I am very worried about Accutane due to the endless issues I already have, I'm planning to ask for a low dose to avoid catastrophe, but the question is- will it work and will you stay clear even if your dose is low? How low is too low?
We're talking moderate acne, mainly whiteheads x
Hello 
I'm two days into accutane and will be doing a low dose for a long time 8-12 months. The reason is that I have three chronic illnesses already and my derm and I are very aware of how the side effects could affect me. My derm was really good at listening and taking on board my concerns, it might be worth finding a Dr to talk this through with to make an informed decision? Best of luck with whatever you choose! Xx
Hi, my derm was going to put me on 80mg but asked to be put on a lower dose as well because i'm prone to depression and anxiety, so i was put on 40mg instead. If it makes you feel any better i'm on day 21 and so far all my symptoms have been pretty mild and oddly my depression and anxiety has actually improved since starting accutane. Just curious, do you plan on starting a log when you get on it? I think it would be interesting to see how your treatment goes. Good luck on your journey!
I am very worried about Accutane due to the endless issues I already have, I'm planning to ask for a low dose to avoid catastrophe, but the question is- will it work and will you stay clear even if your dose is low? How low is too low?
We're talking moderate acne, mainly whiteheads x
I'm no expert but there seems to be alot of studies that show low dose, over a long period works just as well as high dose over the standard 6month course. I'm male about 90kg and on day 5 of taking 20mg daily....I think this works out around 0.25mg per kg.....I think the normal dosage is around 0.5-1mg per Kg. If you are ok with extending the treatment over a longer time frame, then the lower dosage should work just as well and most importantly, you should see less side affects........Hope all goes well for you!
On 2009 i had moderately severe acne,it was all over the face,no part was clear.i took 10mg/day,after 6 months i was clear with no even single blackhead.then after a year off my acne started to come back. I heard using differin or retin A few times a week is a good maintenance method after low dose accutane and yea the initial breakout was quite bad. The blackheads turned into a painful cystic acne that lasted for about 3 months.
Do you think the initial outbreak will also be less severe if the dosage is low? I'm thinking of asking for 20mg.
Yes i'm doing a log
We are all different but I would guess the lower dosage would have easier side effects and you would have a bigger chance of no initial breakout......I'm on 20mg a day and 88kg but if you are alot smaller(weight less) 20mg will seem a bigger dose to you as you would be taking more mg for every kg..if that makes sense? I think it might also depends on the type of acne....I'm only on day 5 of treatment and dont have many side effects...just my skin feels very warm and lips alittle dry...hope your treatment goes well....best wishes
If you are really worried about an initial breakout you could talk to your derm about going on a complimentary antibiotic short term. I am on eurythromycin (can't spell that word) for 6 weeks due to my acne scarring so badly at the moment and my derm worrying the initial breakout (which seems inevitable) making it a lot worse.
are you a man? wow that is so low for you then. How is your acne, any change? x
Hi......Yes, I'm a man! I have had "mild" acne for 20+ years but its my over-active oil glands that cause me the most issues and thats the reason I'm taking accutane...I did do a higher dosage over the standard 6months period about 7 years ago but after a year my face started getting very oily again! I've always had great results with Panoxyl 10% but after using this and other drying acne creams for so long I want to break that cycle....My acne is still mild (only one or two spots each week on average) but trying to control my VERY oily skin so it doesnt trigger the acne has really controlled my life for most of the last 20 years...
As my acne was good before starting this treatment 5days ago the most changes I'm hoping to see is my pores getting smaller and skin getting less oily...I'm hoping not to increase my dose but stay on 20mg a day...I know this means longer treatment but by doing this i hope that the side effects are mild and dont get a breakout.....I'm no expert but it makes sense that the body can handle the lower dosage alot better so you should see less side effects but that does mean your treatment might last a few extra months longer until you've taken the right total dosage.....I guess it comes down to the individual and how you feel about extending the treatment....from the reports and studies I've read...both options work the same....The only side effects I've had so far is that my skin on my face feels very hot and lips alittle dry but I've been using a good lip balm since day one so hopefully that does the job!
Hope this helps...
it's weird I only have slightly oily skin, I never think 'argh my oil is a problem' in any way, yet every day two to three new breakouts. Acne is such a mystery. And why the heck is a megadose of vitamin A the cure? :s lol
Thanks for your comments hope it works for you xx
it's weird I only have slightly oily skin, I never think 'argh my oil is a problem' in any way, yet every day two to three new breakouts. Acne is such a mystery. And why the heck is a megadose of vitamin A the cure? :s lol
Thanks for your comments
I agree....it is a mystery and I think thats because we are all different and our bodies work different to the treatment. You know your own body better than anyone, so if you feel a dose is too low or high you can speak to your derm and discuss changing it......I really dont think its one rule for all. Best wishes with your treatment as well.....
kind regards
Do you think the initial outbreak will also be less severe if the dosage is low? I'm thinking of asking for 20mg.
Yes i'm doing a log
Hi
I am 4 mnth post tane
I started on 20mg and it was GREAT
oil cleared up and skin was clear and smooth
Once i switched to 40mg I had a horrible IB (cant say for sure if that was it or timing) and it snowballed after that
If i had to do it again I might have stuck with 20mg for a longer period of time
Once i increasd to 40 than 60mg the side effects got worse and I just wanted to finish the course as when I reduced my dosage at that time the side effects didnt improve
kim
I went on Accutane with moderate adult acne and started at 20mg. Considering that my acne wasn't that severe, I was surprised that I still wasn't clear after 2+ months of taking it. I had fairly mild side effects (some dryness -- particularly eyes and lips; tiredness at first, but that went away; and to my delight, I don't have to wash my hair nearly as often since my scalp is much drier) although they were a bit rough the first week and a half, then my body seemed to adjust.
I never got a huge initial breakout but rather several smaller ones -- it seemed like the different areas of my face took turns breaking out, and it was pretty bad. After about 2.5 months that died down but I was still getting some pimples here and there. I increased my dosage to 30mg a few weeks ago and finally in the last couple weeks things have cleared up. In the last two weeks I've gotten exactly one blemish (a little whitehead) and that's it -- it's the clearest my skin has been since I can remember. So although it has been a slower process than I expected, I think you just have to wait it out. As long as the side effects are tolerable for you, it will work sooner or later (at least that seems to be the case for everyone I hear from). Good luck!!