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Low dose Accutane (10 mg/day)

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(@sunshinenrainbows)

Posted : 03/19/2009 11:10 am

I am 22 and have mild but persistant acne. I previously took 5 months of 60-80mg Accutane per day when I had more severe acne. The acne has returned but is much milder, so I decided to try a low dose, because I had difficulty dealing with the side effects last time.

 

I have just started taking 10 mg Accutane per day and have some questions that hopefully some of you can answer if you have been in a similar situation:

 

Does anyone have any experience with taking low doses of Accutane? How bad was the initial breakout?

 

How long before seeing noticeable results?

 

On such a low dose, can I still use topicals like Azelaic acid or will it be too irritating?

 

 

Thank you so much for your help!

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(@frustrated-jones)

Posted : 03/19/2009 8:25 pm

Finally someone whose also on 10mg/day!

 

Alright, so I'm around day 10 or 11 and the IB has been up and down. Today has been pretty good, though there continues to be a breakout along my jawline which I never had before. Still, compared to a lot of the horror stores for initial breakouts, mine is very tame in comparison. I weigh 170 pounds, so my dosage is very low, but hopefully it'll do the job.

 

As for applying extra creams, I actually found that benzyl peroxide hurt my skin more than it helped it. When I woke up, my whiteheads were expanded (not dry, just bigger) and there was a lot of redness. It was only a 5% dosage, so I was a little thrown off.

 

Anyways, don't expect a terrible IB, I'm sure you'll be just fine! :)

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(@help-meee)

Posted : 03/19/2009 9:15 pm

hey im joining your party on Monday. After 28 days of 80 a day (40 2x) I just couldnt deal with lips. My new derm advised I should do 10-20 a day ( I weigh about 175). She said I will have to stay on longer but the side effects should be nothing and my lips would come back to normal My question is at such a low dose what is going to keep the acne away while the tane does its thing. Are either of u two on another antibiotic while on the low dose? Im going to ask my derm to put me on something because I cant imagine after taking such a good amount 10-20 a day can keep the zits away

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(@frustrated-jones)

Posted : 03/19/2009 9:43 pm

At first I was concerned that my acne would go nuts as the 10mg sunk in, but surprisingly it's been quite tame. With your case, though, it might be different as you're coming from a higher dose. I don't know if the body adjusts to a higher dose, making a lower dose ineffective initially but if that's the case than you'll likely need some topical treatments. BP didn't work for me, but it may for you!

 

Keep this updated though, cause I'd like to hear what happens...

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(@truckg)

Posted : 03/19/2009 10:27 pm

Hi, in response to your post..........it is my understanding that you should never use any topicals or antibiotics while on accutane.............double check with your dermatologist.

 

I am thinking about starting a low dose accutane treatment, but have not been able to find a dermatologist in Southern California that is willing to treat my acne with a low dose (10mg/day) or one that is experienced in treating acne with low dose accutane.

 

If anyone out there knows of such a dermatologist please respond to this post.

 

 

I am 22 and have mild but persistant acne. I previously took 5 months of 60-80mg Accutane per day when I had more severe acne. The acne has returned but is much milder, so I decided to try a low dose, because I had difficulty dealing with the side effects last time.

 

I have just started taking 10 mg Accutane per day and have some questions that hopefully some of you can answer if you have been in a similar situation:

 

Does anyone have any experience with taking low doses of Accutane? How bad was the initial breakout?

 

How long before seeing noticeable results?

 

On such a low dose, can I still use topicals like Azelaic acid or will it be too irritating?

 

 

Thank you so much for your help!

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(@lionqueen)

Posted : 03/20/2009 7:52 am

I did a 60-day course of 10/mg day, which has since been tapered off to 10 mg every 8 days.

 

I had no initial breakout at all, probably because I'd been using a topical retinol gel for a couple of years. I had virtually no side effects (a tad of dryness). I was able to continue using most of my topicals, although I discontinued the retinol gel until I was down to a maintenance dose of 20/mg per week or less.

 

I was also able to have laser hair removal and a series of photofacials with no ill effects whatsoever.

 

My results were excellent ... my congested pores cleared out completely and excessive oil production stopped and has never resumed (note that I am still on the very low maintenance dose). I also never got any severe dryness.

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(@maddy001)

Posted : 03/20/2009 12:43 pm

I was on 20mg/day but I had no initial breakout. This could be my history of using Retin-A previously. My course was good, I was cleared within 2 weeks and from then I had no more breakouts. Side effects were really minimal also.

 

I was using Retin-A everyday for the first week of my accutane course, then i stopped for about a month. Then when I went back to see my derm, I asked him whether I could use Retin-A to help with the red marks, he told me to try on alternate days(once ever 2 nights) and if my face gets too dry to stop. My skin was ok with using Retin-A on alternate nights so I continued with it throughout my course. I was also given Dalacin T gel during my course to help with pimples but I didn't really use it much because I was quite clear. I hope that helps, I think you can use anything you want if your dermatologist permits, it just depends on the condition of your skin really.

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(@karmickandy)

Posted : 03/20/2009 6:30 pm

I'm on 10 mgs a day. I'm almost at a month.

 

No IB. I'm very glad.

 

You can, and shoud, use topicals in the beginning to avert an IB. I did this, and my derm said it's fine.

 

 

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(@sunshinenrainbows)

Posted : 03/23/2009 10:12 am

Thanks for all your replies! I've decided to keep using topicals only once a day, until my skin starts to show signs of dryness, then I will stop.

 

Frustrated Jones- Nice to have someone else in the same boat! And I find the same thing happens when I use BP on whiteheads- try Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque as a spot treatment overnight- I did this just last night and it literally zapped and erased a whole bunch of whiteheads!

 

Truckg- I don't live in CA so I can't help you with finding a derm- think about maybe trying the higher dose and then complain to your derm if the side effects are bad, they might lower it then? worth a try and better than no medicine at all in my opinion

 

Maybe I will start blogging about my 'accutane journey" for other ppl considering the less-used low dose treatment :)

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(@sunshinenrainbows)

Posted : 03/24/2009 11:40 am

to those of you who replied: how severe was your acne before accutane? and was it mostly whiteheads/papules/cysts ? I think mine would be classified as mild, sometimes moderate, but soo stubborn!

 

Just interested to see if maybe people with milder acne don't have a bad IB ?

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(@dame79)

Posted : 03/28/2009 12:55 pm

i am 30 y/o female with mild persistent acne, lately it was becoming cystic along jawline so i decided to start accutane 20 mg every other day.

 

i am on day 6 and haven't noticed any changes yet except that i can feel the clogged pores in my chin area a bit more, they don't seem to be more noticeable though, but maybe?

 

i'm still using dan's bp and dan's moisturizer for now at night, and dan's aha & dan's moisturizer in the morning. washing with eucerin anti redness cleanser *(by far the best cleanser on earth!)

 

i'll keep you all updated, i know i wouldn't have even had the courage to do this if it weren't for people posting their experiences, love this site!

 

 

also taking:

fish oil

probiotc supplement

2000 mg l-lysine (for anti cold sore support)

multi vit

tryptophan (for stress)

and on a 10 day course of penicillin for strep throat :(

 

 

 

 

 

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(@dame79)

Posted : 04/04/2009 9:23 pm

well now its been 14 days since i started accutane.

 

i was initially taking 20 mg every other day but then switched last week to 10 mg every day... not sure that was a good idea as i have noticed more flakiness and also my clogged chin pores erupted into small but painful cysts. maybe that would have happened anyways?

i have also noticed more blackheads popping up but they come out pretty easily, other than that i don't touch anything else, i know how that goes with cysts! my skin also feels a bit sensitive and is easily irritated. :(

 

i really hope this breakout clears fast, come on 'tane, do your thing!

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(@karmickandy)

Posted : 04/05/2009 11:35 am

I'm becoming impatient. I want more results than I'm seeing, but I don't want to up my dose. I know I just have to wait, but sometimes it's hard.

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(@dame79)

Posted : 04/05/2009 10:33 pm

just wanted to let everyone know i've started a blog about my accutane journey.... so i will post there from now on for whoever is interested....

 

 

thanks for he idea, homegirl!

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(@jus-cogens)

Posted : 05/04/2009 10:42 am

im on 10 mg per day of accutane and im on my 4th day. Still breaking out. But im using clindamycin astringent because that's what my derma prescribed. It's to keep the pores free from dirt. It's very eesential to have an astringent or toner twice a day. Im also using clindamycin phosphate lotion 1% to help dry out the breakouts.

 

i really hope 10 mg is enough. eitherway, i have no choice. only 10mg accutane pills are available in my country.

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(@Anonymous)

Posted : 05/30/2009 12:17 am

so glad i found this place!

 

 

i am in nearly the IDENTICAL situation. 22 yr. old female. took accutane in high school for moderate/severe acne. i don't remember the doseage but i'm pretty sure it was moderate to high. pretty bad lip chapping/hands chapped/face dry for awhile, but it worked!

 

after that... nicely clear for a couple years. until recently. now i've been trying everything from clindamycin and retin-A micro... to duac gel and minocycline... still getting persistent mild acne. minocycline helps, but it is not safe to be on permanently and as soon as i stop it, the acne papules and comedones return. i have also been on BCP since 16.

 

i am frustrated!!! obviously. :)

 

so, i went to the derm today. i'm actually a north american living in south korea-- motherland of image-conscious people looking for cosmetic help!

 

the derm is putting me on 10mg/day of roaccutane. i just bought the package but i haven't started it yet.

 

what i want to ask is-- how severe do you think the side effects will be for me? i'm paranoid this will severely muck up my face and make me afraid to go out in public! am i just paranoid?

 

another thing i really want to know is that the derm ALSO wants me to try fraxel lasering....while on the 10mg/day roaccutane. i have looked at various forums on the internet, and many caution against it because of the sensitivity of the skin. (ie. wait a year)

 

but since it is a low dose, and will be a low level laser (i only have minor scarring and mostly dark red/brown blemishes from way bygone acne) do you agree this will be OK for my skin? the south korean derm seems to think so....and the place he works is super legit and modern...PLUS it's cheaper to get it here in korea.... but i want the opinion of you guys!

 

 

...help? :) good to see some people in the same (or similar) boat as me!

 

 

 

 

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(@yoyobarn)

Posted : 05/30/2009 6:20 am

one question, for low dose accutane (10mg / day) when does the result start being noticeable?

 

I am in the 3rd month and 2 weeks, and i still have a cyst below my eye..

 

Ok, granted that before i took I took accutane i had like 4-5 cysts so technically that can be counted as improvement...

 

But when does things really start to get clear? Pls help!

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(@moon-bunny)

Posted : 05/30/2009 3:45 pm

so glad i found this place!

 

 

i am in nearly the IDENTICAL situation. 22 yr. old female. took accutane in high school for moderate/severe acne. i don't remember the doseage but i'm pretty sure it was moderate to high. pretty bad lip chapping/hands chapped/face dry for awhile, but it worked!

 

after that... nicely clear for a couple years. until recently. now i've been trying everything from clindamycin and retin-A micro... to duac gel and minocycline... still getting persistent mild acne. minocycline helps, but it is not safe to be on permanently and as soon as i stop it, the acne papules and comedones return. i have also been on BCP since 16.

 

i am frustrated!!! obviously. :)

 

so, i went to the derm today. i'm actually a north american living in south korea-- motherland of image-conscious people looking for cosmetic help!

 

the derm is putting me on 10mg/day of roaccutane. i just bought the package but i haven't started it yet.

 

what i want to ask is-- how severe do you think the side effects will be for me? i'm paranoid this will severely muck up my face and make me afraid to go out in public! am i just paranoid?

 

another thing i really want to know is that the derm ALSO wants me to try fraxel lasering....while on the 10mg/day roaccutane. i have looked at various forums on the internet, and many caution against it because of the sensitivity of the skin. (ie. wait a year)

 

but since it is a low dose, and will be a low level laser (i only have minor scarring and mostly dark red/brown blemishes from way bygone acne) do you agree this will be OK for my skin? the south korean derm seems to think so....and the place he works is super legit and modern...PLUS it's cheaper to get it here in korea.... but i want the opinion of you guys!

 

 

...help? :) good to see some people in the same (or similar) boat as me!

 

Fraxel is too invasive, even on low settings if you are on even the lowest dose of accutane. I would not suggest it.

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(@123123)

Posted : 05/30/2009 6:15 pm

I started with 10mg a day for 2 weeks and the initial breakout was quite bad. I got like 4 new big painful cysts. I started to see improvments about after 3 weeks.

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(@northsg)

Posted : 05/30/2009 8:40 pm

I have been taking 10mg/day for one month. I realize that I have more breakouts than before I started taking it. Doc advised me to take it for 3 months. He said most people will stop after 3 months as they won't need it anymore. But if I keep having more breakouts, I wonder if I can have clear skin by end of 3 months. By the way, these breakouts are super big ones, like a few pimple group together into one. I am using Dan's Cleanser and BHA. I wonder what did I do wrong? Why are most people getting better while I am getting more breakouts?

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(@benne237)

Posted : 05/31/2009 2:27 am

I have been taking 10mg/day for one month. I realize that I have more breakouts than before I started taking it. Doc advised me to take it for 3 months. He said most people will stop after 3 months as they won't need it anymore. But if I keep having more breakouts, I wonder if I can have clear skin by end of 3 months. By the way, these breakouts are super big ones, like a few pimple group together into one. I am using Dan's Cleanser and BHA. I wonder what did I do wrong? Why are most people getting better while I am getting more breakouts?

 

I would suggest you let the accutane do its job and not use anything else besides washing and lotion.

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(@jus-cogens)

Posted : 05/31/2009 8:53 am

just an update to anyone interested out there...i just finished my 4th week on 10 mg/day of accutane. im 110 lbs so i guess that should be enough. anyway.. im still breaking out! although most of them are drying out, still new ones are popping up like mushrooms. i thought my IB was over in the first two weeks but now im still breaking out like crazy although it's not as bad as the first couple of weeks. they're all cystic by the way. i just hope i clear up soon. this is really plaguing me. :(

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(@jus-cogens)

Posted : 05/31/2009 8:57 am

I have been taking 10mg/day for one month. I realize that I have more breakouts than before I started taking it. Doc advised me to take it for 3 months. He said most people will stop after 3 months as they won't need it anymore. But if I keep having more breakouts, I wonder if I can have clear skin by end of 3 months. By the way, these breakouts are super big ones, like a few pimple group together into one. I am using Dan's Cleanser and BHA. I wonder what did I do wrong? Why are most people getting better while I am getting more breakouts?

 

 

the normal course is around 3-4 months...some people dont experience clearing until after 5 months. i have the same condition, big pimples clustering on both cheeks. my derma said its ok to use something topically but avoid harsh chemicals. just use a mild cleanser like a baby's cleanser and a toner. just those two. the toner cleans out the pores so when the accutane pushes the oil from the skin, the surface of your skin is free from dirt. this prevents further breakouts. we really need all the help we can get because the IB can last for 3 months and its really depressing.

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(@judochop)

Posted : 03/15/2010 8:04 am

Hi guys! Good to see were all on the same boat! Im on my 3rd week with 10/mg per day.. and the first week was great! not a single zit.. but starting the 2nd, i began to get them again, but not as big and i guess, generally, less frequent.. but still, they keep popping up.. I was just wondering, how long before you guys saw any real improvement while on 10mg/day?

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(@mologadi)

Posted : 11/17/2018 7:18 am

Hello I'm 22 and have been taking Accutane for the past 3 months,although I see improvements, I still get two or three pimples. ...when will i heal completely?

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