I had to make a review about this medicine that changed my life forever! BTW! i didn't use accutane i used "isophase" it's the same thing just a difeerent name, ask your dermatologist about it and remember every one is different. try it Since I was 12 years old i've always suffered with bad acne at times but always had white heads, black heads etc.. About a year ago I finnaly decided to go to the dermatologist and she said I had to take Isophase (a medicine just like accutane but with lower side effects) the doctor said I had to take 10 mg per day for 3 months. My mom was freaking out because when she was my age she was put on accutane and has had dry skin ever since so she was not very happy with the idea and the dermatologist had to explain that i was getting a very low dosis, and it was very unlikely for me to get side effects blaah blaah. So I started searching reviews and they were terrible! I was so AFRAID! but i decided to take the medicine anyways and i had to get a blood exam. ps. i'm terrified of needles but my acne won my biggest fear haha So it took about a month for my skin to start to get better. The first month, my face was as usual but then by the end of the second month my face was clear. What i did notice was that my face got VERY dry that it hurt! So I researched and started using Cetaphil Cream. It didn't break me out and I still use it in winter. Then I stopped taking "isophase" when the 3 months ended and then 3 months later I started to break out again but no worries I went to the dermatologist and they put me on the medicine again but this time 10 mg per weak and let me tell you it's been 5 months and my face is great! I only get a few zits here and there but nothing very noticeable. So if you want to try this medicine go ahead try it! But my recommendation is that you ask you dermatologist about "isophase" and if you start the treatment remember.. Chapstick and Cetaphil cream for your fac

Please do it for yourself! Yes people say u will have bad reactions! Heck I heard I was gunna die an early death but PLEASE JUST DO IT! U will feel much better and people will notice! It took 7 months to get clear but it's worth it! Everyone tells me my skin looks baby soft and smooth! I want to cry I'm so happy!

This has saved my skin.. i have tried literally everything before this and wasted so much time, i wish i could have started this earlier because it works wonders. I took claravis which is a generic accutane but its exactly the same.. from what i read most people see improvements around the 3rd month.. i didnt see improvements till the 6th month, so hang in there till the end.. my derm and i decided i should do an extended course treatment, but im not complaining... it has really helped my skin and reduced the oil so much and shrunk my pores down. It has given me my self confidence back and now i look people in the face! its a life saver.. i didn't really experience any side effects from it that are all over the internet.. but talk with your derm to see if its right for you. The really only major cons are the intial breakout but it eventually calms down.. and always carry chapstick.. ALWAYS haha! and no drinking so its kinda hard in college but most def worth it! Hope this helps!

THE BEST DRUG EVER ! never been happier my skin is so smooth and its only the first month

If you have acne that wont go away, it clears up and comes back, it is causing you stress and emotional pain DO THIS! i have had acne on and off since i wasw 13, i am now 23 and wish i would have done this ten years ago. Its amazing stuff, it really works :)

After trying really and truly trying every type of med, supplement, and topical acne treatment out there, I can without a doubt say this was the only thing that really cleared my skin to the kind of skin I wanted. I went from have terrible severe acne to smooth glowing totally clear skin (for a year after treatment) Worth every penny. While I do still deal with some acne now 3 years after being on Accutane my acne will never be as bad as it was. I highly reccomend for anyone struggling with the kind of acne that deeply damages your self-esteem and just won't go away no matter what you do. I really do beleive it is a blessing that this drug is available. I just hope they never pull it!

I had terrible, painful cystic acne all over my face, back, and chest from the time I was 12 until I was 23, when I was finally put on Accutane. I took a six month course of 40mg and had very few side effects; just the usual dry skin, dry lips, and a few days my eyes were too dry to wear my contacts, but I have had no long term effects. I turn 30 next month and my skin is still clear (I still get a bump or two every now and then, but it's drastically smaller than my old cysts and goes away in a matter of days instead of weeks.) I still have pretty noticeable and bad scaring on my cheeks and back, but the Accutane even seemed to smooth those out a little bit, too. Accutane was seriously a miracle cure for me, before I finally got my prescription I had tried years of scrubs, washes, medicated lotions, antibiotics, etc. I do believe it is important for everyone to fully research what they plan of taking and look into several options, but don't be afraid of Accutane. :3 It wasn't nearly as scary as I expected and I'm incredibly thankful for the results I received.

If you want a honest review from my point of view then read ahead. For quite a few years I suffered with cystic acne. It started off mild with just comedones and blackheads but with time it became more inflammatory, with pustules than eventually cysts that were the size of a marble deep in my cheeks. It carried on for a good few years between me being 17-21 years of age, and as my acne increased my self-esteem & confidence decreased. During this time, I was put on antibiotics, which initially worked but after 6 months I became resistant to them. I was given differin which I used for a few weeks but after not being satisfied with results gave up on it. I then tried benzoyl peroxide which I found too irritative. Skinoren (azelaic acid) was given to me and was quite helpful but again, I was not satisfied with it. In hindsight I can see I did not give any topical a good chance. I was so convinced my acne was resistant and actually believed I would suffer with cysts forever. When I was about 20 my family advised me to cut out junk foods (especially foods high in sugar and trans-fats) and dairy as these were rumored to encourage acne. I cut out bread, gluten, sugar and even tea and coffee and kept waiting for instant results. I even drank 8 glasses of water religiously and took up exercise. Of course, with my severe acne instant results were not possible and with my confidence being eroded with every new cyst I became quite depressed about it. It was around this time I decided to go back to the doctors. I was very embarrased about my skin condition. I was excessively oily and flaky at the same time, with cysts all over my cheeks, nose and forehead. I was at the point where I was even embarrased to make eye contat with people because I thought they would think my skin was gross. Heck , even a stranger once told me to get medication for my skin. Anyway, I told my GP everything and was in tears by the end, so he immediately reffered me to a dermatologist to be put on Isotretinoin. I was counselled that there would be side effects, but since my acne was severe and it was affecting me psychologically, that it would be a sensible and good option for me. In the UK women of childbaring age are recommended to take birth control whilst on this medication, as it toxic and can affect the development of foetuses. I was not sexually active at the time and decided not to take the Dianette contraceptive they were giving me. The dermatologist was not happy about this, but I signed a form which basically said I can take responsibility for my own vagina lol. Fast forward some time and I had just completed my first 5 months. I was on a very low dose (about 10mg a day) and my weight was about 50kg, so it worked very slowly for me. I remember being quite down at this time because even though I had seen some improvements my face was still red and breaking out occasionally. I still wanted the clear skin instantly and craved for the results I'd read about on here. In hindsight, I can see it was actually working, but as I was constantly observing my skin daily I couldn't actually see a big difference. The thing with retinoids are they DO work, but any differences are very subtle. It took a good few months for me to be satisfied with results. After a good 8-9 months on 10mg, I rememeber looking into the mirror and realising how far my skin had come. It was around this time the spots had stopped, redness from previous marks had finally faded and my skin actually glowed. It looked so fresh and I was delighted. I atually felt like a con at times as people started complimenting my skin and asking what creams and cosmetics I use. I found this so funny as I knew it's all down to the Isotretinoin. After I completed the course the clear skin continued for a few months. After this I started getting quite oily again and breaking out with smaller spots. The comedones were back again, although a lot milder than what I had before. I was disappointed but went to the doctors and decided to use a topical retinoid and so far it has cleared my skin again. Bottom line is retinoids do work, inside or out, but you have to give them time. I have looked into the symptoms of acne and especially after treatment with Isotretinoin, I realised as long as I keep the skin cells from being blocked by an over production of keratin, keep my sebum controlled (which my isotrex topical retinoid does) and make sure the bacteria is not out of hand, then my skin can remain clear. If only I knew this before! Overall, to get to my cumulative dose it took about a year and a half. I did experience side effects. Obviously the very dry and sensitive skin made my red marks and spots look a lot worse when beginning treatment, but as my skin improved and I adjusted to the sensitivity, it stopped being such a problem. To this day I still use a simple moisturiser without fragrance, don't over exfoliate with harsh scrubs and generally just leave my skin alone. This all helps with dealing with the extra sensitivity and you will soon find you and your skin can adapt to it. I also had bowel problems wit this. It seemed to upset my stomach, particularly in the last few months. I had excessive gas and diarreah. It happened even though I always took the capsules with food. It reduced significantly when I finished my course, but I still have an upset tummy at times. However, I don't regret taking this drug as it cleared my skin immensley. I got great results from it and most importantly, I have my confidence back. To those who are struggling with acne and it is affecting you psychologically, you really should not be afraid of the side effects. The damage to your confidence and self esteem can have long term effects in itself as it will inevitabley start affecting you everyday life, and acne is so not worth that damage. I will never regret taking Isotretinoin as it was the start of helping me get my confidence back. Having my confidence is helping me in my life to get a new job, have a career and even finding love. So if you have acne, don't feel it is something to hold you back as I did for many years. I am nearly 24 now and very happy :)

I have suffered from acne since the age of 12. Most of my acne in my teens was moderate, but I began getting painful, scarring cysts in my 20s. I've tried every OTC product out there as well as prescription topicals, antibiotics, and Spironolactone. As my 28th birthday approached, I realized I had spent all of my teens and now most of my 20s worrying about my skin. I decided enough was enough and told my doctor I wanted to go on Accutane. My husband was very much against it at first, and I myself was very worried after reading all the horror stories online. We want to try to have children in a couple of years, so my main concern was the health of a future baby. My doctor assured me that the danger for pregnancy is while you are taking the medicine, not in the years following. My husband's main concern was for me--I have a history of clinical depression and he read about the controversy over Accutane and depression. I promised to be open about any change in my thoughts and moods. But honestly, the only change was that I felt WONDERFUL after seeing the medicine work its magic. I was lucky enough not to have an initial breakout, and my skin began to clear dramatically within the first two months. I still got a few cysts, but they were smaller and much less frequent. By the fourth month, I was completely clear. My skin began to look creamy and soft, and for the first time in my adult life, I didn't need to wear makeup to look normal. Now, I just wear makeup for fun on special occasions. Most days I only use a sunscreen. My doctor kept me on a 6.5 month course to ensure that the acne would be gone for good, and since I never had any negative side effects, I was happy to stay on it as long as she would allow. Now, one month after finishing my course, I am still clear! My next step is to treat scarring, but if my skin will just stay clear, I could be happy even with the scars. I would recommend this medicine to a friend or loved one in a heartbeat!

I took accutane when I was 20 (21 after May) from January 2011-August 2011. I had pretty bad acne with mostly cystic pimples and general small whiteheads all over. My back and chest had small whiteheads that weren't visible but could be felt if you ran your hands over them. The entire experience was amazing. Yes my lips were constantly dry 24/7 but they weren't cracked/bleeding/painful. I never had an initial horrible breakout but I did have normal breakouts in the first month but after that my skin began to clear up. My small clogged oil sacks in my pores (for lack of a better term) started to come out each time I washed my face and all of my blackheads went away as well. By the 6th month my skin was porcelain smooth but extremely thin and sensitive. My skin had never looked better. By the 7th and 8th month my skin was absolutely perfect. So much so that I didn't want to come off of the medicine. After about 2 months off of the medicine I had a small breakout (5 small pimples) and I freaked out. But dont stress! That is normal! Now after being off of it for about 6 months my skin is amazing. I will usually get about 1 or 2 pimples every now and then but I dont even do anything about it. Just use a basic toner with salicylic acid and my cetaphil wash. I LOVE my new skin. I have never been happier and I have more confidence now than I ever have before. I didn't drink on the medicine at all until may (21st birthday) and then stopped drinking until June. June-August I did drink on the medicine but all of my blood tests came back okay. The CeraVe heavy cream and Aquaphor were my best friends. YOU CAN HAVE CLEAR SKIN. I never thought it would work since nothing ever had. It was really really expensive because I didn't have prescription insurance. Each month it was between $250-$500. Altogether it cost about $5,000 including doctors and blood tests. IT WAS THE BEST DECISION EVER! I AM SO HAPPY! I hope this helps someone wh