Just wondering, cause I'm starting my first ever round at age 29 and my doc said she has never seem it happen, but I find it hard to believe after reading the posts on here.
I've seen where starting on a higher dose makes it less likely to happen and getting to an even higher does during the course of treatment makes it less likely to relapse, also. Seems the magic numbers tend to be about 120-150mg/day, but per the guidelines I can't take anymore than 100mg/day max since I only weigh 110 pounds (5'6" female too if it makes any difference).
Doc just started me out and I'm taking 60mg a day, so a bit more than the 1mg/kg dosage that seems to be the norm, but I'm okay with that if I'm looking at major, long term improvement.
So how many have relapsed?
Did anything "trigger" a relapse so to speak?
(I want to have kids in the next year after getting done with this and hope it doesn't get my hormones all out of whack again...)
Were you on a high or low dose the first time around?
Thanks, just looking for a little reassurance that this is likely to work out like it is purported to!
I wanted to have kids the year after taking accutane...my periods stopped after accutane, my hairs falling out, my skin is irreversibly damaged and my life is ruined, Im losing my mind from it all. wish I'd tried anything but going on this drug. Pls think long & hard before taking the leap of blind faith.
That's horrible! I'm sorry it didn't work out for you, but I do have several friends who took the drug for severe acne and 10-12 years later still have no side effects and rarely ever get a pimple. I guess it all depends on the individual. For me, I have no choice, as I have acne conglobata and accutane and is the only treatment to stop it from getting worse and causing massive scarring. Trust me, I gave EVERYTHING an ample chance before resorting to this and resisted it for years. I decided to get opinions from 3 dermatologist practices before agreeing to take the drug and have asked all of them multiple questions and documented their answers and they all agree that I have to take this or get even worse and that the side effects shouldn't be as bad as the problems I'll see if I don't take the drug. I'm in too much pain and too likely to be disfigured by my acne not to take accutane...
I'm starting my second course tomorrow, 40 mg a day , my derm said that 30% of people that finish the first may have to do a second round. After the first it will rarely go back to the original amount but make sure you develop a good skincare system after you are done your course.
I'm starting my second course tomorrow, 40 mg a day , my derm said that 30% of people that finish the first may have to do a second round. After the first it will rarely go back to the original amount but make sure you develop a good skincare system after you are done your course.
yeah good advise i remember after my first course i started using a facial scrub which i think was very rough for my skin and i also did not moisturise every day....
i started with 20 and finished with 60, I only took it for 5 months because my skin had cleared up dramatically. Keep in mind this was three years ago, and my acne came back beginning of this year, tomorrow I'm starting with 40 and by the end of it probably finish with 60 since I weight only 115 lb.
But be positive, I feel like I'm one of those that beats the odds when it comes to these things 
I find it very hard to believe a Dermatologist has never known of a patient having a 2nd course of roaccutane, unless she didn't want to scare you. Was she an actual Dermatologist or a general Doctor?
I'm currently on my 2nd course. I took roaccutane for 8 months (60mg) when I was 19 and then from about 24 started getting mild acne again, usually around my period, nothing that bothersome but then at 29 it turned into full blown cystic acne - I personally believe it was triggered by emotional trauma.
I've been back on it since January,starting at 20mg and working up to 60mg. My skin has been completely clear since August but my Dermatologist wants me to complete a year course to lower the risk of the acne returning, especially as it's my 2nd time. He says some patients will just stop taking the drug as soon as their skin is clear but that's not the best way to do it.
In the 10 years gap I've found that roaccutane now has far stricter guidelines (in the NHS anyway). I've had to sign two consent forms, take the pill alongside the roaccutane and report to the hospital every month for a blood test and pregnancy test. The 1st time around, once I was prescribed it I only returned twice in 8 months.
Also, during both courses I've never had any side effects apart from the dry lips thing.
Good luck
I find it very hard to believe a Dermatologist has never known of a patient having a 2nd course of roaccutane, unless she didn't want to scare you. Was she an actual Dermatologist or a general Doctor?
I'm currently on my 2nd course. I took roaccutane for 8 months (60mg) when I was 19 and then from about 24 started getting mild acne again, usually around my period, nothing that bothersome but then at 29 it turned into full blown cystic acne - I personally believe it was triggered by emotional trauma.
I've been back on it since January,starting at 20mg and working up to 60mg. My skin has been completely clear since August but my Dermatologist wants me to complete a year course to lower the risk of the acne returning, especially as it's my 2nd time. He says some patients will just stop taking the drug as soon as their skin is clear but that's not the best way to do it.
In the 10 years gap I've found that roaccutane now has far stricter guidelines (in the NHS anyway). I've had to sign two consent forms, take the pill alongside the roaccutane and report to the hospital every month for a blood test and pregnancy test. The 1st time around, once I was prescribed it I only returned twice in 8 months.
Also, during both courses I've never had any side effects apart from the dry lips thing.
Good luck
wow your lucky with respect to your s/e. this is my 2nd round too and ive experienced so many cuts on my hands and 2 ingrown toenails!!
its been a year and some i think since i ended it and my acne came back, not as bad but still bothersome.
sometimes its to the point where i truly want to go back on accutane again, but other days my skins pretty clear and i am convinced i dont need accutane again. i have truly been struggling for months now to make up my mind if i would want to go back on it or not and my skin is just so back and forth i dont know what to do, is a second course really that worth it or will it just end up the same as the first one and acne will come back?? ugh what to do...
I am currently on my 3rd round of accutane and as you can guess, i relapsed after 2 years on each of my courses. If you want to have kids, give it at least a year and a half after your last pill. No one can sayfor sure what pregnancy will do for your acne - yo'll just have to wait and see
Good Luck
I didn't sweat for 15 years but now the sweat pours out of me in buckets. Also, my skin no longer has the oil it should and so now my skin looks a lot more wrinkled and older than others my age even though I've stayed out of the sun. I now do everything i can to avoid getting hot because whenever I sweat a lot I usually break out really bad afterwards with big, cyst like formations that when popped, a foul smelling, watery liquid drains out. I now get acne everywhere I sweat, especially on my scalp which is covered by my hair but is extremely painful to shampoo. Also, my dentist informed me that dry mouth is the reason for getting so many cavities and why my enamel is so brittle that it easily chips off.
If I could do it all over again, I would not have taken Accutane twice or even once.
But, if you insist on taking it, be sure to follow all of the precautions. In my experience, CARMEX lip balm works the best because it actually dissolves the dried, dead layers. Before you get out of the shower, be sure to rub your lips with a towel because the heat of the shower combined with the Carmex will allow the layers of dried skin on your lips to easily be rubbed off. For your face, don't ever rub but buy an aloe plant and use the sticky gel inside the leaves to softly pat on your face. Commercial products usually have so many other chemicals in them that it causes burning and stinging. For women, get k-y or sex will not be enjoyable. Coco Butter moisturizers and emulsions work better than regular moisturizers. Keri was my favorite moisturizer, it costs more but it's worth it. Get dry eye visine because even your eyes will dry up. If your hands look like they're shedding layers of skin and if they get so dry that they crack and bleed, you can apply vaseline to them at night and then wear latex gloves to retain the moisture while you sleep. During the day, apply KERODEX #71 WET WORK SKIN PROTECTANT, it forms a seal around your hands so that they don't suffer from the dryness so much and hurt when you wash them. And last but not least, take it during warmer months rather than the winter months because the cold, dry weather will cause your skin to suffer even more.
Good luck.
ps. I forgot to mention that the worst scarring I have is after being on accutane. If I managed to pop the cyst and drain it, depending on how big it was a slight scar was noticed and most of those have mostly vanished in the the last 20 years but while I was on accutane, all the cystic acne in my cheeks dried up causing my skin to cave in. Yes, it did clear up that annoying, painful problem on my cheeks but it left me with those really deep pocket like scars that are impossible to remedy and impossible to cover up
pss. I forgot all about Vitamin E. I break the gel capsules and squeeze the vitamin E out, it reminded me of the Christian Dior moisturizing bead things I use to buy at the mall at 10x the price. Of course, the Christian Dior product smelled better and had other moisturizers which made it feel silky and soft, unlike how the Vitamin e that feels sticky but for the price it works well. Be sure to keep your hair up because it is especially sticky in hair.
I finished my first course a while back. It hasn't been a year yet but my oil production has returned to about 50% of what it was before treatment. I get a small whitehead every now and then but it's gone in 24 hrs. My skin looks fake in certain areas because it's so smooth and clear. I don't have any lasting side effects or anything like that. It was the best decision I have ever made and if I do relapse I WILL be taking it again.
Hi
I started my first course of accutane october 2011 was on it for 5 months and im just about to start my second course of accutane cant believe im back on it . Thought after the first course that would be it i had a few months of gorgeous skin to not have a new spot everyday was like heaven . I suffer from cystic acne had it for over 20 yrs.
Not looking forward to the second course as i remember the dry cracked lips !
Emma