Oral Retinoid
Efficacy
87%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
Note: Use with EXTREME CAUTION: Causes severe birth defects and fetal death.
Oral Retinoid
Acne.org’s Real World Take
The nuclear option. It works reliably and provides long-term remission of acne, and even severe acne, in about ⅔ of people who properly take an adequate dosage. However, it permanently and irreversibly changes the skin and the body forever and users may experience long-term side effects for the rest of their lives. It’ll nuke it, but there is no going back.
Oral Retinoid
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Isotretinoin (Accutane®)? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
July 19, 2016
Wish I had taken this sooner!
I took accutane 8 years ago when I was in High School. I wish I had taken this drug sooner, instead of wasting all the time/money that I did trying other stuff that didn't work. All that waiting did was leave me with more scars. Accutane for me was a dream. I had basically no side effects aside from a small rash that developed on my arms from dryness; but the doc recommended a drug store lotion that took care of that real quick. Honestly, I think people who are taking the medication need to let it run it's course and stop scrolling through internet forums every step of the way. I mean it! I don't even know if this site existed back then but I certainly never knew about it or even went on the internet to search for accutane once. I was so busy, I just took it daily and went on about my day, and I think that's why my experience was so great. If your constantly googling the medicine and overthinking every possible side effect, it's just going to stress you out and make you think you have side effects that you probably don't even have haha. So, 8 years later I am now experiencing a very mild hormonal breakout that I am currently treating. However, let me stress the word MILD as compared to how my acne was in high school. It literally does not compare at all. This breakout does not make me think twice about my decision to take accutane. I was able to go through my second half of high school and all of college without having to worry about my skin at all. I had perfect skin and rarely got breakouts no matter what I ate, how much sleep I got or what I did to my face. No regrets at all.
July 13, 2016
Cured!
I was quite sceptical when taking it at first because I noticed no difference in my skin in months. The whole treatment actually makes your skin and acne worse before it gets better (100% worth it and the only way to cure it). This is completely normal and is just your skin releasing all the horrible greasy toxins to get them out of your system as they cause acne. While on the drug admittedly only the last few months did I see improvement, and I expected instant overnight changes, but in the real world this isn't the case. After I had been discontinued from the drug I was completely cured of my acne a month or so later, with minor scarring which will soon fade!
Couldn't ask for more, it's brilliant Note: Can affect mood while on the drug, I noticed quite a few lows, but of course makes up for the massive high I get every morning looking in the mirror now!
Charles Marcus
July 15, 2016
Can't wait to see the miracle!
July 10, 2016
Clear Skin Is possible in this lifetime :)
Like all of you reading this write up.. I was once (until a few weeks back..) a frequent visitor of Acne blog sites , not that i loved reading about it, but was left with no choice to find a solution to what i was going through. All i did was to shy away from the mirror and unmeet a lot of people to stay away from pitying questions and stares. All this started a few years back when I did not know that Acne can become the Cuss word of your life nor did i know that I will be spending rest of my years looking for a holy grail that did not exist! All i remember is meeting doctors and then meeting a lot of doctors. Every time i meet a new doctor and get a new product, life is filled with hope for a few days and then I am forced to come back to my DIY's and blogs. Years later, when I still wasn't tired of meeting doctors and trying DIY's, all i accomplished was to find out what did not work for me. While benzoyl peroxide and clindamycin became the tough routine, my facials and skin treatments took a laid back seat. I had tried almost everything that's out there and was soon an expert myself with the chemical names and compositions. Accutane was feared and was not a choice for years. I meet a doctor and am prescribed Accutane 20 mg and I come back reading the blogs on what a nightmare it could be to get into the course of 6 months. Here I am after 3 months on Accutane, with No Acne! Ya No Acne at all. Sun screen with a SPF 40 and a beeswax lip balm in the night is all you need to get through this. IB was minimal and dryness can drive you nuts, but that doesn't stand a chance before your flawless skin. Accutane it is!
July 10, 2016
Wish I had tried this sooner..
After having perfect skin as a teenager, I was mortified when I developed very red acne at 20. 4 years have gone by and I tried everything, natural remedies, diet, ALL over the counter acne options and nothing worked.
Accutane was my last option, and one which I was very hesitant to try as I was concerned about the possible side effects. But I wish I had tried this years ago, I could have avoided so much social anxiety, embarrassment and tears!! I have only been on this for a month, 20mg once a day but I notice a difference after the first week. I did not experience any acne flare up, as I started by taking it every second day for the first week to ease my body in to it and I think the lower dose has been more gentle but still effective. Around the 2 week mark I had minimal sensitivity and slight dryness, but nothing that couldn't be combatted by lots of moisturiser - and it was back to normal after 2 days. The last 2 weeks I have had dry lips, but again a small and manageable side effect compared to having acne! I usually would have multiple pimples popping up every day, but since starting it I would maybe have one new pimple once a week..and this week none at all. Looking in the mirror today I have redness from previous acne, but not one single active pimple..the first time I can say this in 4 years! If you were like me and hesitant, I urge you to try it and talk to your dermatologist about starting on a lower dose to see how your body reacts to it. This has absolutely changed my life, I will now be able to go out with no makeup and not feel like a monster!!! Couldn't be happier with the results :)
January 1, 2017
Hello :) about to start my pills for the first time, would you recommend easing yourself in like you? Your story sounds similar to mine! :)
July 14, 2017
Low dosess don't usually last acne cones back
July 1, 2016
Accutane caused me SEVERAL, permanent medical problems.
I was prescribed Accutane in 2012. I was on 20 mg for the first month and then 40 mg for the next five months. While on the medication, I experienced moderate joint pain, excessive sweating, body odor changes, subtle digestive changes, intermittent episodes of depersonalization, fatigue (mentally), decrease in libido, skin dyness, and eczema. The worst part of this medication is what persisted AFTER treatment. Although many of the minor side effects subsided, some became worse and/or persisted in the subsequent months. I still get eczema flare-ups to this day. My subtle digestive changes became more serious AND chronic several months after treatment. They still plague me. Joint wise, I have difficulty sitting in certain positions for extended periods of time, which was NOT an issue before Accutane. Lastly and most problematic, my mental health has tanked. I live in a perpetual state of brain fog. I developed a stutter, my mental processing became slower, I was diagnosed with ADHD, and I generally started to feel FLAT. I do not experience emotions like I once did. This makes it hard for me to enjoy hobbies I used to, yet I do not *feel* "sad" or "down" in any way. Worse yet, ALL of the symptoms I experience can be traced back to a journal article or an internal memo published (but previously withheld) by Roche. I was led to believe any serious side effects were rare and/or reversible. This is simply not the case. Users of this drug should wait several months to a year before determining if their treatment was worth it. As I explained, many of my Accutane-induced issues intensified in the months following cessation. Scary.
July 3, 2016
I agree. For anyone who advocates taking accutane please wait for one year at least before commenting or recommending this drug to others.
Often very serious persistant/permanent side effects occur many months or years after accutane course is over. If you plan to take accutane, do your research first and list what side effects occur after ceasing accutane. Remember these side effects can be permanent.
June 30, 2016
Didn't cure my acne, but did make it more manageable.
I was on Accutane for about 8 months, from 2013-2014. Like many others, I had a terrible initial breakout that pushed a bunch of gunk to the surface of my face over the span of 2-3 weeks. I would wake up in the morning, and my breakouts would look completely different from the night before, because of the rapid rate at which Accutane was working. After the first three weeks, the breakouts slowed, and I started dealing with bigger, deeper cysts that would take about from a couple weeks to a month to go away. At some point, my derm put me on bactrim to help with the cysts that were still lingering. Once my course was over, my skin was pretty close to perfect. I had no more oil, no more breakouts - good times! My skin stayed clear for about three months, and after that it gradually began reverting to its previous state. At the time of this review, it's been about two years since my accutane course... my skin is super-oily and I have about 5-10 cystic types and 10-20 comedonal pimples on my face at any given time. Accutane did have some positives for me. It managed to clear my back for the most part, and I'm still at the point where I don't really need to worry about bacne. My facial breakouts are also not as bad as they were pre-accutane. Unfortunately... given how much the course cost me, how much I had to put up with over 8 months (eczema, constant dryness and itchiness, headaches, flushing, etc), and how quickly my skin reverted back to being oily and breakout-prone, I'd say my first round of accutane was a bust. I'm still open to going on a second course, but not anytime soon.
July 3, 2016
Often 2nd courses of accutane yield the worst side effects. Please research
thoroughly if you decide to try again.
June 30, 2016
The hero not the enemy!
Ok I know everyone is different, but I was apprehensive to start accutane due to all of the horrific possible side effects and "scare stories". I am in the uk, and paid to see a private dermatologist -pricey! But this can be done free of charge through the nhs too. It is honestly the best thing I have ever done. When I say no side effects; I literally mean 0! To the point where my consultant didn't think my body was absorbing it. I was on 60mg per day and if I'd have weighed more I'd have been put up to 80mg because it wasn't giving me any bad reactions at all. I didn't even get the dry skin! Even so; I was also using topical isotretnoin too. My skin has cleared up AMAZINGLY! I'm not saying that everyone will get away with side effects Scott free, but what's dry skin for a few months if the end outcome you are free of the crippling acne you've been so desperately trying to fight!? If side effects are bad you can discontinue the medication! But unless your dr says that you have conditions which would make you unsuitable to take it, please give it a go. My life has changed. I don't want to hide every day. And I can roll out of bed and go to work ;) no more hours of slapping on makeup! Haha
July 22, 2016
I'm very jealous. I hope that I can say the same thing once the Accutane is done. I literally want to hide everyday. I'm so embarrassed. Your very lucky.
June 26, 2016
This is the ultimate acne cure
I can't reccomend this highly enough!! Accutane cured my persistent acne that was around for years. I'm currently 18 and have had acne since I was in 7th grade. It was causing scarring, making me insecure, and even at points depression because everything I did wouldn't get rid of it. Finally, after countless topicals and different pills from the dermo, he convinced me to try accutane. I knew friends that had amazing results, but was simply scared of the blood tests because I hate needles! However, this was the best choice I ever made for my acne. I'm now 6 months post accutane and have amazing skin. I also now eat a plan based diet (vegan) and my skin is glowing. There are many unknowns with this drug and it is intense, but I figured it was better than constantly being on different pills trying to find one that worked. I've had no lasting side effects. People that struggle with acne should for sure try this. My 6 month course was all I needed to clear my skin.
June 23, 2016
I had to go to the ER
This is by far the worst acne drug I've taken. I think I most likely had an allergic reaction to the medication. I ended up vomiting 6+ times in less than 4 hrs. I went to the ER and they tried to give me medication to stop the reaction, and really strong nausea meds that are typically given to chemo patients... I still couldn't hold down anything, including water. I started having breathing problems and they ended up having to give me a steroid shot so I wouldn't go into anaphylactic shock. However, this is an extreme case, and many people have had success with accutane so I'll give it 2 stars. Just... Proceed with caution
June 18, 2016
Works for acne but makes you gain weight
I have been taking Roaccutane for 3 months now and it has certainly helped my acne significantly - mine is hormonally related (started in my 30's after coming off the pill) and can give nasty cysts on my neck and jaw area but I have had none since starting. I am in my mid 40's (female) and also have low progesterone - handled with non-synthetic progesterone and hypothyroidism treated with Novothyral . Each work brilliantly in their own right.
However, I have, since starting Roaccutane. gained 4 - 5 kilos (already) - this is probably down to the fact that my digestive system does not seem to be working very well (pellet like stool and not very regular). However, this frustrates me. I am doing as much exercise (and the same type) as before I started. I follow a pretty strict food regime because of my slow metabolism (5/2 or 4/3 - more the latter) although on my days off, i do enjoya little wine (is this the culprit?). Can someone please advise whether this is normal? I don't want to hear that I am 'eating more', 'eating the wrong things', doing less exercise - as this is not the case. Nothing in my diet or regime has changed and I was happily around 65 kgs for years (I am 1.75)
Weight gain is not stipulated anywhere as a side-effect.....but it certainly is and should be. I just hope when I've finished my 5 month course that I will not be 10 kgs heavier!! - then I'm really not sure it's worth taking the Roaccutane, as my skin was only moderately bad when I started.
Any tips on what to do?