Roaccutane - anyone prescribed it?

Hi so getting married next year so determin to rid myself of my acne before then. I am currently doing medical peels for scarring and i have been refered to the hospital for Roaccutane.

I have been offered this drug several times over the years but I have always refused as it was new, its gets mixed reviews on the net, some say its a mirical cure and others say the side affects are horrific.

I have spoken to 2 girls who have taken it, one described herself as suffering psychotic depression and the other can bearly move cause of the muscle and joint pain. But they are spot free!!!


I am needing advice from people who have actually taken it or have clients who have taken it and there experiences please. I have read everything on the net there is to read

thanks

Ladyshenellope said:

Hi so getting married next year so determin to rid myself of my acne before then. I am currently doing medical peels for scarring and i have been refered to the hospital for Roaccutane.

I have been offered this drug several times over the years but I have always refused as it was new, its gets mixed reviews on the net, some say its a mirical cure and others say the side affects are horrific.

I have spoken to 2 girls who have taken it, one described herself as suffering psychotic depression and the other can bearly move cause of the muscle and joint pain. But they are spot free!!!


I am needing advice from people who have actually taken it or have clients who have taken it and there experiences please. I have read everything on the net there is to read

thanks

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This is how i got rid of my acne, for years i was desperatly trying to get my doctor to refer me to a dermatologist for it and he wouldn't. Anyway i went to a skin specialist day at house of fraiser and a harley street dermatologist was there he looked at me wrote me a note gave it me back and told me to go to my doctors that was all he said to me so much for the hour travelling there and back :lol: I went to the doctors gave him this note that i couldn't read at all within 2 weeks i had an appointment with a skin specialist and was put on roaccutane.

I had a few friends who had already done there treatment with it and within weeks there skin cleared up although one friend did have a red face for a few months.

Because of the side effects and risk of depression (your doctor will go through all this with you and you are very closely monitored) I had an appointment every 2 weeks where i would get my perscription for the following fortnight it took 6 months for me to notice a change i was on it for 9 months (depending on how severe your acne is dictates the treatment time and my skin was very slow at reacting with it) i suffered with bad dry skin and still do but my skin has cleared up completely i never get spots, like i said i do still suffer with dry skin which i didn't have before but i have found a product that sorts that out it has got rid of all scarring and after having adult acne from a young age for 8 years dry skin in something i'm thankful for every day :lol: I feel a million dollars compared to before. Definetly do something about it now.

thank you for your reply,

do you find if you do get a spot or a cut on your skin it takes alot of time to heal? so you feel it didnt affect your moods at all? My mother suffers badly from depression since having my brother (he is now 13) as does my grandmother so I am frightened of this side affect as i have i have experienced how hard it is to live with someone and wouldnt want to put my partner threw it.

I got perscriber roacutane in my teens and it cleared my spots up very quickly. Two of my friends also took it. The only side effects i got was dry skin on my hands which i controlled with aqueus ceam and nose bleeds. It was worth it for me and my skin has been great ever since

Ladyshenellope said:

thank you for your reply,

do you find if you do get a spot or a cut on your skin it takes alot of time to heal? so you feel it didnt affect your moods at all? My mother suffers badly from depression since having my brother (he is now 13) as does my grandmother so I am frightened of this side affect as i have i have experienced how hard it is to live with someone and wouldnt want to put my partner threw it.

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my skin takes no longer to heal than before your skin repairs it's self again but you do have to be caeful whilst on it as in no waxing as the skin does rip off your skin becomes so sensetive and i havn't met anyone yet that took aslong to see results as i did. I was 16 at the time and suffered depression and was being monitored for it but it didn't increase it and i had the depression before i began roaccutane which is why i was monitored closely, from research i think depression is a rare side effect of the medication i did also find that my nose bled alot and my lips were constantly dry i used to sleep with alot of vaseline all over them and that stopped them splitting.

I know reading about it, it isn't the most appealing treatment but it does work and if you want resuts i would definetley recommend it, for me it changed my life i was so self concious of my skin before especially the scarring and now i never ever wear make-up apart from eye make-up my skin is that clear :hug:

Hi
My son is on it at the moment. Has helped the acne on his face considerably. His back although healing well is badly scared (hoping the sun will help with that). However, the worst thing is the skin dryness,especially on his lips,which bleed regularly, so I would recommend you use well in advance of your wedding. Typically,I think a course is about 4 months. Also, for a woman you have to have regular pregnancy tests, as well as blood test. It usually takes a good month from seeing the dermatologist to actually starting the course. Hope this helps

I was on Roaccutane for 7 years!! From when I was 17 till 24. My skin was still bad after that and the Dr said he would refer me again for Roaccutane, but I wanted to try other things as after being on it for 7 years, I wanted a break!!
Since then I have been on Dianette and that has worked really well for me!
I was lucky not to have any side affects with Roaccutane, no dry lips or anything, just clear skin and my hair never got greasy! For someone with bad acne, I would definitely recommend it!

Hi

I have been on Roaccutanve twice....I suffered with depression & very very very sore dry lips! But my spots disappeared and was just left with scarring with was told would die down a bit as the years went on....but guess what 3 years later my spots are back and just as bad!!!!
My doctor wont put me back on Roaccutane...

If I were you I would go on it but its not an overnight cure - takes months and will get worse before it gets better! xxx

My son's on it now, just ramped up to the double dose! Like everyone else, he has VERY dry lips with splits and dry hands - we're using E45 to great effect. No depression but has mood swings & is very tired (however, he's nearly 17 and had these symptoms for ages anyway LOL). He's only had 2 nose bleeds which is good.

One thing thats happen though is that he has a very dry mouth and is having teeth problems because he's not producing the saliva to combat plaque. So now he's on a really strick routine of sugar free gum, floss & specialist mouthwash.

Karaxxx

I was put on it at 16. You get regular blood tests and you have to be on the pill alongside it. I didn't get nose bleeds but i did get a really dry scalp and at the same time every day my face used to flush for a few hours. I'm 27 now and my skin can be dry somedays and greasy the next. I do still get spots but have found Dianette clears it up! Think someone else mentioned Dianette. It is good and doesn't have the harsh side effects of Roaccutane.

Hi Lady,

Just been reading your post sat next to my man who was on it for nearly a year. He's just said he'd do it again in a heartbeat! It wasn't a walk in the park at all. He had make sure he had Vaseline in his lips constantly as they split daily without it, had nose bleeds pretty much every day and ended up having his nose cortorised (sp?) twice,but he's said he'd do it again, no questions asked.
If you feel that you've done everything you can, and this is your last option, id go for it! Just make sure you've asked your doctor any questions you have and your 100% happy with your decision!xxxx

I was on roaccutane, as was my brother. We went on it quite a few years ago now when it wasn't available on the nhs, therefore both had to pay for the course which cost about £1500 each time.
We would both recommend it without a doubt though! .. My brother has never had a single spot since, I get the odd couple every now and again but nothing like as bad or that a bit of foundation can't hide!! .. I felt as though I had tried every other option available to me but nothing was working, my self confidence was rock bottom and some days I would refuse to leave the house and there were days where i would not even go downstairs without make up on and it was only my own family around! I simply felt dreadful about myself. Any how, roaccutane changed all that for me and it is amazing how much confidence clear skin can give you!!
The only side effect I had was severely dry lips, but just kept Vaseline with me all the time.. I would go through it all again tomorrow for the results you get!! .. As others have said, you must be on the pill at the time of taking roaccutane as it can be harmful to an unborn child and you must also sign a document to say that you would not get pregnant during the course and if you were to fall pregnant then you are to abort it.. I would highly recommend it to you though good luck Hun, let us know what you decide xxx

Seems like I was really lucky to not have any side affects Not even dry lips.
Everyone has had very different experiences of it. Every time I finished a course the spots came back, even though you are told that the spots won't return after a course. I also didn't have to be on he pill.

Jess Williams said:

Seems like I was really lucky to not have any side affects Not even dry lips.
Everyone has had very different experiences of it. Every time I finished a course the spots came back, even though you are told that the spots won't return after a course. I also didn't have to be on he pill.

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Didn't have to be on the pill?? :-O I had to sign a legal document saying I was on the pill and would stat on it! X

Abstyle said:

Didn't have to be on the pill?? :-O I had to sign a legal document saying I was on the pill and would stat on it! X

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Really...? I went on Roaccutane when I was 17... which was 1997... did u go on it more recently? Maybe things have changed since I was first put on it? I'm also think with the fact the press have talked about the drug being linked with depression that no-one would be prescribed if for 7 years like I was!!!

I was on this last year. Any questions you have feel free to private message me. xx

ps. my hair on accutane was amazing! Never greasy - it would have looked the same a week after i had washed it with lots of body!!

I was on roaccutane 3 years ago so that I could cure my acne for my wedding too. It was the best thing I've ever done. I used to cry when I looked in the mirror and really didn't want to feel like that on my wedding day. I still get the odd spot now but nothing like before! The only side effects I had were dry lips and feeling very very tired. Other than that, it was a miracle cure for me! Xx

Ps ~ my skin was at its absolute best on my wedding day which was 11 months after finishing my 4 month course xx

Jess Williams said:

Really...? I went on Roaccutane when I was 17... which was 1997... did u go on it more recently? Maybe things have changed since I was first put on it? I'm also think with the fact the press have talked about the drug being linked with depression that no-one would be prescribed if for 7 years like I was!!!

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Ah yes, maybe things have changed then! .. I was on it about 4 years ago now and wow 7 years! I was told I could do a course of a maximum of 6 months!! Xx