Hey
I'm unsure if this is meant to be posted here so forgive me if it needs to be moved
I've noticed how Accutane courses are different well I'm unsure if I'm wrong but as a friend of mine took Accutane so did two people in my family and we've all visited different dermatologists they've said the same thing its a 7 month course or an 8 or someone in my family was on 80mg for 11 months his acne was so bad luckily it hasn't come back 6 years later he's only just begun to get the odd spot
I also had a recent visit to my derm he said yes your acne is completely clear you've only completed 6 months you've still got 4 or 5 to go and he said I have to stay on to ensure it wont come back he said he could pull me off it and next week I get breakouts
So my dermatologist said that its best to stay on Accutane even when theres no acne left and finish the course
Its only as I saw someone (I think) saying after 5 months their derm said they didn't need it anymore? Which is rather strange 5 months sounds too short I mean I'm on my 6th month but I woke up with a spot
Some I'm curious where are you from? Whats your dose? How long is your treatment?
Some treatments sound far too short personally my derm roughly does these course time lengths
20mg dose = 14 or 16 months on Accutane
40mg = 8 or 9 months on Accutane
(my derm doesn't really prescribe 60mg ? I'm unsure why I didn't bring it up with him)
80mg = 4 months on Accutane
However before those doses start theres a month on 20mg before being raised or kept on the same dosage
Basically the higher the dose the shorter the time but usually only on 80 does it dramatically change
But then again I know it also does come down to severity of acne which also does include the course length
I didn't have very bad acne some was nodular but some was simple pimples and my course is 10 months so some peoples acne I've seen and its been so much worse and they say its a 6 month course I think why so short? I'm curious and does their acne come back after a couple of weeks?
I wonder...
Nice and interesting post ..
I'm from Denmark, and my derm (which is the best in my town, so I've been told by other docters) says that the shortest courses she gives is about 6 months ..
I'm currently on my 5th month, 20mg daily (44 kg) and my acne was moderate/severe, not cystic but very persistent... she says that I will probably be on it for a total of 9-11 months .. I asked her if we could upper my dose, but she said that it was just as beneficial to take a "slow run" ..
Here in Denmark, it is easy to get accutane, I think. But as it is only a doctor in dermatology who is allowed to give it to you, the waiting time for an appointment might seem long .. I waited 3 months ..
That's interesting that course sounds right
Yes I heard its better to have a slow course than to just up the dose just to half the time it may not be as effective
In England if someone wants to go to the dermatologist for free they must try like 3 or 4 things from their doctor before they refer them and put them on the 3 month waiting list an so also they pay less for their medication unless they're 18 and under all medication would be free
Me I went private so I rang up 2 days before I wanted an appointment and they squeezed me in so as I'm paying I can get an appointment whenever but its pretty damn expensive
Once I had been once I could have got everything else free but didn't bother too
In England if someone pays like the money to see them and they work for the NHS (free healthcare) they can be referred to them and they have to be so everything else is free as long as they're 18 and under of course
But it is different
I really can't speak to course length, because my doctor has basically said that is going to come down to how high of a dose I can physically manage (side effects, end blood levels). She said she has seen it take for between 4 months to 9 months. I'm hoping that I can get this puppy rolling and take the highest dose (heck, I'd be willing to try 80-120mg) so that I can be done quicker. As long as the results are comparable (or at least as successful) to a longer, less intense course, I will be more than happy to weather the side effects. Part of the reason for this is because a lot of my cost is now out of pocket (Thank you, idiotic insurance! I am personally a fan privatized healthcare, but my insurance is literally insane!) and the most expensive part of my treatment is the bloodwork; the less bloodwork, and as a result months I'm in treatment, the more money I get to keep.
I've noticed that one of the trends in the US is higher dosage for shorter courses. I can't say whether or not this is necessarily a good thing from a health perspective, but as Americans we value the ability to be direct and aggressive in just about everyway.