Just a warning - think long and hard before you take this medication. I just happened to be one of those people experiencing a rare side effect...about 2 months after starting Accutane, my night vision was terrible (I could/can hardly drive), and I suddenly became nearsighted and needed glasses. I had always had 20/20 vision, as had everyone in my family, but suddenly at 21 in a very brief period of time I needed glasses. My dermatologist confirmed that this was unusual, but in fact a side effect. So, I will be nearsighted with poor night vision for the rest of my life, I suppose. And PS, the positive effects on my acne only lasted for about 2 years. I'm back to topical meds and a new vitamin.

I say listen to your body and do what it needs.
I've been on 60gms/day since mid August and have continued my training programme (although *no where NEAR* as gruelling as yours). :-)
I have experience no fatigue or muscle/joint pain (please God let it stay that way) and have lost weight because I'm more careful with my diet in regards to cholesterol.

Hi All,
I'm about to start a 16 week (30mg 59kg) course of Roaccutane (seems shorter course than most I've read which is puzzling?), having tried every other drug/lotion in the book to cure my moderate acne.
However I have a question for all those people out there who have taken or are taking Roaccutane - I'm a very keen runner, running an average of 25-30 miles a week and competing in 10k's and half marathons. I'm very concerned that Roaccutane is going to leave me unable to exercise or give me aches and pains. I have no problem cutting down the intensity of my training but am very keen not to have to stop exercising completely. Please could anyone with experience of exercise/training while on Roaccutane contact me with their experiences? I have another week before I begin my course and with all the other risks/side effects I don't wish to do so if I have to stop running to top it all.
Cheers everyone,
Jane

Hey guys how are ya? ive just started on roccutane 20mgs a day for the first 2 weeks and then 40mgs a day after that. ive had acne since i was 12 but it got really bad when i was about 14-15. ive tired all creams and gels, doxycycline,minomycen etc but nothing worked. ive only been on roccutane for 1 week now and it has goten really BAD!! and soooo RED!! how long does it take untill it starts to get better?? please write to me. Im also a bit p***ed off that i can sunbake especially when summer's coming up!! has anyone sunbaked while on roccutane?? if anyone has any info 4 me or if it sounds similar to u please write to me thanks heaps :) and good luck 4 anyone on roccutane

I used 2 treatments, each 6 months in length of accutane at high doses (usually about 60 mg)at the age of 27. I noticed awesome results while still on the accutane. The 1st time, it only took 2 months for my skin to overproduce oil again, so I opted to try a 2nd dose. Halfway through the treatment, I became pretty severely depressed. I chose not to tell the doctor for fear of being taken off of accutane... I wasnt suicidal, so I was determined to finish the medicine. 2 months after stopping the accutane, I started into over a year of finding the right drug to cure my deep depression, that I attribute to accutane. Anyhow, now 1 year later, I am making an appointment with the dermatologist again, to get a huge cyst injected! I am so tired of zits, and after all I have been through, I dont think its fair for me to continue with more breakouts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Overall though, accutane did definately improve my skin from what it was!

i have made a few postings on this before.Have been on the roaccutane now for about 10 weeks now.Have had little improvemnt but my dermotologist told me that i should see an improvement after 3 months.Im on 65mg a day.A few things have bothered me.The dry lips of course was expected and the dry skin but i didnt expect to sweat like a "pig" everytime i did a bit of exertion.its really embaressing now.But who cares as i only haveanother 6 weeks left of this.But im doing fien thank god,no depression or anything like that.Ok my confidence has dipped a bit but its always been like this cause i have had sao called"acne"for the best part of 5 or 6 years.If anyone wants advice email me cause this is my seconfd term on the roaccutane so i know all the crap that goes with it.I hope it works for me this time Please god

hey
im 18 .its about time i share my story. Its pretty much the same as others. i was on it from about hmm 9-10 months.I had pretty severe acnes( you know those under skin type..cystic i think ). I tried all that other stuff like soaps and washes and all healty diet but its all bul***it. It does not work.So at first i took only one pill a day later i went on 2 per day and so i stayed on 2 pills (40 mg )for about 7 months.Well any major results did not appear for about hmm 2 months i guess.You just have to keep going on and eventually it works out. 99.9%.
I didnt suffer from any side effect except dry skin (which i loved because no need for washing 20 times per day :) ) and dry eyes i guess.maybe a little depresed but i think it was coz of the acnes. after this therapy i dont have any more acne and its been like 2-3 months since i stopped.there are only a few little tiny patches of red left on my skin but the doc. said that will also eventually go. and there is no sign any pimples are coming.roaccutane works!i know how you all feel so try this. i wish you luck. if you have any questions ask ..
~M~

Hey guys, what's up? well i guess here's the short version of my story, i've had acne since like my early teens. I've been on termendous amounts of treatment and have tried EVERYTHING. i'm on new medication now which is totally killing my skin, two 500 mg pills of an antibiotic, one vitamin for acne, and differin gel in the morning, and bervoxyl at night. my skin is actually looking better, AND GOD BLESS MAKE UP!!!!!! but today my mom informed me that a lot of her friends friend's have tried it and they were pleased. i agreed that i would take it, but then decided i would do my own research, and HOLY CRAP, i'm scared now! i mean i don't know if it's worth the risk ya know? so hey e-mail me if you have any suggestions. and oh yeah , i just wanted to let whoever out there that has acne know that yeah, it sux, it sux bad, because i'm a very social and self-confident person, or at least i'm trying to still be. because this horrible pain is really bothering me. but pleeeeeeeease don't get down on urself , because hopefully if we all have high hopes , God willing, we'll get through it! and oh yeah thanx for all the messages on the board, very helful opinions:) PeAcE!

Hi all.. I have just been prescribed roaccutane and was wondering about WAXING..! With summer coming up here in sunny West Oz, i am horrified at the thought of not being able to wax this summer... not a good look for the bikini! Does any one have anything they could share about waxing and roaccutane?? It would be much apreciated. Many thanks and good luck to all with life in general!!

I'm making a research about acne treatments with pantothenic acid and aloe vera. If you have any testimony or you can reccomend me any web page, or you know someone who had acne and was cured thanks to ALOE VERA or VITAMIN B5, please send me a mail to soleandrada@hotmail.com. And if you have a solution for clearing scars, too. Or just if you want to tell me something...
THAnKS
Valeria

Hi
Im 5ft 7 about 10 stones in weight. Been taken roaccutane for Three months 3 x 20mg tablets per day for 1 week and then 3 weeks off, can anyone please give me there experiences of this kind of dosage. My acne is now going beserk again at the moment and i feel its not the right dosage or length of time, i go back to see specialist at the end of october.
Anyones help and experiences would be appreciated.
Take care everyone and good luck.

I have been two years post-Roaccutane. It's been such a great help in my life. When I first started out on Roaccutane, I was experiencing everything and anything that has been discussed in this webpage. This webpage was my saviour and support in ways that I could not have imagined.Today, two years later, I came back to this webpage and read through the archives. I actually saw my last posting (24 Aug 1999) 11 days before I end my 6 months dosage. WOw..i thought to myself.
Here I am, after two years, my skin isn't prefect but I never saw another acne. I do have occasional breakouts before my mensenses but they are small and last 2 days tops. I can also leave home without make-up. My colleagues and friends never believe I used to have acne. My face is still oily, but blackheads and whiteheads are non-existant. I applause Roaccutane!!
Without Roaccutane, I will never be who I am today. To all users of Roaccutane out there, Please believe in yourself and in Accutane, coz it really works! Have more faith and believe in your treatment and work together with your derm. And mostly importantly be patient, when you come out of it, you will look back and feel that you have battled hard and have won !!
Good luck to all ! And please try not to feel depressed. I know it's not easy coz Ive been through all of that. But hang on there!!
lOVE TO ALL.
Pikachu now aged 24

I have been on Roaccutane for just over 13 weeks now,and for anyone who needs advice feel free to email me!.

Hi everyone! Thank you for posting your experiences on this website, it has been really supportive. I have been on Roaccutane for 4 1/2 months now and have experienced the dry eyes, nose, lips etc but am yet to see any real results. My face cleared up a bit after 3 months but nothing that significant. I just wanted to know if anyone else has found the same thing. The treatment seems to be taking a long time to work for me, is this usual? most of the messages I have read on here are about people who are seeing results as early as 2 weeks! Also, does anyone know much about Differin? I am also using this daily and It has made my arms dry out. Please write back if you can help.
Thank you and good luck to all with your treatment.

Hi everyone,
I just found this web page and it is really good. I just got discharged from the hospital demo this week. I must admit that in general my skin is looking good. It feels smooth and there is only ever a odd spot at that time of the month. I finshed taking the drugs on may 10th of this year and my skin is still improving. I am hopeful that my acne won't return, but i have been on roc before when i was 16. i am hoping that now i am older it will sort itself out. As far as side effects go i felt tired, had extremely sore dry lips. i also lost half a stone as my cholorestrol got quite high and I had to stop eating the crap. I also wear contact lenses and recommend rewetting drops, that can be used while wearing lenses. Make up is not helping to hide the scarring that remainds on my face i used neutrogena skin clearing oil free make up. It is a light formula that does make your skin feel like it is wearing make up. I don't know of any good ways to reduce scarring and the demo told me not to pay any money for chemical peels or other methods. I guess it is just a matter of time. Anyway i hope that my acne really does go this time, as my self confidence and self esteem are improving daily. Good luck to all of you out there who are in the process of this treatment, my acne was bad and it has improved loads.
love
michelle

I just recently got put on Accutane, and I'm kinda scared form all the things I'm hearing about depression and suicide, because I'm already pretty depressed. I'm taking 20 mg, but I guess that is ok to start form my height and weight, I dunno. I just hope it works even though my case of acne is not that bad. I just wish the results came faster than 2-3 months. If anyone who has taken this feels like informing me I would appreciate it
Thanks, Brooke

well like most people who have written in, i got acne around the age of 12 and it really wasnt that bad, and there wasnt much i could do about it, coz mine was hereditary. wen i was 15 it got REALLY bad, so bad people would call me pizza face and really nasty stuff like that, so i went to the doctor and he put me on diane 35 and minocyclin and boy did they suck. so after a year of a discusting face caked with thick makeup (which costed an arm and a leg) i went to a dermatoligist and he put me on roaccutane. ive been on it for 3 months now, and 2 weeks after i started i noticed a difference. my skin has completly cleared and its really nice wen people make comments on how nice your skin is, it sends a little buzz down to your tummy. im so glad i went on roacctuane. now wen i go out im not in the bathroom every hour caking on makeup which looked just as gross!! dont ever get into the habbit of wearing makeup everyday TRUST ME you will regret it coz u get to the stage where u cant even go to the letterbox widout wearing makeup. so please guys and gals if u got acne seriously do sumthing about it, my only regret is i wish i had done sumthing bout it earlier and didnt wait till it was severe til i got off my bum and fixed it! yay for roaccutane :) :)

I had a course of roaccutane when I was 16. In the last 2 months, my acne flared up for unknown reason..... got so stressed with it.....

i had acne for years b/f i started using accutane in singapore. back then i was only at 70 mg ( i weigh 100 kg), tried that for 4 months & ended up with dry skin & little improvement, my dermatologist refused to increase the dosage due to my excessively dry skin. when i came to the united states, my new dermatologist upped my dose to 130 mg, the rationale was that a higher dosage would lead to a shorter period on accutane, greater effectiveness & as long as i was closely monitored with regards to possible side effects, it wouldn't be a problem. consequently, my skin cleared up within weeks. not sure whether this is true but it does seem that doctors in singapore tend to be overly conservative when dealing with accutane. my theory is that either many doctors in singapore don't take acne very seriously or have limited experience with accutane as they don't use it very much. in fact, the national skin centre in singapore will only prescribe accutane for extremely severe conditons, meaning your face has to be almost totally covered with cystic acne.

had really good skin til i hit lower sixth then my face got pretty bad, tried everything under the sun - to no avail. then when i was in my first year at uni, my derm put me on roaccutane, what a difference it makes, totally cleared my skin up after 2-3 months of taking it. got my confidence back, and was out nearly every nite at uni drinking away. now, though my skin has gotten a bit bad again, nowhere near what it used 2 be like, but nonetheless i am self-concious about it. i dont know whether the drinking has got anything to do with it, but i am planning another trip to the derm to beg them to put me back on it, and maybe if i stop drinking so much, it will stay good permanently. but as for the side effects, i had the usual dryness of lips and nose etc. but def. nuthin major!

Just a word of encouragement to all those considering taking Roaccutane. I have just finished a five month course and I am so pleased with the results. I feel so much happier in myself and my confidence has soared. I was lucky enough not to suffer some of the more severe side effects but I did find I felt really tired and had to take things easy for a while. My two main tips:- Drink as much water as you can & use vasaline on your lips 24/7. Good luck.

hi everyone. im looking for some advice from people who have tried accutane and this looks like the right place. i have suffered from moderate acne since im about 12 years old and it has definitely damaged my self esteem. im not at all confident and i cant stand to be very close to anyone for fear of them seeing how bad my skin is. i am considering accutane because i have exhausted all other possibilities, both externally and internally. my face is covered in red and brown marks from old acne and of course new flareups. i would like to know how many people have had a permanant or near permanant elimination of their acne after being of this stuff. does it usually come back after a time even if it works great during treatment? also, i wear contacts and i want to know if it is impossible to continue to wear them during the treatment. if anyone can help me out, id love to hear from you.

I was prescribed 40 mg per day of Roaccutane for 24 weeks 7 years ago for mild acne. I experienced the usual Dry eyes, dry lips and heavy nose bleeds. After the course I continued to experience extremely dry lips where they would not only crack and bleed but also the skin got to the stage where it was so thin it turned into a white mush when touched by any water. I continually applied Vaseline to alleviated the pain and soreness.
This went on for around 2 years until unfortunately both lips contracted both primary and secondary infections. Of which I have been fighting for the last five years. The bacteria that caused the infection was that of what is normally found in a healthy mouth, however due to my lips being like and open wound continually with no protection, such infections were allowed to thrive and stay for long periods of time due to it being very difficult to stop eating and speaking for the healing process to take place. Such infections over the last five years have caused extreme pain and suffering to myself as both eating and communicating with people has become very difficult at times. On numerous occasions I have had to stop speaking for days due to the pain.
I have seen numerous doctors/specialist over the 7 years, initially the first 2 years dermatologists where dismissing the link between my condition and my taking Roaccutane however now it has been directly linked to me taking the drug. Over the last two years I have been seeing the UK’s leading specialist in this particular field (oral medicine) where we have obtained moderate success, although the condition has never fully recovered. At present I have experiencing a set back that is quite difficult to cope with as I have had to quit my job due not being able to speak properly due to the pain and discomfort.
Anyway the purpose of this post was not only to raise awareness of this long-term side effect but also to offer any help, advice and support to any others out there who are seeing early signs of this condition or are experiencing it full blown now.
This is a serious medical condition and in my experience is irreversible as the Roaccutane has not only increased the reproduction of skin on my lips but also cut down the oil distribution to them too. It should be identified early on and you should be referred to the right specialist before it snowballs into the horrible experience I have had to endure for the last 7 years. I remember the initial stages of the condition thinking “ Ah great my skin has cleared, dry lips is a small price to pay‘ however believe me
having mild acne is one thing but losing the ability to communicate properly with people and some times completely due to the extreme pain is on a completely different scale.
Anyway please do not hesitate to contact me via email and I will be more than happy to help out in any way I can.

I am 5 4" and 54kg.I have been recommended a starting dose of 40mg/day on Roacc. for mild facial acne(as a couple of spots say goodbye, another crops up to pay a visit).Would others please comment on whether this is a suitable dose. I've had acne since 11 and previously had it on my back and upper shoulders.It's hard to tell whether a combination of Dalacin T,benzoyl peroxide and a 2-week course of minocycline made a serious difference or, the passage of time, but those areas appear to be totally cleared..Unfortunately I have skin which scars easily,so I think applying sunblock first thing(after washing my face) in the morning is a good idea.Also,thanks to the excellent camoflauge cream Dermablend my acne scars have rarely made me "feel bad" for any length of time.I would recommend a dab of hydroquinone applied at night for these.Thankyou for such a generous effort to design this website Gillian.I guess yu deserve a course's worth of treatment from us!!

I was suffering from acne from when I was approximately 19. My doctor put me on the ussual drugs like tetracyclines. They always worked wonderfully well but as soon as I stopped the treatments the acne would return. Most of the times even the same weeks. I remember talking about accutane with my derm when I was arround 25 but at that stage we decided not to go for that. When I was arround 29 my acne started to get much worse and severe. My nose started to swell and got even a little bit misformed. I remember being on holiday in Israel and my nose was one big red rock with lots of white heads. For my work I moved to Ireland and there I visited a new derm. She told me that I was suffering from acne rosacea, something that occurs normally after the age of 25. She proposed me to take roccutane and we discussed all the side effect, like dry lips & skin, moodswings, ect. Because the situation was pretty bad we decided to go for it. For one month I was taking 20 mg per day. After a week or two I experienced VERY dry skin and lips and I also was more tired than normal. However, the longer I as taking accutane the less dry my lips and skin got. In summary: the side effect I experienced were minor and very well to handle. From week 2 on, all my spots dissappeared and my the form of my nose got slowly back to normal. For me the side effect were a very small price to pay.By the way, the rest of the treatment I was on 40 mg per day. I am now off the tablets for 4 months and my skin is still clear and lets hope it will stay like that. I realize that that are a lot discussions around the serious side effects (and they certainly exist) of Roaccutane but scientific research show that only a very small percentage suffers from the serious side effects like moodswings and even then it 's difficult to tellif it is directly related to the drug. I was browsing on the internet and I found the following article. I don't know the guy(s) who wrote it but it is quite interesting: http://drmirkin.com/morehealth/G200.htm
For me personally it worked very well and it certainly improved the quality of my life

Hi
I've been on Roaccutane for 11 weeks now . All the spots have cleared however It seems that it is causing my cheeks to become so red that I think it could well be dermatitis on the face. Has anyone else had this??
Is there anything to help heal it - I've stopped taking it because of this. Seeing a different dermatologist next week.
Any comments would be welcomed or email myself.
cheers.

Well I'm new to Roaccutane but I'm not really new to Isotretinoin I used to use a topical gel containing it (Isotrex) before. Last month my derm put me on Minocin (50MG) & Dalacin T, then yesterday, he put me on Roaccutane (40MG for the first week and then 20MG) and also told me to go on with the Minocin and the Dalacin T. I've heard about the side effects of Roaccutane a while ago and I asked my derm about it he told me that the serious effects are rather rare and my dose isn't that big. I'm not sure what to expect but he has told me that I'd notice the dry skin, hair, lips, eyes, nose... and also he told me about the depression and the mood swings. I've woke up today having dry lips, but well, I've only taken 40MG so far so I think it's early for the other side effects to really appear, if they did appear cause usually, when I take a drug I don't get the side-effects, but it seems this time I will. Anyway it's nice seeing such sites which you can interact with people with the same problems keep it up :) and peace.

I've been on accutane for 6 weeks and what I've noticed is that my lips, skin and hair are much dryer than before, and I my joints are stiff and sore alot. I'm also very tired alot, but the effects are very tolerable. I am actually able to wear my contact lenses all day, which I never expected. I'm taking 80mg per day, which after reading others testimonials, seems like a huge dosage, for a full 5 months. I had moderate acne on my chin and jawline - which has completely cleared but now I get spots on my cheeks once in a while. My doc says that the effects will start to become noticeable after the 3rd month of treatment. I have not found that my moods have changed at all, except for the fatigue. So far I have to say that for me it has not been bad at all. I wear makeup everyday (wouldn't be seen without it) and I absolutely love Clinique's clarifying foundation. Gives excellent coverage for those existing red marks and smooths out the complexion.

Hi there,
I was on roacc for 6 mths, ended in march this year. From what I gathered, there's a strong correlation between roacc and depression. Even now, 5 mths after I stopped consuming it, I still get infrequent bouts of unexplained depression. Though I won't profess to be a born optimist, I wasn't like this before I took roacc. It was after this treatment that little things irritate me easily and my mood swings fluctuate as badly as the current stock market.
Annie, after readin ur msg, I couldn't help but wonder if the derm u're seeing was the one I seen the last couple of mths. He was simply not interested in my condition, making a mockery of my findings in this site. He also didn't conduct a blood test for me or inform me of other possible side effects other than dry skin. I could understand how u feel as I've gone it myself. Though now my skin is back to normal, I still have difficulty controlling my emotions.
As for breaking out after treatment, I didn't experience any breakouts at all, saved for a few small ones that go away after an hr or so. U definitely got red and burnt easily but it makes ur skin glow with a radiance (at least that's wat pple ard me commented). I did use make up during the last 3 mths of treatment. Didn't have any adverse effects but do be careful and select a good one. Always, always ask the pharmacist for aid.
Lastly a note of encouragement: I had a very trying period when I took roacc but I still managed to come out of it in ONE piece. So I believe u guys and gals out there are more than able to overcome it. Trust me

Hi, I was wondering can we use MAKEUP while on Roaccutane? Is that good for the treatment? Or will it make the process slower or anything? Please help me!!!
Vanessa

I just wanted to chime in here after reading so many other tales of acne trials and tribulations--and victories! I am now beginning just my second week of accutane, so I suppose my relating my experiences here is a bit premature, but I'm in a chatty mood, so what the hell...I've had icky skin since I was thirteen, but it's gone through different stages of ickiness. I just now got onto the big bad accutane on account of the latest breed of yuck that's threatened to take over my face--it's that nasty cystic kind that spreads out all over your chin and jawline and just does not die away. Anyway, so far the dry mouth and lips are totally not a big deal. And, if anything, just feeling a constant sensation onmy face, whatever it be, is nice because it reminds me that i'm actively attacking this problem. It may not be related to the medication, but for the past week I've really been fighting off waves of fatigue. I wonder if that will improve/worsen...Oh, as an aside, I should tell all of you women out there about the makeup i swear by: merle norman's got a killer line of "putty" type of foundation that just covers it all up.

I've been on Nimegen (manufactured in Korea, which is supposed to be a cheaper version of Roaccutane with the same composition) for more than 6 months now. My complexion has improved a lot but I still have breakouts pretty regularly. My doc says that's coz i'm only on a 10mg dosage, which for my body weight is really low. may be increasing my dosage to 20mg, but my doc was a little hesitant when he saw how dry my lips are.
I've been really depressed during these months too, though of course prior to coming to this site I never thought it would be roaccutane-related. I had thought it was just school and relationship problems that were making me feel horrible. In fact it has gotten so bad I was put on prozac and am now seeing a psychiatrist cos i've been skipping sch. will ask him whether he knows anything about this side effect of Roaccutane next time i visit him (it's next week actually).
p/s my skin doc denied vehemently about roaccutane causing depression though when I asked him. Said he had never heard of his patients complaining about it before...

Hi, I've been on Roaccutane for bout 3 months now, but i'm only on 20mg a day. Is this normal? I've not had many side-effects so far just dry lips and dry skin, I'm also very depressed but I don't think it's cos of the drug cos I was very depressed bout my skin b4 I started it. At the moment it's very up and down, one week it's almost compleatly clear and the next I have a face full of spots again. Last week I managed to stop squeezing and my face really cleared up, but this morning I woke up with a massive spot, so I squeezed but then I started to squeeze small blackheads and now I look terrible. I dont no what to do ne more, I try to stop my self picking and squeezing but I can't help it. Does ne one no how to stop myself squeezing? Acne has affected me in a really bad way, I've stopped going to school cos of it and I'm now seeing a siciatress(if that's how it's spelt). I hoping to go back to school after the summer holiday if my face is OK so I've got just over a week to stop squeezing. How long does it take for Roaccutane to really start getting rid of acne? please email me if u have ne ideas or want some one to talk to bout acne.
luv Jess

I have been on Roaccutane for the best part of three months now and must say that the results so far are very pleasing. The problem I have, is with the side effects...I have the dry skin, sore lips and red blotches that almost everyone seems to get, but in addition to this, I generally feel quite lazy and tired and find it difficult to concentrate. Also, I am happy as Larry one minute and the most depressed bloke in the world the next.
Does anyone else experience these side effects and has anyone become forgetful...I've missed a few appointments at work, which I usually do'nt do.
Please feel free to e.mail me if you have experienced anything like this. Thanks very much and good luck.
E.mail pringo9@hotmail.com

I wanted to let everyone know my excellent results from taking roaccutane. I had mild but persistant acne around my cheeks. I tried a few over the counter medications, but nothing seemed to help. Then i was getting so depressed with it, i went to see my Dermatologist. He recommended i went on Roaccutane, and so i started my 4 month course of 60mg per day. AT first i suffered extremely dry skin, and very dry lis but i was able to control this with plenty of moisturiser and lip balms, i also suffered from alot of cold sores which i've never had before so i gathered this was another side effect form the medication. But all in all i have had very positive results. I have 3 weeks left on the medication thenm my course of treatment is finished. I have completely clear skin, but i have noticed that i have quite a few marks left on my skin where the cysts were. If anyone has any ideas of what i can use to help get rid of these marks please let us know.
I would definately reccommend Roaccutane, nothing can be as bad as having very spotty skin and having no self confidence.
Stick in folks

I have been taking roaccutane now for 100 days and still my skin is little better than when I started.I have acne round my face and jawline and on my back chest and shoulders.New cysts keep appearing leaving blotches and dreadful craters on my face and body.I have been taking 60mgs A day for nearly fifteen weeks and are due to go back to the derm in one in one week.I expect to go on A higher dose perhaps 80mgs A day for two months(I am quite heavy) and maybe that will work.I am worried about the length of time I will have to take the drug for and the side effects will worsen with an increasd dose.Please email me if you are in a simalar situation to me,or if you just have any tips.

I am currently only 3 and a half months into my Accutane treatment and my face has ENTIRELY cleared up! There isn't a single spot or even a blackhead on my face. When starting I was afraid of the side effects, but the ONLY ones that I got were slight dryness of the skin on my face, which was easily cured by using some moisturizing cream on my face once a day. And the other side effect that I got and still have are very dry lips. They really don't look all that bad, but they feel terrible if I don't keep something on them like vaseline all the time. And it can mentally make you feel badly about them, especially in a situation such as kissing another person. But it is a very small price to pay for having a clear face, and I mean CLEAR! I think accutane is great, and has made me feel a lot better about myself. I think anyone with serious acne should give it a try.

Hi everyone!
I've finished my 6 months course for roaccutane and the results are fantastic!
I used to have complete flawless skin, until acne struck me all of a sudden last year. I was really devastated. I tried all sorts of medications but it just doesn't work. I look terrible and felt as though the whole world has come to an end.
Well, roaccutane starts to show it's miracle effects from the 4th month onwards. I've never looked this radiant before! It's just so wonderful! My face is clear and smooth now, and roaccutane also swept my blackheads off! It was kinda unbelievable!
Hang on there guys, you will be on your way to clearer skin! Good luck to all!! Cheers!

Hi there,
I was looking around on the net and i came across this webiste and what a relief to be able to share in my experiences with other perople.I though i was alone.Anyways i have mild acne mostly around my neck area and it was getting me down so i decided to go to my dermotologist and she prescribed me roaccutane.Im on 40mg a day.....2 tablets a day.I have been on roaccutane for the past 2 weeks and already i see a difference maybe its me.The only sideaffect so far has been dry skin and dry lips.Im on the roaccutane for 3 months so im hoping this will work for me because for so long this has held me back.If anyone wants to email me feel free i welcome the support and maybe i help too.(ps 2 years ago i was on roaccutane for 6 months.heavy dosage..by the time i finished the tasblets my severe acne had gone but like a shot it came back again.) I have been there and back again.But im determined to move forward and be positive.
Cheers Donal

I am posting this information on behalf of my sister who has just completed a 3 month course of Roaccutane. Over the last several years she has suffered extremely badly with her complexion, she would regularly have dozens of boils on her face that used to look absolutely awful and clearly affected her self-confidence etc..amongst many other things.
After trying several other prescribed drugs she was eventually put onto Roaccutane.
To say she was ill throughout the course of treatment would be an understatement. She suffered from all of the side effects that the medical information said were a possibility, and now just a week before she was due to complete the three month course she was so ill that the consultant took her off of it, and said that when she stopped taking the drug she would feel better and her skin would improve.
Three weeks later her skin has continued to get worse, and is no better now than when she started. But to cap it all she has now been admitted into hospital where they have now decided that she is suffering from Hepatitis !!!!
This was bought on by the use of Roaccutane. She is currently looking at being off work for a couple of months at least !! and of course still has no cure for the original problem. My sister had spoken to the consultant several times throughout the course because she was feeling so bad and blood tests where showing that there were some problems with her liver function, but nobody seemed to take it seriously enough to take her off the drug.
How negligent is that ? How dangerous is this drug ? Does anyone else have a similar story to tell ?
My sister, surprisingly enough, would never take this drug again, no matter what.

I'd like to say that I've been on Roacc for about a month now and it's been really good. I have had moderate and extremely persistent acne since I was about 11 years old. I have tried adjusting my diet and fluid intake and oral and topical antibiotics. Nothing had an effect that was consistent, which was particularly frustrating. I'm finding Roacc to be okay - I haven't had many of the side effects except really dry lips, a small rash for a few days and rather dry skin. My skin is looking better than it ever has, and it's good to feel like it could finally be a permanent thing. To any Aussies thinking about going on Roacc - I learnt that the doses prescribed here are less than that in other countries, which lessens the risks of side effects somewhat. I would encourage anyone who has had ongoing (nonresponsive) problems to try it - my experience has been quite positive.

hey,
i have had acne since i was about 12, at 14 i was living in singapore and my derma prescribed me accutane IT WAS A MIRACLE! within a month my face was almost completely clear. finally i had self confidence and was out-going with a great social life.i went out drinking although i probably should'nt have and after a year i stopped the treatment. for half a year my skin was fine.the odd blemish but nothing to worry about. Then my parents moved to new york and i went to boarding school in England. i started getting a few breakouts.i could'nt get the same oil-absorbant face powder and as i have very pale skin the only concealer i could find was oily. the worse my spots got the more makeup i used, and the more makeup, the worse they got.i would wear the makeup from when i woke up to when i went to bed because i was constantly around people in the boarding school. i also did'nt realise that my face wash was'nt actually removing the makeup properly. i'm not exactly sure why, but i ended up having a contraceptive injection called depo provera, this flared my acne up even more. i was so embarressed to goto the school doctor because my friends would ask me where i was going (i was always with them). the doctor would'nt give me accutane in england because they can't prescribe it so i was put on antibiotics. i had to stop drinking and smoking and i felt sick whenever i ate anything. i realised i had to stop wearing the makeup -the ultimate humiliation.none of these treatments worked and i stopped going out with my friends, making excuses like "i have to study" which i never did before. when i came back to america for this summer vacation i went to a dermo and because they would'nt be able to monitor me properly refused to give me accutane. instead i'm on more antibiotics and i won't even leave the house in case i see anyone i knew last summer -when i had smooth skin. there seems to be no way i can get on accutane again and its the only thing that seems to work for me.

Hi there hope you are all bearing up ok and managing to keep smiling. I just thought i would let you know i have now been taking roa for 15 days ( 35mg 70kg ) i have only noticed a bit of dry flaky skin and dry lips, in the first week i thought my face looked as though it may be clearing a little (minor but persistant annoying spots) but now i seem to be getting quite a few more than im used to. Although my hair used to need washing every morning as it is very greasy but now i am able to leave it 2 days, YEE HAR YAR HOO, so thats one bonus as yet. I know i was told i couldnt drink on these tablets but i lied to my dermo and told him i dont drink,,,,,BIG FIB, in the last 14 days i have got sozzled both saturdays and drank most nights -- maybe a few cans of lager when kids have gone to bed or a few glasses of vodka 'n' coke or 3 or 4. I am a little worried as i was getting back pain the other day ( near my liver) so i am now only going to drink on saturdays,has anyone else drank through the treatment? is so what happened? whats the worst thing that could possibly happen?
I hope you all have clear faces in the near future
love
Sue
also one other thing i have noticed is i cant concentrate for long now, i also find when i am typing on pc i spell thing wrong a lot now --which is a slight pain as i use pc at work,,,but hey ho !! lets hope its all going to be worth out

I used roaccutane for 6 month (30-40 mg). During the treatment I wrote here several times about my suffering. I looked like a monster (because of a terrible outbreak) and didn't want to live my room, but I continued because I was told I wouldn't have pimples for at least one year. It was one of the worst times of my life. Now, four monthes later, I have pimples again. I don't know what to think. any suggestions?

For years I had bad BAD acne. Nothing worked, I had tried many different remedies but nothing worked. My dermotoligist prescribed Roaccutane. He warned me of the side effects. I had these drugs when i was 18.. To this day I have not had another pimple.
The worst thing I could complain about in regards to Roaccutane is the dry skin. All I had to do was use Blistex (in a little tub) on my lips and moisturise my face and skin.
Aside from the sore lips, Roaccutane worked perfectly. I had no problems and wouldnt hesitate recomending Roaccutane to anyone!

Hi everyone!
It is heartbreaking to read some of the accounts posted, because it really hits home for me. I have suffered from acne since I was about 15 and as an act of desperation (after trying just about everything else on the market), I decided to go ahead and try Roaccutane. I finished my treatment yesterday, after a 5-month course, and all I can do now is hold thumbs. My skin is better than it has been in years and I'm praying that I don't have a relapse.
To everyone contemplating Roaccutane, I say go ahead! Don't worry about all the terrible potential long-term effects, because I think it is much worse to have to face the rest of your life with a spotty face than to try the treatment and face very minimal risks of long-run damage.
I wish you all the best and hope that some day soon you will wake up to a blemish-free complexion! And most of all: BE BRAVE! Don't make my previous mistake of living like a hermit, because in recent times I've found my true friends ... those who have loved and accepted me for who I am and not for what I look like!
Michael
P.S. To all South African patients on Roaccutane, try Click's Aloe Vera Cream to combat the dryness. I found that it really worked well for me and it is inexpensive too.

I have been on Roaccutane for 2 months now, it has been a complete roller coaster ride for me, one week my skin looks wonderful and the next it looks awefull. Sometimes I wonder if it is ever going to get better. Most of the messages on this board are from other countries were products used for side effects are not available in SA, so for readers from SA here are some of the products that I have used, Vaseline Intensive Care Lip Balm for dry lips (works very well), Nurses Own for dry skin, Oatmeal products for daily cleaning - try them, they seem to help. I have suffered from nosebleeds from day one, and red itchy rashes around the wrist area, but that is about all. I have not had that " red " look to my skin either, I just hope this stays away. Anyway, if there is anyone out there who is at round about the same stage of treatment please email me so that we can buddy-up. Good luck to all of you out there, I pray that one day we are all acne free. Chow, KB

Hi,well i've been on Roaccutane for four months now , i have just 3 more weeks left and i cant begin to tell you how pleased i am with the results! My derm wanted to give me just 2 more weeks treatment but i convinced him to give me 3! I was offered to go on it years ago when i was 17 but i didnt because i was worried about side effects, well what a fool i was! All i can say is that i am now a different person, i have much more confidence. I am in a new relationship and for the first time EVER i dont have to set my alarm for 5am! and rush to the bathroom to put a load of make-up on for fear of my boyfriend seeing my horrible complexion!!
Yes , ok i did get dry lips which i made worse my picking them ( Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream was excellent) My eyes got really dry in the beginning (i used Molton Brown eye rescue cream ) and Neutrogena Clear pore wash morning and night. I also used Sebum control moisturiser (anti bacterial ) from the Synergie pure range.
All i can say is go for it! I even asked my derm to give me the photographs that he took the first day i saw him to remind me of how far ive come. All im worried about now is if it ever returns. So i need to keep myself stess free and with skin like this now i think it should be pretty easy!
Any advice or if ur feeling low please email me.
good luckx

Well well well. I have just finished my roaccutane course today, i have been on it for 6 months, and my skin has cleared up like a dream. Side effects?..yes there are side effects, I had all the usual ones. My acne got quite a bit worse for the 1st 10 days or so, then started to just fall off, it was brilliant. My skin was very dry, and started to peel if i didn't use enough moisturiser..i just used plain nivea cream on my face and particularly dry areas. My lips were very dry also, but this was easily remedied using moisturiser or lip balm again. I got a red, dry rash under my lower arms, and above my tricep muscle on the skin on my upper arms.....when i put moisturiser on these rashes, the got worse...and in the end i had to leave them...but now they've gone because the treatment has finished. I have found this year more difficult to concentrate on my work, but i don't believe that is neccessarily due to the roaccutane.
I have had no suicidal tendencies whatsoever, in fact i've been happier than i've been for several years recently.
It appears that those who have depression from this drug are in the minority. I think that there are a lot of conclusions being made, with very little evidence to support the claims. People who have had bad depression (what is there can prove it was due to roaccutane?) supposedly due to roaccutane are almost scare mongering. This drug is safe (in my view at least) , i know quite a few people who have taken it, and the great majority of people around the world who take it have no major side effects. Those who do are quite a minority. This does not mean the depression side efects do not exist, because they clearly do, but they are rare. If you are thinking about taking roaccutane, weigh up your options, it is a great hassle, and is something i would not want to haveto take again, but it is very beneficial for your acne, there is the possibility that it will give you depression, but this is a very small possibility....the pros outweigh the cons, but at the end of the day, it's upto you.

Ive been on Roaccutane for just over 3 weeks now. My dermo said my acne was likely to get worse during the first 7-10 ten days, but in my case it has started getting gradually worse over the last 2 weeks and i am yet to see any improvement. Is this normal? When will i start to see an improvement?

hello everyone,
All i can say is pleases please, do not consider taking Roaccutaine, it may be different for different people, but in the long run is it really worth putting your body through
all those horrible side effects, imagine if the drug is given you thoses effects on the outside, what is it doing internally.
Well from my horrible experience, it's not worth it,
i was on the drug for 5 months, i was an out going chating person, then one day i was out having a good old time at a friends house, all of a sudden by brain clicked and i headed straight out side and leaped over a balcony head first, for no reason at all, thank god my friend managed to grab hold of one leg, everyone helped me up , then i just went nut's, about 5 friends had to hold me down, i couldn't controll my self. Is it worth taking your life over Acne.
A few day's later i slowly came back to myself, but still 9 yrs later get depression, thanks to Roaccutaine.
If i'd known this could've happend there was no way i would've gone on this, Depression sux (acne well thats something else) i know i've had it.
I did get all the horrible sideeffects including depression for the rest of my life probably.
i advise anyone, try stop drinking milk or anything with milk in it, it does wonders for my skin, also try to get a total natural cleanser and moisturiser, cause all the stuff they put in face creams only make things worse, now that i'm doing thses two simple things, my face has improved 85% so please try something else befor roac. cheers bop good luck everyone plases write to me with your experiences bop_perry@hotmail.com

Dear all
This morning I took my last tablets and saw my Derma, she was very happy with the results - so I am officially finished!
I am really pleased with the results, and would recommend the big 'R' to anyone serious enough about taking it. My skin now is 95% perfect - I do have 1 or 2 little patches of red to remind me where the spots have been, but the Derma told me these will pass with time.
For anyone just starting out - the time has flown by (although I did mark the days off on the calendar).
Good luck everyone, things do get a whole lot better, and the end is not that far away at all.
P.S. Feel free to e-mail me for any advice/help/encouragement that I can give.
Right I am off for a beer and a curry tonight. Yippee.

Hi peeps..!
Don't know why i'm sounding so jolly...cos i sure don't feel it!
ITs my first time here and already i feel at home..well i'm pretty much gonna tell a familiar story. i started up with the lumps and bumps on my face at around 13 and was promptly prescribed Zineryt which seemed to do the trick...for the next 5/6 yrs id resort to the zineryt after a breakout and it would clear everything without even leaivng a mark...
then two yrs ago i broke out like never before and then SHOCK HORROR!! zineryt didnt work (probably became imune to it) so i saw the derm. After trying oral antibiotics which made absolutely no difference, she recommended roac...that was a yr ago. And i decided i couldnt do it...i tryed everything else under the sun..and i can't lie and say its still as bad as it was, because it isn't. admittedly i still wear a ton of foundation:( and theres plenty of scaring on my cheeks, put it this way, i wouldn't say i had 'normal' skin. each day they'll be a new spot and thus a new scar i wear my hair down always to cover my face...and i'm not happy. its better than it was, but i know i can't keep on like this.
the thing is i am soooo indecisive, i envy all those of u, that read these pages or post on these pages YOU have the guts to take the stuff. whatever ur face looks like--at least u have the courage, strength of mind and determination to do wahtever it takes to get thru this!
so now i went to the chemist and got a big bag full of roac...and its sitting on my dressing table..:(
one thing im wondering...roac makes ur skin extra extra sensitiveright? they tell u to keep away from sunlite/beds..waxing..well i go for electrolisis treatment on my face (faicial hair removal) would that be allowed?...anyone continue waxing while still on roa...sounds weird i know but!...
you can tell i have soooo much to say huh!
well i don't wanna go on and on and on alth i could!...tell you what if anyone wants to chat..pls pls mail me...
all the best to everyone
big smiles and cuddles to everyone
Hana

Hi-
I want to share my experience of Accutane with everyone.
I was suffering from acne for about 4 years when the drug was initially presented to me. I was warned that the drug had side effects, but was only explained that they were dry lips and other minor things. I decided to try it since it was reletively risk free (or so I thought).
I started the drug just before high school. I would continue using it for six continuous months. I didn't see any side effects at the time, but now I'm making the correlation between Accutane and depression.
I was extremely depressed my first year of high school and I didn't really know why. I had never felt like that before. I always had many friends and never had a problem expressing myself. All of a sudden when I got to high school, I immediately felt hopeless and that I didn't belong. Unfortunately, this carried on for much of my high school days; some good days and some bad. I still struggle with depression from time to time, but not as severe. My question is, do the effects of Accutane persist even when you have stopped using the drug? Has the Accutane somehow stayed with me, causing depression from time to time?
I'd appreciate any help you could give me on the matter.
Oh yah- I have clear skin. Big deal. Feeling hopeless is worse than any red blotch you could possibly have on your face.
-Chris

Hello all. i have recently been put on accutane having developed resistance to minocin. damn shame since i had just bought a huge supply. d´óh. minocin was good while it lasted. needless to say while i had clear skin my level of interaction with the world increased and i am not ready to go back to being a hermit since it has stopped working.
of course i heed all the bad experiences on accutane. in the meantime while i wait for the disease to leave me i will continue searching for a solution to it. i hear different reports on how long people go after finishing a normal course of accutane before it reappears. obviously those who have acne for a short period may well have naturally outgrown it by the time it would reappear. so they need no further course. i get the impression it is roughly good for a botu five or six months after you stop the course if the state of your acne is moderate.
goiod luck all. take heart.

I just want to write here what a SUCCESS my treatment with roaccutane has been, because I have realised that the majority of people who tend to write about their experiences, are those that have had bad ones. I want to inform people that those people are the ones that have had the worse side effects and they aren't accually as common as they appear to be from looking on the net. Anyway READ ON because I did have a few minor sidefects but found really good ways of combating them and they could possibly help you as well. Firstly I noticed the excessively DRY LIPS, which were an absolute nightmare for me as they became really sore and noticeably flakey - but after a while of using general lip balms which did not work at all, I found a marvellous one which kept the flakiness away for so much longer (BLISTEX INTENSIVE CONDITIONER). I would recomend people using this one from the start!
I also noticed my spots go a tiny bit worse during the first month of treatment - but don't let this put you off because they soon went and now I have totally CLEAR SKIN, which is actually in better condition than most people who have never even had spots. Another side affect I had was a little burn like rash on the tops of my hands and slightly down the sides of my arms - I found this a little weird because it felt like a burn when you put moisturising cream on it - however it only lasted one or two days, and all you need to combat it is a good moisturiser (Ask your dermo) Overall I had a general 'foggyness' in my head, where I could HARDLY CONCENTRATE on anything and was CONSTANTLY TIRED, which is a pain as I am taking my college exams at the moment - but my doc was excellent and offered to write a letter to the college explaining the treatments' side effects, so you could quite easily get your doctor to do the same for you. So, if you are taking or are planning to take this treatment I would recomend it as SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS are EXTREMELY LOW - and now that I have 100% CLEAR SKIN, my confidence has increased so much it's unbelievable. I mean putting up with flakey lips, a few rashes and headaches for just four months seems a small price to pay considering the marvellous results the treatment has given!

Hey everyone, well ive been on Accutane for 5 months and wow what a difference. But it came at a very high price and a wouldnt recommend it. First the side effects. I have experienced Hair loss, Dry Dry Dry Lips, etc, and the worst of all mental side effects. I have thought of Suicide so many times. I even dumped my gf for no reason. This stuff makes u crazy. Let me tell u something. Dont trust Dermo's they only want to make money they dont care about u unless u have skin cancer. My Dermo didnt tell me nothing he just put me on it and thats it. THen i had to do my own research and found out it causes depression, and suicidle thoughts. Well i have been a lot happier lately with no acne but i lost my gurl which i had for a year. Another fact more then 44 people die of suicide each year from Accutane. Scary eh? But its up to u is clear skin really worth getting crazy in the head. Well if u guys want to know more about my experience u can write me or add me to MSN Instant Messanger and talk to me there. Take care guys and really think before taking this drug. Lots of Luv Troy

As soon as I hit puberty, 13 y.o, I was blessed with
terrible skin. From 13 to 28 I tried everything and
anything to no avail. I was terribly depressed about
it and had no social life because of it. I found a great dermi and he put me on roaccutane for 6 months.
The only side effects were the very dry skin and itchiness but the results were amazing. For the first time in 15 years I had CLEAR & GLOWING skin. The results lasted for about 5 years, but after having a child the hormones went beserk and I am now back to
square one again. I am off to the dermi on Monday.

Having read so many different accounts of the various experiences on roaccutane, I want to share mine with you too. I developed acne about a year ago and was immedately given the routeen antibiotics and facial tonics. Although my condition didn't improve I did not welcome the thought of roaccutane as I had heard so many off-putting stories about the side effects. Finally, I couldn't bear it any longer and started a 5 month course of roaccutane. Initially, my face seemed to dry up almost immediately and I was shocked at how quickly it had improved. By the second and third week, however, I had a full breakout. My skin was dry and red and I had a burning sensation around my mouth and cheeks. My spots would flare up and then subside on a weekly basis and I was nearly in tears at the thought of facing the outside world.My skin felt so raw that I didn't even dare to use any make up to conceal the lumps I had all over my face. Into the second month, the smaller bumps started to disappear and my face as a whole wasn't so chapped and flushed.I did experience mild dryness in my eyes and my lips were constantly peeling. My month four, most of my spots had disappeard, leaving behind small scars and blemishes. I have been off the drug for over a month and everyone has commented on how good my skin looks as it now has a healthy glow, all the time. Personally, I recommend using it as it has drastically changed my complection, but time will tell if it has lasting results (another tip I have is to have a proper cleaning by your dermatologist!) - Chin up to all those who are depressed now, it will get better!!

BE CAREFUL WITH THE PRODUCTS SOME DOCTORS OFFER YOU!!!!!!!!!!
THIS LETTER IS for Catherine in San Diego (21 years old female, message #36, etc., etc.) OR FOR ANYBODY WHO DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO IN A SERIOUS WAY.
My name is Valeria Soledad Andrada, I’m from Córdoba, Argentina, I’m 19 years old and since I was 17 I have had a serious acne. I’ve been treated with tetracicline, eritromicine and a gel called Isotrex (topical), and also with some commercial creams, some months with Aloe Vera, etc., but any one of these have had results indeed. As I said before, I have a severe acne, almost every day I have a new spot and besides my face is full of scars and red patches. I do not trust in my dermatologist because in my opinion she doesn’t care about my real problem and she only wants to make me buy Roaccutane may be ignoring the serious and devilish effects that it can have - actually, it carries so dangerous effects, such as depression, which can keep to commit suicide (you said in your letter you were afraid to take Roaccutane because of this, I agree with you and I would never have that medicine), and I’ve been investigating in different sources of information about other effects; in the website of Roche (the makers of Roac.) they mention fatal pancreatic disease, psicotic behaviors, bone changes, pseudotumors in the brain, increase of cholesterol and lipids, fulminant acne, photosensibility, photophobia, hepatitis and several other diseases.
Besides, it is a relatively new drug: I know it hasn’t been tested for more than forty years in human beings so we can’t know some possible effects in years (like carcinomas, mental illnesses, etc). Of course, nothing of this information was told by the dermatologist to me (except for the danger in pregnant women and their babies). I can’t believe I have to search alone without any advice of her, and I have to decide solely to what kind of doctor I have to visit. She didn’t explain me the causes of my acne; she just told me to have first tetracycline and as I had no results, accutane.
As I didn’t trust her, I decided to visit a endocrinologist, who told me to make blood and urine tests in order to guess if I suffered from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) which causes hiperandrogenization, that can reveals in hirsutism and/or acne, in my case. Among women with resistant acne, not responding to conventional treatment, the PCOS is very common.
So my endocrynologist told me to take an oral contraceptive called Diane 35 or Dianette in some countries, which inhibits the action of testosterone produced by PCOS or aiming to other reasons, and the sebaceous gland activity decreases over a period of three to six months, leading to disminution and even clearance of the acne. I haven’t still taken it because I have to start on the third day of my period.
So, before taking Accutane try to visit an endocrinologist, gynecologist, and other professional opinions: do not trust too much I only one doctor , because some of them have got money motivations and agreements with medicine enterprises like Roche. It’s extremely dangerous to consume certain drugs but sometimes doctors ignore or do not care about their consequences.
I still haven’t got the solution for scars, at the time I’m just washing a lot my face trying to remove old cells, I also use a cosmetic product which it’s supposed thet clears scars but I can’t see any result yet (I have been using it for 15 days, it’s too little time).
If some of the readers of this site has got any posible solution to this trouble, or just for telling me your experience, please send me en e-mail to: soleandrada@hotmail.com. I hope this letter is useful for you. Good bye…

HEEEEEEELOOOOOOO PEOPLE!
Well this little ickle baby message *bet it wil be dead big now i have typed that!* is two thing,s it's a run down of the lasttime i was on Roaccutane and a few questions for htis time. I was on it for 4 months lasttime and as I had BAD acne on my face then the effects were almost immediate, after a month i was ACTUALLY able to look in a mirror *shock horror*, I had al the dry skin and that etc and boy did it hurt, i wasnt big on smearing vaseline on my lips. it was yucky!! After the treatment my skin looked FAB; my skins always looked healthy when it wasn't riddled with spots, it has a nice healthy glow to it! I'd always had confidence, but after my treatment it just GREW! I was everywhere! Omnipresent! my popularity shot up at a tremendous rate *not blowing my own trumpet it wil all be explained further on*, I felt fab.
Then I caught a nasty stomach bug 8 months later, my weight fell to 7 stone *v bad for my height* I nearly died, yet during the illness my skin still looked fab, but after it boy did it break out. Not close to as bad as it was b4 tho, just the odd spot. So I still had my ultra confidence, but then I got another bug *gggeeeez am i unlucky or what?!* and it got a bit worse, i of course got all uppity about it and went crazy! I refused ot leave the house threw queeny tantrums *oh Im gay by the way!* and refused to let my bf even touch me. Needless to say after a month or so of this my parents friends bf etc all got the doctor to shove me back on Roaccutane. Except this time it's soo different.
I've been on it for almost two weeks, and during the first week my skin began too look good *probably cause i was so unstressed cause i though "oh Im on the WONDER DRUG YAAAY!", then it just broke out worse than ever; but only in places where I normally get the odd spot! Is this normal?! WILL it clear up?! it never did this lasttime:(( I'm back to refusing to leave the house, i dumped my bf caus ei was too ugly *and he bugged me*, and i have to go to my exams *when i go i wrap a scarf round the worst affected area on ym face, my chin!!!!!*. I was just wondering if anyone else has had similar thingies with it? roughly when shall I experience my skin clearing up?! I have this guy that I SOOOOOOOOO fancy and hwo likes me but i can;t se him *yes I'm being very vain but you try being in this situation!!!* Even though all my friends say they have seen worse *unconvincingly I might add!*, I still feel awful about it; It sounds stupid but it like affects my whole outlook on everything! Thank you for reading all this bollocks I have typed! Please mail me and tell me if this is normal and how long it will last for! PLEASE!!! I'm desperate!!!!
Oh and a little add on to the bit about when i was on it lasttime: I never experienced any depression, but then again i was always doing somethign and buzy and happy with my friends, this time i'm jsut stuck in revising or sulking!!! I'm actually finding myself already being a tad over emotional and impinning it on the roaccutane; i mean someone said to me shut up and i burst in to tears and that is so not me!!!!!! Well LOVE YOU ALLXXXXXXXXXX

Why do you still have acne in the year 2001?
Simple answer because the company (Roussell Uclaf) who own the rights to a topical antiandrogen “RU58841”, developed by a Dr. Sewaya….and I quote “Arent interested in curing these particular conditions”
Make no mistake “RU58841” will cure acne and hair loss 100% without the systematic side effects associated with the drug accutane that can be a very dangerous drug. “RU58841” works in a similar way to accutane in that it will shrink your sebaceous glands but without the side effects, more effectively and in a quicker time frame, unlike with accutane it can also be used on a continued basis.
This is NOT a new treatment, in fact it has been in the possession of this company for over 10 years yet they do NOTHING with it, they will not even sell the patent rights to this treatment so no other company can pursue this product.
The reason for this a number of people believe is, if this treatment were brought out it would cure all androgen-dependent conditions (I.e hair loss and acne and unwanted body hair) not treat, CURE. And all the hundreds of acne treatments and hair loss treatments, hair removers that are sold to the public (that we all know DON’T work) would be put out of business, now that’s a MASSIVE turnover of money, we believe these company’s are paying Roussell Uclaf not to release this treatment.
So what does that mean? Your thinking “GREAT There’s a topical acne cure out there but, uh….what the hell good is that to me since I can’t get it if they wont market it.”
This is where I come in and tell you I am going through the acne and hair loss forums in an attempt to gain 1,000 traceable non web based e-mail addresses (in other words not yahoo, hotmail ect ect accounts that are internet based accounts) of potential consumers of this product should I find a legitimate supplier. Now a country like India is not subject to the patent laws that stop companies in other countries from making this drug and this is why they produce “generic” drugs, which are identical to other drugs but don’t carry the brand name, they are essentially rip off drugs because they don’t carry the brand name, much like rip off cloths.
These are high class respected and professional company’s, not kids whipping up drugs in there basements with bunson burners, one such company is http://www.cipla.com/ .
When we can achieve 1,000 traceable e-mail accounts I can begin looking or a supplier and show the petition as proof this stuff has large interested group, this will be an incentive for them to produce this topical for us, and as we are dealing not only in generic treatments but also in such a large group the price will be fairly cheap.
I sh-it you not, this will cure you of your acne and oil, the petition link is
http://mars.guestpage.com/home/view.rc?LoginName=bukem
Please add your name if you would be interested in a supply should we find a legitimate source willing to make this PROVEN treatment, below are a few links “RU58841” please read them and see for your self. And do a web search for yourself.
http://www.karger.ch/journals/SPH/sph10-6/SPH0288.htm
http://www.brinkzone.com/hair.html
Why take the risk of accutane that can cause serious side effects like permanent hair loss (and I know of several people who have lost almost all there hair from this drug and NOTHING will work to re grow this lost hair) when you can use a topical with none of these side effects?
I will remove the names from the petition onto my hard drive on a daily basis.
P.S this is not illegal, it would be illegal for someone to make it in western countries but not India that is not subject to the same laws, nor is importing this stuff

Well this is the first time I've visited this site and have to say I wish I'd visited before I had taken accutane for the first time ! I have had acne since I was 12 years old, which coincides with when I hit puberty. I've been told by my derm that when you get acne associated with hormonal changes, it is very hard to control with just one treatment of Accutane. In his experiences, those who have a family history and a hormonal (puberty) factor will require accutane more than once in their lifetime. He told me this the first time I had to make the decision to take accutane. He warned me that this will probably be a quick fix, and that I need to deal with alot of other factors that are contributing to my acne. He said I needed to take a wholistic approach to treatment. I wished I listened the first time but I was so desperate for normal skin.
I lived with the condition for many years (12yrs old to 21)taking every antibiotic known to man internally and externally! My mom kept saying it would go away when I hit adulthood. Her experience was the same until she got married and had a baby (hormonal changes !)and felt this is what I needed to do and then it would go away. At that time, that choice seemed more drastic a treatment than accutane!
When I look back at my life I was in University , under a lot of stress, not eating right and my skin was at its worst. So I went on the drug and I generally had a positive experience and had no depression. I did have very dry lips and eyes (and this condition is still with me but not as extreme). I would remedy this with Nutraderm, Petroleum jelly, losts of water and eye drops.
My acne improved dramatically, but my lifestyle did not ! The acne returned (surprise, surprise) but not as bad as before. I decided I needed to make some major life changes. I went back on the accutane, decreased my stress levels by doing Yoga and exercising, improved my diet by eating low fat and no dairy, and added tea tree oil to my cleansing regimen. I am off the accutane now and my skin is much better. I do have periods where it flares up and it's interesting to note that it's ususally due to the fact that I have dropped the ball and lost control of one or more of those changes.
I am getting married this year and I was considering going back on accutane one last time so that I wouldn't have to deal with a break out on my wedding day as these events tend to be stressful and I know how I react. After reading other peoples experiences, I'm thinking I may have been lucky and that a 3rd time could be pushing it.
Good luck to all of you and thanks for sharing your experiences!

I have been taking Roaccutane for almost 11 months. When I began taking it I was very surprised to find that this drug had a number of unwelcome side effects. If, for whatever reason, I started to feel a bit down, then it seemed that it became very hard to get out of a downwards spiral towards depression. Normally I would I deal with such a situation by doing some yoga or by going for an extended walk or tramp [hike or trek]. But I found that Roaccutane made extended periods of strenuous activity almost impossible as well. I found that my stamina had declined by around 20%. If I did exercise as I had done before I was left feeling tired and very stiff and sore.
The good news is that I believe I have found a simple way to avoid the worst side effects of Roaccutane. Firstly you can use St Johns Wort to counteract any depressive tendencies that this drug definitely enhances. If you don’t feel down in the first place, it seems that Roaccutane isn’t going to drag you down by itself. In New Zealand, this herbal extract is sold in supermarkets and health stores. I have been using a single 3000 mg dosage is a sustained release form daily. It really helps to keep you buoyant and positive. If you start taking this herb you should notice a definite improvement in your well being in 3-5 days. I am paying approximately US$5 for a months supply of these.
In the past 3 months I have been using amino acid supplements to counteract the tiredness and lack of stamina. The effects are truly amazing. In Australasia there is a very good company called Musashi which is making these products for the health market as dietary supplements. Please go to their web site www.musashi.com.au for more information on amino acids in general, and the products mentioned below. If you cannot get these products locally, there should be enough information there for you to look for a sensible substitute.
I have been using ‘Ni the nourishing’ to counteract the effects of strenuous exercise. It contains L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, L-Valine amino acids. See Products:Recovery.
For general tiredness and lethargy I use ‘Kuan – the Creative’ which contains L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, L-Valine, L-Histidine, L-Lysine, L-Arginine, L-Tyrosine, Glycine, L-Methionine, L-Threonine, L-Phenylalanine. See Products:Muscle Gain.
While you are doing strenuous exercise I have found taking L-Carnitine in liquid form to be very helpful. When I am walking for a number of hours or tramping for a number of days I also use Mushashi’s ‘Heng - the enduring’ which contains Choline Bitartrate, Inositol, L-Carnitine, L-Histidine, L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, L-Mmethionie, L-Valine. See Products:Energy.
You should notice the effects of taking the amino acids within 15 minutes to 4 hours.
The amino acid products are not cheap to buy, but they have proved to be very effective for me in reducing the worst side effects from taking Roaccutane. I have noticed no side effects from the herb or the amino acids, other than a slight change in the smell of my urine. If you are buying the Musashi products you can get them in larger sizes and the savings are significant. If you want some more information please email me at michaelfranklin@ihpc.net
There are lots of other side effects from this drug, but these have been the worst for me.

My first acne began popping up when I was in the 6th grade --- no big deal, everyone else was getting pimply at that age, too. It really got nasty between 7th and 8th grade, the cause of which I'm sure was due to some nasty emotional downturns in my life. It let up the summer after 8th grade (I was on vacation that summer), but upon returning home, it flared up with a vengance all throughout high school. Not having health insurance until my mother changed jobs when I was 15, I wasn't able to see a dermatologist or even a regular physician. The primary care physician I eventually saw told me, "You have problems looking me in the eye. I think you have low self-esteem from your acne." And it was. I looked like a leper, although it was localized all on my face.
The summer in between my junior and senior years in high school I began a 6 month treatment with accutane. I took the yellow pills, which I believe are the ones of the highest dosage. My face got worse up until the very end. When I had completed my treatment in early December, I hadn't even finished taking the last three or four pills (I know, I know, even though my Rx copay was $15 for a month's dosage, this medication is very expensive and shouldn't be wasted). Anyway, my birthday fell at around the same time I was through and my new complexion was a hell of a surprise!!!
My side effects included nausea (especially if I didn't eat something before taking my dose), DRYNESS, and nose bleeds (nothing major, just capillaries breaking).
In my freshman year of college I started a second treatment of accutane which I stopped in the third month because of the nausea. My skin hadn't returned to its former leprous condition, but pimples had kept cropping up again, and I was absolutely mortified that anything would resurface to wreak havoc on my new complexion (and new-found self-image). Today, I still get the occasional pimple, but this is the one pimple on the chin or the end of the nose that folks with normal skin get every now and then.
The dryness of my skin persists. My skin has become super dry and super-sensitive not jsut on my face, but all over my body. My moisturizer of choice is this Vitamin E cream (and lotion) made by Fruit of the EArth. I buy mine at Walmart. Ask your doctor, though, what's best to use during and after treatment 'cause everybody's skin is different. After every face-washing and after every shower I hose myself down with the stuff or else I'll feel like I was rolling around in chalk. I make sure to take a multivitamin everyday, as well as an extra vitamin C 'cause it's good for collagen. I remember not being able to take any vitamins with vitamin A while on the treatment. Don't take any vitamins or herbal remedies or whatever without asking your doctor first. This medication is strong stuff, and you don't want to damage your body if you can help it.
One (positive) thing I've had as a result of the uber-dryness is that the number of sinus infections I've had since my treatment has been minimal. I still get the occasional burst-capillary nose bleed, but I used to be plagued with the sinus infections! God! Three or four every winter, sometimes one even in the summertime. Now the most I get is one a year.
Note on depression: I was seriously depressed long before I began accutane treatment. When I did fly off the handle (a couple months after I finished my first treatment), my mother was in denial and had just heard the news reports of kids killing themselves while on accutane. If you feel depressed whether on or off the medication, by all means, TALK TO SOMEONE YOU TRUST AND TELL YOUR DOCTOR. I can't say definitively in my case that accutane had a pivotal role in my particular depression. I wouldn't be surprised if it did. But for someone with hardly any friends coming from a chaotic home situation who couldn't look herself in the mirror for nearly five years, there were obviously more direct causes for my depression.
These days I feel a hell of a lot better about myself and about life than I did back in the dark ages. I am still the nerdy, high-functioning depressive that I was in high school, only that I have a circle of friends. Depression is a totally separate disease. And now I cannot keep myself from admiring my face (and body since I lost about 20 pounds recently) in any reflective surface. My older brother (untouched by acne) calls it extreme vanity, but I feel compelled to do this because it still hasn't hit home entirely that I look like a human being and that I'm not an ugly person, etc, etc.
For those of you still in high school, high school is not the be-all, end-all of everything. Most of the people you go to high school with will never leave their hometown and dead likely won't do better than their parents' generation. The homecoming queen of my class was a fairly pretty girl with a good figure, but her mama (also a former homecoming queen) is grossly overweight with a sunken face and bad highlights. This same girl would bemoan a "huge" pimple (indiscernable to my eyes and I have 20/20 vision) on her chin, whining right in front of yours truly. The "beautiful" people fall harder from grace than anyone else. Remember to take a look at the mama (or daddy) 'cause that's how they'll end up at 40.

I'm 23 and just ended my second course of Accutane early. My first course at about 17 years of age was pretty successful, with no side effects that I noticed. I think my demi broke the rules though as I was about 150lbs and on 160mg/day. Anyway for those of you worried your liver will self-destruct, I drink on the weekends, was on 160mg/day for about 2 months (40mg+ for 6 months), and am still very healthy – Don’t use that as an excuse to drink though. Anyway my skin was perfectly clear except for my back which still broke out but to a much lesser degree, with no nodular acne.
After college, I began to break out again. I honestly believe my change in lifestyle (from college frat boy to suburban couch potato) had a lot to do with it. Some of the chemicals & hormones in my body probably changed, causing sebaceous gland secretions to kick in again and thus my nodular back acne made a triumphant comeback. My face even started to break out again, but nothing on the order of how it did when I was 17. It got to the point where my NEW dermi and I decided to go back to Accutane.
I didn't realize it but after about 3 months into taking Accutane for the second time (40mg/day), I was pretty depressed. I wasn't suicidal by any means, but just very low and totally disinterested with my surroundings. In social situations I would find myself asking "what's the point of talking with these people." It was really weird, and I didn't even realize it until I stopped taking Accutane for 3 days. I started feeling like a huge weight was lifted from my heart on the third day. Not associating felling better with not taking Accutane for 3 days, I started taking it again. Within a few days (I have a fast metabolism) I was back in the funk. It was a weird depression unlike the normal blues everyone gets. I am a scientific type person and I tried to discount my feeling depressed on something else but it was clearly due to the accutane. What’s strange is that this didn’t happen on my first dose, and my second dose was much weaker. I decided enough was enough and stopped taking it. I feel much better and my back is about %75 clear (face %100). I’m hoping that I can stabilize my lifestyle so that nothing triggers another breakout. If anyone has any good ideas on preventing massive post-accutaine breakouts, please post them with your experience. Here’s some of the things I tried after my 1st dose on though college to stabilize my skin:
- Steady exercise program. Do cardio workouts that make you sweat, and then take a nice hot (not too hot) shower afterwards – easy on the soap. At the end of the shower, get the water pretty cold and let it cool your skin until you feel it get a little tighter (close those pores!). Don’t stay in there too long.
- Stay away from high sodium/salt/iodine meals, such as some seafoods. I read a study that these can cause breakouts, and using myself as a human subject I have seen it happen more than a few times. Big shrimp dinners really seemed to have caused me problems.
- Good overall diet. Low sugar, sodium, fat, cholesterol.
- Hydrogen peroxide – 1st line of defense against bacteria. If you notice a certain area having a few pimples, dab a little of this on from time to time. It’s gentle and I think it helps (maybe it just makes me think so and thus calms me down, causing less stress, less acne, I don’t know). If you pop a pimple it can help contain any spread.
- General relaxation, lowered stress, get as much sleep as you need.

People RELAX, Roaccutane is the best medicine that treat ances so amazingly. Many peoples posted up here are mainly NEGATIVES experienced of them taking the med, but there are lots of others who have also completed the treatment that does not post the POSITIVES things. Well let me tell u my journal of taking Roaccutane. I started Roac treatment back in September last year, right now im off it for more then a week after 7 months on it, yes i took Roacctane for 7 months, cuz my derma said just for 'incase' n also because i DID NOT suffered any, not even one single side effect at all while im on Roac; i must admit that im very fortunately. Now im off it for a week my skin is FANTASTIC, i cant imagine how beautiful n smooth is looks now, NO SCARING, no Peeling, completely NOTHING. Even some of my mates was amazed how pinky n smooth my skin look now, they even thought that i put make up on cuz it is soo perfect, some even admit that they are jealous cuz my skin used to look so much ugly then them, but now they cant compete against it. Now, i dont mean to carry on about how beautiful my skin look now, but my main point is to everyone on this treatment, please dont be affaid to try it n give it a go, it is not as bad as people thought, different people have different side effect n some who dont have it at all like me. Actually i have one hint y Roaccutane works sooo well for me, that is i drink alot n lots n lots n lots of water, appro 3 litres a day that helps the treatment works more effectively i think. So good luck everyone, trust me Roacctane works for me so well im sure it well works for everyone.

I've been meaning to leave a message here for a while now, mainly because the first time I visited this website I was absolutely horrified to read some of the terrible experiences people have had with acne and roaccutane. It definitely scared me, but also reminded me that other people were going through what I was going through.
I'm 24, I've suffered from acne on an off since I was 17, and last year it got to the stage where I decided to bite the bullet and go on roaccutane. After 4 months of taking 50mg per day my skin is now amazing. I have almost forgotten the depression I suffered through acne. I obviously get the odd spot here and there, but who doesn't?
I finished my course at the end of January and now I'm just left with smooth but a bit pink skin which is improving by the day, and I'm so happy with the outcome. I just wanted to offer some words of encouragement to anyone hesitating over whether to take the drug or not.
Obviously some people will experience problems with it and it's going to be more effective on some more than others. But perservere and don't hesitate to go back to your dermatologist if you're not completely satisfied with your progress.
Acne sufferers shouldn't have to go through hell, there are solutions.

I've been meaning to leave a message here for a while now, mainly because the first time I visited this website I was absolutely horrified to read some of the terrible experiences people have had with acne and roaccutane. It definitely scared me, but also reminded me that other people were going through what I was going through.
I'm 24, I've suffered from acne on an off since I was 17, and last year it got to the stage where I decided to bite the bullet and go on roaccutane. After 4 months of taking 50mg per day my skin is now amazing. I have almost forgotten the depression I suffered through acne. I obviously get the odd spot here and there, but who doesn't?
I finished my course at the end of January and now I'm just left with smooth but a bit pink skin which is improving by the day, and I'm so happy with the outcome. I just wanted to offer some words of encouragement to anyone hesitating over whether to take the drug or not.
Obviously some people will experience problems with it and it's going to be more effective on some more than others. But perservere and don't hesitate to go back to your dermatologist if you're not completely satisfied with your progress.
Acne sufferers shouldn't have to go through hell, there are solutions.

hi this is my 4th time on roaccutane...this time round however i feel much different on the drug and i am worried. I feel so increiblely tired...my face is puffy my eyes are puffy glassy and sore, my back and joints ache alot, and in my 3rd week i had the most severe break out...they looked like blisters all over my face and my lips blistered too - very painful..i am in my 4th week now my skin still looks disgusting and feeling very agitated distressed and depressed...all i got from my past treatments was dryness....thats it !!...i basically feel terrible and am worried my body cant tolerate the drug. what should i do ? will i feel better in time...i am also worried that the effects will continue after treatment stops..i'm a worry wort...i keep thinking "what have i done to myself"...i am only on 20mgs and am getting these effects...anywayz ...ty for listening !!

Hey there!U have suffered from acne for 8 years now and this november i finally started using Roaccutane .I have been using it for 4 months now and have 2 months left.My skin has improved but i have alot of scars.so i ws wondering if anyone knows what i should do to get rid of the scars i still have.Pleaseeee! email me at ajfer@c2i,net

Well i just want to find out what`s the percentage of Roa can treat pimples ... I have been suffering from it since i was 14 and i really hope that this powerful drugs will eventually work for me . I had been through most of the treatment i guess ... and like most of u guys, it works for temporary time , bout 2 to 4 months, then it starts to come back again !! I have been seeing a dermatologist in sydney and she reckon me to take roaccutane, can this really help ?? I have read all the ads on here, and found out that some people find it work and some dun ... some even said that it would swing our mood around and eventually try to commit suicide .. that sounds a bit scary :) Anyway if any of u have tried roaccutane and it works, can u write an email to me , just telling in detail how it works and ur experience with it .. i`m looking forward to hear from u guys, thanx for reading this :)

Like a lot of people I visited this site often leading up to my decision to go on accutane. Beginning September 2000, I was prescribed 80mg/day M-F and 40mg/day Sat,Sunday for 20 weeks, I'm 5'11, 155. That dosage and timeframe is what I have observed is the most often prescribed for people at my weight and level of condition so I think my derm got it right. I guess I'm writing today as a catharsis for myself and as a warning to everyone out there. I have been off Accutane for 6 weeks. As a comparison, before Accutane I had mostly whiteheads on large parts of my face, shoulders and upper arms and some on my back. I have to say that Accutane has done a great job neck down. I haven't had any serious problems there since early October and it still seems to be doing great. My face on the other hand is another story. It has gradually gotten worse almost every day since I took the last pill of accutane. I know that the effects of the drug wear off in some people after 4-6 months - for me it looks (at least for my face) more like 4-6 weeks. I'm going back to my dermatologist Friday to maybe go on my second course. I think the general problem was that my face never dried out enough. My body did, annoying dry patches I had to fight with lotion all the time, but I never had to treat my face with anything but cetaphil and water. At the time I was thankful, I'm not now. So that's about it, wish everyone the best of luck. Accutane works for a lot of people and although the side effects are annoying at times they are different for everyone and weren't that bad for me. I'd recommend anyone to go on it just realize that it doesn't work for everyone the first time (hopefully it will the second). Don't let this concern you too much however, I didn't really develop acne until I was 23 years old and my case has perplexed my dermatologist more and more as the months go by. Hopefully you will have better luck.

Hi
I've often visited this website whilst deciding whether or not to take the plunge and I have found it really helpful reading all your comments.
I've had acne for most of my life and have been on every antibiotic known to man. My story is similar to most, having good results for a short time and then being back to square one again. I've tried everything from expensive department store products to Chinese Herbal Medicine, none of which worked. I started to get really angry with companies claiming the 'miracle cure' and also with myself for beleiving their claims and wasting my money. I found myself placing all my hopes on a product only to be let down again, which I knew in my heart would happen.
Early this year I hit rock bottom and my Doctor referred me to a Dermatologist who was very understanding and told me I had cystic acne. My problem is not so much the quantity of spots but the quality!! I get lumps on my face the size of eggs and painful is not the word!
She prescribed Roa. and I have been taking it now for 6 days. Despite the long list of side effects and much to my suprise - I'm still alive!!
The only side effect I'm experiencing at the moment is very sore and dry skin around my eyes, my eyes have puffed up and I look like I have been crying. Has anyone else had this? Small price to pay for having clear skin one day - I hope so.
Roaccutane is my last hope and as I'm all for positive thinking, this will work for me.
Looking back, the only time I had really good results was when I was taking Minocycline and for 6 wonderful months I had beautiful clear skin and what upsets me most is that I didn't really appreciate it. I thought to myself that this was it and I could take Mino. forever and spots would be a thing of the past, how wrong I was. When my skin clears again (positive thinking!!) I will value everyday.
When I take my tablets it helps me to know that there are others out there doing the same thing and hoping for the same results.
Well Good Luck to all and thank you for reading.
Kala

I have been on Roa for over 15 weeks now. At first I was very paranoid of every little thing that seemed odd or out of place. This was due to the mile long list of side effects. I was expecting my liver to explode after taking my first pill. But it didnt. So here I am writing to all you newbies just starting your treatment. After being on roa for a while it just becomes routine. I dont even think about it much any more. I read alot of people wondering about going on it and sounding really uptight about it. The thing is you have to go on it to find out. Everyone responds differently to the mediacation so asking someone else really doesnt help you much. All I can say is that during the first month or so, monitor yourself closely. This is when most of the major side effects happen. Once your clear of that, your home free and you dont have to worry much. I am not saying that it is easy, it is a very powerful drug that does play with your mood a bit. You sometimes feel tired a strange times like in the middle of the day. I had a wierd side effect that wasnt really bad but it made me wonder. I had a cold that lasted like 3 or 4 weeks. But it eventually passed. I guess what I am getting at is, dont worry so much. The 6 months isnt gonna go by any faster with you freaking out about it. Read a book, watch a movie, do anything that will keep you occupied. But whatever you do dont isolate yourself. I know it is sometimes embarassing but, talk to people about it. Youll be suprisised how much better this can make you feel. That is why I think this board is a spectacular idea. Its a perfect way to communicate with like minded people. So chin up guys, it gets alot better. Just be patient.
Joven.

Hi everyone.
It's good to see there are other people in the same situation as myself - sometimes I feel as if I'm the only 22 year old going around with acne. I've had cystic acne since I was about 13 and I feel my face and my emotions have been on a rollacoaster ride from hell.
I'm getting close now to my forth course of roaccutane.
The first time I was prescribed with roaccutane I was about 16. It worked very well with my skin clearing up completely in about a month. The only downfall was that I did not look after my lips enough and due to the Aussie sun (the course was during summer) my lips dried up really badly. My acne dissappeared for about 6 months - and I mean completely, perfect skin!
The second course was when I was about 18. Unfortunately my acne had come back the same as before. Once again roaccutane worked very well and this time I looked after my lips and everything was fine.
Amazingly my pimples returned once again. They did not seem to hold off as long as they did before. I was about 20 when I went on this third course. After about 2 to 3 months there was no real big improvement in my skin and the course was stopped when I came out in a rash (similar to chicken pox) from around my stomach downwards.
Anyway I lived with pimples untill now waiting for them to go away - everyone says they will go away with age. Amazing the amount of experts out there who have never had the opportunity to live with the soreness, embarassment and depression of acne.
Well, I went back to the doctors about 3 months ago and I said I would try anything, but I'm trying to avoid going back onto roaccutane. I was prescribed with a drug called Doryx (or Dioxylin). When I first went on it, it worked as well as roaccutane - without the dryness. Once again I came off it after a couple of months, my acne had dissappeared - but it came back, again.
I am now just starting another course of this Doryx to see how it goes, but if there is no improvement I have agreed with my doctor to go back onto roaccutane for a forth course. I am also thinkng about seeing a natropath (is that how it's spelt?) - this is something I have not tried before, and I'm willing to give anything a go.
Sometimes I feel as if my body builds an immunity to every drug that I use. Something that works really well at first, never seems to work again the second time.
Thankyou for listening to my experiences

Attention to anyone who has suffered from depression!

I began taking Accutane when I was 24 years old and I took it for approximately 3 months. I had to stop taking it because I became suicidal. I had suffered from depression in my later teen years and it runs in my family. So, when I began taking the Accutane I slipped into a very severe depression and I thought about suicide almost on a daily basis. There have been many suicides related to Accutane, I know of one personally. If you find yourself feeling depressed more than usually, it may not be because of your acne, it may be the Accutane. I recommend telling your doctor at once. There were two good things to come out of this whole experience. One, I started seeing a psychiatrist and I began taking antidepressants and two, I had beautifully clear skin for about 6 months after I stopped my treatment. This leads me to believe that if I was able to complete the 6 months on Accutane, I would be acne free today. Unfortunately, I am still searching for something else that works.

Does anyone know anything about the topical cream Tazorac? It is supposed to be used for psoriasis, but my doctor told me it is new and hasn't been approved by the FDA for use on acne. Does it really work for acne? I just started it today.

hi. its me again, i was just wondering if anyone would like to email me whos in a similar posistion to me, on the early stages of taking roaccutane and would like to be 'email friends' who can talk about the stages as we go through them together? this is not meant to sound like a cliche, but i think it would be really helpful - especially for me. if anyones interested, let me know ok?! thanx. :-)

Hi. Just reading through all of your messages i realised that you are all older than me, but i know that youve all been my age before and so i ask you to take a mind trip back to those days for a minute. ok, well i suffer from acne and have done for a few years now, its not terribly bad but seems to situate around my chin and forehead area. i find it really difficult to be confident 24/7 especially when i see all these models and people with totally clear skin, at the moment i have been on roaccutane for a week and have also been put on the pill a few weeks ago. at the moment im feeling pretty depressed with how i look and yesterday i spent ages in my room crying my eyes out for feeling so ugly. its hard to look in the mirror and see these red spots everywhere, they seem to grow everytime you look at them and it gets me really upset when i feel unattractive to the opposite sex. i have had boyfriends and everything but together with being a teenager and having uncontrollable hormones etc, things are tough as im sure you remember. at the moment my acne seems to look ok at some points in the day, yet really flare up at others.my lips are beginning to feel sore and chapped and ive got my vasaline ready, so im prepared for all that. i was told that being on the pill gives a weight gain, and i was hoping to hear from any other girls here if thats true and if so, how much? also i really want to know when i can hope to see some results.i have some E45 cream which i know helps, and i was also wondering if anyone else has suffered mood swings? another point to the ladies, make-up. does anyone have any advice or tips which i can use to 'diguise' the spots. anyway i will hopefully keep you posted on my progress, and i will definately be checking back to this page for more help! (because i think im gonna need it!) its nice to know that im not the only one out there, all i can do now is wait until i can wake up one morning and look in the mirror with a smile! :-) thanks for listenning. xxx

I first came across Roaccutane in 1994 after all other drugs & creams offered up by the derm either failed or made matters worse. At the end of the first week of use of R, there was a marked improvement and by the fourth week my skin was completely clear. Few side effects, none out of the ordinary or not controllable with moisturiser and petroleum jelly. Things went well for about two years until the acne started creeping back, getting worse as the months went on.
By the end of 1997 I went back to the derm in desparation and ended up on a second course. Same results but interrupted mid course by a bout of glandular fever. GP told me to quit R for a while as my liver function flatlined so took a five/six week enforced break which must have diluted the overall effect of the course. Still much improved but again, time is proving the enemy and the old foe is back big time now three years later at the age of 33.
Anyone ever done a third course of R? I recall the derm saying 3 was the max... Got to the stage now where there isn't much of an option as diet, vitamins, creams etc. all seem to have no effect. If anyone is interested I'll let you know what the London derm says.
It's a good drug for the results it offers most people. I hope most of you never have to resort to it for a second or third time!

I suffered the occaisional spot since age 12. The occasional flare up was fixed by over the counter medicines. However these became less effective. When I was 16 I needed antibiotics (vibra tabs(tetracycline, not sure) Anyway that worked well for 2 years. Then It started working less. I went on Mynomicin with great results, however when I went off it, My acne returned. I went to see a skin specialist and he prescribed Roaccutane. The 1st week My skin was normal, the next week my face was absoloutely covered in huge reddish-purple welt-like pustules. My whole face was swollen and painfull. This only lasted 1 week however. It was clear as a bell after that. It has been 4 months and I am now on 60 mg a day. My skin has never been smoother or clearer. I only hope that when I stop treatment that the results continue. I suffered no excessive dryness and no side effects, and certainly no horror stories that some poor souls on here have. I know what acne feels like and I know the pain it causes. The advice I give people starting accutane is start moisturising your skin about 1 week prior to starting treatment and if possible take a few weeks off work as your skin breaks out pretty bad. I only hope one day they find a cure for this cruel condition so that no one has to endure it.

Hi people,
hope you are all struggling through this alright and are not too depressed. I have just recently finished my 4 month course of roaccutane (taking 70mg daily)and must say i am pleased with the results. However now i have finished i still find that my skin is dryed up. I now find that using the moisturiser i used whilst on roaccutane seems to be causing new spots, however if i use nothing, my skin becomes really dry. I was just wondering if anyone else who has finished the course experienced this, how they dealt with it? and how long do you continue to have dry skin? If anyone can help i would be extremely greatful if you pass on your comments, by e-mailing me.
I wish everyone all the luck in the world with this and hope it works out. Stay positive.

how many of you squeeze your spots and while this badly affect the treatment

Hi all,
Is anyone experiencing chest/joint pain after taking Roacutane?
I took Roacutane about 6 years ago I have to say that I have been free of the cysts since then (hooray!) and I am extremely relieved (Now I only worry about the previous scarring).
However I am now experiencing chest, neck and joint pains. Is anyone else experiencing this? This is not something that happened immediately. It has been a gradual worsening over the last 6 years.
At first I noticed a crunching in my rib cage after a rugby tackle. Now it has got very slowly worse. It seems that all my joints are in some way affected. I do not wish to create alarm because there may be another reason for this, I just don't know. It could be just lack of exercise in my advancing years. Bear in mind there is no family history of arthritis in my parents or in my brother and sister (who are 6/7 years older than me)
I have seen a doctor and as usual In the UK, they just shrug their shoulders and want to see the next patient.
The best way to describe my symptoms is this.
- If I twist my upper torso, I can feel (and hear) a crackling of the rib cage and experience slight pain.
- A sudden movement of my wrist and I can hear the crackling.
- If I move my head from side to side, My neck joint never stops "rumbling".
Sounds scarry doesn't it?
Even if it is nothing to do with Roacutane, any advice on my joint problems is gratefully received.
N.B. F.Y.I. I found that my acne was marginally better if I didn't drink Bitter or lager and I ate tinned tomatoes!

hi people
here in the UK we hear of another supposed Roaccutane death, a person on the drug contracting a very rare brain disease. I heard it on the radio and not much other than what i have said above was mentioned, apart from the possibility of the drug being banned. Does anyone know any more about this particular story or another involving people on roa getting a brain disease? I dont know why i want to know because it really scares the s**t out of me. I have been on it for 4 weeks only, and noticing no improvements yet and suffering most side effects. including brown fingertips? hadnt heard of that side effect. and with the hope of not sounding mad, seeing things that arent there, mainly things in the corner of my eye that catch my attention and turn out to be...well nothing. So going along with what catherine said below, definitely staying away from any illegal stuff.
thanks for the reply philip, yes that was the meaning of my message, I really believe diet plays an important
part in the condition of our skin. I see it this way: If oil is coming out of our skin(blocking pores,causing problems) look at the only thing we take in to our bodies, air, water, food. the oil can only come from one of those three. Unfortunately the body can convert pretty much whatever food we eat into the oils which it thinks it needs, its just a case of cutting down on oils which the body easily converts i suppose. i dont know. im no expert, but i have read a lot on it and found that my diet(i wont lie: its boring) has greatly improved the condition of my skin, and would recommend to everyone to start checking fat and sugar levels in all the foods you eat.
wishing everyone the best of luck.
StanleyLewis1@hotmail.com

Thanks to whoever set up this site. When I was first deciding whether or not to take Roaccutane I looked at this website and found other peoples experiences extremely useful . Now I’ve been taking it for a month I thought I’d pass on my findings so far. I’m on 40mg a day now – will start on 60mg tomorrow.
I was initially rather alarmed by the incredible list of side effects listed - but am pleased that I didn’t ignore them when I made my decision. Rocaccutane is obviously a very powerful drug and I think it should be handled with care and forethought. That said – I have felt such amazing relief that I am doing something that might work to clear up my horrible spots.
I’m 30 and have had acne since I was about 19 – luckily missed out most of my teenage years so my self confidence was not that badly affected. Also I am extremely lucky to have most of my spots on the side of my face, my neck and my back so I can hide it by wearing my hair down and don’t feel that people are looking at my cysts rather than my face. That said – when it’s bad I won’t go to the hairdressers or clothes shopping and I can’t stand it when my partner touches my face or back. Another thing that really got me was the never ending scientific experiments I was always subjecting myself to – ‘they might go if I drink 4 litres of water and don’t eat any fat, have a sun bed once a week or wash with sea weed and never drink alcohol’, etc, etc. Sometimes these things do have an effect but as soon as I stopped, the spots would just race back. Like most people on Roaccutane I’ve also taken enough antibiotic drugs to kill any life form inside me – but with no effect. Also, I’m getting married soon and the thought of being the centre of attention with a neck full of cysts was not something I was looking forward to. Lastly, I couldn’t stand any more helpful tips from people who get one spot every two months and think that washing with tea-tree oil is going to make a world of difference.
So – that’s my reasoning behind taking Roaccutane – and this is how I’ve found it:
My skin got a lot worse and now seems to be improving somewhat. The dermatologist told be that it would get worse during the first 10 days but that seems to have been about 3 weeks for me. Quite painful spots – but all in places that I’ve had them before – traditional spot sites. Someone wrote on this site that their spots seemed to all come out and then dry out so I hope that’s what’s happening to me.
I’ve constantly had a tin of petroleum jelly on me – bought about 10 of them on the advice of someone on this site – and my lips have never really got very dry – and I can always find a tin when I need it – chapstick doesn’t seem to work as well. I’ve also smothered myself with E45 cream and aqueous cream after every bath and haven’t really noticed any dryness apart from my hands. My skin is much more sensitive though – I’ve started getting stubble burn from even the slightest bit of kissing and I’ve got red patches coming on my cheeks.
I have occasionally had a glass of wine and have drunk the odd cup of coffee but I’ve found that unless I drink about 1 to 2 litres of water every day – and more if I’ve drunk coffee or booze – I get black rings under my eyes and a bit of a head ache – a sure sign of a struggling liver. I haven’t even thought about taking any illegal drugs as I’m pretty sure my body has far too much to cope with already. This has led to some pretty boring nights out – especially when every one else is wasted and I’m not.
My throats been a bit sore and in the mornings I find it very hard to open my eyes (nothing very unusual there) so I’ve got some hypromellose eyedrops (artificial tears) on my bedside table and by my computer. Drop them in first thing.
My partner says that I’ve got a bit more snappy with him since I’ve been taking it – and in general I do find that I’m quite prone to mood swings if they are a possible medication side effect – can’t take the pill because I become a demon from hell. I don’t feel really down but I have noticed I’m much more short tempered – things keep stressing me out – especially for about twelve hours after I take my dosage. For those of you who get PMT - it’s a bit like that. Everyone is really getting on my nerves but it might just be that they are very annoying – you can’t really tell until you get your period or in this case, stop taking the drug. I would say that if you are prone to depression – even a tiny bit – then make sure you have emotional support and people who understand that you might be a bit worse on this drug. They can then look out for you in case things get out of hand. I hope this isn’t a case of vanity over sanity – but those of you who have acne know that it can really get you down so much. In the meantime I’m trying not to think too hard about difficult situations until after my medication has finished. Everything horrible has to wait for two months. I’ll keep you informed in case things get any worse when my dosage increases.
Another thing that I’ve noticed is muscle ache – especially after the gym or cycling to work. I imagine a bit of a massage works amazingly – although I haven’t found anyone willing to even give me a back rub so I wouldn’t know. Actually it’s not that bad – I just keep thinking I’ve put my back out a bit and then remembering that it my be my medication.
What else? Oh yes, I stopped smoking (got hypnotised) right at the start of my treatment and, probably because of this, I feel much healthier than I did before I started taking R. Also, I’ve cut my drinking right down and have loads more energy. And the best thing is that my confidence has just soared. I’m no longer stressing about what I can do to stop my spots and have a real belief that they will go and I will be free. Oh yes, and another thing – I got sick once from taking the medicine when I had only eaten a salad for my supper – make sure you take it with a glass of milk or you too may end up with your head in a bucket.
I hope this has helped someone else to make an informed choice about Roaccutane. I think the main thing is to be prepared and look after yourself that little bit more. At the moment I still think it’s definitely worth it. And I do feel really positive that I’m going to have lovely smooth skin one day.

Dear Stanley,
Although I don't really totally get your meaning from your message, but I am interested in your topic, and I think it,s about diet on less fat and sugar can reduce your acne and pimples......is it ?recently, I find that eating less sugar and oilly , fried food can really reduce my oil on my face ,I can feel and my friend also said my acne become better and face become smoother! it's work i think! I only eat rice, vegetable, fruits,beans with very few meat, pork, beef last two weeks and up to now the condition is very good! in the mean time I also take antibiotics(tetracycle....), moreover, the weather in hongkong now is winter,it's cold here but not like other countries very very cold! so i hope readers can understanD AND think about this method!because acne is also related to your diet!Can you see "Third world" people in African get pimples acne ??they don't even have food to eat!

Dear Stanley,
Although I don't really totally get your meaning from your message, but I am interested in your topic, and I think it,s about diet on less fat and sugar can reduce your acne and pimples......is it ?recently, I find that eating less sugar and oilly , fried food can really reduce my oil on my face ,I can feel and my friend also said my acne become better and face become smoother! it's work i think! I only eat rice, vegetable, fruits,beans with very few meat, pork, beef last two weeks and up to now the condition is very good! in the mean time I also take antibiotics(tetracycle....), moreover, the weather in hongkong now is winter,it's cold here but not like other countries very very cold! so i hope readers can understanD AND think about this method!because acne is also related to your diet!Can you see "Third world" people in African get pimples acne ??they don't even have food to eat!

From: Doug Jacobs in Basel board of dirs. A 11 to 19 mainly year old roche pd exec/agant.
Subject: paid up fraud execs
Date: 25/01/2001 at 00:02 - Message #202
The chief exec of Roche is a wealthy guy. He owns and controls this and most other sites on drugs produced by Roche. He is pathetic, he is an angel of death.Age or colour or being just 13 or 15 or 20 makes no difference to him. We started a few years ago investigating Roche drug that became known as the date rape drug, then moved onto the Roche anti malaria drug that was causing deaths like people walking off the edge of a cliff without knowing what they were doing. We then accidently stumbled on the Roche drug accutane a few years ago on web site http://www.accutaneactionaction.com
we had already established that Roche have the most terrible deathly numbers of drugs on the market.Over 26 drugs withdrawn within a few weeks of being launched because of the number of deaths and other side effects not disclosed in pre trial studies.Let you.....it must be a test conducted by you, if you have any responsibility.... do a test and post the results to this site.
1.Roche site on web shows annual report for 1999. (see Roche web site)
2. Roche Group settled three fraud claims in 1999 for 1.5 billion dollars......this means Roche, paid as compensation for fraud the company had committed and which was discovered in one year ie 1999 a figure of 1.5 billion US dollars...let us try to write this for those who front this and other Roche sites.....US$1,500,000,000 penalty to US government and compensation to those who Roche defrauded, mainly in U.S.
3. go to note 5 and note 6 of Roche 1999 annual report and accounts for 1999, see web site, pages 66 onwards
for details on the three frauds perpetrated by Roche disclosed in 1999 annual report where Roche paid fines, compensation and penalities of US1.5 billion dollars.
4.Please take time to check the extent to which the makers of accutane/roaccutane are involved in fraud of every kind, involving the theft of not thousands, or hundreds of thousands or millions or hundreds of millions or billions, but 1.5 billion....please, please someone check this info out and post message so that we know that the company who produce this accutane are the most corrupt company in the world.
Is a company who was forced to pay $1.5 billion in fines and compensation for corruption in one year 1999, worthy of trust in the administration of a drug prescribed mainly to those 13 to 19 which has warnings, including suicide, which that number one fraud corporation in the world says is safe.
5. Can someone help to post message that gives automatic cross reference to notes 5 and 6 of annual report of Roche for 1999, so that thew full extent of Roche frauds revealed in 1999 can be savoured and absorbed by those who front this site for Roche, the makers of the drug accutane/roaccutane.

Week 10-whole face is almost smooth. Some flaking of skin on cheeks. Redness of skin is apparent.
Week 11-face now seems to be getting worse again. Side effects more intense also-itchy skin, dry lips etc.
Week 12 to 13-skin peeling more.
Week 14 to 15-face is now smooth. Almost no more skin peeling. Just redness. Started using Synalar cream to fight redness. Slight nosebleed the other day.
Week 16-looks great! No peeling, much redness gone. Skin looking normal again! Stopped taking Accutane. For the next few weeks, I continued to use the Synalar cream to fight the redness of my skin.
I hope this info can help someone out there reading this. Accutane worked for me. It was an ordeal, but absolutely worth it. Before Accutane, my acne was horrible. After Accutane, like I said before, I almost never had any further outbreaks. I understand what a lot of you are going through, but just remember, one day, your acne is going to be a distant memory. Better days are ahead of you! Rick.

This is a follow-up of my previous message. I must admit, after all this time(18 years), I forgot what it was like to have severe acne. I DO now remember how people would just look at my acne when they were talking to me. It WAS a traumatic experience as a teenager. I recently found a "journal" I kept while taking Accutane. I took it for 16 weeks-from April to July 1983. Here`s a summary of what I experienced:
Week 1-slight headaches.
Week 2-some improvement.
Week 3-skin looks worst yet. Scabs on both cheeks.
Week 4-looks a little better again. Improvement is apparent! Skin is getting drier. Rashes on arms appearing.
Week 5-rashes on both arms. Face is improving. Itching now more noticeable.
Week 6-rashes gone. Now starting Amoxicillin for scabs on cheeks. Also, Neodecadron ointment for dry eyes.
Week 7 to 9-Most improvement yet! Scabs on both cheeks almost gone! Looking great!

Hi frens,
Going into my 14th week and thou there're still marks on my face, I mus say tt things are getting better. Even pple ard me, including my colleagues (pls trace back to the previous mail my sad story!!), have noticed clearer skin and commented on how much better I looked these days. To pple who feel that I'm vain or self-conscious, I can tell them in the face that it's definitely not easy to live with acne that comes with a low self-esteem, losing out on ur social life, having pple looking at ur acne instead of ur eyes n hating to peer into the mirror every morning. Not forgetting the pain of touching ur own face or remembering of how ur face looked so good and healthy once upon a time.
I've my fair share of woes, disillusionment, anger, loneliness, hopelessness for the past 3 mths (guess u guys wld remember me as a griping girl). A skeptic, now at least I'm seeing some results and makes the cost of consuming accutane more justifiable.
Pain: I know it's very difficult to go through this tough period. I can only encourage to keep on hoping for the best to come. The sharings posted in this board are real, they're true life accounts and do believe that if accutane works for them, they can work for u too!! I was also cynical initially, esp in my first 2.5 mths n was angry with my derm for cheating me of my money. As I was reading Rick's postings, I felt so encouraged. Things ahead certainly looked brighter!
As for the depression part, am not too sure as depression can also be a clinical condition. As I'm physically active, I do experience muscles ache easily and can't train as often as I want to. The intensity of the ache is proportional to the amount of accutane one consume.
I hope I didn't sound "preachy" or long-winded. Hey, I need to thank Stanley and this kind person who wrote to me encouraging me to press on. See wat wonders this site has created for pple like us!!!

Hey all
well i must say this site makes me feel great knowning i am not the only one suffering from this devestating disease! I guess i was around the age of 13 or so when i first started noticing a few pimples here and their, i didn't think nothing of it just thought it was your regular teenaged hormons acting up! Little did i know i was wrong these so called "teenaged hormons" leaves me in the dark until thsi very day! So disgusted with the way i was born, so embarassed to just be me! I went from doctor to doctor hopeing and haveing a positive outlook on new expectations but as the visits got more frequant my hope slowly sliped away from me carrying with it my pride, self confidence and most of my living soul as a person! I look at my self and cry for hours open hours and all i can think of is "WHY ME" what did i do to deserve this? I guess thats the question we all ask but yet its a unsolved mystery of an answer! Well now all i can do now is try to except the fact that i am scraed for life physicley and mentley but most of all emotionaly! Theirs not much to do about it keep trying new methods, pills, face washes and keep your fingers crossed!

Hi everyone,
I havent heard of anyone else saying that they reckon certain foods have a direct bad effect on skin, but that seems to be the case with me -nearly all food though.Through personal observation and trial and error
I have limited my diet severly for a whole year. Sugar and fat are the main things I have to avoid in food. The recommended fat intake for an adult male is 90g+ per day and i take in less than 8. For me it really makes a difference. I wont bore everyone with my actual diet, if you are interested or have a similar condition drop us a line!
StanleyLewis1@hotmail.com
ps message for DoraEmon: Im pretty sure that u shouldnt be taking minocin and roa together...

I had severe acne back in high school. My dermatologist said mine was the worst he`d ever seen. I went through the usual antibiotics...with only minimal results. This was 1983...around the time Accutane first came out. It was supposed to be the most powerful thing available. My doc put me on it. I took it from April to July[I think]. After a few weeks I looked noticeably better. The side effects were very dry skin, dry eyes, nosebleeds, cracked lips etc. I thought this was a small price to pay for clear skin. Anyway, toward the end of treatment, my skin was clear but red. I used some kind of prescription cream for this. Also, I don`t know if this was caused by the Accutane, but I did experience depression after I stopped taking it. Anyway, almost twenty years later, my skin is still clear and I rarely get any pimples ever!

Sorry eveyone. Due to an unknown technical hitch, we seem to have lost all of December and half of Januarys messages.

Hi, I just got back from my derm this morning. Monday I'm starting a second term of Roaccutane. I took Roaccutane from June till December 1999,6 months. It really made my face look beautiful.
This summer my acne slowly started coming back, not as bad as before but enough to make me worry. I went to the derm in oktober, first I tried like 3 different creames. Non of them really worked so I asked for Roaccutane. This time I'm supposed to take it for only 3 months. I keep a journal on my web site and I will write about my second experience with roaccutane there.
http://www.thedutchgirl.com

HI ive had acne for 3 years.Like i guess you all know it not easy infact i somtimes feel am over reacting when i try to tell people how difficult it is live with this.Before i had acne my skin was perfect i enjoyed going out dressing up wearing make up,when spots started i went to the doctor thinking the problem could be fixed or even controled well to put a long story short a tried 4,3 antibiotics and a range of creams not to menstion all the over the conter rubbish.The scary thing was that it just kept getting worse and when i split up with my boyfriend it just exploded.Just a mass of sore red lumps it hurt to smile and i slowly stopped going out and going to school.I couldnt face people knowing what they were thinking and i felt isolated even from my friend,i put myself down and looked up to nearly everyone else.The worst thing was no one seemed to understand the acne just seemed to be getting out of control and no matter what i couldnt stop it.Things got like i could take it anymore truly i started to see a counciler who is still helping me but i still feel like half the person i was.I even tried Roaccutane and am now on my second 4 month course it has helped slighly i must be one of the unlucky ones.Has anyone else had to have a second course??I know am not the only one but i known we all feel like that sometimes.I just want to tell you all I know what your going through.xx

Hi all,
stumbled upon this website when i was in one of my depressed states yesterday. like u guys, i'd this idiotic outbreak which i can't even help fighting against it. it jus pops out of nowhere. i'm currently taking both roaccutane n mynocin n man, it's hell. in fact now, as i've taken them after dinner, i feel like throwing up, my back ache n my head is splitting. into my 4th week of roaccuttane but i'm still unable to see the positive effects yet. however i've tis galfren who also had outbreak (hers was real bad!) n lo n behold, 6 mths later, she really looked much, much better. it took her 2-3 mths 2 see results so need to encourage u guys (even myself) to hang on there n be more patient. jus keep taking the medicine, do watever u cld to keep the dryness away, eat well, dun think so much abt it. u've a choice here - either u wallow in self-pity n look glum or u can still radiate in the midst of storms. u decide, fellows!!
cheers - let's look fwd to cleared days ahead, kay??!!
smile, Jesus luvs u!!

Please note that this is a brand new page.
There are some other peoples experiences posted in the Acne and Roaccutane site archives at http://www.oocities.org/HotSprings/Spa/2738/archive.html

Yeah! I'm finishing with a 6 month course of Roaccutane and I am so thrilled! Not a single spot! Just red patches, which I am taking care of with a lotion with Vitamin E and Pantenol. It is great!Please people, do try Accutane!Side effects are manageable in most cases, do not panick! Go get clear skin!
Bye!