Acne.org Products
Oral Retinoid
Efficacy
87%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
Note: Use with EXTREME CAUTION: Causes severe birth defects and fetal death.
Oral Retinoid
Acne.org’s Real World Take
The nuclear option. It works reliably and provides long-term remission of acne, and even severe acne, in about ⅔ of people who properly take an adequate dosage. However, it permanently and irreversibly changes the skin and the body forever and users may experience long-term side effects for the rest of their lives. It’ll nuke it, but there is no going back.
Oral Retinoid
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Isotretinoin (Accutane®)? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
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.
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.
December 22, 2014
Horrible
Have taken it three times yet I still find myself on this website
January 29, 2014
Long journey, but worth it.
Cons:
Dry eyes, face and constent cracked lips
The medication can make you feel sick at times and quite lazy
Recommended not to drink due to your liver already taking a good kicking
Since I was 13 I have been breaking out, but as soon as I turned 17, it went from only a couple pimples to mild/severe cystic acne. I had tried any product you could name, and the effects were always good on my skin and acne for a few weeks or so, but then it was as if my skin was immune to it afterwards. When I chose to take the plunge with Accutane, I did my research and took care of myself as best I could since I've been on it. I am now starting my 5th month on it now, and especially in the last month my skin has changed dramatically... and yes, because Accutane makes your skin super dry and sensitive there has left some scarring from previous acne, but all but a couple pimples have been banished from my face now, giving me a much clearer appearance. Without Accutane, my face wouldn't be continuing to get better as it still is today, and I look forward to finishing my last month of it and moving onto treating my scars in the future. My advice for hopeful Accutane users is to keep at it, don't give up hope and keep your head straight because your acne will gradually begin to fade away, and along with that your confidence will begin to grow again. Do not use any harmful acids on your face, use only gentle washes e.g. Cetaphil and moisturise your face, lips and use eye drops, because they DO get dry! Best of luck to future Accutane users!
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
December 18, 2013
acne miracle
Pros:
Clear Skin
Lasting Results
Happiness
Cons:
Dry Skin and Lips
I started RoAccutane which I believe is just the English version of Accutane in June 2010 at the age of 15. My acne was localised to my back and shoulders as I am fortunate to not suffer from acne on my face. I had tried several oral and topical acne treatments from my doctor before starting RoAccutane, all of which did not have any effect, resulting in me being referred to a dermatologist. I started on a low dose of RoAccutane which did not seem to be improving my skin so after around 5 months my dosage was increased. This was when I started seeing results. My once cystic acne was decreasing month by month. I still got the occasional small red bumps but they never turned into spots and went away after a few days. Whilst I was on my course of RoAccutane I was also prescribed the Dianette Oral Contraceptive Pill which was mandatory whilst I was taking RoAccutane. The main side effects I experienced were dry skin and lips which were easily sorted with moisturiser and lip balm, I did not experience these infamous "depression" side effects which I don't doubt may be possible but I didn't get any more moody than a typical 15 year old. Although the need for a blood test once a month was a pain especially due to my dislike of needles, I soon got over them and was reassured that my progress on the course was being monitored. I was taken off RoAccutane the following year, in June 2012, after it was agreed by both me and my dermatologist that my acne was gone and hopefully stayed that way. Since finishing my course my acne has stayed away and my back and shoulders remain clear, I occasionally get the odd small pimple due to obvious female hormones but other than that my skin is finally perfect.
I hope this review helps and I cannot recommend this product enough. Fortunately in the UK I did not have to pay for my prescription of RoAccutane but if I did I definitely would have, this product has changed my life.
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.
November 6, 2013
it really is a miracle drug.
Pros:
CLEAR SKIN
GLOWING SKIN, BEAUTIFUL HAIR
MORE CONFIDENCE, LESS MAKEUP
Cons:
DRY LIPS
SLIGHT HEADACHES
Only came on here to write this review. For the people considering, PLEASE do not hesitate any longer. I been up and down with my acne since 13yrs old..29 now. sometimes just stubborn acne, sometimes cystic. The older I got the worse it got. I tried EVERYTHING! finally gave in to accutane,. I was clear within 2 weeks! yes 2 week!!! my skin is amazing right now, I can comfortably go outside with no makeup, I have very little scars that continue to fade. Only con is the dry lips. they are a pain in the butt but so worth it to have baby smooth clear skin. My skin is not dry at all just my lips but I also have no oil in sight, same with my hair, I can go about a week without washing and I still look like I just came out the salon. Its amazing, I have received alot of compliments on my skin and hair ever since I started. first month I was on 40mg 1x a day, month 2 till the end i am at 80mg a day. A derm told me to get on it years ago and I listened to the bad comments about this drug, probably one of the things I will always regret would have saved me tons of money, embarrassment and tears had I done it years ago. I was clear within 2 weeks and I start month 3 next week.
November 2, 2013
Miracle drug
Pros:
No more heavy makeup!
Cleared up my seemingly untreatable acne within a month!
Increased confidence
Cons:
slightly elevated cholesterol
dry lips
dry skin
I was supposed to finish my Accutane course at the end of August...but have about 10 doses left now at the beginning of November. Why? The stuff worked so well, and so fast, that I got lazy about taking it! I'm 33 and have had acne since 13. Like many others who have taken Accutane, I've tried just about every rx and OTC thing out there--nothing worked. I finally got fed up with cystic, painful acne (after 20 years!--I'm stubborn and got scared off by the horror stories) and agreed to take Accutane upon my dermatologist's recommendation. I have taken 40mg the entire course and weigh about 150--so a pretty low/moderate dose IMO (and less than the "gold standard" dose of 1mg/kg). My doctor was originally going to raise my dose after a month or two, but was so pleased with the results that he decided not to! My skin seriously cleared up within a month, I'm not even kidding. Side effects have been minimal--I had very slightly elevated liver enzymes on the first panel (I also take several other rx meds processed by the liver, so it didn't really surprise me), along with slightly elevated triglycerides and cholesterol. The slightly elevated cholesterol has persisted throughout treatment, but it doesn't scare me and I expect it to resolve itself shortly after I stop the med. The only other real side effects have been dry lips and dry skin. Seriously--that's it! If you have acne that is stubborn as all get out, you owe it to yourself to try this med. My skin still isn't perfect--I have some red spots and a few scars--but I feel so much more comfortable with how I look that I stopped wearing makeup altogether! It has been incredibly liberating.
November 2, 2013
Follow up- a year later and still perfect skin
Pros:
Long lasting results
No more oil slicks on face
Clear skin (really!)
I was very hesitant after hearing all the negative links but went to a derm, tried months of alternate treatments like tetracycline and was assured this was the best option . My cousin had used this and said was a great decision and no problems and I was sick of being in my mid twenties at a professional job with huge cystic breakout on my face. The only notable affect was my lips got super dry! Once I used aquaphor intensive ointment religiously it went away . I took this for a total of 8 months and my cystic acne is gone! It was on my back as well. I get compliments all the time on my porcelain skin and tell people I am glad I used this. My dr told me cystic acne doesn't work with topicals and I believe her now. Also now use a gentle soap 'purpose' morning and night . Don't be scared this will change your life .
Pros:
Cleared 70-80% of acne on face and chest
Accutane combined with Vitamin E cream removed redness and a few scars a LOT faster
No oily skin