I had flushing during my first course, when I came it off it reduced but would hit me every once and a while. I found minocycline pretty much took care of flushing for me.

I had flushing during my first course, when I came it off it reduced but would hit me every once and a while. I found minocycline pretty much took care of flushing for me.

I heard that minocycline and other antibiotic medications dont help flushing at all. Apparently its used more for the lesions associated with Rosacea. How long/what dosage was your accutane course? How long did the flushing take to go away? Any advise as to whether i should continue my course or drop dosage?

Thanks

I had flushing during my first course, when I came it off it reduced but would hit me every once and a while. I found minocycline pretty much took care of flushing for me.

I heard that minocycline and other antibiotic medications dont help flushing at all. Apparently its used more for the lesions associated with Rosacea. How long/what dosage was your accutane course? How long did the flushing take to go away? Any advise as to whether i should continue my course or drop dosage?

Thanks

It helps reduce facial redness as well which is why I was prescribed it and will get it prescribed again after my current course of accutane. Worked almost instanley for me, I would get about a 1 hour long period everyday where out of the blue my face would go very hot and red, withinn a day or two of mino I was down to that maybe once a week at most. I can't really give you any advice on if you should continue your course, somethign you gotta discuss with your derm. Facial redness and warm cheeks are a pretty common side effect of Tane though and a lot of people experience it. I'd just talk to your derm about lowering the dose to 20 or 30mg before making any real decisions.

ok, decided i'm going to sack the accutane. just going to have to try other methods to sort my skin

ok, decided i'm going to sack the accutane. just going to have to try other methods to sort my skin

You're 5 weeks into Accutane and you're deciding to quit it due to your skin flushing? I'm sorry mate but that is an incredibly stupid decision. Accutane doesn't work in 5 weeks. You begin to see your face actually clear up in the 2nd-3rd month, even the 4th for some. The facial redness is caused by Accutane due to the thinning of the skin. Once you're off the Accutane, your skin will begin to go back to its natural tone.

Do you wear SPF? It's a must to do so during the Accutane process to prevent skin from burning due to how sensitive your skin gets with Accutane.

ok, decided i'm going to sack the accutane. just going to have to try other methods to sort my skin

You're 5 weeks into Accutane and you're deciding to quit it due to your skin flushing? I'm sorry mate but that is an incredibly stupid decision. Accutane doesn't work in 5 weeks. You begin to see your face actually clear up in the 2nd-3rd month, even the 4th for some. The facial redness is caused by Accutane due to the thinning of the skin. Once you're off the Accutane, your skin will begin to go back to its natural tone.

Do you wear SPF? It's a must to do so during the Accutane process to prevent skin from burning due to how sensitive your skin gets with Accutane.

Agreed. Stick it out man, you're already over a month in!

Also, @KSG1996

Is SPF necessary if you use a moisturizer with SPF already in it? Right now I use a cetaphil moisturizer everyday that is SPF 30.

ok, decided i'm going to sack the accutane. just going to have to try other methods to sort my skin

You're 5 weeks into Accutane and you're deciding to quit it due to your skin flushing? I'm sorry mate but that is an incredibly stupid decision. Accutane doesn't work in 5 weeks. You begin to see your face actually clear up in the 2nd-3rd month, even the 4th for some. The facial redness is caused by Accutane due to the thinning of the skin. Once you're off the Accutane, your skin will begin to go back to its natural tone.

Do you wear SPF? It's a must to do so during the Accutane process to prevent skin from burning due to how sensitive your skin gets with Accutane.

Agreed. Stick it out man, you're already over a month in!

Also, @KSG1996

Is SPF necessary if you use a moisturizer with SPF already in it? Right now I use a cetaphil moisturizer everyday that is SPF 30.

Depends. SPF 30 is a fair amount, but most dermatologists have told me that it is better to put on sunscreen separately, preferably of SPF 40+, but not beyond 60, since they contain too many chemicals that can actually damage skin. Cheers.

You're 5 weeks into Accutane and you're deciding to quit it due to your skin flushing? I'm sorry mate but that is an incredibly stupid decision. Accutane doesn't work in 5 weeks. You begin to see your face actually clear up in the 2nd-3rd month, even the 4th for some. The facial redness is caused by Accutane due to the thinning of the skin. Once you're off the Accutane, your skin will begin to go back to its natural tone.

Do you wear SPF? It's a must to do so during the Accutane process to prevent skin from burning due to how sensitive your skin gets with Accutane.

The redness and flushing from accutane can be a long term/permanent side effect. For some people particularly if they're already prone to flushing accutane is just going to replace one problem with another, which for me isn't worth it as my acne isn't that bad. There's heaps of threads on here about people suffering years after accutane with these problems:

I also have very dry, itchy eyes as well as the redness and flushing. How long to people reckon it will take to recover from the accutane given it was only 5 weeks at 4omg a day?

for all you idiots who told me to keep taking accutane, there are hundreds of people who have developed permanent side affects from accutane such as severe rosacea, ocular rosacea, arthritis, hair loss and more. The rosacea (flushing) was ruining my life, I am now improving thanks to mepacrine, but just a lesson to people who take accutane lightly and underestimate the side effects.

for all you idiots who told me to keep taking accutane, there are hundreds of people who have developed permanent side affects from accutane such as severe rosacea, ocular rosacea, arthritis, hair loss and more. The rosacea (flushing) was ruining my life, I am now improving thanks to mepacrine, but just a lesson to people who take accutane lightly and underestimate the side effects.

It is possible to develop permanent side effects, but very few people do, the probability is quite low. I also experienced the flushing with hotness on my face and lower arms every now and then while on my accutane course and people told me that I also "looked sunburnt" most of the time while on it. I've been off accutane for a few weeks after a 5 month course, reaching a 180mg/kg cumulative dose and I have not experienced any flushing since I took my last pill and i no longer look "sunburnt." But it seems like you're more of a risk-adverse individual with greater fear of long-term side effects so maybe it is best you stopped taking it. I just wanted you to see, based on my own experience (a "lesson," if you will) that just because someone experiences a side effect on accutane, it doesn't always mean it's going to be permanent.

My point is that people take the risks of accutane far too lightly.

Here is a thread of people who have developed rosacea from accutane, there are plenty more on various rosacea forums as well. Trust me when I say that you have to have had rosacea to know how bad it is.

Just noticed how old this thread was...

My point is that people take the risks of accutane far too lightly. http://www.acne.org/messageboard/topic/193804-post-accutaneminocycline-facial-flushing/page-21

Here is a thread of people who have developed rosacea from accutane, there are plenty more on various rosacea forums as well. Trust me when I say that you have to have had rosacea to know how bad it is.

So you're saying that I have or am going to develop permanent rosacea?

My point is that people take the risks of accutane far too lightly. http://www.acne.org/messageboard/topic/193804-post-accutaneminocycline-facial-flushing/page-21

Here is a thread of people who have developed rosacea from accutane, there are plenty more on various rosacea forums as well. Trust me when I say that you have to have had rosacea to know how bad it is.

So you're saying that I have or am going to develop permanent rosacea?

The thing is with accutane is you just never know. People who have had no prior facial redness or flushing have developed severe, crippling rosacea from it, whether during or some time after their course. A user of this site Mark Lamarr had only a few flushing episodes on accutane but it was only after he spent time in Las Vegas in the summer that the rosacea and other symptoms came into full effect. My point being that we don't know medically why accutane can cause these side effects, or who will be affected by them so people need to understand the risks and weigh things up. And also if people are more aware of these potential permanent side effects then they will be able to stop taking accutane and prevent or limit the damage should they occur.

I am surprised I never saw your post back in July! I would of told you to stop and to see the thread in the rosacea forum or Lamarr However, what done is done and I am not sure how long you have been on the menaprcrine, but it should help and get better with time. Also, it should help with the joint pain though it takes a little time. I took plaquenil which is the same here in the U.S. Hope things improve!

I have always said Accutane is Russian Roulette!

I am surprised I never saw your post back in July! I would of told you to stop and to see the thread in the rosacea forum or Lamarr However, what done is done and I am not sure how long you have been on the menaprcrine, but it should help and get better with time. Also, it should help with the joint pain though it takes a little time. I took plaquenil which is the same here in the U.S. Hope things improve!

I have always said Accutane is Russian Roulette!

Thanks oli girl, I stopped taking accutane around about when I made that post in July. The next 6 months were pretty rough. After reading all the accutane flushing threads I made an appointment with Dr Tony Chu and was prescribed mepacrine and clonidine on private prescriptions. I haven't even got the clonidine, I wanted to be sure the mepacrine was working because when it does, it tends to more or less eliminate the flushing. I'm just under 6 weeks in nnow and i barely flush. Perm redness is slowly clearing and I am using lightt therapy to help heal the vessels. My raynauds is slowly improving as well as my knee pain. Serious thanks owed to Lamarr, you and all the others who kept on trying to find a treatment.

I am surprised I never saw your post back in July! I would of told you to stop and to see the thread in the rosacea forum or Lamarr However, what done is done and I am not sure how long you have been on the menaprcrine, but it should help and get better with time. Also, it should help with the joint pain though it takes a little time. I took plaquenil which is the same here in the U.S. Hope things improve!

I have always said Accutane is Russian Roulette!

Also, I need to get mepacrine on an NHS prescription (free in the UK) as I can't afford the ridiculous cost and only have a 3 month trial prescription. I will bring in my prescription from Dr Chu to my GP as well as any literature on anti-milarials in Lupus and their safety profile, but I think I'll have a tough job convincing her. I know there is a paper from 1955 about mepacrine in rosacea but I can't get access to it. I was wondering if you by any chance have the paper or know anyone from here who has? I tried messaging RedFaced on here and the Rosacea Forum but he doesn't seem t o use them any more. I will ask Dr Chu to email her but he is notoriously difficult to get a reply from. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thaaanks

Your in good hands with Dr. Chu and yes I know Lamarr well! The anti malaria should help immensely as I know it did for me too! Stay Strong and Good Luck!

I took ACCUTANE for 14 days(40mg/day) and my flushing started on day 11. I am prone to flushing and redness preaccutane so I think it was a precursor. Anyway I went to my Derm on day 14 and she took one look at me and told me I had to stop. I didn't want to but she said this flushing isn't a normal side effect. That was 2 days ago and I am still extremely red and I can still feel the flush coming on. I'm not as hot and swollen then I was. I feel like it is getting better. The Derm gave me prednisone and desinate?? Steroid gel for my face. I just hope that there is no permanent effects in just 14 days. Weirdly enough, I feel like this might have something to do with my blood pressure. I feel like it is spiking and causing the flushing. I took my BP all day at work and it was definatly up 145/85. Another weird thing..the more I think about the flushing the more it happened. It seems mental sometimes.

Anyhow...There is definitely a difference between redness due to dryness and hot red throbbing flushing while on ACCUTANE. Be careful people. Best of luck.

I took ACCUTANE for 14 days(40mg/day) and my flushing started on day 11. I am prone to flushing and redness preaccutane so I think it was a precursor. Anyway I went to my Derm on day 14 and she took one look at me and told me I had to stop. I didn't want to but she said this flushing isn't a normal side effect. That was 2 days ago and I am still extremely red and I can still feel the flush coming on. I'm not as hot and swollen then I was. I feel like it is getting better. The Derm gave me prednisone and desinate?? Steroid gel for my face. I just hope that there is no permanent effects in just 14 days. Weirdly enough, I feel like this might have something to do with my blood pressure. I feel like it is spiking and causing the flushing. I took my BP all day at work and it was definatly up 145/85. Another weird thing..the more I think about the flushing the more it happened. It seems mental sometimes.

Anyhow...There is definitely a difference between redness due to dryness and hot red throbbing flushing while on ACCUTANE. Be careful people. Best of luck.

Damn. Now you all got me a little worried. Although I am happy to still report that I haven't flushed at all since stopping accutane more than a month ago now. Hopefully I got lucky with this flushing Russian roulette and it'll stay this way despite having taken a cumulative accutane dose of about 180mg per kg.