I am an 18 year old girl who has had acne since the fourth grade. I have been on countless medications to try and help my skin; Tetracycline, Minocycline, Doxycycline, and Ortho Tri cycline (birth control). None of these helped. I have used Proactive (twice) that didn't help in the least bit, so my last resort was Accutane. I was very nervous about it, having done my research on it, I wasn't sure if I wanted to. Well, let me tell you, I am so glad I did. I am only on my second month, and my skin is so smooth. Before, I had cysts and nodules all along my jaw, my neck, my chest, my upper back, and my cheeks. Now, they're flat and fading. I don't have any on my face, my chest is now drying out, and my neck looks better. The first month, I experienced breaking out on my neck, the cysts were huge! They hurt, and it was just embarrassing. I wore scarves for 2 weeks straight to hide them. The area around my lips broke out as well, they were not large and it only lasted about a week (short compared to my other break outs). I am drying out, not as bad as I thought. I was on 40mg for the first month, now I am on 60mg for my second. side effects I am having include dry skin and lips, not bad at all, cured by moisturizer and Vaseline chap stick. I am thirsty and hungry (more than usual) but thirst isn't severe, I don't notice it unless I think about it. I take my medicine with food, yet it makes me hungry and once I eat, the smallest bite will fill me up. I wake up with bloody noses, not ones to bother me, they're just like scabs or clots, which sounds disgusting but that's the only way I can put it. muscle spasms. this one is actually funny to me, because I have never had these. my legs twitch sometimes or my thumb as well. small, quick movements that feel funny. my contacts are starting to stick to my eyes, making things blurry, so I wear glasses more. my skin isn't oily AT ALL. I would normally use my oil blotting sheets about 3+ times a day and now I never need them. saying this, my hair isn't oily either. I would have to wash it EVERY NIGHT..and now I can go a week or so without doing so (I wash my body don't worry) but I don't have to worry about waking up the next day with greasy hair. I itch too, since my skin is drying out. mostly around my elbows and the top of my hands. when my cysts were drying out, they itched as well, it was uncomfortable. I haven't experienced any thoughts of suicide, depression, or severe side effects like some people do, or what the major concerns are. I get blood work done every month, as well as a pregnancy test, you have to answer questions from the iPledge website before filling the medicine, it's easy, but annoying. I feel pretty lucky with what I'm experiencing, slight dryness. this is definitely going to be something that will change my life. I am able to go out in public feeling confident about my skin. I used to always look down or not look people in the eye, but now I can. I am 100% happy with my skin now, and I still have 4 months to go! :) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and I really, really wish I had started sooner.

I'm only just starting my 4th month, however my skin has already improved. I'm trying to remember what my skin reacted like during the first month - and I can't remember having any major breakout like some. Now I produce no oil on my face, I still have the occasional pimple, but just on my chin area and a few on the cheeks. It has eliminated the amount of cystic acne I used to get. I still have scarring, but hopefully that will improve over time. Skin tone in general though is a HUGE improvement. I used to have very bumby skin mainly from little white/black heads everywhere... so even though my acne wasn't severe I was devastated by how my skin tone looked overall. As far as side effects go - I have lost weight- about 8 pounds so far (weight 118 now). I have been more achy, occasional night sweats, maybe slightly more tired. No major side effects like some people have posted about thank goodness. I like many of you was scared to start but I think once you get to the point where your skin is making you feel self-conscious it is worth trying Accutane. Life is very precious and I'm happy I can start enjoying my life more now than if I had waited to try Accutane later in life. I should have started this a year ago :(

My acne wasn't the most severe case ever but it was persistent; 10 years of back and body acne. Various other treatments failed so I decided to give Accutane a go. I'm a big guy so my dose was large; I started at 20mg worked up to 100mg, my total course length was 34 weeks and a cumulative dosage of about 14000mg. If you don't know what cumulative dose or total dose to body weight ratio is about I suggest you research Accutane further before taking it. Initially side-effects were minimal but as the course wore on I did start to struggle with dry lips, dry eyes, painful joints and a general feeling of being unwell. Towards the very end my blood work wasn't ideal (lipids) and I felt my mood was bad. It did clear my skin up the longer the course went on but it was a slow process. I went from having multiple large cysts and nodules on my back to almost none. Unfortunately because of the side effects above and my already large total dose I had to get off it before my skin was 100% clear. As a result I am now getting a (milder) return of my acne after 8 months off. I have now started another course which is going to be a low dose over a longer time frame. I would cautiously recommended it to people with severe acne or moderate persistent acne that is scarring. This is a powerful drug and you need to treat it AND your body with respect while you are on it. Most people will only get the milder (but still sucky) side-effects that I experienced, others may get more serious ones. Research and weigh up the risks carefully.

i started going to the dermatologist for acne when i was in 8th grade. I tried everything, over the counter things first in 7th grade and tried things like minocycline, bactrim, and a few other pills and lots of topicals. finally, halfway through 10th grade i started accutane. I took 40mg for about 9 months, and just finished it a few weeks ago.this is the first pill to ever clear up the acne on my back. my skin is about perfect now! while taking the pill i got only a few breakouts the whole time and they went away in just a couple of days. After being off of it for a few weeks, I do have a few very small pimples. But they gave me Differin and when i put it on the acne is gone the next day! I did have a few side effects like high cholesterol which was kind of a hassle, but overall it was completely worth it. This pill changed my life. I had months of always having to have a chapstick with me, not being able to lay flat on my back cause it hurt, and taking fish oil pills, but it was totally worth it to me. i am so thankful for this medication!

so ive been on Accutane for 3 months and im about to start my 4th month. I really haven't seen much improvement in my skin besides the redness going down. I have pretty bad acne (cheeks, forehead, and sometimes chin). I was on many medications for my acne and none have worked. Many people I have talked to have said that between the 3rd and 4th month is when I will see big improvement. Idk if the are just saying that to give me hope or if it will clear in the 4th moth. I hope it will. to speed up the process im going to start the acne.org regiment. I have heard amazing reviews so hopefully this will do the trick:) so far Accutane not really working :( but should start soon it just take awhile!

ROACCUTANE SOCIAL PROBLEMS - AWKWARDNESS PLEASE RESPOND Hello all, Merry Christmas for starters.. I am currently sitting here feeling quite dismal as I have come to conclusions Roaccutane is really starting to take a toll on me. A little low-down on who I am I'm male and 18 years old I'm taking one 20mg tablet after dinner each day and have been on it roughly two month's or so now. I have had moderately bad acne or just pimples what ever you want to call it for a good three years now. I still believe myself to be a strong person as I've never really let them win but roaccutane I'm finding hard to fight the fire. I've been having really bad anxiety and social problems? Roaccutane is making me feel awkward around people I get into this zone where I think myself to be being really awkward and its a really uncomfortable feeling which I just want to escape and not be there any more. I'm going on a trip with friends over new years in about 5 days and honestly im dreading it because of these horrible feelings I've been getting.. Its a mixture of anxiety and awkwardness. I'm wondering if anybody else gets these feelings and actually believes like myself Roaccutane is ruining my social skills and potentially the rest of my life? If there wasn't light at the end of the tunnel which is basically factual i would never recommend especially to close friends or family members this drug as is it really potent and even a strong person i see myself to be is really struggling. I would love to hear peoples responds and would be over the moon if other people are experiencing this on the drug to so I don't think I'm a complete psychopath. If anybody else is experiencing these horrible withdrawals I just want to say remember there is light at the end of the tunnel and to be strong. Always keep your mind positive and hang over positive people. Exercise and lying in the sun, hanging around younger siblings and pets always helps and i find to be great. I wish everyone a happy new years and a safe Christmas. All the best

I just started using this product 7 days ago. I have had acne for about 3 years and I've tried practically every treatment available to me. I have tried doxycycline, clindamycin, penicillin, retin A, birth controls, hormone treatments and tons of topical treatments. The doxycycline did work for about 5 months but then it stopped working so I decided to try Accutane as a last resort. So far I've been on it for 7 days and I've noticed improvement, No more cystic acne and a significant decrease in the size of the spots, I still have some redness and spots but not nearly as bad. The acne on my back is completely gone. The dermatologist told me that my acne could get worse for a little while before it gets better but so far there has only been improvement. I really hope that this treatment continues to work and I will update on the progress. So far I haven't had many side effects. I've had a little dryness but not nearly as much as I expected, I just use a little extra moisturizer and Chapstick and I'm fine. It could be because I just started using the product so I'll let you know if it gets worse. The only other side effect is that I bruise really easily! which is strange because I wasn't expecting it. I'm super clumsy and now I have tons of bruises. The only other downside of Accutane is the blood tests. I have to get a blood test every month, which I'm dreading but so far the Pros significantly outweigh the cons.

I started RoAccutane which I believe is just the English version of Accutane in June 2010 at the age of 15. My acne was localised to my back and shoulders as I am fortunate to not suffer from acne on my face. I had tried several oral and topical acne treatments from my doctor before starting RoAccutane, all of which did not have any effect, resulting in me being referred to a dermatologist. I started on a low dose of RoAccutane which did not seem to be improving my skin so after around 5 months my dosage was increased. This was when I started seeing results. My once cystic acne was decreasing month by month. I still got the occasional small red bumps but they never turned into spots and went away after a few days. Whilst I was on my course of RoAccutane I was also prescribed the Dianette Oral Contraceptive Pill which was mandatory whilst I was taking RoAccutane. The main side effects I experienced were dry skin and lips which were easily sorted with moisturiser and lip balm, I did not experience these infamous "depression" side effects which I don't doubt may be possible but I didn't get any more moody than a typical 15 year old. Although the need for a blood test once a month was a pain especially due to my dislike of needles, I soon got over them and was reassured that my progress on the course was being monitored. I was taken off RoAccutane the following year, in June 2012, after it was agreed by both me and my dermatologist that my acne was gone and hopefully stayed that way. Since finishing my course my acne has stayed away and my back and shoulders remain clear, I occasionally get the odd small pimple due to obvious female hormones but other than that my skin is finally perfect. I hope this review helps and I cannot recommend this product enough. Fortunately in the UK I did not have to pay for my prescription of RoAccutane but if I did I definitely would have, this product has changed my life.

i'm using roaccutane for four month 20 mg/day and i have dry skin and new acne problem: i've got new underskin acne on my cheeks and they are staying just there. Sometimes they get inflamed. I say again i'm using accutane for 4 month 20 mg/day. Is it going to be better in next month or months. my weight is 75 kg. Thank youu

I went on Accutane after 2/3 years of awful acne, especially on my cheeks and chin. In a few months, maybe 2/3, I started really noticing results. The blood tests and government protection on the drug are a hassle but so worth it. But let me just make myself clear on one thing that drives me crazy about others' thoughts on Accutane! I had absolutely NO, and I mean not ONE other side effect except dryness of the skin, lips and eyes. Maybe I'm different from others, but my boyfriend was on it too and had no other effects, as well as two of my good friends and my cousin. Please do not let all the hype of side effects prevent you from clear skin and confidence. We all deserve it! But also consider that Accutane, while it works miracles, may not give you lasting results. My acne came back in about 5 months and now I'm on Spiro, which really is my miracle drug. But regardless, that does not take away my recommendation.