I'm seriously contemplating (Ro)Accutane having suffered from acne for nearly 18 years. I am 28 years old and was diagnosed PCOS 3 years ago. I've been on and off Dianette bcp for 8 years and it's the only thing that's ever cleared up my skin. I finally came off last October and now my skin is back to its nasty old ways. I really don't want to go back onto any bcp and have resisted Accutane for years but I am at the end of my tether. I've tried everything - oral and topical antibiotics, homoeopathy, acupuncture, diet...
What I'm concerned about (aside from all the nasty side effects) is whether Accutane will actually work, given that my acne is hormonal, and would really appreciate hearing your experiences/advice.
The typical dose depends on your weight. In my case a full dose is 80 mg per day. I was put on a half dose after the first month because it caused my triglycerides and cholesterol to shoot sky high. I tried for 6 months (halfway through treatment) and was so fed up with not being able to lower my lab results and the derm saying for months that I have to change my diet to lower the numbers and add in the fact that I'd have to pay through COBRA for treatment because I switched emplyers that I decided to stop the treatment. Now that my current employer's insurance doesn't cover any acne treatments, going back is not an option due to the cost.
The skin dryness, sensitivity, etc. went away after the first week or two but having a humidifier and drinking lots of water help a lot.
I think if I could have stayed on for a full treatment that I probably would be clear today.
I went on Accutane as a last resort and it did wonders for my skin. I'm convinced mine was also hormone related....high testosterone, it was mostly on my back neck and chest which apparently is more common in males.
The dryness really sucked, I used vaseline to put in my nose and drank lots of fluids. Also very important to stay out of the sun.
I did it 10 years ago and haven't had a problem since.
I took it in the mid-90's for 6 months and have never had cystic acne since, or much other type of acne for that matter. My knees hurt a lot while I was on it only when I would go down stairs (it said joint pain was a side effect) and they don't hurt anymore but they sound like rice krispies when I go down stairs. I don't know what that means long term in terms of knee pain returning (like arthritis later in life) since I'm 32. My lips are also really dry still although my skin isn't that dry anymore. MY eyes also got really dry and after 10 years I still can't wear contacts at all and use those thick celluvisc eyedrops several times a day. However my mom said having 2 kids made her unable to wear contacts again and she was a few years older than I was at the time of taking it so maybe that's some genetic thing and not the accutane. I did have my cholesterol and triglycerides checked every month or so but I didn't see the results so since I remained on it I guess I had no problem. Overall I'm glad I took it to avoid taking antibiotics every 6 weeks for a new welt.
Same here -- I took it as a last resort back in '96 and it cleared me up for good. I have a few scars, but not really noticeable. I didn't have MASSIVE acne, it was more just a constant nuisance that wouldn't go away. I went through all the face scrubs, pills, etc and nothing worked since it was horomonal. Just make double and triple sure you aren't pg and you will HAVE to be on bcps (causes MAJOR birth defects) -- you will sign tons of paperwork and have to have bw done on a regular basis to check levels, especially the liver. My skin got so dry I had to carry around Vaseline w/ me and constantly apply it to my lips. I got so used to it and my lips stay fairly dry (the only s/e I had left over), that I have Chapstick on me at all times. I am SOOOO glad I did it though!!
__________________ Rosanna (34) To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. DH (32) Jacob Avery ~ 07.11.02 Keira Grace ~ 06.23.08
I had a similar experience: really bad cystic acne (face), tried dozens of products/pills/topical treatments, etc but nothing worked. Went on Accutane almost 10 years ago now and have had pretty clear skin since. I might still get one or two "normal" pimples around AF, but nothing serious. It was expected that I'd have serious scarring because the acne was that bad, but any scarring I have is pretty minor and not really noticeable to anyone but me.
I didn't really have many of the side effects either, except for having REALLY dry skin - especially in my nose. I'd bump my nose and it would bleed!
__________________ me:
Julie
age: 26
dx: at age 15? 16?
living in sin with my man (six years already?! - engaged! 01/15/07)
happily child-free
meds: Cyclen bcp
Same here -- I took it as a last resort back in '96 and it cleared me up for good. I have a few scars, but not really noticeable. I didn't have MASSIVE acne, it was more just a constant nuisance that wouldn't go away. I went through all the face scrubs, pills, etc and nothing worked since it was horomonal. Just make double and triple sure you aren't pg and you will HAVE to be on bcps (causes MAJOR birth defects) -- you will sign tons of paperwork and have to have bw done on a regular basis to check levels, especially the liver. My skin got so dry I had to carry around Vaseline w/ me and constantly apply it to my lips. I got so used to it and my lips stay fairly dry (the only s/e I had left over), that I have Chapstick on me at all times. I am SOOOO glad I did it though!!
I forgot to mention the massive paperwork! They also did pregnancy tests when I had bloodwork done. And every pill I popped out from the foil in the packet had a pregnant woman in a circle with a line through it. There was a Washington Post article a few months ago about the March of Dimes wanting to further restrict acces to accutane since it's just a "vanity drug" according to them. I hope they all develop cystic acne!
I took accutane about 8 years ago. My acne primarily is hormonal (that is when the cysts occur.)
It helped some, but I am very fair skinned and I had a hard time with sunlight (even a walk around the block would cause me to burn). After I went off accutane, my acne slowly started coming back. I debated going back on it, but opted for some less drastic topical treatments instead.
I know a lot of people love the results from accutane, and I would not say not to use it, I would just be sure you talk with your doctor if you have fair skin about extra precautions to take.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. " target="_blank"> To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. " target="_blank"> To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Thanks for your response. Did you notice an improvement in your acne in the time you were on it?
thanks
The first two months my face was out of control with new breakouts. After that it got better. I was almost completely clear on my face, but the rest of my body didn't get much of a chance. Because I had to stop the treatment early it's all come back.
Accutane -did it help you? 
