Hey everyone
I went on accutane back in June. I started off on 40mg/day for the first three months (it was only supposed to be the first two.. the nurses at my doctor's office made a mistake about how many months I'd been on the medication) and 60mg/day for the last two and a half. I'm a 110lb, 21 year old female.
I had an appointment last week and the dermatoligist wants me to take what I have leftover (about two weeks worth) and then we will be ending treatment. At this rate, I'm scheduled to end treatment on December 9th. He said it's unhealthy to take it longer than 5 or 5 and a half months and refuses to prescribe it to me for longer, even though it hasn't worked. My lab results have all been great for what it's worth. I've never had an issue.
My problem is that the accutane hasn't worked AT ALL. I have no idea what to do. It's absolutely devastating. I've dealt with a lot of side effects, like dry lips, bloody noses, INSANE joint pain, hair loss, etc. All for this medicine that was supposed to be the miracle drug to not work.
My derm says he will put me on retin-A after my dryness subsides but that just makes me so upset. I was on retin-A for 3 years with no success, so why should it work now.
I feel like my dermatologist does not really pay attention to me or my progress on the medicine. Every month he needs a reminder about who I am so I don't understand how he could possibly know how the medicine is working on me or not.
Here is how my acne looked pre-accutane
And here is what it looks like now
(excuse the swollen eyes, I was crying because of being taken off accutane with a face that still looks like a prepubescent's)
Now yes, I realize there has been minor improvements, but my face still looks like complete crap.
Do I fight my derm to stay on accutane? Find another derm who will put me back on it? Peel my skin off with a potato peeler?
I just don't know 
51 minutes ago, Umas said:To be honest your acne looks mild, not even moderate, so I'm surprised than derm prescribe you accutane
my acne is nodular, which is hard to see in the pics
I've also suffered since I was 10 (I'm 21 now) and have tried every antibiotic and topical in the book
my acne is more moderate than mild but thanks for judging me and being a jerk about something I'm clearly very sensitive of 🙂
2 hours ago, Misssadsack said:I'm sure accutane carries on working for a couple months after a course. If your not happy I'd ask your derm to keep you on it. If not find someone who will
that's what people say but they also say that accutane is supposed to work in the first 2-3 months and it didn't for me 
it was really hard to find a derm to prescribe it to me in the first place because there are only 2 dermatologists in my city who accept my insurance and one told me he didn't want to deal with the paperwork
5 hours ago, BlazingOracle said:Stay strong girl , you will get through this. Don get stress out as it will make your skin worse.
thank you, I really hope I do get through this! unfortunately the stress just comes naturally and idk how to make it stop lol
3 minutes ago, funnyguy69 said:my acne is nodular, which is hard to see in the pics
I've also suffered since I was 10 (I'm 21 now) and have tried every antibiotic and topical in the book
my acne is more moderate than mild but thanks for judging me and being a jerk about something I'm clearly very sensitive ofthat's what people say but they also say that accutane is supposed to work in the first 2-3 months and it didn't for me
it was really hard to find a derm to prescribe it to me in the first place because there are only 2 dermatologists in my city who accept my insurance and one told me he didn't want to deal with the paperwork thank you, I really hope I do get through this! unfortunately the stress just comes naturally and idk how to make it stop lol
Sorry if you thought that I was jerk, that wasn't my intetion. Well if you tried other solutions, then I know why you tried accutane.