'm only on a antibiotic, the pill, and 4 topicals. If you're derm recommends going on Accutane, do it. It's the best thing that's ever happened to me and lasting side effects can be controlled withs meds.
I will post this here, but spread my advices.
This will be my last post here in acne.org. This message board is a GREAT PLACE. I really owe you guys. But I finally can move on with my life.
GENERAL TIPS (sorry my bad english)
Background: I'm 22 years old male. I had moderate acne since I was 11. Now I'm finally clear due to....
Accutane: Only thing that did the trick for me. Face it: if you have been using every acne cream out there and none solved your problem, none will. ACCUTANE IS NOT EVIL. I've notice that in my country (Brazil) most of the derms doesn't prescribe high dosages. Usually 20/40 mg. We have a brazilian online community related to acne and I have never seen anyone complaining about permanent side effects or any horror story. Here we have low dosages and long courses.
Acne IS related to diet: During my last months on Accutane my face was acne free. I ate a chocolate and next day BAM, a tiny zit. Did this again and the same occurred. But I have a better example: one month after Tane my face was oily again (not as much as before though) and I was getting a zit here and there (very very mild). So I did some research and stopped eating dairy. Next day my skin was oily free. One week later, no more zits. DON'T EAT: DAIRY, CANDY OR ANY JUNK FOOD. Dairy is fucking poison.
DON'T, NEVER, EVER, WASH YOUR FACE WITH HOT WATER: It will overdry your skin.
I see people talking about cysts, zits, red marks and scars, but oil on skin makes a huge difference. My face with only read marks was not so pretty. Oily it was fucking horrible. So, again, no hot water, no dairy, no candy, no junk food.
Regarding red marks, almost every treatment out there can cause you to break out. Time is your best friend.
My face:
Best to you all. I really mean it. 
Hey all.
Im not a regular contributor to this site but i feel i owe it to accutane. I have been off accutane for 2 weeks and right now my skin is brillant really it is. I was on 40mg for 6 weeks, then 60mg for 12 weeks. I did suffer during those times with dry lips and crusty nose. However it was all worth it. Being able to go to college all day and not have to look into a mirror to 'check up' on my face is really astonishing. It certainly makes life that much easier. Now to get on with the other things im not entirely satisfied with in my life. It is early days yet but i really do hope that my acne wont come back. As one famous actor said ' get busy livin or get busy dieing'. well i intend on getting busy living, living life to the full with a clear complexion. So anybody thinking about goin on accutane, just ask yourself does your skin really have a negative effect on your daily life. if it does and you have tried many of the other alternatives, then get busy living and talk to your derm about the tane. I sincerely hope this journey will be a success for you.
Cheers!
Im 17 yrs old. I took accutane because my acne was persistent but not cystic. Though i thought my acne was pretty terrible.I sorta jumped into accutane not knowing alot about it. beside everything my doctor told me. I was suppose to take it for 5 months but ended up taking it for 6. The only side effect i got was dryness, especially my hair so i cant use heat anymore :/ but im really hoping that side effect will go away soon. I ended accutane in September. And my skin is completely clear! I love accutane at first when i took it i sorta lost hope cause it felt like my skin was geting worse, but by month 5 it was almost completely clear and by then end of month 6 it was clear
Hey all,
I used to post on here a few years back right before I went on accutane and have since forgot what my log in information was. I just wanted to drop back in and quickly share my very positive experience with accutane.
When I was in high school my acne wasn't horrible, but the breakouts I did have weren't fazed by regular face wash especially during lacrosse season when I broke out the most. My dermatologist gave me the usual topical gels and they worked really well. When I graduated and went off to college in San Diego my skin freaked out a little with all of the humidity and my break outs got more frequent and stuck around longer. My dermatologist prescribed different topical stuff and a few pills/antibiotics. Nothing worked. I tried every OTC face wash I could find, ProActiv (didn't work at all), Murad (nope), Clean & Clear (nada) even random homemade washes and masks, but the acne stuck around through all of it. Right before my junior year I started seeing a new dermatologist (former moved away) and after I ran down the litany of other acne medications I had tried he immediately suggested accutane. I filled out the paperwork and had my blood work done that morning. He got the results, submitted my info online and I had my first prescription only a few days later. I began taking it in late August before school started and had planned on taking it for six months, which had me finishing in February.
I started my first month taking 20mg, then I moved up to 30mg, and I finished the last few months at 40mg.
The humidity in San Diego definitely helped the temper the extreme dryness. My lips were of course dry all of the time and I had a few bloody noses, but being from Las Vegas it could have been a lot worse, and usually was when I went home for breaks. The dry desert air sucked the last bits of moisture my skin was holding on to. It was a small price to pay.
I had the initial breakout in September, but my acne began subsiding in mid to late October. The worst part after it started going away was the redness that stuck around from the acne that had gone away. My dermatologist told me it was natural and that it too would eventually go away, which it did. By January I was almost completely blemish free. Very few red marks and almost no acne. I finished out my course in February and was really happy to be done with it, not because of the dryness or aches or any suicidal thoughts, but because the little tabs they put on every pill with the pregnant lady were EVERYWHERE! Those things ended up in all of my drawers, my backpack, my desk, in little nooks...everywhere. I still find them from time to time, it's crazy.
As for real side effects to mention....
1) obviously dryness. I lived on chap stick and kept face lotion in my car and backpack at all times just in case.
2) the back ache was definitely there. It wasn't horrible, but the morning after a night of lifting in the gym I would definitely feel it in my back more so than usual.
3) red marks from healing acne (but they were going away so I couldn't complain that much)
4) a couple bloody noses and some peeling, nothing horrible.
The best part about all of this.....
Since I finished taking accutane almost 3 years ago, I haven't broken out once. I've had maybe 1 or 2 pimples in that time... I'm serious people. Do I think this is common? No. I never could have imagined accutane would work this well, but for me it did and if it can for me it can for you. The kicker is I barely have to wash my face anymore. I splash some water on it in the shower and occasionally wash with face wash before I shave or if it's been a couple days and I want to freshen up, but I seriously can go a week or more without washing and not break out at all. I don't recommend this as washing is really good for your face, but it's an example of how well accutane works for me.
If you have the means and nothing else is working, I highly recommend accutane.
Attaches is my overall Accutane photo progress.
I have to admit, that although I did have issues with major side effects (ie. significant drop in white-blood-cell counts) and was actually taken off the drug early in my treatment (ie. only ended up completing 3 1/2 months, instead of the prescribed 6 for my case), I still feel that the results were live changing. I might not have perfectly clear skin all the time, but in comparison it's much nicer to get 1 or 2 pimples around the time of the month vs. before when I had 15-30 big and little pimples all over my face.
To get the results, it take Time for the drug to work and Effort on your part as well. You can see blog entries about my Accutane journey on my profile with recommendations and just my overall progress.
Finally, I want to finish this up with a partial-post I read on another bloggers entry (Jackie) to remind everyone, and myself, that acne is not the end of the world... there are measures to take and an attitude that you must take on in order to better yourself.. Good luck everyone!:
Acne is awful. It's physically painful and embarrassing to the sufferer (me). But Acne has not destroyed my life. I think in addition to careful derm supervision, a strict regimen, and patience, one of the most vital components of your acne treatment is your sense of humor. And the realization that you were beautiful before acne, you're still beautiful with it, and you'll be beautiful without it
I am new to this site. I am now 56 years old. During my teen years and early twenties, I suffered from severe cystic acne on my face and back. Accutane became introduce during the time I was seeking treatment from dermatologists. It was as close to a cure as I had ever experienced. For me, it was a cure. The side effects for me were nose bleeds during the time I was taking the drug. These subsided completely after discontinuing the medication. However, the acne issues was for all practical purposes cured.
My daughter is a pre-teen and showing signs of acne. I plan to pursue treatment with this drug if other treatments prove ineffective. I must confess my experience with acne had significant negative impact on my life. I wish to save my daughter that impact. At the same time, I have since learned of the negative side effects and the clear problem with females of child-bearing age.
Although I am far beyond concern with acne at my age, I remember the experience well. While I help my daughter, I also plan to post my experiences on this website in the hope it will help others who are currently experiencing this trouble.
Derek
I have been on Accutane for 3 months now. I started with 10mg daily, then moved to 20mg after the first month (I weigh 160 pounds). My acne was relatively mild, only 2-4 pimples at a time, but very persistent. After trying every supplement imaginable, I finally succumbed to Accutane. Although my course isn't complete, I can already tell you it was the right decision. My acne began to clear after 3 weeks, although I have gotten some random little breakouts, nothing major.
Just in the last week or two, my skin is finally looking like the purging process is done. The low dose is a great option for people without severe acne, because your chance of side effects goes down big time. I only get dry skin and chapped lips, with the occasional back ache. These are things that are simple to manage and don't bother me considering the benefits of this drug.
If you have tried numerous methods to clear your acne, but nothing is working, please do give accutane a try. Talk to your derm and see if low dose is a possibility. More and more derms are learning about the benefits of low dose accutane and how it defeats the major side effects that scare off so many people. Acne was ruining my life: socially, emotionally, and physically. I am finally getting it all back with a newfound confidence that I've been missing for so long.
I am new to this site. I am now 56 years old. During my teen years and early twenties, I suffered from severe cystic acne on my face and back. Accutane became introduce during the time I was seeking treatment from dermatologists. It was as close to a cure as I had ever experienced. For me, it was a cure. The side effects for me were nose bleeds during the time I was taking the drug. These subsided completely after discontinuing the medication. However, the acne issues was for all practical purposes cured.
My daughter is a pre-teen and showing signs of acne. I plan to pursue treatment with this drug if other treatments prove ineffective. I must confess my experience with acne had significant negative impact on my life. I wish to save my daughter that impact. At the same time, I have since learned of the negative side effects and the clear problem with females of child-bearing age.
Although I am far beyond concern with acne at my age, I remember the experience well. While I help my daughter, I also plan to post my experiences on this website in the hope it will help others who are currently experiencing this trouble.
Derek
i swear to god, i have seen this exact same post some place else.
Hey guys,
I'm not quite finished with my accutane, but I only have 23 days left 
I had moderate acne throughout high school with a couple of bad breakouts here and there. I tried prescription antibiotics and creams for the first 3 years of university and nothing would work!! It's not that my acne was extremely bad, but some was cystic and nothing else was working so I had enough and asked my doctor for accutane.
I'm on a 6 month course, 40mg per day. I weigh 175 pounds.
The first 3 months were kind of tough, my hometown is Calgary Alberta so it's pretty dry and I definitely noticed that with extremely cracked lips and dry skin.
However I moved to Singapore for an exchange and the humidity helped a lot, I don't even have to use moisturizer (still do though for the spf)
that's one thing, if you're going to take accutane STAY OUT OF THE SUN, I didn't think it was that big of a deal since I have darker skin and I've never burned before. I would stay in the sun like normal and my skin would become super burnt. It made my acne worse for a while, I think it was a combination of the "get worse before it gets better" effect of accutane, and the damage the sun was doing to my skin.
However once I started getting myself out of the sun all the time the redness cleared up a lot and my acne improved drastically.
I haven't had a pimple in the last month or so and no side effects other than the dry skin and photo sensitivity.
If nothing else is working for you I'd definitely recommend it! but try out your other options first, good luck!!
Course: Began mid-July and finished mid-December. Prescribed 60mg everyday for the entire 5 month course.
I've suffered from acne since I was in my early teens. It was mild in the beginning, mostly due to puberty and oily skin, and was very easy to control. The acne seemed to change from mild to moderate in my mid-teens. I have been able to mute it for some time with various products but was never able to clear it completely.
I was very skeptical on using Accutane. My doctor suggested it at an appointment after we exhausted a whole list of products in over a year. I said No. I decided to try another topical. It didn't work and I was back in a month ready to give Accutane a try. I cleared up immediately and had no initial break out. The first month was very rough. My skin was so dry it was painful and my lips were constantly cracking. These side effects become much more manageable in the following months. Five months down the road and all I can say is that I am so glad I decided to give Accutane a shot. It really has changed my life. I can't even remember what it was like having acne covering my face and the embarrassment I used to feel.
My advice is to research the drug before you use it and respect it when you do. It is a serious drug, and a potentially dangerous one, but what it can do is amazing. Pay attention to your body and communicate with your doctor. I would recommend Accutane to any person with a persistent case. If my acne returns, I wouldn't hesitate to give Accutane another shot. Yes, the side effects are overwhelming and daunting at times but are totally manageable. Treat your body right and listen to your body and you will be fine.
It was the best decision I ever made for my skin and would repeat the process in a heartbeat if need be.
Moderate to severe acne for 8-10 years. Tried every topical medicine known to man. Put on Accutane regimen 5 months ago, just finished last week. 40 mg/twice a day. 23 y/o male, 6'0 160 lbs.
Started taking 40 mg twice a day. I noticed that my skin started to dry out almost immediately (within 3-5 days). The dryness never really worsened because i used a quality facial moisturizer every day. Lips began to get chapped around week 3.
Didn't really see any results for the first few months. Around month 3 i remember getting discouraged thinking that it wasn't going to work. Also around this time i noticed fatigue starting to set in. I was tired from the moment i woke up until the moment i got back in bed. Coffee and energy drinks pretty much kept me running considering i work full time and I'm on the road a lot for my job. The fatigue worsened then got better, never really staying consistent. I got dark circles under my eyes from feeling exhausted all the time. To me, this was the worse part about the Accutane. I could deal with the dry lips and skin, but the fatigue was starting to wear on my. Also, another negative side effect was my loss of appetite. Food just seemed very unappetizing, even though i knew i was hungry. I had to force myself to eat. I ended up losing about 10 lbs, which for me is a lot because i'm already tall and thin. I've been off for about a week now and my appetite has slowly started to come back.
I started to see real results around month 4 of the regimen. My skin was basically staying clear except for random breakouts that tend to look worse because the Accutane makes your skin red as it is. Around month 5 (last month of regimen) i was clear and staying that way. It felt good to finally look in the mirror and not wanna scream or stay locked in my bedroom.
I am supposed to be starting Ziana (topical Accutane) in about a month or so just to help my skin adjust to being off the heavy dose of Vitamin A.
All in all, i HIGHLY RECOMMEND Accutane for anyone that is struggling with acne. This drug has truly changed my life and I and want to spread the word. I know, just like the rest of you, how bad it sucks to struggle with acne. Each and every day is a battle and it seems like you can never win. I hope this post helps make up someones mind to try out accutane, it truly works.
Cheers to clean, healthy skin.
SO Happy I finally took the plundge and took Accutane. Like everyone else I tried every topical and medication available for my acne with no success. My best case was taking Doryx (antibiotic) and Spirolactone (for oil) while using 2 different px topicals with an insane skin care regimen as well as including monthly facials and chemical peels. I wish I had done this sooner but I was scared because of all the accutane horror stories. I didn't want acne but I do love my liver.
My derm recommended I take 60mg a month for 6 months for my body weight (130 pd female). I talked her into letting me build up to the full dose and I'm glad I did. I started with 20mg and stayed there for 8 months. My side effects were noticeable but tolerable. I had the classic dry peeling lips, decrease in night vision, a little joint pain and was more tired than usual (I normally don't tolerate any meds very well). If I had started with 60mg I would have likely stopped. The 20mg cleared my face within the first month (I did get a break out and some peeling for about a week as everything under the skin popped out). From then on it kept getting better, the oil was gone and I was able to heal my acne scarring.
My suggestion to those considering, try it and start with a lower dose. You may need to take it a little longer and risk the possiblity of a relapse but it was worth it for me to be able to complete a full course. If my face was not improving I always had the option to increase the dose each month. After my course was complete some oil returned which I was happy about, I never wanted to exchange my acne for wrinkles due to dry skin anyway. Skincare for normal skin is working fine for me now and I'm acne free which is all I ever wanted.
Hey there,
2 years ago I started to get more occurring cystic acne that I never experienced before. I was 20 at the time and I didn't understand how I could go through high school with such mild acne and all of a sudden I'm dealing with this crap. I didn't have severe acne but i'd say it was mild-moderate (sometimes)/persistent. My doctor scheduled me with a derm and I told her I knew a lot about Accutane and the side effects etc because I had researched it. She said she was going to prescribe me Accutane anyways as she could see it was affecting my life at the time.
In short form, I went on Accutane from November 2010 to June 2011. I started off at 20 mg for the first month and continued to raise my dosage to 60 mg till my course finished giving me a dosage of 150kg. My course was very successful, by the third month I was acne free. Knowing that I never wanted to go through this again, I use a maintenance system (Retin-A Micro .04%) and it works amazingly at keeping my pores clear/fading any red marks.
To this day I have no side effects other than dry skin which is just fine because I couldn't stand having an t-zone. Don't get me wrong, there is still some oil production on my forehead but i'd say it's been reduced to 90%. It's perfect.
Side effects I experienced while on Accutane were:
- Dry lips (annoying)
- Dry Skin
- Dry Eyes
- Back Ache (sometimes)--> Faded after I finished course
My course was great and I stayed away from the negative part of this website. I knew if i got caught up in the negative stories, I would believe everything was happening to me.
I've been acne free for 7 months now.
Thank You ACCUTANE!
Two courses of Accutane. First one before I joined the RAF in 2009. That one got interrupted because I was not allowed to be on medication during basic training. Went through normal side effects however acne returned within a few months and got progressively worse. Not terrible but enough to have an impact on my confidence. Second course started in June or July 2011, can not for the life of me, remember the month. Errr anyway, due to finish this course on monday. Skin has improved immensely with just the usual side effects plus muscle pain and I think I'm getting Anaemia due to the itchy sides of my body. I'll have a chat with the Doc on Monday. As from the picture below you can see how much I have improved since 2009. Most recent picture being in December 2011.
