Accutane Side Effects

[WorldEndsWithMe]

Hi everyone! Hope you're all doing well.
I'm just about to start on Accutance but as I read more on the side effects, the more I get scared and don't want to take it. Has anyone here taken it? What were your experiences?

The thing is, I don't even have very horrible acne anymore. I did 2 years ago, but all that's left is scars really, but I hate the scars. I'm just really upset that my dermatologist let me get to that point. She put me on 40mg, although the lowest dose is 10mg and I'm not sure why she didn't put me on that...

I had really severe depression and I'm worried that Accutane may make it worse... I've really just recently recovered from being depressed and I don't want to take a step backwards. So does anyone think depression and accutane have a causal relationship, or do you think it is mearly the acne that causes bad depression?

Another side effect is hair loss, because of the shrinking of oil glands. My dermatologist really just dismissed my concerns, but this is something I am seriously freaking out over. I have very thick hair and long, thick eyelashes. These are a couple of the only traits I actually like about myself, and if I were to lose them I'd be devastated. I'd rather have the scars... Covering up with makeup is easy, albeit annoying. If it happens, what can I do? I've looked it up, and although most report re-growth, it never seems to be the same. Did anyone here have hair loss? I know it's really vain and shallow, but I love my hair.

I've talked to her about my concerns, but she's kind of a condescending doctor, with that "I'm right, you're wrong" attitude, which makes me even more hesitant to try accutane.

Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[Masychefx2]

accutane will dry your face and it will be an uncomfortable experience if all you have left is scars i recommend laser resurfacings


accutane should only really be used if you have terrible acne

 

[spider04]

It will dry your lips and make your acne worse, wel during the proces to cure you from acne. I know a guy who used it for 6 months and after that his acne just stopped.

 

[emboki]

stay away from pills.

 

[dottie]

i used it for 2 months before it landed me in the mental ward plus it is not good for your body, as you know. my advice is to use it as a last resort.

i struggled a LONG time with acne. this is what cured me:

* good diet, first and foremost. it is a matter of not polluting your system. the quality of product you put into your body is going to be directly reflected in how your skin looks. it's like feeding one plant with soda and feeding another plant with water- which one will have healthier looking leaves? same with humans. avoid chips, soda, grease, animal products, packaged/canned/processed foods. think macaroni and cheese, rice-a-roni, hamburger helper, ketchup, bottled sweetnsour sauce... avoid things like that. the main thing you want to eat is a lot of fresh fruits/veggies and drink water. this will have a huge affect. this one may be a big lifestyle change but it is the most necessary. i remember going to the doctor and they would ask if i ate healthy. i thought i did because i didn't know better. i thought eating healthy meant having 3 meals a day (no consideration of the quality of the food i was eating). so i told the doctors i was eating healthy. if these doctors knew what i was actually polluting my body with they probably would not have been so quick to put me on pills. then again, keep in mind doctors want patients and get big pharma bucks to push pills. just something to think about. anyway, any sensible doctor would have evaluated the quality of my food intake before putting me on heavy duty pills. sorry for the long rant, but i think eating quality food is the main factor and is often overlooked.

* do not touch your skin or rest your chin on your hands
* don't pick
* keep hair out of face
* clean your pillowcases at least once a week
* wash your face with a mild cleanser in the morning and before bed. if you use strong benzoyle peroxides or salicylic acid, it will dry your face, and your oil glands will only try to compensate. no need to aggravate the problem.

here's my skin routine and some products i highly recommend. i'm not blessed with naturally beautiful skin, it's something i have to work for. but it does work! and this is what i do...

* morning - wash with gentle cleanser (no BP/SA), gentley dry, and apply facial sunblock.

* night - wash with oil of olay regenerist (it is very gentle but still exfoliating... and amazing! it's not specifically marketed for acne but it helps a lot). use a light moisturizer. these two products are a bit more expensive but you get what you pay for.

so yeah, this is what i recommend. if you're honestly eating minimal processed foods, no soda, and eating lots of fresh veggies but you're still struggling then i would consider accutane.

 

[WorldEndsWithMe]

so yeah, this is what i recommend.

Thanks for all your insight and help, and I'm really sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with accutance... But I'm glad you found a solution on your own!
I wonder if diet changes would improve cystic acne? I cleanse my face, but my acne is almost, under the skin, so although I'm washing away the dirt and oil, I'm not sure I'm really removing all the dead skin that prevents my oil glands from funtioning normally. I use exfoliants, but it just doesn't seem to be enough, and it's incredibly painful to even touch the acne that I do have.

accutane will dry your face and it will be an uncomfortable experience if all you have left is scars i recommend laser resurfacings

I actually tried several rounds of laser treatments and although I saw slight improvements, what would happen was new acne would pop up and scar all over again. I get the deep, painful, cystic pimples and they told me that laser won't help until the acne stops =(
In my 1st year of university my entire face was just covered with big, painful pimples, but my dermatologist only put my on anti-biotics. They really didn't work and I tried several different kinds. I think my hormones have calmed down a bit, because my face has really cleared up, but when I do breakout it is always that awful, cystic acne. =(

My family doctor also recommended it, which is why I even considered it in the first place. He is very kind and I really trust him. He seems like he actually cares about me. What got me scared was my blunt, kind of mean dermatologist. Guess it proves how much bedside manner really does affect medical treatment.

 

[maj154]

Hey my Canadian Friend!
I'm older now but I used to have lots and lots of acne. I tried everything with no results until I was recommanded this:
Sunbreeze Essential Oil
It's use for lots of application.
Easy to use for acne, clean your face with hot water, put a few drops of Sunbreeze on a face clothes and wash your face with it.
I highly recommand the product.

I had a hard time to find it in Canada (maritime provinces) price was about $14 for the oil.

Good luck

 

[Waybuloo]

Hi there,

If you haven't got severe acne and you can live with the scars without it always bothering you to the point of interferring with you life, then I don't recommend you to take Accutane. Dermatologists care more about the interests of drug companies than you because they financially benefit from it. Also I doubt dermatologists have as much training in emotional support and counselling than your typical doctor, and what you have said all proved that. Get another dermatologist.

Also, acne can be recurring after Accutane treatments, so at best it would afford you a few months of clear skin at great discomfort.

There are sooo many different pills and topical methods to treat acne out there it is disturbing. I sometimes google acne remedies and just close all the windows cause i'm sick of comparing this with that. If you start to trial and error with things you may never finish. I suppose try to eat healthy and exercise (the boring stuff) and drink lots of water to begin with if you aren't doing that, and experiment with the cheaper, simpler remedies. I heard that lemon juice preparations, egg whites, apple cider vinegars can be good for scars and pigmentations. You can google them on the web.