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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3
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2
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1
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Used Isotretinoin (Accutane®)? Rate It:

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July 19, 2010

Pros:

Cleared up acne

Cons:

long term side effects are not worth it
acne returned once usage stopped

I'm still not entirely sure of all the ways this drug wreaked havoc on my body. Everything from dry lips, to depression, to digestive disorders. If I could do it over again, I would not have taken this drug. When you have bad acne, you might do anything to get rid of it, but trust me. This is not worth it.
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July 15, 2010

Pros:

Gets rid of acne. Mild relapse but no more boils and scarring

Cons:

My side effects were: Dry lips, flaking and irritation of skin, acne did get worse, I also had severe joint pain resulting in having to take OTC glucosamine, pain occurred in my knees, ankles, back. (noticeable "creeking" of joints). Skin sensitivity (i'd get blisters from bandaids.. and no more waxing). Occasional nose bleeds, and photosensitivity.

This is only a medication for someone where nothing else worked. As a female, I had to sign up for iPledge and take quizzes every month, do pregnancy tests every month, and blood/urine tests. My cousin had to be taken off of it due to liver problems, so this medication has a high likelihood of causing issues, my issues were not too bad though. I had boils that would scar on my back and other places of my body. Today, after I think a year of being off accutane, I have clear skin except for very tiny random pimples. (size of a pencil tip)
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July 9, 2010

Pros:

Significantly reduces acne/outbreaks..95% reduction for me..facial/ back/ chest acne

Cons:

Reported:
VERY dry skin
Joint pains, etc..

Took the drug in late 1982 to early 1983...drug just came out of trials...so I was basically still part of that trial I guess you could say. The drug was a miracle cure for my chronic acne..I have had 95% or more reduction on my acne since taking Accutane. In just last 2 years have developed some minor acne on my face again in the nose area and chin....have tried max clarity recently and got great results. As for Accutane, I would not hesitate to recommend the drug to those who have severe cases of acne like myself. Reports of depression and bowel disorders with the drug...I can only report that I may have what is commonly referred to as irritable bowel disease....nothing that can't be managed. Definitely only take accutane under a doctors care and review. Again, for those with severe or chronic acne only.
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July 8, 2010

Pros:

Clear skin when you're on the medicine
Less Oily Hair
Back Acne cleared!

Cons:

DRY skin, lips, everything.
redness
pain in joints

Accutane is now linked to cause crohn's disease. I stopped using it, out of fear. it was working though. I just thought that crohn's disease was a little too risky for acne medicine!!
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July 8, 2010

Pros:

Cleared up acne for a couple weeks

Cons:

Clear skin did not last. The worst side effect was the red skin and the serious flushing that happened after being in cold/hot temperatures or stressful situations. Also experienced heightened anxiety and occasional anxiety attacks. It is very expensive (about $1000 for 60 mg) if you don't have insurance. It increased sensitivity to the sun and made my skin very fragile.

Don't expect perfection like I did, because you could be seriously disappointed. I was on accutane for 8 months- 60 mg for the first 7 months and 80 for the 8th- and it only cleared me up for the last month and two weeks after that. Then the oily skin came back, with small break outs, and then larger breakouts similar to what I experienced before. I am now back on the topicals and oral antibiotic treatments, and considering a second round of accutane. I am 23 and have had acne since age 12, which has gotten worse since i turned 21. I think accutane is worth trying because the potential benefit of clear skin is worth the costs of this intense drug. I hope it works better for you than it did for me!
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July 6, 2010

Pros:

Intense as it may be, this is an incredible drug. I tried nearly everything for years.

I haven't had a large pimple in months and don't even worry about getting them anymore. My skin is gradually healing (FINALLY) and I feel like I can move on with my life.

Cons:

The side effects can be a bit nerve wracking (everyone must make their own decisions about what's worth sticking out or not). The need for blood work and other tests make using this drug more burdensome than using others ever is.

Basically, its a serious drug and can be an intense experience.

I'm only about 5 months post accutane so time will tell if the results will be lasting which, obviously, I hope happens. NOTES Your skin is brittle so be careful, I got several scratches and cuts from very simple day to day stuff. Don't consider waxing. Take with fat. If you have a ridic initial breakout be careful with steroids, had a bad experience there. Aquaphor is your friend. I am glad to live in Canada where this was mostly covered minus a total deductible of about 300 CAD for the entire treatment. In Canada your GP can prescribe it for anyone wondering and you don't have to do the pregnancy testing (if applicable) or the registration system. If the side effects are intense or if your blood work is only mildly off, consider lowering and extending your dose or taking a break (talk to your doc bla blah). I did that to a certain extent and it worked out really well in the end. I am so much happier having taken this drug, the quality of my life has improved tremendously and, as far as I can tell at this point, the side effects are temporary, mild, and dose dependent. I am so much happier having taken this drug, the quality of my life has improved tremendously. x
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July 3, 2010

Pros:

Clears up your acne
Increase self confidence
Decrease redness
Helps get rid of acne scars.

Cons:

Dry lips
Dry Skin
Headaches(only for the first few days)
Monthly Bloodwork
You *might* get sun burnt easier.

This medicine clears up your acne completely. I've only been taking one 40mg pill each day for 2 and a half weeks, and my face is almost clear!! It used to be all oily and red and pizza faced. Now it still has some pimples, but it doesn't even compare to what it used to look like. My acne used to be so bad I would not look people in the eye for more than a few seconds. Now, the only downfall about this medicine is that you get dry skin, and VERY dry lips. I have to have Chap Stick with me ALL THE TIME!!(I recommend "Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm," or Blistex. It seems like all the other ones just make it worse. Also, use a VERY gentle face cleanser. This medicine already makes your skin dry as hell, but on top of that you don't need some harsh face wash full of chemicals to add to it. I would recommend "Cetaphil-Gentle Face Cleanser." You can pick this up at any Walmart, or local supermarket. Wash twice a day, morning and at night before bed. When I first started on this medicine, I had some minor headaches for the first few days. Then I had one migraine for a whole day. (But then again, I had a fever of 102 F) After that I haven't had a headache since. I would recommend this to ANYONE who has very bad acne. My dermatologist told me that he's had people with acne all over their body come in and this cleared them up within 6 months. So yes, GET THIS NOW. (Make sure you have insurance, or you're going to be paying about $600)
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July 1, 2010

Pros:

Cleared acne.

Cons:

- Extremely sensitive skin
- Chapped lips
- Dry eyes
- Very bad anxiety (read below)

Ok, so I went on this drug after about 12 months of deliberating and trying other medications, mostly antibiotics and various creams that my dermatologist prescribed me. This was to be the "final solution". I was prescribed 40 mg a day for three months - a relatively weak dose. The first two months were fine. I experienced increased sensitivity to the sun (far worse than what I had experienced on Minocyline and other various antibiotics/creams), dry eyes and flaky skin - but nothing that I was particularly thrown or worried by. Just before the three month mark, I had the option of extending my treatment to four months as I had one more repeat left. I seriously considered this as I thought it would be good to give it a final punch. This is when the psychological stuff kicked in. Now I first want to mention that I was not the kind of person expecting to experience psychological dramas - albeit a genetic predisposition to depression, I considered myself healthy and mentally strong. In the lead up to my exams, I experienced very bad severe anxiety. Now - most people I told thought it was a case of me being "a little nervous about exams", it being "just normal". No - I experienced anxiety so bad and so persistent that it made me want to kill myself. It was like waves of continual anxiety that drowned me and destroyed my self-confidence, almost making me depressed. I know that it was the drug because I have been through many exam periods and have never had the same situation. In all other aspects of my life I was fine - I was fit, had plenty of social time with friends etc. - I definitely knew that it was the drug that was inducing this anxiety. Fortunately I told my mother who had similar problems as a depressant. She got me straight off the drug and ever since I have felt the anxiety receding. I want to stress that this is a very good drug for severe acne. But please be aware it can have very serious psychological
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June 30, 2010

Pros:

cleared skin from inflammatory acne
no more oily skin

Cons:

it took about 4 months to clear acne
initial breakout is bad!!
if you pick at your acne you are way more susceptibly to scar (plz dont pick!!!!)

I had nodules deep under my skin. Although I would get around 3 to 4 at a time only, in addition to the smaller acne blemishes, it looked bad, especially without makeup. my dermatologist said that since i didnt have that much acne, the initial breakout would only last about 1 month to 1 month and a half. I was so sad when a month and a half had passed and the acne was still painfully present. I started the treatment in december 5 and it was not until early april that the acne cleared!!! I was relieved to have no more acne. however, i did get a bunch of red marks and small texture changes. before taking this medication, i would pic at my acne and i would never scar. but while on this medication, i would scar, not severely though, thank the Lord!!! so dont pick, esp if your suseptible to scarring!!!!! honestly, the process was painful, especially the initial breakout!!! for most people (i think) it gets way worst before it gets better!!! but I am so thankful to God to be acne free!!!! I still get a few comedones and blackheads bt i think their really unnoticeable. i think retin-a really helps to prevent future breakouts. I wish all of you can be acne free very, very soon!!!:) Best Wishes!!!!!!!!!!!!! one last note for girls, plz check your hormone levels. I have been off of isotretinoin for like 2 months but i have been taking mileva35 for about 2 months and a half to make sure my hormones dont give me acne.
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June 29, 2010

Pros:

clears skin up completely
fades scars

Cons:

personally i got:
chapped lips, light nosebleeds, back pain, dry skin, bloodshot eyes

i wanted to review this because at the start of this year i was trawling these pages on an almost daily basis, really low because my skin was so bad but also panicking at all the scary stories from people. i went on roaccutane in mid february, i came off it 2 weeks ago and i don't have a spot to speak of. my scars are also fading, and the other day i actually left the house make up free - a big achievement for me (i used to wear a full face of makeup to the gym). i did have some bad side effects, but personally they were all pretty minor for me and cleared up after a while. The chapped lips are something that i don't think you can imagine until you experience, but although its bad (i would apply lipbalm in the middle of eating) that also cleared up a bit towards the end of my treatment. it is amazing to have clear skin, i can look people in the eyes and i'm just so happy to look the way i've always wanted. i don't feel ashamed anymore, i don't have to slather on makeup now and i just feel comfortable in my own skin! i'm 17 and suffered from severe acne from about the age of 13, so i finally feel good. my treatment was also free as i live in england and we have the NHS. so for anyone worrying about going on roaccutane, all i would say is DON'T! take the leap and you could have the skin you've always dreamed of.
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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