At the age of 30, after trying many over the counter and prescribed medicatio and after having moderate acne since 14 years old, I decided to ask my GP if I could see a dermotologist. I had to try one last cream (differin) and after 6 months and still not being happy with the results, they referred me. I knew I wanted roaccutane although I was very nervous after reading negative reviews. I explained to the dermotologist how long I'd had acne and all the medication I'd tried. As a female I had to agree to use proper contraception which I was used to doing as I have two daughters and have completed my family! The major concern was my post-natal depression which I am still on medication for. I stressed I had good support and was in control of it and my derm was happy. So I started! Despite my fears my side effects have been minimal, dry lips and dry skin being the only notable ones which have been easy to deal with. My derm prescribed me cetraben moisturiser which is good for really dry areas but I found not moisturising unless really needed helped roaccutane work better. Lots & lots of Vaseline has been essential for the lips. The main problems were avoiding the sun...not easy in the best British summer we've had for ages! I had to wear factor 50+ not to burn. If poss I would suggest taking it in the winter. The other problem was trying not to squeeze. After a month or so my skin was so delicate that squeezing (even gently) tore the skin and left a scar. Please try your best not to squeeze, you will get spots that look like they could do with a squeeze but don't do it. Even if it heals the spot up it will damage the skin long-term. It has taken 3 and a half months to notice a real difference but it is a difference I am happy with. I do get some little spots but if I leave them they're not noticeable. I can wake up each morning knowing my skin will look the same as it did the night before. It has forced me to stop touching/picking/squeezing my face which I now need to maintain. I have some red scars from old old spots and some from squeezing on roaccutane but they will fade. I have not had any other side effects and I have stayed in control of my depression. I have been paranoide about the risk of getting pregnant but this must be taken seriously. I wish I would have taken roaccutane sooner or when I was younger to stop my acne cycle but maybe now was the right time for me. My acne was only moderate and it has not worked miracles but it has been the catalyst I needed to stop my every day struggle with acne. Research, think about it, talk to those who love you but if acne is affecting your life then definatley consider it!

Accutane is for people with severe acne that have tried everything else including other oral and topical prescribed medications. I did not have a lot of acne but I would get nodular cists under the skin on my face, which were very painful and couldn't be popped. I tried every medication but I still kept getting them. Accutane was the only thing that got rid of them and I have only had one or two since I stopped the medicine 5 years ago. I loved taking the medicine because my face was NEVER oily like it always was, even today. This medicine is a pain though because it dries your lips out severly. At my local drug store I found a chapstick called "Dr. Dan's" and it was the ONLY thing that worked to quench the thirst of my lips and keep them from cracking. It tasted awful but I couldn't live without it. Accutane is also a pain because you have to get a lot of blood work done so they can make sure your body is staying normal, and females also have to take a pregnancy test every time before you getting a new prescription as well as take an online quiz about pregnancy prevention before you can fill it. Also the medicine can have side effects that make people depressed or have bad thoughts, but that never happened to me, not even a little bit! It must do that to people with low self-esteem or who already aren't the happiest in life. I also am a very active and competitive horseback rider, which is really hard on your leg and shoulder joints, but I had no joint pain at all which is another possible side effect.

I took accutane 40mg for 6 months. It was the best thing I ever did for my skin! It cleared up perfectly. It's been 2 years since I took accutane and there are occasions where I breakout but it's really nothing compared to what I had before. The occasional pimple is very easy to conceal! Accutane is a strong medication though. It causes a lot of side effects which are very harmful to your body. I would recommend trying antibiotics first before going on a medication like this. Dry eyes, skin, and lips are common side effects with this medication as well as joint pain (especially if you're an athlete). I recommend accutane to those who have tried everything else and have had no luck. This will work for you.

After 8 years of living with acne, I finally decided to try Accutane and was excited to get it done with. I was on 40mg/day, and my mood plummeted faster than anything I'd ever experienced in my life. I had terribly dark thoughts and couldn't get away from them. My hair started falling out after two days. I couldn't think straight at all and had crying spells. I didn't even last a week on this stuff. It may work for you, but I regret taking ANY of it and am waiting for this miserable feeling to lift. I am happy for the people who have success with isotretinoin. But brain fog and seriously depressive thoughts cannot be ignored. Update: Literally FIVE days of this stuff has permanently eaten up my skin - eyelids, earlobes, forehead etc. You'd be insane to play Russian Roulette with your life for moderate to severe acne. Learn from me...I guess I never thought I'd become an Accutane victim. Good. God. Just because this experience didn't happen to you doesn't mean it isn't helpful.

Overall, I feel its a great medicine with annoying but tolerable side effects. I think if you listen to your dermatologist, and avoid the scary horror stories online (it tends to psych you out) If you can deal with the dryness, chapped lips, etc.. You're golden.. And honestly, if you can't tell your derm if your side effects are too much, you may need another doctor.. They should listen to how you're dealing with the medicine. Good luck!!

After having a few months of dry chapped lips, dry eyes ect my skin as very clear however the worst part was to come when I became severely depressed and it really changed me as a person. After suffering with acne for over 10 years I can honestly say that having bad skin is way easier than dealing with emotional issues that developed for me on this pill. Would not recommend

I just got off this medication about a month ago.. i took it for 7months straight.. it is a very difficult drug to get, especially in the pharmacy trying to look for a ipledge registered pharmacy... It made my skin very clear but dry everything.. I had some side effects such as Headaches, Rash's, Aching bones, Blur Vision, Impaired Hearing, Lost of breath bcuz it makes your white blood cell count low.. but over all i hope to recover from my treatment

I've had Cystic Acne for 3 years till taking this drug. While i was on this drug i experinced joint/ back pain, dry everything, and easily tearable skin with slow healing time. 40 mgs twice a day everyday did clear my skin i can proudly say i have clear skin (i really do) but i have bad scarring and ugly pigmintation, which can not be covered with makeup. I have to wait a whole year till i can have surgery to remove my scars. The doctor said they will tone down and possibly go away after a month of this product (i got off this yeserday) and i hope so because having this tore up skin sucks

For years I had pretty bad cystic acne, the big pimples that hurt. After trying all the OTC systems, Clean & Clear, Proactiv, etc. Then I finally turned to a dermatologist. After trying all the topicals, and antibiotics, which didn't help, I was left with only Accutane to try. The side effects weren't too bad, the worst part was the monthly blood tests haha. I took really good care of my skin with a lot of creams and moisturizers to combat the dry skin. The worst part for me was dry eyes. I was unable to wear my contacts after the first month because accutane just dried them out too much. Overall, if you can put up with constantly needing moisturizer for 5-6 months, I recommend accutane. I haven't had a breakout since the beginning of my second month!

I've always had spots and oily skin, since I was 12 years old. I was put on many oral and topical prescriptions and nothing worked. I live in the UK so got the treatment on NHS, I paid £7.65 for each prescription for which I got 2 months supply of Roaccutane. I took 20mg twice a day for six months, from september 2012 to march 2013. I had to be reffered by my GP, I saw the Derm every 2 months, I had to have a pregnacy test every month so that I could get my next months supply. I also had to have blood tests every 2 months. I loved the effects of the treatment, the oil dried up within a month the spots/cysts took longer to go. I had wasted so much time in head on worrying about the oil and the spots on my skin. It was amazing to be so confident and not ashamed of my face and skin and not to have to blot my skin every chance I got. I'm disappointed however in the fact that for me the effects wore off very quickly, I got the oil back within 3 weeks of ending treatment and the spots soon followed, they are currently around my hair line and chin. The spots are growing up my face I also have a couple on my chest, no cysts yet. I told myself during treatment that my DNA will out, I should have tried harder to engrain that in brain so that I would'nt be disappointed that my skin bounced back to what it was before. So to everyone else, popping a pill for a few months will not change your DNA, it is what is.