Ever Take Accutane?

Dermatologist said I might consider it if I'm my age and still have acne. I don't really like the side-effects that accompany this treatment, but obviously I don't want acne anymore, it severely disrupts many aspects of my life. So I'm really just looking for some opinions. If I decide to take accutane it won't be for a few months or whatever.

My former brother in law did that. He had to constantly put oils on his face because it dried his skin out so much. I wouldn't do it.

It dries your face out so much, my friend was on it and her skin would be peeling all day. Was really gross. It worked, but at that terrible expense. 
 
I used to have bad acne. You know what my solution was? To stop actually trying to make it go away. I tried so many different astringents, soaps, creams, nothing would help. Then I just started washing my face with a gentle body wash while I'm showering and it has completely gotten rid of it. I still get pimples, but they're few and far between.

I wish, my mom is royally against accutane. But then she goes around and buys some asian drugs and cooks asian medicinal stew for me to down,bleeehhhh

The doctor gave me some epiduo, so I'm going to give it a shot. Of course I'm sure it will only be short-term, and if I want a real cure I should just take the accutane and get it over with. Good to hear that some people are better off after taking it. I will consider it, but for now the epiduo will hopefully minimize my public shame.

It sucks while you're on it but once that's over you'll be thankful you took it.

I had pretty bad acne as a teenager.  Tried lots of different solutions (persciption and non-) before my Dermatologist finally got me on Accutane.   It sucks having crazy dry skin for the couple months that your on it...you'll go through chapstick like nobody's business (seriously, Always Be Chapsticking when you're on Accutane); but it already sucked to have acne, so it just felt like trading one sucky skin condition for another for a while.  Since then, I can probably count the number of pimples I've gotten on one hand and I'm in my late 20s.  I'd say for me it was absolutely worth it, and really the worst part was getting blood drawn every month just because I hate needles.  
 
In the end it's really an individual thing that your doctor should help you decide on.  Severe acne runs in my family.  I've got multiple aunts and uncles with severe scarring from when they had acne as kids, and I didn't want to end up looking like Edward James Olmos.

It may also cause depression and potentially the development of bone growths within soft tissue like cartilage(not sure i can remember the reference for this one), also it's suspected as teh cause of the development of digestive auto-immune dysfunction resulting in your immune system attacking your guts, end result inability to eat certain meats and worst case removal of large or small intestine and forced to wear a colostomy bag where your crap drains into an external artificial pocket.  Have you tried 12 hour topical doses of benzoyl-peroxide as a substitute? I'm sure a dermatologist would have suggested this first but not all patients follow prescriptions. It's necessary to dose in 12 hour intervals to keep the bacterial growth(the organism that instigates acne)  from reaching significant levels that cause the inflammation.

Ever listened to Accuface?

I would not take it. My friend took it in high school and college, and a little while after he stopped, he started getting severe stomach aches, and basically diarrhea and other "emergencies" on a semi-regular basis. He went to the doctor, and they diagnosed him with ulcerative colitis. He has to take a pill every day for the rest of his life, and has occasionally gets severe stomach aches, despite his medication. I thought these were two unrelated events until I saw one of those ambulance chaser commercials saying that if you had taken Accutane and now had ulcerative colitis, Crohn's Disease, etc., you should call for a consultation. 
 
It turns out Accutane has been linked to the development of a number of chronic bowel conditions, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's. I'm actually surprised it's still on the market. If I were you, I'd ask for a different acne treatment that doesn't have the potential of giving me a disease. Accutane can't be that much better than the next best alternative.

I SAY THIS AS A FRIEND AND NOT TROLLING. BE FULLY AWARE OF THE SIDE EFFECTS OF THIS DRUG. IT CAN FUCK YOU UP SEVERELY MENTALLY. AT ITS CORE IT'S A DNA ALTERING DRUG, AND CAN LEAVE YOU WITH CHEMICALLY INDUCED DEPRESSION. 

Accutane or Roaccutane as it is known around the world is basically extremely high doses of synthetic vitamin A. Vitamin A when taken in large enough doses acts as a sebum inhibitor (the oily shit which causes you to break out in the first place), which dries the skin out. Unfortunately anything taken in such extreme doses can effectively become a poison to the body.

Genuine, no bullshit side effects of the drug include: (All vary on the person, but I can assure you that you will get at least a couple of the following)

• Extremely dried out skin. Painful to the touch, especially when the skin cracks.
• Throbbing pain in the eyes.
• Constant headaches / migraines.
• Depression (chemically induced as a side effect of extreme Vitamin A doses) Don't take this lightly, if you get it, you will not like it.
• Extreme Redness of the skin. I'm not talking acne blotches, I'm talking marker pen red face. Again a side effect of high Vitamin A doses. 
• Suicidal tendencies. Though the studies have on the whole been inconclusive so far, the rate of suicide whilst on this drug is HIGH. This goes hand in hand with the other mental side effects of this drug.
• Aching bones, joints. Your body will feel constantly stiff and in pain.
• Itchyness, especially in areas where the skin has dried and cracked.
• Small chance of damage to internal organs, pancreas, kidneys etc. Again a side effect of the high Vitamin A dose.

It's all up to you, but you should know the full effects of the drug in question. If you're in doubt, take this info along to your doctor and have a sit down with them and discuss. 

 I did, I didn't really notice too many side effects. Not saying they aren't a risk, I just got lucky I guess. I might have suffered from increased depression but I was sorta morose as a teenager already so it was hard to notice a difference. I do not miss having bad skin that's for sure.

YO DAWG TAKE A SHOWER AND EAT LESS CHOCOLATE

I did, I didn't really notice too many side effects. Not saying they aren't a risk, I just got lucky I guess. I might have suffered from increased depression but I was sorta morose as a teenager already so it was hard to notice a difference. I do not miss having bad skin that's for sure.

Accutane is the type of drug that you see ads for on TV because Ambulance chasers want you to sue it's makers because it's side effects can be so severe.

Don't even try it because the side-effects might be terrible. Try washing your face on a regular basis with a PH neutral soap. It worked for me and i had pretty bad acne since i was 9.

"

I SAY THIS AS A FRIEND AND NOT TROLLING. BE FULLY AWARE OF THE SIDE EFFECTS OF THIS DRUG. IT CAN FUCK YOU UP SEVERELY MENTALLY. AT ITS CORE IT'S A DNA ALTERING DRUG, AND CAN LEAVE YOU WITH CHEMICALLY INDUCED DEPRESSION. 

Accutane or Roaccutane as it is known around the world is basically extremely high doses of synthetic vitamin A. Vitamin A when taken in large enough doses acts as a sebum inhibitor (the oily shit which causes you to break out in the first place), which dries the skin out. Unfortunately anything taken in such extreme doses can effectively become a poison to the body.

Genuine, no bullshit side effects of the drug include: (All vary on the person, but I can assure you that you will get at least a couple of the following)

• Extremely dried out skin. Painful to the touch, especially when the skin cracks.
• Throbbing pain in the eyes.
• Constant headaches / migraines.
• Depression (chemically induced as a side effect of extreme Vitamin A doses) Don't take this lightly, if you get it, you will not like it.
• Extreme Redness of the skin. I'm not talking acne blotches, I'm talking marker pen red face. Again a side effect of high Vitamin A doses. 
• Suicidal tendencies. Though the studies have on the whole been inconclusive so far, the rate of suicide whilst on this drug is HIGH. This goes hand in hand with the other mental side effects of this drug.
• Aching bones, joints. Your body will feel constantly stiff and in pain.
• Itchyness, especially in areas where the skin has dried and cracked.
• Small chance of damage to internal organs, pancreas, kidneys etc. Again a side effect of the high Vitamin A dose.

It's all up to you, but you should know the full effects of the drug in question. If you're in doubt, take this info along to your doctor and have a sit down with them and discuss. 

"

I took it many years ago. Haven't had a pimple since. Not a single one. 
 
 
 
Dries you out like a motherfucker, though. I remember not being able to open my mouth completely to eat because it was so dry.

I was on Accutane for several months because my acne was so bad (not that I was embarrassed by how my face looked or anything, but it was the kind of gross acne that leaves scars, and I had it on my back, too). I actually had no side-effects, and it worked wonders on my skin. It was a pain getting my blood drawn every month (which they do to make sure you aren't getting said nasty side-effects), but overall I would say it was well worth it. Years later, the horrible acne still hasn't come back.
 
I understand your reservations about it, but I say you should at least strongly consider it, if that's what your dermatologist is recommending.

" I would not take it. My friend took it in high school and college, and a little while after he stopped, he started getting severe stomach aches, and basically diarrhea and other "emergencies" on a semi-regular basis. He went to the doctor, and they diagnosed him with ulcerative colitis. He has to take a pill every day for the rest of his life, and has occasionally gets severe stomach aches, despite his medication. I thought these were two unrelated events until I saw one of those ambulance chaser commercials saying that if you had taken Accutane and now had ulcerative colitis, Crohn's Disease, etc., you should call for a consultation. 
 
It turns out Accutane has been linked to the development of a number of chronic bowel conditions, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's. I'm actually surprised it's still on the market. If I were you, I'd ask for a different acne treatment that doesn't have the potential of giving me a disease. Accutane can't be that much better than the next best alternative. "

I'm gonna say this from a purely anecdotal point of view. It cleared out the bad acne, and while I still get some here and there, it's not bad.
 
That said, I'm also on multiple anti-depressants due to some nasty, you guessed it, depression, and I've got a bad case of IBS. While I'm not going to say Accutane caused either of these (and my family has a large history of depression), they both manifested a roughly a year after I started Accutane (I was on it for 5 months).
 
If you want to get rid of acne, go for it, but if I could go back I would have looked at other, less successful treatments instead. It does it's job but it fucks up plenty of other stuff as well.

Christ, this thread is a horror story. Reminds me of that ingrown toenail one, cept worse cause some of this shit is permanently awful. Makes me glad that I never took accutane (specially since my acne all appears to be fading naturally).

" @FourWude: Doesn't sound like much of a treatment at all. "

There have been plenty of people still asking why it's still on the market. And to be fair there are some doctors who really don't tell their patients enough about the drug and also don't understand enough about the drug itself. 

At the end of the day, the drug does work for many patients, but is the cost worth it? Ultimately the power is still very much in the hands of the drug companies, who have a vice like grip on health care and Accutane is a big seller for them.

Assuming it's the same thing my friend was taking in high school; It worked but made him super fucking depressed.

Do it.

I had pretty bad acne and tetralysal (lymecycline) pretty much clears it up.
 
It's an antibiotic and there are only a few side effects. Might be worth a try before this :S

" @mshaw006 said:

" I would not take it. My friend took it in high school and college, and a little while after he stopped, he started getting severe stomach aches, and basically diarrhea and other "emergencies" on a semi-regular basis. He went to the doctor, and they diagnosed him with ulcerative colitis. He has to take a pill every day for the rest of his life, and has occasionally gets severe stomach aches, despite his medication. I thought these were two unrelated events until I saw one of those ambulance chaser commercials saying that if you had taken Accutane and now had ulcerative colitis, Crohn's Disease, etc., you should call for a consultation. 
 
It turns out Accutane has been linked to the development of a number of chronic bowel conditions, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's. I'm actually surprised it's still on the market. If I were you, I'd ask for a different acne treatment that doesn't have the potential of giving me a disease. Accutane can't be that much better than the next best alternative. "

As somebody who has Crohn's Disease, listen to this man. Getting rid of acne is not worth it, in the slightest. "

My friend would get nose bleeds a lot... but if your acne is that bad then.. try it, I guess.

I've had a few friends go on it, and it cleared them up pretty amazingly. They had dry skin while they were on it, but it wasn't that severe. Didn't seem to have any other side effects on them.

" @DeeGee said:

" @mshaw006 said:

" I would not take it. My friend took it in high school and college, and a little while after he stopped, he started getting severe stomach aches, and basically diarrhea and other "emergencies" on a semi-regular basis. He went to the doctor, and they diagnosed him with ulcerative colitis. He has to take a pill every day for the rest of his life, and has occasionally gets severe stomach aches, despite his medication. I thought these were two unrelated events until I saw one of those ambulance chaser commercials saying that if you had taken Accutane and now had ulcerative colitis, Crohn's Disease, etc., you should call for a consultation. 
 
It turns out Accutane has been linked to the development of a number of chronic bowel conditions, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's. I'm actually surprised it's still on the market. If I were you, I'd ask for a different acne treatment that doesn't have the potential of giving me a disease. Accutane can't be that much better than the next best alternative. "

As somebody who has Crohn's Disease, listen to this man. Getting rid of acne is not worth it, in the slightest. "

Seconded. I would trade Crohn's away for some acne in a heartbeat. Zits are nothing by comparison. "

Just wait until it goes.

I've gone on it, my two brothers have used it, and my mom has as well. 
We all experienced very little side effects, just be sure to apply lotion/chapstick regularly.  Also, try to stay out of the sun for long periods of time, and finally, have extra pillowcases for possible nosebleeds.
 
However, make sure you have gone through nearly all other solutions before trying it because, as said before, side effects can be serious for certain people. 

Be careful about getting medical advice on the internet, especially in discussion forums, they tend to have extreme self selection bias which means that for example if you start goggling around discussion groups you will find a lot of people saying things like, 9/11 inside job, vaccination = autism, moon landing was fake etc. etc. etc. just look at the side effects and know they are possible but very rare, it's well worth it if you are worried about scarring or acne is affecting you emotionally its well worth it.  
 
Use of accutane is very common but people that take the drugs tend not troll around the internet about how awesome or successful their treatment was. 
 
Go talk to multiple dermatologists and be blunt about you being worried about side effects. 

A friend of mine got Crohm's disease from it. I would stay away from that stuff...

Took Roaccutane when I was 15 to get rid of the acne on my back. It worked. Only side effect was occasionally dry skin and one or two blood noses. Just go for it. If you notice bad stuff happening, they'll put you on a lower dose, it's that simple.

Accutane should be used as a last resort if you tried everything and nothing has successfully stop acne outbreaks, as in severe ones. Unfortunately, doctors prescribe accutane too commonly. Do not take accutane unless you've tried everything, since the side effects during and after taking it is quite unnecessary.

Prepare for dry lips. And whatever you do don't drink alcohol while on them.

My brother and dad have both taken it. Neither had the extreme side effects some people have been mentioning. My brother was married to his chapstick for a few months because it would dry his lips out pretty badly but nothing too extreme. Just know the possible risks and if something does end up going bad, stop immediately. 
 
You will not be 100% acne free after either, as my dad still gets an occasional zit. Nothing like he did before but something else to keep in mind.

Most of the terrible side effects I got from this drug came after I had taken it. Racing thoughts, depression, panic attacks, crying constantly, changing mood, I can go on. Suffice to say, it wasn't pretty.
  @FourWude said:

" @dudeglove said:

" @FourWude: Doesn't sound like much of a treatment at all. "

There have been plenty of people still asking why it's still on the market. And to be fair there are some doctors who really don't tell their patients enough about the drug and also don't understand enough about the drug itself. 

At the end of the day, the drug does work for many patients, but is the cost worth it? Ultimately the power is still very much in the hands of the drug companies, who have a vice like grip on health care and Accutane is a big seller for them.

"

I was on it for a month and it helped a lot. Got rid of most of my acne and stopped me from getting more, but I've still got some acne scars that I can't get rid of. The only side effect I had was dry lips. Really dry lips. Lots of people would notice and tell me to use chapstick.

I took it for six months, and it was miserable. It dried my lips and skin out to the point where my lips were always cracked and I had to use moisturizer all the time. Also I got nosebleeds and mood swings, and had to have blood tests every month. Although, it really did work. I had terrible acne and it got rid of it completely. I'd say only take it if absolutely nothing else works, it's serious stuff.

POLYSPORIN 

Pretty much what everyone was saying.  Had terrible acne. Zits popping all the time. No medications or lotions working. Used accutane and cleared it up. But it felt like my lips were falling off, and my skin was scaly dry. I'm pretty sure they only prescribe for really bad cases of acne, and when other things don't work.
 
I also saw a class action law suit for it lately being advertised on tv.

" @FourWude: Listing side affects to scare someone is not the way to go. All drugs have tons of side effects, even seemingly innocuous over-the-counter products like Bacitracin list DEATH as a side effect.   
 

First of all do me a favour and shut the fuck up.

And secondly you dumb fuck, pretty much all the POINTS I MADE WERE FROM ROCHE'S OWN FUCKING ADVISORY PAMPHLET THAT COMES WITH THE DRUG.

So if you have a problem with what I posted, take it up with Roche themselves, the globalist pharmaceutical company which fucking produces this very drug. That's one of the problems with Accutane, the drug companies know the side effects and try to cover their ass by giving some half assed warnings, but don't paint the full picture when it comes to the extreme and common effects that this drug has. 

Most drugs have side effects but very few are as common and pronounced as Accutane, especially for a non-life threatening ailment as acne. For a problem which will for most people disappear away with time, you have to make a real decision whether risking the side effects are worth it.

Now fuck off and post some more pharma bullcrap to people who don't have a brain to think for themselves, you sound like some rep for some shyster drug company.