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Fri Feb 22, 2008 11:54 pm  |
| Mydaughter has bad acne,we have been going to the dr for 2 yrs,nothing works.Took her to a dermatologist:he took 1 loook at her and said she could benefit from accutane.I know its strong stuff but I dont know what else to do we have tried everything and I am afraid continue eruptions will give her permanent scars. The dr did say you only go on it for 5 mos;after that you stop and it permanently shrinks the oil glands so you dont need to use it anymore.Anyone used this?Did it help you? |
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Sat Feb 23, 2008 8:24 am |
| I used this over 25 years ago. The side effects and birth defects weren't as well known back then but I did just fine. Just make sure you do your due diligence on this and have blood tests done to monitor her while on it. It can be a lifesaver when prescribed by the right doctor. |
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Joined the 50 club several years back, blonde w/ fair/sensitive skin, Texas humidity and prone to rosacea, light breakouts and sunburns, combo skin type, starting to see sundamage and fine lines |
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Sat Feb 23, 2008 9:18 am |
I was on accutaine in my 20's and if I could go back and re-do something it would be to not try this drug. It did clear my acne, however, it has had longer term negative impact on my joints, as your joints are affected by the drug as well. My cousin noticed the same thing in her back.
The acne also comes back as accutaine isn't a permanent remedy. When it returned in my late 20's, I used blue light and Skintactix products and together they worked marvelously. Its possible to get blue light units for home use now so you don't have to go to the dermatologist for treatment! |
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Sat Feb 23, 2008 12:23 pm |
| how much is the blue lite and where to buy? |
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Sun Feb 24, 2008 1:42 pm |
I have been on Accutane 3 different times...each time the worst side affect is that Accutane dries out ALL your mucus membranes.
Worked GREAT on the acne...but stock up on lots of lip balm!! I don't wear contacts, but understand dry eyes can be an issue. Had 1 tiny nose bleed, but that was it.
I had great doctors that monitored dosage and it worked like a charm!
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Sun Feb 24, 2008 2:54 pm |
good to know, my daughter has had horrible acne,tried everything nothing worked...this is the last resort,this has been devastating for her self esteem I think.  |
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Mon Feb 25, 2008 2:18 pm |
I really feel for your daughter. I had serious acne a few years ago, at that time, my self esteem was at all time low. I was on Accutane twice, the first treatment worked like miracle, my skin was clear after two months. A few months after the first treatment, I got a few pimples, I panicked and felt I needed a second one, which was really unneccessary. After the two treatments, I still got a few pimples occasionally, but nothhing like before. Now, my eyes are dryer than before, but I don't wear contact lenses, so it doesn't really bother me. If I need to go back, I would take the treatment again without a doubt.
If your daughter decide to take Accutane, make sure to find a good doctor. A good doctor should do a blood test with her every month while on Accutane. Also, be prepare for super dry lips and skin. |
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Mon Feb 25, 2008 5:20 pm |
| Yeah accutane is where you're directed if the prescription creams aren't working. It definitely works but as everyone knows the side effects can be long lasting and permanent. I was on a very low dose so the side effects weren't bad but it still worked. I didn't stay on it long for fear of long term effects, so in the end for me the effects were not permanent. |
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Mon Feb 25, 2008 8:22 pm |
Long lasting Side effects? Like what?
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Mon Feb 25, 2008 8:56 pm |
Long lasting Side effects? Like what?
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Mon Feb 25, 2008 11:36 pm |
I guess I shouldn't have worded it that way... It has the potential to have harmful side effects so careful monitoring is required. My doctor said in the long run, accutane which is a vitamin A derivative, could damage my liver (that's why you take constant blood tests) so I decided just to stop it all together. I mean its a drug that can cause birth defects right? So overall its pretty harsh on the body if you look at that way. Google the side effects I guess if your worried?
I forgot to say before to the Original Poster: have you guys tried Clindoxyl yet? Its supposed to be a newer topical cream/gel on the market and it works pretty well. Its the only thing that worked for me after everything imaginable. But its an antibiotic so it has the potential to stop working after a period of time (from what I've read on the net). |
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Tue Feb 26, 2008 10:08 am |
| The side effects are pretty scary, but I read that acne can come back after stopping treatment with Accutane? Seems like the side effects are not worth it if eventually your skin's gonna go back to what it was before. Do some people get long term results after stopping treatment? |
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Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:49 am |
| yes my dr said after 5 mos u stop treatment because it shrinks the oil glands and you get massive breakouts anymore. |
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Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:50 am |
| pardon me,but I meant to say you DONT get massive breakouts anymore |
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Tue Feb 26, 2008 9:49 pm |
I completed a course of roaccutane (aus) about 2.5yrs ago. The absolute best thing I ever did and would do it again in a heart beat.
I suffered from mild acne ie. no pitting...just very localised boil like pimples around hair line, jaw line. while on the BCP - Diane, all was ok. But once I came off it, the cystic pimples came back. they looked awful and hurt.
In my early 20's I went to a dermo, who basically put the fear of God in me about Roaccutane and I decided that I shouldn't take it...fastforward to 35, nothing much has changed and I'm still cystic. My self confidence was shot....deflated spirit and very very very over the whole thing. I went to a very good dermatologist her in melbourne and just said...help, I can't do this anymore. He agreed.
I took a course of roaccutane over a period of 8 months. started on 20mg a day and built up to an eventual dose of 80mg ( sounds about right..one tablet is 20mg). It basically shuts down your oil system ... which for me was brilliant. I abs loved it. Imagine wearing makeup and the makeup stays on your face...brilliant. And my hair was normal....didn't have to wash it for over a week.
I believe your dermo can perhaps have you take a lower dose over a longer period of time if you find the side effects difficult to cope with...but of course discuss this with your dermo.
There are side effects...you many experience none of them...you may experience some, you may experience all. The main thing is to have all the information you need before you start and be aware of what you might experience...and have a dermatologist that you can work with...not someone who sends you off and then are done with you.
It's a drug that has been used for a long time...over 20yrs...yes there are side effects but most things have side effects and people still do it/them eg. smoking. For some people it is the only thing that will work. No food, skincare will resolve acne...it is a skin disease and should be treated as such.
I had a total of 3 blood tests during that time. Mainly cholesterol checks as Roaccutane affects your liver and you can experience raised cholesterol levels...so need to keep an eye on that. The initial blood test also ensured I was not pregnant.
You may also need to go take BCP as you 100% need to avoid pregnancy. I didn't take BCP as for other medical reasons I had to come off it.
My side effects were...
. dry cracked lips (fairly common) but keep a lip balm on hand at all times.
. cracked nostrils - I kept moisturising.
. towards the end I had a fair bit of hair loss...but it did grow back. bit like what happens post pregnancy with hormone fluctuations.
.positive side effect was my eczema (bacterial folliculitis) on my back cleared...just being oil free allowed it to clear and it has stayed clear.
My acne has not come back. I do get the occasional small white head... but I can cope with that.
My body oil has returned but is nowhere near as bad as it was. It does shrink your oil glands .... but you might get some oil back..you may not. (I'd do another course just to shut them down a bit more )
My hair has grown back.
My dermo did tell me at the time that most people do respond to 1 course of treatment...there are people that don't respond and may need to do another course.
So I think if you armed with all the right information and your expectations are realistic you should have a safe and positive outcome.
Had I know what a difference it would make to my self esteem I would have done it yrs ago.
sorry for long post...but I feel strongly about this...I 'put up' with my acne for yrs due to other peoples fear of roaccutane...and I could have been acne free yrs and yrs ago. |
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Wed Feb 27, 2008 4:17 am |
| Thabkyou so much for your very informative experience with rogaine. My daughter has had devastating breakouts for 2 yrs....nothing has worked,this is our last resort. I think if youtake lecithin,oat bran that will help the cholestrol, and maybe taking milk thistle will help to cleanse the liver...I know in hospitals they use it to detox the liver. |
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Wed Feb 27, 2008 7:26 pm |
hihihihi...not rogaine....rogaine is the hair thing. I'm talking about roaccutane. It's sold as roaccutane in australia but is the same thing as accutane.
The raised cholesterol may or may not happen. My levels were in the excellent range before I started...I didn't change my diet at all....next blood test it had gone from 3.9 to 4.5 which was still perfectly normal...but just needed to keep an eye on it.
I was also told that my acne could get worse before it gets better while on meds....mine didn't get worse...just got better.
Some people also experience depression. Not sure if that effect is enhanced if you are predisposed to depression in the first place. I certainly didn't have any depression...I was ecstatic that my face improved sooo much, I was also 35 at the time, so in a very diff place mentally...not sure how old your daughter is.. of course everyone is diff...as I said.. be aware of everything and keep an eye on things.
Best of luck. |
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Wed Feb 27, 2008 10:58 pm |
| i did one month of accutane and found the bone pain a little too much, so i stopped. However, my skin looked great and was good a few months after. I would have loved to stay on it but it was affecting my school and i had to make a choice. |
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Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:40 am |
I was on Accutane twice -- when my acne was totally out of control from stress. I litereally was not going out of the house -- I was afraid I'd get burned at the stake for harboring demons.
I had no side effects at all, that I can recall. Dry lips, perhaps, but nothing in comparison to the improvement in my skin.
I say give your daughter the treatment, and monitor it, is all. The scarring from acne (inside your head) is devastating. And good for you for caring. My parents dismissed my woes as vanity, and it took years for me to recover. . . |
_________________
tenderlovingwork.com, astonishing handmade gifts |
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Thu Feb 28, 2008 4:51 am |
| My real concern is the potential for scarring.Let me tell you acne scarring is very difficult to fix,even with today's technology it is very difficult and very expensive to try to eliminate scars,in many cases it cant be fixed..walking around with a pocked marked face the rest of your life could surely damage self esteem.I do wish I had pushed for accutane 2 yrs ago but drs just gave me a bunch of sh-- and would not prescribe it...I think they are really afraid of getting sued over it especially if you get pregnant and your baby is deformed.I am so glad I finally found one who actually suggested trying it. |
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Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:21 am |
My daughter started on accutane last month and the results have been significant. She too had tried just about EVERYTHING, i.e., antibiotics and prescription topicals, natural products from GOW, dietary modifications with no results. She researched Accutane for months, but by the time she started on it, the scarring had begun. It takes over two months of prepartion before it can even be prescribed. After one month she has not had one single eruption and her self esteem has improved dramatically. She has noticed only slight drying of her lips but no other side effects. It probably helps that she drinks massive amounts of water every day. We are in the process of researching acne scar removal once she ends her Accutane treatment.
Botton line: If she had to do it all over again, she would have started the Accutane treatment earlier, before scarring occurred. |
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blonde, blue eyes, fair, normal/dry skin, 53 |
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Thu Feb 28, 2008 8:04 am |
I went on accutane as a teen myself. I do not regret taking it. It worked well for a few years. Now, years later, I sometimes get pimples, but nothing embarrassing or long lasting.
However, as most people have noted above, there are several precautions one should take.
Not only did I use Visine to remedy my itchy blood-shot eyes, use a lubricant in my painfully dry nose, bathe with mild cleansers, and constantly moisturize with SPF creams (neutrogena), but there are also some serious psychological side effects, such as irritability and depression.
Just watch your daughters mood (especially in the beginning during the adjustment) and take all precautions...she'll be fine and I'm sure she'll benefit from the treatment! |
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Sat Mar 01, 2008 11:17 am |
I've been on 3 6-month rounds of accutane...and sadly, I still breakout. The breakouts aren't as bad, but I rarely am completely pimple free. I rarely get the deep painful ones anymore. I'm still oily, and I didn't find accutane helped control the oiliness once I came off. During my courses, I was quite flaky, had nosebleeds, and painfully chapped lips (one course was during the winter months in canada...ouch!)
At the very least, I am glad that it helped with body acne and taking care of the giant pimples that always left scars. I can deal with the pimples, its the deep pitted scars and hyperpigmentation that are the real problems.
Most people I know who have been on accutane have significant results on their first round...or at least by the second round. I've given up on accutane myself, as it doesn't seem to be doing anything for me |
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Sat Mar 01, 2008 12:14 pm |
you might wnt to try YAZ thats the new BC pill formulated to help acne.What about blue light therapy to kill the bacteria so you dont break out so badly?You can buy a blue light on the internet....Sadly some drs just dont seem so sympathetic they dont realize how emotionally devastating it is to have really bad skin!  ;my daughter styles her hair to hang over one side of her face and I think its because she is trying to hide her pimples. |
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Sun Mar 02, 2008 7:11 pm |
I'm on low-dose Accutane for mild (but extremely persistent) acne and folliculitis.
It's been a miracle.
I took 10 mg/day for 60 days and now take only 40 mg/week. My skin is perfectly clear. No side effects. |
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