Accutane

[Q]

I'm considering taking it this summer even though I'd rather not take it. My acne isn't as bad as it used to be a few years ago but now it's more 'under' the skin type thing now, so cremes, etc are not doing much. Having a clear face is something that I've always wanted -- I've had ance since I was about 13, and it's always been something that I hate. Having a clear face would give me so much more confidence in myself, that I feel it's something I have to do now.

Anyway, I'm worried about the liver issue but oddly enough mostly the blood work -- I've never had my blood taken and something about it creeps me out, etc.

So what are your experiences if you have taken it? Also, how often did you have to get blood work?

 

[Reckoner]

I took it a long time ago. It REALLY dries out your skin, so be prepared to experience this. I had to get blood work done once a month. Unfortunately I had to stop early due to a false reading on one of the lab reports. The derm didn't want to resume just in case. About a year down the road, the breakouts resumed. After it's all said and done, it's not a miracle cure. In the short term, it will certainly help, but the most effective solution is time. JMO.

 

[nonameo]

I used to have weird acne. It wasn't particularly bad, just persistent. I have it pretty much under control now.

1. I rarely have soda or caffeine. I rarely eat out.
2. I wash my face in the morning with J&J continuous cleanser. If it starts to get bad, I do it at night too. I find it is not best to wash more than you have to.
3. I use a zinc based anti-dandruff shampoo, despite not having dandruff.
4. I don't drink milk or eat anything with milk in it. Trace amounts don't seem to hurt though.

This is what I do, and it works for me. I rarely have too much in the way of acne issues, although I do get the occasional stubborn zit when the weather changes, or when traveling.

 

[nageov3t]

I took it in high school (started towards the end of sophomore year, stopped a little bit into junior year). in terms of overall results, my acne didn't go away completely and still really hasn't at 27, but it definitely got better. I still get the occasional pimple, but the worst of it (cystic and the like) went away.

in terms of the immediate side-effects, my lips were basically constantly dries, cracked, and occasionally bloody. spontaneous nosebleeds were a semi-regular occurrence... near the end of my time on acutane, my guidance counselor at school actually pulled me aside to ask if there was anything going on with me that the school needed to be aware of because teachers had expressed concerns about my appearance/behavior.

 

[Q]

nonameo: I understand but the acne is under the skin, ie. my cheeks are 'smooth' but there's still red acne spots there. Plus my derm said taking Accutane would help stop scarring since I have early signs of it.

 

[ISAslot]

i had the under the skin type. Clindamycin & differin creams finally got it under control.

 

[2Xtreme21]

Miracle drug. I was in the same boat-- nothing really bad, just every pimple I got was under the skin and it would hurt like a mofo. Creams wouldn't do anything, so went on it for 5 months-- got worse for the first 2 months, but then it was almost as if they cleared up over night. I recommend it to anyone willing to try it.

Cons:
- DRY skin. It's been ~5 years and my skin's still dry in the winter. I got into the habit of taking chapstick wherever I go or else my lips would spontaneously crack & bleed.
- Blood work every month. It's not that bad, but I was scared shitless going in for the first time. It's not bad. If you freak out with needles, just make sure you don't look. You won't feel anything-- seriously.
- Lot of really bureaucratic stuff-- papers to sign, etc. Also, you have to fill your prescription ASAP from the dermatologist or else you're S.O.L. for the next 30 days.

I never had any mental issues, and I think a lot of them are overblown. My mother was always freaking out that I'd commit suicide, but there was nothing about it that caused me to be depressed.

Again, I can't recommend it enough. Like I said, it's been 5 years and I have had absolutely clear skin ever since. Once in a blue moon I might get a small one here and there, but that sure beats the hell out of what I used to have.

 

[johnjohn320]

I took it when I was in middle school. Not worth it, if you ask me.

 

[txrandom]

I'm wondering about this too. My acne has always bothered me. It's not too bad, but it's enough to bother me. I just started taking Solodyn and applying Differin cream. That along with eating well, working out five times a week, taking a multivitamin, and moisturizing my face should hopefully make my acne better. If not, I may think about Accutane.

 

[Q]

Originally posted by: johnjohn320
I took it when I was in middle school. Not worth it, if you ask me.

WTF you taking it in middle school for

 

[Leros]

It dried me out really bad. I remember laughing once and my lip split open and started bleeding pretty bad. Just get into a twice a day lotion regiment and carry chapstick all the time.

And I had to get bloodtests every two weeks.

 

[EGGO]

I was oneof thefirst to try it. It'll also alter your mood. You can get easily distressed if you're not careful.

The monthly blood draw didn't bother after a while. Didn't even hurt after the first time.

 

[phatso]

Take it if your acne is effecting how you feel and act around other people. I took Accutane, and it probably wasn't worth it. You need to re-moisturize your lips every two hours or so by the 2nd month. Also, your skin will flake quite badly towards the end. You can get sunburned in ~10 minutes or so in the sun. The maintenance is quite a pain, and in my opinion dry, flaky, peeling skin is just as bad as some acne.

There are also reports that Accutane can cause depression. It'll just give people (parents, friends, fellow students) another reason to think you're a crazy teenager.

Unless you really are that guy who's acne is so bad his face is constantly multiple shades of red, I would say just tough out the year or two of acne-ridden adolescence. Once you get to college and beyond and your skin starts to age, in most cases people no one will know you had acne when you were younger.

 

[JMapleton]

I had a friend who said it "dried out his brain" and said it caused him mental instability problems. For this reason I would recommend against it; a good habit of taking a shower twice a day and washing your face at least 4 to 5 times a day should do the trick.

 

[nageov3t]

washing your face at least 4 to 5 times a day should do the trick.

sounds like a pretty good way of killing your skin.

 

[2Xtreme21]

Originally posted by: JMapleton
I had a friend who said it "dried out his brain" and said it caused him mental instability problems. For this reason I would recommend against it; a good habit of taking a shower twice a day and washing your face at least 4 to 5 times a day should do the trick.

I wouldn't recommend washing 4-5 times-- it seems counter-intuitive, but washing that much will cause irritation and spur acne development. Stick to 2 times, though even washing 2 times a day and applying 3 different creams never helped for me.

And I can't speak for those saying it screwed with their heads, but do realize that Accutane is one of the most tightly regulated drugs on the market. You are checked every 30 days for any abnormalities and will immediately get yanked from treatment if anything even remotely doesn't look right.

As I said-- a lot of the depression stuff is overblown, in my opinion. Teens with severe acne are generally on the more-depressed side with or without Accutane... it just so happened that some kids who were on it committed suicide. Correlation does not indicate causation and there was nothing to indicate Accutane itself caused any sort of mood altering.

 

[phatso]

Originally posted by: loki8481

washing your face at least 4 to 5 times a day should do the trick.

sounds like a pretty good way of killing your skin.

Loki is right. Accutane and other drugs stop sebum production. Drying out the surface of your skin so often (washing too often or using really irritating soap) can cause more acne.

 

[SmoochyTX]

I wonder how the world was able to survive without Accutane?

Seriously, wash your face and deal with acne like the generations before you. Is it really worth all of the possible side effects?

 

[Deeko]

If you ask me the depression stuff is BS. Think of it this way - depressed teenager with severe acne starts taking "miracle drug" and acne gets worse (as it usually does in the first month). Already depressed teen gets more depressed, and its easy, he can blame it on the drug! Boom, there's your depression.

I took it. I never had really bad acne, it just wouldn't go away into my 20s. Other than dry skin (which a combination of moisturizer and aquaphor take care of), no problems.

 

[rcxEric]

yea i don trust them fancy stuff, always some catch. juz get scrubbin cloth from pharamcy and some vinegar. warm up skin in water n u scrub wat ever u get acne, face, back, azz, etc. then ya hit da spot with vinegar, let it sit for bit and u wont get so much acne. iz wat they do in the south

 

[JMapleton]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21

Originally posted by: JMapleton
I had a friend who said it "dried out his brain" and said it caused him mental instability problems. For this reason I would recommend against it; a good habit of taking a shower twice a day and washing your face at least 4 to 5 times a day should do the trick.

I wouldn't recommend washing 4-5 times-- it seems counter-intuitive, but washing that much will cause irritation and spur acne development. Stick to 2 times, though even washing 2 times a day and applying 3 different creams never helped for me.

And I can't speak for those saying it screwed with their heads, but do realize that Accutane is one of the most tightly regulated drugs on the market. You are checked every 30 days for any abnormalities and will immediately get yanked from treatment if anything even remotely doesn't look right.

As I said-- a lot of the depression stuff is overblown, in my opinion. Teens with severe acne are generally on the more-depressed side with or without Accutane... it just so happened that some kids who were on it committed suicide. Correlation does not indicate causation and there was nothing to indicate Accutane itself caused any sort of mood altering.

I don't know, I do a general quick swipe of the face with a damp paper towl about 4 or 5 times a day and it works for me but I never really had acne very bad maybe just one pimple at a time max and even less so at my age. I just recommend against it based on what my friend said.

 

[rh71]

there have been results of suicides because it leads to depression (ironic with acne isn't it?)... if you / your friends are careful of that, I think it's a miracle drug as well. It worked for up to a year after I stopped taking it too... it made my skin really dry but that's a small price to pay considering what led me to get on it in the first place.

 

[PieIsAwesome]

Hmmm, I'm interested in this as well, I still have this crap on my face and have taken antibiotics, differin, and w/e gels I've been prescribed without much change. Having had this since middle school I think it is time for something drastic.

 

[johnjohn320]

Originally posted by: Quintox

Originally posted by: johnjohn320
I took it when I was in middle school. Not worth it, if you ask me.

WTF you taking it in middle school for

Gee, I dunno, when did you go through puberty? When I was that age, I started getting severe (often physically painfu) acne, and that was leading to potential scarring. So, a derm perscribed it for me.

 

[johnjohn320]

Originally posted by: rcxEric
yea i don trust them fancy stuff, always some catch. juz get scrubbin cloth from pharamcy and some vinegar. warm up skin in water n u scrub wat ever u get acne, face, back, azz, etc. then ya hit da spot with vinegar, let it sit for bit and u wont get so much acne. iz wat they do in the south

Who is this guy? :laugh: