• 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 freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

So I'm On Accutane Now

I had my first appointment with a dermatologist today. He said I have severe acne and recommended Accutane.

So now I'm on Accutane for 4 months, lets hope it works.

I guess I should prepare for

-dry skin

-dry eyes

-dry lips

-sore joints

-headaches

I can't drink anymore...this should be a fun 4 months.
 
man that stuff is harsh

have you seen the list of side effects?

Body as a Whole: allergic reactions, including vasculitis, systemic hypersensitivity (see PRECAUTIONS: Hypersensitivity), edema, fatigue, lymphadenopathy, weight loss

Cardiovascular: palpitation, tachycardia, vascular thrombotic disease, stroke

Endocrine/Metabolic: hypertriglyceridemia (see WARNINGS: Lipids), alterations in blood sugar levels (see PRECAUTIONS: Laboratory Tests)

Gastrointestinal: inflammatory bowel disease (see WARNINGS: Inflammatory Bowel Disease), hepatitis (see WARNINGS: Hepatotoxicity), pancreatitis (see WARNINGS: Lipids), bleeding and inflammation of the gums, colitis, esophagitis/esophageal ulceration, ileitis, nausea, other nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms

Hematologic: allergic reactions (see PRECAUTIONS: Hypersensitivity), anemia, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, rare reports of agranulocytosis (see PRECAUTIONS: PATIENT INFORMATION). See PRECAUTIONS: Laboratory Tests for other hematological parameters.

Musculoskeletal: skeletal hyperostosis, calcification of tendons and ligaments, premature epiphyseal closure, decreases in bone mineral density (see WARNINGS: Skeletal), musculoskeletal symptoms (sometimes severe) including back pain, myalgia, and arthralgia (see PRECAUTIONS: PATIENT INFORMATION), transient pain in the chest (see PRECAUTIONS: PATIENT INFORMATION), arthritis, tendonitis, other types of bone abnormalities, elevations of CPK/rare reports of rhabdomyolysis (see PRECAUTIONS: Laboratory Tests).

Neurological: pseudotumor cerebri (see WARNINGS: Pseudotumor Cerebri), dizziness, drowsiness, headache, insomnia, lethargy, malaise, nervousness, paresthesias, seizures, stroke, syncope, weakness

Psychiatric: suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, suicide, depression, psychosis, aggression, violent behaviors (see WARNINGS: Psychiatric Disorders), emotional instability

Of the patients reporting depression, some reported that the depression subsided with discontinuation of therapy and recurred with reinstitution of therapy.

Reproductive System: abnormal menses

Respiratory:bronchospasms (with or without a history of asthma), respiratory infection, voice alteration

Skin and Appendages: acne fulminans, alopecia (which in some cases persists), bruising, cheilitis (dry lips), dry mouth, dry nose, dry skin, epistaxis, eruptive xanthomas,7 flushing, fragility of skin, hair abnormalities, hirsutism, hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation, infections (including disseminated herpes simplex), nail dystrophy, paronychia, peeling of palms and soles, photoallergic/photosensitizing reactions, pruritus, pyogenic granuloma, rash (including facial erythema, seborrhea, and eczema), sunburn susceptibility increased, sweating, urticaria, vasculitis (including Wegener's granulomatosis; see PRECAUTIONS: Hypersensitivity), abnormal wound healing (delayed healing or exuberant granulation tissue with crusting; see PRECAUTIONS: PATIENT INFORMATION)

Special Senses
Hearing
hearing impairment (see WARNINGS: Hearing Impairment), tinnitus.

Vision
corneal opacities (see WARNINGS: Corneal Opacities), decreased night vision which may persist (see WARNINGS: Decreased Night Vision), cataracts, color vision disorder, conjunctivitis, dry eyes, eyelid inflammation, keratitis, optic neuritis, photophobia, visual disturbances

Urinary System
glomerulonephritis (see PRECAUTIONS: Hypersensitivity), nonspecific urogenital findings (see PRECAUTIONS: Laboratory Tests for other urological parameters)

Laboratory
Elevation of plasma triglycerides (see WARNINGS: Lipids), decrease in serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, elevations of serum cholesterol during treatment

Increased alkaline phosphatase, SGOT (AST), SGPT (ALT), GGTP or LDH (see WARNINGS: Hepatotoxicity)

Elevation of fasting blood sugar, elevations of CPK (see PRECAUTIONS: Laboratory Tests), hyperuricemia

Decreases in red blood cell parameters, decreases in white blood cell counts (including severe neutropenia and rare reports of agranulocytosis; see PRECAUTIONS: PATIENT INFORMATION), elevated sedimentation rates, elevated platelet counts, thrombocytopenia

White cells in the urine, proteinuria, microscopic or gross hematuria

Not to mention:

Birth defects which have been documented following Accutane exposure include abnormalities of the face, eyes, ears, skull, central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and thymus and parathyroid glands. Cases of IQ scores less than 85 with or without other abnormalities have been reported. There is an increased risk of spontaneous abortion, and premature births have been reported.

Documented external abnormalities include: skull abnormality; ear abnormalities (including anotia, micropinna, small or absent external auditory canals); eye abnormalities (including microphthalmia); facial dysmorphia; cleft palate. Documented internal abnormalities include: CNS abnormalities (including cerebral abnormalities, cerebellar malformation, hydrocephalus, microcephaly, cranial nerve deficit); cardiovascular abnormalities; thymus gland abnormality; parathyroid hormone deficiency. In some cases death has occurred with certain of the abnormalities previously noted.
 
Dude.

Acne sucks.

I have two friends who are just freakin SCARRED by their acne. Their necks and shoulders look like lunar craters. It's a terrible thing to deal with, especially the hit to self-esteem it creates.


I ain't exactly the poster-child for glorious complexions or a runway model myself. But I kept up with my acne by just poppin' the zits and then soaking them with rubbing alcohol. Two days later, just fine. It's kind of like, the skin can't heal if it is swollen with the infected pus, and the body doesn't just reabsorb that stuff like a scar or scab, so it needs help getting rid of the stuff. I dunno if you do that, but it seemed to keep my skin in check.
 
I had my first appointment with a dermatologist today. He said I have severe acne and recommended Accutane.

So now I'm on Accutane for 4 months, lets hope it works.

I guess I should prepare for

-dry skin

-dry eyes

-dry lips

-sore joints

-headaches

I can't drink anymore...this should be a fun 4 months.

I had bad acne when I was a kid, I'd say verging on severe at times. Same thing, creams and ointments didn't really do jack.

You've probably already heard this, but watch your diet and don't smoke ciggarettes (or be in smokey environments), and wash often. If you are athletic keep a towel with you when you sweat and wipe it off, and shower as soon as you can.

Don't know how old you are, but when I got into my twenties my acne slowly started to go away.
 
Yeah. DIET IS THE KEY. People will tell you this is bunk and that it's never been scientifically tested and proven.

But THAT's bunk. Do this for 1 week and tell me your acne doesn't start to clear up: Don't eat wheat, corn, rice or yeast products. That means no bread unless it's made of spelt or millet. Don't eat sugar, you can only eat granny smith apples (the green tart ones) and pure cranberry juice, no dairy but I believe plain yogurt is OK. No fried products or oil heavy products.

You may eat veggies and meat and nuts (no peanuts).

It may be hard but try it for a week and your acne will show marked improvement. After that you can continue that diet which is very healthy, and if you eat spelt or millet bread you won't miss anything except for sugar, which crashes you anyways. Or you could just watch your diet very closely and eat sensibly, never gorging on fried foods and sugar.

A lot of acne medications can really **** you up and some can even mess with your emotions, I had a friend begin being suicical because he was taking a very hardcore acne medication... The doctor blamed the meds.


Other than that, wash your face every night before going to bed, keep your face clean during the day (avoid touching it unless your hands are very clean).
 
I took Accutane as a teenager, it helped turn my life around. Seriously, having one or two zits a month is one thing but if your face is half covered it can be a traumatizing thing.

Lets get an understanding here first shall we:

Isotretinoin (INN) (IPA: [ˌaɪsoʊˈtrɛtənoʊɪn]) is a medication used for the treatment of severe acne. It is sometimes used in prevention and treatment of certain skin cancers. It is a retinoid, meaning it derives from vitamin A and is found in small quantities naturally in the body.

Isotretinoin noticeably reduces the production of sebum and shrinks the sebaceous glands. It stabilizes keratinization and prevents comedones from forming. The exact mechanism of action is unknown, however it is known that like other retinoids, Isotretinoin works by altering DNA transcription.[3] This effect decreases the size and output of sebaceous glands, makes the cells that are sloughed off into the sebaceous glands less sticky, and therefore less able to form comedones.

Sebaceous glands secrete an oily substance called sebum (Latin, meaning fat or tallow) that is made of fat (lipids) and the debris of dead fat-producing cells. In the glands, sebum is produced within specialized cells and is released as these cells burst; sebaceous glands are thus classified as holocrine glands.

Sebum is odorless, but its bacterial breakdown can produce odors. Sebum is the cause of some people experiencing "oily" hair if it is not washed for several days. Earwax is partly composed of sebum.

Sebum acts to protect and waterproof hair and skin, and keep them from becoming dry, brittle and cracked. It can also inhibit the growth of microorganisms on skin.

So if your if your glands are producing way too much oil, hormones are going freaking crazy, etc.; this drug is a nice way to pimp slap your glands back into shape.

Be careful, drink water, get regular tests done.
 
Mine was too severe for that. Tried creams and antibiotics, neither worked, the Accutane was the only thing strong enough to knock it out.

oh the creams and doctors visits and always the same answers... just try this cream

me - can i try accutane?

doc - no. but try this cream and lets get you this on some antibiotics.

Over and over for about 4 years until someone let me try accutane. Then suddenly no acne. For me it was like a miracle. :cool:
 
oh the creams and doctors visits and always the same answers... just try this cream

me - can i try accutane?

doc - no. but try this cream and lets get you this on some antibiotics.

Over and over for about 4 years until someone let me try accutane. Then suddenly no acne. For me it was like a miracle. :cool:

+1

I was on it almost 20 years ago for about 5 months. Dry lips, and that was about it. It was amazing how effective it was. Seriously, it was like magic.