• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Accutane?

#41
Skel said:
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.
Click to expand...
Ok I gotcha. From what I remember, the reluctance to go straight for the accutane is because of the increased workload it places on your liver. It seems the liver function blood tests are still part of the treatment, and even though no-one here has had any liver probems, all it takes in this litigious age is for one liver related health problem to be traced back to accutane, and the drug will immediately be banned. Considering there is no real replacement for it, that would be a tragedy in itself.

Should you bring it up with your dermatologist? I guess it can't hurt to ask, especially if you can show him you've done some research and can produce some facts to show you know the implications of what you're asking. The worst he can do is so no........
 
#42
Herrlster said:
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.
Click to expand...


Me too, I get small pimples once in a bluemoon. But the acne is definitely different than the cystic type I had before the treatment. I wonder if Accutane had changed the quality of my skin type to the point that the nature of my acne (if any) has also changed. I heard somewhere that Accutane helped you grow new skins from inside out.

Skel, Petebass is right in regards to Accutane being the last resort. I was getting blood tests every month, and I have to stop drinking to safe-guard my liver. But also, with Accutane, the acne could get worse before it gets better. During my 6 month course, the first 2 months I looked like Freddie Krueger, and have to be seen in public due to having to travel via subway to get to work. Believe me, I was avoiding eye contact at all cause.
 
#45
Just wanted to say "thanks" for all the input. I took my son to the dermatologist this morning. She didn't hesitate for a second and even recommended Accutane before I needed to ask her for it. She explained everything very well. She had us get his blood work done before he could even start on it, so I did that right afterwards. So, by tomorrow he'll be on it. She said that, at his amount of the drug, he won't get worse first. I guess I missed this part in the thread, but he takes this for 5 months or so, and that's it. Amazing. He's so psyched, and I'm so happy for him.
 
#47
I have a friend who went completely insane when he started taking Accutane. Thoughts of suicide and terrible depression -- his parents took him off it and he became himself again.

IMO it's possible to handle any kind of acne with either 1) properly cleansing the skin and/or 2) proper DIET.
 
#48
Lorenzini said:
IMO it's possible to handle any kind of acne with either 1) properly cleansing the skin and/or 2) proper DIET.
Click to expand...
That's a very common misconception, but it's like trying to cure depression with a Sienfeld DVD. There are millions of people worldwide for whom cleansing and diet have worked. Cystic acne in particular has more to do with hormonal imbalances than having dirty skin.
 
#49
Petebass said:
That's a very common misconception, but it's like trying to cure depression with a Sienfeld DVD. There are millions of people worldwide for whom cleansing and diet have worked. Cystic acne in particular has more to do with hormonal imbalances than having dirty skin.
Click to expand...

+1

I have cystic acne, and I could bathe 22 hours a day and spend the other 2 hours eating nothing but organic vegtables, and it would still persist. While it is true, for your standard puberty induced acne cleaning and diet will have a big impact, for severe cystic acne, not so much.
 
#50
FWIW the claims of depression and anxiety have never ONCE been scientifically linked to Accutance, Roaccutane or any of their variants. This misconception first came about after a depressed boy was given Accutane and then, unrealtedly, committed suicide. His Father was in a position to cause some headaches. once again there is no science behind possibilities of depression.
 
#51
theNoseBleedKid said:
FWIW the claims of depression and anxiety have never ONCE been scientifically linked to Accutance, Roaccutane or any of their variants. This misconception first came about after a depressed boy was given Accutane and then, unrealtedly, committed suicide. His Father was in a position to cause some headaches. once again there is no science behind possibilities of depression.
Click to expand...

As someone who experienced it, I can say that depression is a very real possible side effect.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back