Isotretinoin (Accutane®)
Results
Side Effects

Isotretinoin is a vitamin A derivative called a retinoid that is taken orally and is approved only for severe acne. It is thought...

Isotretinoin is a vitamin A derivative called a retinoid that is taken orally and is approved only for severe acne. It is thought to clear acne primarily through its ability to permanently reduce skin oil (sebum) production.

Isotretinoin is available in capsule form and is usually taken twice a day. Your physician will prescribe an initial dose, and this dose may increase or decrease depending on the response to treatment and side effects.

 [more]
3.9
2449
5
37.1%
4
34%
3
15.3%
2
7.3%
1
6.2%

Used Isotretinoin (Accutane®)? Rate It:

Choose from 1 to 5 stars
Sort by: Most Helpful
Order:
Number of Stars
Choose All That Apply
Clear All Filters
Done
May 14, 2010

Pros:

Clears SKIN

Cons:

Chapped Lips
Sore Muscles - Aches & Pains
Dry Nose
Dry Skin

If your on the fence about accutane, get it! The side effects are really not that bad but waking up everyday without a new pimple is amazing. Total self confidence booster. Going the whole day working two jobs, in the heat and humidity, without being greasy is awesome. I am in my fifth (and final) month and have not had a pimple in almost two months. Get it. Get IT. Get. It.
This Was Helpful

33 user(s) found this helpful

Report
May 13, 2010

Pros:

Clears up skin usually after three to six months. Gives you confidence back if you were lacking any. Shrinks pores.

Cons:

Accutane is like russian roulette. By going on this drug, you should be aware of the side effects and review them very carefully. In all honesty, if I experienced a majority of the side effects, I would still go on accutane.

I'd feel like I'm betraying this drug to give it anything less than a five. While there are several side effects, accutane is the best product out there if you want to get rid of your acne.
This Was Helpful

27 user(s) found this helpful

Report
May 5, 2010

Pros:

Beautiful Skin, High self-esteem, confident, Happy!

Cons:

Dry lips (completely under control w/ AquaPhor), Sensitive/Dry Face (Again, nothing that AquaPhor couldn't help!), Occasional Hip & Chest Pain (in the second month only), Occasional Severely Dry Anal, causing a couple of painful bowel movements, and weirdly, eyebrow sweats no matter what my body temp is...(the eyebrow sweats may not be related to accutane as I have not shared this possible side effect with my doctor)

AMMAZING RESULTS! :) I am on my 5th & final month of taking 2 generic forms of Accutane; Amnesteem 10mg (1/day), and Claravis 30mg (2/day), 70mg/day. I made it through high school with no acne and developed moderate acne at the age of 18. I am a model/actor/student and the acne was a night mare, absolutely horrible on my self-esteem and confidence! I tried several prescribed meds with no help. I was aware of Accutane through close friends who took it & I was fearful of it even though they did have amazing results from it however sites like this one scared me. Finally my acne got to where it was very painful and intolerable, at that point my Dermatologist recommended Accutane and I was now willing. I am highly involved in sports and only experienced occasional hip & chest pain in the 2nd month of taking, I believe, 40mg/day. I had not noticed any other aches or pains except those natural to the workouts & conditioning I do. My dry lips and dry skin are tolerable w/ the constant use of AquaPhor, (found at Walgreens). When starting Accutane my doctor started me at a low dose and upped it each visit until the 3rd month when she upped it 70mg /day' it finally worked. The 2nd & 3rd month I had a huge acne flare-up! After the middle of the third month my skin was beautiful, no pimples, not one!!! I'm acne-free! I have flawless skin! I would recommend to anyone dealing with moderate to severe acne that he/she takes with a (large) grain of salt many of the scares that are out there regarding this large vitamin A Derivative. In my opinion, It's All Worth It!!!! :) The, Dry lips (completely under control w/ AquaPhor), Sensitive/Dry Face (Again, nothing that AquaPhor couldn't help!), Occasional Hip & Chest Pain,(in the second month only), Occasional Severely Dry Anal, causing a couple of painful bowel movements, and weirdly, eyebrow sweats no matter what my body temp is...(the eyebrow sweats may not be related to accutane as I have not shared this possible side
This Was Helpful

24 user(s) found this helpful

Report
May 1, 2010

Pros:

Your skin will clear up, exfoliate at a rapid rate and begin to look better than you could have ever imagined. You will acquire a new found confidence!

Cons:

Dry lips...thats about it?

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 :)
This Was Helpful

20 user(s) found this helpful

Report
April 30, 2010

Pros:

Very powerful
Begins to work within the first week
Better than anything else i have tried (i've been on everything.)
The only thing that works.

Cons:

very dry lips and skin
itchy skin
nausea
dry hair
but so worth it.

I'm 16 years old and have had acne since the age of 11 or 12. The severity of my acne has varied throughout the years. I have been on various oral medications, including oxytetracycline for 3 years, which did not work. After trying everything, i was finally referred to a dermatologist 3 months ago who was willing to do something productive. There are generally 3 strengths of the medicine: 20mg, 40mg and 60mg. The strength of pill you are prescribed depends on your weight and the severity of your acne. I began on the 40mg dose. After one month, they wanted to up my dosage but you have to weigh at least 60kg to take the 60mg pill, so i am one of the rare patients on 50mg pills. GPs can't prescribe it so you'd have to get a referral to the dermatology department at a hospital. Female patients are required to go on the contraceptive pill at the same time as taking accutane, because pregnancy during a course of accutane would probably result in a severely deformed child. In the first couple of days, my face was red and hot as if i had been sunburnt. My lips were immediately dry. Another few days later, the spots began to clear. Everyday my skin became clearer and clearer. All Blackheads disappeared. After taking the tablets now for under 3 months, i now have 3 or 4 spots on my face. I'm really happy with the results and think all severe acne sufferers should use it.
This Was Helpful

45 user(s) found this helpful

Report
April 22, 2010

Pros:

CLEAR SKIN, CONFIDENCE, NEW LIFE

Cons:

just dryness around my lips and lips were very dry but was so worth it

i was very tired of going to local gp's who were prescribing me with anitbotics and topical creams...they didnt help me at all. then i decided to privatly see a dermatolgist as i could bear the pain of no seeing any one without make up. it is aweful when any body use to come to my house i would hide in the toilet soo that they dont see me.. i was so eshammed of my acne its undescribable.. so my dermotlist told me they pros and cons of the medication and i was a bit scared of depression as i was suffering from depressing of having acne.... BUT GUESS WHAT i didnt have no sad moods since having this ...what i have had is clear skin without any acne blemishes or new break outs ..touch woood! its the best decision i have taken! people out there with current break outs i feeel the pain u go though each day looking at the mirror PLEASE dont suffer give accutane the chance to transform your life.its a mircle drug ! can u imagine each day waking up with new progression on skin with amazing results ?
This Was Helpful

32 user(s) found this helpful

Report
April 21, 2010

Pros:

my skin became less oily literally the second day. my skin cleared up almost immediately and as the course continued my skin only got better and better. i had perfect skin by the end. it made me so happy i can almost cry thinking about it.

Cons:

chapped lips, dry skin, dry hair. actually the dry skin and hair were sort of a bonus because i could shower every other day as opposed to twice a day like i had to when my skin and hair was very oily.

this drug was a miracle for me. PLEASE don't be afraid to take this drug. it has changed my life in the most amazing ways. i am a happier, more confident person in every way. before i took accutane i woke up every day tormented by my awful skin. i refused to ever let anyone see my arms or chest and i hardly let even people who were closest to me see me without makeup. interacting with people caused me extreme discomfort. i never wanted to stand close enough to anyone to let them see my face, i felt horrible when i had to go out without makeup. my acne made me feel like a disgusting monster. i had moderate acne on my face, chest, and back and it was a nightmare for me. my life is so much better now. i touch the perfect skin on my arms, chest and back and i feel like it is a miracle. this drug was everything i ever wanted it to be. i can feel comfortable looking people in the face. this drug has changed my life more than anything else ever has. i am so grateful that all the suffering (from age 9 till age 21) is finally over. taking accutane was the best decision i've ever made. i am doing things i never would have though possible when i had acne: i've been asked out on dates (i never dated before because i was horrified by the thought of being intimate with anyone because of my skin problems), i can look people in the face when i talk to them, i feel like a normal human being for the first time in my life. the level of joy and happiness i feel about my skin is indescribable. the physical and emotional pain accutane cured goes beyond anything i can describe. my only regret was waiting so long to take it.
This Was Helpful

90 user(s) found this helpful

Report
April 20, 2010

Pros:

Skin looks the best it has in years. Confidence.
No messy creams/gels to apply multiple times a day.
You take it with food. No starving yourself for hours before taking it like you have to on antibiotics like tetracycline.
THE ONLY THING THAT HAS WORKED FOR ME. It finally feels like I'm not wasting money on some chemical junk that never works.

Cons:

Like everyone else says... Dryness of everything. The lips and nose don't bother me as much as my eyes. it has made my vision much worse.

The biggest side-affect for me has been insomnia. About 2 months into the course I started sleeping less and less. If I'm lucky, I get up to 2 hours of sleep per night. The weird thing is that I feel wide awake throughout the following day... Kinda wondering if it's all going to catch up to me when I finish my 5 month course next week.

As far as the deal with depression and suicide/mental effects goes, I went into this thing thinking that most of the people that took the drug and reported depression were just doing so because it was all in their head that it was possible to become that way just because someone else did. I have to admit that there were a few times where I felt "weird". I don't really know how to explain it but it didn't start until I was well into the second month. I swear I was the biggest skeptic (sp?). I guess the best I could describe it is a feeling of being "empty" but that doesn't really do it. I suppose it could of been the stress of moving to the new house. But the low of it all was when I woke up in the old house on the last day I was in it before moving the last few things over in the morning. It was about 1 in the morning an literally it was just me and my bed in the room. I just had this creepy feeling like everything was "done", like there was no reason to do anything anymore. to me all of this is weird as I'm a very positive person. I'm usually the one that doesn't take anything to serious and I'm always making a joke out of everything. Idk, I just had random weird feelings like that. This was just my experience and wanted to share it because I was kind of shocked by it all. If you are debating whether or not to take accutane. DO IT!!!!!! It will make your skin look amazing. Don't be scared of the side effects, stay strong and it will be better before you know it... Life will be better before you know it. just remember that if you are one of the unfortunate who do experience strange feelings, it's just the medicine making you feel that way and your not going to have to feel that way forever (some of you are probably going to argue that statement). The truth is that we are all different and the accutane is going to affect us all differently. Without giving it a second thought, I would ta
This Was Helpful

45 user(s) found this helpful

Report
April 17, 2010

Pros:

I have been off this medicine for a year now, and my skin is nearly flawless. I cannot say enough good things about this medicine. This completely cleared my skin, and after completing the course of treatment my body produces less oil over all - so where prior to treatment I'd have greasy skin and hair by the end of the day, now my skin behaves normally and is neither too dry nor too oily. I will occasionally have a pimple, but it is rare and they are just near the surface of my skin.

Cons:

Like everyone says, this drug causes very dry skin. Living in Denver (where it is already very dry) I had to be especially vigilant and actually used very heavy moisturizers on my hand and (I know this is gross) on the inside of my nose. The acne got worse for the first month of treatment, but it got better from there, and my skin was flawless at the end. Accutane can be harsh, but if you want a real and lasting solution for acne, this is really the only way to go.

If you have moderate to severe acne and are just sick of dealing with it, this is really the only way to go. My only regret is that I didn't do the treatment years earlier!
This Was Helpful

40 user(s) found this helpful

Report
April 15, 2010

Pros:

Beautiful skin forever!
Targets any cause of acne, including hormone based acne which may in many cases may be harder to cure on a long-term basis
In most cases at the end of your treatment, you are never plagued by your acne again (except for a few here and there during periods for women) I have been off Accutane for three years and have nearly flawless skin!

Cons:

Dry lips and sensitive skin. Occasional bloody noses. Cannot wax during treatment and cannot resume waxing until approximately one month after you have finished your treatment. Can be irritating for female patients

I had every skin treatment possible by the time I begun this product in April of my freshman year of high school. I had blue lights, peels, regular facials (all at my dermatologists office) used ProActiv, I even took medication given to me by my dermatologist! Nothing had a lasting effect, and I was desperate to be able to not leave the house with my face slathered in makeup. The treatment was not a cakewalk, and because my acne was hormonal, it took me two five month cycles to keep it from coming back, multiple cycles may be necessary but it is so very much worth it! This medication will change your life!!!!
This Was Helpful

19 user(s) found this helpful

Report
Previous
1 … 45 46 47 48 49 … 82
Next

Relevant Article(s):

Relevant Review(s):

Relevant Forum(s):

Finding a Doctor

The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
  2. Read online patient reviews of any dermatologists you are considering and ask people you know whether they have any experience with these dermatologists.
  3. Do your research and go to your first appointment with questions prepared.
  4. Listen to what your gut feeling tells you once you see a dermatologist in person. If you are not completely comfortable, try a different dermatologist.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

Finding a Doctor

Only a select few plastic surgeons specialize in acne scar revision surgery. Be certain to find a provider who specializes in acne scar repair and who is passionate and experienced in this area.

Be sure to:

  • Look at before and after photos, the more the better, especially patients with similar scarring to your own.
  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

  • Are you board certified? Be certain that they are board certified.
  • How long have you been performing these procedures? Normally, the more experience the better, however, some younger surgeons may be more on top of the latest procedures.
  • Can I speak to some of your other patients? Ask for references for several patients who had similar scarring and speak to them about the process and their satisfaction with results.

Red flags:

  • Their story changes: As you discuss different treatment options, if they tend to change their mind easily, or agree with whatever you say, consider this a red flag. A confident, experienced surgeon will possess strong, unwavering opinions.
  • Your gut tells you "no": Trust your gut. If you just don't feel that the doctor is the right fit, trust that and move on. On the other hand, if you feel they are the perfect specialist for you, trust that feeling.
Find a Doctor Using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Website