Hi everyone,
I'm trying to learn everything I can about Roaccutane and came across this awesome site. Brilliant!
I've had moderate face and body acne since I was 13 or 14 and have tried everything except oral antibiotics. At my recent appointment, the derm said not to bother with antibiotics because of my age (36) and history, and that they are not a cure. I'm about to start Roaccutane and am preparing myself physically and mentally.
I've always held out hope that my acne would go away if only I could find out what was causing it, but after decades of experimenting I've finally accepted that it's not going to happen for me and I'm not prepared to wait until menopause to see if that helps!
I get the go ahead to start in a week or so, assuming my tests are fine. I've set the start date as December 14.
I'm feeling quite anxious about taking Roaccutane but also really excited about the possibility of clear skin! It's great reading the success stories, but also a reality check to read those that haven't worked out this time around. I have loads of questions but haven™t finished trawling through the site.
Looking forward to giving and receiving support over the next several months and beyond. Keeping my fingers crossed permanently that things work out.
Good luck to you! I am 31 years old and finished a 5 month course earlier this year. I have also read that the older you are the more likely you are to have permanent results and my dermatologist agreed that older people are less likely to require a second course (thank goodness!). If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I found it really helpful to read the personal Accutane logs when I was taking it, just to know what to expect and not feel so alone. It's a tough medication to take but most people get great results.
Don't be afraid! Just get your blood work done regularly and listen to your body; if your hair starts falling out, or if you start feeling down, or if you have blurry night vision, or joint pains, I would recommend stopping until the adverse effects go away, and then restart on a lower dosage.
In all likelihood, you will only have to put up with chapped lips, a small price to pay for long-term remission of acne. I'm 35, by the way, been on everything under the sun, and am a big fan of accutane (as long as it's monitored properly).
Thank you everyone. Your confidence in the outcome is very helpful.
CWR24 and everythingthatshimmers - that's great about greater success with age! Definitely drops the angst down a few notches.
Purple123, a great reminder to listen to my body. So good to know I have options if things get too much. I'm really sensitive to medications so they tend to work quickly, but side effects also are amplified.
Deep breath. Lip balm. It will be okay.
Exactly, breathe, breathe! It will be ok. If you're sensitive, you may need a lower dose, or you may need to work up to a regular dose over time.
And feel free to post all your questions.
Definitely starting low, and thanks - I do have a few qu's that I haven't seen an answer to so far.