Isotretinoin (Accutane®)
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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.

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1
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Used Isotretinoin (Accutane®)? Rate It:

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March 4, 2012

Pros:

+ First advise, please don't be scared taking this drug....It is life changing for acne sufferers. If nothing has worked for you so far this will definetly do.I have been suffering from mild to moderate acne past 12 years. I have oily skin, and have tried every product OTC and all antibiotics ( azithro,minomycin) Nothing has stopped my acne until I tried Isotretinoin.
+ I have been prescribed 1 * 20mg for 20days and 1 * 10mg for another 20 days. Only 40days course with vitamin supplements.

Cons:

To be honest on such a mild dose there are no cons....however, I would like to talk about pros.... It stopped my excess Oil on my face, my post acne marks & spots vanished, my skin is very clear now...and I feel very confident. Today is 25th day of my treatment and my skin is like reborn again....Also my doc has given me Clindamycin gel for tropical use along with Isotretinoin and as I mentioned before Vitamin supplements 1 each until Isotretinoin course.

I love it and definetly people with acne should try it. I know how acne feels like.
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February 10, 2012

Pros:

Clears up the severe acne
No more oily skin

Cons:

Facial redness
Small outbreak where there was no acne
Dry lip
Warm all the time

I had bad acne when I was about 16 years old. I went on some medication and it went away for the most part. My face has always been clear, the acne never came back after it left years ago. But for the last few years I have always had small breakouts on my should blades. But then last year I broke out on my shoulders and upper arms. It was bad, worse than I have ever seen. So finally my dermo put me on this drug. I have only been on it for 2 months on a 6 months treatment. My shoulders are slowly but surely clearing up but my chest is getting small outbreaks. And make face gets red really easy. It really pissing me off. So I am seeing half and half results. I wont know for sure probably for another month. But regardless, the facial redness and how warm my face gets is really annoying and I hope it goes away after. My brother always had it worse then me but his cleared up on his own by the time he was my age (21). I never thought his skin would get the last laugh. Drug or no drug, I thought I was all don't with this acne BS!
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January 27, 2012

Pros:

has been clearing skin significantly
no initial breakout
dry skin isnt so bad
no more oily hair
no more oily face

Cons:

dry lips
hair has continued to fall off a lot
back hurts

i have been on this for a little over a month. i am stopping because this medication is too strong for me. although the pros and great, my hair has been falling nonstop and my eyelashes have begun to fall. my acne is pretty minor and i will begin some natural remedies that were suggested to me and i have a great gut feeling they will work. accutane works for some, but i guess im not someone who should be taking it. i was on 40 mg a day. i wish you all the best!
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January 22, 2012

Pros:

Worked very well while I was on it.

Cons:

Dry skin/eyes. (I wear contacts).
Sore joints, sore muscles.
Decrease in appetite.
Acne starting coming back 2 weeks after a 5 month course (40mg daily).

If it works for you great. If it doesn't it is a huge pain for nothing.
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January 8, 2012

Pros:

TEMPORARY clearing of acne
That's it.....

Cons:

Acne comes back
Severe facial redness and intense flushing
Gastro problems
Completely throws out your nervous system

Right, first of all I am sick of people 'recommending' accutane and awarding it 5 stars when they have only been on it for a few weeks, or in the case of the complete douche below, after the first pill. After YEARS of studying skin diseases and isotretinoin, I have discovered that 90% of positive reviews are made while the patient is still on the med, or very shortly after completing the course. The severe and life destroying effects of this poison can begin from day 1 right through to a few years after taking. I had moderate acne, which showed no improvement whatsoever after years of oral and topical antibiotics, benz-perox, retin a etc, and was prescribed accutane 30mg. After 3 DAYS, my hair began to fall out in chunks, my face turned bright red and I began flushing at the slightest thing. I am in my mid twenties and had NEVER FLUSHED in my life, never been red and I could use the harshest waxes in my thick dark hair and it never fell out. After 2 weeks on this sh*t I had to stop. Having always had an olive skin colour, I now have permanent red, blotchy, swollen flushed face. And that 2 weeks was over a year ago. I am not allergic to anything, never been ill apart from the odd mild cold in 25 years, always been fit and healthy. Im now ruined. I can no longer be around people, because as soon as the attention comes to me, even from people I have known for years I flush INTENSLY. All because this 'medication' messes up your nervous system. Its affecting my job and social life, I sit inside and dont go anywhere. Please please sit up and listen to many people on the internet as well as me. I always thought, 'it will never happen to me'. Wrong. I would take acne, which is never as bad as you think, and which can be mostly covered up with a good concealer, over this red mess anyday. I think about killing myself all the time because I cant live like this, the only reason I havent is because ive been waiting for it to go, but its clearly here to stay. Please
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November 30, 2011

Pros:

clear skin
oil is gone
feel like I have my life back

Cons:

they are all worth it if the acne stays away...
ears ringing (gone now)
SEVERE neck pain (gone now)
severe face redness and flushing (gone now)
depression (gone now)
general joint pain (gone)

I hate accutane...and I love accutane. I am soooo glad to be finished. It was terrible!!. But sooo worth it in the end. At proper higher doses Accutane kills acne. I am 35 yrs old. I don't think it would have gone away for a long time without Accutane. I was isolating myself b/c of acne. I am post accutane 4 days and haven't washed my face with soap in a month!!! My face is totally clear...flawless!! I was on a high dosage; 160mg--2.0mg/kg. I could not afford to take a 2nd course, so I wanted to ensure 1 course was effective. I wanted to make sure my acne would not come back and also had issues absorbing the medicine. I am really hopeful that it will not return.
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October 7, 2011

Pros:

Clears acne (for awhile)

Cons:

- Is not a cure, my acne came back.
- Every single part of you is dried out - skin, lips, eyes!
- Light sensitivity.
- I had depression, suicidal thoughts, this was definitely linked to taking roaccutane as it occured suddenly and stopped once I stopped taking it.

I guess everyone is different, but from my experience it is so not worth it! Living with acne (as most of you would probably agree) is not great for your self esteem anyway, but ironically the clearer my skin became with this product the worse I felt about myself, the less confidence I had, the less I wanted to even speak to anyone or be involved with anything at all. I took this at the age of 17 and it did clear my skin for some time, but at the age of 28 I am still trying to find a product that can keep my acne away : ( This was a terrible product (for me) and looking back I am just glad I survived taking it!
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August 23, 2011

Pros:

+ no acne
+ smooth skin
+ no dandruff (?!)
+ changed my life for the better

Cons:

- many side effects (for ex. chapped lips, dry/flaky/coarse skin, bloody stools, lower back pain, week nails, ...)
- a massive breakout in the 2nd month
- weakens your body (immune system)

Roaccutane did help me alot. It chaned my life for the better! After 5-6 months my skin was perfect, although it did cause me to develop mild dermatitis (which is now GONE). It has been a year since I stopped Roaccutane. Not long ago my back stopped hurting. So, hearing this you realize than Roaccutane is very harsh medicine. My body needed a year to heal itself and restore its immune system. I would reccomend it 100%, but with caution! The price for me wasn't a problem, since where i live, everything is covered by health insurance. But I payed for the private dermatologist, which let me took Roaccutane in summer and let me took it without birth control pills. It was our agreement.
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March 25, 2011

Pros:

Amazing results. What you dream of!!

Cons:

Dry lips and dry eyes sometimes. Migraines, shivers and extreme tiredness for first few weeks only. Abstinence from alcohol. Possibly slight depression whether it´s due to tablet or not who knows.

The brand I use of Roaccutane in Spain is called Isdibin. I have taken it consistently for 5 months and have one month left. Definitely worth taking as long as your GP monthly checks your blood. If you have a bad reaction, simply stop the treatment. I have eaten high protein foods to prevent hair loss (this terrified me) and I have grown more hair! My acne wasn ´t constant but when it came it was cystic and on three occasions I needed hospital treatment. Mainly on face but also bad on back and legs.
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March 15, 2011

Pros:

+ Acne dissapears for a year or two
+ Skin becomes very flawless
+ You feel better (for a while)

Cons:

- After the first month of using it, your whole body have a major breakout. Very bad!
- After you finish using it, acne comes back (in a year or two) and generally it's worse than before
- VERY bad for your liver
- makes your whole skin very dry.
- chapped lips, elbows, knees etc.

I would NOT recommend this product at all! It the heaviest and most dangerous drug I've ever used in my life. Yes, it makes your acne go away but it comes back eventually. I don't like this. You shouldn't have to kill your liver for this. I recommend using other products...
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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