Accutane?

[Kipper is King]

Hmmmm...feedback is good, but this is not making my decision easier!

[CGYNHL]

I was put on accutane years ago and what ever ailments I have now I always think back to the accutane and wish I'd never taken the stuff. It did clear up the acne but it messes with your body chemistry. I'd recommend not taking it.

[Max Cow Disease]

http://www.acne.org/

An excellent resource for all things acne. This was originally a mickey mouse website where the founder (Dan Kern) sold a few products and managed a small discussion forum for acne sufferers, but has grown in to quite a huge business. The basis of it all is "the regimen" which is a simple wash/treatment/moisturize technique that isn't entirely unlike Proactiv but cuts out a lot of the overpriced non-essentials. The products he sells on there are great and anything that goes on my skin these days comes from them. I've had great success with it over the years (going on about 8 years now I think), and would recommend it to any mild/moderate acne sufferers (severe acne usually demands more significant measures, unfortunately).

As for Accutane, I can't really comment, but I'd certainly explore every measure possible before undergoing the treatment, as I've heard a fair share of horror stories about its effects (...I guess that's a comment).

[3 Justin 3]

I'm contemplating Accutane as well. My acne has never been that bad like you see some people have, but it won't go away no matter what I do. ProActive didn't work because your body builds a tolerance for it so incredibly fast. Most of the 2% salicylic acid stuff is too weak for acne suffers (perhaps it works for a few spots, but it is short term and acne will mostly always come back).

Topical stuff I find never solves the problem, just masks it since Acne has to do with body chemistry and topical creams don't solve that.

I'm trying B5, zinc and a topical cream right now. As someone who has had it for every year of University it sucks ass, and I'd like to graduate in December with a face clear of this s***.

By the way, my regime is 5g of B5, one zinc tablet, 1 Vitamin A tablet (10,000 IU) and then the washing and apply of the cream. If this stuff doesn't work I'm doing Accutane.

Edit: I'm 23 so we in the same boat.

[TorqueDog]

I would do as much research as you can. Ask your dermatologist for as much detail as possible about the sort of side effects he/she has seen with it, incidences of side effects, etc.

Originally Posted by OldDutch

I would strongly advise against taking it. I have numerous friends with unexplained long term illness that were all on that med.

Isn't this sort of like saying "I saw a UFO, therefore it was aliens"?

[CaramonLS]

I took it about 10 years ago. The stuff works. I could only last 2 months however because of the side effects. It was dry lips at first, which then turned into regular nose bleeds (due to the dryness).

Didn't have any long term health effects.

[bcsoda]

Something you might be interested in looking into is whether sulfates could be causing or worsening your acne. I don't know how common the problem is, and I'm not a dermatologist or anything, but I discovered my body has bad reactions to sulfates and the most helpful thing I did to combat acne was to eliminate sulfates, in particular Sodium Laureth Sulfates (SLS). This is a huge pain in the butt because they are so commonly used (they are in everything: dish soap, laundry soap, shampoo, body wash, face wash, makeup, toothpaste, etc), but it was worth it for me as the difference in my acne levels are night and day since I started avoiding sulfates. Just thought I'd mention it because no one ever mentioned it to me and it was a whole load of trial-and-error before I found out what the major cause was.

[cDnStealth]

I went on it about 10 years as well with no major side effects. It worked great. My buddy on the other hand, got really depressed while he was on it and a few years ago was diagnosed with colitis. Just a few months ago I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and I am now wondering if they're linked.

[Ne7en]

Originally Posted by ben voyonsdonc

When I was a teenager, I was prescribed Minocin (Minocycline) for acne. It is more mild than Accutane and did a fantastic job. I really didn't have any side effects.

I was prescribed Minocycline too, however I suffered through bad stomach pains as a result I quit taking the medication. Seemed to work however at a cost (in my case). Also should note: no dairy products are to be taken with this medication? (if I remember correct).

[jschick88]

I use to get acne pretty bad. Went on proactive and worked better than any medication I used in the past. Still get the odd pimple though.

[ben voyonsdonc]

Originally Posted by Ne7en

I was prescribed Minocycline too, however I suffered through bad stomach pains as a result I quit taking the medication. Seemed to work however at a cost (in my case). Also should note: no dairy products are to be taken with this medication? (if I remember correct).

Interesting. The dairy product warning was never brought up with me. Apparently, dairy can make weaken the effects of Minocycline. I wasn't much of a dairy person at the time so it probably didn't really impact me.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Like you I also waffled with taking Accutane at a young age - 18ish if I recall. Did the antibiotic regieme, starting with tetracycline, erythomycine, and ending with Bactrim DS. These only temporarily addressed the problem and worse still I developed full resistance to to these antibiotics so that now I can only use more powerful ones. And still had gadamn acne into my 30's.

Finally, I caved in. Took the damn Accutane. Addressed it in 3-4 months - permanently after 15 some years. I wonder why I didn't do this earlier instead of wasting so much money on lotions and potions. Not to mention battling acne during university. Especially since so much of it would have been covered under my health plan.

Is the potential for side effects is there? Maybe. But I can also say that having developed full resistance to three series of antibiotics is not good either.

[prarieboy]

I used it about twenty years ago. It worked really well for me. I had bad Acne on my back and it has never returned. I went for regular blood tests and had to abstain from Alcohol while I was taking the medication. No side effects for me.

[Lil Pedro]

I took it when I was in high school. Side effects are you get extremely dry skin (especially lips) and you get drunk a lot faster than you normally would. However it worked great for me and my skin cleared up. I didn't enjoy the frequent blood tests that you had to do to make sure your lipids were in tact

[Sliver]

I took it when I was 18 for three months. Cleared me right up and no side effects other than dry skin, which is what you should expect. Beats having acne scars your whole life IMO.

[bigtmac19]

My nephew was on it as a teenager as well, with of course, regular monitoring, blood work etc. He had severe acne would have pimples that looked more like boils they were so bad. It was a last resort for him. It cleared his skin up beautifully and he has been fine ever since. It's been at least 15 years and so far he has not had any long term health problems related to using it.

[GrrlGoalie33]

I did a course of Accutane a couple of years ago. I had to sign papers stating that I wouldn't get pregnant, but I don't suppose you have to worry about that OP.

I still get acne, but nowhere near as bad as it was before, and most of it centers around things you don't have to worry about either

It is a very powerful drug with some really nasty side effects. There is a lot of info about this drug because it has been so widely prescribed. Just go in eyes wide open.

Also, if you can't or don't want to commit to the monthly blood tests, stay away from it.

[MrCallahan]

Ever try the raw honey method?? A reddit user had posted their results with it, and seemed to have success.

http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comment...w_honey_on_my/

I've always read that honey has great antibacterial properties, could be a cheap solution for you to try.

[troutman]

There was a discussion about Accutane in the regret thread:

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/search....archid=5039566

I took it when I was about 20 years old (mid-80s). It really dried out my lips and caused dandruff too.

http://www.drugwatch.com/accutane/side-effects.php

Unfortunately, Accutane is linked to a series of serious side effects, including inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease, liver damage, depression, miscarriage and birth defects if taken during pregnancy.

Doctors prescribe Accutane when other acne treatments fail. Because serious cases of acne can be such a physical and social burden, patients may be willing to tolerate some of the common side effects that come with Accutane use, including dry skin, headaches and cold-like symptoms.

• Nausea, vomiting, blurred vision
• Severe stomach pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, trouble swallowing
• Bone or muscle pain
• Persistent fever, chills, or sore throat
• Yellowing of skin or eyes and dark urine
• Allergic reactions
• Changes in hearing
• Vision trouble

[FlamesAllTheWay]

Took it for a few months about 14 years ago. I remember the info pamphlet they gave me regarding the side effects. Ranged from a bit of dryness all the way up to depression/suicidal thoughts/suicide. I think if you recall a young man flew a Cessna into a building in the USA a while back and there was talk Accutane may have had something to do with it.

I myself only experienced some extreme dryness in the form of reptile skin on my arms and hands, peeling skin inside my nose and my nails actually dried out so much they receded a bit (only side effect that lingers to this day). But it definitely got rid of the acne!

I had a music teacher who took it way way back in the 70's or thereabouts when it was relatively new. Turns out they were giving him 4x the dose of what I was taking. He had some joint problems and couldn't raise his hands above his head for more than a few seconds before losing alot of circulation as a result.

Just be aware of the side effects and weigh what it may do to you vs. getting rid of acne. If you decide to take it keep any eye out for any changes that start occurring.