Hi everyone,
I know a lot of people have been interested in low dose accutane regimens and whether these work. I will give you a brief history of my acne and my three-year low dose regimen because I was able to achieve COMPLETE CLEARANCE!
Acne started: age 13, tried every topical and prescription (antibiotics, retinoids, duac, benzoyl peroxide, blah blah blah) with no improvement. I would characterize my skin as oily/combination, poor texture, large pores, clogged pores, with inflammatory acne.
Accutane: went on regular dose course of accutane through a dermatologist at age 21. HORRIBLE side effects and AWFUL initial breakout, but achieved clearance. However, this only lasted 6 months and the acne and oily skin came back.
Low dose regimen: After being totally fed up with my acne, I started a low dose (really, micro dose) regimen on my own at age 25. I took one 20 milligram pill, once per week. I started at this dose and stayed at this dose throughout the entirety of the course (three years). You can do one 20 milligram pill per week or two 10 milligram pills per week. For reference, I am female and weigh 120 pounds.
People, I achieved COMPLETE CLEARANCE. I am talking absolutely no acne, no clogged pores, and no oily skin. I wore hardly any makeup except concealer under my eyes for dark circles. I felt very confident about my skin and no longer thought about it constantly.
In terms of side effects, for the most part I did not have any. I have a pre-existing dry eye condition (developed before I ever went on accutane) that did become somewhat worse on this regimen (made my eyes red). However, if you do not already have a problem with dry eyes I doubt you would have this side effect. My skin became dry during the winters but I used Elta MD PM Moisturizer and I was fine. No other side effects at all.
Some of you are probably saying "you idiot, what about your bloodwork?". I had my bloodwork done twice per year and never had any elevations of liver enzymes, triglycerides, or cholesterol. All of my levels came in at the excellent range every time. I had bloodwork done once through my work (they do a yearly free blood draw), and then I would just go to my doctor and request bloodwork with a liver panel. On this EXTREMELY LOW DOSE, you don't need to be as paranoid about it. There are many medical studies that support the fact that micro-doses of accutane do not have anywhere near the same side effects as regular-dose courses.
P.S. I am now off of this regimen (at age 28) because I may want to become pregnant within the next year. And yes, my oily skin and clogged pores are coming back. I am now trying some more natural methods to control my acne, but I sure do miss the low dose accutane 
If anyone has any questions let me know.
Dana
hey dana
glad to hear it worked for you
im also on a low dose 10 mg per day
for me sometimes i have a whole week of clear skin ...then boom a breakout ...i just completed 8 weeks today
sadlly even in this low dose im suffering from side effect like being tired all the time and not being able to sleep for more than 6-7 hours plus my shoulder is killing which sux
any advice on these knowing that i didnt have any of them in my first course
hey dana
glad to hear it worked for you
im also on a low dose 10 mg per day
for me sometimes i have a whole week of clear skin ...then boom a breakout ...i just completed 8 weeks today
sadlly even in this low dose im suffering from side effect like being tired all the time and not being able to sleep for more than 6-7 hours plus my shoulder is killing which sux
any advice on these knowing that i didnt have any of them in my first course
Hi Fouzi-
A few questions, do you have oily skin? If so, are you noticing that your oil is diminished at all? Also, how much do you weigh?
I'm thinking that you may be having side effects because you are on 70mg per week, whereas I was on 20mg. Since you are on over three times the dose, it may mean your chance of side effects is increased. Also, are you positive the sleeping issues and shoulder pain are from the accutane? Sometimes, a "reverse" placebo effect occurs, where certain health problems crop up that may be unrelated, but people attribute to medications they're on.
I think you may need to wait a little longer than 8 weeks to see results. Thinking back to when I started, I noticed a decrease in oil production during the first 2 months but was still getting acne. I would say by the end of the 3rd or 4th month, my acne stopped. You may just need a little more time!
Dana
hey dana
glad to hear it worked for you
im also on a low dose 10 mg per day
for me sometimes i have a whole week of clear skin ...then boom a breakout ...i just completed 8 weeks today
sadlly even in this low dose im suffering from side effect like being tired all the time and not being able to sleep for more than 6-7 hours plus my shoulder is killing which sux
any advice on these knowing that i didnt have any of them in my first course
Hi Fouzi-
A few questions, do you have oily skin? If so, are you noticing that your oil is diminished at all? Also, how much do you weigh?
I'm thinking that you may be having side effects because you are on 70mg per week, whereas I was on 20mg. Since you are on over three times the dose, it may mean your chance of side effects is increased. Also, are you positive the sleeping issues and shoulder pain are from the accutane? Sometimes, a "reverse" placebo effect occurs, where certain health problems crop up that may be unrelated, but people attribute to medications they're on.
I think you may need to wait a little longer than 8 weeks to see results. Thinking back to when I started, I noticed a decrease in oil production during the first 2 months but was still getting acne. I would say by the end of the 3rd or 4th month, my acne stopped. You may just need a little more time!
Dana
yeah the pom stopped by week 2 like last time
but ever since last week the dryness was gone and my face became normal (not dry not oily),,,,,and as soon as the dryness went ...so was the acne weird
but now im back to the dryness
and yeah im pretty sure its the accutane becuz i never in my life had sleeping problems and shoulder pains ,,,,,the fatigue was so severe couple days a go that i could barelly walk for long distance like i used to
but now its better ,,,,,,i just hope my next blood test tomorow will be okay ....becuz when my muscles hurt my ast levels goes to the roof
sorry for my english
Accutane: went on regular dose course of accutane through a dermatologist at age 21. HORRIBLE side effects and AWFUL initial breakout, but achieved clearance. However, this only lasted 6 months and the acne and oily skin came back.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
You said the 6 month course cleared your acne. Did you ask for stop or your dermatologist stopped it?
People, I achieved COMPLETE CLEARANCE. I am talking absolutely no acne, no clogged pores, and no oily skin. I wore hardly any makeup except concealer under my eyes for dark circles. I felt very confident about my skin and no longer thought about it constantly.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I would like to try your regime once I finish my acne treatment.
Knowing the unwillingness of dermatologist here, I don't think I can get that low dose medication easily.
In terms of side effects, for the most part I did not have any. I have a pre-existing dry eye condition (developed before I ever went on accutane) that did become somewhat worse on this regimen (made my eyes red). However, if you do not already have a problem with dry eyes I doubt you would have this side effect. My skin became dry during the winters but I used Elta MD PM Moisturizer and I was fine. No other side effects at all.
I am just on my first course of Roaccutane with just 5mg per day. The only side effect was just dry lips for first 2 weeks.
hey dana
glad to hear it worked for you
im also on a low dose 10 mg per day
for me sometimes i have a whole week of clear skin ...then boom a breakout ...i just completed 8 weeks today
sadlly even in this low dose im suffering from side effect like being tired all the time and not being able to sleep for more than 6-7 hours plus my shoulder is killing which sux
any advice on these knowing that i didnt have any of them in my first course
Hi Fouzi-
A few questions, do you have oily skin? If so, are you noticing that your oil is diminished at all? Also, how much do you weigh?
I'm thinking that you may be having side effects because you are on 70mg per week, whereas I was on 20mg. Since you are on over three times the dose, it may mean your chance of side effects is increased. Also, are you positive the sleeping issues and shoulder pain are from the accutane? Sometimes, a "reverse" placebo effect occurs, where certain health problems crop up that may be unrelated, but people attribute to medications they're on.
I think you may need to wait a little longer than 8 weeks to see results. Thinking back to when I started, I noticed a decrease in oil production during the first 2 months but was still getting acne. I would say by the end of the 3rd or 4th month, my acne stopped. You may just need a little more time!
Dana
yeah the pom stopped by week 2 like last time
but ever since last week the dryness was gone and my face became normal (not dry not oily),,,,,and as soon as the dryness went ...so was the acne weird
but now im back to the dryness
and yeah im pretty sure its the accutane becuz i never in my life had sleeping problems and shoulder pains ,,,,,the fatigue was so severe couple days a go that i could barelly walk for long distance like i used to
but now its better ,,,,,,i just hope my next blood test tomorow will be okay ....becuz when my muscles hurt my ast levels goes to the roof
sorry for my english
Fouzi-
let me know how the blood test goes. Maybe you can decrease your dose?
Accutane: went on regular dose course of accutane through a dermatologist at age 21. HORRIBLE side effects and AWFUL initial breakout, but achieved clearance. However, this only lasted 6 months and the acne and oily skin came back.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
You said the 6 month course cleared your acne. Did you ask for stop or your dermatologist stopped it?
>People, I achieved COMPLETE CLEARANCE. I am talking absolutely no acne, no clogged pores, and no oily skin. I wore hardly any makeup except concealer under my eyes for dark circles. I felt very confident about my skin and no longer thought about it constantly.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I would like to try your regime once I finish my acne treatment.
Knowing the unwillingness of dermatologist here, I don't think I can get that low dose medication easily.
In terms of side effects, for the most part I did not have any. I have a pre-existing dry eye condition (developed before I ever went on accutane) that did become somewhat worse on this regimen (made my eyes red). However, if you do not already have a problem with dry eyes I doubt you would have this side effect. My skin became dry during the winters but I used Elta MD PM Moisturizer and I was fine. No other side effects at all.
I am just on my first course of Roaccutane with just 5mg per day. The only side effect was just dry lips for first 2 weeks.
Hi stillacne,
My dermatologist stopped my course because she said I was done. My blood tests were fairly normal during the first course, I just had horrible breakouts throughout and extremely dry skin, joint pain, etc. I think 5 mg per day is good and you shouldn't get too many side effects besides your dry lips. Let me know how it works for you!
thanks for sharing experiences of your strange usage with accutane. but if your acne is coming back once you discontinued accutane then it is not a measurement for complete clearence, is it? or you are trying to say we should use micro dosage for the rest of our life? i am very interested about this subject i woul be happy if you answer.
I was also curious about this because if cumulative dose is the only important factor even at a low dose after 3 yrs u would have hit your goal and shouldn't be breaking out
Im scared because i decided to stay at 40 than 60 for my course
one of the dr in the practice insisted if i didn't go to 80mg IT wouldn't work!
kim
Green oms I meant complete clearance while I was on it. I don't believe the whole "cumulative dose" thing so much to be honest. I think some people respond permanently to accutane and some don't. I was on a full course earlier in life and reached the cumulative dose but my acne still came back. Hence, the low dose. I do believe someone could be on an extremely low dose for life; however, there isn't much research done on low dose longer than three years. There is a dermatologist who posts on realself.com and is a huge proponent of low dose accutane. He claims he is on 20mg indefinitely and will continue to stay on it.
Kimber I disagree with your seen that it won't work unless you're at 80mg. 80mg per day is a huge amount of accutane to put into your system. Newer research indicates that the "cumulative dose" idea may not be correct. I read a study on it and will try to link it here if I can find it!
Kim I meant derm not seen!
Found a link: http://www.bpac.org.nz/BPJ/2013/November/acne.aspx
WOW..thanks posting
Im torn
Ill hit my 6 mnth anny on 5/17
started in Nov..2 weeks 20mg
bumped 40mg for a mnth than was on 60mg regularly until eye trouble started
bump down to 50mg and the last 2-3 weeks 40mg
Based on my weight of 130...I believe even at this point
Ive reached an acceptable dose to stop treatment
of course im afraid of relapse
I have been getting small red blips or bumps for weeks but not substantial breakouts..until last night
my first raised red BUMP
but this am it is already flat
Im torn between stopping at 6mnth mark
Or continuing at 25mg a day for another mnth or mnth and a half and maybe incorporating an active..if not retin-a ye maybe a glycolic acid or SA wash
any thougths? (actually probably have enough to continue 25 mg for 2-3 mnths)
skin texture still bumpy
thanks much
kim
hey dana
glad to hear it worked for you
im also on a low dose 10 mg per day
for me sometimes i have a whole week of clear skin ...then boom a breakout ...i just completed 8 weeks today
sadlly even in this low dose im suffering from side effect like being tired all the time and not being able to sleep for more than 6-7 hours plus my shoulder is killing which sux
any advice on these knowing that i didnt have any of them in my first course
Hi Fouzi-
A few questions, do you have oily skin? If so, are you noticing that your oil is diminished at all? Also, how much do you weigh?
I'm thinking that you may be having side effects because you are on 70mg per week, whereas I was on 20mg. Since you are on over three times the dose, it may mean your chance of side effects is increased. Also, are you positive the sleeping issues and shoulder pain are from the accutane? Sometimes, a "reverse" placebo effect occurs, where certain health problems crop up that may be unrelated, but people attribute to medications they're on.
I think you may need to wait a little longer than 8 weeks to see results. Thinking back to when I started, I noticed a decrease in oil production during the first 2 months but was still getting acne. I would say by the end of the 3rd or 4th month, my acne stopped. You may just need a little more time!
Dana
yeah the pom stopped by week 2 like last time
but ever since last week the dryness was gone and my face became normal (not dry not oily),,,,,and as soon as the dryness went ...so was the acne weird
but now im back to the dryness
and yeah im pretty sure its the accutane becuz i never in my life had sleeping problems and shoulder pains ,,,,,the fatigue was so severe couple days a go that i could barelly walk for long distance like i used to
but now its better ,,,,,,i just hope my next blood test tomorow will be okay ....becuz when my muscles hurt my ast levels goes to the roof
sorry for my english
Fouzi-
let me know how the blood test goes. Maybe you can decrease your dose?
>
Accutane: went on regular dose course of accutane through a dermatologist at age 21. HORRIBLE side effects and AWFUL initial breakout, but achieved clearance. However, this only lasted 6 months and the acne and oily skin came back.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
You said the 6 month course cleared your acne. Did you ask for stop or your dermatologist stopped it?
>>People, I achieved COMPLETE CLEARANCE. I am talking absolutely no acne, no clogged pores, and no oily skin. I wore hardly any makeup except concealer under my eyes for dark circles. I felt very confident about my skin and no longer thought about it constantly.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I would like to try your regime once I finish my acne treatment.
Knowing the unwillingness of dermatologist here, I don't think I can get that low dose medication easily.
In terms of side effects, for the most part I did not have any. I have a pre-existing dry eye condition (developed before I ever went on accutane) that did become somewhat worse on this regimen (made my eyes red). However, if you do not already have a problem with dry eyes I doubt you would have this side effect. My skin became dry during the winters but I used Elta MD PM Moisturizer and I was fine. No other side effects at all.
I am just on my first course of Roaccutane with just 5mg per day. The only side effect was just dry lips for first 2 weeks.
Hi stillacne,
My dermatologist stopped my course because she said I was done. My blood tests were fairly normal during the first course, I just had horrible breakouts throughout and extremely dry skin, joint pain, etc. I think 5 mg per day is good and you shouldn't get too many side effects besides your dry lips. Let me know how it works for you!
hey
an update
i just did my blood test ...all is fine ...hell i even scored a cholesterol below the average hhhhh
i now can sleep enough but im still dealing with joint problems ...its not pain but fatigue
i just feel like a robot especially if i get less than 8 hours
on another subject .....mosquito bites sucks ....worst thing about summer
Hey. First of all, thanks for starting this thread. I'm thinking on going into this around July, and having a new thread on this topic helps me out a lot. I even started a new thread that might not be that necessary anymore, but I wouldn't mind getting my questions answered here. Second, from that picture you have, if that's you, you're a babe. 
My primary and really only concern is the initial breakout. I plan on starting out really small, at 10mg/week. I am only doing this for oil, my acne is relatively in control thanks to Dan's Regimen. I definitely DO NOT want to go through an initial breakout, it's going to damage my self esteem. I may or may not, but if I do, I might just stop it altogether before it gets any worse.
You said you didn't get an initial breakout with this 2nd course of yours, that correct? How was the process like initially?
Just jumping back in to explain my IB
I was put on 20mg for 2 weeks and my skin was GLORIOUS...everything flattened out, oil production was reduced
when I bumped to 40mg, 2 week into it my entire right side of my face exploded..calmed down than when I bumped to 60mg had the same thing happen
If I was to stay on 20mg I dont know if it would have happened anyway
GL
kim
Hi everyone,
I know a lot of people have been interested in low dose accutane regimens and whether these work. I will give you a brief history of my acne and my three-year low dose regimen because I was able to achieve COMPLETE CLEARANCE!
Acne started: age 13, tried every topical and prescription (antibiotics, retinoids, duac, benzoyl peroxide, blah blah blah) with no improvement. I would characterize my skin as oily/combination, poor texture, large pores, clogged pores, with inflammatory acne.
Accutane: went on regular dose course of accutane through a dermatologist at age 21. HORRIBLE side effects and AWFUL initial breakout, but achieved clearance. However, this only lasted 6 months and the acne and oily skin came back.
Low dose regimen: After being totally fed up with my acne, I started a low dose (really, micro dose) regimen on my own at age 25. I took one 20 milligram pill, once per week. I started at this dose and stayed at this dose throughout the entirety of the course (three years). You can do one 20 milligram pill per week or two 10 milligram pills per week. For reference, I am female and weigh 120 pounds.
People, I achieved COMPLETE CLEARANCE. I am talking absolutely no acne, no clogged pores, and no oily skin. I wore hardly any makeup except concealer under my eyes for dark circles. I felt very confident about my skin and no longer thought about it constantly.
In terms of side effects, for the most part I did not have any. I have a pre-existing dry eye condition (developed before I ever went on accutane) that did become somewhat worse on this regimen (made my eyes red). However, if you do not already have a problem with dry eyes I doubt you would have this side effect. My skin became dry during the winters but I used Elta MD PM Moisturizer and I was fine. No other side effects at all.
Some of you are probably saying "you idiot, what about your bloodwork?". I had my bloodwork done twice per year and never had any elevations of liver enzymes, triglycerides, or cholesterol. All of my levels came in at the excellent range every time. I had bloodwork done once through my work (they do a yearly free blood draw), and then I would just go to my doctor and request bloodwork with a liver panel. On this EXTREMELY LOW DOSE, you don't need to be as paranoid about it. There are many medical studies that support the fact that micro-doses of accutane do not have anywhere near the same side effects as regular-dose courses.
P.S. I am now off of this regimen (at age 28) because I may want to become pregnant within the next year. And yes, my oily skin and clogged pores are coming back. I am now trying some more natural methods to control my acne, but I sure do miss the low dose accutane
If anyone has any questions let me know.
Dana
Hey,
Thanks for sharing your experience regarding the long term low dose method.
I'm really interested in doing something similar but I'd really appreciate if you can remember how long it took for your oil to subside on just 20mg a week?
I'm post about 2 years from a normal course and I now deal with whiteheads due to my oil coming back about 6 months after I finished accutane.
My only issue with this method is getting the meds from a reliable source. I live in the UK and I can be certain a dermatologist would not prescribe the meds for such a long period of time.
My only issue with this method is getting the meds from a reliable source. I live in the UK and I can be certain a dermatologist would not prescribe the meds for such a long period of time.
Same here in Australia, knowing the stringent on medication here, I doubt my dermatologist would agree on that.
Hey. First of all, thanks for starting this thread. I'm thinking on going into this around July, and having a new thread on this topic helps me out a lot. I even started a new thread that might not be that necessary anymore, but I wouldn't mind getting my questions answered here. Second, from that picture you have, if that's you, you're a babe.
My primary and really only concern is the initial breakout. I plan on starting out really small, at 10mg/week. I am only doing this for oil, my acne is relatively in control thanks to Dan's Regimen. I definitely DO NOT want to go through an initial breakout, it's going to damage my self esteem. I may or may not, but if I do, I might just stop it altogether before it gets any worse.
You said you didn't get an initial breakout with this 2nd course of yours, that correct? How was the process like initially?
Hi Positively Positive!
I did not experience any initial breakout with low dose accutane. I DID experience a HORRIBLE initial breakout with regular dose accutane, but the low dose had no such effect. Basically, my oil just slowly dissipated, followed by clogged pores and inflammatory acne disappearing until it was all gone. The oil took around 3-4 weeks to disappear, the acne a little longer (maybe 8-10 weeks?). It was a very easy process compared to regular dose accutane- not at all similar for me.
Also, that is me in my picture- thanks so much, you're incredibly nice! It's sideways but for some reason I can't get it to be upright 
WOW..thanks posting
Im torn
Ill hit my 6 mnth anny on 5/17
started in Nov..2 weeks 20mg
bumped 40mg for a mnth than was on 60mg regularly until eye trouble started
bump down to 50mg and the last 2-3 weeks 40mg
Based on my weight of 130...I believe even at this point
Ive reached an acceptable dose to stop treatment
of course im afraid of relapse
I have been getting small red blips or bumps for weeks but not substantial breakouts..until last night
my first raised red BUMP
but this am it is already flat
Im torn between stopping at 6mnth mark
Or continuing at 25mg a day for another mnth or mnth and a half and maybe incorporating an active..if not retin-a ye maybe a glycolic acid or SA wash
any thougths? (actually probably have enough to continue 25 mg for 2-3 mnths)
skin texture still bumpy
thanks much
kim
Hi Kim!
Not sure about stopping at the 6 month mark¦your deem could give you a better idea about that. If it were me, I would want to take a break for a while and see how my skin responds. You could start an active but you may see better results a few months after you're done (I know my skin was the best 6 months post regular dose accutane, so there's that). Also- I still had active acne during the last month of my regular dose course (not the micro dose course), but it cleared up after I stopped!
Just jumping back in to explain my IB
I was put on 20mg for 2 weeks and my skin was GLORIOUS...everything flattened out, oil production was reduced
when I bumped to 40mg, 2 week into it my entire right side of my face exploded..calmed down than when I bumped to 60mg had the same thing happen
If I was to stay on 20mg I dont know if it would have happened anyway
GL
kim
I think the higher doses cause worse initial breakouts because it dramatically increases the inflammatory response in the skin¦I never got an initial breakout on my low dose course!
Hi everyone,
I know a lot of people have been interested in low dose accutane regimens and whether these work. I will give you a brief history of my acne and my three-year low dose regimen because I was able to achieve COMPLETE CLEARANCE!
Acne started: age 13, tried every topical and prescription (antibiotics, retinoids, duac, benzoyl peroxide, blah blah blah) with no improvement. I would characterize my skin as oily/combination, poor texture, large pores, clogged pores, with inflammatory acne.
Accutane: went on regular dose course of accutane through a dermatologist at age 21. HORRIBLE side effects and AWFUL initial breakout, but achieved clearance. However, this only lasted 6 months and the acne and oily skin came back.
Low dose regimen: After being totally fed up with my acne, I started a low dose (really, micro dose) regimen on my own at age 25. I took one 20 milligram pill, once per week. I started at this dose and stayed at this dose throughout the entirety of the course (three years). You can do one 20 milligram pill per week or two 10 milligram pills per week. For reference, I am female and weigh 120 pounds.
People, I achieved COMPLETE CLEARANCE. I am talking absolutely no acne, no clogged pores, and no oily skin. I wore hardly any makeup except concealer under my eyes for dark circles. I felt very confident about my skin and no longer thought about it constantly.
In terms of side effects, for the most part I did not have any. I have a pre-existing dry eye condition (developed before I ever went on accutane) that did become somewhat worse on this regimen (made my eyes red). However, if you do not already have a problem with dry eyes I doubt you would have this side effect. My skin became dry during the winters but I used Elta MD PM Moisturizer and I was fine. No other side effects at all.
Some of you are probably saying "you idiot, what about your bloodwork?". I had my bloodwork done twice per year and never had any elevations of liver enzymes, triglycerides, or cholesterol. All of my levels came in at the excellent range every time. I had bloodwork done once through my work (they do a yearly free blood draw), and then I would just go to my doctor and request bloodwork with a liver panel. On this EXTREMELY LOW DOSE, you don't need to be as paranoid about it. There are many medical studies that support the fact that micro-doses of accutane do not have anywhere near the same side effects as regular-dose courses.
P.S. I am now off of this regimen (at age 28) because I may want to become pregnant within the next year. And yes, my oily skin and clogged pores are coming back. I am now trying some more natural methods to control my acne, but I sure do miss the low dose accutane
If anyone has any questions let me know.
Dana
Hey,
Thanks for sharing your experience regarding the long term low dose method.
I'm really interested in doing something similar but I'd really appreciate if you can remember how long it took for your oil to subside on just 20mg a week?
I'm post about 2 years from a normal course and I now deal with whiteheads due to my oil coming back about 6 months after I finished accutane.
My only issue with this method is getting the meds from a reliable source. I live in the UK and I can be certain a dermatologist would not prescribe the meds for such a long period of time.
Hello vdub,
It took 3-4 weeks for my oil to subside on 20 mg per week. Probably 6 weeks before the oil was totally gone. I experienced the same thing after a regular dose course of accutane (in terms of whiteheads due to my oil coming back). If you message me I can let you know what I did for the derm process for this.
Dana
In the U.S. we have the iPledge system, which is a bitch. They will not prescribe long-term regimens here because the iPledge system forces you to get bloodwork done and have pregnancy tests every month.
Hi Dana!
I'm really glad that you have shared your story because I'm kind of thinking about trying low dose accutane soon and I really want to know more about it. I'm 17 and I have really mild acne - the kind that most of the teenagers get. The problem is that I suffer from body dysmorphic disorder which basically means that my acne causes me serious emotional problems. I didn't respond to topical retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, azelaic acid or topical antibiotics. My derm mentioned that in my case really low dose isotretinoin may help. She said that I could take 15 mg per week (I weigh 104 lbs) for as long as I feel like I need to - that is until my acne clears by itself (when puberty is totally over) or until I'm emotionally stable and okay with my looks - but it shouldn't be longer than 5 years.
1. Was your acne very severe when you have started the low dose regimen? I'm asking because I'm not sure if it would work with mild acne and I really don't want to make my skin worse than it is.
2. Right now, after you stopped taking accutane, do you have any inflamed serious acne or only clogged pores, oil and small blemishes?
3. I know it's silly but have you been drinking any alcohol during your three year course? ) Because I heard that you are not supposed to drink while taking accutane. I'm not a heavy drinker but I like to have a beer with my friends once in a while and also my eighteenth b-day is coming so I'll be partying a lot. And it would be hard to stay abstinent for 3 years haha
Thanks,
Agata
Hey Dana I'm a 19 yrs old m I am on accutane the 2nd time earlier I took it for around a month and got cleared so I left taking it but the acne started to show up so I decided to take it back again. Right now I'm taking a 30mg dosage daily from 10 days. I wanted to know if I take I daily or in a day gap like taken on Monday but not on Tuesday then taken on Wednesday but not on Thursday and so on. Also I weigh around 132 lbs or 60kg so how long should I continue on it? Thanks
rizhi, people generally seem to say that you want your cumulative dose to be 120-150 mg per kg of your body weight. In other words, you are shooting for 7200-9000 mg. At 30mg per day, that would be 8-10 months.
But of course you should consult a doctor to see if that's safe for you.
Any thoughts?
UGH
on 5/17 will be 6 mnths on tane
My skin was doing ok so reduced my dose to 25mg
I was getting little red bumps and was thinking it was a result of irritation dryness as my derm said they were not breakouts
I dont know what happened...I went ourr friday night for a few drinks
It also got super super hot here and i woke with a face full (of maybe 8 red bumps)
Im scared it was because i reduced my tane dose
BUT I am supposed to be stopping soon anyway and at this point have already reached, though the low end, cumulative dose
I don't know if I should stop, continue low dose (which was my plan until things went south)
thanks kim
hello again
how long did it take to stop acne? after how many months your face got clear completely?
It took about 2 months for my skin to clear completely. I also did not have an initial breakout- my acne just slowly disappeared.
Hi Dana!
I'm really glad that you have shared your story because I'm kind of thinking about trying low dose accutane soon and I really want to know more about it. I'm 17 and I have really mild acne - the kind that most of the teenagers get. The problem is that I suffer from body dysmorphic disorder which basically means that my acne causes me serious emotional problems. I didn't respond to topical retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, azelaic acid or topical antibiotics. My derm mentioned that in my case really low dose isotretinoin may help. She said that I could take 15 mg per week (I weigh 104 lbs) for as long as I feel like I need to - that is until my acne clears by itself (when puberty is totally over) or until I'm emotionally stable and okay with my looks - but it shouldn't be longer than 5 years.
1. Was your acne very severe when you have started the low dose regimen? I'm asking because I'm not sure if it would work with mild acne and I really don't want to make my skin worse than it is.
2. Right now, after you stopped taking accutane, do you have any inflamed serious acne or only clogged pores, oil and small blemishes?
3. I know it's silly but have you been drinking any alcohol during your three year course?
Thanks,
Agata
Hi Agata!
1. I would say my acne was mild- moderate when I started. I think low dose may work well for mild acne, especially if you have oily skin.
2. After I stopped, I have had a few inflamed pimples but mostly just clogged pores and oily skin. I started Differing about a month ago though and that has helped a lot. It used to do nothing for me but after accutane it works better!
3. I did drink- I'm not one to get hammered but I would have some drinks and be fine. If I knew I was going to drink, I would try to take my pill during the week and not on the weekend.
Good luck!
Dana,During your 3-year super-low dose, did you also follow no vitamin A rich food etc?
I didn't avoid any foods! I did not take vitamin a pills though
Any thoughts?
UGH
on 5/17 will be 6 mnths on tane
My skin was doing ok so reduced my dose to 25mg
I was getting little red bumps and was thinking it was a result of irritation dryness as my derm said they were not breakouts
I dont know what happened...I went ourr friday night for a few drinks
It also got super super hot here and i woke with a face full (of maybe 8 red bumps)
Im scared it was because i reduced my tane dose
BUT I am supposed to be stopping soon anyway and at this point have already reached, though the low end, cumulative dose
I don't know if I should stop, continue low dose (which was my plan until things went south)
thanks kim
I got acne at the end of my first regular dose course- after two months off my skin was really good for a while. Don't stress!
thank you very much for your response.
my skin has gotten much worse and now i'm really seriously considering low dose accutane. i'm having an appointment with my derm next week and i'll talk to her about it.
my friend was on a low dose (although higher than yours, it was 15 mg a day or something like that) for about a year and apart from face and lips dryness she also experienced very uncomfortable vaginal dryness. that was the main reason why she decided to stop taking accutane even though the results were great. i know it's kind of an intimate question and i'm sorry for that but have you experienced anything like that?
xx
Agata.