Log in

View Full Version : Accutane/ Isotretinoin?



Pages : 1 [2]

Mindy Bares All
05-13-2010, 11:46 AM
^^^ Ouch. :( I guess I'm lucky, in a comparative sense...

KaylaBella
05-17-2010, 01:31 PM
I was on accutane twice and although I don't get cystic acne anymore, I still break out ALL the time. Accutane also gave me really horrible dry skin and depression. It kept my skin clear for a couple months after I ended the cycle but after that I started breaking out again.

Yaz works pretty good for me and I would love to try Spiro if I had health insurance to see a doctor to get the script.

fashionista
01-04-2011, 12:07 AM
Team SPIRO!! :party2:

I notice nothing but a positive impact on my sex drive, in that I don't have to worry about the enormous red planets on my face when around a guy. I would always leave that night because no fucking way could I wake up in the morning and let them see me in the day light. Shit was a nightmare and I felt like a disfigured freak but now my world has changed.


Oh my god.. *hugs* I feel like this too, so glad to hear there are others out there. I am always told I am beautiful but this is with plenty of foundation on at night time, I fear what guys will think when they see me without makeup in the morning, I always leave once my boyfriend is asleep :(

I might give Aldactone another try then, I only gave it a chance for a month. I have used Roaccutance twice and both times it returned after a year, no better or worse. It seems like my acne is hormonal.

Lacy Luck
01-04-2011, 02:06 AM
I did one cycle of accutane about 5 years ago and it worked wonders for me. It cured my cystic acne, I have not had a single cystic breakout since. My face is 100% zit free right now. If I break out at all anymore, its a tiny spot that lasts a day. I only wish I would have done accutane sooner, so that I could have avoided the years of cumulative scarring.

noelle
01-04-2011, 11:32 AM
Some people have great luck with accutane, some don't. My friends that have taken it were disappointed because they were told they'd never break out again, but did continue to break out after they stopped taking it.

I have always had bad acne but never took accutane because I am afraid of the issues with depression and suicide. I have been on spironolactone for the last year and LOVE it so much! It has made a HUGE HUGE difference in my skin, especially my back and chest which always really embarrassed me. My acne was definitely hormonal so spiro is great. It hasn't affected my sex drive, but I have always had a very high sex drive.

I always forget to mention this but Jessie's post on the last page reminded me... I definitely retain less water and my breasts grew a full cup size. No complaints about that!

Ifyouseekamy
01-05-2011, 06:06 PM
I was on it...didn't do a damn thing...got put a birth control (yaz) all better now. The testing is very expensive for the pregnant test and you have to do it with 30 days.

Mindy Bares All
01-11-2011, 08:36 PM
Wow. Forgot I created this.

Bump accutane. These lovely ladies, especially Charlie61, have convinced me that Spiro is the way to go. That is, if you have hormonal acne, as I do. If you have cystic acne, then accutane may be the way to go, if the side effects don't scare you.

I'm considering going off my birth control and starting spiro instead. Though Yaz has amazingly cleared up 60-70% of my acne, it gave me cellulite and I have no sex drive at all, so to speak. If Spirolactone could clear up my face the same or better, without the side effects, then it would be TOTALLY worth it.

Why I'm not on it STILL/YET is another story for another day...

charlie61
01-11-2011, 08:40 PM
^ I just went off of my BC (Ortho Tricyclen Lo) and haven't gotten any acne yet because I'm on Spiro. It seems to keep all of my acne at bay. And I've been taking the same dosage (50mg/day) for the past 2 years with the same results!

Mindy Bares All
01-11-2011, 08:44 PM
^Yeah, I'm considering going off my BC because I just keep forgetting to take it at the same time, and the cellulite, and the lack of a sex drive, and it's just so much of a hassle. And I have to go back for a checkup to get my prescription upped for another year, and I may or may not have insurance for it. It's a headache these days, but before I loved it.

But yes, if I can manage to get in to see a Dr. before Jan 31st, I should be good to go for spiro, MAYBE another year of Yaz, and a prescription for an antidepressant too?

charlie61
01-11-2011, 09:21 PM
^ You should check out my thread on going off of birth control in BB. I just got an IUD for birth control (cost me $20 for 10 years of worry-free BC) and am using Spiro for acne. Not sure if that'd be an option for you, but you might want to look into it!

Obenta
01-12-2011, 04:56 AM
I have read through the entire thread and I noticed that no one has mentioned prescription Finacea gel (applied topically). It is normally prescribed for rosacea but can be used for acne also. (I do not have rosacea)

I have adult acne (since I was 22 - I'm 34 now). I have a prominent dermatologist who prescribed Finacea gel applied 1x per day (after cleansing). I have been using it for 1 month and my acne and the appearance of my pores and texture of my skin has improved 80%. My skin has not looked this good since I was 12 years old!

The actual directions are for 2x per day, but are were doing 1x per day to see how well my skin does with it. Once I bump it up to 2x times per day, I believe my acne problems will be completely gone.

Use of Finacea for acne is fairly new. Please consider Finacea gel before Accutane. Accutane is a serious drug (research warnings, side effects and recent lawsuits).

charlie61
01-12-2011, 08:33 AM
I have read through the entire thread and I noticed that no one has mentioned prescription Finacea gel (applied topically). It is normally prescribed for rosacea but can be used for acne also. (I do not have rosacea)

I have adult acne (since I was 22 - I'm 34 now). I have a prominent dermatologist who prescribed Finacea gel applied 1x per day (after cleansing). I have been using it for 1 month and my acne and the appearance of my pores and texture of my skin has improved 80%. My skin has not looked this good since I was 12 years old!

The actual directions are for 2x per day, but are were doing 1x per day to see how well my skin does with it. Once I bump it up to 2x times per day, I believe my acne problems will be completely gone.

Use of Finacea for acne is fairly new. Please consider Finacea gel before Accutane. Accutane is a serious drug (research warnings, side effects and recent lawsuits).

Interesting! I wonder, does Finacea gel treat hormonal acne? My problem with topicals is that they can't really stop hormonal acne, since h.a. emerges from hormonal imbalances.

judyQ
01-13-2011, 08:14 PM
Where you on Roche's Accutane, or a generic kind?

I have done accutane FIVE - 5 - TIMES. I had amazing skin when I was on it. When off, it all came back for me after a number of months, SUCKED... I was on the name brand and the last time, the generic. Generic is pretty cheap, not sure if it worked as well. One note, ask your doc if you get your acne back when you complete the program, will he prescribe a maintenance dose. I see some people doing that now of like 20mg a week (don't quote me)... I still break out but if I keep the carbs low, no sugar, bread crap, my skin is always much better.

Side effects. Looking back, my skin was very dry, and i had to use Vaseline on lips. But my skin was beautiful.
As for long term side effects, i now have auto immune things going on that could be related to accutane, severe arthritis, and chronic fatigue. I can't say if they are for sure related, but I suspect they are. There are lot of law suits coming out now against accutane which include causing chrones disease, and I know someone who had his life drastically affected by accutane and now will be disabled.
With that said...
Would i do it again, at least one time after trying everything else. Hell ya.

charlie61
01-13-2011, 09:37 PM
It's amazing how powerful acne is. I mean, I think I would've done anything to get rid of my acne. It totally destroys your self-confidence.

Vyanka
01-13-2011, 09:53 PM
Wow. Forgot I created this.

Bump accutane. These lovely ladies, especially Charlie61, have convinced me that Spiro is the way to go. That is, if you have hormonal acne, as I do. If you have cystic acne, then accutane may be the way to go, if the side effects don't scare you.

I'm considering going off my birth control and starting spiro instead. Though Yaz has amazingly cleared up 60-70% of my acne, it gave me cellulite and I have no sex drive at all, so to speak. If Spirolactone could clear up my face the same or better, without the side effects, then it would be TOTALLY worth it.

Why I'm not on it STILL/YET is another story for another day...

This is the ONLY reason why someone should get on it. Other than that, don't bother. I did accutane about 4 or 5 years ago for cystic acne & never got them again. I occasionally get zits(nothing major & easy to target) from certain makeup,lotions, sometimes pms but never cystic. I never get that horrid breakout like I use to.

Sometimes, certain foods trigger acne. Peanuts make me breakout. Coffee makes my pores large. Pay attention to certain foods, if you aren't. It helps too.

Vyanka
01-13-2011, 09:57 PM
P.S. Has anyone tried out the blue light therapy? It's suppose to be a good alternative, instead of Accutane.

Mindy Bares All
01-13-2011, 10:29 PM
ugh looks like I'll be going to my dermatologist for some spiro :(. Here I was singing all these praises about vitamin b5 but my skin started breaking out really badly recently. Seems like spiro is a good choice since quite a few girls on here swear by it.

Good luck. I'm sure everything will go swimmingly. Maybe use the b5 with Spiro?


I have read through the entire thread and I noticed that no one has mentioned prescription Finacea gel (applied topically). It is normally prescribed for rosacea but can be used for acne also. (I do not have rosacea)

I have adult acne (since I was 22 - I'm 34 now). I have a prominent dermatologist who prescribed Finacea gel applied 1x per day (after cleansing). I have been using it for 1 month and my acne and the appearance of my pores and texture of my skin has improved 80%. My skin has not looked this good since I was 12 years old!

The actual directions are for 2x per day, but are were doing 1x per day to see how well my skin does with it. Once I bump it up to 2x times per day, I believe my acne problems will be completely gone.

Use of Finacea for acne is fairly new. Please consider Finacea gel before Accutane. Accutane is a serious drug (research warnings, side effects and recent lawsuits).

I've done similar things such as Differn(sp?)/Differin when I was in 8th grade and that didn't work too well. And Tazorac recently as well. Tazorac stopped working for me- just out of the blue. And I was taking it with an anitbiotic. Either way, it seems for me that topical creams are mainly for mild to moderate acne. And the effectiveness is dependent on how routine your face washing regimen is. So that's why I was looking for something a little more "fail-proof," so to speak.


^ You should check out my thread on going off of birth control in BB. I just got an IUD for birth control (cost me $20 for 10 years of worry-free BC) and am using Spiro for acne. Not sure if that'd be an option for you, but you might want to look into it!

I'd have to do research, but it just seems scary to me. It's like I REALLY don't want kids. But I've heard some horror stories about IUDs. Still going to use condoms, regardless- with or without, ya know? Can't be too sure.....

juliejacob
01-14-2011, 02:29 AM
the magic combination is spiro and yaz or spiro and yasmin.

charlie61
01-14-2011, 10:47 AM
P.S. Has anyone tried out the blue light therapy? It's suppose to be a good alternative, instead of Accutane.

I got one of the ones that you use at home, and honestly noticed no difference. Then again, I only have hormonal acne, which can pretty much only be helped if you take meds that affect your hormones.

charlie61
01-14-2011, 10:49 AM
I'd have to do research, but it just seems scary to me. It's like I REALLY don't want kids. But I've heard some horror stories about IUDs. Still going to use condoms, regardless- with or without, ya know? Can't be too sure.....

Yeah, I was nervous too. There was some IUD from awhile ago that got released and caused some super serious problems for women in the U.S. That got taken off of the market, and ever since, womein in the U.S. haven't trusted IUDs.

But they're extremely common in Europe, and have been for the past couple of decades. The ones being sold in the U.S. right now are extremely safe...especially if you get them placed by an OBGYN. I'm loving mine so far!


the magic combination is spiro and yaz or spiro and yasmin.

I've heard horrible things about both of those pills. Like that they cause depression, insane mood swings, etc...

Obenta
01-15-2011, 05:54 AM
Interesting! I wonder, does Finacea gel treat hormonal acne? My problem with topicals is that they can't really stop hormonal acne, since h.a. emerges from hormonal imbalances.

My understanding is that most late-onset female adult acne is hormonal. Finacea gel increases cell turnover. (I'm sure it has other functions - do your own research or consult your doctor. I may have more information when I ask questions at my next check up) I know it's not a "hormonal" solution, but it may be a topical solution for some without more screwing around with added hormones & chemicals.

For the record, I have a Mirena IUD. Finacea has truly improved my skin without needing to add more hormones or other ingested chemicals. It may not be ideal for all, but it's worth a shot. I'd recommend giving it a try before accutane or other more systemic and body damaging drugs.

My skin was worse than most teenagers before I started this topical Finacea regimen. It may not be the best and it may not be for everyone, but it has low side effects, is not ingested, produces results, and is worth a try! My skin isn't "perfect", but I can go without makeup and feel confident that my skin looks "good"/"normal" (for the first time in my adult life). I am very satisfied with the results.

charlie61
01-15-2011, 08:03 AM
^ Really interesting!

I do like Spiro because it doesn't add hormones like BC does. It's not perfect, I'm sure, since it represses androgens, but at least it's not filled with synthetic hormones!

juliejacob
01-15-2011, 02:47 PM
...downside of rushing to take accutane
...is you can not do any laser treatments to "repair" your skin for at least a year after being off of accutane.

if your skin freaks out-
omg...try the omnilux blue light therapy after a microdermabrasion

juliejacob
01-15-2011, 03:03 PM
...if you have hormonal acne and try yaz/yasmine i dont think you have the same side effects as other "normal people" who do not have hormonal acne.

Yaz is my derms #1 pick and yasmine #2 for bad skin.

When you start bc you might feel slightly off but you level out after 2-3months.

If your not on bc/spiro...taking fat burners can fu** with your hormones and your skin.

JordynLove
02-11-2011, 03:37 PM
I know there are mixed opinions, but as a prior user of Accutane I can honestly say it changed my life. I never had bad facial acne, but suffered severely from chest and back acne to the point I would never wear anything that showed my skin and always wore my hair down to cover my back (it got so bad I wouldnt even go in the pool for fear of having to put my hair in a ponytail and show my skin). I tried every other medicine and nothing worked.

Accutane not only cleared up my back and chest but also removed even the slightest bit of acne from my face. I swear by it 100% (and this is coming from a girl who is terrifieddd of needles, but thought it was worth it to put up with the monthly blood work). Your lips will get really really dry, but if you moisturize them regularly (try aquaphor) they'll be fine. I used both the real stuff and the generic depending on the month and both worked equally well. I ended up doing 2 full cycles instead of 1 regular one, which I think made all the difference as far as lasting results.

I've now been acne free for about 3 years (it keeps working even after you stop). Going onto year 4 I get occasional breakouts on my face (which I think is due mostly to the smokey club and lack of sleep from work), but still have zero problems with acne on my chest and back. Seriously try it. Its absolutely amazing!