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Thread: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

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    Veteran Member heidimonster7's Avatar
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    Default I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    Hello ladies.
    Okay, I am 23, and fucking tired of having acne. It's better than it was when I was 16, but still...

    So I am considering acutane. Two of my co-workers have used it. One had no problems... the other became severely depressed.

    Any of you used it? Rumors as to safety/ side effects? Thanks

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    Featured Member pixiepower329's Avatar
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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    Unless medically necessary, I refuse to take any form of medication that is damaging enough to require liver function tests every other week. (seriously!!)
    !

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    Veteran Member HoneyHITZ's Avatar
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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    just remember, accutane cuts off all oil supply to your entire body... my sister in law was on it and she said it fucked her up worse than her acne... have you tried any other antibiotics such as tetra or mono cycline, or topical ones, like benzamyacin gel? the gel worked well for me, but my new insurance wont cover it, unfortunately... what im saying basically, is look into all the options, because accutane really should be a last resort..


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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    Quote Originally Posted by HoneyHITZ
    just remember, accutane cuts off all oil supply to your entire body... my sister in law was on it and she said it fucked her up worse than her acne... have you tried any other antibiotics such as tetra or mono cycline, or topical ones, like benzamyacin gel? the gel worked well for me, but my new insurance wont cover it, unfortunately... what im saying basically, is look into all the options, because accutane really should be a last resort..
    What happened to your sis in law?

    This is one medication I never wanted to try again, but I too am so sick of breaking out. I have tried every antibiotic & still. Along with cutting off certain foods and drinking lots of water. I'm willing to give it another shot. I took it once when I was 18/19 but only for a week. I freaked out on all the possible side affects mentioned.

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    Veteran Member soybeangirl's Avatar
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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    In my state you now have to take a pregnancy test at EVERY visit while you are on accutane. I would pair it with some form of bc (the pill) just to make sure. I think it inevitably causes deformities in embryos.

    That is a harsh drug but many people have had success with it.

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    Veteran Member HoneyHITZ's Avatar
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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    im really not 100% sure what happened to her, but i THINK that it made her scar really badly.... she had cystic acne, and the accutane dried everything so fast, she scarred badly.... i believe thats what happened, but i think it fucked with her moods and hormones too, i'll hve to ask her...


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    Member halasana's Avatar
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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    I know exactly how you feel! I battled with acne from the time I was 13 years old, and nothing, NOTHING-not antibiotics, retin-a, benzoyl peroxide, diet, stress management, etc. worked. I finally found a dermatologist willing to prescribe accutane (many derms will not prescribe it to women, because they do not want to be held liable if you get pregnant while on it and give birth to a severely deformed baby).

    I went on two 6-month courses of accutane. It has been 3 years since I last took it, and I am still 100% acne-free!

    Only if you've battled constantly with acne can you understand how wonderful it feels to have clear skin every day. The side effects can be severe, but they only last while you're actually taking the accutane, and they can be managed. I wasn't depressed at all-I was thrilled to finally be free of acne! It's a personal decision, and one I'm glad I made. It is absolutely necessary to use 2 forms of birth control while you're taking accutane, because you will have a 90% chance of giving birth to a deformed baby if you get pregnant while you're taking it. However, taking accutane does NOT increase your chances of having a baby with birth defects after the treatment is over.

    I can only speak for myself, but I highly recommend it.

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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    I like proactive, it cleared my skin up. A book that is really
    good that tells more about what not to eat to cause acne is
    by Nicholas perricone

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    smartcookie
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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    Spironolactone has fewer side effects. That's what I'm on.

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    Senior Member Jessica Lords's Avatar
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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    I have had all kinds of acne...since I was 10 or 11...I too wanted Accutane but the Dr was going to make me sign a contract thing so if anything happened he wasn't liable...that is when I decided against it...so I tried ProActive,some say it takes up to a year to see real results and I did! I love trhe stuff...makes my skin feel really nice and soft.

    If you think you want to try Accutane then do it...it's a personal decision.

    Best of Luck!

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    Veteran Member heidimonster7's Avatar
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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    Hmm... sounds like pretty scary stuff. Maybe I will check into the Proactive. thanks for all your responses

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    Veteran Member sexystephani's Avatar
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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    I was on Accutane a little over a year ago and it definately does clear up youre skin - but it does have some serious side effects. I think I am alot moodier now (I definately was when I was on it!).
    It does stop all the oil production so you need to have lip stuff and lotion around you all the time.
    I would say try it as youre last resort it really is a serious medication.

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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    Anyone ever taken Accutane without taking birth control pills?

    BC pills make me moody, I mean like a wicked crazy f%$#@*&^ bitch. And I hate bc pills. I don't want to take them. I've tried three brands and all them gave me the same mood swing shit. So much happier without them. I don't want to take them at all ever again.

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    Featured Member thechaosfairy's Avatar
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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    I was getting a breakout every few days and started taking Milk Thistle for my skin breakouts and haven't had any bad ones since. Apparently, it clears out your liver so your hormones don't wind up messing up your skin. It's a cheap herbal supplement and might be good to try before you do something drastic . . .

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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    Anyone ever taken Accutane without taking birth control pills?

    BC pills make me moody, I mean like a wicked crazy f%$#@*&^ bitch. And I hate bc pills. I don't want to take them. I've tried three brands and all them gave me the same mood swing shit. So much happier without them. I don't want to take them at all ever again.
    Accutane's fine w/o BC pills, as long as you're not doin' it, or are using 2 (effective) forms of birth control. So you could use condom and sponge, for example. Or foam, if the sponge is still off the market down there.

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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    Ps I take spironolactone, it's very effective IF your acne is caused by polycystic ovaries. Which is possible, if you had it through your teens and into adulthood.

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    Veteran Member TarynJolie's Avatar
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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    I did 20 weeks of 60 mg a day about 5 years ago.

    I had the usual effects during treatment of super dry skin followed by a massive breakout and healing time. It was pretty yucky so I hid in my house for nearly half the 20 weeks.

    After the 20 weeks I had ZERO breakouts for over a year and my skin looked AMAZING but was even more sensitive than before the treatment.

    Around the 2 1/2 year post treatment I started to get a breakout every few months. As of about 3 1/2 years I get monthly period breakouts which I have been keeping in check with Retin-A based products.

    One other caution, I had slight liver damage from the accutane and alcohol gives me a horrible hang over & so I these days I prefer celebrate special events with a little instead of drinking.

    Despite the side effects I would certianly do the treatment again if I felt it was needed.

    Quote Originally Posted by halasana
    I know exactly how you feel! I battled with acne from the time I was 13 years old, and nothing, NOTHING-not antibiotics, retin-a, benzoyl peroxide, diet, stress management, etc. worked. I finally found a dermatologist willing to prescribe accutane (many derms will not prescribe it to women, because they do not want to be held liable if you get pregnant while on it and give birth to a severely deformed baby).

    I went on two 6-month courses of accutane. It has been 3 years since I last took it, and I am still 100% acne-free!

    Only if you've battled constantly with acne can you understand how wonderful it feels to have clear skin every day. The side effects can be severe, but they only last while you're actually taking the accutane, and they can be managed. I wasn't depressed at all-I was thrilled to finally be free of acne! It's a personal decision, and one I'm glad I made. It is absolutely necessary to use 2 forms of birth control while you're taking accutane, because you will have a 90% chance of giving birth to a deformed baby if you get pregnant while you're taking it. However, taking accutane does NOT increase your chances of having a baby with birth defects after the treatment is over.

    I can only speak for myself, but I highly recommend it.
    I can totaly relate to halasana. When I read her post it sounded soooo much like my own experience.
    Last edited by TarynJolie; 12-26-2005 at 07:06 PM.

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    smartcookie
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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    The spironolactone has been working for me too. The side effects are far less dramatic than Accutane. It makes you dehydrated, so you have to drink a lot of water, and it can make your period highly irregular, so you need to be on birth control pills. The combo of spiro and Yasmin has curbed the giant, grape-sized exploding pus-filled nasty-ass cysts I used to get on my chin (sorry), but I still get one or two smaller but juicy juicy zits a month.

    Of course, now that I've said it, my chin will probably erupt like the Virunga Volcano Chain.

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    Veteran Member heidimonster7's Avatar
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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    LOL, I love all the stories volcanos, heeheeheee....

    I like the milk thistle suggestion. I also just remembered a friend recommended Borage oil capsules.

    I also noticed that if I sleep in till I am fully rested, my skin is healthy and happy. One night of bad sleep, and bam, there it is again. Weird, huh?

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    Senior Member NaughtyAngel's Avatar
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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    When I was a teenager I took Accutane... twice. It helped reduce the production of oil in my skin but looking back... I should not have taken it because oil is good for your skin when you are older. The only way that you will be satisfied though (well sometimes) is to find out for yourself but as a former user of Accutane twice during my teen years I would advise against it.

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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    tried it... dont waste your time and skin... it dries you horribly, you crack and bleed, it looks worse than severe acne. What I recommend... strange it may sound... when you use concealer, only use "my spots are conceled" which is found at sally's or walgreens... its very creamy, and for some reason, improves the condition of my skin (I now dont wash my face at night, only first thing in the morning... it protects it overnight). Along with that a topical solution of Clidamyacin (antibiotic, for those hard to heel zits), and a scrip for ortho tri cyclene (perhaps THE MOST important part of the formula... but it takes a few months to get it working) make my skin look its best.

    Oh, and number one... beyond the ortho... dont squeeze, and dont use biore strips if using my method... just make it horribly worse. Your zits in skin are like any other injury in skin, ripping it open only makes it worse and more prone to bacteria.
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    Member dancerchick's Avatar
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    Arrow Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    Accutane works really well WHILE YOURE ON IT. It's supposed to be permenant, but it only worked temporarily for me. Along with all the other side effects, there's a big lawsuit because it allegedly causes patients to commit suicide. Pretty serious stuff!!!

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    Senior Member shwankie's Avatar
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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    I had horrible adult acne for several years, and NOTHING helped. Topicals, antibiotics..nothing. Accutane was a wonder drug for me, seriously. I've been off of it for 5 years, and my skin is amazing. There are a few important things to note:

    1. Get a GOOD dermatologist. This means they should expect you to have monthly blood tests for cholesterol, triglycerides, etc. They'll see you monthly to discuss side effects and blood test results. They will tell you what to do to help mitigate side effects.

    2. In my state, you MUST be on birth control to be on Accutane, and have a doctor's slip proving at least a two-month course of hormonal bc before starting. You also must sign a waiver saying you're using a second method of birth control.

    3. Take vitamin E. It really helps with the dryness.

    4. Your derm should supply you with goodie-bags full of gentle cleanser, gentle moisturizers, sun block, etc. USE THEM.

    5. Take the full course, as directed. Some people, like my ex-husband, need a second course. I did not.

    6. Accutane can cause liver issues, etc. Hence, the monthly blood tests to catch this before it happens. If your derm does not insist on these tests, find another derm.

    7. if you are prone to depression, or on depression meds, Accutane is not for you. A good derm will ask you to keep a mood journal.

    8. If you do'nt have insurance coverage, be prepared forsticker shock. The meds, even the new generic, is about $300/month. That does not include monthly blood tests and doc visits.

    9. There are certain foods you should not eat. The derm will give you a list. Respect this list.

    I love my skin now. It's amazing. No lasting effects, I still have moist skin and not one breakout. My lips are soft and full, my eyes are fine, and so is my liver. Like any medication, this one carries risks and responsibilities. Do your research and find a good doctor who can help you make the decision. Many people do not consider acne a serious problem, but those who've battled it for years, who have scars, and/or whose business depends on their looks knows how detrimental it can be.

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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    be careful with bc pills if you have acne- some make it worse, some are known to make skin better.
    There's a site that tells which is which... lemme look and when I find it, I'll post.

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    Veteran Member TarynJolie's Avatar
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    Default Re: I'm considering Acutane... any advice?

    I used this ointment stuff called Aquaphor for chapped lips and other ultra dry areas. It helped so much during the treatment with the cracked corners of my mouth and just inside my nose.

    I have also read that it is recommended to women who suffer nipple irritation from nursing a baby. You can usually find it in any drugstore.

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