I did Accutane a couple of years ago after suffering with acne for YEARS. I was really nervous about taking it (I remember reading these forums all the time and doing a lot of research) and I'm sure there are a lot of people out there that are doing the same thing, so I feel like I need to write about my experience. This is my first time back on here since I finished Accutane (because I haven't thought about acne since!) but I felt like I needed to write something...because it might help someone else! I'm 25 now. I had a little bit of trouble with acne in high school, but started to get progressively worse during my freshman year of college. I tried everything...OTC products, changed makeup, stopped wearing makeup, antibiotics, spironolactone, dietary changes, prescription topicals...EVERYTHING. I still have two grocery bags full of leftover acne treatments. 4 years later...graduation and my acne had gotten so bad that I felt embarrassed to do job interviews, and it made me really self conscious around people. I like to run, and I think I actually got used to my face burning when I worked out (those topicals are rough!) My dermatologist finally brought up Accutane after she said there was literally nothing else I could try. Honestly, I thought Accutane was out of the question because I knew I had to be on birth control...which I basically can't do because I have Factor V Leiden (clotting disorder, estrogen-based BC puts me at risk for clots) The doctor I went to was comfortable with prescribing Accutane as long as I pledged to be abstinent while being treated, which at the time wasn't an issue for me (apparently not all derms are comfortable with this...my sister saw a dermatologist who refused to prescribe it unless she took BC) Another obstacle was cost. My insurance wouldn't kick in for prescriptions until I hit my deductible. So I paid out of pocket for the first two prescriptions (~$700 each...could've got a new laptop or something instead, but whatever) After that I think they were about $50 for each prescription. My dermatologist said the higher dosage (60mg I think?) actually costs less than the 30mg dosage...so she ended up prescribing me 60mg, but told me only to take it every other day. Long story short, it took a few months and a lot of lotion and lip balm, but 6 months later I was acne-free (and years later, I still am!!!) I think I was still getting zits until around month 5, so it definitely took some patience. But it made such a difference in my life. As far as makeup, I wear nothing on my face now except a tinted moisturizer and undereye concealer (because I DON'T NEED IT! It's fantastic!) I use Cetaphil facewash and moisturizer at night...no more money wasted on products that don't work. I get the occasional small blemish when I have my period, and that's it. It's honestly been a life changer. By the way, Eucerin lotion and Aquaphor lip balm worked best for me...your skin and lips really dry out. I had some trouble with dry skin patches that turned into a rash on my arms at one point during treatment (kind of looked like eczema)...dermatologist gave me an rx for Triamcinolone cream which cleared it up. The only weird side effect that I had was some trouble with mild lower back pain during treatment, but it resolved itself shortly after I finished. And yeah, the ipledge program and labwork every month is a pain, but if you have trouble with bad acne you know it's a small price. My bloodwork results stayed perfect throughout treatment, by the way...I think my total cholesterol went up a few points, but it was also pretty good to begin with! So yes, Accutane can be a dangerous medication and it should be properly monitored, and people should be fully aware of the risks. Risk vs. benefit...this med is reserved for people who have tried everything else. All meds have side effects, most have warnings about problems that they CAN cause. You'll probably read horror stories in your research about people that had bad luck with Accutane, but not every medication is right for every person. There are horror stories about pretty much any medication on the market. But if you're at the end of your rope like I was, it really is worth a discussion with your dermatologist. Changed my life! Good luck everyone!

Today I take my last Accutane pills. I've been on the medication for 6 months (40 mg a day for two months, 50 mg a day for four months). The generic brand I took was Amnesteem. Before taking the drug I was pretty scared but having suffered from acne for over 10 years on a consistent basis I was at my wits end. I read tons of reviews before taking the plunge and promised I'd write a review when I was done to help anyone else. It's scary, no lie. No one wants to have lifelong horrible bowel side effects or joint pain. But I think overall if you lead a healthy lifestyle and take the proper dosage according to your weight you should be fine. All medications out there have side effects you just have to decide how important clear skin is to you. For me, I knew I was sick of the struggle. Of course I had good days where I was like "Maybe I'm finally outgrowing it!" and then the next day I'd have a new pimple. Acne kind of sends you on this emotional roller coaster and no one understands if they haven't experienced it on a daily basis. (I hate when someone who never gets acne complains about having one tiny pimple. I "figuratively" want to punch them in the face.) My acne throughout the years has been a variety. The worst is the ones that are so far under the skin you can't pop them. If you do they scar you for life and if you don't they take a month to go away and still leave you with a mark. There is no winning when it comes to acne. So after trying a lot of other things, including peroxide, Differin, Tretinoin cream, Oxy, Doxycycline, Nature's Cure, and Proactive (worked at first then made my face worse), I went to a hormone doctor. She recommended Accutane and said she had even been on it in college. I told her my fears and how a prior dermatologists had warned me against it, but she encouraged me that the side effects were minimal. She was right. (She also had put me on birth control to see if that would help...it didn't.) Side effects I endured were dry lips, a very dry nose that led to my nose bleeding, and some dry skin. My dry skin was very minimal which I was worried meant it wasn't working but my dermatologist assured me I was just lucky. I also had the occasional joint pain at my hip but it was livable. For most with pretty bad and consistent acne you will have scarring and red marks, but supposedly those start to heal after the course is done and even though they aren't pretty, they're better than the alternative of having more acne, which in the end will only leave you with more scarring. You've probably heard about the initial really bad breakout. Mine wasn't too bad and only occurred on my forehead. Other users are right too, it really takes until the fourth month to see total clearance. Right now I'm proud to say I am completely clear. I really hope it stays that way. I can live with the occasional normal person breakout but I don't want to have to go back to how it was. If I do that will be very unfortunate, but I still will not regret my decision to go on Accutane. At least I can say I tried and won't have to wonder "what if" if in ten years I still have acne. Some pointers: There is no need to wash your hair more than 2 times a week, unless it is smelly, because it will hardly get oily. Cetaphil is a good moisturizing cream. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is great to wash your face with. I'd try to minimize washing to once or twice a day so your skin is not more prone to dryness. Aquaphor Healing Ointment is great for the lips and can also be used on the skin, but note that it does not rub in well and may leave your face looking greasy. Dr. Dan's Cortibalm lip balm works wonders and was specifically made for those taking on the Accutane journey. Drink lots of water. ( I drink around 6 bottles a day) Stay away from alcohol. I also recommend going to a dermatologist you trust and has good reviews. The one I went to was not very thorough and the staff never seemed to know what they were doing. Go somewhere that really wants to help you and will make the process easier instead of harder especially since you have to see them once a month for every month you're on the pills and if you're a girl they have to take a pregnancy test at their office. The process is tedious and you want to make sure you go to a doctor who knows what they are doing and has your best interest at heart. Last but not least, stay positive and know that you deserve the right to not have to worry about waking up in the morning and looking in the mirror, scared as to what new spot you might find.

I have had acne since I was 13.. finally at 18.. after trying everything I tired Accutane. I had bad cystic acne and I saw results in weeks. Only bad thing is how dry you get. But the good outweighs the good.

I know this a risky prescription drug but all that talk about the dangers are old stories from over 10 years ago and now doctors are aware of all of that and so I trust the medical today compared to past (obviously). Works wonders, this should be last resort though

I have struggled with terrible acne ever since i was 10 years old. I had tried every combination of every antibiotic/topical under the sun with no success. I would spend hours and hours online researching acne and the mediations used to treat it. I would read countless accutane reviews on here every day. Like many others i had heard the accutane horror stories on here and they frightened me so much that i decided i would not take the medication. But my life was a mess, i was consumed by my acne. Whenever i looked in the mirror it was all i could see. It had destroyed my self esteem and i could barely look people in the eye. By this point my dermatologist really urged me to give accutane a try. She explained that if i wanted my skin to be clear that it was the only remaining option. In a spur of the moment decision i decided to go for it. Enough was enough, it was time to get my life back. I knew the possible side effects but i made the decision that i was willing to risk it. I was most concerned about the possible link between accutane and suicide. I suffer from depression and was so afraid that the drug would make it worse. Needless to say when i popped by first pill i was beyond nervous, i could barely get myself to do it. Little did i know i was starting on one of the most incredible journeys of my life. After several days i noticed my lips and skin starting to dry out. I did have an initial breakout but for me it wasn't a huge deal. My acne was somewhat worse than usual for about a week and then it returned to normal levels. Just several weeks into the course my skin was getting better and better every day. I was excited to look in the mirror every day and see how far i had come. By the end of my treatment my skin was perfect and its still that way to this day (years later). I went from having the worst case of acne most of my friends/family have ever seen to having beautiful skin. The side effects i experienced while on accutane were mild. I had the typical dry skin and lips. The dry lips were definitely a challenge at times but aquaphor is really great and helped a lot. I would have occasional back pain but it was very mild. Also it had absolutely no effect on my depression. I honestly felt great while i was on it... my depression was honestly probably better on accuatane than it was before and after i stopped taking it, i honestly felt amazing. No thoughts of suicide at all. Maybe it had something to do with the joy i felt watching my skin i had suffered with for so long start to heal. All the side effects stopped for me about a week or two after i stopped taking it. Except that I feel as though it may have effected my night vision slightly but it was worth it. I have never written a review on anything before but i felt that it was my responsibly to write this one. The fight with acne is so difficult that if i can help just one person out its worth it. Our bodies are all different and you may have a different experience than mine but i can only go off of my own personal experience. Please if you are suffering greatly from your acne and its taking over your life do your self a favor and give this drug a try. I know its a very hard decision to make but if you are willing to take the risk i think the vast majority of you will be so happy you did. I look back now and wish that i did it years sooner and saved myself from all the misery i experienced. Stay strong and i wish you all the best.

Should of done this sooner. I'm 40 and have suffered from 12 tried every medication and nothing ever worked. Just finished a 7 month coarse and my skin is clear. Was wary of going on it because of what I read but needn't of been, got the chapped lips and joint aches some days but nothing too bad . Was well worth it.

I am finishing up my fifth and last month of treatment and felt strongly about writing a review and tips because blogs like this really helped me prepare and offered good advice when I was starting. I had suffered from acne for over 10 years (I'm 23) and had constant zits and ones that physically hurt. I tried every cream, antibiotic, and wash and nothing worked. I never went anywhere without makeup and felt uncomfortable constantly. Accutane treatment is expensive between the pills, monthly lab work, and monthly doctor visits, but it is so worth the money. Honestly it is an investment in yourself and your happiness. Worth every penny. So I started with 40mg once per day then increased to 60mg once per day and now I alternate between 40mg one day and 80mg the next. After my second day of treatment I developed a rash on my fore arms and started to freak out but the blogs and my derm just said it was dry skin so I slathered on Aquaphor and lotion and it went away literally the next day. So don't freak out if this happens. I didn't really get dry throughout the process. My lips were really the only thing that was consistently affected. I just learned to always have Vaseline or Aquaphor with me. I didn't try any other lip products because those two worked very well. You get used to constantly having to carry lip products. I also started moisturizing in the AM and PM. I used Olay with SPF in the AM and at night alternated between Cetaphil lotion and Olay night crème. My scalp got a little drier than normal (I started to only wash it 2-3 times per week) so I switched hair products and use Ren Pure Cleansing Conditioner to wash my hair and Aquaphor Baby Wash for my body. Occasionally if my hair feels really dry I use V05 oil treatment or just olive oil on my scalp and wash it out. Your hair won't get oily so it isn't necessary to wash it a lot. So some weird symptoms that I had, sorry if it is TMI but it would have been nice if I saw other people got these as well. There was like a two week period in my 3rd month that the bottoms of my feet were so dry I could peel a whole layer off. I wore socks to bed with Aquaphor slathered all over my feet. In my 4th and now 5th month, the inside of my nose is really dry (no bloody nose). In my 1st month it hurt to have a bowel movement because that area was so dry. Told you TMI, anyway I just put Aquaphor down there and it got better. So some tips: drink lots of water. Like a lot. Be kind to your skin, if you use proper care you can prevent it from getting dry. I used a Clarisonic before treatment twice a day and now I use it every couple weeks when I think my skin needs a deep clean. Your skin and routine is going to change so be willing to purchase new products to see what works. Overall, I'm extremely happy with my results. My skin is not perfect though. I don't have any zits but my skin tone is red and splotchy which my derm said can even out after treatment. Accutane really has changed my life, it's been amazing and the 5 months have not been bad at all. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. Good luck and enjoy your new skin! ☺

This time last year I was completely miserable because of my incredibly oily skin and severe cystic acne. The impact it had on my life was major. Letting anyone see me without make-up was out if the question. The acne was on my mind the whole time. During my teens I had a little acne but it was mild. When I was around 20 I got diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome and went onto an anti-androgen contraceptive pill, Dianette, which I then took for 14 years. When I was on that pill I had a few spots, but nothing more than that. I finally came off Dianette at the age of 34 and developed terrible acne. My skin was pumping out an unbelievable amount of oil and I had lots of horrible cysts. I now know that this is typical of what happens when people stop anti-androgen therapy. My doctor thought it would settle down after about 3 months, but it just got worse and worse. I tried anti-biotics, laser treatment, topical treatments. You name it, I tried it. I went back onto the pill, this time Yasmin. The Yasmin but help the acne some but it was still bad. I am a fan of natural remedies so I tried acupuncture, I cut down on dairy products and took fish oils and zinc. Again, it helped but I still had pretty bad acne. I went to a new dermatologist and asked for roaccutane. She agreed and I started taking it. It was one of best things I've ever done! Being a bit of a hypochondriac I was really nervous, half expecting suicidal thoughts or hair loss. In fact, apart from dry lips and eyes (both manageable) I haven't noticed any ill effects. However my dermatologist (who is very reputable) told me she has treated hundreds of people with this therapy and only 2 of her patients have had serious side effects. I took my final pill last night after being on roaccutane for a little over 5 months and my skin is almost totally clear. I am delighted and it's no exaggeration to say that this drug has transformed my life. I'm so grateful. So, if like I was, you're nervous about side effects and wondering whether to take roaccutane, I really urge you to do it. Good luck!

I contemplated taking Accutane for a while because of all the crazy possible side effects and stories, but from my experience its 100% worth the risk. My skin is literally flawless, and it feels AMAZING. I had tried so many different treatments before trying Accutane, so I didn't expect it to work, but luckily this was not the case. This medicine is truly magical, I have not had a pimple in months! Absolutely try it if you can!

So I was very hesitant on going on this drug - being 21 and having moderate acne (since I was around 16) really lowered my self confidence. Having tried each and every drug prescribed to me by my GP, I finally got referred to a dermatologist. I got prescribed by my dermatologist 30mg for the first month and then 60mg for the next 5 months which I am very happy about. I am only on my second month and I can honestly say I have already seen such a HUGE difference to my skin. Yes my skin (particularly nose) and lips are VERY dry but other than that I have had absolutely no issues. I never thought I would see results so soon, everybody was going on about the period your skin will get worse before it gets better but fortunately I haven't had that. I haven't broken out in the last three weeks at all (been on it now for about 6 weeks). I will get back to you guys in the next couple of months but so far very very happy. Not having a spot FEELS SO GREAT!!!!