hey buddy. You seem to have the same mentality as me. I was pretty disheartened researching about accutane and i too wondered how they could create rocket ships to the moon, yet couldn't prevent acne.

So i researched accutane , after receiving my prescription of it, for about six months on and off, and i wont lie , the side effects were definitely holding me back from taking the plunge.

You're probably waking up every morning looking in the mirror, and on the odd day, you get no new breakouts. At this point you think to yourself, hey maybe my days of acne are finally coming to an end, and i don't have to take accutane. Then you get a breakout again, and the thoughts of accutane begin once more.

I have been on accutane for a little over 30 days now, and in my opinion, it is much better KNOWING that with each day i am improving, rather than spending each day HOPING that things will look up. The only side effects i have had is dry lips and face, lip balm and moisturizer = problem solved. Other than that, accutane is making my skin a lot smoother, especially my nose so far, you wouldn't believe the difference until you try it. So from my perspective, take a low dose, say 20mg a day like me. After a month the derm will make sure accutane is going smoothly for you, and then your dose can be upped. Starting with a low dose, all your side effects are lessened, and the initial breakout is hardly any worse than the breakouts i had off tane. Plus i don't have to wash my hair for like a week at a time.

I say take the plunge, and eventually you with both end up with clear skin which other people can be jealous of, rather than vice versa as i assume it is currently.

OK here is one thing you may not have considered : for most people, Accutane is not a cure it only puts acne into remission for anywhere from 6 months to a few years. Is having clear skin for a short period of time worth the proverbial coin flip and the possibility of permanant side effetcs? Thats a question only you can answer. I took a low dose but even that was too much for me.

Did you know it was created as a chemotherapy drug?

btw Ive taken it and do NOT recommend it. Yes I am one of the horror stories but the only truth is nobody knows how a drug will affect them until they have taken it. And that is potentially "too late".

Truth is that industries make a ton of money off of selling skincare products and want to keep you coming back for more. Accutane does clear some people and for others it doesn't and the side effects vary a lot. Even though I get cystic acne I wouldn't consider taking accutane, just doesn't seem worth it to me.

hey buddy. You seem to have the same mentality as me. I was pretty disheartened researching about accutane and i too wondered how they could create rocket ships to the moon, yet couldn't prevent acne.

So i researched accutane , after receiving my prescription of it, for about six months on and off, and i wont lie , the side effects were definitely holding me back from taking the plunge.

You're probably waking up every morning looking in the mirror, and on the odd day, you get no new breakouts. At this point you think to yourself, hey maybe my days of acne are finally coming to an end, and i don't have to take accutane. Then you get a breakout again, and the thoughts of accutane begin once more.

I have been on accutane for a little over 30 days now, and in my opinion, it is much better KNOWING that with each day i am improving, rather than spending each day HOPING that things will look up. The only side effects i have had is dry lips and face, lip balm and moisturizer = problem solved. Other than that, accutane is making my skin a lot smoother, especially my nose so far, you wouldn't believe the difference until you try it. So from my perspective, take a low dose, say 20mg a day like me. After a month the derm will make sure accutane is going smoothly for you, and then your dose can be upped. Starting with a low dose, all your side effects are lessened, and the initial breakout is hardly any worse than the breakouts i had off tane. Plus i don't have to wash my hair for like a week at a time.

I say take the plunge, and eventually you with both end up with clear skin which other people can be jealous of, rather than vice versa as i assume it is currently.

You hit home on all those points. And don't you worry, I too will be plunging deep, I have my first blood test tomorrow in-fact.

This was just a way for me to vent, and see if other people see what I see, like you. Good luck on your journey!

OK here is one thing you may not have considered : for most people, Accutane is not a cure it only puts acne into remission for anywhere from 6 months to a few years. Is having clear skin for a short period of time worth the proverbial coin flip and the possibility of permanant side effetcs? Thats a question only you can answer. I took a low dose but even that was too much for me.

Did you know it was created as a chemotherapy drug?

btw Ive taken it and do NOT recommend it. Yes I am one of the horror stories but the only truth is nobody knows how a drug will affect them until they have taken it. And that is potentially "too late".

At the moment, yes, it is worth it. My final year of high school inevitably leads to a grand formal in which I do not plan to have pepperoni pizza as my face. Haha, but seriously #yolo? All jokes aside.

The most severe cases of adverse affects occurs in patients who are under a dosage higher than 1 mg/kg/day. I have been advised to jump onto the 20mg boat for a period of 8 months, my derma told me "there is no longer a need to go onto a higher dose". I am still wondering why not, and will ask the next time I visit.

But that coin flip is multi-dimensional too, in that, it dictates whether my acne is gone forever or not at all. This needs to be considered also. My derma had figures of a 30% chance of remission in his patients and even still, they were milder cases.

And according to my stalking skills, you ignored the symptoms of severe adverse affects. This says a lot to me. I am completely adamant that I shall immediately cease consumption of accutane and alert my dermatologist, in order to prevent further/severe/irreparable damage. Whether this be the sudden change of outlook in life to one that is much more negative, the discovery of a red blood stain in my favorite pair of snow-white underwear or possibly the envisioning of unicorns in the sky on my way home from school. I shall do it.

Thanks for your replies!

/overly expressed response. English class today really rubbed off on me.

Truth is that industries make a ton of money off of selling skincare products and want to keep you coming back for more. Accutane does clear some people and for others it doesn't and the side effects vary a lot. Even though I get cystic acne I wouldn't consider taking accutane, just doesn't seem worth it to me.

I would agree, a lot of industries do this. Well it would depend on the severity of your case, which doesn't seem severe at all, so I wouldn't be considering it either if I were in your shoes.

If your acne is scarring then go for it as there are no other option for severe cases of acne unfortunately

On 5/10/2013 at 4:43 PM, AuguriesofInnocence said:

Did you know it was created as a chemotherapy drug?

I did discover this a few days ago. This is a very valid point. As chemotherapy results in telomere shortening and cell proliferation, all over your body. Which is why your nose, face, anus, skin, everything gets dry and this is the reason why it is so effective for acne, it demolishes your sebaceous glands. Telomerase shortening can lead to a shortened life span as the cap for cell division is decreased. (number of times your cells can divide.) I only just google'd this info, so thank you for giving me a reason to do so. But then again, this is 'apparently' more applicable to those with a dosage higher than 0.25mg/kg/day (new info!). I originally said 1mg/kg/day, but 'apparently' it is safer to go on 0.25mg/kg/day.

We need confirmation! More information leads to more confusion unfortunately.

EDIT

- the source was based upon actual cancerous cells which had active telomerase, and our somatic cells, do not have active telomerase, so that just completely stops that argument.

- here are my sources:

[Removed] - a dude who thinks he has found out how accutane works. still vague to me.

[Removed] - contradiction for the shortening.

It's funny how my view on Accutance isn't very solid; on and off. I say "yes I'm going for it" the next minute I find an interesting piece of info, "oh no stuff that, no way am I taking that" and back to "oh okay maybe it isn't that bad".

Well said. I agonized over the decision of whether or not to take Accutane. I am thirty years old and have had acne for ten years, nothing else has worked long-term. I finally decided to go for it with strong, repeated recommendations from more than one doctor. And I still don't know if I'm doing the right thing. I am near a 1 mg/kg dosage because that is how my dermatologist prescribes it. I agree wholeheartedly that there should be better options: You can use a topical that will burn your face up, you can use an antibiotic that may mess up your stomach and ultimately stop working, or you can take a chemotherapy drug that has the potential to leave you depressed and physically ill. Sign me up, right? It is maddening that we can cure a multitude of diseases but can't clear up our skin in a way that is safe and makes sense. Good luck to you no matter what you decide. =)

On 5/10/2013 at 6:18 PM, Jikstah said:

Youre correct, I did NOT take seriously the fact that I felt off from first taking accutane. I thought it was worth clear skin but I coulndt handle it. Which is why I try so hard to let people know, the lure of clear skin can make you blind to the dangers.IF you notice any adverse reactions you should stop immediately... I think you will you seem pretty with it Good luck.

On 5/10/2013 at 6:18 PM, Jikstah said:

If

On 5/10/2013 at 4:30 PM, tane007 said:

hey buddy. You seem to have the same mentality as me. I was pretty disheartened researching about accutane and i too wondered how they could create rocket ships to the moon, yet couldn't prevent acne.

So i researched accutane , after receiving my prescription of it, for about six months on and off, and i wont lie , the side effects were definitely holding me back from taking the plunge.

You're probably waking up every morning looking in the mirror, and on the odd day, you get no new breakouts. At this point you think to yourself, hey maybe my days of acne are finally coming to an end, and i don't have to take accutane. Then you get a breakout again, and the thoughts of accutane begin once more.

I have been on accutane for a little over 30 days now, and in my opinion, it is much better KNOWING that with each day i am improving, rather than spending each day HOPING that things will look up. The only side effects i have had is dry lips and face, lip balm and moisturizer = problem solved. Other than that, accutane is making my skin a lot smoother, especially my nose so far, you wouldn't believe the difference until you try it. So from my perspective, take a low dose, say 20mg a day like me. After a month the derm will make sure accutane is going smoothly for you, and then your dose can be upped. Starting with a low dose, all your side effects are lessened, and the initial breakout is hardly any worse than the breakouts i had off tane. Plus i don't have to wash my hair for like a week at a time.

I say take the plunge, and eventually you with both end up with clear skin which other people can be jealous of, rather than vice versa as i assume it is currently.

You hit home on all those points. And don't you worry, I too will be plunging deep, I have my first blood test tomorrow in-fact.

This was just a way for me to vent, and see if other people see what I see, like you. Good luck on your journey!

On 5/10/2013 at 4:43 PM, AuguriesofInnocence said:

>OK here is one thing you may not have considered : for most people, Accutane is not a cure it only puts acne into remission for anywhere from 6 months to a few years. Is having clear skin for a short period of time worth the proverbial coin flip and the possibility of permanant side effetcs? Thats a question only you can answer. I took a low dose but even that was too much for me.

Did you know it was created as a chemotherapy drug?

btw Ive taken it and do NOT recommend it. Yes I am one of the horror stories but the only truth is nobody knows how a drug will affect them until they have taken it. And that is potentially "too late".

At the moment, yes, it is worth it. My final year of high school inevitably leads to a grand formal in which I do not plan to have pepperoni pizza as my face. Haha, but seriously #yolo? All jokes aside.

The most severe cases of adverse affects occurs in patients who are under a dosage higher than 1 mg/kg/day. I have been advised to jump onto the 20mg boat for a period of 8 months, my derma told me "there is no longer a need to go onto a higher dose". I am still wondering why not, and will ask the next time I visit.

But that coin flip is multi-dimensional too, in that, it dictates whether my acne is gone forever or not at all. This needs to be considered also. My derma had figures of a 30% chance of remission in his patients and even still, they were milder cases.

And according to my stalking skills, you ignored the symptoms of severe adverse affects. This says a lot to me. I am completely adamant that I shall immediately cease consumption of accutane and alert my dermatologist, in order to prevent further/severe/irreparable damage. Whether this be the sudden change of outlook in life to one that is much more negative, the discovery of a red blood stain in my favorite pair of snow-white underwear or possibly the envisioning of unicorns in the sky on my way home from school. I shall do it.

Thanks for your replies!

/overly expressed response. English class today really rubbed off on me.

On 5/10/2013 at 6:00 PM, melmel87 said:

Truth is that industries make a ton of money off of selling skincare products and want to keep you coming back for more. Accutane does clear some people and for others it doesn't and the side effects vary a lot. Even though I get cystic acne I wouldn't consider taking accutane, just doesn't seem worth it to me.

I would agree, a lot of industries do this. Well it would depend on the severity of your case, which doesn't seem severe at all, so I wouldn't be considering it either if I were in your shoes.

On 5/10/2013 at 6:59 PM, Jikstah said:

at least youre really researching..all that telemere stuff is Greek to me .

On 5/10/2013 at 4:43 PM, AuguriesofInnocence said:

Did you know it was created as a chemotherapy drug?

I did discover this a few days ago. This is a very valid point. As chemotherapy results in telomere shortening and cell proliferation, all over your body. Which is why your nose, face, anus, skin, everything gets dry and this is the reason why it is so effective for acne, it demolishes your sebaceous glands. Telomerase shortening can lead to a shortened life span as the cap for cell division is decreased. (number of times your cells can divide.) I only just google'd this info, so thank you for giving me a reason to do so. But then again, this is 'apparently' more applicable to those with a dosage higher than 0.25mg/kg/day (new info!). I originally said 1mg/kg/day, but 'apparently' it is safer to go on 0.25mg/kg/day.

We need confirmation! More information leads to more confusion unfortunately.

EDIT

- the source was based upon actual cancerous cells which had active telomerase, and our somatic cells, do not have active telomerase, so that just completely stops that argument.

- here are my sources:

[Removed] - a dude who thinks he has found out how accutane works. still vague to me.

[Removed] - contradiction for the shortening.

It's funny how my view on Accutance isn't very solid; on and off. I say "yes I'm going for it" the next minute I find an interesting piece of info, "oh no stuff that, no way am I taking that" and back to "oh okay maybe it isn't that bad".

Well said. I agonized over the decision of whether or not to take Accutane. I am thirty years old and have had acne for ten years, nothing else has worked long-term. I finally decided to go for it with strong, repeated recommendations from more than one doctor. And I still don't know if I'm doing the right thing. I am near a 1 mg/kg dosage because that is how my dermatologist prescribes it. I agree wholeheartedly that there should be better options: You can use a topical that will burn your face up, you can use an antibiotic that may mess up your stomach and ultimately stop working, or you can take a chemotherapy drug that has the potential to leave you depressed and physically ill. Sign me up, right? It is maddening that we can cure a multitude of diseases but can't clear up our skin in a way that is safe and makes sense. Good luck to you no matter what you decide.

Thank you.

Where is the truth?

I've trawled the interwebs for the truth, nothing. This whole ordeal is probably just as bad as the religion debate, the creationism vs evolution debate; never-ending and seemingly without a proven, consise conclusion or evidence to support a side. Maybe there isn't truth?

I've pretty much given up on researching Accutane and it's side effects. There's only the black and the white. Depression/Crohn's Disease/Inflammatory Bowel Disease vs. The mild dryness of skin/lips. With the people giving advice being basically "sheep", the blind Christian or the manic Athiest, with only past experience to support their arguments.

It basically comes down a coin flip right? Or maybe not?

What really confuses me is how on Earth, after 30 or so years of pure "Accutane is the only solution for severe acne", has the human race not discovered or developed a consistent, safe treatment for acne? Like c'mon, with all this technology, one would think.. ah well.

Google Glass is still cooler right?

Thank you.

I think you should take it. I have finally made that decision and should have done it YEARS ago. At almost 26 and still breaking out like I am a teenager, I am ready to give it a go. I truly believe that none of the side effects can be worse than the constant anxiety, stress, and depression that acne has caused me. Nothing is worse than not being able to look myself in the mirror.

Don't become me and some of the other people on this forum who are on multiple topicals, ridiculous diets, a ton of supplements, always searching for the "root cause". Even if you find it, do you want to be on a gluten free/dairy free or whatever the hell it is diet for the rest of your life?

While Accutane doesn't cure everyone and for some people it does come back, there is no other medication that offers a chance at curing you. BP, Diet, Antibiotics, all are all bandaids in the end as when you slack off or stop doing them, the acne comes right back.

I am in the same boat as you. I'm thinking of trying accutane too. I've been trying to avoid it by trying different diets, BP, natural products, supplements, antibiotics, a variety of topicals, and so on. I'm letting acne rule my life. I shouldn't let it do that but I can't help it. I want to be free of this disease once in for all, and I want to do it before my scarring gets worse.

 

Where is the truth?

I've trawled the interwebs for the truth, nothing. This whole ordeal is probably just as bad as the religion debate, the creationism vs evolution debate; never-ending and seemingly without a proven, consise conclusion or evidence to support a side. Maybe there isn't truth?

I've pretty much given up on researching Accutane and it's side effects. There's only the black and the white. Depression/Crohn's Disease/Inflammatory Bowel Disease vs. The mild dryness of skin/lips. With the people giving advice being basically "sheep", the blind Christian or the manic Athiest, with only past experience to support their arguments.

It basically comes down a coin flip right? Or maybe not?

What really confuses me is how on Earth, after 30 or so years of pure "Accutane is the only solution for severe acne", has the human race not discovered or developed a consistent, safe treatment for acne? Like c'mon, with all this technology, one would think.. ah well.

Google Glass is still cooler right?

Thank you.

I think you should take it. I have finally made that decision and should have done it YEARS ago. At almost 26 and still breaking out like I am a teenager, I am ready to give it a go. I truly believe that none of the side effects can be worse than the constant anxiety, stress, and depression that acne has caused me. Nothing is worse than not being able to look myself in the mirror.

Don't become me and some of the other people on this forum who are on multiple topicals, ridiculous diets, a ton of supplements, always searching for the "root cause". Even if you find it, do you want to be on a gluten free/dairy free or whatever the hell it is diet for the rest of your life?

While Accutane doesn't cure everyone and for some people it does come back, there is no other medication that offers a chance at curing you. BP, Diet, Antibiotics, all are all bandaids in the end as when you slack off or stop doing them, the acne comes right back.

I am in the same boat as you. I'm thinking of trying accutane too. I've been trying to avoid it by trying different diets, BP, natural products, supplements, antibiotics, a variety of topicals, and so on. I'm letting acne rule my life. I shouldn't let it do that but I can't help it. I want to be free of this disease once in for all, and I want to do it before my scarring gets worse.

I think you should take it. I have finally made that decision and should have done it YEARS ago. At almost 26 and still breaking out like I am a teenager, I am ready to give it a go. I truly believe that none of the side effects can be worse than the constant anxiety, stress, and depression that acne has caused me. Nothing is worse than not being able to look myself in the mirror.

Don't become me and some of the other people on this forum who are on multiple topicals, ridiculous diets, a ton of supplements, always searching for the "root cause". Even if you find it, do you want to be on a gluten free/dairy free or whatever the hell it is diet for the rest of your life?

While Accutane doesn't cure everyone and for some people it does come back, there is no other medication that offers a chance at curing you. BP, Diet, Antibiotics, all are all bandaids in the end as when you slack off or stop doing them, the acne comes right back.

Your words are encouraging. I know accutane has a lot of side effects but at this point, I feel like it would be worth it. Acne is so emotionally and physically draining sometimes.

I'm sorry, I had to!

But yeah, I'm jumping onto the wagon - just awaiting my dermatologist to check my blood test results.

IMHO, the lower the dosage the safer you are from any of the harsher side effects. That's not to say you couldn't contract some of those diseases/deficiencies or what not. But, the trade-off is much more better when going on a low-dose and staying there. This is because the higher you go, yes - you do have a higher chance for the acne to stay gone but you also raise the chances for contraction of serious diseases. When you keep it low, the remission rate may be lower - but the chances of contraction are significantly reduced. Would you rather remission or disease? Acne is a disease but not as serious as some of these reported ones, liver issues - IBS, IBD - *shiver* NO THANK YOU.

Just my thoughts..

High-risk, high-reward. Everyone's body responds differently. For some, it was a miracle drug with very minimal side effects, but others, it was a nightmare, with every long-lasting side effect and it didn't even cure their acne. You just have to do decide, if the severeness of your acne is worth taking this gamble. That is the best answer I can give you without being bias.

High-risk, high-reward. Everyone's body responds differently. For some, it was a miracle drug with very minimal side effects, but others, it was a nightmare, with every long-lasting side effect and it didn't even cure their acne. You just have to do decide, if the severeness of your acne is worth taking this gamble. That is the best answer I can give you without being bias.

Is this the high risk of going on accutane? or the high risk of going on a higher dosage?

High-risk, high-reward. Everyone's body responds differently. For some, it was a miracle drug with very minimal side effects, but others, it was a nightmare, with every long-lasting side effect and it didn't even cure their acne. You just have to do decide, if the severeness of your acne is worth taking this gamble. That is the best answer I can give you without being bias.

Is this the high risk of going on accutane? or the high risk of going on a higher dosage?

You would think, by logic, a higher dosage means more side effects, a lower dosage means less side effects, but even that isn't always the case. Some dude recently posted on here that he just got done with doing 120 mg and he's now 100 percent clear and the only side effects he had were the usual dry skin and lips.

And the chick that posted first in this thread I believe was on a very dosage, like 10 or 20 mg only, and she said accutane was a nightmare for her.

High-risk, high-reward. Everyone's body responds differently. For some, it was a miracle drug with very minimal side effects, but others, it was a nightmare, with every long-lasting side effect and it didn't even cure their acne. You just have to do decide, if the severeness of your acne is worth taking this gamble. That is the best answer I can give you without being bias.

Is this the high risk of going on accutane? or the high risk of going on a higher dosage?

You would think, by logic, a higher dosage means more side effects, a lower dosage means less side effects, but even that isn't always the case. Some dude recently posted on here that he just got done with doing 120 mg and he's now 100 percent clear and the only side effects he had were the usual dry skin and lips.

And the chick that posted first in this thread I believe was on a very dosage, like 10 or 20 mg only, and she said accutane was a nightmare for her.

Yeah, I did point out that it wasn't impossible to get the severe side effects at a low dosage. By observation, a fair amount of those who had the bad stuff, were on the high stuff and/or ignore the early warning signs.

I think generally speaking, low dosages are safer in the end. I know several people who took lower dosages (20 mg for a longer period, say 6-8 months) and had little side effects and ended up clear. One of them had acne return 6 months later, the others are still clear.

My husband took accutane back in the 80s, had a suicide attempt during his course, but never made the corrolation until I had it happen to me.

He is 43 now, has digestive issues, arthritis in knees/hips and has dry eye and some mood problems.

For me, I was lucky enough not to have severe physical side effects other than some hairloss but I was severely depressed and suicidal, not just once but for 4 months after stopping the drug. I also had vision and hearing problems but they have pretty much subsided.

My suggestion of course is dont take it but IF you do, and if you feel bad stop immediately. But, you know this...

I am in the same boat as you. I'm thinking of trying accutane too. I've been trying to avoid it by trying different diets, BP, natural products, supplements, antibiotics, a variety of topicals, and so on. I'm letting acne rule my life. I shouldn't let it do that but I can't help it. I want to be free of this disease once in for all, and I want to do it before my scarring gets worse.

I think you should take it. I have finally made that decision and should have done it YEARS ago. At almost 26 and still breaking out like I am a teenager, I am ready to give it a go. I truly believe that none of the side effects can be worse than the constant anxiety, stress, and depression that acne has caused me. Nothing is worse than not being able to look myself in the mirror.

Don't become me and some of the other people on this forum who are on multiple topicals, ridiculous diets, a ton of supplements, always searching for the "root cause". Even if you find it, do you want to be on a gluten free/dairy free or whatever the hell it is diet for the rest of your life?

While Accutane doesn't cure everyone and for some people it does come back, there is no other medication that offers a chance at curing you. BP, Diet, Antibiotics, all are all bandaids in the end as when you slack off or stop doing them, the acne comes right back.

Your words are encouraging. I know accutane has a lot of side effects but at this point, I feel like it would be worth it. Acne is so emotionally and physically draining sometimes.

 

I'm sorry, I had to!

But yeah, I'm jumping onto the wagon - just awaiting my dermatologist to check my blood test results.

IMHO, the lower the dosage the safer you are from any of the harsher side effects. That's not to say you couldn't contract some of those diseases/deficiencies or what not. But, the trade-off is much more better when going on a low-dose and staying there. This is because the higher you go, yes - you do have a higher chance for the acne to stay gone but you also raise the chances for contraction of serious diseases. When you keep it low, the remission rate may be lower - but the chances of contraction are significantly reduced. Would you rather remission or disease? Acne is a disease but not as serious as some of these reported ones, liver issues - IBS, IBD - *shiver* NO THANK YOU.

Just my thoughts..

Haha! Catchy.

Yeah, if I do decide to go ahead and do accutane, I'm going to ask the derm what he/she thinks about dosage. I know that if I feel bad during accutane, I can just stop.

Are you planning on making an accutane log if you get the go ahead?

Haha! Catchy.

Yeah, if I do decide to go ahead and do accutane, I'm going to ask the derm what he/she thinks about dosage. I know that if I feel bad during accutane, I can just stop.

Are you planning on making an accutane log if you get the go ahead?

Yeah, that's what I really want to be enforcing - don't want to risk ANYTHING more, even if taking accutane is already a risk in itself.

I haven't really thought about it, but it sounds good to be able to track progress and maybe you guys can see if I'm having some signs of craziness in my posts haha.

Haha! Catchy.

Yeah, if I do decide to go ahead and do accutane, I'm going to ask the derm what he/she thinks about dosage. I know that if I feel bad during accutane, I can just stop.

Are you planning on making an accutane log if you get the go ahead?

Yeah, that's what I really want to be enforcing - don't want to risk ANYTHING more, even if taking accutane is already a risk in itself.

I haven't really thought about it, but it sounds good to be able to track progress and maybe you guys can see if I'm having some signs of craziness in my posts haha.

Yeah, you should. I'll let you know if you start going crazy. But, I'm one to talk. I'm horrible at keeping up with logs.

I just made an appointment to see the derm next week. Was it difficult to get prescribed accutane? I don't want to walk out of the clinic with yet another antibiotic or topical prescription.

Yeah, you should. I'll let you know if you start going crazy. But, I'm one to talk. I'm horrible at keeping up with logs.

I just made an appointment to see the derm next week. Was it difficult to get prescribed accutane? I don't want to walk out of the clinic with yet another antibiotic or topical prescription.

Sounds like a plan.

Nope! It wasn't for me at least. I told my derm I had been on Minocycline, only for a month, so it was as good as a lie and he didn't ask for proof. He instantly recommended the 'tane which surprised me. Maybe you could pull off a bit of sell job?

How bad is your acne btw?

Yeah, you should. I'll let you know if you start going crazy. But, I'm one to talk. I'm horrible at keeping up with logs.

I just made an appointment to see the derm next week. Was it difficult to get prescribed accutane? I don't want to walk out of the clinic with yet another antibiotic or topical prescription.

Sounds like a plan.

Nope! It wasn't for me at least. I told my derm I had been on Minocycline, only for a month, so it was as good as a lie and he didn't ask for proof. He instantly recommended the 'tane which surprised me. Maybe you could pull off a bit of sell job?

How bad is your acne btw?

Oh wow. I've been off/on minocycline for years, plus I tried doxycycline as well. Maybe my derm will prescribe me accutane because my acne is so persistent.

BP keeps most of my acne at bay, but it's not strong enough to ward off my hormonal acne I get right before my period. My skin was clear for weeks and then bam! I get three painful cysts plus a few normal zits around my chin and jawline and then a bunch of little pimples on my chest and back. I could try hormonal treatments but I'd rather not mess with hormones, especially since acne comes back (sometimes worse) after quitting birth control. I've had acne for about 10 years, I just want it over with.

Oh wow. I've been off/on minocycline for years, plus I tried doxycycline as well. Maybe my derm will prescribe me accutane because my acne is so persistent.

BP keeps most of my acne at bay, but it's not strong enough to ward off my hormonal acne I get right before my period. My skin was clear for weeks and then bam! I get three painful cysts plus a few normal zits around my chin and jawline and then a bunch of little pimples on my chest and back. I could try hormonal treatments but I'd rather not mess with hormones, especially since acne comes back (sometimes worse) after quitting birth control. I've had acne for about 10 years, I just want it over with.

I see, I see. I've only had acne for 7-8 months and it got moderately-severe nodulo-cystical (is that even a word?) about 4-5 months ago. I have no idea what exactly is causing it. I don't think it's diet, no changes in it whatsoever. I do think it is genetic, maybe hormonal but I'm nearing the end of puberty - do hormone levels go crazy at this stage? I thought it was only at the start/middle.

I feel for you!

Oh wow. I've been off/on minocycline for years, plus I tried doxycycline as well. Maybe my derm will prescribe me accutane because my acne is so persistent.

BP keeps most of my acne at bay, but it's not strong enough to ward off my hormonal acne I get right before my period. My skin was clear for weeks and then bam! I get three painful cysts plus a few normal zits around my chin and jawline and then a bunch of little pimples on my chest and back. I could try hormonal treatments but I'd rather not mess with hormones, especially since acne comes back (sometimes worse) after quitting birth control. I've had acne for about 10 years, I just want it over with.

I see, I see. I've only had acne for 7-8 months and it got moderately-severe nodulo-cystical (is that even a word?) about 4-5 months ago. I have no idea what exactly is causing it. I don't think it's diet, no changes in it whatsoever. I do think it is genetic, maybe hormonal but I'm nearing the end of puberty - do hormone levels go crazy at this stage? I thought it was only at the start/middle.

I feel for you!

Yikes! I remember reading that acne in males tend to be less persistent than in females, but tends to be more severe. It could be because of hormonal changes, everyone develops a little differently. It's hard to figure out what is causing acne. It could even be something in the water.

It's good that you're getting acne treated early on, before scarring is an issue. Though, I've read that accutane can deter growth. Do you think you have reached your full height?