I'm on my 45th day of accutane treatment of 30mg a day. My acne has been breaking out worse than it ever was before, but otherwise I am experiencing basically negligible side effects. Slightly dry lips, but that's it. Is my dosage too low? Is that why my breakout is so prolonged? I'm 19, 60kgs.

I went on a 4-6 month course of moderate strength roaccutane 3 years ago for moderate to severe acne. My acne was totally clear within a couple months of starting the course and at the time of taking it just had the side effects of dry skin and eyes, regular mild nose bleeds and cracked lips that would often bleed at the corners. They couldn't increase my dose because my cholesterol kept going high despite the fact I'm a young healthy 24 year old at the time. My skin stayed clear for probably 6 months post treatment then I started getting small spots again. It was mild for probably 12-18 months and then worsened more. I'm not at the point where I'm considering another treatment because it's now moderate. I never get cystic acne now but just a lot of spots again. Before treatment I'd say my acne was 7/10, with 10 being the worse ever and 1 being very mild acne. I'd say it's 4/10 now but still enough to bother me. I've tried creams and contraceptive pill that help a bit but my dermatologist says it's just keeping it at bay and will never be a long term fix. I'm worried about when I get older and want a family and I can't use anything for my skin, what will it be like then!? Downsides also to the drug I had severe hair loss which I think started 1 year or so after. I lost about half my hair thickness and my hair became dry and broke very easily. It's taken 3 years for it to almost grow back but it's probably 70% as thick as it used to be. Thankfully I have naturally very thick hair. I also get very lethargic and short of breathe easily and I think this started after the roaccutane. Doctors can't find a cause for this. So really in two minds about going back on it!

this medicine works miracles for your skin but now that i'm off of it, i'm starting to have a relapse again. my forehead is starting to get little bumps and so is my chin.

I have used this forum like forever and have tried the acne.org regimen for the past 1 year. Although my acne has got better at times, new ones just keep popping out. I think my acne is cystic, because recently I noticed that its getting more painful and larger around my lower cheeks and chin. I read many of the side effects of Accutane, and feel quite torn whether to see a doctor or just stick to the creams. I cannot take antibiotics as i have a weak stomach. One day, when i was meeting my client and needed to go to the bathroom, I overheard them commenting on my looks as they entered later. I just broke down and felt so depressed. I began searching for an acne clinic in Singapore that could help. The doctor was friendly and professional enough, and explained all about acne and accutane. I read all about the side effects of accutane, and am really worried about the side effects. My doctor, dr. Moses Ng, said my acne was indeed cystic hormonal acne, and advised starting accutane. He recommended starting on a low dose, as he has experience treating many patients on lower dosages with good results. Side effects would be lower too. I was given 20mg accutane daily. He prepped me for the initial purge and how to deal with the side effects. The first 2 weeks were horrible. It got so painful that I wanted to cry. I could take the dry skin and cracked lips, but my acne looked the worst ever. I told myself to bear with it and focused my thoughts instead on K-drama and reading. By the end of 4 weeks, my acne looked no different from when i started taking accutane. My derm at the follow up visit did some blood tests, and just told me to continue as most only see results in 6-8 weeks (that's long!) From the second month, things started to turn around and my acne became less painful. The dryness was still there, but it didn't bother me a great extent. At the next visit, i pointed out some red marks on my face, and my derm mentioned its acne marks, post-inflammatory redness, i think. He said it will get better with time. I'm at 6 months of accutane now, and my skin is mostly clear. I do get the one or two pimples popping up when my period is near, or when I'm eating something I shouldn't. I'm quite happy that i overcame my fears (and my acne). There's so much information out there, that it can freak people out. Find a doctor that will listen, and hold your hand along the way (i spent close to half an hour in the consultation room during my first visit).

This drug is a miracle worker but for me my acne returned worse than before about a year after treatment. Side effects were dry skin, sores on my skin, back and joint pain which i still suffer with now years after.

Accutane worked fantastic for me. I had very inflamed acne all over my cheeks and the general side of my face. It was definitely severe. My skin is also very oily. I took 40 mg a day for 5 months. After the first week, I could tell a difference in my blackheads. My acne was gone by the end of month 3 with perfect skin by month 4. The only side effect that bothered me was the dry lips, and I was more prone to eye styes. Dr.Dans cortibalm was an absolute life saver for my lips. For face wash, I used and still use Keihls ultra-facial oil free cleanser and moisturizer. It is very gentle and mild and helps control some of my oil.

Over 2k good results on here. Less then 500 ppl had some kind of issue. Overall would say give it go if it's really needed. I'm starting 60 mg tomorrow for 5-6 months. I'm a male 140lb 5"11. Never had severe acne but had mild persistent acne with occasional cyst face and back for over 13 years after spending thousands of dollars on products and facials and living a very healthy life style finally said enough and gonna give accutain a try. Will post my progress as time goes on. Will give it 3 stars for bec I'm really scared about touching this stuff. But will update rating at the end.

(I am 15 years old, female, living in the UK, had acne for 4 years, severe acne for over a year, mild eczema, originally prescribed 15mg- moved after 1 month to 30mg- was taken down to 20, then to 10- and then brought off with in about 2 weeks of originally reducing my dose) For me Accutane ruined my skin, and my life for a short while- yes, it may be effective but I believe isn't for everyone, and should be carefully considered as it is so incredibly subjective. I had previously been on multiple different prescription and topical treatments for my acne with little to no effect on my skin. I was offered hospital treatment and presented with the idea of Accutane as a short term powerful drug that would make my skin temporally worse, but eventually cure my acne. After around 1 week of taking the drug, my lips were destroyed and peeling and my nose was constantly filled with blood. After 3 weeks of Accutane, my skin developed cystic acne and became hugely inflamed and painful even to gently touch. I was then told that my treatment would last at least 9 months. Around 2 months into the treatment, my skin was still horrendous and painful and I was still experiencing side effects such as aching joints, dry scalp, nosebleeds, worsened eczema hugely, dry lips and large cystic spots. I then came to the realisation that I was constantly crying upset and down, and that this wasn't because of anything notable. Some days I struggled to get up out of bed, I wanted to curl up and stay still all day, I found no pleasure in ordinary things that I would usually enjoy, I didn't want to go places. I told the hospital, they reduced my dose and told me to see how I feel. As my mood and attitude didn't change, they brought me down to 10mg. As I still remained in the same state, they took me off the drug completely. After just a few days Accutane free, I felt better and could really reflect in just how bad I felt. Accutane made me feel awful and only worsened my skin. I have now been off Accutane for 3 weeks, and my skin has actually started to improve on its own, I have little inflammation and redness, I don't regularly even get new spots and if I do they are very small and leave quickly- my skin has never looked so good! I have just begun treatment with the contraceptive pill and antibiotics to further improve my skin. For me- Accutane wasn't worth ruining my skin further for, it never helped me it just caused me issues.

Back in highschool, I used to have really bad, uncontrollable acne. I've tried almost everything; topical creams, face masks, oral meds, doxycycline, etc. My face was so oily, gross and cakey as well, because of makeup. It only made it worse. My parents decided to take me to a dermatologist. My derm said I had moderately severe hormonal acne back then, so she prescribed (Ro) Accutane 20mg. I was 15 (f) at the time and I took it for 5 months. I didn't know anything about it. My derm mentioned only the most common side effects and gave me a kit full of sample moisturising products and lip balms. The first couple of weeks were HELL for me, as expected though, because my derm said Accutane will make your acne worse, before it clears up your skin. I had all of the common side effects: extremely dry cracked lips, dry skin, back pain, dry hair, and even nosebleed (only once). My skin was also sensitive to sunlight, so I had to slap on heaps of sunscreen. I didn't wear any makeup (only lip balm and moisturisers) during the time I was on Accutane, I just allowed it to do its work. As for depression, I didn't really feel depressed during that period. At that point, I didn't really care about exposing my bare, acne-filled face in school or in public either, as I only cared about the results. After about 4 weeks, I noticed that my skin started to get better. The bumps on my face were smaller and my face was less dry. My acne basically cleared up within those 5 months. Fast forward to this day, I'm about to turn 20 and my skin is still great. Of course I still get bumps here and there, especially during that time of month, but those bumps are much more controllable, than the bumps I had when I was 15. I was so happy and still am, because Accutane literally changed my life. I can still leave the house without feeling embarrassed, to this day. My relatives and parents would constantly tell me that my skin looks great. To those who are taking/considering Accutane, my advice is to not think about the side effects too much, as that will only give you anxiety and demotivate you. Negative thoughts won't do your skin any good. Think about good outcomes as it's much better for your health! However, that doesn't mean Accutane is not a serious drug, because it definitely is. I suggest seeing a dermatologist to explore a range of options. Talk about it with your derm. They're there to help you. That's all, I guess. Good luck on your journey to clear skin. I wish that you also become a success story. :) PS: Don't think about buying it online! I've read one of the reviews here by someone who bought Accutane online and calculated their own dosage, saying that it's given them positive results. It seems convincing, but it's absolutely dangerous. It might even be a fake review, who knows... PPS: Good luck!

I started breaking out ever since puberty hit me. As far as I can remember, I started getting light to mild acne during my tenth standard. I didn't resort to any medication as such, but I simply started a course of some antibiotic that my father had advised to me. The results were okayish, since the severity of my acne did alleviate but they again came back after a few weeks. My skin remained clear for quite a while after that. I was in my twelth standard when these monstrous zits made their came back in my life leaving me uncertain about my appearance and confidence. I sought medical advice from a reputed skin doctor, but didn't see a considerable change in my skin. I changed doctors only to face disappointment and despair. Acne started taking its emotional toll on me. I started wearing tons of make up which invited mockery from my classmates. Every second aunty would give me a piece of her unsolicited advice just to make me feel worse about my skin and appearance. After a few months, I resorted to Accutane with great hope and expectations. Thank to Accutane, I wasn't let down this time. It's been a while since I have a clear skin, but since last week, these stubborn zits have been attacking my face at different spots. I am really depressed and worried about my skin... I feel really low when I see my cheeks covered with pimples.