Accutane?

[-Ophelia-]

I'm seriously considering taking the drug. My self-esteem can no longer suffer the low feeling caused by acne. My acne is mild, but it's there and it's not going away. Plus my face is red and dry from other medications so maybe that's even making me feel worse.

 

But I'm afraid of the side-effects, hair-loss to be particular. My hair is my thing, I have beautiful thick long culry hair. I'm worried the drug wont cure acne and I'll lose my hair. The reason I'm attached to my hair is that it's one of my positive characteristics and I feel that if I lose it, I might end up feeling very unattractive. I'm not looking for more damages.

 

I miss the days when I used to feel very confident about myself and the way I look. Please help me.

[_Asti_]

My friend was on, and she had no issues with hair loss.

It was the other side effects that were awful, but she endured it for several months and her skin has been flawless for over two years now. But during that time, she dealt with execissevly dry skin, to the point where it bled, nose bleeds, sore joints, and eventually developed depression and really bad anxiety, which is when she was taken off of it.

[alli]

I am taking Accutane right now & I haven't noticed any hair loss at all. I didn't even know that was a side effect! The worst side effect for me is how dry my lips get. They crack & bleed even though I put chapstick on ALL the time. It really hurts sometimes. I probably bought more than 6 different chapsticks to figure out which worked the best (definitely nivea). I've actually skipped a lot of doses to let my lips heal. Then I take it the pills again, then they get chapped again.. sigh.

 

It makes your face kind of flakey. Like I'll wake up with skin flakes all over my pillow sometimes! But with a good moisturizer it's generally hardly noticeable to other people.

 

I had depression before I started taking Accutane but luckily it hasn't made it any worse. Depression & suicide are real concerns with Accutane users though.

 

Also, don't expect to start taking it the day you visit your Dr for a Rx. I had to get referred to a dermatologist, which took a month just to get in. Then, they make you take a pregnancy test that day, wait ANOTHER month, get another pregnancy test, THEN you can start taking it. So from the day I had my first Dr appointment, I didn't actually start taking it until 2 months later. Every month you are on Accutane you have to go in for a pregnancy test to get the next month's refill. Every month you have to do a little survey online. & you have to take this little card to the pharmacy with your "personal assigned number" or else they can't refill it.

 

You also have to take 2 forms of birth control. You can't just say "I'm not having sex". You have to either get the depo shot, take bc pills or have an IUD. PLUS use a physical barrier like a condom. This is because if you get pregnant while taking Accutane, the kid will be thoroughly messed up, inside & out. It will nearly always result in horrible birth defects. They make it a really big deal, you will hear over & over again "do not get pregnant while taking this med". In fact there is a picture of a pregnant woman with a big red X accross her belly on the cover of every pill I open. "Gee, you think I'm not supposed to get pregnant?"

 

On the bright side, Accutane is very effective. If you can suffer through a cycle of the meds or two it will often result in people having few acne problems again.

 

If you have any other questions you can ask or pm me.

[catfeeder]

My heart goes out to you. I've never seen anything respect the skin yet change it at the same time until I used Isomers 'Australian Harvest' cleanser. I apply it, work it on, leave it sit for a few minutes, then rinse. I'm astounded--especially because everything else in the world has caused terrible reactions.

 

Isomers is a small lab in Toronto Canada and the UK, reasonably priced, and doesn't have sales reps--I'm just a user. Everyone to whom I've given a bottle says it's life-changing and has continued it ever since.

 

In your corner.

[alli]

benzoyl peroxide works great, too. I had a patch of acne that I could not get rid of for the life of me. Prescription minocycline, salicylic acid, birth control pills.. not one of them did a thing. I got a little tube of benzoyl peroxide at walmart for 3 bucks & there was a HUGE difference within 2 or 3 weeks. Life saver, only I wish I discovered it's mythical powers 3 months earlier so I didn't have to suffer through the whole summer!

[Legacy]

I've taken Accutane twice, two positive experiences.

 

I first heard about Accutane when my mothers friend's daughter took it. I met the daughter a little while after she had taken it and her skin was completely flawless.

 

Like the original poster I suffered only mild acne. When I was about 24 I knew the odd few spots I had were nothing to do with puberty like people kept telling me. I decided not to bother with the NHS as friends of mine were only given cheaper inefective drugs and went to see a private consultant for £100. He prescribed a six week course of Accutane for around £250, the only side affect was dry lips, he advised me to use Vaseline which worked fine, lips were still flaky but with the Vaseline it was ok, I also had a red glow to my face but it made me look sunkissed and healthy. The list of side affects include suicide but hey, I was so happy on this stuff (both times) because I knew 100% my spots would go. And they did, for around 7 years.

 

Started to get the odd spot again so didn't hesitate in going back to see consultant and again, within half an hour of appointment I was picking up my Accutane. Never had a spot since, except the odd one when I've been partying too hard.

 

A friend of mine had spots on her chest, I told her about Accutane and she went through the NHS, after some begging she got it, spots cleared up. No side affects.

 

My advice to you would be to go for it. Grab it with both hands be happy knowing within a matter of a few days to a few weeks your spots will go. If you can afford it, go see a private dermatologist if not, then the NHS is a longer process but worth it all the same. I see people in the street with terrible acne, I want to rush up to them and tell them they don't have to live with this, Accutane can cure it. So go for it!

[MetallicAguy]

If you want a method with no side effects try getting Photo-Dynamic Therapy treatments. I did and I have no acne anymore. It only took myself 4 times, it really depends how you personally react to it, my dermatologist told me people see major clearing by the second or third time...it's expensive (typically about $500 per treatment but it can be a lot less) but it really is worth it for the self-esteem you get back after your face clears shortly. My dermatologist told me that some people don't respond to it but these people represent a very small percentage. And the break out, which is uncommon, consists of one to three zits entirely as opposed to 7+, which was my usual on each side of my face. The breakout typically clears anywhere between a day to a week, changing your pillowcase usually resolves the issue. It does the same thing as Accutane; it alters your sebaceous glands so just the right amount of sebum is produced as well as eliminating the bacterial infection but without risking the dangerous side effects. The process is pain free really, the Levulan treatment (light-sensitizer that feels like weak glycolic acid) is applied and you sit for about an hour. Then the RN performs the procedure, it is startling in my opinion. The best way to describe getting a PDT is receiving a sun burn in applied dosages. After the procedure your face will be pinkish-red and you can't get any direct sunlight, or even direct artificial light exposure, for a couple days (its best to get a PDT on a friday and sit inside all weekend).

 

Anyhow, if you don't wanna risk Accutane, PDT is the way to go.

[COtuner]

Have you tried Clenia? That's the thing that has worked best for me - I have hormonal acne (PMS). I use Clenia during the day, Differin at night (with a light coat of Vanicream lotion for moisturizer), and take 25mg of spironolactone. It's almost totally under control now - just a blackhead here and there, maybe one zit on my chin in the middle of PMS which will go away in a week.

 

spironolactone also alters your sebum production by cutting the androgen levels. It's much less harsh on the body than Accutane

[luvs2kayak]

Before going on Acutane (which is a very powerful drug), you could try going on a low dose of antibiotics as prescribed by a dermatologist. My son did this and had very good results. I know parents whose kids went on Acutane and it stunted their kids' height. Plus, when you hear all the other possible side-effects-- it's frightening.

[MetallicAguy]

I'm biased, antibiotics didn't work for me and also made me sick for a couple months. But if your going to try them, accompany the usage with a probiotic.

[annie24]

i think you should talk to your dermatologist. i'm not a doctor, but my knowledge is that accutane is not for mild acne - it's for serious cystic acne. if you have mild acne, one thing that might help is getting regular facial treatments and extractions. having a facialist do extractions and treatments on me every 2 weeks has really helped my mild acne.

[shep88ner]

I was on accutane about two years ago and the end results were wonderful. I am concerned however that you said your acne is mild...and your dermatologist may not prescribe it to you since it's a very rough medication that is usually used for severe acne problems.

 

when i was on it it made me super dry to the point my skin looked ashy and my lips would crack open and bleed. i was told to make omega 3 with it and it seemed to help a little bit. i will admit it was hell going through the treatment but all my acne went away and it never did come back which is so wonderful.

 

also...be prepared for a lot of extra precaution since you're female. it said in my booklet that "accutane WILL cause birth defects" so if you're of childbearing age they may have you go on birth control first because this drug is incredibly dangerous to women who may become pregnant.

[-Ophelia-]

Before going on Acutane (which is a very powerful drug), you could try going on a low dose of antibiotics as prescribed by a dermatologist. My son did this and had very good results. I know parents whose kids went on Acutane and it stunted their kids' height. Plus, when you hear all the other possible side-effects-- it's frightening.

 

I am currently on an antibiotic, it's been a month and I'm half way through. Acne has changed but I kind of feel the antibiotic caused acne on my chest and back. My acne in those areas was very minor and now I can see and feel all those bumps.

 

I think that the drug didnt affect the acne on my face. It goes away for a week and then I'll get 5 whiteheads a day. Also, my skin is kind of reddish too becuased I'm also on a topical antibiotic. I never used to get acne, and now I'm finding trouble learning how to deal with it.

[-Ophelia-]

i think you should talk to your dermatologist. i'm not a doctor, but my knowledge is that accutane is not for mild acne - it's for serious cystic acne. if you have mild acne, one thing that might help is getting regular facial treatments and extractions. having a facialist do extractions and treatments on me every 2 weeks has really helped my mild acne.

 

I know what you mean. But I don't know what type of acne I have, if it's mild or moderate. Because the pimples are small, however, they are persistent and inflamed. Plus my skin is very dry these days from the medication. The last was my third visit to a different derm and he put me on antibiotics and it's still not working. You know what I mean? It's not the serious type that must be dealt with right away, but it is serious enough to put you down and push you to seek help for it. And the doctor did tell me that if antibiotics didn't work for me, I might want to look into accutane.

 

It did depress me at the beginning, but then I thought to myself maybe this is the thing that'll cure this problem.

[-Ophelia-]

Can't they put me on a very low dose then? The doctor told me to read about it and think of taking it if the antibiotic doesn't clear up the acne in two months.

[-Ophelia-]

I went to a private consultant as well, very expensive. If he prescribed accutane for me, is there a way I can make the NHS cover the charges? Especially that this private clinic is not in the same city I live in so it'll be much easier for me. Thanks.

[Legacy]

I went to a private consultant as well, very expensive. If he prescribed accutane for me, is there a way I can make the NHS cover the charges? Especially that this private clinic is not in the same city I live in so it'll be much easier for me. Thanks.

 

Because the drug is expensive the NHS doesn't like to give it out unless the acne is severe, it's all about costs.

 

You would have to contact the NHS and ask them if they would cover any costs, worth a try. If they won't then save every penny and go private.

[MetallicAguy]

Ophelia, I suggest you talk about LHE treatment with your dermatologist, having said that you have small pimples with some inflammation. It isn't as powerful as getting a PDT (levulanic acid + LHE), but for your condition I think anywhere between 1-4 treatments could do major clearing...it really depends. You get quick results, its very effective, and you'll wonder why you tried all those other medications in the first place lol

 

Here's a link if your interested: link removed

[ghost69]

the dermo will give you accutane if it's necessary. usually they will try something a bit more mild first.