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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May 11, 2017
Just finished my 2nd course of Accutane, currently clear
Like the title says. I will return to this post and edit it to give 5 stars only if the clear skin is permanent this time. After my first course of accutane, which was a low dose of 20 and then 30, I was clear for about two months or three months before I got acne back again, concentrated on my chin and jaw area. Originally, I had pretty severe acne, maybe moderately severe to severe. I started getting acne when I was 11 and I am nearly 21 now. My acne worsened when I was on lithium medication for my mood-- I'm not on lithium now. Accutane does work, and I would recommend it. During my first course of accutane, I was blissfully clear skinned. I did not have an initial breakout. And I did not have side effects other than slightly chapped lips. Maybe it was because my dosage was kind of low, because I'm a lightweight person. So I just did my second course, and that went blissfully well, too. No initial breakout, no side effects. My skin got a bit dry near the end of the course. This time, my second time, I started with 40 and took 40 all the way through. I hope that this time, the acne won't return.
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May 10, 2017
It works, but side effects can get annoying
I was put on accutane due moderate acne that was not responding to any antibiotic treatments. I ended up being on 60mg accutane for 4 months (im male, 19 years old and 150 lb). The medication starting working very quickly, and within two weeks my face was completely oil free for the first time in years. In terms of my acne I didn't start seeing any major improvements until around the end of month 2. By the end of my fourth month, I had completely cleared up. Be warned though, DO NOT pick at your acne while on this medication, no matter how tempting. Accutane makes your skin considerably thinner and so any picking can and will leave you with red/brown marks on your face long after your pimples have gone, I learned this the hard way. Aside from the marks, my face is still clear two months after the end on my course, although it did get oily again. My doctor did also put me on 0.01% Retin-A for maintenance and for fading the red/brown marks. Despite my success in regards to my acne, the side effects while on this medication were a pain. While I didn't get any of the rarer, major side effects (eg depression, diarrhea, etc), I did have numerous other side effects. The biggest one for me was dry, red eyes, throughout my course. I had dry eyes before accutane, but I was not prepared for the constant pain my eyes were in throughout my course. Over-the-counter artificial tears did not help at all. If you have a similar issue, I suggest you visit an eye doctor like me, as the steroid eye drops prescribed (Lotemax) helped alleviate some of the burning/redness. Aside from dry eyes, I had the typical dry lips, rashes on my arms (moisturizing daily helped), a dry throat, and minor joint/back pain. All in all, I would go through all the side effects again, as Accutane really did help my stubborn acne. That being said, I would advise others to look at all the potential side effects before taking this medication, as Accutane may not be worth it if you don't have severe, or moderate-persistent acne.
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January 11, 2017
mental and possible physical health effects
i felt a negative change in my mental state, mental fog difficulty speaking to other and some symptoms of depression after taking this drug for a couple of weeks and thus stopped after about 2 months. I would not recommend, as whether or not any of the long term physical effects are proven or not, anything that changes ur mental state when it is not meant to is scary....
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KristineClay
February 9, 2017
I currently have symptoms of depression but am starting accutane in a few days. Do you think Its best I abort mission? Ive suffered from acne for 10 years and nothing has worked so I wanted to give accutane a try. My current mental state is fragile though and reading your review makes me fearful.
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Solomon92
July 14, 2017
I feel like a lot of ppl are depressed bec of acne. And accutain usually gives you the that feeling of hope so in most cases no depression.
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January 8, 2017
Cleared up my back
It works. But you need to give it some time and consult your dermatologist for right dosage. All the side effects you read about will happen but with time and consultation it will go away. Hang in there.
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December 14, 2016
Horrible side effects for treating acne!
Yeah it cleared up my wife's acne, but also gave my son heart malformations for wich he had heart surgery at 5 days old and my wife developed ulcerative colitis which has no cure. None of the really strong medications given have been able to control her symptoms and she will most likely end up with surgery removing her entire colon. And yes the link has been proven that's why they've paid out millions in lawsuits.
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smiles23
December 20, 2016
I am so sorry to hear about your wife and son. I wish them strong health in the coming months. Thank you so much for posting this I think poeple need to hear the risks taken when deciding whether or not to go on accutane. I almost took it but decided against it based on the possibiliy of long term side versus a superficial issue. I don't think the seriousness of this drug is discussed enough
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JuliaSNYC
December 20, 2016
Did your wife take the medication while pregnant with your son or before she got pregnant?
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Ivonne769
January 9, 2017
i'm so sorry to hear about your son and wife. But uf i may ask, did this happening due to your wife being on the medication at the time of the pregnancy or was it after she finished the treatment. Would help a lot for a response.
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December 13, 2016
Works very well
It is a very good product. It starts working immediately and you can see the signs very quickly. You will stop getting breakouts almost as you start taking the pills. This is because it will make your skin very dry. Like very very dry. So use moisturizers, sunscreen and lip balm as much as you can. They will probably start you off with a small dose and then increase it. I had to do blood tests every month to make sure no side effects were happening. And nothing did except for the dry skin. After a while my skin was very clear. So i stopped taking the pill. A bit of acne started coming back afterwards but now with use of creams it's under control. So overall a very good product. Defenitley saved me during high school. Would recommend it for anyone with bad acne
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July 1, 2016
Accutane caused me SEVERAL, permanent medical problems.
I was prescribed Accutane in 2012. I was on 20 mg for the first month and then 40 mg for the next five months. While on the medication, I experienced moderate joint pain, excessive sweating, body odor changes, subtle digestive changes, intermittent episodes of depersonalization, fatigue (mentally), decrease in libido, skin dyness, and eczema. The worst part of this medication is what persisted AFTER treatment. Although many of the minor side effects subsided, some became worse and/or persisted in the subsequent months. I still get eczema flare-ups to this day. My subtle digestive changes became more serious AND chronic several months after treatment. They still plague me. Joint wise, I have difficulty sitting in certain positions for extended periods of time, which was NOT an issue before Accutane. Lastly and most problematic, my mental health has tanked. I live in a perpetual state of brain fog. I developed a stutter, my mental processing became slower, I was diagnosed with ADHD, and I generally started to feel FLAT. I do not experience emotions like I once did. This makes it hard for me to enjoy hobbies I used to, yet I do not *feel* "sad" or "down" in any way. Worse yet, ALL of the symptoms I experience can be traced back to a journal article or an internal memo published (but previously withheld) by Roche. I was led to believe any serious side effects were rare and/or reversible. This is simply not the case. Users of this drug should wait several months to a year before determining if their treatment was worth it. As I explained, many of my Accutane-induced issues intensified in the months following cessation. Scary.
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abi72
July 3, 2016
I agree. For anyone who advocates taking accutane please wait for one year at least before commenting or recommending this drug to others. Often very serious persistant/permanent side effects occur many months or years after accutane course is over. If you plan to take accutane, do your research first and list what side effects occur after ceasing accutane. Remember these side effects can be permanent.
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May 18, 2016
Very strong drug, but does the job!!!
I have just finished my first month on accutane. The symptoms I have had include: fatigue (like seriously exhausted ALL the time!!), some nausea, a little grouchy (due to fatigue I think), dry lips, dry nose, dry skin, random rashes that pop up and go away overnight after moisturising, sensitivity to the sun, dry scalp, little head aches here and there, a bit of an achy body and if I don't drink enough water my chest hurts due to dehydration. But all of these effects are so small. I travelled to London from Australia on this drug and got a blood nose, not sure if from the plane or the drug, probably the drug lol. But my skin is amazing!!!!!!!! I had an initial break out that was 2 giant pimples and after that my skin just got clearer and clearer. I've only been on the drug a month and I've gone from 30 pimples to 2. I still have redness and scarring but I am feeling positive in time they will go also. If you are unsure whether or not to go on this drug, just do it! I didn't want to take it because I was scared off from everyone's negativity towards it, but really the positives outweigh the negatives. It is a very strong drug-yes, but you are only on it for 3-6 months and then you are free from acne!! 3-6 months of dry skin and feeling weird with an end result of clear skin is much better then never ending depression because of acne. Take the risk, take accutane, but listen to your body, if the drug is too strong for you-stop. but give it a go I'm telling you it works! xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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July 27, 2015
hard for your liver
never managed to complete. i tried two times in my early 20's. first was two month long and the second only one. some of my liver enzymes (alt, ast, triglyceride and cholesterol) went crazy so doctors decided to stop. sad story. I have been suffering since then. no other treatment is more effective than accutane.
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May 27, 2015
7 months after
I took 50mg for 6 months, I've now been off it for seven months I started out with mild, but persistent inflammatory acne Took me about 4 months to clear completely, and I had horrendously bad break outs. Side effects: nerve problems, anal tearing, dry skin, back pain (I took fish oil and aquafor for these, and they mostly all went away or were more manageable) After I stopped the drug, all my side effects completely went away. Unfortunately, my acne also started coming back slowly but surely. It's not nearly as bad as it was before I took it though, so I would recommend it to people that have tried all the different retinoids without success. Expect your acne to get better, and for you to clear completely while on the drug, but don't expect any miracles after you stop taking it. This is not a cure for most people. Don't freak out too much about all the accutane "horror stories." In my experience, they sucked but didn't stay around forever. I still have mild, but persistent inflammatory acne. At least it's better though.
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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