5 hours ago, youngandsad1 said:

I started getting acne at the end of year 6... I was only 11-12. I have had it on and off for 8 years (off meaning clear skin but still a small pimple or two here and there - I've never been completely acne ridden). After trying absolutely E V E R Y T H I N G over the 8 years to get rid of it and been successful twice - it came back the worst it has ever been and most stubborn than ever. I always hated the idea of Roaccutane due to all the horrible stories I have heard about it but I finally came to the point in my life that I'd rather die than live my life like this any longer - I was truly depressed - and still am.

Today marks 5 months on the medication and my skin is worse than what I started with. I had such high hopes, I thought by now I would be totally clear, like all the other Roaccutane stories I've read and Youtube videos I've watched. I guess my skin texture is better - no more little bumps, smoother and less oily. But I'm still getting stubborn cystic acne that never come to a head and sometimes last several weeks, and my hyperpigmentation scars from them make my face look horrible.

I weigh 50kg and started on 20mg for the first month and a half and then 40kg up until now. My dermatologist said I would only need to be on it 6 months, but when I saw during my last appointment she said I would need longer - I already knew that. I begged her to go up to 50mg and I really want to, but she said I will be overdosing? She said I am just one of the very few patients that it works very slow for and that she's had no patients fail. But I honestly don't know what to believe anymore because she said I'd be completely clear after 4 months - and that had me extremely excited.

I just feel so defeated as I had such high hopes and really thought id be clear by now - I am SO scared it's not going to work. It sounds so dramatic but its honestly ruined my life, and no one understands. Please, anyone who has taken Roacctuane and was still breaking out this far into the course please tell me your story - I'm hoping  you are clear now

Hi there, i wish i could give you a positive story but i couldn't help but answer with my story. I took accutane once in high school for mild mild acne that was stubborn (i probably shouldn't have) but it worked immediately...however i graduated high school and left for college and 6 months after finishing my course all hell broke lose and my skin went crazy, the worst it had EVER been. so i ended up dropping out of college to take care of my skin because i couldn't handle the anxiety and stress that came with it in my life, and i was put back on accutane.

this second time was the worst experience of my life. i broke out worse than even the worst my skin had been the ENTIRE course. at 6 and 7 months on 60 mg a day my skin was still covered ear to ear. i was defeated. derms gave up on me and said there was nothing left to try. so i just came off it (in april) and let my skin have a break, and it has improved but I'm still breaking out and in a lot of distress but i have nothing left to try. accutane didnt work for me this past time and left me with nothing but scars and hyper pigmentation i didnt have before. I'm working naturally to heal my body with a holistic doctor but those results take 6 months to a year since they're big lifestyle changes. hopefully this works for me.

but i sit here typing this with two oozy wounds from painful pimples that turned into wounds because my skin can't heal from all the accutane. i just wanted to let you know you're not the only person not cleared up by month 5, but unfortunately my story never turned around and i remain with awful skin. i thought how is this possible when accutane literally works for EVERYONE.....it didnt work for me. I can only wish the opposite happens for you, best of luck

I'm having a nightmare with my mild acne at the moment. I'm 30 years old and suffer from mild/persistent acne. I've had quite a ride with this drug, and to be honest I'm having my doubts with it. I first started on 20mg ( 1 tablet ) then 40mg, but wasn't effective. So to get results I had to go to 60mg for 3 months and got great results. After my dermatologist and myself were happy with the results, he decided to bring me down to 2 tablets a day. My acne broke out badly roughly in about a month. So I had to go back on 60mg a day again. It's been nearly 5 months now and still, it persists in taunting me. But what I can't work out is why it's being harder to get rid of compared to the last lot of 60mg of 3 months from last time. I don't know what to do anymore. Am I wasting my time or should I stick it out for a bit longer with this medication? I've done some research with people who have mild/persistent acne and I'veseen quite a lot of people say stick with it. But like I said I've been on it nearly 5 months now and my course finishes at 7 months, but i have my doubts that it'll work.

I opened a new topic, but I will reply here also.
Tryed a lot, Minocycline worked perfectly, Accutane (just 10-20mg) also (a number of times). Up to couple of months ago. I'm now 3 months into accutane (30-40mg) and still getting minor pimples all over my face (like one per day). Acne is not a problem at all (it is barely noticable), but the scars, my skin is so thin that even the smallest pimple (that heals in 1 day) leaves me with scar, and it's aggresive. In the last 2 weeks I got like 20 scars, even on my forehead where I havent had a pimple in 5 years. Also every minor pimple is giving me big physical pain, my doc even sent me to check my facial nerve. I should have had asked my derm to switch me to Minocycline again.

Have you tryed Minocycline?

5 hours ago, rapharapha said:

I opened a new topic, but I will reply here also.
Tryed a lot, Minocycline worked perfectly, Accutane (just 10-20mg) also (a number of times). Up to couple of months ago. I'm now 3 months into accutane (30-40mg) and still getting minor pimples all over my face (like one per day). Acne is not a problem at all (it is barely noticable), but the scars, my skin is so thin that even the smallest pimple (that heals in 1 day) leaves me with scar, and it's aggresive. In the last 2 weeks I got like 20 scars, even on my forehead where I havent had a pimple in 5 years. Also every minor pimple is giving me big physical pain, my doc even sent me to check my facial nerve. I should have had asked my derm to switch me to Minocycline again.

Have you tryed Minocycline?

I have, but it didn't work. I've tried loads of different oral treatment given by my doctors, but nothing worked. Despite Accutane not fulfilling its duty as of yet, it's been the closest of getting rid of my acne.

Do you get scars?

Hang in there! You have come so far! Everyone is different and it takes a different length of time to heal. Rooting for you!!!

9 hours ago, rapharapha said:

Do you get scars?

I do indeed. Pretty much all the time. Though witch hazel normally gets rid of them. So it's only for a short time.

8 hours ago, Juwalker said:

Hang in there! You have come so far! Everyone is different and it takes a different length of time to heal. Rooting for you!!!

So I keep hearing, but seriously am I wasting my time or will my patience be rewarded?

34 minutes ago, Carlo2017 said:

I do indeed. Pretty much all the time. Though witch hazel normally gets rid of them. So it's only for a short time. So I keep hearing, but seriously am I wasting my time or will my patience be rewarded?

How do you mean gets rid of them, scars are permanent, even lasers cannot get rid of them. Do you get indents/lines that heal, or redmarks?

3 hours ago, rapharapha said:

3 hours ago, Carlo2017 said:

I do indeed. Pretty much all the time. Though witch hazel normally gets rid of them. So it's only for a short time. So I keep hearing, but seriously am I wasting my time or will my patience be rewarded?

How do you mean gets rid of them, scars are permanent, even lasers cannot get rid of them. Do you get indents/lines that heal, or redmarks?

I get red marks that last about a week sometimes. Persistent red marks. Not permanent though.