Is accutane for me?

Dakota · 10-07-2003, 12:40 PM

I don't have really bad acne but what I do have are huge pores on my nose filled with gunk that I cannot get rid of. I wash and my nose is super oily within 30 min. Does accutane really shrink pores? I'm on met but I'm desperate to speed things up.

zelda · 10-07-2003, 07:28 PM

because it's so strong, accutane is usually prescribed for persistent, moderate to severe acne when nothing else works. i've never heard it prescribed just for oily skin or big pores.

anyone else know about that?

KlassicalKat · 10-07-2003, 07:44 PM

First of all, Accutane should NOT be taken if you are TTC. It causes severe birth defects.

My teenage son had extremely oily skin (he would take a shower at night and by morning, his pillowcases had oil on them!)and severe cystic acne and had to have 2 courses of Accutane to get rid of it. His acne was all over his face and it is still not 100% clear, but it helped a lot.

I don't think it shrinks pores, but it inhibits the body's ability to produce that oil. Hence, you do get chapped lips, too, while on the medication. It helps to dry things up so your skin has a chance to heal.

I am not sure if they would prescribe it for an isolated area, like your nose area, but it does sound like it might help dry up that oil. Do ask your dermatologist. Let us know what you decide!

Good luck. Skin problems can be so devastating!

Kathryn

Dakota · 10-08-2003, 12:28 PM

Hey guys, thanks for the replies.

I've tried:
diet
every cleanser/facewash I could get my hands on
B5
multiple other vitamins
Retin-A
plus masks, toners, hanging my head of the edge of the bed (it's some sort of yoga remedy to get more blood to the head)

I'm really at a loss, I've had this for 10 yrs now. It isn't normal, I shouldn't be oily 30 min after wshing my face should I? It's damaged my self esteem much more than being chubby. I feel inadaquate having this red, shiny blackhead filled nose. I just want to be normal.

eija.cait · 10-10-2003, 07:22 PM

Just wanted to second that "be careful" about vitamin A. Accutane is a vitamin A derivative, but just taking vitamin A supplements is unlikely to have the same effects.
Also, if you did take enough vit. A to have the same effects as Accutane, you would very likely hurt yourself. PLEASE do not try to use vitamin A supplementation in hopes of imitating Accutane.

A is a fat-soluble vitamin, so it's stored in the body's fat for quite a long time. Overdose can cause mental problems, pseudotumor cerebri (increased intracranial pressure which can lead to blindness), birth defects, etc. etc.

Roche USA's Accutane product page

It's probably worthile to consult with a dermatologist and see if they might have some insights into why you seem to be producing so much extra oil.

Good luck!

Eija

so confused · 10-16-2003, 06:09 AM

Hi Dakota,

As a suffer of cystic acne for years now I can tell you I've tried just about everything in the book, including accutane. I know how it feels to feel like a freak and not be able to do anything about it because nothing helps. I've got the blackhead issue too. I don't think I'd recommend accutane to help with your blackhead problem. In my own experience (everyone's different) accutane DID help, but only temporarily. Once I came off the medication, within time, it all came back with a vengeance. To stay clear, I'd literally have to be on accutane for the rest of my life, which isn't humanly possible unless I want a very short life span. Years ago, when it first came out, I also tried proactive. Now I'm not a fan of this product because of the same reason, it all comes back once you stop using it. I noticed it made my skin very dry and start peeling like crazy (I wonder if other people had the same reaction)... The ONE (and only one) good thing I will say about this product is that while I used it, my blackheads and pores were virtually unnoticable (it did nothing for the cysts etc). Maybe it's something you might want to consider, and it's much less risky than accutane. Have you tried proactive? Another member on this board also mentioned there's a Wal-mart knock-off of proactive called proacne and it's exactly the same except much cheaper. If this proacne thing really works, I would find it to be much more efficient. You could avoid that annoying automatic delivery (even after you continue to call and tell them you want to cancel) and automatic charge on your credit card. and you could avoid the s/h and it's like half the price... If it doesn't work, just toss it.

HTH and best of luck