Im a bit scared of taking accutane after reading some of the side effects and horror stories of people. Cost isnt the problem, its all the hair loss and depression and stuff. If you see the pictures in my profile you can notice my acne is bad, but could be worse and my dermatologist has prescribed my accutane but i have to wait a couple of weeks because of the blood work thing. Should i take accutane or not? Why? Please respond, im honestly terrified.
Personally, I wouldn't take it unless it was absolutely necessary. One of my best friends took accutane back when she was 17 years old and by the time she was 20 her acne was worse than it ever was. Her current boyfriend also took accutane when he was 17 years old and by the time he was 22 or 23 his acne was so bad and had to be put on a second round. My point, while accutane definitely works, the people I personally know who took it, their acne came back, and it came back worse. When I was about 22 years old, I had a dermatologist who tried putting me on accutane. Not because of the severity of my acne but he said because of my age and then told me that after 4-6 months, I'll never have acne again. Well I didn't buy into that and switched derms, and I'm so happy I didn't take it because to me the symptoms associated with accutane isn't worth it unless you have tried absolutely everything else and nothing has worked. So my question for you, what have you taken to help your acne? When I was 22, it was my first time at a dermatologist in 6 years and at that point had tried absolutely nothing for my acne so I was pretty taken back that he suggested accutane. I opted to try a different dermatologist who went a completely different route. She prescribed me spiro and then after a few months she took me off of it and now I only take vitamins. And guess what, I'm clear and I didn't have to go through any of the symptoms of accutane. Everyone's situation is different though, and while I thought accutane was not for me and I turned out to be right, it might be the best thing for you.
Don't do it! I took one five month course of Accutane and wish I had never taken it! It cleared me up for a couple of years, but my acne came back. Luckily my derm refused to prescribe a second dose, saying if it didn't work the first time it won't work the second time. I took Accutane 17 years ago - and my skin is much more sensitive and fragile than before I took it. I've also had some health-related problems that I suspect were induced by Accutane. My solution to find clear skin has been through diet and exercise.
It depends. I am now on my second course, so you are right that it is not a cure. However, I wouldn't say it came back worse - just the same old acne as before. I am on Accutane again though because it kept me clear for over 8 years the first time and I had my life back and it was wonderful. So much changed for me when I wasn't getting cysts every day.
I DO have a permanent side effect - decreased night vision - and I'm STILL going to do it again. For me, the acne was a worse experience than being a little fumbly in the dark sometimes.
This is a serious drug and should not be taken lightly. If you take it, I think it is quite likely you may have a side effect, and possibly a permanent one. I am willing to accept this, so I have chosen to do it again. BUT, if you are not willing to accept this, then Accutane is not for you.