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Accutane?

#21
I hated accutane. Dried my joints out so bad that I couldn't work out. I've tried it all... proactiv, benzoyl peroxide, minocycline, etc and I suggest you guys try this out...

Use Cetaphil facial soap, its about the gentlest stuff there is.
Get your doctor to give you Clindamycin creme and Doxycycline pills

Works great, clear skin for the first time in years.
 
#23
Did a treatment with that last year, absolutely amazing stuff. I had cystic acne, and creams and antibiotics had done nothing. Cleared it right up, and my side effects were minimal, I just had to start carrying a tube of ChapStick for my lips and that was it.
 
#24
I was on a four month course of Accutane. My acne was friggin' horrible, I had it for years, like 5-6 huge pimples every day. Accutane got rid of my acne problem. The main side effect I experienced was dryness. Dry skin, dry lips, dry nose, dry hair, etc, but all you need is a good moisturizer and lip balm (I used Cetaphil and Blistex.) But IMO its worth it. I should tell you though, I've been off of it for about 4 months now and I'm starting to get acne again. No where near as bad as my acne was before, just whiteheads that go away in a day.
 
#25
For those of you who have been on it, did you have to hassle with your dermatologist, or did they start you out on something else first? In other words, if you don't have cystic acne, or anything totally severe, but it's bugging the hell out you, is it just a matter of asking, or do you have to get real aggressive or find a dermatologist that believes in giving you something that works the first time instead of mucking around.
 
#26
Skel said:
For those of you who have been on it, did you have to hassle with your dermatologist, or did they start you out on something else first? In other words, if you don't have cystic acne, or anything totally severe, but it's bugging the hell out you, is it just a matter of asking, or do you have to get real aggressive or find a dermatologist that believes in giving you something that works the first time instead of mucking around.
Click to expand...

The dermatologist brought it up. She said that I could continue with my current stuff (pads/face wash/cream... I had been using it for a few months on and off) or I could try accutane. I didn't have to push at all. She gave me a pamphlet and told me to sleep on it.

I didn't have any problems.
 
#27
Worked enough that acne (cystic too, here) totally disappeared, and today I don't even have scars left. It may not be a miracle solution for everyone, but it works enough to justify trying it.

The dermatologist told me about it first, pretty much like Keith.
 
#28
I was thinking of going on accutane. In fact, I was going to try and see a dermatoligist about it this week. Happy to see this thread pop up.

I'm a freshman in college and I started having bad acne around 6th grade. Tried proactiv - expensive and didn't give me any results. Freshman year of highschool I saw a dermatologist finally, and I've been taking various antibiotics ever since along with benzoyl peroxide creams. The prescription for those just ran out, and I'm strongly considering accutane for two reasons - it's a more permanent solution, and finally I could get rid of the acne on my back which I can't do with the benzoyl peroxide stuff - it bleaches fabric (far too embarassing to take off my shirt most days! :smug:)

I'm a little worried about depression and - didn't think of that bafore - but dry joints...?? I would hate to no longer be able to lift
 
#29
There's a 4-5 page long document describing all experienced side effects recorded. They are all very uncommon, but of course, altogether we end up getting each a little something. I have had some nosebleeds in the first month, and temporary eczema on the back of my hands. No dry joints for me.
 
#33
Well, I didn't exactly have to beg to get my treatment, but there was still some work involved. I went to one dermatologist who gave me a cream and antibiotics. That didn't work, so I dropped him and switched to another dermatologist, who put me on Accutane immediately once he heard about my experience with the other guy.
 
#36
Skel said:
For those of you who have been on it, did you have to hassle with your dermatologist, or did they start you out on something else first? In other words, if you don't have cystic acne, or anything totally severe, but it's bugging the hell out you, is it just a matter of asking, or do you have to get real aggressive or find a dermatologist that believes in giving you something that works the first time instead of mucking around.
Click to expand...
My Dermatologist tried other things first and only recommended accutane when the other stuff didn't get the results we were hoping for. I wouldn't consider that "mucking around". I call that being a responsible medical practicioner. Yes my acne was cystic and pretty severe. I was certainly given the impression accutane is a last resort and best used on severe cases only.
 
#37
Skel said:
maybe I missed this part, if I did, sorry. How long does it take to start working?
Click to expand...
YMMV, but it depends on the person and the dosage. Dosage becomes an issue for those whose side-effects were severe enough to warrant a dosage reduction. I didn't have to worry about that and also saw improvements in 2-3 weeks initially, followed by constant improvement over the 4 month treatment. By the end of it, my skin was damn near perfect. I was clearer than I thought I'd ever be.
 
#38
I used it 2 years cim and it worked well, although the acne is back now. Weird.

Also, around two years ago i began suffering from joint pains all over my body, but on doctor knows why, so i just live with it. I sometimes take NSAIDS to ease the pains when i do stuff like guarding while standing up with lots of heavy gear.
 
#39
Petebass said:
My Dermatologist tried other things first and only recommended accutane when the other stuff didn't get the results we were hoping for. I wouldn't consider that "mucking around". I call that being a responsible medical practicioner. Yes my acne was cystic and pretty severe. I was certainly given the impression accutane is a last resort and best used on severe cases only.
Click to expand...

Okay maybe "mucking around" was not the way to phrase it. It's just that I took my son to the dermatologist and she told us flat out, that with the stuff she was prescribing, he could expect a 30% reduction in his acne. On one hand I really appreciated that she told us what to expect. But on the other hand, 30% just didn't seem that great.

One of the reasons I started this thread is because I wanted to understand why Accutane would be considered a last resort and so far I'm reading that for at least 90% of the people using it, the side effects are dry skin, maybe some nose bleeds and stiff joints. I know for sure that the stuff she prescribed gives you very dry skin, so if the risk of what I'd consider to be serious side effects, suicidal thoughts, etc., is extremely low, and the benefit is a 100% reduction, which is what this lady told us, it just seemed like "why not go right to what really works?" My son even texted me yesterday while I was typing on this thread, asking me to please make an appt with the dermatologist. He was at his friends house who has been on accutane and now has perfect skin. Btw, his friend had to go back to her about 6 weeks later and say "this just isn't cutting it" after he tried her first treatment, which is most likely the same thing my son is on now. I wonder if "not cutting it" was 30% reduction.

Also I'm really glad for you that it worked, btw. I'm sure it's made a huge difference for you, and so many others, and eliminated a lot of emotional suffering.
 

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