Joined: 08 Aug 2006 Posts: 251 Location: North Carolina
Accutane Please Read! Posted: 08-13-06 07:12am
I am 18 years old & have suffered with
acne since I was 12. It was fairly bad
then.. Got better a few times, then
worse, then better & so on. I have
literally tried everything..
Tetracycline, erithromycin, doxycycline,
tazorac, retin-a, [ha just to name a few
pills/creams.] as well as proactiv.
Lately my acne has been just out of
control and it is such a pain.. Which i'm
sure anyone who's ever had it knows that.
But i'm considering accutane. I got on
birth control about a month ago [not for
the sole purpose of clearing my acne]..
Thought maybe that would start helping
some but just like everything else it
hasn't, but it's only been a month. I
would like some info/experiences from
anyone who's been on it. Like I said i've
had acne for a while not only on my face
but on my back as well & this is my
last hope..
Thanks
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diamondsz
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 07 Oct 2005 Posts: 3173 Location: , Candyland-Canada
Thanks: 74
Thanked:104
Posted: 08-13-06 07:55am
Im in the same boat as you..
I have had acne since 12 and im 22 now and
to be honest I doing it sick of it im not
a teenager and I want it gone.
I have tried everything and its like I
have to use 2-3 cleansers on my face just
to clear it up temporarily, I have tried
prescription and it always made it worse
even after 2-3 months b/c never helped..
I hope someone has an idea cause im
frustrated
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deebaby621
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 08 Aug 2006 Posts: 251 Location: North Carolina
Posted: 08-13-06 16:30pm
Yeah seriously
& i'm tired of going back to the derm.
Only to get prescribed some other
antibiotic or topical cream that isn't
going to work. It's been a waste of my
money & time. So that's why i'm
trying to get opinions on accutane because
next time I go to the derm. I'm just
going to tell them I want to get on it
& be done w/ all this crap it's so
annoying.
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cosby
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 6
Posted: 08-16-06 12:41pm
I'm 19 and I started using accutane about
5 months ago, and i'm glad I did. For
sure, the first thing you should do is
discuss it with your dermatologist. But
i'd been going to the dermatologist for,
like, 3 years now and everytime she
mentioned accutane I didn't want to use it
(what with all the side effects you hear
about). Finally, I got sick of my skin
and decided to hell with it - after a
while, I just got pissed off and decided
to go for it. And i've tried everything
too, like the creams and the other pills,
even chemical peels. Bleh.
But if you're worried about side effects,
these are the ones I experienced (of
course, accutane will affect different
people differently):
- dry lips
- nose bleed (went away)
- really dry skin (first few weeks, but
lessens gradually)
- really infrequent periods (this is the
one i'm worried about, but my
dermatologist said that it should go back
to normal after I finish the accutane)
and about the depression - well, frankly,
I feel a lot better without the severe
acne. For myself, i'm just pissed off
that I hadn't started it earlier, woulda
saved a lot of hassle and misery.
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deebaby621
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 08 Aug 2006 Posts: 251 Location: North Carolina
Posted: 08-16-06 14:50pm
Was your skin so dry that even good
moisturizers wouldn't make it better?
See the only thing that concerns me about
the dry skin is that, I wear makeup. [to
cover up my acne, obviously] - if my skin
is so dry that it flakes off, then makeup
won't look too good over top of that.
Do you think with a good moisturizer and
everything I should still be okay to wear
makeup?
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cosby
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 6
Posted: 08-16-06 16:10pm
Oh yeah, I forgot about that. I guess it
would depend on how much the accutane
dries out your skin. A moisturizer under
my makeup has worked for me, but try not
to use so much or your skin can get too
greasy from the moisturizer and the makeup
together. It's kind of hard trying to
balance it out, because sometimes my skin
can be too dry or I apply too much
moisturizer.
For the most part, i've just tried to use
as least amount of makeup as possible, and
moisturizer only on the really dry areas.
I figure its for 6 months only, so I can
deal with it. But, on the positive side,
I spend a lot less time on makeup because
I don't have to spend so much time on
covering up pimples.
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deebaby621
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 08 Aug 2006 Posts: 251 Location: North Carolina
Posted: 08-16-06 18:19pm
Yeah .. Spending less time covering my
imperfections would make my morning go so
much smoother.
I'd rather sit in front of a mirror just
to play up my features a little, instead
of sitting there for what seems like
forever trying to cover up the redness
from the pimples :/
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cosby
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 6
Posted: 08-20-06 11:50am
Agreed. And looking at myself in the
mirror before was a chore in its own
right. I guess I never realized before
how much my skin affected my outlook on
things, but I do feel much better now.
Whatever you decide to do, all the best :)
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cosby
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 6
Posted: 08-21-06 11:02am
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that i'm not
taking actual accutane. I'm taking clarus
(which is basically the same as accutane,
but it's a generic drug so I don't have to
spend so much money on my prescription).
So if money's a problem, maybe ask your
dermatologist about clarus.
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deebaby621
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 08 Aug 2006 Posts: 251 Location: North Carolina
Posted: 08-24-06 11:01am
So how long were you on it before you
truly saw results?
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cosby
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 6
Posted: 08-24-06 15:18pm
Pretty much immediately (like the first
week I started). And you'll know too, cuz
your skin gets dry like crazy. It's kind
of...Yech...But maybe try to start it
during vacation, or on a long weekend or
on a friday or something. Once your skin
starts drying, you're skin gets a lot less
bumpy within the first 2-3 weeks.
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Acne Be Gone Fairy ~
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 05 Aug 2006 Posts: 7
Posted: 08-28-06 00:33am
Just drink 4 cups of green smoothie a day
(a fruity tasting drink made of fruits and
leafy greens) - you'll most likely get rid
of your acne, and you'll get healthy too!
I would stay far away from accutane!!
It's full of dangerous, synthetic vitamin
a. The green smoothies are full of
natural, safe, vitamin a. You don't have
to worry about vitamin a overdose if
you're getting it from your food.
