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Hi, Im 21, and have had acne since I was 12. I tried every antibiotic, every OTC med, every perscription, Accutane and BC. MY derm even said my skin was stubborn! As with everyone else, the accutance worked for about a year, my back and shoulders stayed clear for a few years- but now, 4 years after the accutane, I get the cysts all over, and little white bumps on my chin and forehead... almost worse than before- even the nasties at the jawline OUCH!

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I was on accutane several times, and each time it has come back, so at least for me, it isn't worth going on anymore. (It only took me 4-5 times of being on it to realize my acne kept coming back)
Anyway, If it didn't work the first time, I doubt it will work the second time

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i too was on accutane and it was absolute hell as well. After a year of being off the accutane my acne began to come back... slow at first then it got worse... i am almost 24 now and dont think i should be getting acne anymore but hey sucks to be me.....

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I stopped taking accutane 2 years ago. Since , my skin is worst than it has never been. My face now gets extremely dry in the morning when I wake up and EVERY time I shower or wash my face ( even if I use lots of moisturizers and twice a day).It means flare-ups all the time. Accutane has destroy the capacity of my skin to retain its hydratation. If I could travel back time , I would not use that stuff. Consider taking accutane only if you are a desesperated case.

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Unfortunately, I cannot take Accutane. I tried it for one week, and I had to stop because it was causing bad GI side effects. But that is not a blanket statement. Just because some people cannot take it doesn't mean that you should not try.

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I resorted to Accutane 4 years ago because antibiotics were becoming less effective. It was very harsh for my system - I lost 30% of my vision (came back after discontinuing medication), developed dizziness, headaches and vertigo. I was sent to specialists to test for brain tumors/swelling. I stayed on the medication because I felt I did not want to waste what I had already invested in time and money (expensive!) Afterwards I wish I had never encountered this drug. My skin started to breakout again after one month. So I ended up on topicals and oral antibiotic again. Unfortunately, Accutane is NOT a cure for most people, just another temporary fix that wears off. If you do try it and start to experience side effects, it may not be worth the trouble. I stayed on minocin until I started treatment for infertility. Pregnancy cured my acne, but now after 18 months of breastfeeding, I am back at the dermatologist office, gradually developing a poor complexion.

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I ama also and adult that breaks out with acne. I have tried Accutane for 1 week, and had to discontinue because it contributed to migraines,, I wish there was a cure and yes I have tried it all. I may try accutane again but I am really scared of the drug.. to many side effects, but they say it works and clears for life.

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i went on it once upon a time it chapped my lips so bad that the skin peeled off and my eyes were so blood shot i looked like i was smoking phat sacks who else knows what damage accutane did to me oh yeah my chest and stomach is kind of discolored from it too pimps sucks two big ones ok. I kind of remember when i took it i had this distinct smell i guess this was the smell of the drug when the gel capsule melted away well i could smell in my throat and worst of all when i had gas which was often it smelled like it so heres my experience with it no joke here this is what i went through

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Acutane is SO dangerous, like maybe not for *everybody* but it was awful for me, probably the worst experience I've ever had in my life and the side efects caused me the most unbelievable pain and sadness I've ever felt. I never thought that *I* would say something like this -because I *hate* my acne (who doesn't) and would do *anything* to have my dreamed clear face- but I'd rather HAVE acne than going through the acutane HELL again. It was really bad for me...
I had to stop after 2 months[/URL], because my body couldn't take it. I was also taking it with Diane -a birth control pill, that my dermatologyst(sp?) recomended- so the side effects were awful. I don't want to scare you at all, as I said I know ppl with really good results, but for me it was *hell* I couldnt stand from my bed for like a week and couldn't leave my house for like a month, I was always weak, with lots of nausea and headaches and I remember spending like a week without being able to *poo* -because it dries you up, that's why you're supoused to drink LOTS of water while on it- I had to visit like 4 diferent doctors that prescribed like a hundred of medicines but none of them worked, 'cause I got a permanent damamge in the last portion of my intestine (like a hole in one of it's sides) that hurted like you have no idea, I remember crying for days because the pain was so strong... It's been a year since that, I became a vegetarian after that and I believe my intestine has healed 'cause I don't feel pain anymore (after 6 months of treatments). Besides everything and after all I went through, it's sad to say, but the acne is still there...

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I took accutane twice. I had acne since 13 had tried everything, and finally went on accutane at age 20 (when my skin was at its absolute worst), it really cleared my skin, no more zits or even oily skin. Then about 4 months later the oily skin and zits came back. My skin was like a yo-yo for the next 2 years and then finally the acne came back pretty bad at age 23. So I went back on accutane and my skin cleared up again, althouh this time the side-effects were pretty bad. My eyes hurt and were dry as hell, as well as my lips and skin, cracking, and I really think it affected my vision as I usually see things a little more blurry since taking it. Well right after I stopped my skin got really oily and greasy again.....god it was/is so depressing!! Then about a month ago I started getting acne again. I don't know what to say about this drug....it is so nice to have nice skin for 3-4 months, but after you jepordize your health, spend your time and money and your skin goes back....well I just think it's awful because at one point you have nice skin and that just makes it worse to have bad skin again.

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Please please read this!
Ok I have been considereing taking accutane because I am frusterated with my acne.. so I read up on it on the internet. Apparently MANY people want to SUE the makers of the drug because it causes permanent baldness.... not in everyone, I don't want to cause unneeded stress in those that have already taken it. But please read on:
I went to the site http://www.hairsite.com/female/dissgroup.htm
which is like this one -- only it's for baldness, not acne, and there are TONS of people who report a connection here and say they wish they never took the drug because they would rather have bad skin than be almost bald. Especially girls of course. The hairloss apparently gets really bad after many years after you stop taking the drug, but can be devasting during treatment as well. Please spread the word, in my opinion only use the drug as a LAST LAST LAST resort. I have moderate to bad acne but I have decided to avoid this drug. ALSO FOR ANYONE WHO IS ALREADY LOSING HAIR, there's no use in worrying, but you may choose to take Biotin (B-H) supplements... PLEASE TALK TO A DOCTOR OR ASK THE PHARMACIST FIRST, 'cause I am not doctor, I just want to help you guys.

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I´ve completed my course of accutane and still get zits.

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I think that it is a toss of the dice, and one is gambling their health. I took Accutane, and quit after 9 weeks, due to bad side effects (24-7 headaches, severe dermatitis, joint pains, fatigue, etc.), and the fear that I was being damaged by it. I've had joint problems and chronic fatigue since the mid '80's, which I suspect could be due to having been on Accutane. I just think it weakened my system. My face stayed pretty clear for a couple of years and then the acne came back worse than ever. Some people who go through the full course either don't clear or have their acne come back. Some people feel that it has really damaged their health in many ways, some go bald, etc. I can understand why anyone would take Accutane anyway, though, because acne can be so psychologically devastating, but it is a gamble, and not a decision to be made lightly. I am doing better since I stopped using all drugs and am using a regime of natural topical products and supplements

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Accutane affected my sight - lost about 25-30% according to the eye doctor, although this side effect went away within 3 weeks of finishing the treatment. However, I couldn't see well enough to drive, so my husband had to do all the driving, including taking me to work. Also, contact lens became quite painful because of the dryness, so be careful.

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Guys ive been on accutain for freakin 4 months.... since JULY.... im takin 40mg every night and my face is exactly the same as before... what is going on? everytime i see my derm... all he says is "youre looking better heres your next months priscription...." so what am i to do? keep takin it or what?

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If anybody lives in Michigan and watched the news lately. A high school student who's father is a Senetor had been taking accutane. Few weeks after taking accutane he commited suicide from depression. This just happen 12/5/00. Just thought I share the news with you.

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I have been on Accutane for 7 days. I know that is not enough time to see anything (although my lips and eyes are extremely dry).
Anyway, I am seriously considering suicide. I asked my relgion teacher yestereday if I would go to hell (well not ME, but anyone) and he said he saw no real reason why I would.
I am extremely depressed. I just want it over. My face is not THAT bad right now, it has certainly been worse. However, I am just not able to fight it anymore. I see all the other people with clear skin, and I am not. I don't feel I belong. I just want to die.
Don't feel sorry for me if I do, I just want it over.
...
I have had a lot of radical thoughts lately. Sometimes I just want to kill myself, sometimes I think that Acne isn't so bad. I mean, I have a of friends at school now, probably more than before….
…I am still fighting the demons. I really feel that suicide is the right choice, but you know, human instinct always takes over. Please pray for me, whatever my descion.
...
Hi, I have been on Accutane for 25 days.
It would seem to be working all right, I have been getting fewer pimples and some of the old ones are fading.
5 days ago, I started on 2 a day, meaning 80 mg.
I have noticed a lot of side effects and I am wondering if these are normal.
Lots of skin peeling. It is bad, but at the same time it appears to be taking some of the scars with it.
Unusual sleep paterns. I can't sleep at night, sleep during the day.
SEVERE chaping of the lips. I woke up this morning spiting out parts of my lip.
...
I just about have given up on Accutane, I have been on it 9 1/2 weeks and I am still getting new acne. I am on 80 MG and I am thinking about asking for 120 MG or doing something else. I am really disgusted. I am thinking about quiting college for the semeseter

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All the dryness that was originally on my face has gone away, now my elbows and arms are getting real dry but my face is almost oily again. I can say that I am starting to see some improvement as the pimples are getting smaller and less defined. Though I am getting these big swullen clusters on my lower neck and chin that have been there for about 2 weeks. Otherwise I can say it has started to work a little for me, I can only wait and see what it does for me
...
Im roundin around week 12, where my doctor said if the Accutane hasn't shown "signifigant" improvement that we will have to look elsewhere for treatment.
My eyes have been bothering me with my contacts, I will stay out late and driving home is a ##### cuz they just hurt so bad, but its nothing I cant live with. My arms are getting real bad rashes on them that just seem to come and go every day. My face is getting that dryness back that it first had 8 weeks ago, which isnt really a problem. I am still getting a few zits though, not really as often, I once in a while will get a cyst on my cheek and a few elsewhere but I can tell it isnt nearly as bad as the old days where I would wake up and find a whole new colony. I havnt seen much "improvement" in the past 3 weeks it is just not getting much worse, I still have the bad spots on my cheeks and those seem to be stubborn in getting better. And I think the depression is getting worse, all I do is just sleep all day and mope about something. I just dont really have any motivation. But Ill deal with it as long as my acne will start to clear up...
...
I am near the end of my 10th week of accutane and it was looking good, then all of the sudden I just had a horrible breakout! I just wasnt expecting this which is why it is so tormenting...!
...
My mood swings have gotten out of control, I am happy, then really depressed then paranoid all within 10 minutes, I am always tired during the day and hyper at night, I am off schedule on everything, the accutane really isnt showing any results yet. My cholesterol went up 50 points and they were thinking of taking me off it
But IM still on 40mgx2 a day, im hoping I can just get my acne over with, because i cant stand being depressed like this
...
I can honestly say that for a few days I saw some nice improvement and thought I was on the final path, I really do notice that there is a lack of cysts and pimples that "stick out" on my face, but it still looks awful. Every Inch of my arms and hands looks like an alligator with orangeish reddish scales that are infesting me. I have tried over a dozen lotions and all they seem to do is take away the itching and make the markings more noticeable. I guess It is nice not having to pick my face in the morning since there is nothing I can do with the ugly blotches and marks that look just as bad, My face looks like a normal face with Acne just 2-d
Though the cysts and such are gone my face dosent really look any more appealing, the markings are still very noticeable, and in the past 3 days I have begun to get cysts again!!!
I thought I was past this but 3 new ones appeared, I am getting really worried hearing of all these success stories and I dont see how it can make it look worthwhile in the prescribed time (18 weeks)
I just have the dread, what if Accutane dosent work, what next....No more creams and crap.....I thought Accutane was supposed to be a last resort, but what if the last resort fails?
I cant really tell if the mood swings is Accutane but I suspect as they just appeared during my treatment. My body is looking really horrible though, I am afraid to show my arms and legs in public and all my friends think I am a meth addict, My face is bright red and extremly pale circles under my eyes and around my lips...

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I can speak through experience and Accutane does cause hair loss. Wasn't a miracle either. The side effects were definitely not worth it.

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A few years ago I was on accutane and after a month I came up with a TERRIBLE headache. It was so bad that my eyes were almost swelled shut and I could barely see. I went to my regular doctor (not my dermatologist) because I thought it may have been my sinuses because I had just been there for a sinus infection and it felt like sinus headaches that I'd had before and so he sent me to have a catscan at the hospital. Nothing came up and so after I explained to him I was on accutane and for how long, he researched it and concluded that I had psuedotumor cerebri, which is basically a swollen brain. My dermatologist told me that's what it was too and actually yelled at me for not telling her as soon as I got the headache. I stopped taking accutane and I'll never take it again. I know that happens to very few people and I know people who've been on it two or three times without any problems which is fine.

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I did a course of accutane after I had become resistant to antibiotics, and I started to break out again after a month, I also had side effects continue for about 6 months. STAY AWAY from accutane if your acne is hormonal - accutane is too toxic for someone who has a body already out of balance.

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I finished 2 weeks on accutane and I have broke out already. My derm has told me there is no set time for the break out to start, but that on average most people start 1 or 2 months in. In my case it just depends on my body.

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I took Roaccutane 11 years ago and ever since have suffered from chronic health problems. These problems are due to chronic hypervitaminosis A. Many people are finding that side effects emerging during therapy are remaining for years after therapy stops and that new side effects appear for the first time years after therapy finished. Our new website http://www.roaccutanesurvivors.com has information regarding Accutane/Roaccutane and long-term side effects that result.

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I took Roaccutane and like others went through the first few months of trauma to finally having a few month of clarity only to find it acne coming back.

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I'm going to turn 18 tomorrow and I've had severe cystic acne since (literally the day i turned) 15. It has pretty much ruined my life. Any and all medicines have not taken care of it, only temporarily. I will soon be ending my THIRD 6-month routine of accutane, and just last month I had a huge cyst on my neck (these things will NOT go away). Now I can't disrespect accutane, because I haven't had any "regular" pimples in a long time, but I still get one or two cysts all the time (they come and go), which is just terrible (they often get very large)

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I was prescribed accutane at 13 years old and was on it as long as I could be. Yes it cleared up my acne; however, it has since returned. Now I have high cholesterol and triglycerides and kidney problems which are things they watch for while on it.

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I have been off Accutane for 3 years. Ever since getting off Accutane I have bad ingrown hairs on my face, (beard area).

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I was also on Accutane but it was an absolute disaster for me as it threw me into a deep depression and I nearly committed suicide.

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I have been on accutane 3 times in my life and it sucked, and my acne would always come back.

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I wasn't sure whether to post this under mixed results or bad results... maybe I'll do both.
I was speaking with my brother's wife today about acne in general and she informed me that she went on Accutane about 5 or more years ago (in her early 20's). She took it because of the cysts on her back, although her face was relatively clear. Now... it cleared up her back acne and it hasn't returned, but she said this about it:
She regrets ever going on Accutane. She now has scars all around her mouth and below her chin because the medicine caused her to actually LOSE the top layer of skin so that she looked like a horror freak show with no skin. It did so much damage that she has really deep, long scars all around her mouth area.
Furthermore, her entire skin complexion changed. She said growing up she was always rather dark with great tanning ability. NOw she only burns since taking the drug.
Also, she got many nosebleeds while taking the drug, and they continue to plague her to this day... 5 or more years later. She also experienced depression, but at the time thought it was due to something else.
But she doesn't have the acne anymore.

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I took it many years ago, it did stop the cystic aspect of my acne, which was a blessing, since I didn't get any more scars after that. My skin started to break out in the middle of the treatment, so it didn't cure my acne, but I'm glad it got rid of the cysts. I did get some pretty distressing side-effects, that's why I didn't try another course, but that might have done the trick. I hear now some doctors are doing a much lower dose, and only taken once or twice a week, you might want to talk to your doctor about that.
The side effects I had were hair loss, depression, badly cracked lips, dry eyes and changed my voice (that was the only permanent one). I was on 40mg a day for 5 months.

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I was on Accutane 1 and 1/2 year ago on dosages of 40MG@3 times a day. I'm now starting to break out again. The hills were alive with the sound of music for a good 1 year and 5 months, then BINGO! My acne has returned! Nowhere near as bad as pre-Accutane, but still! I'm damn pissed that I'm even getting zits again!!! My doctor assured me that Accutane was THE atomic weapon against acne that was to NEVER return again till the day I die. Well, I've got news for him! IT HAS!!!!
I visited my dermatologist yesterday who's reluctant to put me back on Accutane for now.

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I'm 27 nearly 28 and i've suffered from cystic acne since I was about 13.
I've been on accutance 4 or 5 times. Can you believe i've lost count. The last time I was on it I was on 100mg per day even though i only weigh 64 kgs, and the dose is supposed to be 1mg per kg of body weight.
My acne has once again reared it's ugly head and i have no idea what to do. I'm going to keep checking your replies because i'm hoping someone can help me too.
I get depressed about how i look, and sometimes can't face seeing people.

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I am a 23 year old girl. I've had acne since the 6th grade. Throughout my school years it was moderate. But when I got to college, it became worse... going from moderate to semi-severe/cystic. So, I went on Accutane. It was wonderful!!! It kept me basically acne free and oil free for about a year and a half. I had never felt better. Then, last year, I started breaking out really, really bad again -- with cysts and all of it. So, my dermatologist put me on another course of Accutane. This time around, the initial break-out period was not as bad... neither were my side effects. And once again, the Accutane worked wonders!! I was acne free from December 99 until July 2000.
Sad news again -- the Accutane results didn't last long at all this time. I started breaking out really bad in July, and my acne keeps getting worse.

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I'm just finishing a run with Accutane (a bit over 6 months), but haven't had the effect I hoped it would.

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I tried accutane twise, the second time i was on 120 and i only weigh 170. it helped stop the breakouts while i was on it but after i got off they eventually came back. (like a few months) So I finnaly changed my eating habits, drinking only water, tea or juice (and occasionaly beer)and cut out all 'junk food'. and i excersise 4 times a week. i cleared up alot but i still get some occasionaly. (im 20)after the accutane i notice i have these ,,fine lines on my forhead i didnt have before and my skin was still dry months after i got off the stuff. in other words, its a temporary fix.

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I was on accutane last year for around 5 months. it helped me a little bit but it really dried out my skin. i noticed the best improvements the 2 months after i got off of it though. i think it might not have worked because my acne isnt caused by oil its caused by incoming hairs. i wish they had an accutane for that type of acne.

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My son finished his course of accutane last week, he still had acne (quite bad) at the finish although some areas were improved. This week his face seems better but his back is still bad. He seems a lot happier now than when on the accutane, he locked himself away while on the treatment but he's come out of himself more this week. He doesn't see the Derm until october so we'll have to see what happens between now and then.

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I have taken two courses of Accutane, (or Roaccutane as it is called here in the UK). I have suffered from Acne since i was 13, i am now 35. When my Acne was at its worst i was referred to the hospital skin dept. My skin was so bad i had to go thru the process of having medical photographs taken, (imagine how that felt!)
Anyway, Once i started the first course of treatment my skin did indeed get worse for something like two weeks/one month. A lot worse!! However, after that a miracle occurred, and my Acne cleared up completely!!!!!! This lasted, in my case, approx 4 years!!
However, you do need to be aware just how serious a drug Accutane is. It basically works by drying out the skin completely. Unfortunately to do this it also dries up pretty much every part of the body which requires moisture to function comfortably. Side effects in my case included:
Severe!! Flaking of the skin........!!!!!
Redness of the skin.
Sore eyes.
Nose bleeds. (due to dryness)
Painfull bone joints.
Some people report having wounds heal slower, but i can't really remember that being a problem for me.
After the 4 years my problem did come back, BUT NEVER as bad as before Roaccutane! I took another course of treatment which again cleared my skin completely!
Now, a few years later, i still have Acne but nothing like before. I know how bad your skin makes you feel, and you need to make up your own mind about whether to take Accutane, but it did work for me. I would take it again if they would let me...Which they won't, as it is such a powerfull drug... BE WARNED!!!!!!

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I have been taking Roaccutane for 6 months now and am still getting 1 or 2 new spots a day. My skin has improved alot, but it is still not as good as it was when antibiotics were working for me. I am coming to the end of my course

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Before I turned 13 I began going to the dermatologist because my father noticed I was starting to get blackheads. Between 13 and 18, I went to several doctors and tried all kinds of drugs, topical and orally taken medications. None of them seemed to work until I tried "Acutane", which is supposed to be the very last medication to try, it was a four month treatment and it seemed to work quite well. I am now nearing 22 and have just begun getting acne, once again. My face went three years without breaking out too badly, why all of the sudden have I broken out?
I have recently changed my diet and exercise habits, for the better. I don't eat fast food anymore and I exercise for at least 30 minutes each day. I have started a healthy lifestyle for myself and my face is starting to break out.

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had a pretty similar experience as you. don't know why, but from what i've read it doesn't seem like accutane is a permanent cure. i've heard that it "buys you time," essentially, until aging naturally decreases the amount of oil your face is producing. i'm considering going on a second course soon. i'll let you know how it goes.

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I took 60mg (Ro)Accutane a day for four months. The treatment ended a couple of months ago. I only suffered from dry lips at the time and had no trouble with contact lenses. I don't have spots (except some very small pimples) now but I feel that my scars look worse and I am experiencing significant hair loss, which has only become noticeable since I stopped taking it.

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I´m 17 yrs old and started accutane 8 weeks ago. The Accutane began to work immediately and all my acne seemed to disapear, but it never really went away. From the surface you can only see the scarring from old acne and the redness behind my jaw from the abundance of underskin bumps. Under my cheeks and behind my jaw I could probably count 15 bumps/cysts whatever they are! I also have a few on the neck, but the odd thing is you can´t notice it, but some days they´re bigger and some days they shrink a little. They won´t seem to come to a head no matter what, and they´ve been about the same for the last 4 weeks! Did anyone else on Accutane experience this?

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hey. well, i have been the PRODUCT QUEEN---having tried just about everything thruout my teen years. i even went to the dermatologist and went thru everything, even accutane. accutane helped alot but its not a true permanent fix.

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I would call them cysts, but that's a joke. Ahem. Before my Accutane treatment, I had an averagely moderate case of acne. Tons of whiteheads , tons of oil, and about one or two cysts in random places.
I went on Accutane for about 6 and a half months, starting at 40mg, and eventually using 80mg for the last 3 or so months. I weigh 115 lbs.
Everything was looking great, until a week off of Accutane. Lump pops up. I freak out, and gob TONS of Retin-A on it. .
Well, for every zit that has popped up, I've gobbed on the Retin-A. I finally threw my tube of Retin-A out the window.

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I am in an awkward position at the moment as to what to do next. I finished a course of Roaccutane 2 months ago, and it did help alot, but did not cure my acne 100%. As time goes on, my skin is starting to breakout again in areas where I haven't had acne for months.
...
I was on 65mg a day initially, this was upped to 75mg a day after 11 weeks as I was still breaking out. Worse breakouts were over after 16 weeks, and after 24 weeks I would get maybe only 1 or 2 tiny blemish a day.
I had to stop taking it after the 6 months, my derm wouldn't give me any more. For a month my skin was fine, just the occasional blemish, then slowly it started getting worse as drug wore off, and 2 months after I had stopped taking it, my skin was quite bad again. However, the Roaccutane (accutane) does seems to have cured my cystic acne, and I now only get whiteheads (Although lots of them) that I'm trying to get rid of with B5.
Many people remain clear for years after they stop, but that wasn't the case for me.

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I was on accutane first, now I'm on B5. Allthough the Accutane cleared me off all acne, it didn't help me stay clear, that's why I'm now taking B5.

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well i did my first course of accutane and then had to repeat it about 2 yrs. later when i felt my acne was returning. i believe it changed my complextion though. yes i noticed less oil (however i was never really bad), but i also notice that my face flushes easily and my lips still become very dry on occasion. it just seems to change your chemical makeup.
...
the worst part of the experience is definitely the lips. my lips were dry and peeling the entire time. sheets and sheets of dead skin peel off daily - you just have to keep them coated. if you can survive that the rest is nothing.
after a few months on the drug i experienced slight joint aches and a small degree of night blindness (more bluriness and dry eyes then actual blindness).
i did find my hair was weaker and did notice that i was losing more strands than normal. but i never felt like i was going bald or anything.
as far as your questions about pale skin i've never heard of this before. i didn't feel "paler" than normal and i've known other people on the drug and they didn't look abnormal either.

all the side effects i've listed went away almost immediately, if not within a month, of going off accutane. and keep in mind it continues to work in your system up to 6mos. after you stop taking it.
...
after i finish my accutane i then went cold turkey for about a year and half. at first loving the results. then i started getting a few cysts here and there (NOTHING like before accutane but enough that i felt it was coming back). at that point i did a second (short) round of accutane. and that was about a year ago.
right now i'm trying this b5 everyone raves about (just for maintanence).
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just an update here - i'm still experiencing terrible new breakouts on b5. not only whiteheads but now i have 2 cysts. so far i don't think it's helping at all. if anything it is aggrevating my skin. i'm very depressed about it.

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After going through a cycle of Accutane at age 20. My skin cleared up tremendously. But at what cost? Well the future can only tell. Now I am 23 and I am beginning to break out even worse than before the Accutane. I am developing colonies of cyst and whitehead acne on the neck and below the mouth.

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I went on 2 courses with Accutane. I saw positive results after 3 weeks on my 1st course. I couldn't wear contacts b/c there wasn't any oil in lubricating my tears so my eyes were dry. My skin started turning beet red and itchy at the begginning but it got better a month later. I hear from a few people in other acne forums that it made their skin look younger, one man thinks his face muscle thinned out. The worst part of the side effects was the loss of head hair. I just felt as though I had a blow dryer in my face the whole time I was on accutane.
Yes, the depression is real. I can imagine how terribly the women had to suffer since they had to take bc pills with it which adds to the depression. I think I have a neurochemical imbalance naturally which causes me to be depressed and anxious most of the time. Some people's depression linger on for years after stopping accutane. I went on detox for a few days and it did wonders in the way I feel. To further the improvement, I've been experimenting on a few herbs to treat it. St. John's Wort works only if I take it before I sleep at night. I wake up feeling more better the next day. Kava Kava is good too for treating anxiety, but I find my senses are dulled. The best so far is Ginko Biloba which I started taking 2 days ago. My senses esp. my hearing are sharpened, and I can react faster in thinking and memorizing. I'm more stimulated to my environment in a positive way, like back to normal.
After the 1st course finished, my skin stayed clear for 1 month then the acne returned back again, but wasn't as serious as it was before. I'm not sure if it was b/c I have gotten out of my teen years then. So, I went back for a 2nd course, finished it, my skin stayed clear for 2 months, then the acne came back again. I wonder how many courses I had to go thru to have a whole year free of acne.

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I used roaccutane about 9 - 10 years ago and found it worked great.
A couple of years later my skin went extremely dry and sensitive. I have always assumed it was just me or that it was due to a thyroid problem that i developed. You could be right though. I do however suspect that accutane contributed to my thyroid problem.
I have still had a small problem with acne since then but it is manageable and mostly due to clogging from damaged pores rather than acne itself.

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I had a course of Accutane in 1997 and it really helped me to the point my depression lifted. My skin has flared up now and then and has returned to it's normal oily status. I would like another course to dry up my skin and hair.

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I started the accutane and it worked well, very well. Unfortunetly, I was only able to take it for one month because I did not have health insurance. Not to mention, you need to have a blood test before you start and every month you are taking it. That's what my derm told me. This is a very strong drug. It has many different side effects and you need to have blood tests done to make sure it's not killing you (or something!) I would take it again in a heart beat because it worked so well, but, I suggest that you read some of the other sites here about accutane. Some people have taken it for years. The results seem to last only when you are taking it. Mine did. As soon as I stopped it came back ten fold. That was the best month of my life!

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Accutane is a wonderful drug!
I have taken it twice. Dry lips were the worst side effect I got when I was on it. And they weren't even that bad. I just carried medicated Blistex with me everywhere & applied several times a day. My vision got slightly blurry towards the end of the treatment... but that went away after I got off of the Accutane & my eyesight went back to normal.

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I finished taking accutance about 2 1/2 years ago. I did a 20 week session. It is safe if you are monitored closely by a doctor. I had monthly blood tests and check-ups. I tolerated the drug really well and had almost no side effects. My worst problem was very dry skin. The skin on the backs of my arms and thighs got dry patches. My lips also got very dry and would crack and bleed. The best thing to use for this is good old vaseline. I couldn't go anywhere without it. My face was clear for about 4 months but I have been one of the unlucky people to have a return of acne. Before you take it be use that you realize it does not work for everyone and it shouldn't be taken unless other options have failed and you have cystic acne.

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Im doing an accutanetreatment at the moment and after 3 months its working great. Small wounds from pimples does not heal so fast as before I started the treatment.
from AbsoluteAcne:I cleared up after about 2 monts on accutane and i had got moderate acne. The first 2 months were kind of tough though, as my acne flared up as I have never seen it before. But now after 3 months i have almost cleared up totally. The side effects have been dry lips and wounds that heals slower. But soon i hope that there will be no more wounds or acne at all - and then life will be the greatest.

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Hi, I was on accutane and it did not make me break out at the start of the course of treatment. if it did it would probably be just coincidental. Cos the doctor told me that it's just a myth when they say "it gets worse b4 it get better". But, my mouth and lips got dry and flaky. My face also felt quite sore and tight. i went to Arizona once, and i'm tellin' ya - it would be VERY risky buisness to even think of exposing ur skin to that kinda weather if ur on accutane. So, you'd have to use suncreen, wear a hat or somthin' - don't diss cos that's what i had 2 do! And just b very careful of the sun on ur face. But, all the same it worked wonders 4 me. And i don't no bout u but i'd do most anything for clear skin.

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While on 80mg/day (160lbs) accutane (started March 20), I only got 3 cysts, 2 minor, one major. I haven't had one for 2 months. I think the big one was part of the initial breakout. I feel as if I have been given my life back! Things are soo much different than when I always had a few active cysts on my face. Now I just have pitted red scars, but there is nothing i can do abotu that now.
I can't wait till the side effects stop, supposed to be like 2 weeks after I stop treatment. Dry lips, reduced hearing,dry skin (not to bad in humid climates though), sore joints, general fatigue. I can't believe it has been 4 months. I hope this stuff works for awhile after I stop it. BUt at the first sign of trouble I'm gonna go right back on it, maybe at a lesser does though.
I love acctuane! It helped me get back on track!!!
Never any suicidal thoughs etc....
but the physical effects kinda stink.
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I have been off of Accutane for two weeks, after a succesfull course for 4 months.
Two weeks is what my Dr. said all the side effects would subside. This is true for me.
My lips are no longer dry, my face is still pretty dry, but it doesn't absolutely require moisturizer, like it used to. Back pains have subsided, although my back has always hurt anyways.
Oil, as I once knew it, has not returned, yet. I hope my scars will heal a bit faster now that I am off of accutane. I think that stuff reduces healing time, in general.

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I have had bad acne for eight years and I have been seeing a derm for those eight years. I have tried every antibiotic, cream, lotion you name it and nothing worked....well except accutane. Accutane has been getting a lot of flack for its "serious side effects" and now because people are linking it to suicide. I myself think accutane is the greatest thing ever invented. I had horrible ( I mean the worst you could possibly get) cystic acne and after using accutane my skin cleared up completely and stayed clear for three years. My acne has recently come back I think to do with the fact that this has been a very stressful year and I just went off of the pill and stuff, so I am taking accutane again and my skin is already starting to clear up again. I have never experienced any of these serious side effects. The worst side effect was chapped lips, and slighly dry skin but nothing a little moisturizer couldn't fix. I know different people are affected in diffent ways by drugs, but don't be scared out of taking acutane becuase of all of the bad things you hear. I mean for every person that has something bad to say about it I'm sure there are a ton more like myself who think it does wonders not only for your skin but also your mental state. And I don't understand how accutane can give people suicidal thoughts I mean for me it made my skin clear, which then made me less depressed, I started to feel better about myself, I became more outgoing and for the first time in years I actually had lots of guys who wanted to date me. I don't want to sound like an infomercial for accutane but I can honestly say that it changed my life dramatically in postive way.

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Accutane is a miracle drug. I had moderate acne a few months ago, and I now have one more package of the pills and I am done, and I have 99.9999999999% clear skin, that is the equivalent to a life also I wouldn't hesitate to take it again also, it is the best thing that has happened to me!!!!!

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Well, i have been on Accutane 24 days and i love itt. i have had mild acne for years(I am 24) but recently it has become more severe. The first week on Accutane my skin was a bit less oily and my lips a bit dry. I broke out a bit at first, but then started to realy clear up! I am almost clear now, but I have a ton of red marks(is there ever an end?). My only other ide effects are dry skin(I have been using topical stuff with the Accutane a little) and some mild pain in my right foot (comes and goes, I am not worried about it). Unfortunatly everyone is different and some people have a large breakout at the beginning. Many people who post are still not clear and they are a couple of months into treatment. All i can say is hope for the best
Oh, by the way, i am on 40mg and weight 108lbs

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.....FINALLY AFTER THREE YEARS OF HAVING ACNE ON MY FACE AND WALKING WITH MY HEAD DOWN ON SCHOOL CAMPUS IT'S OVER. THANKS TO
MY THREE MONTHS OF USING "ACCUTANE", I HAD SEVERE ACNE AND ACCUTANE CLEARED IT ALL UP.....I HAVE WON THE ACNE BATTLE BUT NOT THE WAR. I KNOW MY ACNE WILL COME BACK AGAIN SOMEDAY BUT I'LL BE READY FOR IT!!!! NOW THAT MY ACNE HAS CLEARED( besides a few tiny red spots left over,not really noticable)I SEEM TO BE HAPPIER AND FRIENDLIER TO PEOPLE NOW........NOW I CAN WALK WITH MY HEAD UP HIGH.............................for now!!! one little question to you guys, would aloe vera help with those little brown spots???? -P.L.U.R.-(peace,love,unity,and respect to all of you)
My dermo put me on a three month Accutan thearapy of 20 mg. I actually buy my accutane at mexico because it's much cheaper than here! well, in the first two weeks i started noticing that my oily skin was starting to fade away,but, after my third week i started breaking out bigggggggggggg time like never before. to tell you the truth i wanted to quit at that moment but after a month my pimples started going away and i was experiencing dry face and lips (so i always carried a chapstick)I still had a few pimples here and there.But after my second month everything started to fade away including my little bit of scarring and red spots.It's like somebody just got an eraser and was erasing my acne away.Rite now im on my last two week of using Accutane and then Hopefully I'll start using 2 grams of b-5 to prevent my acne from coming back...........
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I think Accutane is fu_king up my vision badly. On the end of my second month my vision started to get all fuking blurry and cant see as far as I use too. I mean even though I wear these perscribed contacts (cat eyes......hehe!)everybody likes my eyes but Im starting to see everybody blurry and sometime my eyes get really red and dry up the assss!
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....12 long damn weeks!!!! it was worth it though 20mg of Roaccutan....
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...ever since I stopped using Accutane in December the first, I've been clear ever since till this day!!! Also After Accutane session I started using 2g of b-5!!!

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i think accutane is such a great method of clearing acne. i was on it when i was 15 and it cleared me up in about 2 months or so. i actually never had a bad breakout point when i was on it but i did have chapped lipps and flaky skin....i also was sleepy alot but im lazy anyway so no big deal. now that im 19 my acne is slowly returning but not nearly as bad as beforre accutane. so its been abt 4 years of clear skin. im starting accutane one last time in a couple weeks and the new derm im with thinks with a higher dose it shouldnt return. and i have faith that it wont. so if u are thinking abt it i would recommend it as long as its ok with ur derm. god bless.
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im on my second go around with accutane right now. the first time i took it i was abt 14 and it cleared my up quite nicely. before school started last year i began getting my acne back but no nearly as bad as before my first treatment. in some cases it might come back and u have to go on again but everyone is different. but seriously shiiiiit my face is practically clear now. so id say go for it.
BTW im 18 now.

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I am on my 5th month of accutane and I must say it has been soooooo great. Anyone who doesn't like having acne (everyone, otherwise you wouldn't be reqading this) should go to the doctor and ask about it. It is such a miracle drug. But I still have my red marks, has anyone been on accutane and what happened after? How long did it take for the red marks to go away? I haven't broken out in a month NOT ONE SINGLE ZIT. it's crazy before i would have a new pimple every day. Now I am more concerned about the red marks.

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I am currently on accutane. Let me tell you a little bit about my experience. I had pretty bad acne, so I had to go on a high dosage, thus drying me out pretty bad. For me it got worse for the first two months. Then from month two to four it was about as bad as when I had started. Then month five (which I am currently in) things really started to clear up. I still have a month on accutane and I think at the rate my skin is clearing that it will be 100% clear by the end of my session. But let me warn: it is a long and painful road. But it is worth it! To answer a few of your questions, yes, the accutane did make me be untolerable of my contacts (but let me remind you that I was a high dosage, like three pills a day). Also, you will want to stop using harsh products on your face because it will only irritate you.
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I am on accutane , and a couple of months into the treatment I noticed the same thing that you did. Small little bump/cysts? under the skin. I wish I could tell you that they would go away but I'm not sure if they will. When I asked my docter about them, he said that they might go away in time, but that he wasn't quite sure. Like you said, they really aren't noticable. But still, I would like them to go away.
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I know that dry skin and lips are normal side-effect of accutane, but has anybody experienced really dry hair. After I gel my hair and then let it dry it just seems to sort of friz from being so dang dry.
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I too just wanted to assure you that Accutane will work, but it takes time. For me it didn't start working until the beginning of month four. But, by the end of month six MY SKIN WAS COMPLETELY CLEAR except for the post-acne inflammation, which takes several months to go away.

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My son was on Acctane for 4 months.
He had HUGE BOILS...He too had the dry lips, in fact, his lips even were puffy. He did get frustrated, but the results were enough proof that it was worth it. He is not on Accutane today and he hasn't had any problems arise
This is the best meds out there for acne and if you could see my son today, you too would be shocked. I still find myself looking at him in "ahhhh" of how wonderful he looks.

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I just finished taking Accutane for the second time, and I didn't get a single new cyst while I was taking it, and no new scars. This means that in four years, I've only gotten about three cysts and no scars. That's pretty remarkable considering that my face used to be covered in cysts every day.
I know the side effects can be rough, and to tell the truth, I was counting down the days until I finished the drug, but the results are well worth it. It is the only acne drug that can save an acne sufferer from a lifetime of potentially disfiguring scars and emotional trauma.
One more thing: although there are a lot of side effects listed for the drug, thier incidence is pretty rare. As for me and the others I know who've taken it, the worst thing is the chapped lips, wierd skin rashes, and itchy dry skin. And keep in mind, while you're taking Accuatane, you're returning to the doctor every month for a bloodtest and other check-ups, so your progress is closely monitored. If anything goes wrong, your doctor will know about it. I don't know of any other drugs that are so closely monitored while you're taking them.

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I started accutane in early October. My face really broke out. It wasn't until 2 weeks ago that my skin almost cleared up completely. I think part of my latest break out is due to missing 3 weeks of treatment (I live in the midwest and we have had some pretty bad weather - Dr. has been closing his office and won't refill my presciption until he meets with me in person). My first month I was taking 40mg. then it went up to 60 during my second month. Last week I just started taking 80 mg.
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My derm. told me to expect some breakouts within the first couple months . . . and boy was he right! I have never had it that bad before. I'm on my third month now and all is well.
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This Wednesday will mark my 19th week of using Accutane. I'm still breaking out a little. This past week I got 6 new pimples (although only 2 are huge). I was just wondering if this is common or if by now I shouldn't be breaking out. Also, I fear that my acne condition will return after I end my course of Accutane because I'm still breaking out. Any thoughts? I have to admit I look much better today than I did this past summer

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I had really bad acne, the fifth month i was on it i still had acne, 1 week before i got off Accutain i had no pimples! Didn't get any for five months then it came back slightly on my chin but it is nothing, the follow up medication is helping A LOT
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Hey, im using some stuff my doctor gave me and its working fine but i have 1 pore on the line between my lip and where my skin starts that turns into a pretty big whitehead ocasionally, but it lasts forever once one pops up! any help?

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Quincy -- My son, MC, who is now 18 finished a course of Accutane 5 months ago. His face is completely clear now. He began breaking out when he was 14. The doc put him on every antibiotic and topical available. Finally, two of the docs in the practice suggested he try Accutane (one of the doctors had used it himself). We did the research and were quite apprehensive about the side effects.
The final straw came one morning when MC looked in the mirror and said, "I'm not going to school. I hate my face." That day the doctor gave him a prescription for Accutane.
MC had many side effects -- dry lips/eyes, backaches, fatigue. His skin was pale and almost transparent looking. (That has since gone away.) He had a major breakout from about weeks 7 to 11. At week 12 his face was beautifully clear. Because it took so long for improvement, the doctor had him stay on Accutane for 6 months.
Accutane is a seriously powerful drug. Be sure to do as much research as you can. There are plenty of resources on the web, including the rocheusa site.
MC is extremely happy with how his face looks. He also appreciates how easy it is to shave. His complexion is now one less thing for him to worry about.

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I know it seems I can't post anything without mentioning the virtues of Accutane, but after finishing treatment approximately six years ago I have been virtually clear. I've had the odd zit since then and I do seem to have the occasional MILD flare-up lately (usually at that time of the month), but nothing even near to the cystic acne I had before. I must say that Accutane worked miracles for me. One of the best things about taking it - besides being clear - was that it "normalized" my skin.
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I've also taken Accutane for my face and in about the eight years since then I've been pretty much clear but now I'm starting to breakout again (very minor compared to my pre-accutane days but still very depressing). My biggest regret in this sad life of mine is that I didn't go on it sooner…
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I would love to say that I have been totally free of acne since I've taken Accutane (almost seven years ago) but the truth is that I've still had to deal with the occasional pimple, which unfortunately still qualifies as acne.

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what up all... well i just finished a 2 month course of accutane and had very good results. not one pimple in the last month, but there is one problem. my derm won't prescribe it to me anymore and i can feel my face starting to get a little oily again. i know it's coming back so what do you reccomend? i wish i could just stay on it.

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actually accutane is a superior drug. it is easily the best defense against acne. the side effects are greatly exaggerated I've taken a couple of courses and only experienced dry lips, which returned to normal after the course was complete. and it basically cured my acne.

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Hi all; I'm in my mid thirties. Acne destroyed my life as a teenager (Accutane was too 'experimental' then for MDs to recommend) I had to wait til i was in my late twenties before
a 'brave' derm. prescribed me Accutane. For me, the side effects were minimal and it worked really well--i considered it wonderful at the time. Ive had minor break-outs since then but a couple months ago started having problems due to some serious stress in my life.

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I am 30 and took accutane when I was 27. Worked like a charm. All of a sudden, my acne is back... although, in a slightly different form.

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I had mild/moderate acne when i was prescribed accutane.
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the first three months sucked because i had the initial breakout stage, and my face just didn't do much clearing during those months, then month four came.......and it seemed like someone opened the gates of heaven. i was so pleased with they way it was clearing. by this time i was getting no more than one pimple a week, which was a sharp decline in what it was during initial break out stage and before accutane. month five came along, and i wasn't even getting breakouts at all. hardly any. maybe one or two a month. really wonderful. i am at that stage, and have lowered my dosage to forty mgs a day instead of eighty mgs a day, so i can take accutane for another five months. i am doing it this way so i can absolutely avoid getting any acne back. i still get the occasional pimple that bugs the s*it outta me, and i have scars to deal with, but overall, i have to give the drug a good thumbs up!
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Great week last week, and good week this week. it looks like my bad weeks are even looking nice even considering the stress i have been putting up with lately. omg, i am surprised i am not dead yet. so this is what a senior in high school has to deal with! i thought past seniors were just overexxagerating about the stress. boy was i wrong. red marks are dissapating. haven't had a significant pimple in over two weeks. (significant pimple = pimple with whitehead and puss with a red base.) i have had some very small clogged pores, i would call them. at most. wwwwwwwhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhoooooooooooooo!!!!! I have yet to grow accustomed to the paleness of my face. it is quite strange. i am not used to it. i look at my face in the morning, and i say to myself, literaly, "why isn't my face more red?" i didn't even wear any makeup on my chin today. the less makeup, the better. ok, well onto side effects...... dry lips.
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this week hasn't been as good as past weeks. (that is still good though.) i got two new breakouts on each side of my cheeks. don't you just hate symmetric acne. i don't know how that happens! anyway, i find that my dryest skin appears in the same places and that is right around my mounth and chin area. it is really hard to get makeup to stick in those areas. sometimes i don't know if the dryness is due to the cold weather, or just my drug. i never had dry skin in the wintertime before, so i am assuming it is my dastardly drug.
side effects......dry skin and extra, dry, peely, dead skin lips. not attractive.
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ok, well this week hasn't been as good as past weeks. maybe i am just used to my skin looking paler, i expect even the faintest red marks to be dissapearing. well this isn't my luck. but it is better than nothing. omg, my dry, flaky lips were so bad today, i made the mistake of putting some lipstick on and that just ruined my lips, i peeled off rose colored lip skin all day long! never put lipstick on dry lips (or at least lips that aren't cracked in any way) im also trying to get some additional sleep since i know my weeks are seriously stressed out. i have to drug myself, because if i had it my way, i would sleep from two am to twelve noon. i have to force myself to get to bed by nine since i must awake usually by six thirty or so. i can't wait until the summer, or even closer.....spring break. but that will be over to quick.
i KNOW my skin condition is related directly to stress. i don't even think my menstrual cycle agrivates it that much any more. i want to emphasize the fact that i am getting no more real breakouts, i am just struggling with making old red acne marks less noticeable. this is almost trickier than getting rid of those damn acne spots in the first place. i mean, zits are ugly (believe me) but old red spots that look like pimento loaf on ultra pale skin like mine doesn't look that attractive either. (i am austrian/irish descent with red hair and very fair skin.) this clear up came at a perfect time, as my prom isn't too far off, and i wanna look like a million bucks. anyway, side effects.......
the worst dry lips you can possibly imagine....possibly the worst of the treatment, even though the beginning weeks was pretty terrible. i will have to go and look at my accutane journal week one. ok well that is all i have to say about week fifteen.
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Exciting news on the home front today guys.
I went to the good ole doc today because i was running low on my current prescription of accutane. i expressed to him that i was really happy with the way my face has shaped, and is shaping, up. i also told him that i was really scared about it coming back after i decided no longer to take the medication. he basically let me make the decision whether i wanted to go on a second course directly after the first. i suggested that maybe i could go on a lower dosage for the next four or so months to compromise, and to rid myself of ANY ACNE I COULD HAVE IN THE FUTURE. i need to give my scars a chance to heal, and they can't heal with a bunch of new acne coming out on the surface.
he agreed that this would be a very good compromise, and warned me that i should slather on the sunscreen especially considering the warmest and sunniest months are ahead of me. he wrote me a script for forty mgs a day instead of eighty. so whatcha guys think? i really have had an excellent reaction to the drug thus far, and i don't think that extending my duration should be that bad. i would like to hear from you all though.
there are advantages and disadvantages to this however. the advantages: i can assure that my chances of acne-return are diminishing, and i can continue posting these wonderful journals for you all. i hope they aren't annoying. the disadvantages: i am going to florida in a week, and i will have to put on more sunblock than i know what to do with, and where i sombrero wherever i go. at least we aren't spending all our time at the beach.
as for this past week: skin looking absolutely better than ever. i find that the makeup i do wear actually stays in place instead of rubbing off. (this could be because my skin is less oily, or i am picking at my skin much less) i still wear makeup because of the previous scaring, but it still looks pretty good if i go without. i cannot emphasize enough the benefits of vaseline petroleum jelly. it probably isn't for someone not on accutane because you might be weary of the comodegenic properties if there are any...or it just being the most oily, greasy stuff on earth. this stuff really works on me. if i just apply a very thin layer before i go to bed, i have the most wonderfully textured skin in the morning to go and apply makeup. again, i don't have to worry about the breaking out part because i am on some serious medication, this method is only beneficial in attacking the dry skin given by accutane. i don't want anybody with naturally oily skin slathering petroleum jelly all over their face and expecting skin like a model. i am just telling many of you what works for me after the serious drought on my face.
side effects........dry skin and lips........
well i anxiously await replies.
diana.....ecstatic after her doctor visit today, even though they had to take her blood once again!
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this past week (tuesday through saturday) was amazing. i have never had such flawless skin. the last time i had such amazing skin was seven years ago, and i hardly remember it. i thank accutane every day of my life. but this weekend i flared up, and i think it just might be the stress of getting ready for vacation. (paradoxical, eh?) it really isn't the amount of pimples that is bugging me at this flare up, it is the severity of the ones i am getting. i only have two, but they are mammoth pimples. maybe it is my use of petroleum jelly, but i highly doubt it, especially since there is so much stress wrapped up in asking someone to prom. i wish he didn't have to "think about it." i kinda wish he could have told me if he did or didn't want to go with me, but i consider myself a patient person. it is causing me a lot of stress.
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i have a brand new zit right near the corner of my mouth, under flakes of skin. it is nice because it is easily disguisable under the folds of my lips, but it is also annoying the crap outta me, because i peel my lips of the dry flakes sometimes, and i don't like my fingers near pimples. (it is really wonderful, though, to be complaining about only ONE zit!) i completely understand why it is there though.
through my experiences with acne, i have realized one thing: dry skin can cause some of the worst types and amounts of acne. because dry skin creates flakes and rips/tears in the skin surfaces, outside oil gets trapped under these "flakes" and pimples form when these skin buckets get full of outside oil. (oil being the most common cause of the acne pimples themselves) so it makes complete sense to me that my most dry area on my body, my lips due to the side effects of accutane, is extra prone to the aggravation of acne. i even notice that the line separating my lips and the rest of my face is the dryest portion of my face, and are more prone to zits. i would say i have a better chance to get a pimple there than any other place on my face.
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skin actually only doing so-so. i mean i guess i was getting used to the fact that it was clearing up, i guess i expect my complexion to be flawless by the end of my second (lower dosage) course of accutane.
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not much to say these days. i am concentrating on exfoliation and ultra hydration to rid myself of scarring from pimples past. no new pimples.....not a single new one since spring break. (approx. one month ago)
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i am still taking a half dosage, which doesn't seem to be doing a lot for me, but i am taking the dosage strictly for precautionary measures. i don't want that acne back! i haven't had a zit since mid march, which i am proud to report…..i still have these terrible chapped lips, even though i cut my dosage. i tend to peel the skin off my lips to exfoliate, and blister and cut my lip skin in the process, so that just adds to the red marks seen on my face. lip stick is still impossible, because it would be like applying wet paint to corn flakes.

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well, in my 14th week I got two nice, juicy zits on both of my cheeks, but they seem to be getting less red by the day. Also, my hockey season is now over which will give me plenty of time too heal. As for the dry skin around your lips and on your chin, I have the same exact problem. My solution...well, it's quite odd, but I put my chapped lip medication on the areas where I get flaky skin....I think you mentioned that you could use vaseline on it too...I have yet to try that, but my carmex mask seems to do the trick. I only put it ononce every week...I find if I use it too much, I start to get little tiny red spots all over my cheeks.
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My skin has also turned very pale, but I don't attribute this to accutane. I think the reason my skin is pale is because it is now winter and I rarely step outside for a long period of time because the cold wind makes my skin even drier than it already is. However, I don't like this pale skin because you can see a lot of old red scars that I have
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Just got back from the dermatologist. I had hoped she would just bump my dosage up to 80 Mg (I'm on 40 Mg) to finish off my treatment, but instead, she prescribed klaron 10% lotion and 0.1% Differin Cream. Apparently the differin will help remove my scars that have been left behind. They're really not that bad to begin with, but I guess she wants me to have perfect skin...I have no problem with that =) The Klaron will take out the redness and also help battle the small amount of surface acne that I still have lurking about. I think I'm going to be on accutane for longer than the normal course intends (15-20 weeks), but my dermatologist said that she isn't going to quit until she sees my skin perfect. They're always so pleasant at the derm =)
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I really don't pay much attention to what week I'm in now because acne really isn't that big a part of my life anymore. My skin is doing great
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Being a hockey and lacrosse player, I find it much harder to complete my shifts (about 1 minute, 30 seconds of running or skating) without being completely exhausted and out of breath. Even the running and training we do doesn't seem to help my stamina. This hasn't been a big problem until I went on accutane back in December of 2000. Who knows, maybe it is a side effect.

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