Isotretinoin (Accutane®)
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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.

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June 30, 2014
help me please!!!!
I have moderate acne on my face since childhood.Now I am a 19 tear old male and It doesn't seem to go away.I consulted a dermatologist and she prescribed tetracycline,salicylic fave wash and climniskin gel.It worked for a while and after that I couldn't continue the treatment due to public exam and entrance exam.It stayed clear for a few days and now its back.I again consulted the dermatologist and She prescribed Clyndamycin gel,minocycline and salicilic face wash.After two weaks of no improvement I consulted her again and she prescribed ISO- TRETIN 10 which is a 10 mg tablet of ISOTRETINOIN.I have heard of this and extensively read about the drug.She prescribed these with ease.She didn't even mention about the side effects until I asked.Now I am on a cycle.of Isotretinoin on alternate days for two weeks.I asked her if I have to take it for six months and she said not at all necessary.I think my cycle will only be two weeks.I need to know If I will have any change in acne at all after using this...Please reply ......
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January 5, 2014
Accutane - the most effective treatment I've tried but not a miracle cure. Weigh up the pros and cons carefully.

Pros:

Works better than anything else I tried
Much less oily skin - skin feels and looks nicer.
Easy - no creams to apply or regimen to follow.

Cons:

Potentially dangerous - regular blood tests required
Dry eyes, lips, skin and joint pain are annoying as time goes on.
Not a complete cure.

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.
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January 3, 2014
Accutane

Pros:

stops redness
not as oily

Cons:

takes awhile
drys out lips!

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!
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December 27, 2013
ACCUTANE DEPRESSION ANXIETY AWKWARDNESS
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
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November 21, 2013
if you healthy mind, go for it

Pros:

clear skin
not oily
it boose your confidence

Cons:

dryness
dark thoughts and hopelessness
long terms effects.

i have acne/pimples since I was in 16 years. It has hit me hard on my esteem and confidence due to it. I tried benzoyl, salicid and dalacin t, and to some extent it works, but it keep coming back, and worse when I start working. Then, I went to see this Dermatologist- Dr Noraziah. She gives me a few alternatives and tells me the result I should be getting, and having been with acne almost 10 yrs, I resolve to take Accutane despite her advise that it will cause birth defects. I've use it for 3-4 months and I stop using it when I see the tremendous result, no longer oily skin, my face turns out smooth, and for the first time ever I feel total confident. Of course I do experience dryness, but the doctor advice me to take aques cream and Vaseline, which it works. Afther I stop, perhaps I did not really care for my skin, 4 yrs later..my face started to get oily with pimple and acne. so I decided to see my dermatologist again. Again she advise for this treatment. This time, I'm taking it for 6 months. It has been great, except, dryness, hair thinning, and mostly dark thoughts and hopelessness. So I decided to not taking it. If you ask me if this product is really worth it, I would say yes and no, as the side effects for a long run it's not worth it.
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November 14, 2013
Cleared my skin, but made my depression MUCH worse!

Pros:

Clears up acne
Decreases oiliness

Cons:

Exacerbates depression symptoms
Makes hair dry & thinner
Very chapped lips

First let me say that this is a wonderful medication if you DO NOT have a problem with depression/anxiety. It cleared up my skin wonderfully and cut down on my skin's oiliness to almost nothing. It also causes extremely dry lips, so keep lip balm handy at all times. I recently stopped taking it due to it causing a terrible relapse of my depression symptoms. Crying, unable to leave the house, sleeping all the time, and for the first time in MANY years, a feeling of total hopelessness that made the thought of suicide briefly go through my head. Very scary! If your mental health is, well, healthy, I highly recommend Accutane to clear up your acne. If it's not, I would pass. The emotional toll wasn't worth it.
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October 14, 2013
Serious results, with a serious price

Pros:

got rid of all my acne!

Cons:

dryness
acne scars
lack of concentration

I took accutane 50mg pills for 5 months when I was 17 y/o. I have to say my acne was not severe, but I had literally tried EVERYTHING... every cream, antibiotics, all that useless stuff that never worked. By the end of my 5 month cycle (which was ended a month early by my dermatologist, due to my increased lack of concentration and ability to focus) my acne was completely gone. It's now 5 months later and still, no acne minus a random small pimple here and there around the time of my period. The side effects I experienced felt horrible during those 5 months, however. My skin was so sensitive, I would have brutal looking scratches on my body from simply drying myself with a towel. I had the typical extremely dry lips, dry skin, and constant nose bleeds from a dry nose. My night vision decreased significantly and my vision worsened quite a bit (only while on the drug, returned to normal after). The worst side effect that I noticed about 1.5 months into treatment was a lack of focus and concentration. When I finally told my dermatologist about this he was quite concerned and wanted me off the drug. Since then, everything has returned back to normal. Accutane has also left me with terrible acne scars on my face, and I mean red marks all over the side of my face that broke out the worst, and also scars on my body due to my skin being so sensitive and not healing as fast anymore. All in all, I couldn't be happier with the results but being on accutane was definitely a terrible time for me.
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October 13, 2013
My experience after TWO courses of accutane

Pros:

It works
Cleared my skin and gave me new self-confidence
Reduced Oil

Cons:

It only works temporarily - acne eventually returns
side effects especially hair thinning/loss
skin now slower healing

I have suffered with acne all of my life and tried EVERYTHING, topical creams, over the counter stuff, various anti-biotics, cutting out diary, diets, home-made remedies, etc. Went on accutane at 19 when I was at my wits end. Had (still have) mild to moderate acne around the sides of my mouth and lower cheeks. first course was for 2 and a half month but I stopped because I felt my hair falling out. Skin was clear for just over a year and then I broke out worse than before. Panicked and went back on roaccutane for 4 months, my long elbow length hair was a mess and I have had to cut it SHORT to get rid of the dead dried up ruined ends. Yes roaccutane will clear you up, yes it does work in that respect, but at a price, and only for a limited amount of time in my case.I have heard of miracle stories where people go on one course and TA DA thats that and years down the line thier skin still doesn't trouble them. However, I have also heard of many stories similar to my own, where skin only stays clear for an amount of months/years until you find yourself breaking out again. In my opinion, it is always worth giving roaccutane a try if you have tried everything else and if you want to discover if you are one of the lucky ones accutane offers permanent results to. If like me you are a female and find your acne typically hormonal then I wouldn't bother. It will always return eventually. There is no quick-fix for hormonal acne. You can follow my time through my second course of roaccutane and see a full list of my pros and cons here [link edited out] . P.S (price was - first course I did throguh NHS so meds were free, second course private so £60 per prescription. Plus extra money I spent combatting the side effects such as lip balm, eye spray, etc).
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July 10, 2013
Hairloss = worth it?

Pros:

Cleared skin
Got rid of oil
Don't have to wash hair everyday.

Cons:

Hairloss
Dry lips
Moody

After taking Accutane for just 3 weeks my hair began to rapidly recede; if I wasn't completely obssessed with my image it wouldn't have been a big thing haha!
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June 12, 2013
At least it did something

Pros:

Lessened my acne

Cons:

Still have acne
Outrageously expensive in the US

After a five month course of accutane... I still have acne. Just not as much as before. I still break out every day though. I simply do not have the time and money to keep on treating it. I had to spend thousands on accutane. For that kind of money, I am very disappointed that I still have an acne problem.
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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