I started getting acne when I was ten, and I'm twenty now. I'm seeing my dermatologist in five months and I've been considering accutane for a while now. My skin fluctuates constantly, from mild to moderate, but then out of the blue it will spike to severe and then go back down again. I've tried every single topical treatment, I've used birth control, prescribed antibiotics, clean diet and excercise etc.

So though my skin doesn't look too terrible, it is definitely persistant and I'm really at the end of my rope for clearing my skin. The last time I was comfortable going out without foundation was the seventh grade!

Also, for accutane in Canada what's the price range?

Have you every tried spiro? Or saw palmetto? These medications mute your androgen levels and stop you from breaking out. With way less side effects than accutane. If you started one of these medications now you could potentially clear up within the 5 months. You could try that in the mean time and see if you can avoid accutane entirely. Saw palmetto is something you can buy over the counter and spiro is a prescription. Just google spiro for acne or saw palmetto for acne and you will see lots of results even on these boards people have great success using these medications.

Normally to see the effects it takes 3 to 4 months to get all your hormones under control. It can happen much quicker though. This time period is when these medications will show its effects with your skin too. So you could get on one of them now and in the mean time hopefully it clears you up.

I did accutane from April to October this past year and I got clear after 5 months on the medication, I only did accutane because I too thought that I tried everything... When I joined this board for support once I started accutane and started reading about failed accutane courses and whatnot and everyone was clearing from this medication called spiro.. I didn't think I would ever need it because accutane would be the magical cure. Which I totally thought it was. I was clear and smooth and my complexion had never been better. Bummer that 3 months after stopping the medication I started to break out again I was heart broken. Plus picked up a couple of long term side effects from the accutane too. Which I knew was a risk so I'm not going to complain about them. But first sign of breaking out I made an appointment with my obgyn and asked for spiro and she agreed to get it on it I started at 100mg. And cleared back up in about a month. Stayed clear since. It's been a god send and only side effect I have from it is in the beginning I used the bathroom a couple more times a day. The medication is a diuretic so it may make you have to go more often.

To get more information there is a very knowledgeable member on these boards user name is green gables and she gives a ton of information about both spiro and saw palmetto. Read some of her posts and seriously try it out, it might be your winning medication. I know it has been for a lot of other people, and myself. It would just be perfect to try it out just while you are waiting for your dermatologist appointment for the accutane. If it works great and you get to avoid a potentially dangerous drug, if it doesn't work oh well you tried and you can still get your accutane!

Have you every tried spiro? Or saw palmetto? These medications mute your androgen levels and stop you from breaking out. With way less side effects than accutane. If you started one of these medications now you could potentially clear up within the 5 months. You could try that in the mean time and see if you can avoid accutane entirely. Saw palmetto is something you can buy over the counter and spiro is a prescription. Just google spiro for acne or saw palmetto for acne and you will see lots of results even on these boards people have great success using these medications.

Normally to see the effects it takes 3 to 4 months to get all your hormones under control. It can happen much quicker though. This time period is when these medications will show its effects with your skin too. So you could get on one of them now and in the mean time hopefully it clears you up.

I did accutane from April to October this past year and I got clear after 5 months on the medication, I only did accutane because I too thought that I tried everything... When I joined this board for support once I started accutane and started reading about failed accutane courses and whatnot and everyone was clearing from this medication called spiro.. I didn't think I would ever need it because accutane would be the magical cure. Which I totally thought it was. I was clear and smooth and my complexion had never been better. Bummer that 3 months after stopping the medication I started to break out again I was heart broken. Plus picked up a couple of long term side effects from the accutane too. Which I knew was a risk so I'm not going to complain about them. But first sign of breaking out I made an appointment with my obgyn and asked for spiro and she agreed to get it on it I started at 100mg. And cleared back up in about a month. Stayed clear since. It's been a god send and only side effect I have from it is in the beginning I used the bathroom a couple more times a day. The medication is a diuretic so it may make you have to go more often.

To get more information there is a very knowledgeable member on these boards user name is green gables and she gives a ton of information about both spiro and saw palmetto. Read some of her posts and seriously try it out, it might be your winning medication. I know it has been for a lot of other people, and myself. It would just be perfect to try it out just while you are waiting for your dermatologist appointment for the accutane. If it works great and you get to avoid a potentially dangerous drug, if it doesn't work oh well you tried and you can still get your accutane!

This was really well said! Reading around on the boards I see that a lot of girls have had success with Spiro.

Spiro was on the list of things I tried. I have a feeling my acne is not hormone related and more related to genetics 🙁

Have you every tried spiro? Or saw palmetto? These medications mute your androgen levels and stop you from breaking out. With way less side effects than accutane. If you started one of these medications now you could potentially clear up within the 5 months. You could try that in the mean time and see if you can avoid accutane entirely. Saw palmetto is something you can buy over the counter and spiro is a prescription. Just google spiro for acne or saw palmetto for acne and you will see lots of results even on these boards people have great success using these medications.

Normally to see the effects it takes 3 to 4 months to get all your hormones under control. It can happen much quicker though. This time period is when these medications will show its effects with your skin too. So you could get on one of them now and in the mean time hopefully it clears you up.

I did accutane from April to October this past year and I got clear after 5 months on the medication, I only did accutane because I too thought that I tried everything... When I joined this board for support once I started accutane and started reading about failed accutane courses and whatnot and everyone was clearing from this medication called spiro.. I didn't think I would ever need it because accutane would be the magical cure. Which I totally thought it was. I was clear and smooth and my complexion had never been better. Bummer that 3 months after stopping the medication I started to break out again I was heart broken. Plus picked up a couple of long term side effects from the accutane too. Which I knew was a risk so I'm not going to complain about them. But first sign of breaking out I made an appointment with my obgyn and asked for spiro and she agreed to get it on it I started at 100mg. And cleared back up in about a month. Stayed clear since. It's been a god send and only side effect I have from it is in the beginning I used the bathroom a couple more times a day. The medication is a diuretic so it may make you have to go more often.

To get more information there is a very knowledgeable member on these boards user name is green gables and she gives a ton of information about both spiro and saw palmetto. Read some of her posts and seriously try it out, it might be your winning medication. I know it has been for a lot of other people, and myself. It would just be perfect to try it out just while you are waiting for your dermatologist appointment for the accutane. If it works great and you get to avoid a potentially dangerous drug, if it doesn't work oh well you tried and you can still get your accutane!

This was really well said! Reading around on the boards I see that a lot of girls have had success with Spiro.

Spiro was on the list of things I tried. I have a feeling my acne is not hormone related and more related to genetics 🙁

Thank you! Sorry that spiro didn't work out for you! I never thought my acne was hormonal either. Although genetics weren't the issue either. I'm the only one in my family who had acne. I mean people would have a pimple here and there but that was in their teens. I started to get acne was I was around 22 so that's was weird. My dermatologist never even wanted to discuss the possibility of my acne being hormonal. So after accutane didn't work in the long term I just started to talk with my obgyn about it and she thinks all acne is hormonal. Who knows who is right, I just know my acne must truly be hormonal because after all these mediations I have taken spiro is seriously the only medication that's kept me clear. Besides accutane, since I can't being accutane all the time this is the best bet for me! I hope that accutane gives you the result you are looking for.

Have you every tried spiro? Or saw palmetto? These medications mute your androgen levels and stop you from breaking out. With way less side effects than accutane. If you started one of these medications now you could potentially clear up within the 5 months. You could try that in the mean time and see if you can avoid accutane entirely. Saw palmetto is something you can buy over the counter and spiro is a prescription. Just google spiro for acne or saw palmetto for acne and you will see lots of results even on these boards people have great success using these medications.

Normally to see the effects it takes 3 to 4 months to get all your hormones under control. It can happen much quicker though. This time period is when these medications will show its effects with your skin too. So you could get on one of them now and in the mean time hopefully it clears you up.

I did accutane from April to October this past year and I got clear after 5 months on the medication, I only did accutane because I too thought that I tried everything... When I joined this board for support once I started accutane and started reading about failed accutane courses and whatnot and everyone was clearing from this medication called spiro.. I didn't think I would ever need it because accutane would be the magical cure. Which I totally thought it was. I was clear and smooth and my complexion had never been better. Bummer that 3 months after stopping the medication I started to break out again I was heart broken. Plus picked up a couple of long term side effects from the accutane too. Which I knew was a risk so I'm not going to complain about them. But first sign of breaking out I made an appointment with my obgyn and asked for spiro and she agreed to get it on it I started at 100mg. And cleared back up in about a month. Stayed clear since. It's been a god send and only side effect I have from it is in the beginning I used the bathroom a couple more times a day. The medication is a diuretic so it may make you have to go more often.

To get more information there is a very knowledgeable member on these boards user name is green gables and she gives a ton of information about both spiro and saw palmetto. Read some of her posts and seriously try it out, it might be your winning medication. I know it has been for a lot of other people, and myself. It would just be perfect to try it out just while you are waiting for your dermatologist appointment for the accutane. If it works great and you get to avoid a potentially dangerous drug, if it doesn't work oh well you tried and you can still get your accutane!

This was really well said! Reading around on the boards I see that a lot of girls have had success with Spiro.

Spiro was on the list of things I tried. I have a feeling my acne is not hormone related and more related to genetics

Thank you! Sorry that spiro didn't work out for you! I never thought my acne was hormonal either. Although genetics weren't the issue either. I'm the only one in my family who had acne. I mean people would have a pimple here and there but that was in their teens. I started to get acne was I was around 22 so that's was weird. My dermatologist never even wanted to discuss the possibility of my acne being hormonal. So after accutane didn't work in the long term I just started to talk with my obgyn about it and she thinks all acne is hormonal. Who knows who is right, I just know my acne must truly be hormonal because after all these mediations I have taken spiro is seriously the only medication that's kept me clear. Besides accutane, since I can't being accutane all the time this is the best bet for me! I hope that accutane gives you the result you are looking for.

Thank you! I hope this works for me I'm at my wits end! Glad you found something that is keeping you clear too 🙂