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Hi all! I am a male, 25 years old. I have used accutane twice. In the end of the second cykle I started to feel sick. I started to sweat above my eyes and on top of my nose and felt dizzy. I stopped the drug. That week I wrote here on this webboard. I told this a d that I was happy with results but not with how I felt._____________________________________ What happened next? I started to work as I always did every summer. I was very tired and felt strange, I felt depressed. It was not time for that. Everything in life was great. In a couple of months I started to have severe thoughts of suicide and I got w rse and worse. I got so depressed that it ended with me sleeping 20 hours per day. When I woke up my body burnt, yes burnt the nervoussystem were totally destroyd. It hurted so much and I had to commit suicide. I did not have any other thoughts. I were in hell!!!! My thoughts were totally strange, I had severe pain in my body, told my friends go to hell._____________________________________________ One day when I was out somebody who knew me a little found me quit near home. I was "gone". I had said that I not could find my home.________________________________________- Since then I have been on different antidepressants but they did not work properly. Today 2 years after, I have not gone back to school or my extrajobs. Im still very bad. My thoughts are normal but I suffer from severe psychiatric pains in my body. I´m t tally different from before. I still have my friends left but it is not the same. My symptoms are too big for me to join them. I still look for an antidepressant to work good for me._____________________________________________ Since I got my own thoughts back I have done much researsches and been in contact with many people. I have the following to tell: Roche gives a damn if you get ill from Accutane. They will do what ever it takes to tell your doctor that you would have gone crazy anyway. They will not help you. They took my phonecall and said they were gonna tell my doctor about the risk with this medicine. I found out later they instead had sent a letter that claims that acne is the cause of depression and that there is not ing that prooves that accutane could chemically induce a depression. They have not done a researsch! Why not? There is thousands of reports of depression. Or have they? Why do they then not publish it?_________________________________________________ They give a damn. Roaccutane is a topselling drug and the workers in Roche will be rich men and women who dont care a damn about you. That is the truth. They have not made Roaccutane because they want you to get rid of your acne, NO HELL NO, Roaccutane is ther to bring in money so they can go home with big salarys. I have found out so much during my illness that it feels that there is no hope for one honest, kind human. Well, that is my story. Hope you take this drug seriously, nobody is there to help you whe you get sick of it. But they like to help you when you want to buy it./Christer

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I have copied Hege´s earlier written text. I will write my story just above here named Christer. RICKI NEWMAN ISRAEL. BOBO S 83@ YAHOO.COM AND EVERYBODY WHO YOUSES ORE ARE THINKING ABOUT YOUSING ROACCUTANE. Hi i`m glad you wrote. To make a long story schort, my friend yoused to work out alot to and that is impossible for him now, because Roaccutane/a cutane/Isotretinoin attacs among other things the fat. So if you have very litle body fat, it will go straigh to your brain, I`m afraid. It covers the fat around the cells and as you know in our brain its more than 70%fat and thats a "good place for the a cutane to work. All the people I got in contact with, yousers,relatives like parents,wives ore husbands, tha do not understand whats going on with there loved ones, have the same problemes. The moust severe probleme is depressions, and so many young peopl around the world, are no longer with us, because they toock they`re one lives. And then it`s the rest of y ur body, liverproblems, hart, my friend havn`slept more than app.2 hours every nigt for 15 years, and thats a coman thing, continuous ache and pain in joints, tendants and muscles, body deteriorating, itching all ower, loss of hair, bad hearing, wery hard time conentrating, vision impared, dry eyes, loosing teeth, very tight sensitive and fragile skin, bad blood circulation, memory continues to worse , poor liver and kidney function, candida due failing immune system, insomnia and fatique during the day, a xiety, severe depression, manic kicks, AND MOUST OF THE VICTEMES, CAN NOT GET HELTY CHILDREN AFTER TAKING ROACCUTAN,(we have so much info. I just w sh you could read it, Dr.`s tell you its safe after 1-2 years, but that is so wrong). And then after all te e side effects comes DETH; I know that many people in "here" are very satisfyed with Roaccutane, but first off all, loock at ther ages,and for long have they been taking this? Roaccutane are working in the body for years and beleve me, if your liver get d stroid, all your acney will be back for sure.It`s so much money involwed for Roche and the Dr.`s that deskribe this so called vit-A, that they do N T care if they play "Russchen Rullett" with your lives, maybe you will go free, but is it worth it, if you ight take your pressios life anyway? Your body is in lack of vitamines and minerals. It will take you longer time to get reed off, but it is no side effects. I`m going to write a few down here and I would be more than happy to send more info. PLS. loock i to this before you start and for you, that have started allready, save your pills, but do not yous them, we ore you migt need them for leither "Yous " Her we go, and remember, do by the best quality: - Organic Flax Seed Oil ( omega 3) 15ml of oil 3 times day (no capsules) -Vitamin E (d-Alpha tocopherol form) 400 IU capsule twice daily. -Omege 3 Fish oil/EPA-DHA 1000mg capsules thre times daily ( not f om fish liver) -Lecithin 1000mg capsules twice daily (this is also good for memory) -Milk thistle/St Mary`s Thistel active ingredient: Silymarin 140mg of standardised Silymarin tablet three times daily ( this herb is exellent for liver repair to.) -Lactob cillis Acidophilus powder&Bifidobacterium Bbifidus powder start with 1/4 of tea spoon and work up to 1 ( in a glass of water 30 minutes before food twice daily. Pls. contact for more info. I hope you all will take this seriously, because to many eople hav been destroied, not just the victemes that have taken the drug, but family and friends also, it`s people that care about you out here, and we will help as much we can. THANK YOU FOR READING MY LETTER, AND MUST JEHOVA GOD BE WITH YOU ALL IN THIS CRAZY WOR D. BEST AND WARMEST REG. HEGE KNUDSEN. 2 of june 00 ************************************************* COMMENTS TO: The Gump OZ (Holymoly) ROACCUTANE/ISOTRETINOIN SIDE EFFECTS Hi, first off all I presiate that you allready red my letter and I can Understand where you`re coming from. You are not the only one that is comfused, but one thig, I have nothing to gain it`s rather the opposite, because it`s very powerful people we are ealing with, but we can not lay back and let this happen anymore. Homecomputes was not that coman 15 years ago, so the people that had the guts to get forward with this, went to the p ess, so if you would take the time to go to your LIBRARY, you can find alot of info. from the 80`s and to year 00. The biggest probleme w s / is that these people was to ill to contact anyone and you know how strong you have to be, to be heard in this dem craty. I my selves have not taken this drug (accutane) I learned to know about this app. 2 Years ago and have been trying to collect inf . since then, and I tell you it`s fretning what I discover. I have had and still has, some good help from Liam Grant I eland that lost his son because of Roaccutane just a couple of years back, I have Jenny (very ill) in Australia, and Mrs. Carlton mother of Greg, in England, that olso is very ill etc. We have a video of Mr. Grants son and the happy life he had before Roa cutane. He was sucsessful in school, sport etc. 20 years old, with a happy family. He is not the only one, it`s hundreds of more people I`m afreid and I have the statistic right by my side. REMEMBER ONE THING ROCHE HAVE HAD A PROFIT OF 2 billion american ollars last year, dont that ring a bell? Pls. wake up do not play with your lifes! As I told you we are more than willing to give out info. ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE AND ARE SUFFERING IS NOT CAPABEL OF GETTING FOREWARD WITH THIS, IT`S JUST 1/2 A YEAR AGO S NCE I BOUGHT MY HOMECOMPUTER ,SO I COULD GET IN TUCH WITH PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND PEOPLE THAT COULD HELP OUR ORGANISATION. Take care my friend do not give up the serch for info. Sinserly Hege M Knudsen

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Hello all, i am currently on Roaccutane 40mg a day and have been for the last three weeks. Fortunatly the only side effects which i have had so far range from dry flaky skin to cracked lips. I am being patient yet there is not a vast improvement yet. I d have some information which i would like to share with you fellow suffers. Acne is certainly not caused by dirty skin, it forms when the skin excreets too much sebum this is normaly caused during puberty due to hormonal changes in a developing body. The ebum alongside to warmth from your skin creates the ideal breeding ground for Bacteria hence leading to infection. Basically white blood cells in your blood stream called Phagocytes engulf the Bacterium amd destroy it yet a toxin inside the Bacteria then iquifies the Phagocyte cell creating a milky yellow fluid (pus) in each pustule there are millions of liquified Phagocytes creating this horrid appearence on the surface of our skins. Roaccutane shuts down the sebatious glands causing no bacterial infecti n and nipping the problem at the budd so to speak. Last week at Tae Kwon Do some horrible little kid came up to me and continously made remarks about my skin i could of killed the little bastard. Yet there is one other thing that i would like to share wit you all, a book my mother would read to me when i was little, 'The Ugly Duckling' it has a very true moral to it. The baby Swan thought that he was ugly because he was grey while the other ducklings were normal and yellow, however he grows up to be a bea tiful swan while the others end up as common ducks. Remember that when you feel down - Elliott- please do feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions.

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i'm on accutane 80mg and i should be done on august 19. you know, i've been using these creams: AM & PM serums from elizabeth grant, (will use soon) 4,000,000 IU of vitamin A cream from serious skin care, (currently using with accutane) and CMI peel therapy (will be using shortly). I buy these from the shopping channel. www.tsc.ca. Its obviously in Canada. Just a point of advice. All of you that use these dermatologist creams and have no success, you should go and or find that creams from professional lines because some of them really do work. Just because they are not in a dermatol gists office doesn't mean they don't work. YOU JUST HAVE TO BE KNOW THE REPUTATION OF THE PRODUCTS, WHERE THEY ARE COMING FROM AND ON THEIR QUALITY. i know that the above three are excellent because not to sound cheesy but the shopping channel here in Can da sells beauty products of the highest quality most of which are produced right in Canada. Just try them if you're in Canada. Accutane is good too. If you can't afford them, stick with the dermatologist. Good luck to us all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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JUDE: All this weekend I have been itching my right wrist like crazy, and I noticed a red rash on the left side of my neck (straight down from my ear) about two hours before I read your email) that itches horribly. I dont know if its dry skin or what. here is a tiny bump on my neck, so it may be an insect bite, but there are no bumps on my wrist, just a red itchy area. Are these your symptoms and locations? How long have you been on accutane? This is the middle of my fifth week; started on 40 mg but ent to 80 mg a day four days ago (which is making my side effects much worse). I never had any trouble with itching or rashes before this weekend. Could this be from the accutane?

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Please could someone help... i now have terrible red and itchy neck it's driving me mad and taking all my willpower not to scratch, too scared to put anything on it in case it makes it worse. has anyone else had this and found an answer? also have a stran e prickly rash on wrist area ..is this the rash that everyone talks about? what do i put on it. Face is a million times better praying that it will last and that i'll get rid of other side effects. please advise asap don't know how i'll sleep tonight with the itching. thanks in advance judexx ps. to Blue you seem like such a nice person and always have something interesting/sensible to say!

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Millie I hope you are not put off posting again by some of the harsh & judgmental replies you recieved. Sandi is right - your sex life is no-one's business but yours and NOBODY has the right to pass judgment on you or spout religion. The most important hing is that you get the right medical help as soon as possible. I haven't been in your situation, but I have had a miscarriage, and can only tell you that time does heal. I hope you're not having to go through this alone Millie, and take care. I hope y u feel you can let us know how you are because many of us here will worry about you. XXXX

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AARON: Glad to see that you're back! I'm so happy to hear that your face looks great. Mine is still breaking out (as much if not more than when I started a month ago), but your report gives me hope! JADE: Good to know that you are still hanging in there! I hope that the 9 month, low dose course of Accutane works for you. I'm so impatient at this point that I just want it DONE in 5 or 6 months, but a lower dose is probably easier on your body. I'm oing pretty well today and hope that you are too. TO EVERYBODY: You know how a bunch of people talk about the "red marks" they have while on Accutane? Well, I've been pretty confused as to whether they develop from the Accutane or are just scars from previous acne. I now think that it is the new, red t ssue that shows up when dry, scaly skin flakes off. Looks kind of like scar tissue, and I hope it goes away! I'm sure that this problem could only worsen with sun exposure, so does any one have suncreen recommendations for me? Please? Good luck everyo e!

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hehehe "choice" now there is a Kiwi word

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Ive been on roaccutane for over a month now and these tablets are choice. The reason i went on these tablets was because of my back and chest.my face was fine because i was on medication called MINOMYCIN.These tablets were just for my face, they didnt wor for my back and chest. Like the doctor said my lips are totally cracked up. Right now im using vaseline for them and is sort of working. Its hard being on these tablets because i cant kiss my girlfriend. Well thats all i have to say and goodluck to anyon else that goes on roaccutane!

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Charlotte-How dare you pass judgement on Millie. This site is for support, not a place to prophesize your religious stuff. Millie-If you are not ready for children especially one that could be born with severe defects, then do what you have to do. Don' let people make you feel bad about a decision you are making, they don't know you or what your life is like. I have never had to face a decision like the one you are facing now, but if you need a supportive woman to talk to, feel free to email me.

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Shelby- Yes my doctor made me take birth control before starting roaccutane and told me I will have to remain on it for a month afterwards. He also fully explained how damaging roaccutane is to pregnant women. And I sure every doctor within oz advices fem le patients of the risks of falling pregnant whilst on roaccutane.

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it should be the same for all women when on accutane. i had to be on birth control a month before i started it and a month after i was done with accutane. was that just my doctor or does everyones doctor make them do that? i could not have accutane if i d dnt take birth control, and that is the way it should be. even though i was on birth control, i didnt have sex at all for that 8 months. be smart people and take this drug serious, dont play with other lives.

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Hello everyone, I finished my course of roaccutane about 4 weeks ago. I was on the tablets for 16 weeks and I was on 45mg a day. They have certainly improved my skin. My face isn't completely clear, every now and then I get a small break out, but nothing compared to befo e. I noticed that the tablets seemed to really take effect once I had finished them, so to all those out there who think they are working for them, I say "hang in there". Also, to all those who suffer from very dry lips, I advice that if you are using a c rtain lip balm, change it for a while, you'll notice the difference. If anyone has any advice on getting rid of acne scars please tell me. Good Luck to you all!

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Well I was on accutane 5 years ago as I had tried everything and nothing really worked. I really question having used the powerful drug because of the problems it has caused me. The thinning hair really concerned me and it still is not quite the same, t e depression I have gone through may or may not have been a result of the drug. Also I know it has caused the bones on my forehead to be more prominent..and my elbows are very bony as is the bones in the back of my heel (heel spur) and my nose is slightl bigger...anyone else notice these type of side effects....I am likely very sensitive to any cosmetic fault and these are things that really bothered and affected me....Been told it's all in your head, but I am not convinced....I have read medical studies that show bone changes caused by accutane and I believe the birth defects it can cause in children are examples of it's effect on the skeletal system. I thought my experience was a nightmare and at 70kg on a 3-month(short) course at 40mg, 40mg, and 60mg the third month it was fairly low dose...My acne is gone at least....I wish acne was not invented, or that there was some natural solution....I would definitely go the natural route if I had a choice today...anyone Not using accutane try this: Multivitamin/mineral Vitamin A-10,000 iu Mixed carotenes Pantothenic acid-300mg divided in three doses Zinc picolinate-30mg Chromium picolinate-200mcg Vit. E-mixed tocopherols-200iu Salmon oil and flax oil or flax meal. Saw palmetto plant sterols Soy isoflavones or soy products like soy milk Lots of high fiber foods(oatmeal) Take the muti in the morning with breakfast to prevent any nutrient deficiencies. Take everything else together with a meal that contains no calcium as this will interfere with Zinc absorption. The vit.A and carotenes are important for the skin and will have a greater effect when taken with the vit. e and zinc. These 3 are very important. The pantothenic acid has been shown in studies to help in cases of acne as has zinc and vit. a. Take 100mg pantothenic acid with each meal of the day to a total of 300mg. The salmon oil and flax supplies omega-3 fatty acids which are low in many people diets today and lessen inflammation. You can buy the flax whole at natural health stores and then use a coffee grinder to make flax meal and the essential oil is more bioav ilable. The saw palmetto and plant sterols and soy isoflavones all lessen DHT levels in the skin. DHT-dihydrotestosterone is a by product of testosterone that is usually elevated in severe cases of acne. Actually lowering DHT is one measured medicinal effect of accutane along with it's side effects. High fiber foods are essential to any diet and they balance blood sugar levels in the skin and body and along with chromium prevent the skin diabetes often associated with acne patients. As you can see I've done my homework and I believe such a program along with a good diet could improve acne. This could be done along with a course of antibiotics or other acne medicines even accutane, but then you must avoid the vitamin a. Anyway I hop this could help someone and it might take 3-6 months before any real results are seen as this is the case in most natural therapies. Your body responds gradually to any diet and supplement improvements and it's only drugs that exert powerful immediate c anges along with their unwanted side effects. As well I have read studies on medline(pubmed) showing that 800iu of vitamin e can reduce the side effects of accutane treatment.

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Millie, When I went to my derm, she made me sign papers that said if I got pregnant I would get an abortion. She also told me I needed to use 2 forms of birth control. Apparently the pill isn't enough. You really have no choice. Whether or not you are ready to be a mother is irrelevant. Your child will be born with severe side effects and might even die from complications. I have had friends that have gone through this. Trust me, it's not the procedure that is difficult. It's how you will feel afterwards emotionally. It's a horrible thing to go through but you have no choice. I suggest you talk to your dermatologist and perhaps get counciling. Good Luck.

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First of all thanks to everyone who responded last week about my dry lips problem. I talked to my doctor and he is prescribing something for my lips. But he told me something I feel is VERY important for everyone to know - do NOT use vaseline during the day if you will be in the sun for even five minutes!! Vaseline has no sunscreen in it - not only that, because of the oil and sheen of it, it attracts the sun even more!! My derm told me my severe case of bleeding and cracked lips was a severe sunburn on op of the dryness caused by accutane. If you do use it during the day make sure you ALSO use a lip balm with a high SPF factor. I hope this helps somebody.

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First of all thanks to everyone who responded last week about my dry lips problem. I talked to my doctor and he is prescribing something for my lips. But he told me something I feel is VERY important for everyone to know - do NOT use vaseline during the day if you will be in the sun for even five minutes!! Vaseline has no sunscreen in it - not only that, because of the oil and sheen of it, it attracts the sun even more!! My derm told me my severe case of bleeding and cracked lips was a severe sunburn on op of the dryness caused by accutane. If you do use it during the day make sure you ALSO use a lip balm with a high SPF factor. I hope this helps somebody.

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To the girl in Australia who is pregnant. Whew, you are in a bind, I would never be judgemental and tell you what to do just rest assured that my thought are with you. I am sure you will consider better birth control next time, but hey accidents happen and nothing is 100%, even my husbands vasec omy could fail and then I could be introuble. Good luck to you, hope you ave some good friends to support you. beth

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10 1/2 weeks and no new zits this monday morning! It is such a relief to see that the RoA finally works its magic! Hang in there all fellow sufferers!!! The scars are annoying but they can be covered with Christian Diors new stick foundation, it´s oilfree and feels like cool water on the skin. I have all the sideaffects possible but they are easier to handle when the face clears up... My blood tests were ok last week so I will keep the 60 mg/day until sept 1:st, then I will be "cured" my doctor says. Keep the faith, you will get better.

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I'd just like to give a big thanks to everyone who has taken time to share their opinions and experiences. I'll be starting on the drug in the next couple of days and despite my nerves when it comes to the side-effects my confidence in the treatment actu lly working has increased. I experience moderate acne and have tried drugs from mino-cyclone to tetra-cyclone. I JUST WANT RID OF IT!!! By reading these personal experiences i've collected info about prevention and treatment of side effects. I hope everyone continues through their journey to clear skin and a higher self-asteem succesfully!!!! Wish me luck......

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This is a sight of support. As acne sufferers we all know the devastating effects of rude, judgmental people. Please stop the bashing and fingerpointing. TO MILLIE: I hope that you will receive the support you need at this critical point in your life. .know that you are not alone and if necessary seek out the services around you. My thoughts are with you. God Bless.

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This is a sight of support. As acne sufferers we all know the devastating effects of rude, judgmental people. Please stop the bashing and fingerpointing. TO MILLIE: I hope that you will receive the support you need at this critical point in your life. .know that you are not alone and if necessary seek out the services around you. My thoughts are with you. God Bless.

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Accutane should not be given to anyone growing. It has much more severe effects in growing teens. Medscapes medline has a pediatric precaution stating that accutane is absolutely contraindicated in ages 0-16 due to premature epiphyseal plate closure. It a so damages permanently your muscles, ligaments and tendons. You can't see or know the damage that it does to the insides of your body including your brain. Our orthopedic specialist says there is no way to reverse the damage it does to a growing body.

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what are the side-effects if you are on accutaine and you smoke marijuana ocaisonally!

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WOW! I read almost all of your letters last night, my acne has been bothering me for 2 years mildly. But for the last 6 months my zits have been really bad, its almost like it can only go worse! Ive triend Proactiv, Erythromycin, Topical Solutions, Deoxcl clin (a tablet form)and all that other rubish. I wanna try accutaine but im almost afriad too. I have depression and from what ive read, Accutaine triggers it even more! When i was on Deoxclyclin (i spelled that wrong) my face was o.k., managable but i till continued to get zits. I quit it about 8 months ago because if i was skiing or outdoors for a little i would get siverly sun and windburned. But my real question is, when will it finally start to get better when i start........

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jill i have just read your posting and my heart breaks for you. Please don't give up ..you have to hold on to the hope that you will find something eventually to work for you. My acne has not been as bad as yours by the sounds of it but i have had it for years and know how you feel about facing people. i also tried everything and am now half way through my first course of accutane. although it seems to be working i am very scared that once i come off it i'll get bad maybe worse than before. I read about he product proactiv on this site and my brother sent it to me as he lives in the states. i only used it for 3 days and could see major improvement. i have now stopped using it as my skin got so dry and i think it may have been too much with the roaccutane as well. I intend to start it again as soon as i finish the drugs.have you tried it? the photos on the leaflet showed amazing before and after photos with good results on very severe acnecases. obviously like all this stuff i'm sure it doesn't work for ev ryone but it may be worth a try. Before i started accutane i joined the acne society in the uk and read all their magazines, i went through all the readers letters and wrote down anything that had worked well for someone else, i them made up a daily routi e for myself which consisted of 1000mg vitamin C, Zinc, starflower oil capsule and 3 pills a day of a product called clear complexion. This all natural combination had great results but like everything else didn't work long term. i will use it as a maintennence programme when i come off accutane. I think what ou need is a very good dermatologist who will support you throughout and take an aggresive approach to sorting your skin out. no-one should have to suffer as much as you are. keep telling yourself that it's not forever and focus on a time that you will be better (like one year) above all be determined and use all your energy to research and find the right person to help you.I wish you all the luck in the world and am sure that you will like the rest of us eventually beat this dreadfull desease.

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Sarah, Try an exfoliant like a body scrub in the shower that should help with the flaky skin atleast long enough to moisturise.

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to millie- everyone is being really hard on you, I'm sure you know you made a mistake and regret it. I think regardless weather or not you have an abortion, you should let your doctor know your pregnant and see if he/she can help you.

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JILL: I just read your post! I can completely sympathize with you! I have horrible acne on my face, chest, shoulders & and back. And I'm 31! I started with acne at age 14! And what depresses me the most is that my mom is 53 years old & STILL have sev re acne! I will be starting my second attempt with accutane next week. I was on it the first time about 7 years ago. It help alot but as you said... the acne just comes back as the skin gets oily again. I feel like hiding sometimes! I just hate going out in public during a "bad" week! The worst is the summer! My son loves to go swimming but when I wear a bathing suit the cyst like acne & all of the scars...poeple just stare! Some people ask me if I was burnt bad in a fire! Several other times I wou d be embarassed throughout college when sitting in classes some of my huge acne boils would burst & ooze down my face! Puss & blood would run down my check & I would have to grab a tissue & try & wipe it up & get it to stop draining without the whole cla s staring at me. My acne is so bad that once a teacher took me aside & asked me if I was being abused by someone...my face was so red & swollen & scabbed up! When I just said it's my acne... she didn't even believe me! I also never went to my senior pr m because all of the dresses were off the shoulder or strapless & I was too embarassed to reveal the huge pimples & cysts on my back & shoulders. I feel like I have missed out on so much in life beacuse of my acne! It just seems so unfair. I would rath r weigh 300 pounds than have this horrible acne. I've seen loads of doctors but with no luck. I've tried tons of persrption drugs & creams. Accutane seems to help, but only for a few months. The oil seems to be my main problem. Accutane definalty sto that & I haven't heard of anything else that does. Do you know of anything? My skin is so oily, I wash it 5 times a day! Are you having any side effects the second time around. On my first run I experienced pain in the joints & some hair loss...that eally scared me. I hope it doesn't happen again. Well, wish me luck! Please write back & let me know hope you are doing... & Please knoe that you are not alone! Alot of us know how you feel! Hang int there! PS what country are you from?

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TO MILLIE>>>>>>>>>>>> I am curious...Did your doctor worn you ahead of time about the severe birth defects that accutane causes??? Were you aware of this at the time that you had unprotected sex? Most doctors have a strong obligation to discuss this wit their patients. Did someone not explain this to you or did you just ignore it? If your doctor did not explain this to you PLEASE let him/her know that this IS something that he/she SHOULD be discussing with their patients! I don't want to be hard on y u, I know this must be extremely difficult for you. But please do consider this... if you have this child he or she will most likey suffer horrific birth defects & suffer physically & emotionaly for their entire life. You think acne is bad... how about rowing up with a deformed head & or entire body. If you chose to have an abortion an innocent life has ended because of you were to lazy to use protection! Either way, no one seems to come out a winner. Acne has not only destroyed your life but someone elses too! Please try to act more responsibly & learn from this experience.

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TO MILLIE >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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Hello again, everyone. I have checked in a bit over the last few weeks, but haven't posted in a while. I am on week six and am doing great. I am at the recommended 60 mg per day for my weight. I have the dry lips, eyes, hair. I started off with bad peelin on my face, and solved it with cetaphil cleanser and moisturizer. The one for severely dry skin. I have also solved most of the dry lip problem by using carmex. It's supposed to be for cold sores, but it's working great for Accutane lips. I have a rash a l over my foreams and upper arms from being out in the sun too much while we were putting up a pool last week. (Lovely to have a pool now in central Texas, and I'm not supposed to be out in the sun. Today I was in it with an umbrella over my head. Looked ike a dork!) I don't have any of the other nasty symptoms, luckily. I hate the red face the most, I guess. I'm tired of people saying, "Wow, you really got sunburned!" But ANYTHING is better than having cysts. And I always got the really big ones. I was c mpletely cleared by my third week and haven't broken out since. I also promise to post again in the years to come if this becomes a real cure for me. A GENTLE REMINDER. We are here to support eachother, and for the most part we do. If someone says somethi g you have strong opinions about, be gentle when you post back. Remember, a lot of your anger may be coming from having to deal with the acne, and the people on this site are definitely not the ones to take that out on. We all live very different lives, a d none of us can step into another's shoes and tell them how to live or think. Happiness and clear skin to all!

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Hi guys, it's Jill. i haven't written in a while but tonight, i thought it necessary. I just had me a nice cry today...my heart feels rather heavier than usual. I just kinda broke down today...it is as if i just had it...just had it with this acne, this l fe, this face of mine. I am really hurt inside right now because of the cold realization of what kind of world we live in...what kind of superficial world we really live in. I have been on my SECOND course of accutane now for 5 weeks and 3 days. My face i at its worst. I find it strange how my acne was not even that bad and accutane did not cure me of it...or even make things better. Honestly, I feel like i am at my wits end...which is why i am taking a second course of this stuff. Yes, it did help me for bout 4 months...but then my acne came back even worse. I am on another course of accutane even if it means that I will be able to live a normal life even for 4 months again. I want to feel like a normal human being again...even if it means for only 4 mont s. That's how desperate i am. I have been avoiding all social gathering with friends because i have become so insecure about myself. i feel so ugly. I find that i am so scared out of my mind of facing people. I can feel my heart pound out of my chest when other people come near me. But yesterday, i made the mistake of deciding to go out with my friends. We went to watch a movie and were standing in line when a group of young boys began jeering at me and saying "Look at the monster! scary!" I could not bele ve that happened to me in front of all my friends. Life sucks as it is! I was so hurt by that...and at that point, i wished God would just take me away and put me out of this misery. I'm sure there is no such thing as acne in heaven where all is pe fect. Isn't it sad? I am at the prime of my life and I already want to die. Why? Because a disease called acne has taken over my life and completely altered who i am and what kind of life i should live. I am nothing short of a hermit at this point. How lo g must i deal with this? Sigh. I am already expecting that my second course of accutane will have a relapse so it will be no surprise to me if it does. It is not a cure you know.

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You have been very irresponsible. Are you just sleeping around or are you in a long term relationship? If you are with someone you love I am surprised that you could so easily dismiss this new child and kill it. You say that you are not ready to be a m ther? If that's the case then you shouldn't be having sex in the first place, you are quite obviously not ready to deal with the consequences, and are thinking only of yourself. No wonder the world is the way it is, people are selfish and don't respect ex the way it should be, one person for a life time. I have a child myself and know that it is hard to deal with, I understand that being on this drug would cause massive deformity and maybe it wouldn't survive full term anyway. I feel sad for you and I hope that you will be more careful in the future and realise that abortion makes it more difficult to concieve later, and more difficult to carry a child to term. After an abortion a large percentage of women experience either miscarriage or stillbirth. I'll pray for your unborn child that it will be nourished by the Lord in heaven and that one day you may be ab;e to meet him or her....

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TO THE CANADA PERSON. You have problems, lots of problems. First of all, you didn't adhere to the rules of this board, and second, your vocabulary and sentence structure is horrible. This board is used to help others with their Accutane side effects, and o inform others of what worked and what didn't and what can help. Not to blast people and tell them your pathetic ideas of how things should be. If you think dog sh*t works then well, come here dip sh*t, I will smear that sh*t all over your face. I have h d acne problems for a while since I was in 8th grade, until now. It wasn't horrible case, but enough ZITS to annoy me. Accutane has since given me the confidence and self-esteem I lacked to strive in public speaking. I am no longer avoiding face to face c nfrontations in fear of someone staring at my new zit that has decided to appear on the tip of my nose. My Sister has gone through it, my cousin, and now me. Accutane is great. Although, it does have its side-effects, like depression in your case, it works.

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hello ive been on accutane for 3 weeks now and the first week was pretty bad my acne was still coming. By the third week my acne isnt coming anymore only very tiny pimples in some parts. I have not got any new pimples on my cheeks however I have quite bad scarring [red spots] on my face. I hope the scarring goes away.I do experience the dry skin expecially when i come out of the shower the skin flakes but im sik of putting moisturiser on so i leave it. I dont experience really bad side effects like back pa n or something That guy from Canada, you sound depressed yourself theres no need for that abuse. Well good luck everyone bye for now

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im in the 21st week of a 24 week of roaccutane. the results have been pleasing but i have experienced a lot of the side effects. My acne was worse on my cheeks and i now have large areas of dark red rough skin. does anyone know of any way to help smooth o t the scars and get rid of the red marks. My derm says surgery is an option but i have to wait another 14 months and i will never be able to afford it. please help!!

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Are you sure that we are talking about the same dermablend. i saw a show on t.v. and it looked as if the lady had no make up on. it went on really thin that it was they were implying. was this false advertising. i don't have pimples or cysts. i just want o use it as a makeup because if it can cover birthmarks then it should work fine as makeup, know what i mean. i don't have pimples and stuff but i just thought that i would make great makeup to use. the lady had this big red birth mark on her face and the stuff covered it wonderfully. is it really thick stuff. did you apply it right. you're supposed to use the foundation stuff and the setting powder as i recall it. the next show is on August 22 here in toronto, Canada and i will see the show again then. bu i was just wondering because you make it sound as if the stuff doesn't work well. thanks. Take care and all the best to you.

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Are you sure that we are talking about the same dermablend. i saw a show on t.v. and it looked as if the lady had no make up on. it went on really thin that it was they were implying. was this false advertising. i don't have pimples or cysts. i just want o use it as a makeup because if it can cover birthmarks then it should work fine as makeup, know what i mean. i don't have pimples and stuff but i just thought that i would make great makeup to use. the lady had this big red birth mark on her face and the stuff covered it wonderfully. is it really thick stuff. did you apply it right. you're supposed to use the foundation stuff and the setting powder as i recall it. the next show is on August 22 here in toronto, Canada and i will see the show again then. bu i was just wondering because you make it sound as if the stuff doesn't work well. thanks. Take care and all the best to you.

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I have been checking in on this site for months now, but I have never posted. I am finishing up a 16 week course of Accutane(just 2.5 weeks left), and I have never been so confident in my entire life. My skin is perfect! I haven't had a pimple since th second week of treatment. I was one of the lucky ones because I didn't have that really bad breakout that a lot of people speak of. I do have all of the side effects, including extremely dry eyes, red face, dry hair, sore back and knees, dry lips, etc. etc. etc. I also have a really persistant rash on my forearms and hands. It goes away, but it always comes back when I am not taking care of my self(i.e., having a drink or not getting enough sleep). Other than that I feel great. I am a little nervous about ending my treatment. I am so afraid that I will break out again. I am just going to take it one day at a time and try not to get stressed about it. It feels like it has been so long since I have had acne, but in reality it hasn't. I don't really have anything else to say, I just wanted to let everybody know that it's great that there are such supportive people here. I started reading all of your post even before I started Accutane so that I would know what I was in for. You guys were right on t e money. Sorry about the really long post, I just have been reading all of your stories and I thought I would share mine. Good luck and hang in there everybody! It's all worth it.

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Sarah: Try using Carmex instead of vaseline. It works worlds of difference!

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I've been on Roaccutane for 7 weeks now. Things have been relatively stable for a few weeks. My skin isn't oily anymore and I'm not really getting new spots on my face (though that's not the case on my back and chest) but I'm not completely happy. The ope pores and blackheads on my nose and cheeks are still very obvious. The only side effect I'm experiencing is dry lips and they have taken a turn for the worse. Previously they were flaking and felt a bit tight but now the top layer of skin has come right ff and they are absolutely red-raw - despite the copious amounts of vaseline I apply. Maybe the Roaccutane is starting to 'kick-in' a bit more and I'll see further improvement.

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hello, I'm halfway through my course of roaccutane and things look fine. My lips are very dry, but it's great not being so oily! I have a very serious question for other users. I just found out I am 4 weeks pregnant, the risks have been explained to me and I am aware of the consequences. I am not ready for children and will have to terminate the pregnancy. I'm scared and feel terri le doing this. Has anyone had any experience like this? Please write as I need a chat. Thanks and goodluck xoxoxox

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HI FELLOW ACCUTANERS! I have been on Accutane for about 2 weeks now, going on the third. I have not experienced the 'huge breakouts' my sister has descibed to me so detailed. Am I doing something wrong? My treatment is 60 a day, I take the pills at night ith water. My face is clearing up, I have noticed 'Black Heads' a lot, mostly on and around my nose....annoyed, I squeezed them out, and 2 days later my nose is drying up and flacking. GEE. The skin on my arms and legs are very sensitive. My scalp is a lo better, now that I didn't wash it for 4 days last week. Well, I did jump into the shower only to wash it with conditioner, so that I could look descent for work. Only reason I wash it with coniditioner is so that it doesn't dry out my scalp, or turn red, and all my hair falling out. So my sister told me (a recent accutane graduate) When I first started Accutane I showered everyday, ans washed my hair with pert plus, like normal. Then my scalp began to itch like &%#@*%&#@!!!! Told my sister, and she told m that I was damaging my scalp, and to only wash everyother day! GEE THANK SIS FOR TELLING ME AFTER A WEEK. My hair is doing a lot better. REMEMBER FRIENDS! WEAR SP50 sun-screen! AND DO NOT STAY IN THE SUN for more than 10 minutes! Last time I did that with sp50, my skin turned all red. Before Accutane I swam everydaay...now I can't.for now that is! GOOD LUCK TO ALL! AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO E-MAIL ME!

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hey guys...a little over a month into accutane... face is absolutely wonderful, fatigue comes and goes, some mood swings, occasional troubles with night vision. all in all, things are going smoothly. jade and A- sorry I havent been online in a few weeks or so, how are you doing?

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don't worry, showers are fine. i think it's just that it's due to the skin being more delicate, and becomes even more so when wet. i had no trouble having luffly warm showers :)

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hello, just found this site and think it's great! i've been on accutane for about 6 weeks now and have noticed a little improvement so far. my skin is extremely dry though and i don't know what to do! my derm told me not to put anything on my face at all nd only to wash with glycerine soap twice a day. he said cetaphil lotion was ok for the arms and legs but nothing goes on the face. it's so dry, it's driving me crazy! do you guys put anything on your face at all? is washing with cold water and not in the shower supposed to help? any suggestions? any feedback would be totally appreciated! best wishes to all... hopefully, the dryness (and any other side effect) is worth it! thanks! =þ

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Hello Everyone- I've been taking roaccutane for 16 days now and I haven't noticed that my skin is 10x worse then it's ever been. You all take about your weight when I went to see my dermo he didn't take my weight, should he have? He didn't tell me much ab ut anything instead that my skin would dry out,to have short showers and that roaccutane causes birth defects so the pill is a must. He mentioned nothing about the side effects you people have mentioned on here. Back pain, painful feet, depression etc etc If I've had known more about roaccutane I would never have gone on it. I never had terribly bad acne just persistant mild acne. Ialready suffer bad pain from an accident a few years back will roaccutane affect this at all?

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Does anyone know if it's ok to use tea tree oil while taking Accutane?

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I have heard of dermablend, and I have even bought it before. It is mainly used for people with birthmarks on their faces, and really didn't work too well in hiding acne. It goes on really thick and looks like you have ALOT of makeup on.

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has anyone heard of dermablend cosmetics i'm going to by them soon. what is your opinion

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Along with many of you, yes your face might now be clear - it certain was for me - for a couple of months, and now its coming back. Im not saying it wont work, but i would say treat it as a temporary thing. I personally do not want to go back onto roacuta e because the side affects were awful...

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Yikes, I am on my 9th week and I am getting some horrible back pains...they just started last week. I'm on 60 mg a day, and my skin has cleared up wonderfully...I just wish my back didn't hurt! OW! Anyway, I'm starting a project of sorts, to help other people through the Accutane treatment. Click the link above if you'd like to help. Thank you!
:)
Chloe

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To Katie:
Sorry to hear things are going so badly for you. As I said in my previous post, I experienced severe heel (and other joint) pain starting around the 3rd week. I also broke out really badly until the 4-5th week. I started out at 40mg/day and now at the nd of my 5th month I am taking 100mg/day (130lbs). My face is very good now, almost no zits at all. I only had mild/moderate acne to begin with but it was so persistant that I felt Accutane was my last hope. As my dosage was increased I did not find th t the side effects got worse. Also, the prescription anti-inflammatory helped tremendously. You can even just try taking some Advil (ibuprofen) every day. Hang in there, it is worth it. Just try to deal with the side effects one day at a time. Keep u up to date...

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thank you to everyone that answered my last post. I have been on roaccutane now for 2 weeks. My acne has been on going since I can remember mostly around that time of the month. I just had enough of the ups and downs, waking up hoping that there wouldn t be another spot. So here I am in more pain than I thought would happen. My feet starting really burning and aching (which sounds weird) I thought maybe I was imgaining it but only a few days later my knees and legs are starting to ach. It feels like have just run miles and miles. I am scared now and wondering wether I should just stop taking roaccutane. Scared as well what happens if I was to just stop. My skin is looking smother but the areas where I did get break outs in the past have just start d getting worse. Feeling like sh.. and if this is only 2 weeks what is it going to be like next week. Just need some feed back from anyone, I know it's different for everyone but the body achs, is it normal for it to happen so soon??? And the break outs already, is it really worth it if my acne was only mild to begin with?? HELP.....

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I have been on roaccutane for 4 months now and from what I can tell my next visit to the dermo will conclude the treatment. I am on 60mg and have suffered many side effects. I have suffered a small amount of hair lose (nothing that would be noticeable to others), incredibly dry eyes, face redness (when I am busy and rushing around). I have cried more times during the last 4 months than a care to recall. I have been told by many people "Oh you look terrible! Look at your eyes, you need to go to the docto s" I can confidently say that the inconvience, the expense and "looking terrible" were all worth it. I now have clear skin. There is not a pimple on my face! I cannot recall ever experiencing this in the last 10 years. I hope that once off roaccutane tha my skin will remain as clear as it is at present. Hell, a spot here would even be OK. For those feeling frustrated and not seeing the results they had hoped for as quickly as they would like, hang in there. Those driven crazy by red faces, dry eyes et try to work though it. Try to stay positive, from my experience, it is all worth it in the end.

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A, well it's a new day and it seems we have both gotten over our derm experiences. I weigh 165 and am on 40 mg a day...I know it's a low dose compared to everyone else in my category. I need to check with derm next time but I think he is going the low d se route...that's the reason for the 9 month course. He said if lab work is good in next couple months we can stop that....let's hope my cholestrol and triglycerides can at least balance out. How did your labwork turn out? Hopefully all good! I had a ouple small bumps today but after washing my face they look like they are nearly gone...oh and derm told me the 2nd month is when you really begin to see an improvement! Woowee let's hurry up with this month! Talk to ya soon. Take Care {:0)

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I'm on week 7 of roaacutane and have not looked at this board for about 2 weeks, when i first started the drug i was logging on about 5 times a day. For the first 3-4 weeks my skin was bad and i could think of nothing else, the only thing i wanted to do w s read other peoples stories in the hope that i would find out that the drug was eventually going to work. Once my skin started to improve my life returned to normal and i didn't have the same need for support. i think this explains why the people who hav been 'cured' by roaccutane aren't posting here a year later. The treatment so far has not been a breeze although i can't say the side effects are unbearable. I have very dry lips and the cracking in the mouth corners, an itchy neck, very dry skin on arms spots on chest and back areas that hadn't previously been a problem and the occaisional nose bleed. However the skin on my face is definately improving. I feel i have turned a corner and hope that i will continue to improve. I have had lots of good tips e: products from this site but the best one has turned out to be the recommendation for proactiv. you can't get it in uk as far as i know so i had to ask my brother to fed-ex it from the states. I've only been using it for 3 days and have already seen maj r improvement. My plan is to continue with the proactiv when i've finished roacc. I should point out that the proactiv instructions did say that whilst on roaccutane no other treatment was needed but as it didn't say that proactiv SHOULD NOT be used whils on roaccutane i decided to try it and keep a close eye on dryness etc. I've found blistese much better for the lip problem than vaseline, vaseline is a barrier and does not actually moisturise the lips so relief is very temporary.I am seeing my derm agai on july 19th and intend to clarify the proactiv situation then as well as express my concern about one mole on my face that had a spot underneath it and so bled as well as a new one that appeared overnight.On the whole i have no regrets about starting ro ccutane. I know i couldn't have gone on coping with bad skin and i was not prepared to go on antibiotics again . My view is that long term use of anti biotics is potentially more dangerous than a short course of roacc. I realise that everyones reaction t this drug is different so it is impossible to generalise. I promise to keep posting my progress and will try to remember to post again in a year if my skin is still clear if only to provide a balance of viewpoints. Good luck everyone, don't give up!

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thankx i'm going to c how it works for her first. i know - no showers!!! :( but if it works ... well, you know - whatever it takes :)

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wow...not allowed to shower for 4 days? But well, I think maybe you can give it a try. I think herbal treatment should do you no harm. Who knows, perhaps it might remove yr scars for good. Hey, good luck!! Best wishes

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i was chatting to my beauty therapist today, and she told me about this treatment she's and her bro are going to be trying out. it's for scar removal. she said it's a herbal thing, your face peels for 4 days and for that time you aren't allowed to showe (it interfers with it otherwise). and you aren't allowed in the sun for a month. has anyone heard of this/tried this???

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To A Mom. I understand your concerns, I am experiencing similar problems as your son. Servere lack of NORMAL sleep. I simply carn't sleep at night, if I do it's in the afternoon. Derms in England seem to be more aware of this side effect, but unfortunatly mine can arely remember his own name, he asked me how my leg was the other week, the man must be 85 if a day. It may also be due to your sons slow progress. We Special people can somtimes put all of our eggs into one basket, we beleive that even before we leave th derms office or outside toilet in my Derms case, that the Roaccutane has already started to work but as any taker knows on this stuff intialy there's more pain than gain Some of us out there in HELL land can see no improvement and then all at once it hap ens. Dear Mom, Just keep strong for your son and I hope he feels better within himself soon. PS- Did anyone's Derm wear a Bio-Chemical Warfare suite when they dished out Roaccutane. My chemist likened it to the next best thing to Anthrax. Do they know something we don't !!

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my entire face is red and its sooooo embrassing. I have never had real problem with blemishes on my face, my acne was mild on my face but since I have been using roaccutane my face us red and I getting huge pimples on my face. Can any tell me of something I can use for the redness?????? please. How long does it take for the breakouts to stop? thanks alot bye

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What kind of a sick and cruel "human being" are you??? This is a site of support!!!! Not for name calling!!!! How dare you attack those who are warning people who are on accutane to be careful!!!!! There have been several letters from people here who were having trouble with depression who felt it was due to accutane... There have also been several studies that have backed this up!!! If they are warning those of us who are on it... How dare you harrass them! None of us like having acne.... All of us have elt ashamed/hurt by it.... Why would you turn on someone who is being kind in helping fellow acne sufferers? You need to examine your aggression and figure out why you think it is appropriate to attack those who have done no harm to you... For fun do you lso attack cancer sufferers or Aids patients? Do you work for the company that makes Accutane? This is a site for support and encouragement...

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Hi.... Requesting help from those of you out there who have also suffered from the severe side effects of Accutane, like myself.... (Suicidal thoughts, Depression).... I have written the FDA and Roche requesting that more testing be done and more warning labels put on their packages.... I don't feel enough research has been done with regards to the permanent damage Accutane causes... and I feel Roche receives so much mo ey from this drug I feel they have been negligent in properly warning of the hazards of Accutane... Like many of you out there... I hate having acne.... and was also desperate to rid myself of it... but the side effects have been horrid... and I think research and more warnings are needed... Think, if Roche was concerned for your health, why is it that n certain countries the warnings on the packages of Accutane is so different...? I beg of you all out there... to please pick up your pens and write the FDA and Roche... Even write some of the news stations (aka 60 minutes) to get the ball rolling out the e... Best wishes

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Most of my acne is gone now, but how come parts of my face are darker than another parts? Is it because of too much sun???????? ??????????????????feel free to email me

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Lots of people have been posting with threats, accusations, stories of their severe troubles with Accutane, and the like. Since I think I'm pretty much a completely average Accutane patient, I thought it might help some people to decide if they want to t ke it based on what I've experienced. I'll give it a go. Before I started taking it, I had moderate acne that accelerated to severe when I was overstressed and underslept. In college, that ended up translating to 90% of the time, and was the major fact r in my decision. I have currently been taking Accutane for just under 2 months. I take 70mg a day and weigh 150 pounds. I am 6'1" (I'm a skinny bastard). The first side effect I had was, of course, dry skin. My skin did not get completely dry all ov r at once - it was oily in some parts, dry in others, until I had been taking it for about a month. However, the sides of my nose can occasionally still get oily. Until all of my face had gotten dry, I still used Proactiv's China Clay Mask on the bad sp ts, but used moisturizer on the dry parts. Awkward, but it worked. Now I use Cetaphil moisturizer (in the green\white plastic jar) before I go to sleep, and the Cetaphil 15 SPF moisturizer in the morning. When I first started Accutane, my lips got VERY dry and hurt if I forgot vaseline or Chapstick\Blistex\what-have-you. Recently, however, this particular side effect has died down. They are dry, but rarely crack (as everyone here who takes Accutane knows, it's the cracking of the sides of the mouth th t are the bitch). My hair remains firmly rooted in place. My eyes are occasionally dry, but good enough 95% of the time to wear contacts. I never use eye drops either, so I could probably fill in that extra 5% if I did. I DO have Accutane-related leg- ches. They aren't too bad, and if I am playing basketball or working out, they go away. Sitting for a little while and then walking around reminds me of them, but they are a very minor nuisence. As for scars, I've received a lot of advice from kind peo le to help me. I've tried a few of them, and my scars are definately fading so I know something is working. I drink a lot of Green, Chamomile, and Ecenacia teas. I only wash my face with cold water and NEVER in the shower. There are a bunch more remed es that I plan on trying that people have sent me. I am also waiting to receive the Reconstruction Cream. However, I believe that almost all of the scar reduction I have had is a result of using Aloe Vera on the bad spots every day whenever I can. That means, when I don't care what I look like. If I'm at home reading a book, for instance, on goes the Aloe Vera. It's great stuff, I really really reccomend it. Just leave it on, and if you find it dried\soaked into your skin (it leaves a smooth but slig tly sticky texture when it dries into your skin), just put some more on. Cold water to wash it off when you want to. Hope someone here gets something out of this. Good luck to all...

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i took accutane in 1996. it worked great and once in a blue moon i do still get small breakouts and i do get a large one here and there. because accutane is not a cure. but when i do get them, i have found something that really helps. Campho-phenique. it s for cold sores and fever blisters, and it works well on blimishes too. try it and see if it helps!! good luck everyone! if you would like to talk to me or ask me any questions, you can feel free to e-mail me.

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I bought some MSM at an ordinary local Health shop. Good luck!

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[ Highly Abusive Message Removed ]

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where can you buy msm in england? thanx. Love steph

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well, thanks to the person who put up this page and to all those who are kind enough to share their views, opinions and experience. At least I know that I am not alone facing this depressing acne problem. Best wishes to all of you. Feel free to email me.. I'll be glad to be a friend.

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I am on accutane now for the third time... i never had severe acne, some might say i am nuts for being on this stuff again..but i can't deal with the breakouts any longer... so, the dry lips, etc- i just use Kiehls' #1 lip balm religously.. the question is ...well i have two and whomever can answer me , will make my day! 1) i am on my third month..and the most troublesome spot is under my mouth near my chin.. it is all swollen now and raised..is this because all the zits that were under my skin are now coming out ? what can i do?! 2) does preperation H help reduce the swelling of the pimple? what can i do? thanks so much cheers!

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JADE: It seems like we had really similar lousy experiences with our dermatologists yesterday! Sorry about your bruises from the bloodwork. You were smart to not wear makeup to your appointment. I was wearing cover-up (which I did not have on during my initial consult) because I went in the middle of my work-day. I'm surprised that you are going to be on Accutane for 9 months. I hope to be done in 5 or 6 months. I don't remember your dosage or how much you weigh, but that does seem like a long time. opefully by then you will have kicked the acne problem for good! I'm trying to be positive today (hopefully the increase in my Accutane and antibiotics will help soon), but I have a big, red cyst developing on my chin. I put some ice on it this morning, but other than that I'm leaving it alone. Here's to clear skin in a few months!!! Good luck! -A

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Hi to the person talking to the red face thingy. I know just what you mean and its so humiliating! Even without the accutane my face is sensertive and blushes easily but the accutane makes it so so much worse! Im on 60mg per day and its the same, i finish in a few days time though!!! Does this go once you have finished? I HOPE it does!

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humuliating red face syndrome

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Hello, I've been off Roaccutane for about 4 weeks now and my skin is much improved. However, I do still get the odd spot which does get me down. Should I go back to my dermo? I am afraid she might put me on more tablets and I don't know if I could stand that. He p!

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To julie Tell me about the reconstruction cream. I haven't heard about it. Where can I buy it?

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Gilbert - I didn't go up to 80mg, I spent most of my time on 40mg (except for 4 wks at 60 and 1 wk at 50). My face got slightly pink but it looked more like a "healthy glow". I think you should talk to your dr. and possibly try a lower dose. The way it w s explained to me by my dr., the side effects are dose dependent - the higher I went, the more problems I had - so if you are having trouble you might choose to lower the dose and see what happens. Hang in there and I hope it gets better. If things feel razy you can always write to me or anyone else, it helped me (and still does!) to talk to people who understand what its like, its a great outlet.

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Hi all, it has been about a week and a half since I last posted. I got my reconstruction cream yesterday. I started using it today. So far I have seen some effect. The redness of the zits left froom before have started to fad. But just a little. I am real y hoping for some good results! If anyone has used this product it would be greatly appericated if I could here of your experiences! I will keep you all posted. Thanks alot~xoxo Julie

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I NEED HELP!!!...this goes for anyone who can find it in their heart to help me....i am on 80mg/day, and i have this SEVERE problem with the redness factor. My face blushes very easily and turns BRIGHT RED in an instant...its so damn humiliating and emba ssing, and I HATE IT so much because it feelz like its just as worse as the acne itself. I heard that people with high doses, such as myself, experience the redness far more worse than people with lesser doses, and this makes sense...seeing as how a hig e dose will increase your sensitivity to sun, heat, etc...i'm thinking of asking my derm to REDUCE my dosage from 80 to 40 mg, because i just can't deal with the redness...itz killin me!!! so this goes out to anyone who is on 40mg a day or less...do you su fer from the humuliating red face syndrome...HOPEFULLY NOT..but if so, how bad is it????...PLEASE ANSWER..ANYBODY

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A I know exactly how you feel! I had my derm appointment today too and left feeling a little frustrated then had to get stuck twice by a retarded lab tech who kept wiggling the needle around in my arm...so now I have beautiful bruises on both arms. I am sorry your derm wasn't very supportive...I can't understand why she wouldn't ask about your symptoms and impression of the drug so far. That information is supposed to help her decide the course of your treatment. Have you been seeing her for very long? You are on so much stuff for your face...the gels and antibiotics and the accutane. I thought once you were on accutane they cut most of that out except maybe the antibiotic?? Hang in there...if it doesn't go well next time would you consider going to nother derm? Kind of difficult to do mid-treatment though. If she is open maybe you can tell her how you feel next time you see her. My morning just sucked....I wore no makeup to the clinic to see derm this morning and worried the whole time that someo e I knew would see me...I have dark spots on part of my face from my most recent breakout and it is embarassing though probably not as noticeable to others. Then my derm totally invades my space while I'm in his office and he's hovering over me looking a my face...gave me creeps even though I've been seeing him for 2 years. Then I think I offended him because I told him flat out that I didn't finish my minocycline script when I started on accutane because I heard of the brain swelling problem with tetra yclines and accutane...and he told me if I had called in for another antibiotic I wouldn't have gotten it. What an ass! I kept my cool though and shrugged it off. He expects me to be on this drug for 9 months...he did the calculations in the office and didn't up my dose. Ugh! 9 months. Then I had the lab lady from hell. Then they called with my labwork and my cholesterol and triglycerides are both up...241 cholesterol and 193 trigl. He didn't tell me to watch my diet but I'm cutting out the fat as much as possible and see if it will help lower it. So goodbye to all fast food for the time being. If you lived close by A, I'd pick you up and head to the bar...though we'd probably both get sick after the first round..lol. Thanks for listening to m ...we'll get through this and our skin will get clear, it is only the first month. Hang in there and stay in touch! {:0)

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I`m very glad you mentioned about warnings, because in Norway they hardly give any warnings at all, and now it seems that there are more countries that do the same. My friend from Utah, send me some info. from her DR. and that was compleatly different fr m here. But then again, when you are young and realy suffering from severe acny I do understand that you want to try everything, But when you are young, you do not think about consecvenses that you have to leve with for the rest of your life and thats als why moust of the people that have comited sueside are very young, because they do not have any experianse from life, and they do not understand that it`s not there fault, that they are loosing theyre minds, because thats what happens to moust ( 5-8%) of he people that takes Accutane. Best regarsds Hege Knudsen

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By all the leters we reseved, we know now, that this page after all, was a good plase to put info. on. Even with all the abusive people we/I had to deel with it was worth it. We know for sure, that 5-8% of you that takes Roaccutane/Isotretinoin/Accutane gets very bad sideefekts. If you are one of them, ore are interested to read about our organisation, p.l.s. go back to Postings for May and the start of june 2000. I`ve got 6 l tters there for info. I do not write English to good, but I think you will understand what its all about. Yes it is scary reading, but none of you that starts with Accutane, knows if you are among does 8%, before it`s to leit. Accutane works in your body or years and we have documents to sustantiat this. Pls. be careful in choise of madication. PLS: To you that wrote a comment on sideefekts about Depresion, will you Pls. E-mail me with that info. because I do not know how to print anything out from this ages. In forehand thank you. The very best from Hege Knudsen.

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Has anyone on accutane noticed they fly off the handle easier since on this medication? My 17 year old son lost it at the derm's office today and got rather loud and obnoxious which is out of character for him. He has done this a few other times also bu not with any regularity so might just be part of being a teenager or a person with not enough sleep! Just thought I would check if anyone else has experienced this as a sympton. 12 weeks down and eight more to go. He is still breaking out which she sa d is very normal but she didn't see the need to change anything. Patience is a virtue!

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Cannot undertand some of the messages posted lately. Who are this group in norway that sufferd in 1990 to 1993, why pick on them. Everything they complained about at that time has since been proved. Why was there label warnings in France and the US in 1990 to 1993 featuring depression as a definite side effect, when here in England the label warning when I took Roaccutane in January 1998, never mentioned depression or anything like that. Why did Roche put warnings in one country and not in another. Was is concern for patient safety or was it money and the effect on profit. The whole thing is crazy and needs to be properly investigated by someone.My advice to anyone taking this lethal drug is go ahead,if you feel you have to because your acne is cystic and real bad, but make sure you put up the label warning in your house and make everyone, family and friends, read the warning. Then you have some protection if those around you know the side effects and can just watch out for you. There is no point in people fighting with each other, just make sure you read the label and show the label to your family and friends. I wish there was a permanent message on this site stating what I have posted, also listing out the label side effects.

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Paul-No i did not mean you, your story will help people to understand the side effects and what you went through. I am talking about the people who post anonomously, and put scary medical reports up on here and tell everyone that something terrible is go ng to happen to them. Like I said in my previous post, most people who use this drug do the research and understand the risk they are taking. I have had some side effects myself, but just telling everyone about them, as you did, is a good thing, but tel ing them they are doomed if they take this med is uncalled for. No one should be on this medication that hasn't researched it and weighed the pro and con of taking Accutane. Sorry if you thought the messae was targeted at you, it wasn't, unless you were the one who put up the medical report thing or are part of that Norweigan research group that has scared many people into quitting their medication.

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Does anyone have any recommendations for a good sunscreen? After my derm told me that I have to wear some at all times, I bought Cetaphil moisturizer + SPF 15 for my face. I need something much stronger (like SPF 45) that contains Parasol 1789 for my fa e and body when I go to the beach next weekend. Any tips? -A

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Here's the warning: I am frustrated right now. I just got back from my 1 month derm appointment, where I had to wait for over 45 minutes for a 5 minute consultation. During the time that I was actually with the derm, she told me that my skin was "really clearing up" (it isn't yet), chided me for being sunburned (my face IS red, but I haven't been in the sun for the past month), told me that she hadn't checked the results of my bloodwork yet, and then mistakenly prescribed the wrong antibiotic for me! S e didn't even ask about any symptoms or how I felt about the treatment. Arg! The only good news is that she bumped up my daily dosage from 40mg to 60mg a day (I weight 145lbs). She said that she usually starts patients at a lower dose to see how they ha dle it and if it is enough to clear up their skin. I am glad that raised my dosage without any prompting from me, too. I hope that everyone else fairs better with their derms. Good luck everyone!

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sandi , i hope you don't mean my story when you say "it's sad and pathetic that there people trying to scare people over this drug". I DON'T WANT TO SCARE ANYONE. i am just telling you my story. The roaccutane did clear up my spots , but what i am saying s that i have been off the drug for 3 years and my skin and hair is still very dry , but it is getting better , i think that people that are thinking of taking this drug should know how i am feeling .But at the end of the day id rather have my skin dry han have bad acne again. A nurse told me that roaccutane can SOMTIMES take upto 5 years to leave your system .So i think it is fair to not keep people in the dark about what i have been told. good luck to people trying to get rid of there acne

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Whoever is sending the scare-story posts - have you actually TAKEN Accutane or are you just spouting stuff from some medical report. Have you ever had to endure the agony of acne? Why do you post anonymously? Also it's terrible to direct your campaign a individuals, like the ones to Katie & Gilbert. Why can't you accept that Accutane has HELPED many people? We can and do undertake our own research and make our own decisions. We're able to accept that there are negative aspects to the drug - why not br aden your research to try to accept there are positive ones?

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I think it is so sad and pathetic that all these people are coming on the board trying to scare everyone. Why is it that these people think none of us have read the info on Accutane. I know, as i can wager all of you do to, that this is a serious and st ong drug, that's why I waited 10 years to take it! I have suffered from severe depression for many years, not as a result of acne, but a true chemical imbalance, I have even been hospitalized. I am much better now and rarely deal with any type of debili ating depression. The chance that the depression might be triggered into a bad episode again does worry me, but I am willing to take the chance. If any of you start to feel depressed or suicidal, STOP taking the Accutane and when you are feeling better ry to take it again. I had to fight to be put on Accutane because of my battle with depression, panic disorder and OCD. It IS worth it to me to try this med, no matter what all these bullies on the board try to scare me with. I hope no one has to suffe with depression and I hope we all continue to be here as a support to each other, whether you decide to take Accutane or not.

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To Katie again:
I think you should ignore that post from the person trying to scare you. It is VERY rare that a side effect of accutane continues after you discontinue treatment. Don't worry!

Comments:
New Warning of Depression with Accutane Could Apply to Other Medications by Kenneth J. Bender, Pharm.D., M.A. Psychiatric Times May 1998 Vol. XV Issue 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Drugs Reported to Cau e Depression A new warning about the occurrences of depression, suicide and psychosis in patients receiving the acne medication isotretinoin (Accutane) is being added to the product labeling, according to an announcement by the manufacturer, Hoffmann-La R che. After receiving a letter in March from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which took issue with Accutane advertising, Roche also announced that it will stop ads which imply that treatment with Accutane is useful for the "psychological trauma" and "emo ional suffering" that is associated with acne. The previous labeling had noted reports of depression, including some cases in which symptoms resolved and then re-emerged when the medication was stopped and restarted. The FDA sought the stronger warni g when, according to a Wall Street Journal story, t ey had accumulated over a dozen reports correlating reoccurrence of neuro-psychiatric symptoms with medication rechallenge, in addition to 12 reports since 1989 of patients committing suicide while recei ing the medication. Neither the FDA nor the manufacturer find that a causal relationship is established by the reports, however. John Wilkin, M.D., head of the FDA Division of Dermatologic and Dental Drugs, commented to the Wall Street Journal, "there is nough of a signal r ght now, we thought it'd be prudent to put something in the labeling." Kellie McLaughlin, a Roche spokeswoman, commented that teen-agers, the largest age group using Accutane, have "a higher incidence of depression than most." McLaughl n suggested that the adolescents with severe, recalcitrant acne for which isotretinoin is ndicated might be at heightened risk for depression, independent of taking the medication. The revised FDA-approved labeling, commencing with product packaging in Ma ch, elaborates on the seriousness and persistence of depression, and the possible occurrence of suicide. It warns that discontinuation of Accutane therapy may be insufficient to ad ress the symptoms, and that further evaluation and treatment may be necess ry. Other Drugs Implicated Coincidentally, during the week prior to this announced warning, The Medical Letter updated its list of drugs and drug categories (139 in current list) reported to cause psychiatric symptoms (The Medical Letter, Inc., 1998). Iso retinoin is among 33 drugs on that list to be associated with depression (see sidebar). Also in proximity to the Accutane announcement, the following week Swedish researchers commented to the press that the calcium channel blocker cardiovascular drugs "sh uld be considered as possible cause of depression and suicide." Their study of 3,397 ou patients in 152 Swedish municipalities, published in the British Medical Journal, revealed a fivefold greater incidence of suicide among those using calcium channel bl ckers than patients using other antihypertensive medications (Lindberg et al., 1998). While The Medical Letter relates several neuropsychiatric side effects with most drugs on the list, it emphasizes the association of depression with calcium channel bloc ers by indicating only this condition with this drug category. This, despite a single report of hallucinations with verapamil (Isoptin) as the only neuropsychiatric symptom of a calcium channel blocker included on the 1993 list (The Medical Letter, Inc., 993). In addition to isotretinoin and calcium channel blockers, among the 33 drugs and drug categories listed for depressive symptom side effects, the "statin" cholesterol-lowering agents and other antihypertensives are widely associated with, if not impl cated as the cause of, depressive symptoms--with varying levels of evidence, as reviewed below. Depression as Adverse Drug Reaction One of the earliest reports of depression occurring with isotretinoin was of six patients (four women, two men; mean age 28 5 years, range 20 to 42 years) in a series of 110 patients with acne or keratinizing disorders (Hazen et al., 1983). Only one of th six patients had a previous history of depression. The dermatologists reported that depressive symptoms manifested within t o weeks of starting isotretinoin, and included crying spells (in three of six patients), malaise (three of six) and forgetfulness one of six). In only one of the six patients were the symptoms sufficiently severe to necessitate discontinuing the drug. Mor severe depression was found in three of seven patients experiencing such symptoms among 700 patients receiving isotretinoin in premarket clinical trials, according to a report from the Dermatology Branch of the National Cancer Institute, National Ins itu es of Health (Scheinman et al., 1990). In the three cases, the initial depressive symptom presentations were determined by a psychiatrist to have evolved into major depression. Their symptoms included fatigue, inability to concentrate, lack of motivat on, forgetfulness and crying spells. In four other patients, the symptoms rapidly resolved when isotretinoin was discontinued, prior to the psychiatric assessment. In one of the patients who initially improved, depressive symptoms returned when rechallenged w th the medication. The symptoms had developed during the tenth week of the initial course of treatment, resolved within seven days after discontinuation, reeme ged 10 weeks after treatment was resumed, and resolved again within seven days after the drug w s stopped. Until the recent epidemiologic evidence linking calcium channel blockers with depression onset and suicide, the association was made, as it is more commonly, by individual case report. Joseph Hullett, M.D., and colleagues from the department of psychiatry at the University of California, Irvine, described four cases in which "substantial" depression manifested with the use of nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat). In one patient already under reatment with the antidepressant nortriptyline (Pamelor, Ave tyl), the depression worsened when nifedipine was introduced. In each patient, the depression or exacerbation of depression resolved following discontinuation of the calcium channel blocker (Hul ett et al., 1988). Hullett et al. suggest that calcium chann l blockers may influence limbic functioning in the brain by blocking calcium-dependent neurotransmitter release and attenuating the usual neurotransmission amplification through the second-messenger system. They a so speculate that these agents could blun norepinephrine effects. In addition, they note that nifedipine, but not verapamil or diltiazem (Cardizem), binds competitively to central benzodiazepine receptor sites. The calcium channel blockers have also been differentiated by their degrees of potenc in displacing phencyclidine and inhibiting dihydropyridine binding in rat brain studies which, according to Hullett et al., "may account for the varied and, at times, a most paradoxical pharmacological effects of the calcium channel blocking drugs." The epression occurring with the statin HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor cholesterol-lowering agents is thought by Robert Rosenson, M.D., and Nancy Goranson, Ph.D., of Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago, to be more likely with the more lip phil c lovastatin (Mevacor), which enters the central nervous system with greater ease, than with the more hydrophilic pravastatin (Pravachol). In two cases of patients experiencing persistent sleep disturbance, anxious mood and impaired coping skills after re eiving lovastatin, each promptly improved when the drug was discontinued and remained free of depressive symptoms after treatment was resu ed with pravastatin (Rosenson and Goranson, 1993). Others have linked depressive symptoms with pravastatin as well ( echleitner et al., 1992). However, the association is contested by the drug manufacturer based on 14 controlled registration trials (Kassler-Taub et al., 1993) that showed that the incidenc of depression did not differ significantly in 2,485 patients trea ed with either pravastatin or resin. Clinicians from the department of psychiatry at the Free University of Amsterdam suggest that cholesterol-lowering agents may provoke depression by dis urbing cerebral serotonin metabolism (Duits and Bos, 1993). §-Bloc er's Role Questioned With the exception of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and, possibly, the newer class of angiotensin II receptor antagonists, most antihypertensive agents--notably the §-adrenergic blockers--have been associated with depressio and other neuropsyc iatric effects (Rauch et al., 1991). Famihiko Okada, M.D., of Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan, pointed out over a decade ago that even thiazide diuretics can produce such symptoms, although their potential for doing so is often verlooked because they are commonly used in combination w th antihypertensives having greater liability for depressive symptoms (Okada, 1985). Okada suggests, however, that thiazide diuretics may affect central adrenergic systems, noting that decreased pl sma catecholamines have been found in animal studies with long-term thiazide administration. The adrenergic blockade of the §-blocker drugs is commonly assumed to dispose patients to depressive symptom side effects, even when administered as an ophthalmic (Hugues and LeJeunne, 1993). A contrarian view has emerged, however, from several studies. In one study involving 77 nonpsychiatric patients undergoing cardiac catheterization, 21% of patients who were receiving §-blockers (most often propranolol [Inderal ) were found to have major depression by assessment with the Beck Depression Inventory, as were 33% of this group who were not on §-blockers (Carney et al., 1987). The §-blocker did not, then, appear to heighten the risk for depression in this population, in which the prevalence of depression was high. The investigators observed, in addition, t at the §-blockers appeared to lessen the degree of anxiety ex-perienced prior to undergoing the cardiac catheterization. Another study utilized a battery of diagnos ic instruments to ascertain the prevalence of depression among 52 ambulatory nonpsychiatric patients receiving propranolol and 75 controls, matched demographically in gender, age, marital status, level of educat on and physician visits (Bartles et al., 19 8). The overall prevalence of depression was not different between the groups, and depressive symptoms were actually less in the propranolol group on some measures. A similar lack of association of §-blockers with depression was documented in patients rec ivi g the medication after myocardial infarction, during a convalescent period that is frequently complicated by the presentation of depressive symptoms (Schleifer et al., 1991). While the literature may not clearly implicate a drug for causing depression or other neuropsychiatric adverse effects, the onset of such symptoms within days or weeks after a patient begins receiving a new medication or an increased dosage should raise s spicion of this possibility. Modifying the medication regimen and following p with appropriate health treatment may then avert the morbidity of depressive symptoms and potential mortality of major depression.

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To Katie:
I also experienced very severe heel/foot pain starting in the 3-4 week of treatment. Then my knees and lower back starting hurting also. My regular doctor called the heel pain "achilles tendonitis" and I have been put on an anti-inflammatory which has h lped tremendously. You may want to ask your derm or regular doctor to prescribe one for you.

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I have heard a case where a young girl had tremendous pain in her feets. She could hardly walk. It did not pass after she stopped accutane. She had visited 8 doctor, nobody could do anything. I have also heard of a girl in New York who was a marathonrunne . She could never run again after using accutane. It is a side-effect of accutane that can be permanent or last for years.

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Permanent red faces have been reported after stopping accutane. It can be ok again. If I were you I would stop the medicine right now!

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Hi, I've posted a couple of times before. I've been on Roaccutane fo almost 19 weeks, and II haven't got better yet. Actually I have more now then when I started, but I've had som terrible outbreaks so I'm better in regards to those. I used to have a very mil acne. My derm told me to have the treatment for 4-5 months but when he noticed I didn't clear he said to take it for 7 months. It seems as a lon time.Is it? I'm on 40 mg/day and I weigh 62 kg. My derm is afraid of raising the dose as I've experienced hai loss, and I'll probably go off the drug if it continues. I know that I shouldn't be i n the sun but now I'm going to the beach to get tanned as my acne use to clear up and the red spots get a bit covered from the tan.Other than my skin is more sensitive t the sun nothing happens. Has anyone had the same experience as me? that Roaccutane didn't help much? Does anyone know if there is something to put on the pipmles to make them heal faster? I'm thankful to every advice.

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Gilbert couldn't you reduce the daily dose, but take it over a longer period of time? Is the redness from inside, like blushing, or is it on the surface, like from dry sore skin? I hope you can get some success. XXX

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I NEED HELP!!!...this goes for anyone who can find it in their heart to help me....i am on 80mg/day, and i have this SEVERE problem with the redness factor. My face blushes very easily and turns BRIGHT RED in an instant...its so damn humiliating and emba assing, and I HATE IT so much because it feelz like its just as worse as the acne itself. I heard that people with high doses, such as myself, experience the redness far more worse than people with lesser doses, and this makes sense...seeing as how a hig er dose will increase your sensitivity to sun, heat, etc...i'm thinking of asking my derm to REDUCE my dosage from 80 to 40 mg, because i just can't deal with the redness...itz killin me!!! so this goes out to anyone who is on 40mg a day or less...do you suffer from the humuliating red face syndrome...HOPEFULLY NOT..but if so, how bad is it????...PLEASE ANSWER..ANYBODY

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Hi Everyone, I only 2 weeks into taking roaccutane and I am not sure if I am just blaming any odd pains on the drug but the bottom of (this is going to sound weird) my feet are KILLING me so much so I am finding it really hard to walk. I am wondering if nyone has had this problem??? My lips are just starting to dry out but other than that I haven't noticed much change. Still breaking out. When does it STOP!!!!! Every morning I wake up hoping to never see another SPOT but hasn't happened yet. Take c re everyone.

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Hi Everyone, I only 2 weeks into taking roaccutane and I am not sure if I am just blaming any odd pains on the drug but the bottom of (this is going to sound weird) my feet are KILLING me so much so I am finding it really hard to walk. I am wondering if nyone has had this problem??? My lips are just starting to dry out but other than that I haven't noticed much change. Still breaking out. When does it STOP!!!!! Every morning I wake up hoping to never see another SPOT but hasn't happened yet. Take c re everyone.

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If diane35 is what I think it is....... Birth control it should be okay cos your meant to be birth control with roaccutane anyway

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Has anyone used Accutane while on Diane35? Is this safe?

Comments:
New Warning of Depression with Accutane Could Apply to Other Medications by Kenneth J. Bender, Pharm.D., M.A. Psychiatric Times May 1998 Vol. XV Issue 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Drugs Reported to Cause Depression A new warning about the occurrences of depression, suicide and psychosis in patients receiving the acne medication isotretinoin (Accutane) is being added to the product labeling, according to an announcement by the manufacturer, Hoffmann-La Roche. After receiving a letter in March from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which took issue with Accutane advertising, Roche also announced that it will stop ads which imply that treatment with Accutane is useful for the "psychological trauma" and "emo ional suffering" that is associated with acne. The previous labeling had noted reports of depression, including some cases in which symptoms resolved and then re-emerged when the medication was stopped and restarted. The FDA sought the stronger warning when, according to a Wall Street Journal story, t ey had accumulated over a dozen reports correlating reoccurrence of neuro-psychiatric symptoms with medication rechallenge, in addition to 12 reports since 1989 of patients committing suicide while receiving the medication. Neither the FDA nor the manufacturer find that a causal relationship is established by the reports, however. John Wilkin, M.D., head of the FDA Division of Dermatologic and Dental Drugs, commented to the Wall Street Journal, "there is enough of a signal r ght now, we thought it'd be prudent to put something in the labeling." Kellie McLaughlin, a Roche spokeswoman, commented that teen-agers, the largest age group using Accutane, have "a higher incidence of depression than most." McLaughlin suggested that the adolescents with severe, recalcitrant acne for which isotretinoin is ndicated might be at heightened risk for depression, independent of taking the medication. The revised FDA-approved labeling, commencing with product packaging in March, elaborates on the seriousness and persistence of depression, and the possible occurrence of suicide. It warns that discontinuation of Accutane therapy may be insufficient to ad ress the symptoms, and that further evaluation and treatment may be necessary. Other Drugs Implicated Coincidentally, during the week prior to this announced warning, The Medical Letter updated its list of drugs and drug categories (139 in current list) reported to cause psychiatric symptoms (The Medical Letter, Inc., 1998). Isotretinoin is among 33 drugs on that list to be associated with depression (see sidebar). Also in proximity to the Accutane announcement, the following week Swedish researchers commented to the press that the calcium channel blocker cardiovascular drugs "should be considered as possible cause of depression and suicide." Their study of 3,397 ou patients in 152 Swedish municipalities, published in the British Medical Journal, revealed a fivefold greater incidence of suicide among those using calcium channel blockers than patients using other antihypertensive medications (Lindberg et al., 1998). While The Medical Letter relates several neuropsychiatric side effects with most drugs on the list, it emphasizes the association of depression with calcium channel blockers by indicating only this condition with this drug category. This, despite a single report of hallucinations with verapamil (Isoptin) as the only neuropsychiatric symptom of a calcium channel blocker included on the 1993 list (The Medical Letter, Inc., 1993). In addition to isotretinoin and calcium channel blockers, among the 33 drugs and drug categories listed for depressive symptom side effects, the "statin" cholesterol-lowering agents and other antihypertensives are widely associated with, if not implicated as the cause of, depressive symptoms--with varying levels of evidence, as reviewed below. Depression as Adverse Drug Reaction One of the earliest reports of depression occurring with isotretinoin was of six patients (four women, two men; mean age 28.5 years, range 20 to 42 years) in a series of 110 patients with acne or keratinizing disorders (Hazen et al., 1983). Only one of th six patients had a previous history of depression. The dermatologists reported that depressive symptoms manifested within two weeks of starting isotretinoin, and included crying spells (in three of six patients), malaise (three of six) and forgetfulness one of six). In only one of the six patients were the symptoms sufficiently severe to necessitate discontinuing the drug. More severe depression was found in three of seven patients experiencing such symptoms among 700 patients receiving isotretinoin in premarket clinical trials, according to a report from the Dermatology Branch of the National Cancer Institute, National Ins itutes of Health (Scheinman et al., 1990). In the three cases, the initial depressive symptom presentations were determined by a psychiatrist to have evolved into major depression. Their symptoms included fatigue, inability to concentrate, lack of motivat on, forgetfulness and crying spells. In four other patients, the symptoms rapidly resolved when isotretinoin was discontinued, prior to the psychiatric assessment. In one of the patients who initially improved, depressive symptoms returned when rechallenged with the medication. The symptoms had developed during the tenth week of the initial course of treatment, resolved within seven days after discontinuation, reeme ged 10 weeks after treatment was resumed, and resolved again within seven days after the drug was stopped. Until the recent epidemiologic evidence linking calcium channel blockers with depression onset and suicide, the association was made, as it is more commonly, by individual case report. Joseph Hullett, M.D., and colleagues from the department of psychiatry at the University of California, Irvine, described four cases in which "substantial" depression manifested with the use of nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat). In one patient already under reatment with the antidepressant nortriptyline (Pamelor, Aventyl), the depression worsened when nifedipine was introduced. In each patient, the depression or exacerbation of depression resolved following discontinuation of the calcium channel blocker (Hul ett et al., 1988). Hullett et al. suggest that calcium channel blockers may influence limbic functioning in the brain by blocking calcium-dependent neurotransmitter release and attenuating the usual neurotransmission amplification through the second-messenger system. They a so speculate that these agents could blunt norepinephrine effects. In addition, they note that nifedipine, but not verapamil or diltiazem (Cardizem), binds competitively to central benzodiazepine receptor sites. The calcium channel blockers have also been differentiated by their degrees of potency in displacing phencyclidine and inhibiting dihydropyridine binding in rat brain studies which, according to Hullett et al., "may account for the varied and, at times, a most paradoxical pharmacological effects of the calcium channel blocking drugs." The depression occurring with the statin HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor cholesterol-lowering agents is thought by Robert Rosenson, M.D., and Nancy Goranson, Ph.D., of Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago, to be more likely with the more lip philic lovastatin (Mevacor), which enters the central nervous system with greater ease, than with the more hydrophilic pravastatin (Pravachol). In two cases of patients experiencing persistent sleep disturbance, anxious mood and impaired coping skills after receiving lovastatin, each promptly improved when the drug was discontinued and remained free of depressive symptoms after treatment was resu ed with pravastatin (Rosenson and Goranson, 1993). Others have linked depressive symptoms with pravastatin as well (Lechleitner et al., 1992). However, the association is contested by the drug manufacturer based on 14 controlled registration trials (Kassler-Taub et al., 1993) that showed that the incidenc of depression did not differ significantly in 2,485 patients treated with either pravastatin or resin. Clinicians from the department of psychiatry at the Free University of Amsterdam suggest that cholesterol-lowering agents may provoke depression by dis urbing cerebral serotonin metabolism (Duits and Bos, 1993). §-Blocker's Role Questioned With the exception of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and, possibly, the newer class of angiotensin II receptor antagonists, most antihypertensive agents--notably the §-adrenergic blockers--have been associated with depression and other neuropsyc iatric effects (Rauch et al., 1991). Famihiko Okada, M.D., of Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan, pointed out over a decade ago that even thiazide diuretics can produce such symptoms, although their potential for doing so is often overlooked because they are commonly used in combination w th antihypertensives having greater liability for depressive symptoms (Okada, 1985). Okada suggests, however, that thiazide diuretics may affect central adrenergic systems, noting that decreased plasma catecholamines have been found in animal studies with long-term thiazide administration. The adrenergic blockade of the §-blocker drugs is commonly assumed to dispose patients to depressive symptom side effects, even when administered as an ophthalmic (Hugues and LeJeunne, 1993). A contrarian view has emerged, however, from several studies. In one study involving 77 nonpsychiatric patients undergoing cardiac catheterization, 21% of patients who were receiving §-blockers (most often propranolol [Inderal]) were found to have major depression by assessment with the Beck Depression Inventory, as were 33% of this group who were not on §-blockers (Carney et al., 1987). The §-blocker did not, then, appear to heighten the risk for depression in this population, in which the prevalence of depression was high. The investigators observed, in addition, t at the §-blockers appeared to lessen the degree of anxiety ex-perienced prior to undergoing the cardiac catheterization. Another study utilized a battery of diagnostic instruments to ascertain the prevalence of depression among 52 ambulatory nonpsychiatric patients receiving propranolol and 75 controls, matched demographically in gender, age, marital status, level of educat on and physician visits (Bartles et al., 1998). The overall prevalence of depression was not different between the groups, and depressive symptoms were actually less in the propranolol group on some measures. A similar lack of association of §-blockers with depression was documented in patients receivi g the medication after myocardial infarction, during a convalescent period that is frequently complicated by the presentation of depressive symptoms (Schleifer et al., 1991). While the literature may not clearly implicate a drug for causing depression or other neuropsychiatric adverse effects, the onset of such symptoms within days or weeks after a patient begins receiving a new medication or an increased dosage should raise s spicion of this possibility. Modifying the medication regimen and following up with appropriate health treatment may then avert the morbidity of depressive symptoms and potential mortality of major depression.

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New Warning of Depression with Accutane Could Apply to Other Medications by Kenneth J. Bender, Pharm.D., M.A. Psychiatric Times May 1998 Vol. XV Issue 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Drugs Reported to Cause Depression A new warning about the occurrences of depression, suicide and psychosis in patients receiving the acne medication isotretinoin (Accutane) is being added to the product labeling, according to an announcement by the manufacturer, Hoffmann-La Roche. After receiving a letter in March from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which took issue with Accutane advertising, Roche also announced that it will stop ads which imply that treatment with Accutane is useful for the "psychological trauma" and "emo ional suffering" that is associated with acne. The previous labeling had noted reports of depression, including some cases in which symptoms resolved and then re-emerged when the medication was stopped and restarted. The FDA sought the stronger warning when, according to a Wall Street Journal story, t ey had accumulated over a dozen reports correlating reoccurrence of neuro-psychiatric symptoms with medication rechallenge, in addition to 12 reports since 1989 of patients committing suicide while receiving the medication. Neither the FDA nor the manufacturer find that a causal relationship is established by the reports, however. John Wilkin, M.D., head of the FDA Division of Dermatologic and Dental Drugs, commented to the Wall Street Journal, "there is enough of a signal r ght now, we thought it'd be prudent to put something in the labeling." Kellie McLaughlin, a Roche spokeswoman, commented that teen-agers, the largest age group using Accutane, have "a higher incidence of depression than most." McLaughlin suggested that the adolescents with severe, recalcitrant acne for which isotretinoin is ndicated might be at heightened risk for depression, independent of taking the medication. The revised FDA-approved labeling, commencing with product packaging in March, elaborates on the seriousness and persistence of depression, and the possible occurrence of suicide. It warns that discontinuation of Accutane therapy may be insufficient to ad ress the symptoms, and that further evaluation and treatment may be necessary. Other Drugs Implicated Coincidentally, during the week prior to this announced warning, The Medical Letter updated its list of drugs and drug categories (139 in current list) reported to cause psychiatric symptoms (The Medical Letter, Inc., 1998). Isotretinoin is among 33 drugs on that list to be associated with depression (see sidebar). Also in proximity to the Accutane announcement, the following week Swedish researchers commented to the press that the calcium channel blocker cardiovascular drugs "should be considered as possible cause of depression and suicide." Their study of 3,397 ou patients in 152 Swedish municipalities, published in the British Medical Journal, revealed a fivefold greater incidence of suicide among those using calcium channel blockers than patients using other antihypertensive medications (Lindberg et al., 1998). While The Medical Letter relates several neuropsychiatric side effects with most drugs on the list, it emphasizes the association of depression with calcium channel blockers by indicating only this condition with this drug category. This, despite a single report of hallucinations with verapamil (Isoptin) as the only neuropsychiatric symptom of a calcium channel blocker included on the 1993 list (The Medical Letter, Inc., 1993). In addition to isotretinoin and calcium channel blockers, among the 33 drugs and drug categories listed for depressive symptom side effects, the "statin" cholesterol-lowering agents and other antihypertensives are widely associated with, if not implicated as the cause of, depressive symptoms--with varying levels of evidence, as reviewed below. Depression as Adverse Drug Reaction One of the earliest reports of depression occurring with isotretinoin was of six patients (four women, two men; mean age 28.5 years, range 20 to 42 years) in a series of 110 patients with acne or keratinizing disorders (Hazen et al., 1983). Only one of th six patients had a previous history of depression. The dermatologists reported that depressive symptoms manifested within two weeks of starting isotretinoin, and included crying spells (in three of six patients), malaise (three of six) and forgetfulness one of six). In only one of the six patients were the symptoms sufficiently severe to necessitate discontinuing the drug. More severe depression was found in three of seven patients experiencing such symptoms among 700 patients receiving isotretinoin in premarket clinical trials, according to a report from the Dermatology Branch of the National Cancer Institute, National Ins itutes of Health (Scheinman et al., 1990). In the three cases, the initial depressive symptom presentations were determined by a psychiatrist to have evolved into major depression. Their symptoms included fatigue, inability to concentrate, lack of motivat on, forgetfulness and crying spells. In four other patients, the symptoms rapidly resolved when isotretinoin was discontinued, prior to the psychiatric assessment. In one of the patients who initially improved, depressive symptoms returned when rechallenged with the medication. The symptoms had developed during the tenth week of the initial course of treatment, resolved within seven days after discontinuation, reeme ged 10 weeks after treatment was resumed, and resolved again within seven days after the drug was stopped. Until the recent epidemiologic evidence linking calcium channel blockers with depression onset and suicide, the association was made, as it is more commonly, by individual case report. Joseph Hullett, M.D., and colleagues from the department of psychiatry at the University of California, Irvine, described four cases in which "substantial" depression manifested with the use of nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat). In one patient already under reatment with the antidepressant nortriptyline (Pamelor, Aventyl), the depression worsened when nifedipine was introduced. In each patient, the depression or exacerbation of depression resolved following discontinuation of the calcium channel blocker (Hul ett et al., 1988). Hullett et al. suggest that calcium channel blockers may influence limbic functioning in the brain by blocking calcium-dependent neurotransmitter release and attenuating the usual neurotransmission amplification through the second-messenger system. They a so speculate that these agents could blunt norepinephrine effects. In addition, they note that nifedipine, but not verapamil or diltiazem (Cardizem), binds competitively to central benzodiazepine receptor sites. The calcium channel blockers have also been differentiated by their degrees of potency in displacing phencyclidine and inhibiting dihydropyridine binding in rat brain studies which, according to Hullett et al., "may account for the varied and, at times, a most paradoxical pharmacological effects of the calcium channel blocking drugs." The depression occurring with the statin HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor cholesterol-lowering agents is thought by Robert Rosenson, M.D., and Nancy Goranson, Ph.D., of Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago, to be more likely with the more lip philic lovastatin (Mevacor), which enters the central nervous system with greater ease, than with the more hydrophilic pravastatin (Pravachol). In two cases of patients experiencing persistent sleep disturbance, anxious mood and impaired coping skills after receiving lovastatin, each promptly improved when the drug was discontinued and remained free of depressive symptoms after treatment was resu ed with pravastatin (Rosenson and Goranson, 1993). Others have linked depressive symptoms with pravastatin as well (Lechleitner et al., 1992). However, the association is contested by the drug manufacturer based on 14 controlled registration trials (Kassler-Taub et al., 1993) that showed that the incidenc of depression did not differ significantly in 2,485 patients treated with either pravastatin or resin. Clinicians from the department of psychiatry at the Free University of Amsterdam suggest that cholesterol-lowering agents may provoke depression by dis urbing cerebral serotonin metabolism (Duits and Bos, 1993). §-Blocker's Role Questioned With the exception of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and, possibly, the newer class of angiotensin II receptor antagonists, most antihypertensive agents--notably the §-adrenergic blockers--have been associated with depression and other neuropsyc iatric effects (Rauch et al., 1991). Famihiko Okada, M.D., of Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan, pointed out over a decade ago that even thiazide diuretics can produce such symptoms, although their potential for doing so is often overlooked because they are commonly used in combination w th antihypertensives having greater liability for depressive symptoms (Okada, 1985). Okada suggests, however, that thiazide diuretics may affect central adrenergic systems, noting that decreased plasma catecholamines have been found in animal studies with long-term thiazide administration. The adrenergic blockade of the §-blocker drugs is commonly assumed to dispose patients to depressive symptom side effects, even when administered as an ophthalmic (Hugues and LeJeunne, 1993). A contrarian view has emerged, however, from several studies. In one study involving 77 nonpsychiatric patients undergoing cardiac catheterization, 21% of patients who were receiving §-blockers (most often propranolol [Inderal]) were found to have major depression by assessment with the Beck Depression Inventory, as were 33% of this group who were not on §-blockers (Carney et al., 1987). The §-blocker did not, then, appear to heighten the risk for depression in this population, in which the prevalence of depression was high. The investigators observed, in addition, t at the §-blockers appeared to lessen the degree of anxiety ex-perienced prior to undergoing the cardiac catheterization. Another study utilized a battery of diagnostic instruments to ascertain the prevalence of depression among 52 ambulatory nonpsychiatric patients receiving propranolol and 75 controls, matched demographically in gender, age, marital status, level of educat on and physician visits (Bartles et al., 1998). The overall prevalence of depression was not different between the groups, and depressive symptoms were actually less in the propranolol group on some measures. A similar lack of association of §-blockers with depression was documented in patients receivi g the medication after myocardial infarction, during a convalescent period that is frequently complicated by the presentation of depressive symptoms (Schleifer et al., 1991). While the literature may not clearly implicate a drug for causing depression or other neuropsychiatric adverse effects, the onset of such symptoms within days or weeks after a patient begins receiving a new medication or an increased dosage should raise s spicion of this possibility. Modifying the medication regimen and following up with appropriate health treatment may then avert the morbidity of depressive symptoms and potential mortality of major depression.

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To all of you out there.... This is my fifth month of accutane. To tell you the truth I was really scared to take it because of all the horror stories I'd heard about. However after taking antibiotics for about five years and having to wash my face at least two times a day (You co ld literally see the grease, it was so gross) I decided to try it after one of my friends tried it. She's been off it for a year and her face is still clear. I think(if I remember right) that the totally clear affect (remission) can last from anywhere to a couple of months to a couple of years. The only regret I have is that I wished I would've taken it sooner!!! My self-esteem from having acne and feeling so ugly because of it, was so low before I started taking this medication... all of the antibiotics and Retin-A seemed to have little effect on my acne. I've never felt better. As for side effects I haven't experienced much. The chapped lips of course and the cracked corners of my mouth, a little soreness now and then, and a bloody nose occasionally--- but I consider this a small price to pay for having better skin. However I also wear contacts and even though I am on accutane they don't bother me. I guess everyone is different. I also haven't experienced any depression that a lot of you complained of. Anyway even though a lot of you are saying that it doesn't work, really it is the only drug that can possibly cure acne... no other acne medication can do that. Even if it doesn't get rid of it totally after I stop treatment, I still would be happy to have take it all over again if I was given the choice . If you have bad acne I would recommend that you try it... You'll never know if it'll cure it f you never try... and it does cure a lot of people. What do you have to loose? I wish I would've taken it sooner. My face actually looks normal now. I hope that my treatment will cure my acne and if you're on it I wish the best of luck to you too.

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Just a quick message. In the ASG magazine today there were some new & very positive recommendations on natural treatment for acne. I haven't posted them here yet but have posted them on Marcus and Just Me's sites. I have people here for dinner tonight o have just popped upstairs on the pretence of e-mailing work!!! Hence the mad rush!! As always love and luck. Rianne.

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Jon, my acne also returned after Roaccutane - though not as severely. However my friend is still clear after over ten years. Of course she still gets the odd spot but nothing like the bad cystic acne she had before. I hope you're one of the lucky ones on but I do agree that dermatologists get people's hopes up too much.

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Hi everyone Today was my first dose of Roaccutane, im on 60mg a day for 4 months. Just to let everyone know ive got too good friends who have been on Roaccutane and both have had very good results and thier acne has not come back. I hope my story will be as good. Als dont forget that people who have had thier acne "cured" by roaccutane are not as likely to come back to this site as people who had not had a successful time with the drug. Ive started this in the summer and am wondering what suncream i should use. Presumaly a non oil based product with a high factor. I'll let you know how things go on soon Hope everythings ok, Rob Gee

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Hi again, wk 4, People have commented on how clear my face is looking, but I haven`t noticed a great deal of improvement. I had a stressfull day yesterday and have woken to find that 2 red lumps have appeared on my chin which is more redder than usual an itchy. I have been told by Drs that stress can cause acne so I wondered if there is a connection of just a coincidence. Also for the last 3 nights I`ve found is very difficult to sleep, also I`m getting out of breath after walking(up hills.) If any one has these problems and can give me some advice please feel free to e-mail me.

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Hmm yeah i think this 80% chance of being cured is also rubbish... well longterm anyway. ive been off it since middle of march and it didnt clear up until say,may and then it stayed total clean for a month but seemed to wore off a bit. but since 2 week ago (and when i started a new job i may add). it has gradually come back. it isnt as bad as before, my back is total clear but i wake up with small whiteheads on my face as well as bigger spots. i have a derm appointment in august, and i have planned to have laser surgey for the scars... but if it comes back then i cant have the surgey and if so, i really am annoyed... also i cant bear to go on roacuntane again.... i dont know what to do:-/

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I'm just finishing a 20 week spell on roaccutane with tremendous results. However I am almost certain that it will not last! I know eight people who have been on roaccutane and every single one of them has had their acne return within a few months of stop ing. As far as I'm concerned the 80 percent claim of people being cured from this drug is utter crap. Especially if this site is anything to go by! You certainly don't see many people on here who claim to still be cured over a year after roaccutane is fin shed. If there is anyone I will keep watching for your replies. My point is that "cured" people on roaccutane are in the minority of people who take it. 80percent my arse! (unless they are on it PERMANENTLY!)I think it is absolutely disgusting that the de ms and Roche should be allowed to give people false hope like this knowing it to be untrue. Anyway, good luck to everyone-you're gonna need it!!!

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hi,people i was just reading some of your stories, i'm thinking to myself wow there are so many paople on roaccutane . Some of you are having good results and some are going through hell.Anyway here is my story , when i was 18 broke out in a very nasty acne r sh . the doctor described it as moderate to severe acne .My confedence to a severe blow also everybody started treating me different , or at least thats how it felt . Four months later i went to the dermotholelst (sorry about the lame effort to spell it). e put me on some drugs called roaccutane they were very strong ,i became so dry and weak .My eyes were stinging ,i was a mess ,i managed to carry on working despite feeling very depressed.The real mental probems started when i came off the tablets .i've een off them for three years now and i would describe my skin as very dry with afew spots but nothing severe , its the scar tissue what really effects my confidence, also my hair won't return to normal . To be honest i still feel like a outsider . Does a ybody else feel like this if so please email me

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alphahydroxyacids (AHAs) which have been found to provide excellent benefits for the skin. These unique non-prescription physician dispensed products are made from acids naturally occurring in fruits, vegetables and sugar cane. Dry, rough, sundamaged a d dull skin can appear smoother and clearer with reduction in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. AHA's can cleanse, exfoliate and moisturize your skin. Improvements in skin tone and texture can result in younger-looking and more radiant skin.

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Leonard or shall I shall god"lee you need to pull the stick out of your butt!!!!!!!!!

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Hi, my names Leonard, i am currently on my 7th dose of roaccutane, 120mg a day, and am halfway through my 12 month course with 6 more months to go. Well, let me say it has not been a pleasant experience. I have suffered the most horrendous cystic acne, on e i finish roaccutane it only takes a month for it all to come back. I fear i'll be taking roaccutane for the rest of my life. My acne is so severe i have had zits everywhere, and yes, even down there. My roaccutane story is just so long that i am contemp ating writing a book on my experience. After all, i have been taking roaccutane for almost half my life. If you have any side effects from the drug, let me tell you, i've been there. I'm planning on calling my book the Dummies guide to taking Roaccutane, hope that i can share with all those ppl who've taken roaccutane from one time, to 3-4 times, on tips to keep your skin as smooth as possible, deal with physchological problems, and so forth. I'd like some feedback from as many people as possible to make my book a reality. Yours truly, world's worst acne sufferer, Leonard "Just call me God" Lee

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Hi, my names Shane, i am currently on my 7th dose of roaccutane, 120mg a day, and am halfway through my 12 month course with 6 more months to go. Well, let me say it has not been a pleasant experience. I have suffered the most horrendous cystic acne, once i finish roaccutane it only takes a month for it all to come back. I fear i'll be taking roaccutane for the rest of my life. My acne is so severe i have had zits everywhere, and yes, even down there. My roaccutane story is just so long that i am contempla ing writing a book on my experience. After all, i have been taking roaccutane for almost half my life. If you have any side effects from the drug, let me tell you, i've been there. I'm planning on calling my book the Dummies guide to taking Roaccutane, i ope that i can share with all those ppl who've taken roaccutane from one time, to 3-4 times, on tips to keep your skin as smooth as possible, deal with physchological problems, and so forth. I'd like some feedback from as many people as possible to make m book a reality. Yours truly, world's worst acne sufferer, Leonard "Just call me God" Lee

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Dawn, I have been on roaccutane for around a week and haven't noticed a change yet. My doc said that I should start to see a change soon and to be patient. It might be the same with you

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I have been on roaccutane for about 10 weeks now, i have expreanced alot of dryness on face, lips and my eyes, i fill i have found no real differance at the moment. The spots are really red and inflammed and my skin has become sensitive i was just wounder ng if anyone else was experanceing this and if anyone did how long was it before it cleared up. If anyone can contact me that would be great.

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Mary -- sounds like you've tried everything for dry lips. My son uses Aquafor ointment (found in the first aid section of drugstore).Seems to work pretty well. But I, too, think your doc should prescribe something for you.

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You weren't the only one to be in the dark about AHA's [I thought they were a 1980s Norwegian pop group! :o)] But I've looked it up and apparently they are fruit acids used in skin peels and lotions to treat acne and sun damaged skin. HURRAH for you having fab skin!!! Here's to beating acne forever! Blue XX

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If you hate acne, scars, nasty skin, red marks and everything else in life because of acne then type type 123. Thank you very much.

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If you hate acne, scars, nasty skin, red marks and everything else in life because of acne then type 123 Thank you very much.

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Today is my 4th Day on Accutane and I have no side effects to report but that worries me considering I have read all the posts and was wondering when I will start having dry skin. I know that I just started taking it but I need to know how long does it t ke for your skin to start drying up? I am on 60mgs a day and weigh 148lbs. Does anyone know if I am on the right amount or should I be on more? Please any responses would be much appreciated.

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Today is my 4th Day on Accutane and I have no side effects to report but that worries me considering I have read all the posts and was wondering when I will start having dry skin. I know that I just started taking it but I need to know how long does it t ke for your skin to start drying up? I am on 60mgs a day and weigh 148lbs. Does anyone know if I am on the right amount or should I be on more? Please any responses would be much appreciated.

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MARY: Sorry you are suffering so much with your dry lips. It sounds like you have tried about as many products as I have! Maybe your derm could prescribe some type of cortisone cream for you to help heal your lips. I have used a perscription cream call d Vy-tone for years to keep the corners of my mouth from "cracking" and it may work for you too. Good luck! -A

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have you been using something on ur lips since you first started taking accutane? I found vaseline to be the best for my lips and I use constantly thru out the day from the first day I was put on accutane and haven't had much of a prob with my lips my advice to you would be to just keep using the vaseline as often as u need it and hopefully the will start to get better

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HELP!! I am on finishing my fourth week and my lips are making me miserable. I have tried every kind of balm available, went to plain vaseline and then to neosporin. Nothing is working!! I have tried Carmex, Blistex, Chapstick, Softlips, Bloom, etc, etc etc. And the vaseline and neosporin get all over my face while I sleep and it is making me break out horribly around my mouth, upper lip, and chin, whereas the rest of my face is finally starting to clear from the accutane. I am only on 40 mg a day, bu my derm upped my dosage to 80mg a day starting tomorrow. I am so upset, I know this is going to make my lips even worse. They are so painful it makes me cry, I cant smile or eat. I reapplied vaseline 3 times in one hour last night while I was trying t go to sleep because it hurt so bad. Does anyone know of anything else I can put on my lips that will not break my face out? And that will actually work? Please someone respond, I really need some help. I will try anything or pay anything. Thanks!

si - 07/05/00 13:56:56
Age: 35
Gender: male
Country: OZ ex pom!

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Had moderately bad cystic acne for 23 years, and thought coming to OZ would help, with all that sunshine and all.....did it hell!! I tried all the usual antibiotics, they start off ok but it dos'nt take long for your body to suss on whats happening and before you know it, its worse than before! ROACCUTANE'S the answer! Well, on my second week and it hasn't been this bad since I was hiding at the back of the class! And, although my lips are dry....where is all this dry skin that I've been craving for all my life?! I've booked another appointment for Friday maybe I need a bigger dose. Keep you informed, great site by the way.

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TO: FED UP/F/OZ- I use Oil of Olay Daily Renewal Facial Scrub. It has tiny weeny microbeads in it, so it's not as harsh as a normal scrub, as it's obviously designed for daily use. I've used it on & off for years, and my skin has always been LOADS better hen I'm using it. I have used it constantly for a year or so now, and I would be lost without it! It's also very moisturising, an added bonus! ME: - Thanks for the answer, although I'm still none the wiser!!! When I walked into work yesterday (I have Bronchitus), my colleague said " Wow, Paula, you look really rough.......but your skin looks amazing!!" I can't tell you how happy I was! I can handle 'rough' if my skins 'amazing'!!!

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JADE: I'm glad that your skin is doing so well...no new spots is good news! I'm still breaking out, and my skin looks as bad if not worse than before I started Accutane a week ago. Hopefully my derm will be able to help me out when I see her tomorrow. ike you, I'm slightly concerned about getting the results of my bloodwork. I haven't been watching my diet more closely than usual, but I haven't had high cholesterol problems in the past so I'll just keep my fingers crossed. I wonder if she will take m off Erythromycin since I've been on it for a while and it isn't doing much. For cleansing I've been using Cetaphil (used it for the past several years, actually). My derm gave me Differin and Metrolotion as topical medications, and they don't seem to b doing much. The areas around my mouth and chin seem to be the dryest, and I've been moisturizing with Complex 15, Metrolotion, or Cetaphil lotion depending on the degree of dryness. I've never heard of Natural Ice Sport, but Bloom is a cosmetic brand t at makes lip balm in fancy little pots. The vanilla scent smells a little better than Vaseline. You'd think that with all the stuff I'm doing I would have a flawless complexion!!! Sorry for writing so much, I hope that everyone is doing well. Good luc with your bloodwork, JADE. -A

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greetings. I am 24 years old and I just recently,(January) developed an acne problem. I am on my 14th week of accutane and I am just wondering how the rest of you got thorugh this. I feel horrible. I worked out everyday and was outgoing and now all of sudden I don't go out anymore and when I do work out I feel like I just ran a marathon, muscle aches and pains. My hair is thining at a rapid rate and I was just wondering if anyone else had experienced this and if the side effects go away after treatmen ? Thank you.

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HI everyone. I realised that once people finish accutane they dont seem to come back to this site very often. Anyway i have been on accutane for 16 weeks and i finish my treatment on Saturday. This is truly a miracle drug!!! Im not just saying that! If i an get to a scanner ill scan before and after shots of myself and you will see. At the moment i have not one spot, zit, pimple or anything on my face and its been like this for a few weeks now. To all of you deciding to take accutane or not.....TAKE IT!!! If anyone wants to know more or wants any advise or anything please feel free to email me, cya.

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Its so good to read this message board I can see now that there is lots of people out this that have a problem with acne and Im not alone I was begining to think I wa some sort of freak I hope ya'll have the best of luck with your treatments much love lily

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I have been on Roaccutane now for a few weeks and I was wondering about the use of Facial Scrub... I have found that I have to use facial scrub every morning before applying my makeup so that it dosen't look as dry. I was wondering if anyone knew if this s making my pimples worse...or if any other women my age have any advice with regards to Roaccutane and Makeup.... It would be kindly appreciated. Good Luck everyone... your not alone xx

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OOOPS, if anyone had/has any feed back for me I just realized I put down the wrong e-mail address!! I forgot the mama.... If you have info for hollywood@operamail.com (the last posting) please send to either the bulletin board or hollywoodmama@opermail.co Thanks and sorry!!!!

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Paula- AHA'S is alpha hydroxyacids

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Great site, glad I found it! Anyway, I'm 29 (one of the oldies) and am in my 6th week. I've had the typical dry lips and eyes, and unfortunately some lower back pain. But other than that no problems. My skin is really clearing. My concern is that I'll hav to keep cycling this forever! So I have 3 questions: 1. Does one treatment generally have long term effects or do the effects go away soon after you finish the cycle? 2. I'd like to know if the lower back pain I am experiencing usually subsides after the drug is no longer taken? I am very athletic an would need to stop taking it if it was a irreversible. 3.I have a couple of places where my acne is gone, but the skin is healing painfully slowly. I understand that slow healing can be an effect of Accutane, but does that mean that scarring will be worse? 4.How long does it usually take for the depression to set in. What a crappy side effect! Just throwing out some questions and concerns. Any feedback would be be totally appreciated. Hang in there and best wishes to y'all. :)Holly

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/well I am starting week 4 or so and doing ok, first two weekks were great the last two were pretty yucky, lots of blackheads, peeling and re. Ive been trying to get out more, great weather playing with the kids, hat and sunscreen but a bit of colour see s to help, makes you feelmore positive and I'm hoping the good mood helps the body to heal. I know I need to be careful outside so I am but I will continue to try to keep positive and hopefully the worst is over. A bit dry, lips and skin lots of flaking but better than pimples, seem to dry out faster but have to not pick or I think your skins scars more. Keep thinking good thought everyone, and hope for a realatively clear summer and fall, I can hardly wit to go camping with the kids and not have to be worrying about how i look. good luck beth

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Hello everyone and happy 4th of July to all of you Americans out there. Well, my name is Melanie and I finished accutane about 2months ago. It truely was a miracle drug for me. Other than two fading spots, I'm acne-free. My purpose in writing this letter is to tell anyone who goes to this site that if you need some advice r support, I'm here for you. Acne sucks and it's always to know that there's someone out there rooting for you. Mel

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Just a friendly advice. I advise everyone not to make an isotretinoin treatment during the summertime. The high dosage of Vitamin A (or derivates like Retinolo) in your body make your skin photosensible, and this can mark your skin face permanently. Accutane must be taken, prefe ably, in cool seasons.

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ME-21.....What are AHA's? I just know it's going to be something obvious, but I can't work out what!!! Doh!!

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Does anyone know what effect accutane is likely to have on someone with moderate but persistant acne who takes 20mg per day for a few months? I realise that the dosage is detrmined by body weight although I have been advised to proceed with the course at his level although I am questioning whether or not that this will have an effect. Likewise I do not want to fill my body with what sounds like a very toxic drug. Does anyone think that taking 40mg for a week or so out of every month would be any better? P ease help!!!

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I've been reading with avid interest all the posts by different people and their experience with Roaccutane medicine. Its made my decision to start taking the drug so much easier. Ive been prescribed 40/mg a day dose by the dermatologist, and are to start taking the drug within the next few days. I read somewhere that Roaccutane stunts your growth by closing the growth plates and can cause irrepairable damage to muscles and fitness. Can anyone tell me if there is any truth to these statements at all??? Cheers Jono

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yo peeps i was nose'n around in the roaccutane info and saw that some people have lost weight while taking these tablets, any you guys experienced this?

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yo peeps i was nose'n around in the roaccutane info and saw that some people have lost weight while taking these tablets, any you guys experienced this?

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I had acne quite bad and sometimes felt a little depressed and was tired of a small minority of people staring at me and laughing. So, I decided to go ahead with the treatment and I'm pleased with the results so far. I found the dryness annoying but used skin moisturiser regularly and in roughly 2 more weeks the dryness will have stopped. My skin has cleared up dramaticaly and I'm feeling much more confident now and cannot wait for the end results. So I advise anybody out there to go onto this treatment s it will greatly improve your enjoyment in life. Also to anybody who is feeling depressed if somebody is making fun of you ignore them as they are not worth anything if they cannot take you for what you are!!!!!

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I am writing this on behalf of my brother, Hannes Swarts (Age 17). We are urgently looking for a supplier in South Africa (Pretoria or Johannesburg) that can supply the Roaccutane at a good price. Currently we are paying R 14.00 a tablet (20mg). Thanki g you, Alta

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what is E45?

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Jimmy you sound so down...I hope things get better for you. I'm sure Accutane will help; and try not to worry about the hair loss - it's not that common and even if it does happen it should get better again after the course. My friend found that Accutan seemed to help her scars, too, so you might not even need any other treatments. As we've said before on this board, girls do still find guys attractive with acne/scars - so don't feel that you'll never get dates etc! I hope someone else can answer your qu. about dermabrasion...good luck anyway and let us know how you get on! XX

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Jimmy you sound so down...I hope things get better for you. I'm sure Accutane will help; and try not to worry about the hair loss - it's not that common and even if it does happen it should get better again after the course. My friend found that Accutan seemed to help her scars, too, so you might not even need any other treatments. As we've said before on this board, girls do still find guys attractive with acne/scars - so don't feel that you'll never get dates etc! I hope someone else can answer your qu. about dermabrasion...good luck anyway and let us know how you get on! XX

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My skin is so damn dry. The only time I wet my hair is when I put conditioner in it. I have noticed that my nails are pale, and my throat gets very dry. About 2 weeks down, and a couple more to go. Good luck to everyone out there!

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I have had acne for the past 15 years and am sick of it. It started out being non-scarring and has developed into scarring acne that has left me both demoralized and depressed. My life, from age 24, when my acne worsened, has seemed to go down the toilet No dates, no girls and no jobs. I have finally sickened of this disease and and have decided to go through accutane treatment. I am very concered about the side effects, as I do not want my breakouts to worsen and I do not want to lose my hair, which w uld leave me completely hideous. Hopefully, this will be the answer. My question is, if anyone can answer it, is how much time must I wait after ,completing the treatment, to go and have the scarring removed via laser dermabrasion? If anyone could answer this question for me I would be grateful. Thanx.

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I read on that marcus stacy site you shouldn't use AHA's whilst your on accutane or for six months after_______Is this true? I love my AHA's and use the religiously_______Sarah- what do you mean you feel younger your just 18? plus if I don't think you sho ld be drinking if its making you sick

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To Naomi, I'm on the 40mg a day dose aswell but my doctor has started me on a half that dose until I go back to see him in 2weeks then he says he may put it up to my full dose. thanks for your help

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Kim & Rianne - just wanted to add my voice to the topic of being "older" & still having the problem - I'll be 34 at the end of the year! Geez! But not everyone with the problem is in their teens or early 20's! I have a 2 wk countdown til my appt w/the en ocrinologist as I'm interested in taking spironolactone after talking to other women around my age - I'll post an update when I have something to report - and hopefully it will be good news!

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Thanks for your concern Sarah, but I would never consider using stereoids as I know that one of the side effects is increased acne. The supplement I am currently taking is called Cyclone, from a company called Maximuscle (I don't know if they are around n the U.S.). It is bascially a mixture of protein and creatine which is designed to enable you to have shorter recovery periods, and therefore do more work in the gym, while also providing the protein needed for muscle growth. I take vitamin E tablets w ich are supposed to free the body of any oxidants or toxic chemicals, so hopefully this will balance out any potentially harmful effects the body building supplement may have. I'll check with my derm when I go to see her next week.

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I've been using retin A for a few weeks now, and the first week was almost like a miracle! I thought I was on the road to an acne cure... to my dismay, it didn't clear up completely.It's nowhere near as bad as before, but it's a big change from having per ect skin - which I had 3 months ago. I've had mild acne sinnce the age of 13, but it never bothered me too much, untill I got to be about 17. My family doctor put me on diane and cleocin, and that worked for a while. When I went back to see her for some n w ideas, she told me there was nothing to do - "I'd grow out of it." Like a fool I was forced to believe her, and it was 1 year before I finally got fed up of hiding and went to a proper dermatologist. She put me on differin, and in 3 months I was the hap iest girl alive. Well, I had a year of total confidence, and in April this year I got a strange rash on my face - Overnight! The doctor couldn't figure out what it was, and experimented with creams and pills for a few months. Finally she tried retin A, a d it made a huge impact.... but, I'm still not happy, and neither is the doctor. So she wants me to go on accutane. She thinks it's the only "cure." Somehow I broke through my medication - the differin. I did my blood tests today, and I guess I'll go thro gh with it. The retin A doesn't seem to be doing too much! Wish me luck :)

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I think the roaccutane needs to calm down a little bit. Ive never herd people died from Roaccutane. I f they did they probably had a serious overdose of the drug. When I first started Accutane, I was on a really high dose and it made me feel depressed. So then I went to the dr and said i think im overdosing and she said we will put you down to only half the dosage. So i did and ive been fine i have not felt depressed, only dry lips and fine hair. If you are suffering from the depression i think its the bod es way of telling you, your taking too much

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hi ive been posting here for the last 2 weeks. Im going on to the third week now. I am having quite good results since taking accutane. Ive tried everything and apsotlutely nothing works exept accutane. I think its a miricale that this drug is go affectiv . I feel younger than ive ever felt and my skin feels softer. But i do have a problem with Alchol, I spewed up over the first glass is this a problem cause i think its from the accutane

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I just emailed the Roaccutane Action Group to let them know how unsubstantiated their own claims are. It might be useful for them to receive some email from users of this site, to let them know that we'd rather not see their reactionary opinions posted h re. What they are doing is not inherently bad, they are just going a little too far. But feedback is always good, don't you think? Hope everyone is doing well. good luck

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY A!!!! Hope the new year brings you much happiness! :0) I'm glad to see you are still here...I'm beginning to wonder about Aaron - I hope he is okay. My skin is the same pretty much which isn't bad actually...a few spots healing up and n arly gone and no new ones...except I picked a little yesterday and created a sore where there wasn't really anything....accutane definitely makes your skin more sensitive and takes a little longer to heal. I swore no more picking as of yesterday. Big mi take to pick! I am totally loving the dryness....I can put up with it any day compared to the oiliness. A, what do you use for cleansers and moisturizers? Usually I use dove or cetaphil and then oil of olay with sunscreen, if my skin is flaky I use a l ttle cetaphil moisturizer. My favorite lip balm is natural ice sport, it's cool and has a sunscreen. What is Bloom? I've just never heard of it. I go to Derm on Thursday for monthly labwork and am little worried about cholesterol since I haven't been atching my diet at all....I would hate to have to go off the Accutane right now since it's working so nicely. Hope all goes well with you at your Derm appointment. It's so nice to have someone on pretty much the same schedule.....Keep in touch and cros our fingers regarding labwork! Take Care {:0)

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KIM - there are a few of us "over age" acne sufferers on the other 2 sites (Marcus and Just Me sites) - it helps to know you are not alone!!! KIM - do you suffer from acne scarring too? With having acne for so long it has really marked my skin terribly. The acne is bad enough but with the scars as well - it's just awful. Anyway, good luck with the Accutane KIM! Love Rianne.

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Hi I have just read several replies on this site and had to comment. Most of you are teens or in your 20's. I am 40 and just began Accutane 3 weeks ago. All of my life I have had mild acne--never cysts but just pimples every single day since age 14 or so. I ave tried everything and some things have helped but then it always came back. I just recently stopped taking Minocin. It worked very well for about a year and then began to revert slowly back tohow I was before taking it. I was so tired of the routine of taking pills, using Retin-A and topical creams and all for minor improvement. I have a very oily complexion and my face never feels "clean". My male derm. told me my face was not "bad" enough to take the risks associated with accutane so I switched to a f male derm who put herself on it a year ago and she is 45 years old!!! She is very pleased with her success and didn't hesitate to prescribe it for me. I was very worried about side effects BUT I am so tired of the lifetime of low self-esteem due to breako ts that I took the chance. I only wish I would have done this about 20years ago but I didn't know about it until my own teenage sons have had acne and been treated. So far, I have dry lips which I always had anyway so no big deal and they can be fine wit lots of chapstick. My scalp is a little itchy and my legs from the knees down have a red, itchy rash but nothing is as bad as an oily, broken-out face!!! I was just wondering if there is anyone else out there around my age who has or is trying accutane a d what their experience has been. My derm told me that she usually will not give accutane to anyone unless they have a much more severe case than I do and only after they have tried everything else. I guess she helped me since she tried it on herself fir t and was very happy with the results. Please email me if you have any info which could be helpful as I obviously have no friends my age with this problem!!! Thanks so much for reading and good luck to all you young people--I really hope this drug is a "m racle" for you so you can have a wonderful rest of your life!!!

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Hi everyone. I've been on Accutane for close to 4 weeks now. My skin has good and bad days, and luckily my bad breakouts are close to my ears and hairline where they aren't as noticable. I'm really hopeful that my skin will look much better by the time I go away to school in September. I have an appointment with my derm this week, and I'm going to ask her about my dosage (I'm on 40mg/day and weigh 145lbs). It's not that I think I know more than the doctor, it's just that I don't want the treatment to e unsuccessful because of a low dosage. On a happy note, I got three pots of Bloom lip balm last night as one of my birthday gifts. :) Vaseline works just fine (and is definitely cheaper), but it's nice to have something pretty to put on my dry lips sinc that regular lipstick is out of the question. I"m willing to try anything to make myself feel better during this ordeal. Hope everybody is doing well.

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To Amy:
About a week into my treatment I started getting very dry lips and also started that horrible break out period. My skin got worse for a couple weeks and then gradually started clearing. It wasn't until the end of the 3rd month that my skin was really go d - almost completely clear. I'm now almost done with my 5th (and hopefully) last month and I have only had one tiny zit every couple weeks. What dosage are you on? I started at 40mg/day and weigh 130lbs. If you are on a lower dosage it takes longer t kick in. Hope that helps.

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Hi Ppl I have only been on roaccutane for 7 days now. I haven't had any side effects or difference yet not that I'm expecting to this soon. I was wondering if anyone could tell how long it usually takes to see any kind of result?. And when you finish taking roac utane does your acne disappear for good?. I would really appreciate if anyone could help me

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Hey, I have roaccutane for around 3mths now and getting excellent results. Its amazing, I haven't really had any serve side effects. I found this great product that helps 100% with my eyes it 2 eye masks....its called Geligne medical post operative eye ma k system...if you want to check it out the URL above....I have been stickn to the moisturiser the doctor gave which is the best I reckon and I use petroleum jelly on my lips, I found it to be most effective and cheaper I was going thru lip balms like ther was no tomorrow...I didn't really get much depression if anything it was the opposite I felt alot more confident going out and stuff....It took me around 5-6 wks to see any real results though but I really glad I went on it....Roaccutane is by far the be t thing I have ever used for my acne and trust me I have tried alot of things over the past 3 years even been on other medication given to me by the doc which did nothing for me over a 18 mth period.......I would recommend roaccutane to anyone it's well w rth any discomfort for the LASTING results.........Best of luck Jenny

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I can't say for sure if a lot of protein makes acne worse but I do know that any type of steroid really affects your skin. I know a lot of guys take steroids for body building or those weird shakes from GNC. They definitely reak havok on your skin. They are hormones. I've noticed a lot of athletes and some of my friends that did this have pock marks and all sorts of problems. I know you didn't mention that at all but I was just a little concerned when you said body buildin g. My girlfriend used to bodybuild and she always noticed her sking got really bad when she increased her protein intake with shakes, etc. Just something to think about.

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Anon-I have had panic disorder, OCD, and severe clinical depression for the last 6 years. So you can imagine my hesitation in taking Accutane knowing it may cause all of my symtoms to get worse. I have been on almost every anti-depressant and unfortuant ly the only one that worked for me I was allergic to. If you need any advice in dealing with your depression or panic attacks, feel free to email me. there are many ways to deal with these and It's also nice to talk to someone who knows what you're goin through. On to the my Accutane progress...It's been about 41 days and I am clearing, although I still have a few pimples and all the dark red spots. My joints hurt alot and my hair is thinning. I feel very edgy and sometimes very emotional, this could be a combination of my birth control pill and the Accutane. Other than that I am doing ok. Hope everyone is doing good...Bye for now.

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hi ive been on roaccutane for 3 months and have seen no change. can someone tell me why this is so. i thought this was supposed to be a miracle drug??? please help, i'm so depressed

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TO Anonymous: YEs, I also got serious depression, beside that become more sensitive. Since taking accutane, im more quiet than b4, lazy to talk etc etc... Does anyone else feel the same?

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Do not take accutane if you are still growing, it will close your growth plates. Medscapes, medline has a pediatric precaution stating that accutane is absolutely contraindicated in ages 0-16 due to premature epiphyseal plate closure. You can't see what a cutane is doing to the insides of your body. the dermatologist only cares about your skin. Pain is your bodies way of telling you that you are being damaged. The damage is irreversible! It damages your muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments and arthritis is lmost gauranteed. If you are athletic, the damage is increased. The truth is NOT being told.

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Cheryl - there is some help with regard to acne and acne scarring on Marcus and Just Me's sites. Different suggestions, ideas, treatments and general chat. You'll find them below here if you scroll down. Hope this helps Cheryl. Love and luck to all! Ri nne.

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Acne sufferer for 25 years, yet it was even worse when my beautiful daughter started with the same problem. Fortunatly I am older, wiser, stronger and better informed now and able to help her, which in turn gave me strengh to try to help myself one more ime. Our GP would only prescribe Euthrimycine (I understand it is a cheap drug) - no use at all. I suggested Minocin - I had had great success even after a few days years ago but I had an allergic reaction to it - would not prescribe it but Zineryt was elping her face. My main worry was scaring - it only takes one bad spot! and I am one of the most badly scared people I have seen - I feel robbed of my youth, confidence etc and there was/is no way that was happening to my daughter! We finally persuaded private doctor ( one who has treated me with full CO2 laser for scaring) to perscribe minocyclin - with wonderful results - total control but if she stops the spots return, treatment has been almost a year and there is talk of needing to stop because o possibe side effects - she has not experienced any yet I cannot force her without more information- does any one have any? Spured by her success I encouraged to try again -privatly when I heard that was a new consultant in the area - thought to be sym athetic - a woman .( I had already seen three others over the years and been humilitated etc - even blamed for the scaring but they never explained what they meant- I now know how it can develop. - one private specialist told me to go home and see a phyci trist-which I did but my GP refused !) Anyway Roaccutain was prescribed and this is a summary of my experience . My spots became much WORSE after 10 days especially on body and arms but improved at about 5 weeks. Dryness was severe, yet bliss after all th years of dripping with grease. Depression did not get a look in as I was elated with the improvement in my skin condition. I DID experience very bad joint pain and towards the end of 4 months had difficulty walking first thing in the morning. The consu tant was amazed at the improvement in my skin which seemed to glow with health one week after the end of the course and no spots on my body at all but the oiliness was begining to retun already. 6 weeks later the oiliness was back to almost previous level and the spots with is , I felt very low and decided to try my daughters minocyclin even though I knew I had been VERY allergic on two previous occasions Amazingly this time I was not and I now wonder if it was the formulation and added items to blame. We use Boots own brand now. It works for me and I laso use Zineryt but it can be a bit drying. My skin has changed since the course of roaccutain - I have alot of visible blocked pores - not blackheads as previously but blobs of thick sebum under the skin an if removal is attempted the skin bleeds easily, making me think it is now thinner or restructured and I definatly look older - skin not as firm, befor I looked much younger than my age. There remains one thing that has never failed to improve my skin - the sun. I am aware of the damage it causes but the feel good factor of blemish free skin, a certainty after 3 weeks in a very sunny climate (with low humidity) cannot be dismissed - I sha l be retiring to a place in the sun mean while I am about to try a now type of red and blue light lamp with the hope of finding a replacement for the successful antibiotics soon to be withdrawn. If you have had the patience to read about my experiences I hope I may have helped you in some small way. Your smile and personality are very important use them alot while you continue your battle, I have a very happy life now but it would have been better without acne but much worse if I had given up on myself, here are many, many people out there who will look beyond your skin and into your heart, make sure what they see is good, try to focus on helping those who are much worse off and DO NOT be ashamed of your disease help people to understand and pass on any ood advice - some mothers I have spoken to did not even realise that they could take their children to the doctors with acne let alone find real help! Best Wishes

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Hi all! Im one of them who got serious trouble with the medicine Accutane. I got a serious depression from Accutane and still have big problems. I never thought I could feel as bad as I do today. But I have been worse, so bad that I not could find my home. Totall out of control.********** The bad thing is that young people not do understand or even denies the side-effects of Accutane, which can be permanent and which you have to live with through your life. Why do they deny the side-effects? Well, they got a disease, that is visible and ma y feels bad about it and they have tried everything but Accutane. Accutane might be their last hope and they dont "allow" Accutane to have side-effcts, no it shall improve their quality of life.************************ Today I can manage my friends. I can not manage strangers or work. It is impossible. I got attacks of very bad tiredness, so bad I have to lie down immiedetely. I´m also dizzy. My head feels so heavy. I got strange pains in my hole body. I have to sleep v ry much. I have very strange dreams. I suffer from very bad panicattacks. ************* Before accutane I was the happiest person in my life. I did not have much acne but I insisted to have the little acne I had to go away. I was refused Accutane by 4 doctors before my doctor after much talk gave me accutane. My life ended with accutane.**** **************************** The funny thing is that I promoted the medicine on this board the first months in the Accutanecykle. ******************************* Did I notice anything before it went wrong? Yes, I did. I got extremely angry for nothing and I felt heavy in the head. Headache. And I sweated from my eyelines and on top of my nose. Then I started to feel dizzy and I could not relax at all. I could not sit still at all. Then suddenly one day I sl pt for 20 hours/day.**************************************************************************************************Hope you take this drug seriously************************************

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I'm just starting my fifth month of treatment. So far side effects haven't been too bad, but lately my nose has been really dry. I use a little vaseline at night and that takes care of it, but the last few days my eye has been really sore, and a little ed. Has anyone had this happen? And do you have any suggestions of what to do about it? I see my derm in three days so I can ask, but it hurts Now and any suggestions would be appreciated :) Thanks

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Has anyone ever gained weight while they have been on Accutane? I have not read anywhere where this is a side effect. I have now been on Accutane for 7 weeks, starting 8 weeks tomorrow. I am still getting the occassional break out (like one new pimple each week). I know I am not to squeeze them, but if I don't how will the inflammation and the contents inside the spot go away? Also, do the small bumps (looks like a rash on my cheeks) go away eventually? Thanks.

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If this site was about propaganda, why would we be allowed to discuss the negative sides of accutane? I find that confusing! Basically we are discussing positives/negatives/and even other products. We're all just trying to support each other - I don't thi k people who don't have the problem realize how much we are all effected by it - having acne at any age is hard, & we all need moral support!

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Opps! obviously I meant I weigh 75 Kg in the message below. Doh!

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I've been on Roaccutane for over 5 weeks, and unfortunately I've still had no noticable improvement. I see my dermatologist in a couple of weeks, so I'll try to persuade her to increase my dosage. I'm currently on 65mg a day (I weigh 75mg), and her log c was to put me on this dosage as it would make side effects less severe. Apart from dry skin and lips I've been fine. I still get the odd nasty cyst which are like nightmares returning to haunt me as they take a good 2 weeks to clear. I reckon I might need an anti-inflammatory drug to calm these down. Above my brow line is all inflammed and slightly swollen, and it is here that I get the dreaded bumps coming through. My back and chest is now clear of acne, but I seem to get more spots on my arms than I used to. Does anyone know if taking protein supplements (for body building) has an adverse effect on acne?

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Hmmmm if only it was as easy as this... http://www.oxyoxygen.com/game/gameb.html

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Irene, my acne also returned after only four months of completing Accutane. However I have since found out that I only had half the dose I could have had for my weight, and that those who have the correct dose have a 95% permanent success rate. I have b en offered a further course - but at the moment am keeping my skin "under control" by using antibiotics and different food supplements which I found out about on the above message board (click on the URL above). Maybe it would be worth looking into what osage you had and trying the Accutane again. Good Luck!

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I too, as Gillian, had acne when I was around 13, then all of a sudden in university, I began to break out again, worse than ever before! Because I was clear for many years, this was traumatic, and I couldn't leave my house, look people in the eye, be in unlight etc...I went on Accutane with success, however, 6 months later my acne was back to its original state! I tried Diane-35 for two months but had to get off because it caused AWFUL depression! Currently, I'm on minocin and various topicals. HELP! If nyone can give me advice or sympathize, please do so! Thanks! One final note, since university, I began using make-up to cover up. however, for the last month or so, I have been totally make-up free and it is totally liberating!! I am slowly accepting the meaning of true beauty which is what's on the inside. I encourage of all you to embrace your true worth, and beauty as you'll be surprised how much it outshines solely your physical beauty!

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Oh, my face is better than it has been for 5 years I dunno why. I almost went to a derm to get accutune, but I didn't. I thought I would share what I think are the reasons I have cleared up. First I think it maybe cuz of the weather because it's the summer. Doesn't everyone get better in the summer? Also I drink tons of water now. I am 100% positive that this will make your acne go away to some extent. Also, I wash my face with only cold ater, never in the shower. I have been taking antibotics too. But I started those 2 years ago and the improvements I seen are just during this summer. I really regret not treating my acne sooner. There are some pits on the right side of my face =(

To Brad - 07/02/00 17:04:07

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If you have tried everything else then I think you should ask for Accutane. Most guys your age have great results. It might save you from any more scarring, too.

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JJ, you could ask your derm about getting a steroid like Prednisone which helps some people with nasty Accutane flare ups. Or maybe an anti inflammatory would help (you'd have to check it was compatible with the Accutane first, though.) Hope you get good results soon!

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I m kinda depressed lately , I m on accutane 70mg for over three months and I already had a bad breakout when I first started , but now just this week my acne is worse then ever before, i cant even sleep at night with them ( they are the big inflamed bump ) and they are all over, my acne was never really severe, but since this week to be honest I cant remember seeing anyone with acne as severe as me or spots as big as I have, its very severe now and just seams to be getting worse I taught at this stage i w s going to get some improvements. To make matters worse I saw the derm this week , and he gave me some Pencililn antibotic and this gave me a horrible rash all over my face and neck. I guess I m one of the unlucky ones on accutane. Anyways good luck to all of you on it.

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In Norway a pack of Roa. 20mg/30 capsules cost 315 us dollars. It's crazy- but it's worth it.

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Why doesn't everybody who is paying hundreds of dollars for roaccutane find out where the Australians get it from and buy theirs from there also? Any Australians watching--please tell us where you buy it from!!

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hi last night I went out im on accutane and I drunk some alcohol and I spewed up for the first tiem in my life. I only drunk one drink and spewed Is this because of accutane? Also do you need to wash your face while on accutane if anyone has any answers please write.

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Wow, my skin is looking pretty good so far !! I'm on 20mg per day! I've only been taking it for 9 days now and it has dried up most of the pimples. My dr. gave me this cream called Biotin-A to put on at night on the dark spots, and it has really lightened them in a short space of time ! The peeling has subsided, it's not that nad ! A pack of 20mg/30 tablets cost jamaican $4200, which is equivalent to u.s.$100. Well so far so good !! Will keep you posted !

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Just wanted to share a tip with you all on the dry skin problem. I've found E45 Wash great for my face, at the moment my skin is in fab condition and virtually no dryness! Hope this helps!!

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Hey guys. I have a appt next wednesday to talk to my dermo about ACCUTANE. I have extremely moderate persitant acne. I have one or two a week, and some times none, but I live in constant fear for the next creation. I have tried every potion know to God an Man for the last 10 years! IS ACCUTANE THE ANSWER I NEED? PLEASE RESPOND. Thanks

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Well, I haven't returned here for quite some time now. A little update. A while back I was asking about getting my circumcision while on accutane and I was skeptical. I visited the surgeon and he said it would be fine so I had it done and am now two weeks after the treatment doing fine. I'm on 101 days into the accutane treatment, that's like about 3 months and 10 days. I'm probably going to be on it for lets say 150 days or 5 months. People say to not use Vitamin A supplements or products in any way. I ha e started to use this product by "Serious Skin Care" which is a pure vitamin A cream containing 4,000,000 IU of vitamin A. That's like an overdose of vitamin A on my face plus I'm also on 80mg a day (40 x 2) each day of accutane. I can honestly tell you t at this cream and accutane are helping wonderfully especially around the scarred areas that I have had. Well, for Lee, it is so depressing going outside and having so much fun to only realize later on when you come back home and look in the mirror that you looked terrible the entire time you were out. The truth is is that the other people were probably just being nice to us and just pretending to be nice to us because its obvious they just feel so sorry for our faces. Well, thanks but no thanks. I don't know what to say, even to myself. It sucks to have it and the disease on our faces and it is so hard going through everyday life, even doing the simplest things like taking the elevator downstairs or just asking a question in class, but peo le have no clue what it feels like inside. They only look at our skin on our face and think that we are automatically losers and don't deserve an ounce of honest and pure respect. WELL, STUFF THEM ALL!

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I live in New York, and if I wasn't using my parents' health insurance, my Accutane (I take 70mg a day) would cost almost $1000 a month. I guess it all depends on where you live...

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Hi guys! JADE: I'm glad that you are doing OK with the Accutane and that it wasn't the cause of your sore throat. Coincidentally, the antibiotics may help your skin, too! My lips and eyes are really dry, but I'm just using lots of moisturizer and drops I'm still wearing my contacts! You know how I've been complaining about my hair being dry, dandruff, etc? Well, two days ago two people told me that my hair looked beautiful, and my mom started touching it and said it felt really soft! So I guess it i n't too bad. :) Also, my skin is starting to clear up. I got bloodwork done yesterday (at 3.5 weeks instead of 4, since my appt. is next week). Hope the results are OK. Good luck everyone!

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Here in Texas accutane cost about $231.00, but if you have good insurance you can get it for 15.00 or less!(especially if your millitary)

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I'm taking roaccutan from 8 weeks. I got great results on my back but I had an improvement on my face.In Italy Roaccutan costs 6000 lires = 3 dollars

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I,ve been on roacc for 3 wks and have seen little improvement, infact I have more spots! I have a breakout on the left side of my chin and until this morning the right side was clearing, it is also red, itchy and flaky. My face seems to be drying out slow y but my lips are incredibly dry. I`m feeling a bit depressed at the moment coz I thought I would see a great deal more improvement. I just hope that I`m not one of the unlucky ones that it doesn`t work for - thanks for your page, I don`t seem so alone nymore.

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Hi! I started taking Roaccutane a week ago. I would like to know if you guys still drink alcohol and still dare to ly in the sun. I am not so well informed about the consequences of alcohol and the sun.

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To lee: I think your friends are really nice people. They probably didnt mention the sand cos they didnt want you to feel embarrassed and self-conscious.Since you have a great time with them and you like them, then you should call them and talk or ask the out. I know it is hard not to be self-conscious about your look (cos I am too) but I always feel liberated when I go out after imposing on myself a restriction on going out cos of my face. Have fun the next time round !

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it costs about us$200 per box (30 capsules of 20mg) of accutane in hong kong.

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I cant believe it costs US$250 for a box of roaccutane!!! In australia it costs about US$13 a box! Please tell me prices from other countries!

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I've just been prescribed Ro-Accutane and I found out that it costs US$250 per box (30 caps) here in the Philippines. May I know how much it costs there in the U.S.?

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i'm absolutely mortified!!! today, i decided to get my ass out of my room and to go out walking. so i slapped a lot of makeup on to cover my acne scars so i could at least look a little normal. my acne has gone away so i conceal my red spots with makeup. anyway, i wish i never had gone outside from the beginning. see, i met these really nice people at the park. after hanging out all day, my face which gets abnormally sweaty starts to melt my makeup off like butter. not only that, we were on the beach somehow. without me knowing, sand got stuck on my face. i knew that my face looked horrible from all the sweating but i didn't know about the sand. we were having such a great time but i told them i was feeling sick and had to go home. i didn't say that it was because my makeup was melting off. i said goodbye and left depressed. however, when i got home i finally noticed all the sand on my face. i had it all day that we were hanging out but nobody cared to tell me. i'm guessing they were embarrassed t say anything. i'm too horrified to call them. does anyone have any advice??? depressed lee.

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Well, I've been on accutane 3 weeks. My skin is really starting to dry out and I'm moisturizing more and more. My eyes hurt and I'm worried I'll get conjuctivitis but for now moisturizing drops help. I broke out with a few spots on my lower right cheek which has always been a bad area...I think because I sleep on that side, other than that my face is clear. I'm still really impressed by this drug. I went to Dr. today because of sore throats...A you were right it wasn't a side effect from accutane... e thinks it's a viral infection and put me on an antibiotic...at least it's not strep or mono. I guess I should have gone in sooner but I figured it would go away. Next week is lab work for me...hopefully all goes well. HI A AND AARON...HOPE YOU GUYS ARE WELL! {:0)

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To Xavier: Don't worry about eating foods with Vitamin A, it is an insignificant amount. The warning label says to avoid supplements & multivitamins containing large amounts of Vitamin A. By the way, Accutane is isotretinoin, a vitamin A derivative, and it's not that "weird". As I understand it, your body naturally produces small quantities of isotretinoin; it is not inherently toxic. It is only dangerous if a large amount is in your syste . That is why, if Accutane is coupled with huge amounts of Vitamin A, it would be like overdosing on Accutane. So you would get even dryer still, and the Vit A in your system would possibly reach "toxic" levels. So why don't people just take excessive quantities of normal over-the-counter Vitamin A to clear up acne? It would work for the acne, but it would probably kill you. Isotretinoin is safer!

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I would like to know if anyone has gained weight while on Accutane? I have been taking it since March. I had a bad reaction either to it or to a combination of medications I was taking at the time. My doctor instructed me to take it only once a day for a out two weeks and then continue the twice a day dosage. Since that time my skin has cleared up drastically! However, I do have really bad back pain and dry....dry lips. But the worst thing is that I have been having crying spells and have gained almost 23 pounds in barely two and a half months. Thank god I have a man who truly loves me because I have been going through hell! Both my dermatologist and my family practitioner say that weight gain is not a side effect of the Accutane. I say that I am exercisi g at least three times a week and my diet has not changed! The only thing that has changed is this new medication!!! I read on another message board that a girl lost 20 pounds while on Accutane. Has anyone gained weight while on this medication or am I j st absolutely CRAZY???

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I have a sneaking suspicion that the effect of Retin-A on my acne is coming to a standstill. I have been using it for about 1 1/2 months, at at first I saw a big difference, but for the past week or so I've had new zits emerge, and nothing seems to be imp oving any more, just staying kind of the same, with new zits every few days. Did anyone here use Retin-A before trying Accutane, and if so, did it stop working after a while, or should I just be thankful that it has helped a little?? To those of you who have been discussing the hormonal side of acne, spironolactone and endocrinology - could you give me a little more information on it? I have had some "female" problems over the past year, and have always had problems on that front, so 'm thinking that only by getting down to the root of the problem may be the only answer, and that hormones are the root of my problem. Thanks for any info you might have for me :)

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to "me": There are 2.2lbs in a kilogram, so if you are 115lbs, you weigh 52 kg.

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Xavier I was told not to eat too much food with high Vit A content while on Accutane. Accutane is a large dose of synthetic vitamin A and your liver would have a hard job coping with more. Hope this helps.

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I like carrots. I've always liked carrots. As such, I eat a lot of carrots. Here's my concern. Accutane is some sort of weird, toxic Vitamin-A derivative. If it works on the principal that the body "thinks" it's Vitamin-A (a guess), then taking Vitam n A supplements would "soften" a lot of the effect of the Accutane by being taken up instead [of the Accutane]. I mean, they tell you NOT to take Vitamin A supplements - I'm assuming this is why. However, carrots and a couple of other foods contain trem ndous amounts of Vitamin A. Is it OK to eat these foods while on Accutane? I realized that I had been taking Accutane WHILE eating carrots on occasion...I'm assuming this is a bad thing to do. Can anyone offer any comments on this?

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To Dawn & Kelly:
I have also experienced severe joint pain (knees, heels, lower back) since being on Accutane and my regular md prescribed an anti-inflammatory which has helped ALOT! You may want to try that. Also, my pain did not seem to get worse as my dosage was incr ased.

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I have been on roaccutane for two weeks. My back kills. Is this normal? Please help! PS. I play a lot of sport.

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i weigh 115 lbs...how many kgs is that? can someone help me???

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REPLY to NEL: if you come across anything safe for pregnancy, please let me know. and I'll post what I find out from my dermatologist a few weeks. Thank you!

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Hi all, I just want to know the difference between Roaccutance and Accutance.

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i've been on accutane for about 2 months so far so good. except my cheecks and ears get really red in the evening. also am having alot of aches mostly my legs and heels they hurt so much that they hurt every time i walk, some days are worse than others ike today. does anyone know what can help this. Thanks! and good luck to everyone! we must hang in there the results are worth what we go threw!

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My skin gets a new pimple every day, it is not extremely bad but I should have grown out of it by now - do I need roaccutane?

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I finished my second course six months ago. Since then i didn´t have any acne, and i´m not saying i had two or three zits.I simply didn´t have even one acne zit since i finished this course. As a matter of fact, for the last 2 months of the treatment i al eady didn´t have any acne but my derm said i had to finish it or it would come back.

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SOMEONE - How long since you finished your second course?

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That is correct. I hope you take this seriously because i´m just trying to help everybody that is going through what i have been. I´ve taken roaccutane twice. The first time was with another derm that didn´t know anything about this and that used the method that most derms use which is to take the medication for a specific period independently of your weigth or daily dosage. I took it for four months and 2 months after finishing the acne came back. Then, 2 years later i found this new derm whom i totally trust since he is a university teacher and has studied with the best ones in the US. He told me about this rule and i took 30 mg/day for about 9 months (I weigth +/- 65 Kgs) and still have nothing a d i´m totally convinced that i´m cured. Of course that only time will tell, but anyway i´m a lot more confident doing a treatment when i have some logical and mathematical information about it. I hope this helps.

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So your calculation for length of tx is: Body weight(in kg) X 120mg = total then divide that total by your daily dosage to equal the number of days of treatment. Is that correct? Has anyone else heard of this....

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The weigth you have to consider is the weigth you have in the beginnig of the treatment considering that you won´t have a variation of +/- 5 Kg in that weigth until the end of the treatment. your maths is perfect. Now you just have to divide that by your daily dosage and you will have the number of days your treatment must have in order to say goodbye to this terrible disease.

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To "someone" who mentioned that you have to take 120mg per kg of bodyweight to ensure that you don't have acne again - can you explain that in further detail? Is that 120mg for every kg that you weigh over the whole course? I weigh roughly 76kg, so does t at mean that I need to take 76 x 120mg over the whole course to stand a good chance of not experiencing skin problems again? I would really appreciate your help.....

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Help!!! How do u get rid of acne scars? They are a complete pain!

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VERY IMPORTANT RULE WHEN TAKING ACCUTANE: According to my derm there is a rule when taking accutane. You have to take a total dosage of 120mg for each Kg of weigth. This way, you have 95% chances of not having acne again after you finish the treatment. IF you do not follow this, then most likely your acne will come back sooner or later. Any comments?

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Gilbert as I mentioned to someone else, a lot of people reduce their scars and marks while on Accutane by using the Reconstruction Cream available from the above site. I wouldn't recommend anything too abrasive and definitely no peels/laser while on accu ane as your skin will be hyper sensitive. Someone earlier (Rosco?) mentioned Prednisone which is a steroid - maybe you could get that from your derm to help with the redness. Good luck!

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Gilbert, I didn't experience the redness in the face too much. Just a little and it went away a few weeks after ending the course. My lips are still messed up 6 months after stopping the medication though. Nobody has given me any suggestions on what to do. ou may be able to get laser surgery to remove the scarring.

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Ok, Day 7, dry skin, dry lips, peeling !! Question is my face supposed to feel tender, because mine feels real funny and looks HORRIBLE !! I surely hope this is the initial breakout, i'm at summer scholl and i had an exam today and i knew that these girls were looking at me like, i looked hideous, i try not to let it get to me !! I'm thinking about the end result, CLEAR, SMOOTH, FLAWLESS.. ......... I really hope this works !! Good Luck !

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To TERRANCE, OR ANYBODY ELSE WHO HAS FINISHED THEIR ACCUTANE TREATMENT...i am currently in my 15th week, on 80mg/day, and i have some VERY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS to ask you. First off, i'd have to say that most of the acne has cleared up considerably well, ut i think my face still looks like CRAP. I still have those dark blemishes left over from the previous zits, and it seems impossible to remove them...i tried this stupid fade cream, but that didn't anything. Also, my face is heLLLLLLa red, and it's very embarassing...what can i do about this redness(what else besides avoiding sunlight should i do)...how long did it take for the red face to subside and return back to normal after treatments was completed...i am in desperate need of suggestions on any prod ct that will effectively even out blotchy skin tones, and anything else that will improve my overall complexion...SOMEONE PLEASE RESPOND!!!!!!!!!

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hi this is my 2nd week of accutane. it has been a fair process. I still break out but the pimples are not as big. My skin is starting to look smoother and i feel younger. I have a whole bunch of pimples on the right side of my chin its really annoying i w nt to scratch it. I bought a hair die the other day but im not sure whether to use it. My hair is falling out cause of the accutane. im scared if i die my hair all my hair will fall out. i would really like to know if diying hair is dangerous

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Hi all. I took accutane for 20 weeks for moderate acne problems and ended the course in January. It worked great and I have been 100% clear ever since. The problem is my lips. It is now the end of June and they are still chapped. I've noticed some im rovement but they are definitely not back to normal. I'm starting to panic. Somebody suggested taking vitamin E pills for a couple weeks. Does this really help? What should I do? Thanks for any help...

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Hi all. I took accutane for 20 weeks for moderate acne problems and ended the course in January. It worked great and I

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help, I can't stop picking, mostly just dry nd peeling, i use moisturizer, but the skin seems to peel off, yikes only week 4, hope this is the beginning of the end and it gets better. send me some positive thoughts, even lies!! good luck to all.

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Havent been back here much since it was starting to clear. Started a new job today, and a few spots came back.. And I was really looking forward to get some laser treatment soon for the scars but cant do that till it has cleared up. got a derm appointment in late august.. if i have to go back on roacutane im gonna go mental. Ill just have to hope

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I forgot to say that i drink about 10 glasses of water and take vit e every day to

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Hi! I have been looking at this site for about a month now, and three weeks ago i decided to go on accutane. I have mild to moderate, but persistante acne. I have tried minocycoline, monadox, and mounds of topical treatments for the last two years. T ings are going a lot better than i thought on accutane. i have dry lips, but i control that by putting aquaphor (made by Eucerin) on at night and in the morning... (this really helps) and i use Banana Boat sport sunblock lip balm. It has alo and vit e i it and is waterproof during the day. I use it a lot!! I find that i am less oily and last night my face was looking pretty good. I wash my face in the morning with Cetaphil Clenser and i ussually take a shower after work, and use the clenser again. A ter the shower i use a moisterizer on my face. At night i wash my face and shave. I started to break out within the first week. My Derm put me on prednisone... this is suposed to reduce the inflamation and really makes you face better. It is a pill t at you take in the morning. But i could only be on it for 15 days. I am not sure if i can be on it again or not. I guess if you are on it for a long time, it can have serious side effects. I really don't know if the prednisone is why my face looks goo or if the accutane is the cause. But i know the accutane is working because of the dryness. I am taking 40mg one day and 80mg the next and i weigh 155 pounds. I will be taking accutane for 20 weeks. The only other side effect is a little dryness of t e hair and i seem to be more tired all the time. I am very hopefull, but expecting the worse. Oh i also wear contacts. I havn't had much problem. I have a contact that just came out that is FDA aproved to wear up to 6 days straight. I just put a coup e of eye drops in right before bed, and i am good now.

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Jo, I know just how you feel - even the smallest breakout feels like it could be the beginning of a slippery slope, doesn't it! And you're just so tired of it all by your thirties, aren't you. Well good luck Jo and I hope you'll post to let us know you' e got fab clear skin! REX, Roaccutane is the UK name for Accutane, they are the same drug. In your position I would go for it...guys of your age seem to have really good results on it and you might save yourself from getting more scars. Just my opinion though! Goo Luck! (o:

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I would like some advise please! I have pretty mild acne - not really cystic, not all that noticeable, but persistent and at my age I'm sick of it. I was on Monodox for 2 months which had no effect. My derm has now prescribed Accutane, 20mg, and I don't k ow what to do. I've been taking it for almost a week, and he said I won't get any side effects. I'm already paranoid - my gums bled this morning, first time ever - is that a side effect? And I had 2 charley horses last night, and I know those can be from eing dehydrated - has anyone had symptoms like that? Can anyone tell me anything about their experiences with a low dose? Also, I like to go in the sun and I'm afraid of having problems with that. I'd appreciate any advise or feedback. Anyways, I'm glad y u're all here on the message board sharing information, this is a pretty scary drug.

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TO JANE: I forgot one thing, I had mild to moderate acne. Almost always having atleast one or two spots at a time. And over the past couple of years, they became what some might call cysts. Very big and very sore!

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TO JANE: I read your e-mail, and to answer your questions. I started on a 20 week course of Accutane in February 2000, and I just finished last sunday. For my first 4 weeks my derm prescribed me 40mg/day and for the remainder of my treatment he upped m dosage to 60 mg/day. I took that dosage for the remaining 16 weeks. I've only been off since Sunday and my lips are still really dry, but other than that, things are looking great! Best of luck to you, and feel free to write me with any other question you may have.

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Rex I am not totally sure but I think they are the same thing. My advice is to go on accutane, especially if you have already tried everything else. I have only been on it nearly a month and I have lots of side effects, but I am praying it will be worth it in the end. Although I am going through the first big breakout, other areas of my face are greatly improved already in texture and clarity, even a few of my scars are turning pale and fading. I am only five feet and weigh 100 pounds, but I am on a st ong dosage and the side effects are not unbearable. So if I can take it you can too!! Good luck

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I have been to this site many times and it comforts me to know they are many of you who deal with this on a daily basis as me. I have very moderate but persistant acne. Usually two to three a week, but they usually reach levels of biblical proportions. I ave tried every lotion, motion and potion since I was 14. The only thing left for me is Accutane. I know others who have taken it and they said it was worth it. When I read some of your posts I do become indecisive. I think I will eventually make the deci ion to try the treatment. What do I have to lose? More Acne, well I alreadly have that. If is cures me great, then I do not have to deal with it anymore. As for side effects when I reach 50, who cares I will be 50 I probably won't be so obsessed about my ppearance, for God's sake I will be fifty and hopefully for the better and younger parts of my life I will have clear skin. Now to my question someone please write me. What is the difference between Accutane and RoAccutane? Is one better or worse I can no find the information. Please advise ASAP. Also feel free to offer advice on my skin problem. Thanks and clear skin to you all REX

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To Rachael: I'm suffering an acne breakout after a coming off the Diannette contraceptive pill. I'm also trying to find some topical treatments that can be used during a pregnancy that won't be harmful. Unfortunately I have sensitive skin and can't tolerate alot of t e lotions etc. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks Nel

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Blue - in my case I couldn't find a dermo who would prescribe spiro, however I went to a new female dermo and discussed what my research had turned up & she said to go to an endo, & see if that's what needs to happen. It seems like an awful lot of work ju t to get someone to deal with the hormonal possibility. I know a few other women who are getting their spiro through the dermo. Maybe it depends on where you live? Very strange. If it fails, of course it will be more accutane for me. My skin is okay but I want it to be clear. Now I get these stupid little breakouts which show up & disappear in a day or two, its all very frustrating. Can be covered w/makeup but since the end of accutane I now have blackheads again, and I see a steady decline. If it wasn't f r my hair I'd be on it already. Oh, and they are going to do a hormone test but the women I am talking to say that it doesn't always detect it. Their experiences are similar to mine though, early 30's, terminal acne, some have done accutane too. I'm going to look into Saw Palmetto & Milk Thistle - thanks! My appt w/the endo isn't until mid July, I'm nervous, anxious, just want someone to find a solution to this problem. I'd love to know what its like to have clear skin. I got a small preview for a while on accutane but it wasn't very long lived.

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Hi. I am new here and am so glad I founf this page!!! I have moderate cystic acne and have been on Accuntane for 3 weeks now. Been going through the big break out and have 7 cysts on my chin. OUCH! I highly recommend having cortizone injections. I h d it done last Friday and they are almost healed. For all of you getting the red marks from past cysts, my doctor told me to put a small amount of Neosporin on them before I go to bed (AFTER THEY DRAIN). I have experienced NO redness from them and they eal so much faster! I so sympathize with all of you... I too know how it feels to not want to look people in the face. I just hope and pray that this is the last breakout I have while on Accutane. Good luck to you all.

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I am about to start my fourth week on accutane...I was very scared and hesitated for a while before taking it because I'd never been to a dermatoligist before and he took one look at me and said its got to be accutane. I already have a lot of scarring, wh ch fortunately can be covered with makeup, but I have moderate and persistent cystic acne. I have had moderate acne since I was eleven and it has gotten really bad since I was in college. I hate looking people in the eyes, I can read what they are thinki g. There is even a man I work for who comments on it. I wonder how people can be so insensitive, I mean does he think I dont know I have it?? My lips are killing me and my skin is so dry!! I have never had oily skin, always very dry skin and dry hair, a d I am dreading how much drier I will get. But sites like this really help - none of my friends or family really understand and they are tired of hearing about it. I was wondering if anyone else has had chest and back pain on it? I am a smoker so I was worried that was causing it, but accutane has so many side effects that you never know if its the medication causing it or not. Thanks to all who recommended carmex - I got some last night and my lips already feel much better. also, what are these red m rks? Are they scars from blemishes while on the medecine, or are they new spots? Thanks to all!

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My skin won't heal because I CAN'T STOP SCRATCHING. Can't apply any lotion because it hurt. I'm not getting enough sleep or eat normal from it. Anyone has solution? please help it is driving me crazy and has been going for 2 week.

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REPLY to BLUE: I guess what I'll have to do is just thoroughly research any treatment before I start that. hopefully this new dermatologist will be sensitive to my queries!! I'll post what comes of it. (the appt. is july 18) thanks!

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To Barbara: Thanx for writing what you wrote on the board cos it makes me feel better. To Kim: I notice that my zits left red marks too.I eat vit E pills and sometimes I apply Vit E oil. My sis says it helped for her and I do see results for her skin but just started, so I am not sure if it works for me. I use the Cabot pure witamin E oil.Hopes it helps for you.

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I am on my 3rd month of 4omg a day accutane. I am still breaking out!! Is this normal? I understood the first month breaking out and even the second. When does it end?? One more thing, does anyone else notice that you scare from every little scratch of pi ple? Is there anything to reduce the scaring??

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Rachael, I remember my doctor telling me it was very important not to get pregnant while taking Tetracycline as it can damage forming bones in the unborn baby. However he told me that there are antibiotics that are safe should you get pregnant. (Of cours I wouldn't take anything and deliberately get pregnant) I THINK one was erythromycin but PLEASE ask as I'm not sure. Also Rachael last time, you mentioned natural remedies - I take some supplements to help my skin and some of those say not to be taken uring pregnancy! So it isn't just the conventional medicine you have to be careful of. It is a dilemma, but it's your body so you're doing the right thing not letting your doctor force you into something you're not happy about! I hope you post and let u know what you decide! Good Luck!

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Anyone know how one can tell if your hormones are beginning to reduce and level off? I believe one sympton is the reduction of oil produced, making the skin less oily and more dry. Are there any others? How much Retina A should be used on average or how long should one 45 g Toothpaste style lotion last? Is Retin A a medicine that prevents and eventually cures or is it just a temorary remedy and doesnt contain long term effects? If Retin A is stopped will breakouts reappear? Thanks for answering.

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anyone who concerns about the red mark or something like that? my derm told me about the product called 'kinerase'. I'll start using it today, I read the info, and says that this lotion will help reduce the brown spot, red mark, fine wrinkle and improve s in roughness.

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REPLY to BLUE: thank you for the input and the reassurance that my skin worries are not just vanity. regarding antibiotics and non-accutane treatments, my last Rx (cleocin, retin-a, and minocycline) had warnings about pregnancy in the small print on the p ckages. I stopped the treatment when I read it. (felt dumb because I should have read it BEFORE starting it.) anyway - I'm all for taking care of my skin right now, before I have kids. but who knows when I'll be blessed with one?

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Hello Everyone. I'm sorry to be so down, but I'm just going nuts trying to get all the treatments clear in my head. I have an appointment with a new dermatologist in July, and I want to be fully informed before I go into his office. My last dermatologist ried to force me into taking Accutane before she even listened to me explain how much better my skin had gotten with a previous treatment. I don't want to feel bullied, especially since I'm so concerened about effects of acne meds on the pre-born (see pos from 06/26). Ugh. I apologize for rambling, but I don't know who else to complain to! Thank you for reading this, even if you don't have a solution for my problem!

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Over the course of the past 10 years or so, I have been prescribed every topical cream, gel and lotion, and every colour pill and capsule imaginable. some you take with food, some you NEVER take with food. Some you take with milk, others you don't...and for goodness' sakes don't skip a dose. Seriously, one dose missed by more than an hour while waiting for the prescription to be refilled, and I could feel myself breaking out. I have had two courses of Accutane, and could probably stand to be put on ano her. During each course of treatment, the only side effect that I encountered was slightly dry lips. (A small price to pay!) My first course was prescribed when I was 13, and it didn't stop my growth,(not that I know of, anyway-I am 5'10")which I know an be a big concern to some young people. As for depression, I have to say that the results I experienced were quite the opposite! Not only was my skin clearing up, but because I had to watch my saturated fat and cholesterol intake, I also lost almost 5 lbs. (This was good news as I was quite overweight when I started treatment.) After my first course, my skin was as close to perfect as I would ever have wanted for almost two whole years. The breakouts started again, and my GP tried to convince me to ry all the topical stuff and the antibiotics, but I got mad and insisted that he send me back to a dermatologist. I guess I am in a very small minority, but I started my second course when I was almost 17, and with the same results: very little drying a d no elevated cholesterol levels or anything-though I did watch what I ate pretty closely. The results lasted for about four years, but in the last six months I can see the pattern beginning again. My new GP is trying to convince me that a third course which they tell me is very rare, and is the absolute limit to the number of courses allowed) isn't necessary, but I don't realistically see any other option. I guess the point here is that people who have had good experiences seem to think that this is a wonderdrug-which isn't entirely true. I would not, however, hesitate to recommend it to someone who has been given the option. So few of us out there will probably fight this battle our whole lives. You will never meet anyone more sympathetic to your c ndition than me. While it is true that the REAL long term effects of the drug aren't known-the long term is something I am willing to risk for right now, and that is where the real decision comes in. Logically, your doctor will not leave you on the drug if it is significantly increasing your cholesterol levels or putting you in any real danger. The risk of developing the really serious side effects is lower than the risk of contracting TSS from using tampons, and, unlike TSS, the side effects are genera ly reversed when you stop taking it. The decision is not about blood tests and chapped lips or spending a summer with no tan, and it is all about perspective and what you see when you look in a mirror.

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i'm about 2 weeks into my treatment, and my scalp is absolutely disgusting. it is dry and flaky, even though i only wash it evey 2-3 days. also, my lips are so chapped (like everyone's are) and the skin around my mouth and nose is dry and flaky. What' weird is that initially, half of my face cleared up a lot, but the other half stayed almost the same. Unfortunately, now i'm starting to get a few bright red pimples on my face and back. I really hope i find something to help my scalp because i don't t ink i can stand 18 more weeks of this. this stuff better work!

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i never experienced acne until i was 24 or 25. i tried over the counter remedies and they didnt help. i visited a dermatologist and he prescribed about evrything possible. my acne was moderate so he was hesitant on accutane, but i wanted to try it. i was ired of all the other rx's.i finally started it in april of 98.i was on 2 doses of 40 mg a day.by my 4th week it cleared up everything. i did have dry and chapped lips.by my 6th week i had a severe allergic reaction, my lips and throat swelled to a point here i had to get a shot, i dont know if this was related to accutane. i continued accutane. during th heat of the summer i did get heat rashes. after my 10th week my dermatoligist took me off of it. he said made good progress. i imediately started breaki g out. he once again put me on differin gel and tetracycline.my acne problem escalated.currently my skin is oilier than it ever has been.im taking ees 400mg twice a day. i have suggested to the dermatologist another course of accutane, but he refused beca se he said my condition was not serious enough.i have tried everything again except that and my condition remains.please give me suggestions

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Kelly, you go ahead and whine. This is the place for it. The first months are always terrible, but it will get better. I won't tell you not to worry about what others think cause I'd be a big fat hypocrite! Just keep thinking about how good you'll look in all the holiday photos this year!

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TO ROB: Your side effects sound exactly like mine. Especially the first couple of weeks, my head itched like crazy and I seemed to have tons of dandruff, which I never had before. I got some relief by using Head and Shoulders Dry Scalp shampoo and a condi ioner for extremely dry/damaged hair. I make sure I really rub it into my scalp and let it stay there several minutes. I did have to go to washing my hair every two to three days, though. Sorry for the bad news. Washing everyday just killed my scalp. TO G LBERT: On my last course of Accutane, the red face went away between one to two weeks after stopping the pills. Some things that may help now. Don't wash with hot water. Only lukewarm. Stay away from spicy foods and alcohol. These can make your face red w thout the added aggravation of Accutane. Also, check and make sure your dosage isn't too high. That can make the side effects unbearable. Hang in there , bud. You'll make it and you'll be much happier.

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Please read medscapes medline pediatric precaution to accutane. it says that accutane should not be used by anyone 16 or under because it closes the growth plates. I took accutane at age 14 and it completely shut my growth plates within a 2 month period. have not grown at all since I took accutane and I am now almost 18. Roche says that my dermatologist should have told me that it could stop my growth. It also has done other damage to my body because of my joints closing so fast. The only side effects th t I had were dry skin, lips and dry eyes. I had no idea what it was doing to the inside of my body. I never got to develope like the rest of my friends, my bones never got any bigger than what they were at age 14. I had size 15 feet and my pediatrician sa s that I was growing like I would be about 6'8". My dad is 6'6" and all my cousins are real tall. One is 6'11". I wish they had told me the truth. I would have never taken accutane. I loved basketball and wanted to be as tall as I could. If you are still rowing, don't take it.

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Hi everybody. I just started my fourth week of treatment. Things are okay - i guess. I've got a question - initally my derm was going to put me on 80mg a day but when my blood work returned with a problem she started me on only 40mgs a day. I went to ee her 2 weeks into treatment (because she wanted to take my blood to monitor my problem - everything was normal) and she said at my next visit she will probably raise my dose to at least 60mg if not 80mg(like I was suppose to take from day one). My ques ion is will I experience another "inital" breakout with the increase in doseage? (At my next visit I will be 7 weeks into the treatment.) thanks for your help!!

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Does anyone on this page have any information regarding accutane affecting serotonin levels in the brain ? I know that accutane certainly causes depression in many people and this is the probable cause yet no explanation has yet been given . I took accuta e 6 years ago and was left with dry skin , eyes , hot flushes , blush very easily , dry hair and over heating , sweating a lot . About 4 ago i started an anti-depressant and guess what ,all these side effects left by accutane disappeared , coincidence or what . The AD i'm on is seroxat which an SSRI , it basically brings serotonin levels back to normal . For anyone considering taking accutane , DONT . The stuff is poison basically , they still don't have a clue as to what it actually does to the body and h w it actually works . Saying we have a fair idea isn't good enough . Anyway with similar problems feel free to mail

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I too used accutane for 5 months following my freshman year in college. It worked wonders - for about 6 months then my acne returned in full force though some people say it is no where as bad as it was. To me, it is much worse. I am out of school and in the work force. My acne affects my self-esteem in my job and in my relationships with other people. I won't give up looking for another "m

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Yet another post from me... questions keep occuring to me. I normally spend a lot of time in the sun, and it's 4th of July weekend coming up - I want to enjoy it! I'm in my first week of Accutane, but am on a low dose of just 20mg per day. If I put on rea ly strong sunscreen will I be ok? My doctor has said that this low dose won't cause side effects, but I find that hard to believe.

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UNFORTUANETLEY I AM ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUFFERED THESE "RARE" SIDE EFFECTS AND I FEEL IT IS DANGEROUS FOR ANY ONE NOT TO MAKE A COMPLETELEY INFORMED DECISION BEFORE TAKING THIS DRUG THAT RUINED TWO YEARS OF MY LIFE.

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I'm on day 4 of 20mg treatment now... what are these red spots everyone talks about? Are they just splotches that show up? Are they big or small? Are they just red spots that remain after a blemish? Please tell me what I might expect. Thanks!

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For those of you that need to look it up(in case it doesn't go to the site directly) look up Telogen Effluvium.

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For those of you concerned about hair loss -- read this information at this site -- very interesting -- http://www.dermnet.org.nz/index.html

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I'm glad that this is such an active message board- my summer job is pretty boring! JADE: Sorry about your spot. I'm sure it will go away quickly. I really appreciated your nice comments. I know that you haven't even seen my face, but it made me feel little better. :) To whomever asked about acne meds + accutane: I'm still taking Erythromycin (an oral antibiotic) while on Accutane, and my derm gave me Differin and Metrolotion to put on at night. I don't think it's helping at this point, but I'm sti l using it. I heard that you are supposed to stay away from Retin-A and drying acne meds while on Accutane.

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Well i've been on it for 5 days now, and all i can say is that my skin is EXTREMELY DRY, my lips are also dry but not that bad !! I can't wait to have clear skin, it sort of funny to think about that, i haven't had clear skin for a while !! Well good luc to all and i'll keep you posted !

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James, The results of accutane are brilliant eventually but at first your skin goes a combination of very spotty and very dry, the good news is that Roaccutane dries the spots and oil up very quickly. I am on my second course of treatment and I have not suffered much dryness because I used a good moisturiser from the start although my lips do get sore if I don't have any balm on them. So apart from the initial break out (which makes people want to give up)and the dry skin problems my skin was already sh wing signs of being clear after 2 1/2 weeks of the treatment. But everyone is different so it all depends on how your body reacts to the medication. :o)

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sorry i forget to ask: does anyone apply acne medications while on accutane? If so, what did u apply?

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I have it bad. Three weeks of outbreak, then the fourth week it was good. The skin calmed down.Then the derm said to increase dosage and I break out all over again!This is so fustrating!!And depressing! Soon I will be starting uni and hostel life and I ha e to see people's reaction when they talk to me!Sorry but I feel the need to complain and whine!

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To Wendy: Thank you for your advice - I really appreciate it. What's it like taking accutane? There are some pretty negative sounding stories out there! Has it helped you at all? All the best, James..

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I jinxed myself...woke up this morning with a big zit near my jawline! I knew it was too good to last....it's way to early to be totally clear. Oh well...at least it wasn't on the end of my nose...Thanks A for taking pity on my armpits....they have alwa s been sensitive. So far the aerosol is working but you have to wait for it to dry, so i stand in the bathroom flapping my arms. hehe AARON...WHERE ARE YOU? Take care all...oh and A i believe your mom, hang in there. {:0)

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To James, The doseage of accutane is measured against how much you weigh all I can give you is a guide of what I weigh and what my doseage is, I am 9 stone (126 lbs) and I take 30mg per day. I would however recommend seeing a specialist to get the most accurate do eage and to get your medication off an expert who can advise you better. Please don't do anything hasty.

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To James, The doseage of accutane is measured against how much you weigh all I can give you is a guide of what I weigh and what my doseage is, I am 9 stone (126 lbs) and I take 30mg per day. I would however recommend seeing a specialist to get the most accurate do eage and to get your medication off an expert who can advise you better. Please don't do anything hasty.

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Although taking a risk, I am going to go ahead and order accutane on the net. I realise that I should see a specialist first but I will not get to see one for ages and I desperately need to sort out my skin! I have had acne for six years and it is startin to really scar my skin. I would really appreciate some advice on the type of dosage that I should start on. I am fully aware that I am taking a risk but I am at my wits end and need to sort out this problem! Should I start with a low-dose (20mg per day f r a few months) or should I try something different like 40mg for a week or so out of every month? Please, please help!!

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Although taking a risk, I am going to go ahead and order accutane on the net. I realise that I should see a specialist first but I will not get to see one for ages and I desperately need to sort out my skin! I have had acne for six years and it is startin to really scar my skin. I would really appreciate some advice on the type of dosage that I should start on. I am fully aware that I am taking a risk but I am at my wits end and need to sort out this problem! Should I start with a low-dose (20mg per day f r a few months) or should I try something different like 40mg for a week or so out of every month? Please, please help!!

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I visited my Dermatologist again today after being on Roaccutane for 4 weeks. She was reluctant to give me another batch as she said my skin looks fine, I disagree, It is positively clearer and less oily but still not as clear as I would like. Anyway sh gave me another 3 months worth and I had to take another blood test. I now don't have to see her again, once I have finished the course that will be it. She said that once this treatment is over the results usually last longer than the first. I hope s e is right. Has anyone else experienced blood inside their nose, I have had this for a couple of weeks now and my nose is extremely dry, sorry if it sounds gross to anyone. Good Luck to everyone. See Ya :o)

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Hi everyone. I've been on Accutane for about 3 weeks now, and my skin looks pretty lousy. Yucky pimples and stuff along my jawline and in front of my ears. My mom is making me feel worse by giving me these pitying looks and saying "you only have mild a ne, and you are still beautiful." Blech. JADE: I'm glad that you are doing well. I hope to be joining you soon! Hope that your dry armpit problem is resolving itself! If the aerosol spray doesn't work for you, I'd recommend Almay unscented (sheer sol d) too. I use it myself because it is non-irritating. AARON: where did you go? Good luck!

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Yes I have noticed a ton more black heads, any one know a good solution, helpt my skin feels good but still looks yucky. thanks beth

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Jo, I took Accutane and had my acne return afterwards, but have always assumed my acne was not hormonal because it didn't respond to Diannette (the Pill). Would you need to obtain Spironolactone from the endocrinologist, or could a dermatologist prescrib it? What I mean is do you need a hormone test to find out if you need it? Sorry for the bombardment of questions! Also you can get a number of "natural" androgen blockers...Saw Palmetto and Milk Thistle are two that have been recommended to me. Good uck XXX

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Well i have just seen the person who looks into ur eyes and gotten a cheap way of getting rid of what i have, which is a bad liver as well as pimples so if anyone would like a healthier chocie then this stuff then just go to one of them ask ur parents or email me and ill get the right name bye

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TO GILBERT: It depends, the average number of weeks to be on accutane is 16, i think it also depends on the dosage you are taking - i think that you can avoid most of the redness whilst and after taking it, by drinking lots of green tea, you can buy thi as separate leaves in oriental shops, or in tea bags such as in tescos, but personally i think that buying the real thing-the separate leaves -without any extra additives is the best.

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Has anybody experienced sensitive/bleeding/receding gums while on the treatmen

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Paula - I'm doing the same thing!!! I don't think have PCOS (unless its undetected - I'm on Orthotricyclen for various reasons though). I have had acne for a record 22 yrs and did accutane from Oct to Feb. My skin is much better, during treatment it was great, then it started to come back. I'm not waiting til it gets really bad again though, I want to deal with it while its still controllable. I finally found a derm who referred me to an endocrinologist after yrs of trying everything on the planet. I am ervous but excited that maybe there's something for me out there - I've been reading up on spiro/aldactone & it sounds like all the people I'm talking to are so similar to me. I am optimistic for change. & my appointment is right around when yours is! Goo luck!

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TO ANYONE WHO HAS FINISHED THEIR ACCUTANE THERAPY, I reaLLLy need to know how long did it take, after Accutane therapy was completed, until the embarassing RED FACE finaLLy subsided. SOMEBODY...ANYBODY....PLEASE REPLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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TO SARAH,28,USA- My derm has referred me to an endocronologist, as my acne is caused by having polycystic ovaries. I have an appointment on 25th July. I have been suffering with acne, and all the other side effects of PCOS since I was about 17. I can't be ieve someone (my derm, bless her!) has actually taken me seriously and decided to help me. My doctor should have referred me to the endo years ago, but PCOS is only just being taken seriously in this country, as with most womens health issues. (I didn't h ve a period for almost a year, and I was worried sick about it, and the doctor kept telling me I was lucky, and that most women would trade places with me in a heart beat, then I'd be dismissed! Very helpful. I have changed my doc since then, although sti l not much improvement!!!) Anyway the derm put me on Roaccutane, as she could see how distressed I was with my skin, although she told me my acne will come back, as it's caused by a major hormone imbalance. Hopefully by then, the endo will have a solution I live in hope! I'm now on about week 6 of Roaccutane. My skin hasn't been this good in YEARS!!! I have so much confidence, and it only takes me half the amount of time to get ready in the morning!!! Sending out big hugs to you all! :-x

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Sorry Rachel I wanted to add that the Pill is really reliable and you can get ones specifically to tacke acne...if you took this and used a barrier method too the chances of you getting pregant are virtually nil.

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Rachel I can really sympathise with you, because I feel just the same at the moment. I already have two children but I am not sure that I don't want any more (if that makes sense!). However you do have longer, being only 21, to get treatment and then ma be have a family. I had Roaccutane and then had a (healthy) baby a couple of years later. (Unfortunately my acne came back as I only had half the dose I could have had for my weight). As far as I know taking antibiotics wouldn't have any bad effect on f ture pregnancies (I've also been on loads of them over the years) - you just mustn't get pregnant while on them. But in your situation I would definitely seek some treatment for your skin now, because as we all know acne can have a terrible effect on you self esteem and mental health - it's not just being vain. Your skin is the biggest organ of your body and if it's not functioning properly and blighting your life, why shouldn't you get help? Also by treating it now you could save yourself the pain of carring. This is my personal opinion only and no doubt others will disagree - but I would treat it now and make sure you have a long drug free period before starting a family. Good Luck! XXX

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Hi! I'm on my 8th week of Accutane (60 mg a day) and everything is going fine so far...the side effects are finally calming down and my skin is starting to look awesome. Thank you guys so much, and good luck in the future! :)
Chloe

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Hey I was looking around online and came across this stuff called "No More Acne." Has anyone tried it? The url for the site is above. I'm thinking of ordering it...

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I forgot to add that Accutane has done wonders for my self esteem. I feel very self confident. GOOD LUCK TO ALL!

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Well, its been 2 weeks. My skin has been getting rave remarks. I have to say the oil level has gone down a LOT. I no longer have a sun reflector as a face. I must say though, that my HEAD ITCHES, and my lips need Lim balm every 15 or so minutes! A co ple days ago, I stood in the sun or a few minutes with SP 50 sun block, and when I stepped in the shade to see why my arm felt like it was heating up, it had turned 3 shades red. OMiGOD!!! I shower everyday. My sister a recent Accutane graduate, told m every other day. How can I do that? I deal with people all the time, and I have very short hair! GEEZ, suggestions please!!! I just brushed my hair back, and I swear it was just snowing flakes.

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Anyone know from experience if kissing is the same with dry lips if something like vaseline is used?

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Hello Everyone. I was wondering if anyone knew anything about natural acne remedies. My husband and I aren't planning on getting pregnant, but since no contraception is 100% effective other than abstinence, I don't feel comfortable taking Accutane or any ntibiotics because of their possible harm to a fetus. Is anyone else facing this decision? I feel awful because I know I want to clear up my face, but I couldn't live with myself if something happened to a child of mine just because I was vain enough to r sk its health for my appearance. You know? On the other hand, I can hardly stand to leave my house. My acne went from not-so-bad to moderate in about two months. HELP!

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HI! THIS IS THE START OF MY FOURTH WEEK ON ACCUTANE. MAJOR DRY LIPS, SOME DRY SKIN - MY ACNE IS PROBABLY ABOUT THE SAME. ONE PROBLEM THOUGH - HAS ANYBODY NOTICED A LOT MORE BLACKHEADS ON THEIR FACE WHILE ON THIS DRUG? I ALWAYS HAD BLACKHEDS ON MY NOSE A D SOMETIMES ON MY CHIN, BUT NOW THEY SEEM TO BE MULTIPLING AND NOT COMING OUT AS EASY AS THEY USE TOO. I TRIED USING THOSE PORE STRIPS BUT THAT ONLY TAKES A FEW OUT. YOU CAN'T REALLY NOTICE THEM UNLESS YOU GET REALLY CLOSE BUT THEY STILL BOTHER ME. HAS NYONE EXPERIENCED THIS BEFORE? I KNOW THIS DRUG IS SUPPOSE TO PULL ALL THE CRAP OUT OF YUR PORES - BUT I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE MORE LIKE THE RED BUMPS. SHOULD I TAKE THIS AS AN INDICATION THAT THE DRUG IS WORKING? HAS ANYBODY EXPERINCED THIS, AND IF SO H W LONG TILL IT CLEARED UP, AND DID YOU GET THE RED BUMPS LATER? THANKS, GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!!

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To Barbara: Yes, I get my worst cysts around the jawline, my earlobes and behind my ears. I have been told that this indicates that it is a hormonal imbalance that is the main cause for the acne. I haven't found anything that helps with them, although I have been rec mmended the pill and an herb called vitex (chasteberry). Neither worked for me in the long-run. I have found that tea tree oil tends to at least reduce the size of the cysts, and reduces some of the inflammation, too.I put it on every morning, afternoon and night, using Jason's 20% tea tree oil, which is gentler than the undiluted tea tree oil. I also wear glasses, so I know exactly how you feel :)

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Five weeks on Roaccutane. I saw my dermatologist today and since I'm experiencing few side effects all she basically did was give me a prescription to complete the 16 week course of treatment and told me to see her again in 14 weeks. I had a blood test be ore treatment but it doesn't look as though I'll have one during treatment: should I be worried? As I mentioned, apart from dry lips, I'm not really suffering from side effects. Neither have I had a bad break out although new spots are still appearing regularly. My skin is less oily but I'm not entirely happy with its appearance. Somehow the pores se m more obvious and my skin has an odd "shiny" (not from grease) appearance. After an initial improvement my skin has stayed the same for a couple of weeks. Something else I have just noticed is that the cuticles on my nails have disappeared! I'm sure some ne has mentioned their nails on this site before but it may be totally unconnected to Roaccutane. To the person asking about the Dermalux lamp: I spent £200 on one last year and used it for about 3 months. It had absolutely no effect for me but some people writing on this site did see some improvements - at least temporarily.

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Thanks Jeanne for the almay deodrant suggestion...the degree aerosol so far isn't irritating but I will give almay a try if it fails. I am 18 days into my treatment and my god my skin looks good...i'm absolutely amazed though I continue to fear the big b eakout. I've had one cyst which is nearly healed and am dealing with tolerable dryness. Anyone else having occasional sore throats...I've had 3 separate days of sore throats. I'm beginning to think accutane is a blessing...hopefully we will all have su cess.

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I think I've been too cavalier about not having the "big breakout." Have been taking Accutane for almost two months, on my target dosage of 60mgs/day for about one month and have been really clear for almost the whole time. Within the past FOUR HOURS I've actually felt two big cysts forming beneath the surface and they're starting to emerge -- I hope this isn't the start of something... Can anyone let me know if the Accutane makes the cysts less severe or disappear faster? So far, it's kept them from formi g, but it seems like that's not happening anymore. And, I can still feel older cysts beneath the surface (can't see them, though.) Will these disappear eventually, or come to a head?

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To Sue: At that small a dosage, you should still get the dryness, but that's about it. I very strongly doubt that other side effects, such as severe dryness of the eyes or joint ache will affect you at all. You will probably also be sensative to the sun but some strong, non-irritating sunblock should be good enough - check with your doctor. And as for if you should be taking it or not, I can only offer my own opinion. It's this: absolutely. I wish I had taken Accutane years ago, because now I have a ot of acne scars that are going to take forever to go away, long after I finish my Accutane treatment.

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I have just finished by second course of Roaccutane. I had dry eyes, skin and lips and some hair loss (but not bad), but it really cleared up my skin. Hopefully I won't need another course! PLEASE HELP - Does anyone get sever migraines while using Roac utane! Cheers Lisa.

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Hi There..How is it going..good i hope... I just finihsed my treatment of Accutane ..a 5 month period on 60mg a day..wellactually i havent meen taking it for a weeek i guess...but..what sucks is that my face was looking good i had nothing and was clear and then like all the sudden it was like the day after i stopped taking the accutane i woke up and had pimples on my face...right now i still have some..they arent very big but its annoying...it is really pissing me off alot..i am like how the hell can i go from great to crap in less than a ouple of days..this really sucks..they havre a head on all of them...you know the little white stuff..i wont squeeze them usually what i do is take a pin and prick it when its large and let it drain that way...it just seems like its taking these things fo ever to heal..its almost like i wake up the next day and i have a new 1..its very very damn annoying...it is very humid here so i wonder if that has anything to do with it...so i wonder if any1 have or had similar situations..please let me know how it wen ..thanks lot..bye,

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I started Accutane 3 days ago, and I'm scared of what side effects it may have. I'm 110 lbs, was put on 20mg/day. My acne is actually pretty mild - nothing else really helped and I was actually very surprised the my derm suggested Accutane. I figure it's orth a shot, but I'm afraid of all the side effects. May not be worth it for me. Can anyone tell me if there's less chance of getting side effects if I'm only taking 20mg? When I told the dr. I was scared, he reassured me that this small dosage shouldn't ause any of the side effects. He made it sound like dryness wouldn't even be a problem, but I find this very hard to believe! So - any advice or words of reassurance for me? Is my doctor right or is he deluded? Thank you!!

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I am getting this brown spot on my nose and I had no idea what it was, but after reading the repsonses, i am wondering if it is not from my bc pill. i am also on Ortho-tricycline. I have been on Accutane for a month and a few days ago I experienced a se ond huge breakout and my hair is starting to fall out a little. This is completely freaking me out, but I figure having thin hair can't be worse that the hell my acne has kept me in for all these years. also in 24 days my cholesterol went from 191 to 22 . All my derm told me was to not eat butter. I am a vegan, I don't eat any animal product whatsoever, so I thought that was dumb. After I told him that, he had no advice on what to do. I eat alot of carbs though, does this raise your cholesterol?

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TO JADE - I use Almay deodorant, it's hypoallergenic and works quite well. TO DESTROY ACNE - it's not mandatory to take birth control pills. My doctor does not require me to take them because he knows that I have an IUD. I think most doctors (in the US) force you to take birth control pills so they won't get sued if you accident lly get pregnant and then end up with a deformed baby. I did not have a good experience with Ortho-TriCyclen. It did not improve my acne; all it did was give me really bad melasma (brown spots) on my face. Every female that I've talked to has also experie ced after taking Ortho-TriCyclen. My melasma was so bad that I had laser resurfacing to get rid of it. TO BARBARA - I mainly get cysts on my left cheek and below/near my left ear, and I have a nice big one by my left earlobe right now. TO VALERIE - my pores were definitely reduced during my first course of treatment last year and they stayed fairly small after finishing treatment. I'm 3 weeks into my second treatment and this morning I noticed that my pores seemed even smaller. However, I should mention that my pores have never really been that large - they've always been the least of my worries. I just checked out the website that sells Reconstruction Cream. I'm definitely interested in buying some if it will help get rid of my red face and improve my scars. Does it really work?

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Jo, I looked up spironalactone. I think it's definitely worth a shot. I agree that I think a mojority of my problems are hormonal. I have major pms and seems that I can literally feel the surge of hormones just sitting at my desk. So...my question is for anyone male or female, has anyone seen an endocronolist( I know I spelled this wrong) to help their acne. Dermatalogists will tell you hormones play a role but why don't they ever try hormone therapy or suggest an endocronolgist? Just curious if this is a route anyone has ever taken.

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Can anyone please tell me if their pores appear much larger after treatment with accutane?

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hi i have 1 and 1/2 weeks left on accutane, i will have been on for 16 weeks then. My face is great the best it has ever been and i mean ever! Even before i started getting acne! Anyway about the weight gain i think this is true. In the leaflet thingy it ays something about weight loss but in my cause it is a gain...not much but its a gain not a loss. Before i started on it my parents always told me how thin i was and needed to eat more but now im not thin no more whihc i guess is a good thing. cya!

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hi, has anyone experienced gain of weight whilst on roaccutane? im on the third month of 40 mg/day, my acne was never too bad but now it is really clearing up and now i dont even have to wear make up or anything. i dont have any of the side effects either apart from dry lips, its just annyoing that i have put on about 5 kilos since i am on it. i know that it modifies your lipid level in the blood, but surely that has nothing to do with it?

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Another thing. For dry lips I found something really great. I always used vaseline before but it made my lips feel slimy and the shine was a bit much. Now I use a balm called Carmex. It's for cold sores, fever blisters and chapped lips. It works great and has a cool menthol feel. QUESTION. Does anyone ever break out in and around their ears? Some of my worst cysts are in front of or behind my ears. Sometimes they are in my ears and earlobes. This is hell since I wear glasses. I also have naturally dry hair so I don't think thats it. Anyone else have this problem? Any solutions?

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T DesTroy AcNE: I have always taken birth control with Accutane. They made me because of the side effects. The first time I took it I was not sexually active either. Since then I have always stayed on the pill (except when trying to get pregnant) and my s in is definitely better when I'm on it. I just changed to OrthoTriCyclen too. Someone on this site said it takes about six months to see real results. I've only been on it about two months. there are a lot of other benefits to taking the pill too. Lighter periods, less PMS, etc. You might want to consider staying on them after you finish your accutane. Good Luck!!!

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I used accutane 8 years ago & got wonderful results with it but it seems as time has gone by my skin has become increasingly oily again & I am right back to square one again. I am considering using accutance for a second time but wonder if in a few years from now if I'll be right back where I am now. Any advice from second/third time users would be helpful!! I found that after a year my skin became extremely oily again & the acne came back!! I only had positive results for a year, accutane wasn't a per enant fix for me!!

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To Kevin: thanks for the info - if I haven't got any further with Retin-A by August, I'll go straight to the Derm (:

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Hey, I had a question..how many females out there are taking birth control pills in conjunction with accutane? I read in the accutane manual that it is mandatory that females take bc pills with accutane just in case... During my first course of accutane, was never told to take bc pills. My new dermi at my college makes me take the 2 together. At first, i was a little bit angry that she was making me do it becus i am not sexually active...i just want clear skin!!! But then i thought about it again and dec ded to take the 2. The docotor put me on orthotricyclen which is the new form of bc which clears your skin. I did not actually consider that the combination of the two may acutally help my skin even more! Besides, once i finish with my second accutane tre tment, i want to use the bc as a maintenance drug for my skin. Anyone else have a smiliar experience?

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TO BLUE: I just wanted to let you know that I did e-mail the company and they have already responded! The CEO of the company, Micheal Meyers, e-mailed me to let me knoe that he had recieved my order. He said that he was sitll in the office working on thin s when my order came in. ( it was like 12:06am over there and he was still working!) Mr. Meyers let me know that it would take about 12 days to get here to the states! They are supposd to e-mail me and let me know exactaly what time it will be here! Thank you Blue so much for your help! xoxo Dawn

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TO BLUE: Thanks dear for the help! I e-mailed the company and asked how long it would take. Now i just have to be paintent and wait for a response! I am hoping that this stuff really works. I had the bad acne for a while but then my dermatologist put me o tetracycline. Things have been better. I do break out alittle around that time of the month, but within a few days it goes away, if I don't mess with them. Now I just these 3 red marks that will not fade. It seams like when they began to fade it is still a noticable shade of red. Now I have a new one on the bottom of my lip. I am just hpoing that it does not take too long to recieve the product. My friend had the chance to look at the board and she was astonished (spell?)! Sha says that if this works for e that she will order some as well! Wish me luck! And the best wishes to you! xoxo Ps I will keep you posted!!! DAWN

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Stupid me - they're in South Africa. But I know people from US have ordered successfully.

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Sorry Dawn I missed your other question - I thought the company was in the States? Anyway they have an e-mail so I would ask them what the delivery will be.

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No I haven't used the Reconstruction Cream myself yet - like you I need a friendly credit card holder to help me out! But I've heard nothing but good reports on it. (I'm going to order the eye gel, too - may as well sort out the eye bags as well!) :o) Good Luck - let us know how you get on XXX

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Sarah - the alternative I'm looking into its spironolactone if I didn't mention - which decreases the androgens like the pill you mentioned, only moreso - and supposedly when you're in your late 20's & 30's acne can often mean a big hormonal imbalance. Si ce I've had this problem for 22 yrs I'm thinking maybe that's the real problem & that's why its still hanging around. After doing accutane I'm a lot better but it seems like its gradually getting worse, I'm not nearly as oily as I was before but the oil i coming back on my nose, causing tons of clogged pores and blackheads. My pores are clogging up again which I find very disturbing because I'm not sure they were this bad before! However, I've always been on medication...if the spiro doesn't work I suppos I will try long term,low dose accutane but I'm so nervous because my hair has been such an ordeal. My derm was talking 10mg, 3 x a week to see how it works as a maintenance thing. If all else fails I guess I will, but I'll probably be on the stuff for YE RS. At this point I can still use makeup to look clear, but I don't know, its not looking all that wonderful. Good luck and I'll keep you updated!

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Redness, itchiness, peeling/flaking of hands, arms, even legs, is definitely a side effect of Accutane--I use cortizone cream to curb rashes--they're extremely irritating. I know how it feels to be so aware of how you look all the time--good luck to all. .

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TO BLUE: I am going to order this reconstruction cream that, it seems like every one was talking about on this board a few months ago. I was just wondering if by any chance you have used this product yourself? I took a look at the web site and it seemed u real. Like it was to good to be true. I have a friend coming over today and we are going to use her credit card. Seeing as in my dad hates putting his credit card info. on the net! I am going to try and talk her into tryuing some of this stuff out with me as well. Another question I was wondering about was how long do you think that it will take for the product to get here in the states. The reason thet I am asking this is because I am going to college ( again) in August. And in a few weeks I am going to s art a new job. If you could please help me out by sending me a message back with some info. Thanks Dawn xoxo

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JO, Thanks for the support. I'm very interested to see how youralternative treatments go. I'm going to look into some chinese herbs. I read a story about a woman who cured her cancer by taking herbs among other things. I thought, God, if she can rid herself of cancer without chemo than why can't I rid myself of acne. I also switched my birth control to desogen. It's a low androgen pill. Androgens are male hormones everyone has that are supposed to cause acne and hair loss in men(just in case anyone didn't know). Anyway, I'm still hopeful. The only thing I've ever tried were antibiotics, creams, etc that were prescription. I was a vegetarian and still had bad skin. However, I never did the herb thing. I was also on 60 mg a day. Then I cut it down to 40 myself. Maybe I just need 20 mg a day. If I could ever get an actual appointment with my derm that would be nice. PHone calls just aren't the same.

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ED lots of people who are on/have been on Roaccutane get good results with "Reconstruction Cream", from the company at the above web address. Good Luck!

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yes roaaccutane gets rid of spots but my experience with it is that it leaves your skin FEELING OK but looking BAD, i mean tons of red marks, uneven skin tone, very sensitive skin and an unhealthy redness!! has anyone experienced this terrible redne s!! does anyone know what can be done?? i asked my dr but that was a waste of time!! its really pissing me off now and any help would be great!! suggestions such as glycolic acid etc i find is ok sometimes but overall it irritates the skin! what are u guy using post roaccutane i would hate it if my acne came back i think i would just die!!!

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Help! My armpits are drying out! I've been using Dove antiperspirant and need to switch to something milder. I picked up Degree's aerosol spray and I'm gonna give that a try. If anyone has any suggestions I (and esp. my armpits) would be very appreci tive. Thanks

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Wow, where do i start ! I have had mild to moderate acne for a while and was just upset that it wouldn't clear. So i went to my dematologist last week and she prescribed Roaccutane. I have been on it for only 3 DAYS, have not experienced any side effects yet, i guess it is too early !! I have started with the vaseline treatment for my lips. I'm on 20mg per day and i weigh 114lbs. Well i will come back and update you guys about my co dition !! This is a great website, and thank God it here, i have no one else to talk to as some people just don't understamd how hard this is !!! Later.

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I'm taking roaccutane for almost 10 days now and I have many concerns and questions about the whole treatment.If there persons that are willing to chat with me about all these about roaccutane they are welcomed.My lips are becoming very dry so I'm using p troleum jelly.I also have intense itching over my hands and legs.I also noticed in my palm,heels and the whole down part of my food redness with intense ithing.Is this a side effect?

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I'm taking roaccutane for almost 10 days now and I have many concerns and questions about the whole treatment.If there persons that are willing to chat with me about all these about roaccutane they are welcomed.My lips are becoming very dry so I'm using p troleum jelly.I also have intense itch especially over my hands and legs.I also noticed in my palm,heels and the whole down part of my food redness with intense ithing.

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I would just like to say that im not going on this medication anymore there are too many sideaffects so im going to a naturalist and if anyone thinks the same email me and i will keep u up to date like with the things a naturalpath will do and in the end f it helps goodbye

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Thanks to everyone for the advice regarding really dry scalp and itchy sensitive skin. I'm am definitely going to try something new because the sunblock is making my arms break out in a rash. Normally I can't use anything on my skin, especially if it has erfume. I hope the Cetaphil will help on my face. It's really red and flaky. to those of you with the hard cysts and the "big breakout", talk to your derm about getting injections to reduce the cysts. My derm and I have an arrangement. I leave a message o his nurses answering machine at night to let them know I'm coming in first thing the next morning if I start to feel any cysts forming. They whisk me in and out quickly, giving me injections in the cysts, and in a few days they are gone. I know it sounds painful, but I had 12 cysts injected my first two weeks on Accutane and completely avoided the "big breakout". I am so glad I have all of you to communicate with. I can;t believe I have dealt with this alone for so many years. My entire family, my husband s family and most of my friends have perfect skin, so you know they don't want to hear about it and will never understand. TO GRACE: I'm so glad I'm not the only one who can't look other people in the eye when I'm broken out. Sometimes it's just to hard t look at someone looking at you, where you know they can see the awful zits. If you don't look at them, I guess you can pretend they can't see it. Anyway, here's to clear skin in all our futures. :-)

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This is a question to the author of this web site. I get lots of zits, whiteheads on my thighs and behind in the summer when i'm active. I was wondering where you had your? and what kind were they.

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Hey Geraldine I am not entirely certain as to the exact nature of the red spots that are happening for you but it sounds like cysts. Cysts are generally below the skin and are rather hard, they may even hurt to touch. Don't pick at them and don't squeeze them, it will nly make them worse. Cysts have a sac that all of the fluid is kept in, if this sac is erupted the fluid will leak out and the cyst will spread. I am also developing some cyst like thingies since I have been on accutane and so far they are all draining on their own. See your dermatologist though because he/she can inject it with a cortisone shot to reduce the size and thus prevent scarring. It will go away on its own, don't worry!!!

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Hello. I'm into my 14th week on accutane but the results have not been that good so far. I am still breaking out and the pimples are not like the type i used to get before i took accutane.They are swollen red bumps under the skin which can take quite some time to clear.Once i tried picking at it but squeezing doesn't make anything come out.Is this kind what you called cystic acne? I used medication on them but it didn't seem to work. Should i just leave them alone? Anyone who can help me with this question would be greatly appreciated.

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Just had to put my two cents in regarding diet and acne. I stopped accutane in February and started to have problems w/my skin again, so I went back to a no sugar, low saturated fat, low iodized salt diet, and I take tons of vitamin supplements which I ha e read are specifically good for acne. My skin is still a big problem. It hasn't helped at all as far as I can tell. I took burdock root a few yrs ago on the suggestion of a friend who was into herbs, nothing changed. I was a strict vegetarian about 5-6 y s ago, my skin was terrible. I have had acne for 22 years and I have tried so many different things. Accutane was the only thing that arrested the problem. Its just that I had problems w/hair loss, so I'm going to see if I can try one other option 1st, if all else fails, I will do low dose accutane. Unfortunately, I think for many people like myself we just have a major hormonal imbalance and that's Oh, and at this point in my sugar-free diet I've even gone so far as to buy bread made w/out sugar and I rea the label of everything I buy - I'm fanatical, and I'm still breaking out. How frustrating is that!

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Hi guys! I've been on Accutane almost 3 weeks now, and my lips and eyes are starting to dry up. JADE, I know what you mean about the "coated" feeling. I had that going on, and then went out last night without any lip balm. The coated feeling was repla ed by a tight, crackly feeling, and then my lips started to peel! I don't think it was noticable to others, but it hurt. I'm sticking with Vaseline and Philosophy's Kiss Me. I'm using lots of Pantene conditioner, which is helping with my dry hair and s alp. JADE, in answer to your question about cysts, I have had a few. Every few months I get one on my chin, and I think it is related to hormones. I don't think I qualify as having severe cystic acne, but I do get plenty of regular pimples. I hope the little bump under your ear is going away. My face doesn't look too good right now. I'm starting to wonder if I'm going through the dreaded "big breakout." Hopefully it will clear up soon. :) Good luck everyone.

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To Heather: Yeah, some people's acne is caused by outside sources such as allergies or food, but some people just have naturally f'd up glands. I'm *almost* a vegetarian...heh, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about...like 1 egg a week, and the very ra e Sushi dinner (I don't understand how you could ever give that amazing delicacy up completely ^_^)...but my acne is still not great (about 1.25 months on Accutane). But yeah, it's DEFINATELY worth a try.

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Jon: Have you ever taken Tetracycline? Tetracycline causes staining of the teeth. I've never heard of Accutane doing it, but I suppose it's possible. Also, if you've ever taken any other anti-biotics, such as Minocycline, they may be the cause. To whoever asked: Heh, no, my real name is Keith, not Xavier, and I'm not German. It's just a psuedonym I use on the internet. I think it's a neat name. ^_^

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Hello, I was really glad to have come across this site as I have being feeling rather alone up until now. About three months ago I developed two large, painful cysts on either cheek of my face. Up until this point my skin had been clear and I would get th occasional pimple. Anyway I tried antibiotics and cortisone injections and over the counter products but nothin' seemed to work. I have now been on Accutane for almost a month and a half and have noticed some improvement but still have flare ups of the wo large cysts on my cheeks. Weird thing happened the other day though- both of the cysts started to drain. Is it the accutane that is causing the fluid to drain out, is this a sign of healing? Will the larger cysts eventually go down or will I have to ha e them surgically removed? Anyway if anyone knows these answers I would love to hear. It has gotten to the point where I feel so self concious about myself, any words of encouragment would help. Thanks

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TO HEATHER: I'm glad the diet and herb treatment works for you. But not everybody has result like that. I tried all kinds of diets (herbs, no meat, no diary, no sugars diets...think of it and I've tried it). No difference and no skin improvement. My derm old me that for some it indeed does miracles and for others no improvement.

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for all those on or have taken accutane......did any of you notice a slight staining of the teeth while on the drug? ...this is happening to me but im not doing anything different with my teeth. also has anyone had there hair died or highlighted while on ccutane? did it go ok? do you guys think it will go ok cause i have heard horror stories about hair falling out.

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Has anyone had any experience (good or bad) or the Dermalux AV lamp? (Web address above to click on) It just seems too good to be true. Also anyone tried something called a glycolic acid skin peel?

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Herbs are much safer than drugs and have lasting effects. Enquire at your nearest health shop.Try burdock capsules made by Solgar for the acne and angelica for regulating the hormones. There is also boswelia herb capsules made by Solgar for female baldnes . Your diet also plays a major role in acne and other health problems. I had bad acne as a teenager.The dermatologist suggested using green sunlight soap for washing the face once per day and rinsing with non iodised salt water 2x per day. I was put on te racycline which has other bad side effects. The herbs have been the very best treatment for any health problems. Try cutting out dairy products for a week and see what happens. You will be pleasantly surprised. Meats (including chicken) and dairy products contain many hormones which upset the body's hormone balance and you end up with acne and other awful problems. Drink filtered water,exercise moderately,get sunshine(without getting burned),eat fruits and vegetables and if you are daring enough, try the v getarian whole food diet.This diet entails eating natural unpolished brown rice, bread made from stoneground,unrefined flour, porridges and muesli from unrefined grains,beans eg sugar beans,nuts,seeds,fruit and vegetables. Why use drugs that can do more h rm than good when God has provided us with healing herbs?

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TO THE COWARD, (you know who you are). If you think 36 years old is a middle aged woman you seriously need to GET A LIFE. It's obvious that you're one of those people that are like 80 years old when they're 30.

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Hi guys! How ya doing? I am doing pretty good...no initial breakout yet :0) and that weird cyst thing is slowing starting to go away. I wonder if my future breakouts will be like that...thank god it was kind of below my ear lobe for no one to see. It really was the weirdest thing....like a spider bite without the itch and it became red and inflamed but never had a middle. It sure seems to be taking a while to heal though...I know that's probably because of the accutane. My skin is drying more and I' loving it although my lips, eyes and nose are drying out more too but it's tolerable. I mainly get flaky around my mouth and nose and my lips feel like they are coated with something...which bugs me! Enough about me...how's the dry scalp? Are you stil sticking with the conditioners? I hope it's working out for you. So A you don't get cysts at all? But I suppose you have tried everything and because of the persistence of your acne that's why your derm put you on accutane? I wish I'd gone on accuta e 5 years ago...I think most of my scarring has occurred in the last 5 years altho everyone says I'm obsessing...I see it though and it's bothersome. I had a crappy internist who made me feel hopeless, thank god our town finally got a derm a couple years ago. Accutane wasn't even an option before we got a derm....which is ridiculous! Well I'm writing a book here...I hope you are both doing well and treatment is going smoothly. Keep writing, it definitely helps. I felt so alone when I started this med cation, I am so glad I found this site. Talk soon! {:0)

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Next week I'll start with my Accutane treatment. Reading all those sideeffects on the package, I got this wild impression that this drug is like a chemotherapy, but then for acne. We'll see what happens to me. Bye and till soon!

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WOW! I know i may be wasting message space, but does it really cost $250us a month for roaccutane over there??? In australia it costs me about $20-25 a month (about $12 u.s)and thats just a normal price! (no special benefits)PLEASE TELL ME IM WRONG AND YO GUYS ARENT PAYING THAT MUCH!!!

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i was wondering if accutane has the effect of regulating hormones because i used to have my period once every three weeks but since i've taken accutane, it's now really regular-once a month.i'm already 3 mths into the treatment but i'm still breaking out- ot too bad though but a bit disappointed.initially, i had a really bad breakout and i had a really tough time looking at people straight in the face and my mom was affected by it too-she actually broke down and cried as she realised what a difficult time 'm going through.My skin's condition is now what it's like before taking accutane and it's just like back to square one.anyway, i'm still quite optimistic about it and believe that i will get clear skin eventually.to all fellow sufferers: don't give up an all the best to u guys taking accutane!

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Has anyone tried Vitex angus cactus (Chaste Tree)for acne? Please let me know how it went if you have. Thanks

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Some of you mentioned cortisone shampoo - can you tell me if you have to have a prescription for this, or can you buy it? I have a friend who suffers w itchy scalp. Thanks!

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Hello. I felt maybe some of us should be able to talk to one another about our experiences live.. I've created "accutane chat" under AIM/AOL, if you are having any problem joining message me at HB2000! - I'm currently on my 8th week of accutane, and believe we can go thru this a lot nicer if we are all close and supportive of each other.

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TO ANDI: PLEASE SEND ME THE TIPS YOU HAVE. THANKS.

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To Sarah: I have the exact same problem, it's just being early on in the treatment. I have way more bad stuff on my left cheek than my right, which is almost clear. You haven't even taken it a month yet, so it's just playing the waiting game...how fun. =-p

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To Kerry :
When I went to my dermatologist and she prescribed me accutane, I didn't have insurance. It would have cost me $500 for a one month supply. When I told her this she had me fill out a quick form verifying I didn't have insurance, and gave me the medicine for free. They keep it right there in a cabinet in the derm's office. When I asked how it can be free, she said that it is basically like a tax write-off for the company. I don't know if that's true, but I am really getting it totally free. I still ha e to pay for the checkups and bloodwork of course, but that's not too bad. All you have to do is ask your derm about it and tell them no insurance and they will 'Hook you up'!

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To Sarah (age 28) - I'm sorry to hear you're having so many problems w/the side effects, I didn't experience any bumpiness or anything on my scalp but I did get the hair loss - and I'm writing now to a few other women who did also. Its a rough side effect I'm looking into spiro now - since another round of accutane is sort of a last resort for me. I also have mild-moderate cystic acne. Please email me if you want to talk about any of this, and let me know how its going from here forward - I hope things ge better.

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DAWN im having a similar problem as you. when i went for my second blood test it showed my cholesterol had shot up to 247, very high. my triglecerins were also up a lot but I dont remeber the exact amount. I had just finished my first month when I found that o t and my derm scheduled me to get a blood test when I hit my second month, which I went for this past tuesday, still havent gotten the results. so we're both having similar problems. ill tell you what my derm tells me as soon as she calls with the results. hopefully she wont lower my dosage, or even take me off it.

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Thanks for your opinions, and the free accutane from the dermatologist info. Does anyone else know about the free accutane, or has anyone received it? I've decided on a "moderate" plan. I'm going to stick with the Retin-A for another month or so. In the m antime I'm going to call around for a ball-park price for a dermatologist appointment and the tests they would carry out to put me on accutane, and also try to find out about the free accutane. If the worst somes to the worst, and I can't afford the docto and the Retin-A doesn't work, I'm hoping to be able to get health insurance through my employment by October, and I figure if I've lasted this long with the acne, I can last a few more months. If all else fails, I promise I will do my research well, and nly get the accutane off the web if all else fails. To Sarah who is throwing in the towel - I only know what I've read about acne and accutane, but I thought that it was only prescribed for severe cystic acne in general...since your acne cleared up in a couple of weeks, maybe it's too strong for you? I've ad limited success with my severe acne on Retin-A, and I have friends whose acne was helped a LOT by going on the pill - ortho-tricyclen. Did you try these already? The pill takes about 6 months to see an improvement, and beleive me, I (and I'm sure ever one else) knowa about the anguish of waiting to see the improvements. Hope it works out for you.

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hi all, im begining my 3rd on accutane, so far so good. except my last blood test after being on for about 6wks had 210 for triglecerins, the normal should be under 200. saw my derm yesterday keeping me on the 60mg a day, was not that worried about the 10 result, but told me not to eat carbohydrates for the rest of the treatment! that sucks, i mean none i cant do that. has anyone experience these blood results and what has your doctor said. my derm also did not do another blood test, he said it wasn't ecessary. i thought while on accutane you had to have a monthly blood test, yes or no? will appreciate very much any response. good luck to all.

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my sister and i have been checking out this site for a while since we are both on accutane. i never heard of female pattern baldness! i thought that girls would be less worried about losing their hair than guys since genetically guys are much more likel to have permanent balding than women.

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I'm not sure what to do with the OxyTet now - I was very depressed yesterday because I had a massive whitehead along with all the other ones, but then today it seems to look slightly better. Then I had a talk with my older sister (had very bad acne till s e went on the pill) and she helped me through a few things. I am a very late developer, and I think that the acne came on when I started to get tougher hairs on my chin and face, and more hair under my arms. I think it's definitely something to do with that - has anyone else experienced anything similar when they ere younger? Almost all my spots are whiteheads, with the majority on my chin and a few on my cheek. Will they go eventually, and what sort of timeframe? I have a month left on OxyTetracycline (5 months total) and I can't be sure if I there has been an im rovement.... some people say it takes 6 months for the Oxytet to work. Good luck everyone ;-) HOLLY: Thanks for the info about OxyTetracylin, I may have to move on to something else - this was the first med I was started on

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Hi everybody, After trying every product available, my derm put me on Roaccutane. I have used this drug for a period of six months (one treatment). In the first month my acne worsened (as will happen in many cases). After that my skin started to improve very fast. I ha almost no side effects, only for the dry skin and lips. During the treatment I could even continue wearing my contactlenses without any problem. So, I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. Anyway, at the end of my treatment I only had some acne left on my back (but much and much less), but my face, neck and shoulders were completely spotfree (and no more redness)! I'm off the drugs for about five months now and this situation hasn't change, only for the fact that my skin is a bit oily at the end of the day (so cleaning is still necessary). I'm very happy with the end result! Good luck!

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I am on accutane at the moment and its been nearly 2 weeks and i am improving alot but i get a bunch of acne on my right side of my chin is this normal? Does anyone else experience this . It does not seem to occur on the other side of my chin. if anyone has an answer just write your answer on here

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Just got caught up reading the past three days worth of posts. To Fred: I too, have heard wonderful things about Propecia. My son suffers from male pattern baldness but our derm will not prescribe it for him until he is off the Accutane. He does use Ro aine (sp?) now though; can't tell if it's working or not. To the person asking about how/when to take dosage. Our doc said to take all at once. My son takes at dinner time every night. He also takes 800 mg. vitamin E and 1000 mg. of calcium a day. She said it's not proven if the Vitamin E helps but certainly cannot hurt. He got burned yesterday fishing on the lake but my husband looks 100 times worse! My son's really isn't that bad but he says it really hurts which I am guessing is due to the skin se sitivity from the drug. He has been able to wear his contacts but his eyes do get drier. He also is very active playing basketball and weight training (to the mom worried about her daughter playing sqaush) and while he does experience some muscle sorene s (takes ibuprofen) he only really complained one night. As for people wondering on the drinking, our derm said it was ok for an adult to have one drink a day, maybe she even said one or two. He starts week 11 today and while his forehead is much improve (large cysts are gone) he is still breaking out in new places. Just thought I would try and answer some of the questions I read. Hair loss is only supposed to affect one in 10 people. Also am surprised at how many repeat users there are out there. Ou derm (and I have read other people write this also) said 85% cure for first time users and 100% for second time. My guess is the people who are cured after one treatment aren't writing to boards like this!

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Well everybody, I'm throwing in the towel. I just cannot handle the side effects even with all or your support. It's been a really bizzare experience. I had moderate cystic acne. Just a few cysts every month that took about 3 weeks to go down, plus they left scars. I had about 1 week a month of semi clear skin. I also had smaller pimples too but I could cover those up. Like I've said before, my acne completely cleared up in 2 weeks. Not one new spot or the initial breakout. However, after 4 weeks I don't know what you could call the skin on my scalp. I don't think I had a scalp. I had all these strange bumps and it felt like sandpaper. That's when I also notice my hair had thinned alot around the crown. It was very alarming. I've tried to stay positive but I just can't hack it anymore. Even thought the cortisone shampoo really helped I just can't deal for 3 more months. I just hope since I cleared up so quickly, I"ll stay clear for awhile. I just hope my hair stops falling out. Well I'll probably continue to visit this site for awhile. Good luck to everyone and I look forward to reading all of your success stories!

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Well, its been about a week since I started Accutane. For some strange reason, my scalp itched like crazy, and so did my skin, when I asked my sister, a recent Accutane "graduate", why. She asked if I washed my hair often, I responded, EVERYDAY! She to d me that my hair was going to fall out, because my scalp would rash. THAT SUCKS. I took a shower today, after a day of not showering. I dumped gobbs of Conditioner, still itches a bit. I haven't had the huge break outs I've hear so much about..YET.

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I haven't decided to try Accutane yet. My derm put me on Doxy-something that's sun sensitive. I don't tan so that wasn't a problem. He also gave me the Benzol 10% wash and gell. I am so fustrated with it. I have mild acne. The derm didn't specify wh t kind it was. He just have me perscriptions and Accutane info and sent me on my way. The wash and gell leaves my face so dry! I now have ance with flakes! I decided to stop everything but the pills, and the Cendlets-spelling? patches. I went to the rug store and bought the cheepest super moisturizing vitamin E cream. I cake it on my face. I figure it's better than having flakes with acne. I've used the cheap vitamin E cream with my acne patches for three days now, and I haven't broke out any wors . My lips are back to normal. I still have a few fakes on my chin. I think I'll try this for a month then decide on my next derm visit what I'm going to do.

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I originally got a sample of the GenTeal Lubricant Eye Gel from an opthamologist who I was seeing for problems with dry patches on my corneas (non-Accutane related). These dry patches always seem to surface during allergy season; I've experienced this pro lem for the last 3-4 years. Unfortunately, my eyes don't make a lot of tears so eye dryness is a big issue for me on Accutane. I also use Refresh moisturizing drops during the day - they're preservative-free. I don't wear contact lenses (or glasses for th t matter), so you might want to ask a pharmacist or an eye doctor about whether it's okay to use GenTeal with them. As well, the GenTeal packaging states that it's a long-lasting, unique disappearing preservative.

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I've been on Accutane for 2 weeks now. When does my skin become perfectly clear and smooth? :) MATT-In answer to your question, I was prescribed Accutane for mild/moderate, VERY persistant non-cystic acne. After trying everything else (including Cleocin, which I found completely useless), my derm said Accutane was the next step. Good luck. JEANNE-Thanks for the tip on the eye drops! Is that a kind that I can put in while wearing contacts? JADE & AARON-Hope all is going well with you. Any flare-ups, clearings, or new symptoms? -A

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To Matt:
I have had persistant mild to moderate acne for about 4 years. After trying many, many prescriptions and otc remedies without success, my derm prescribed Accutane for me. I had VERY oily skin and after 4 months with increasing dosage (now 100mg/day - i eigh 130lbs) my skin is still not that dry (more like a normal persons) and I'm still getting a few small zits. I may end up going on a even higher dose and staying on it past the 5 months. If you have tried everything else then there is no reason that ou shouldn't try Accutane, even if you don't have severe cystic acne. Hope the new derm is sympathetic...

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To Andi: I'd really love any suggestions you have about fading the red marks - please feel free to e-mail me. Dermabrasion looks really nifty - hey, it only takes an hour - but supposedly it's super expensive. Anyone here gotten it for a reasonable (wha ever that is) price? To Sue: I've found that by taking a Vitamin E pill a day and drinking a lot of water and teas (including green tea) prevents me from having ANY problem at all wearing my contacts. Try it. ^_^

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I have found the best stuff to reduce eye dryness! It's called, GenTeal Lubricant Eye Gel by CIBA Vision. You can find it at various drug stores in the US, such as Walgreens.

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Hi everybody. I've read through all the positive experiences and I'm trying my best to be a little more optimistic. One thing I was wondering about: I have a bunch of gunk just sitting underneath my skin that Accutane hasn't done anything about yet. You k ow, like when a cyst goes away but doesn't actually *go away*, because you can still feel this hard, colorless lump underneath your skin. Will I need to have cortizone injections or something to clear them out?? Some have been there around 3-4 months! Are they going to be "pushed out" or just dissolve or what? Ugh...

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I was on Accutane for the first time over a year ago and now I've just started my second round of treatment. Accutane may not cure your acne forever, but for many people, their results are astonishing. According to my dermatologist, it can sometimes be ha d to "cure" women because of hormonal factors. Many people are "cured" after just one treatment, but for others, they may have to take it again (and again). Obviously, I hope that my cystic acne will be resolved once and for all after this second round of treatment. I've definitely experienced that rash/allergy-thing when I've been in the sun a bit, even though I always wear a ton of sunscreen. I think it happens much more readily while on Accutane. So this is another important reason why you should minimize your sun exposure while taking Accutane. I've never had problems with coloring my hair while on Accutane, however, I have oily hair to begin with. The coloring doesn't over-dry my hair like it might do to others who have normal or dry hair. If anything, coloring my hair and being on Accutane has improved my hair - it's less oily and it seems to have more body. (I have naturally straight, fine hair.) I've never found anything to improve the red marks on my face except for time. Last year I experienced this and the marks only started to get better 6 months post-Accutane. But now that I'm on Accutane again, the red marks are returning. So once again, I' l just have to be patient. I had Laser (CO2) Surgery on my face a couple of years before I started taking Accutane. The reality of having it done is that it causes your face to be red for a very very very long time, and it's also very expensive. After my surgery, I started experien ing really severe cystic acne, whereas up to that point, I had only experienced it occasionally when I was premenstrual. I do not think the surgery caused the acne to become worse, it was more a hormonal and stress issue. Anyway, now I have a bunch of acn scars that I'm completely self-conscious about. I'm contemplating doing laser surgery again, but not until it's been at least 18-24 months post-Accutane. Again, laser surgery is severe - you won't look better for a very long time. In order to properly tr at acne scars (versus wrinkles), your surgeon will need to use a CO2 laser, which means a much longer recovery period.

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When I last posted here three weeks ago, I was totally preparing myself to go on Accutane. But this fickle disease decided to behave itself a week or two before going to my dermatologist. So when I went he declared me cured of nodular acne, which I admit as been true for the last few weeks. Since I saw him however, things have gone downhill, while not having cysts I now get little whiteheads all over my chin, nose and sometimes on my cheeks. He took me off benzamycin and put me on cleocin, that was abso utely disastrous and things have only slightly gotten better by going back to benzamycin. I'm so frustrated at this point, I don't know if my condition is severe enough for accutane but I can say that the topicals and antibiotics are still leaving me with all these smaller zits, which I'm sorry is not acceptable. I know others have it worse and I'm not as bad as I was a couple months ago, but my face is nowhere near "normal". I have another appointment with a different derm in six weeks (can I tell you ho much I hate that I have to schedule appointments six weeks in advance). We'll see what he thinks, has anyone out there been prescribed accutane for moderate, but persistent non-cystic acne on the face? Please let me know. Thanks.

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Kerry I'm sure that in the past some people from the USA have said that, when they told their derms they did not have health insurance, Roche sent them Accutane free of charge. Have a look thru the archives. Good Luck!

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heres a question about contacts. how many of you here are able to wear them while on acutane? I dont have contacts, but now that my skin is clearing up, its something I want to look into. I know I should just have patience and wait to the treatment is done, but its something I wanted to do in the summer, before school started, so I could get used o them. I havent noticed any irritation in my eyes or dryness, and dont have much dryness problems on my face, except my lips. plus all I drink is water and green tea all day. id definately ask my derm before I did anything , but some input from you guys would help.

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Two more days of treatment with Accutane. Seems that lots of you leave the board after your treatment is finished. I'd love to hear from some of you post Accutane users. How things are going, are you still clear, is your skin oily again? This type of nformation would be greatly appreciated. You can e-mail me directly. By the way, for all of you who are just beginning treatment. I just want to let you know, that I had an excellent experience with Accutane. No side-effects (except dry lips) and my s in looks great! For those of you who haven't seen results yet, stick with it, IT WILL WORK. Best of luck to all of you, there is light at the end of the tunnel!!!!!

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To Kevin: Glad to hear you were just havin' a bad day - I guess thats allowed ! How hav your new doses come along?? Or is it abit too soon to know, anyway good luck with it and keep the faith. If it is as persistent as you say post your e-mail add. cos I got some tips that may just help alitle - but i won't be promising anything. Oh and completely off the subject ...Xavier ...Is that your real name?? Just curious cos I would've thought it was made up, but there is certain famous celeb in germany called Xavier Nadu, that i heard of wen I was doing a internship up there ...are you erman??? Besides, bout the red marks well, I don't believe it wen the derm. says that the only way there gonna fade is through time i'm sure there must be a way to accelerate the process - aloe is good - shall I mail you directly some suggestion???

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I can say Roaccutan has worked quite good with my acne, but it does has left me some scars too. My derm. had told me that they will leave in time (sth that I don't see, unfortunately!) Also, another problem I'm facing of is the extreme redness on my face when I get tired (e.g. jogging or when doing gym. exrcises). Does anyone has anything to propose me of taking, for this redness stuff to finally disappear?! Thank you...

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Does anyone know anything that helps fade the infamous red marks, besides expensive things like dermabrasion and laser surgery? I'm talking about things merely ingested or applied. Maybe aloe vera? Anyone?

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To Ricki: $250 a month? US dollars? I get to take advantage of my parents' medical plan, and Accutane only costs me $24 a month (it should cost $12, but they count 10mg pills and 20mg pills as separate medicines...bastards ^_^). However, every time I g and get the stuff from the pharmacy I marvel at the little stickers on the bags. They tell me how much more I would have had to pay without my health plan. The one containing 3 boxes of 10mg pills (there are 10 pills to a box, I think) says I've saved ver $210 (FOR THIRTY LITTLE PILLS) - the one containing 8 or so boxes of 20mg pills says I've saved over $720. That's almost $1000 a month. And as for your other question, I've heard there are places that sell Accutane without a prescription over the i ternet - or you could probably get it from Mexico - but it's a really bad idea. You could end up damaging your liver and you wouldn't even know it, because it increases the level of a certain blood fat in certain people. That's why people on Accutane ha e to go for blood tests every month.

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My 14 year old daughter has suffered with acne since the age of 10. I thought it would go away with time but instead it got worse. She started on roaccutane one week ago and already I can see an improvement. Not just her skin but her confidence as well. I am worried about the side affects as she is very active in sports. She plays competition squash 4 nights a week. Will roaccutane slow her performance? Also I was assured she will never get another pimple again after she finishes this treatment...Is this t ue?

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help, lots of peeling skin and red marks left underneath, what should I do?? Hopefully this is just a stage, love beth

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Hi, well i'm planing on going Accutan within the near futer. the problem is it is very expensive in israel like 250$ for a month. can someone please e_mail me and tell me whats the price in the states, i'm coming to the states next week, so i would also want to know if it possibel for me to recive the medicon with ut all the tests u do before going on it. thanks for the attension, Ricki.

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has anyone else had any problems if you have died your hair or had highlights while on accutane? i have heard stories of it falling out. what has everyone else experienced?

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Hi guys! Ive just got a few Q's for anyone to answer pls. Ive been on Roaccutane for 3 months now, and i have had good results. What i want to know is when im finished with the drug will my acne come back??? Will my face get oily again??? and if any ppl o t there know of good skin treatment ideas that i can do b4 i go to bed ect...PLEASE WRITE TO ME ON THE BOARD!!!

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Hey first of all, great site! Well before i got onto Roaccutane i was worried. (as im sure all of you guys were) I had read alot of bad stories about the drug, and i was reluctant to pop the first pill. Anyway ive been on it for 3 months now, after having cystic acne and i cant believ the results!!! I mean once youve taken antibiotics for 2 years and they havent worked, you start to worry! Well my face is a lot clearer now and my face looks 'normal' in photos. So to all you guys out there worrying about the side effects of Roaccutane. .DONT! Roaccutane will turn your life around!!! I LOVE THE STUFF! (Last week i even picked up!) And to everyone else out there with acne; GOOD LUCK guys!!! I really mean that!!!

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Kristi, I understand where you are coming from but you probably would not be so defiant about it if you were in Kerri's position...Don't be so closed minded just because you might be okay and able to afford insurance. Obviously some people are not that fo tunate. So what should they do? Sit back and do nothing about it? There may be nothing you can do about the financial situation at this point but there is something that you can do for your acne! Do not let your financial deficiency hinder your desire to ave clear skin and improve your life...cause we all know what bitch it is living with acne. All i am promoting is positive thinking. Put yourself in Kerri's shoes and be honest...don't lie and tell me you wouldn't consider it. If the acne is ruing your life (like it does for most all of us) do what you can about it! Do not let let your financial problems get in the way! Like I said, find out about your family history and maybe, possibly, get at least one blood test. it will cost you about 75-100 do lars, i've tried it. Kerri: think positive

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Just wondering if anyone could help me with this one... I've been on roaccutane for 14weeks now, and recently went away with some friends for a few days. It was a beach holiday type thing so i caught a lot of sun (and managed not to get burnt due to the r diculous amounts of sunscreen i put on!) But afterwards i got a rash on the insides of my arms and the bag of my legs. I've had something similar before and the doc said it was an allergy to the combination of sea water and sun or something - but this tim the rash has seemed to last longer and is still itchy a few days after coming back. Could it be something to do with the roac??

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Hi...I do not mean to be rude but that was terrible advice ru paul. I am glad that you arent' suffering anything major from accutane but you must keep in mind that accutane is very powerful and just becuase you can't SEE what its doing to you inside doesn mean its not there. Accutane is not for everybody, thats why they do a test even before you take it, it could be potentially fatal for someone who isn't compatible with it. So if you can't afford it its not worth your life or the well being of your healt , until you can or find a way I wouldn't risk it!

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well done, great site

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to KERRY, I am currently on accutane as well as orthotricyclen. You need to think about your health and the history of health problems in your family. Got any? Are you a generally healthy person? I have insurance and i go thru all the hassles of the lab t sts and totally unnecessary doctor visits every 2 freakin' weeks and honestly, i'd be fine without any of them. I waste so much money and time doing those things. I know it is a general procedure but if i had a choice, i would not do it. My lab tests come up perfect every time and my stupud ass dermatologist makes me go in and see her every 2 weeks just to tell me that i should keep taking the medication....DUH? Anyways, i say go for it..go with your gut and get rid of the enemy..all you have to loose is y ur acne and your insecurity.

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hi guys. it is Jill. I am currently on my 23rd day of my second course of treatment. So far, my side effects include VERY dry lips, rashes on the top and bottom of my arms, dryness of the eyes and sometimes dizziness. For BARBARA looking for a good lotion for her rahses, try CETAPHIL lotion. The stuff is good for sensitive skin! Allright, more on my progress later! Brendan, tell me how you are doi'

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Hi... Not to pry into your business... But please be careful where it concerns Accutane... There are many reasons that it is not sold without physician monitoring.... There can be serious side effects that need to be routinely watched by your doctor... Yo r doctor would do monthly blood tests to be sure that your body does not "reject" the medicine... Also, you need to be on the pill so as to not become pregnant... (severe birth defects).... Also, your dosage is specific to you that your doctor would presc ibe... too strong of a dosage can result in death.... This is extremely powerful stuff (I have been on it)... and I urge you to be careful..... I know acne is horrible... I was also on Retin-A.... I had friends who did well on it, I didn't.... Maybe try s me of the other medicines/acne washes recommended here... (go through Archives)... My best wishes to you....

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I almost forgot - I found that Purpose Gentle Facial Wash has really been good to my skin while on Retin-A...just thought I'd pass that on for anyone looking for a good, hypo-allegenic and non-drying cleanser. (:

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I just found this site, and like others, am so glad to find a place where I can find support and empathy for my condition. I haven't started on accutane yet - I can't afford health insurance or dermatologist's appointments, so I have been fighting this ba tle alone for a long time. Right now I am taking ortho-cyclen, and started using Retin-A about a month ago. I have noticed an improvement since I started on the Retin-A, but I get terrible cysts that hurt like hell, and I'm not sure that Retin-A is going to do the job in the long-t rm. I also have back and chest acne, huge boils, and I just can't reach them with a topical treatment like Retin-A. I found a web-site that sells accutane without a prescription. would anyone like to give me some advice as to whether I should go ahead and try accutane without being under medical supervision? It seems risky to me, but I'm at my wit's end...I work in a busy restaurant, and so it's awful having to face all those people all the time, and I'm sure they are often disgusted at having someone with a pizza-face serving their food...the kids are the worst - they tell it like it is, and I get kids asking me what all the spots on my face are all the time. It's hot now too, and I can't wear tank tops because of all the zits on my back and chest. What do you all think? Would it be a really bad idea to try to use accutane myself?

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Hi everyone! In regard to the sun--I was told to stay out of the sun because you are so much more likely to burn and everytime you burn you have actually damaged your skin. Also with summertime and the rays being so strong accutane makes you very suseptib e (sp??) to burning badly. I was under the impression that it won't make you oily. It would normally while NOT on accutane but while on accutane your sabecous glands slow down so much that for some people they stop functioning all together while on it so ven if you got burned they wouldn't make you oily becuase they aren't working..thats how accutane works (or as much of it that they know about it). But it can be dangerous to you not to mentino terribly painful since we're so dry anyways so just stay out f the sun! too much isn't good for you anyways accutane or not!

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Hi everyone To answer a number of people's questions, the SUN will cause you to burn, thus making your body produce more oil, thus more zits. Don't get that burn, it is not worth it. Vitamin E hasn't been proven to help anything special, so says the FDA and my doctor. I say that it does help; you are putting something on that gives moisture. If it works for you, use it. A note to let everyone know, I have talked to my doctor and he is concerned about all the side affects that I am having, so I might have to get off of the isotretinoin. My doctor is really concerned about the really bad headaches and the dark spots have been seeing. Oh well, it has been real; I will let you all know what happens next week. Thanks for all the support from the site.

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Hey all well I went to the derm today and I asked a lot of questions, I hit a month on accutane tomorrow and had my first follow up adn blood test. I has those little white spots on my skin and my derm. said that they aren't from accutane but just from su exposure in general and that it is telling me to give myself a break from the sun. She said they may or may not go away. They aren't that bad and they aren't on my face but on my legs and arms. I am having a very itchy scalp and she gave me some t-gel to use. I asked her if the hair loss was related to the dry scalp. My derm. said that the two are un-related. SHe said that havinga dry flaky scalp even to the point of psoriasis is not the cause of hair loss but a reaction that your hair follicles undernea h your scalp have with the medicine. So that kind of sucks, I'm still not sure if I'm having it, I think I am but ever since I have been on accutane I look at it all the time to see what is falling out and since I'm more aware of it its hard to tell. But am monitoring it closely; I guess thats all you can do!! Good luck you guys

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What about the oil, when you get off accutane, does it return?

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Ive been off Roacutane since middle of March and thats like 3 months i been off it. during this time things have been much better but still get the occasional spot sometimes. even though its cleared my skin is still pretty scared. i want to get laser treatment but its quite expensive. The way I feel at the moment is nearly like i felt like when i had acne. i just want all traces removed! i want to have it down july if possible but depends if i get the money. derm appointment is in august so well lets see.

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I'm about to finish my 20 week treatment. I have three days left. I never got flakey skin, or had any side-effects (except for dry lips). Thank God! But I hope that doesn't mean that my acne will return. Has anyone out there finished their course and have any information for me. I'm hoping that because my skin didn't get really red or really dry that my chance of the acne returning isn't higher. Any thoughts?

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To Kara: I too have those white spots on my face. And no, they never tan! They are like having a cut and the scab falls off. The skin is really tender there, and almost never matches up to the rest of the skin. On sunday. just three more days, I will complete my 20 week course of accutane. I have already asked my derm about these pigmentation spots, and it looks like maybe the only method of getitng rid of them is chemical peel, or micro dermabrasion. You're the first person I've heard mention these marks. Most people refer to red marks, but these are definitely different. I'm planning to do either the peel or the micro dermabrasion, but I understand I have to wait for some time after treatment. Anybody know how long?????

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Well I'm NEARLY middle aged, quite bitter (about my skin anyway!) and definitely can't handle having zits! I hope I can still use the board though! But anyway - how long since you finished Accutane, and also, for your 2nd and 3rd courses, did you have t e same doses/side effects? Love to all, Blue.XX

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TO JEANNE: Thanks for your reply. I just figured out how to search the pages with my browser and found the posts you referred to.

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TO BARBARA: I'm two weeks into my second course of treatment and the last time I found that Cetaphil moisturizer (in the white & green bottle, available at most drug stores) was very effective at reducing the itchiness of my skin. I also had a persistent ash on my left forearm which was treated with some ointment that I got from the dermatologist, but unfortunately, I don't remember the name of it. Some other things that I think really help your skin are drinking a ton of water and taking extra vitamin E ach day (400Mg). Lastly, I use Eucerin facial cream SPF 25 (white & orange bottle); not only does it keep the redness and flakiness to a minimum, but it also provides protection from the sun. TO NAOMI: Over the last month, a few people have posted comments about taking maintenance doses of Accutane. And recently, someone mentioned that they had done just that for about 7 years.

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Hello everyone. Ive had acne since 6th grade, and im going into 11th now. It hasnt been that bad of a case, but WONT go away. Ive tried so many medications and i been on pills for so long. It seems like they worked at first then stopped working. Well acne hasnt prevented me from getting a girlfriend who loves me alot. Tomarrow i have a derm appointment and i dont know what i should do about accutane...take it or not? Will my appearance be worse while taking it or should i just keep taking what im ta ing be ause i dont wanna scare my girlfriend. Ahh i dont know what to do...acne or dry skin is what it comes down to i guess. Oh and with the dry lips...is kissing still the same with them (if a lip moisturizer is used?) Anyone with experience know? You advice a d answers would be appreciated

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Is this a religious dabating board or what? I thought this was about accutane. Seams kindof pointless to bitch about religiou when we obviously have other problems at the moment.

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Yea! 2 more days and I'm done with my second round of this drug. I feel great and confident. I wake up in the morning with clear skin. O my goodness, i hope it lasts! Anyone with bad acne doubting this treatment, hear me now, run, don't walk to your der o, start this treatment!!! Save your skin. Trust me, having scars from previous acne, even after taking Accutane, is almost as bad as having bad zits. To help yourself during your treatment, DRINK WATER, walk a little every day, take Vitamin E, and slee . When your done, go buy yourself a drink!

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i had the tierdness too.....for the first couple of weeks i was in bed by 8.30 every night and i had a couple of nasty headaches. i'm now just finished week 4 and the tierdness has gone...shame the spots are still around although i feel like i'm on the ve ge of improvement. lips are very dry but i can cope with that. i am just longing for the day when i wake up with no new spots. i really thought i'd see more improvement by now. has anyone else seen major improvement later in the course....i've got 12 week to go.

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TO NINA: The reason I don't leave my name or email is because of people like you. This site was intended for people that need to talk about their acne or get some advice. Not for bitter middle aged women who obviously can't handle the fact that you hav zits. Remember that everyone here is has this same "affliction" as you. And it has nothing to do with religion or a curse from the Gods. It has to do with a medical condition that they haven't found a cure for. I hate that I've had this stupid diseas for 13 years but I can't blame anyone except maybe my genes. It sounds to me like you have some serious anger issues that you need to work out with yourself. A dermatologist isn't the only one that can help deal with the bumps. A psychologist might no hurt either. My skin is acne free after my third round of accutane but that doesn't mean the emotional scars aren't there. All I'm saying is stop taking your anger out on the people here that are going through the same mess. And if you can't do that y u honestly don't need to be here.

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I have not began to start my treatment my dr's appt. is July 2 I have a question how long does the initial breakout last. I am getting married on November 17th and want to know if by chance if anybody knows by then should I have semi nice skin. I am not sking for it to be perfect I just would prefer it not to be as bumpy as it is now. If anyone might have an answer please let me know. Thank you

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GINA: After reading comments on this board, I decided to take 400 IU of Vitamin E daily. I heard that it can help with healing and dryness, and 400 IU won't hurt you. Good luck. -A

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pls help !!!! does anyone taking vitamin E while on roaccutane? if yes, what is ure dosage? 500 IU or 1000 IU a day? PLZ HELP !!!

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Another question... My mother and cousin have both gone on courses of accutane in the past. They started breaking out a little, after being off the drug. Two different derms gave them "maintenence" doses of like 1 or 2 pills a week. I have been reading this board for months nd have never heard of this. Has anyone been told to take "maintenence" doses similar to above?

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To I hate acne. I had 3 acid peels and they did not work miracles. However, you have to get several treatments to start to notice. You also have to wait one month in between treatments. There are 2 kinds of peel. One is glycolic(synthetic), the one I had. The other is a natural fruit acid(stronger). I'm going to go for the stronger one. Maybe it will work faster than the previous. Also, azelic acid is good for fading red marks. I've been using that for awhile. It also has some antibiotic properties. Hope this helps.

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Accutane absorption is improved when it's taken with food or milk; this recommendation has nothing to do with stomach upset.

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Day 37. Things are going OK. Have 1 (almost gone) spot on my right cheek, but I'm so full of scars and red marks, it still looks like I have a breakout. I shouldn't moan, I have seen so much improvement, I should be ecstatic!! I am getting more and more t red, and Hayfever and Bronchitus don't help!! WARNING TO EVERYONE! I died my hair last week, the same colour I have been dyeing it for the last couple of years, every 8 weeks ish. It's kind of a dark auburn (it's naturally mid boring brown!) It turned out bright red/orange. My neighbour almost wet herself laughing at me, then went to the shop and bought me a dark brown one to try and help me!!! It dulled it down a bit, but I've just bought another one to dull it a bit more. Disaster!!! Anyway I suppose you hair gets more porous, so PLEASE be careful!! Mine will probably all break off, or fall out now,as I'm going to dye it for the 3rd time in a week! Best wishes to you all. :-x

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hey guys! not a lot of news to report today...spent too much time in the sun and now I'm paying for it. my face is really dry. lets see here...the hair thing isnt a problem because I finally decided to get dreds. *smirk* no more conditioner worries for me ..for now... gilbert, maybe life would be easier for you if you didnt hang around a bunch of "e monsters." I've seen too many people ruined by that stuff. jade and A- good luck, talk to you guys soon.

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TO TIM: I've been on oxytetracyclin, it was one of the first antibiotics I started taking. I used to have just a few spots on my forehead but since then I too developed alot of whiteheads, particularly on my chin and between my eyebrows. I stopped taking xytet as I found my skin got worse, and since then I've been on erythromycin, minocycline and doxycycline. My forehead has pretty much cleared up but my chin area, which turned red too, persistently stays that way. I found oxytet to be the least effective About the whiteheads, my derm said there is no drug or cream that will remove them (apart from over a very long period of time when they would naturally go away, but that could be years). She has to use this electric laser thing that burns them off, but he can only do a few at a time because it does leave a bit of a red mark for a few days. I personally wanted to clear up my red inflamed acne before I got more red marks. I don't know if you are seeing a derm or not, but to get this treatment you have to o to one. If you're not finding oxytet effective then ask for something different. It's often one of the first antib's that are prescribed. I haven't been very successful with any of them so am starting roacc next month. Hope this has been helpful, xx. TO ANNA: Thank you so much for your encouraging words! It's so nice to read such a long positive message - it's put me in a good mood at the beginning of this fairly overcast day!

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I've been on the drug for 3 weeks and am dry and awfuly scratchy. This is preventing me from sleep. Is this normal, and if so does it go away?

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NINA I agree with you. According to the bible those of us with "skin diseases" are all pretty much doomed anyway! (And as for WOMEN with skin diseases...we must be the scum of the earth!) Still...it's a personal choice. :o) Also to the person thinking a out colloidal silver - I did some research on this last night as someone on the other board recommended it - there are some pretty nasty stories about it; a woman ended up with a dark gray face. Apparently it's banned as a medicine but they still get awa with selling it as a supplement. Those who've taken Accutane are used to scare stories I suppose - but it's worth bearing in mind! Good Luck! XXX

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Me again, also I have like one cyst but its small and under the skin. I heard that liquid colloidal silver gets rid of them and after like a few days it went away and now it's back again. Plus the silver made my skin look pale and weird looking. Any sugge tions?????

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How long does it take for accutane to completly leave your system after you're done taking it? I want to go tanning to get rid of some of these red marks. I finished accutane 1 month ago and I have no acne anymore but all these freakin red scars. It looks terrible. I finally get rid of this stuff and it leaves some scars behind to remind me of it. Has anyone done an acid peel and do they work? I seriously want one. Somebody please read this!!

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Hey Everybody. I just found this site. I am on my third course of Accutane, in my third week. To all those people who worry about relapses and having to take it again, don't. It's still worth it. I would take it every couple of years just to have a few ye rs of clear skin. And definitely take the full course. I only lasted 2 and a half months the first time before I couldn't stand the side effects. The second time I lasted about 6 weeks. This time I am going to do the full course no matter what. Having all of you to commiserate with will certainly help. I did it ALL ALONE last time. Now I know I'm not alone and I know it will work. Thank you all for your encouragement! Question: Does anyone know a good lotion that will help itchy skin but is for sensitive s in? I break out in rashes so easily. Right now I'm using Vaseline Intensive Care for severely dry skin. It says its for sensitive skin, but I'm still getting a rash.

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Hi everyone. i am now starting my second course of roaccutane and really don't know what to expect. I was 15 when i took my first course and it wasn't that bad. But this time i am older and have more of a social life and i like to go out and have a few drinks with my ates. Does anyone know what effects alcohol consumption has on roaccutane patients.Thanks a whole lot Steve.

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A positive message to anyone thinking about taking roaccutane or just beginning it: I've been checking this board now for about four or five months, but until now haven't really posted, except for answering a few questions. I've noticed a lot of people n this board asking what roaccutane is like to use, and I what it's like when you're trying to make a decision about taking such a powerful drug with so many potential side-effects, and also the isolation and feelings involved in just having the disease o acne. During the time in which I myself was trying to make a decision, this board was a huge comfort to me, in making me realise that I wasn't alone, and other people all over the world were going through exactly the same thing as I was, if not far worse Not only did hearing about other peoples' experiences make me feel a lot better, but it also helped me make an informed decision about what to do. I'm hoping this message might contribute to helping somebody else in the same way, and that I can perhaps try to give back a bit to this board, for what it helped me with. My problems with acne first really started around my 18th birthday, at the beginning of 1997. I must admit, like most people, I'd had some skin problems while in my early teens, but by the time I was 15 I had perfect skin. In the early months of 1997 ho ever, I started noticing with some alarm, large cyst-like bumps suddenly forming on my cheeks. I had no idea what they were, but within about three or four weeks not only had these got a lot bigger, but my entire face had very quickly erupted with very s vere acne. It was truly like a nightmare, because acne wasn't only a sudden change in the way I looked, but also a huge and sudden change in the way I felt about myself and how people treated me as a person. I felt very suddenly alone. Luckily for me fro time to time antibiotics helped me a lot, for which I'm really grateful. As far as hopelessness goes, I have definitely been there. I don't believe people who have not suffered acne could ever imagine the huge effect it has on peoples' lives. The dama e it does goes far beyond the surface of the skin, and although I know it's not life-threatening, for me I don't believe there are many illness that you can really compare it to. I definitely know the feeling of being faced with the mirror every morning nd not wanting to look and the despair of feeling trapped by this disease, and by what your own body's doing to you. Even waking up meant about 35 minutes in front of the mirror, trying to cover things up. To anyone in despair, I just want you to know that three months ago, my life seemed absolutely hopeless. My last option before roaccutane (dianne-35) hadn't worked for me and gave me very bad depression for the six months I was on it. My face was so red and swollen with acne it was sore to sleep, eat or laugh (not that I would have wanted to). My face had broken out really badly during two of my law school exams, which I ended up failing, almost definitely as a consequence, because I'd done well apart f om those particular finals. I couldn't see a future for me away from this disease, and I can honestly say I didn't feel I had anything to live for. I felt so weak, and such a loser without a future. I was frightened of taking roaccutane for the side-effec s it could have given me, especially depression. It was really my last hope. Three months later, and three months into my treatment with roaccutane, the difference it has made to my life is beyond words. I can't describe how it feels to like what I see in the mirror when I wake up and only to have to spend 5 minutes on it in the orning (as opposed to 40-60), or to be able to run my hand over my face and feel smooth skin. Just to be able to be able to talk to people and know they're not looking at my skin, is something I haven't experienced for a long time. Three months ago I wou d have given anything to feel or look like this. I keep my student ID photo card in my pocket, and it's hard to imagine that it was such a short time ago I used to look like that. I feel like I've started a new life. The side-effects have been nothing i comparison to the positive change. Even if the acne does come back, I won't turn a thought to going back on this wonder-drug. For me it's been worth it just for the time of having clear skin. I have to say that the decision to take it is very personal, and make sure you know all of the side-effects before you decide. It's definitely a very powerful drug, which unfortunately has some bad side-effects for some people, and you won't know how it ill affect you until you've tried it. I just want to say that for me it's done wonders and really saved my life. To everyone with acne, you have my full respect. I think it's one of the most difficult diseases to have to live with, and I know that whil my face was really bad I would have rather have had any disease but this one. I know how hard it is and what it's like to live day by day in hope. I wish everyone the best of luck in the quest for clear skin.

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Wow! there was an awful lot of different reactions from you guys... Whew! :)Now I'm really confused as to if i should take the medicatio or not... My problem started when i was in college... i started with just a few spots on the forehead but nothin really serious... but when pressure and stress set in i developed acne all over my face, although not as bad as what some of you have experienced... It's better now coz i've been visiting my dermatologist for "cleaning" sessions... but then they just won't go away... their very persistent! Also because of the "cleaning" regimen i gained scars on the side of my face. Question: Does the drug do something about the scars aside from the pimples? Apprehensions: My case now is not that bad anymore... so i'm afraid that if i take roaccutane it might get worse... what do you think... but i'd reaaly like to get rid of my pimples once and for all! thanks guys hope you'd reply :)

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I've been on roaccutane (30mg daily) for 5 weeks already. Indeed I got the worst breakout i ever had in my whole life in the first 3 weeks. Now it's getting better; the cystic ones had more or less flattened out..but there are still a lot of dull red ma ks on my skin. Is this common? How long will it take for these to clear? I intend to take vitamin E and zinc supplements to aid in the healing process, but do not know if there'll be any drug interactions. Does anyone here have such an experience? By the way, my whole body is itching very badly. What should I do about it? Looking forward to some replies to my questions. Thanks :)

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Hello Everyone, Sorry I haven't been here in a long time, but I have been busy with school and other things.. I have been reading this message board for over five months now. I finally got an appointment to see the Derm... I have a choice to go on Accuta e, but I am not sure.. I am afraid of the side effects.. Mainly the bad outbreaks and the hair loss... What does everyone think about this drug.. Should I go on it??? What is everyone's opioin? Feel Free to answer

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they say dont go in the sun, what do I do I go in the sun and get a reallly bad burn on my chest stomach and back. hope I didnt really screw myself over.

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Well I think I now know why you shouldn't go in the sun while on accutane (besides that fact that you are completely dried up like a prune from the inside out DUH) But I was out on a boat all day and had gone to the beach all day a few days before taht an I was looking at my skin and I've noticed the most strange little white spots all over my skin that have actaully changed the pigment color. Now they have no color and have turned pure white. I am going to see my derm. tomorrow and ask what they hell the are and whether or not they are permaenent and if they are from the sun. I never noticed them begore but I guess I can't be 100% positive that they came from accutane and weren't there before but I certainly hadn't noticed them before! WIsh me luck!

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Hey I read your post and I have been on accutane for almost a month now (going in for my first blood test tomorrow since I've been on it!) and I remember having TERRIBLE headaches for the first 4 days I was on it. THey were absolutely horrible but went aw y during the second week and haven't come back. For being on such a high dosage (40mg one day, 80mg the next) it took a long time before I started noticing things. The second week I stopped getting greasy, now I'm never greasy and two days ago I started s eing my skin on my face starting to get dry. Just a tiny amount of peeling which I got under control with Vit.E cream. Well good luck to everyone I will see what my blood test brings tomorrow!!

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Why I can´t drink a beer ar take the sun in the beach when i´m using Accutane???

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To the coward who can’t reveal his name: Maybe YOU should try something novel: Being different! Just because 95% believes there is a God (a number you no doubt picked out of your tailpipe) doesn’t mean they’re right. People used to believe the world was f at, remember? Why don’t you stop preaching and realize that the buddhists got it right: They believe in the evolution of the mind and spirit without being directed by an antiquated bible written by a bunch of male chauvinists. The only disease I equate to acne is religion. Thank you, Marijke, for the encouragement!!

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Hello everyone. Ive had acne since 6th grade, and im going into 11th now. It hasnt been that bad of a case, but WONT go away. Ive tried so many medications and i been on pills for so long. It seems like they worked at first then stopped working. Well acne hasnt prevented me from getting a girlfriend who loves me alot. Tomarrow i have a derm appointment and i dont know what i should do about accutane...take it or not? Will my appearance be worse while taking it or should i just keep taking what im ta ing because i dont wanna scare my girlfriend. Ahh i dont know what to do...acne or dry skin is what it comes down to i guess. Oh and with the dry lips...is kissing still the same with them (if a lip moisturizer is used?) Anyone with experience know? You advice and answers would be appreciated

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I am going to my dermatologist on Friday. I would like to ask him about a drug that was mentioned on this board a while back. Some one had said that they had gone to see their doctor and that they had an important event coming up so they needed their face to be clear pronto. If some one could give me the name of this med. that makes your face clear like in three days. Thanks!

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Mary : If you are having these sorts of side effects I would recommend talking to your dermatologist. _Persistant_ headaches, while listed as a common "side effect" of isotretinoin are not a good indicator. What doseage are you on at the moment? Perhaps y u and your dermatologist should look at lowering it.

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Hi, I managed to avoid acne most of my teenage years, but since I went to Uni last Oct I have got quite a few outbreaks on my face. My back is fine, as is my neck and chest, but my face just refuses to let up. I tried the Benzoyl cream, but no success so the oc put me on OxyTetracyclin. I've been on it a few months (3) and I think I see an improvement, but I still keep getting massive whiteheads on my chin, that get infected and leave my chin all messed up and red. I just wondered if anyone else has tried Oxy etracylin and was it successfull - and has anyone had any success with any medication to get rid of whiteheads in particular? I really appreciate any info, I feel like climbing the walls somedays ;-) As for the Ectasy question, I read in the Doc's surgery the other day that researchers think E's may cause Acne in teenagers by increasing blood flow to the face. I can't remember exactly, but I wouldn't touch the stuff. Cheers... it will get better ;-)

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I have been taking Accutane for 3 days now and I have been having very bad headaches and belly aches, has anyone experienced these symptoms before? Also, I have read many experiences of dry eyes and not being able to wear contacts, does that go away afte coming off of Accuntane?

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Hi people, i just want to say I love my face and in the past months I got two compliments on my wonderful skin. I didn't have severe acne but a very persistent kind that just wouldn't go away. June 1st of 1999 I started taking Roaccutane (40mg/day) until 1 December 1999. 6 months have gone by without Roaccutane, nowadays my face looks beautiful and in stead of all these annoying painful creams I used over a year ago today I only use Cetaphil face wash and moisturizer. I hardly suffered from side-effect only dry lips and a dry nose. The dry lips were gone pretty quick after stopping with the drug, the dry now lasted like 5 months after and now sometimes it's sensitive but I think it's almost back to normal....

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I've been on Roaccutane for 2 weeks now and its been a complete nightmare. I have had the worse outbreak of spots ever known to mankind (or so it seems to me)and just about every side effect on the leaflet only 6 times worse, and a few others besides. Wha s the deal with the strange lizard type skin appearing on my neck, around my forehead and lower jaw area? Or is that just me? Tired all the time, and as itchy as hell. That's why I'm here now - can't get to sleep. Please tell me this gets better. I know i 's early days and I should give it more time. Does the tiredness go away, or do you feel like this for the whole 16 weeks?

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E MIXED WITH ACCUTANE IS BAD. This is a fact. While I must say that I am far from being against careful recreational drug use, using almost any kind of drug (including alcohol) while on Accutane is a terrible idea. For one, there is no information on d ug reactions with Accutane - try one of the sites this page links to, the one that has the medical description of Accutane...it's BLANK, which means that whatever you do could potentially be extremely harmful. Considering the severity of the standard Acc tane side-effects, and the underlying idea of what it does to you - weirding out your body by forcing it to process toxic Vitamin A - and bad things happening doesn't seem like an unlikely result. Secondly, take the side-effects of Accutane and compare them with the effects of E. Accutane causes many people to get flushed, red faces, dries them out severely, to the point where they get epistaxis or bleeding lips, and seems to result in fatigue. E causes you to dehydrate to an absurd degree, makes you feel good enough to forget that you're dehydrated, and it's natural complement - going to raves - usually involves some amount of dancing (unless you suck). It has to be one of the worst drugs you ca take while on Accutane. In fact, I can't think of any drug that wouldn't seem to reactly badly with Accutane considering the side-effects alone, except perhaps marijuana, but I'm too paranoid to even smoke cloves, drink any alcohol, or eat foods that I think contain too much Vitamin A (read: some milks). So, I'll hold off on my re-enactment of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas for now, and I hope you will, too...there'll be plenty of time for that when our skin is nice and clear. ;)

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Hey all -- still wonderfully clear! And struggling to get the dry and brittle ends of my hair to grow out -- that's the only thing that I'm concerned about. I have long hair and it seems as though it's thinner than before, but I think that the dead and b ittle ends are making it seem that way. So.....hopefully in the coming months it'll regrow and become as thick as it was before. But everything is great! The slight scarring that seemed to be left is now pretty much non-existent and I was using Retin-A for like 3 months, but stopped because I was going to start tanning -- and I am tan and clear! Feels real good! Good luck to all! Later.....

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My guess would be the Ecstasy caused your face to become majorly red. I would also assume this was due to mixing the very powerful drug you are using with another very powerful drug. My question to you is this, which is more important to you at this poin in your life? I am not condemning you for using an illegal drug, I am just saying choose your priorities. I personally would have been scared beyond words to mix anythi ng with Accutane. Legal or not. Just my opinion, I hope everything works out for you. br>

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has anyone ever heard of dermitologists giving placebo accutane. i don't have insurance, so i get the medication directly from my dermitologist. the first box i got, i could see side effects like dry skin and lips and such. my skin started clearing ver well. after i ran out of the first box of pills, i went on the second box. i noticed that with my second box, all the side effects have went away and my skin is getting worse and worse. i already had my initial breakout already with my first box!!! am i being a paranoid android or what??? i'm pissed because now i've got these painful cysts covering my ENTIRE chin and i notice that after picking my skin, it's taking longer to heal than it used to. ARGH!!!

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Hello i haven't been on thiste for about 4 weeks so i though id give it a visit ive now been on roaccutan for............4 weeks my side effects have been 80% dry lips, 10% dry skin, 10% nose bleeds and 100000000% clearer skin and only 2 outbreaks and oh ne very nasty (i think its called this) pore explosion. I want everyone on here whose reading this to lift up there chin coz one day your all gonna have a nice face a smooth as a babies butt. I would allready reccomend roaccutan to everyone who even has s ight acne ive have now become me im not embarresed about my self in fact i love my self and yup i have an ego and am extreammly vain but hey why shouldn't i be happy after hating my face for 2 years i think i deserve it don't you ???? GOOD LUCK EVERYONE UT THERE ANYONE THINKING OF TAKING ROACCUTAN TAKE IT BELIVE ME A TOTAL MIRACLE DRUG. any one who wants to chat e-mail me or visit my guestbook. www.paulwinney.co.uk. WWW.PAULWINNEY.CO.UK, pwinney2000@yahoo.co.uk PAULWINNEY200@YAHOO.CO.UK.................. .....................GOOD LUCK EVERYONE !!!!!!

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Hello everyone! I have just finished a 16 week course of roaccutane and do still not have clear skin. Five weeks before the end of the course my skin broke out and was the worst it has ever been. I have just come back from Greece where I spent two weeks and the sunshine seems to have done a better job than the roaccutane!! I know it advises you to avoid sunshine but I wore a high factor and my skin looks tanned and much clearer. I am due to see the dermatologist in two weeks time as the last time she saw me she thought she may have to extend the course. Are there many other people who have had to have longer than 16 weeks on roaccutane?? Feel free to email me or post amessage on board. Thanks. rachel

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I have been taking roaccutane for just over 4 weeks now and have a few questions which, if answered would put my mind to rest:- 1) Can anyone give me an indication of approximately how long it takes for dramatic effects to occur? ( this will persuade me that treatment does work ) 2) Is it best to take my two 20mg tablets separatly or together during the day? Thanks a lot - this website encourages me to believe that my acne will get better!

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I have been taking low dose Roaccutane (approx. 40mg 5 days out of every month) for nearly five years now to treat my mild but persistent acne. No side effects (and great results) EXCEPT, laterly, problems with my eyes. They increasingly feel dry and gritty and are often red. Worse in the morning. The problem is exacerbated by wearing contact lenses. There is often a small amount of pus in the corners of my eyes and I have also had a few attacks of what appears to be conjunctivitis (or is it in fact just severe drying of the eyes caused by Roaccutante?). I know dry eyes are a well-known side-effect of the treatment but has anybody else experienced these slightly more serious symptoms? Eye drops only provide temporary relief but while we're at it, does anybody know any good eye drops that can be used with contact lenses (available in

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Thanks for your message - as you say it's nice to see someone at the same stage - we're also similar weights but only taking 40mg for the first 8 weeks. My problem is also fairly mild but persistent. I've reached 4 weeks today. The dryness seems to have settled apart from very sore lips. I seem to be losing a bit of hair -but I'm hoping it's my imagination and that I'm only aware of it because I know it might happen. My skin seems to have settled right down - those spots that have come up have gone awa without 10 more following them. Long may it last. Good luck to you.

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To Nina: I'm not any kind of holy roller but you need to get a grip. Just because someone doesn't believe what you do doesn't give you the freedom to tell them what is and what is not. Keep your opinions to yourself. When 95% of the world believes in a God mayb you in the minority need to take a second look at the idea. Acne is a disease just like many others out there...not an affliction from God. To Gilbert: Dude...get over the whole friends thing. First if they are really your friends they don't care what your face looks like. Also, the drugs are not helping with the accutane. You are playing with fire when you play with all the stuff going i to your body. How you feel comes from within. Take it from me...I've had acne for 13 years and it hasn't stopped me from having a life and lots of great friends and even getting married. Good luck!

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To Xavier: In response to your question about when to take your accutane, I am on 120mg a day and take them all at the same time right before I go to bed. I take them with either a large glass of water or milk. Taking this large dose at one time without food has n t hurt my skin or stomach in any way. It has not detered my treatment either. I am at the end of my 12th week of treatment and my face is perfectly clear (knock on wood). This is my third round of accutane so I kind of know what I am talking about on t e subject. My acne improved every time I was on it but it came back. The reason I am on this round is because I have literally been on every medication the doctor can prescribe besides another round of accutane. My acne was mild before the treatment, b t persistent. That is why he put me on high doses for 16 weeks. Anyway, if you have anymore questions feel free to email me. Good luck!

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First some things, then I have an interesting question. To Penoo: Chances of your acne getting worse over the course of the medication are slim to none. The only case I've ever read about where someone accused Accutane of worsening their acne was an obsc re post on a Usenet newsgroup a couple of years ago, and I'd take it with a grain of salt. For some people, breakouts get worse during the first few days \ couple of weeks, but after that, everyone stops complaining about their acne getting worse, and st rts complaining about their acne not getting better fast enough - as we all know, it's NEVER going to be fast enough =-/ - and of course, dry skin, dry eyes (I myself believe this is 90% preventable), chapped lips, and the dull red marks left behind (whic fade away and are much, much better looking than acne itself). The scarier things like hair loss, red face, etc. seem to be relegated to the 30+ crowd and people that have taken multiple courses of it. If you're thinking about taking it, I'd look aroun this message board for a while, read the archives, and decide if the side-effects are worth it to you. For many people they are, because acne can be so devestating to self-esteem. But if you're acne isn't that bad (EVERY time I go to the dermatologist notice the plethora of girls aged 13-15 with perfectly clear skin - I'll avoid the obvious comment here about the media-drunk American public and their obsession with flawless beauty resulting from an over-consumption of television...oops) or you don't w nt to risk the more rare, but far more severe side-effects, or it's too much of a hassle or whatever - don't bother. To Jade: I got a cyst at that exact spot yesterday. I'm too tired to put on my contacts in the morning so I wear glasses, and man did it look horrible. I think they turn into normal pimples or fade with no trace faster when one is taking accutane, thoug , because it's almost gone now. Weird. Ok, here's my question: does the time of day you take accutane and how much of it have anything to do with how well it works? I take 70mg a day, so my dermatologist prescribed me boxes of 10mg pills and boxes of 20mg pills - I'm supposed to take 1 10mg a d 3mgs a day. In the instructions that came with the 10mg pack, it says, "Take 1 pill in the morning". The last pack of 10mgs didn't say this. When I first started taking it, I took 30mg at lunch and 40mg at dinner. Then my job got a little more hecti and I started taking the whole 70mg at dinner, or at night with milk and food. I was wondering if anyone's dermatologist had suggested times of day, sizes and splits of dosages, or even types of food - besides milk - that are good to take the Accutane. Anyone? Thanks in advance.

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Hi Everyone, This is to everyone who is suffering the dry scalp, especially if you have developed psorrasis on your scalp- Big scaly patches. I know its gross but accutane can do some gross things to your body. Well I had tried Nizoral and it didn't really work for me. So my derm switched me to a cortizone shampoo. It starts with an F. Sorry I can't remember the name. It just 2 washing my scalp is a lot less flaky and itchy. So if you have this problem I really suggest you try it out. Oh and yeah, my hair looks bad too. Very dry and fly away. If I condition it, it seems a lot thinner(losing hair from drug) . So I guess I rather have dry hair that looks a little fuller than have thin looking conditioned hair. I'm so happy that a lot of you don't have this problem. I asked my derm when hair starts falling out. She said it's different for everyone. Mine started falling out right away(after 4 weeks).Probably many of you won't even have this side effect. I never had the initial breakout. My face cleared completely in the 1st week. So I'm lucky in that respect. Gilbert, having a red face has got to be better than one covered in pimples right? Better to lay off the drugs while you're on this. Perhaps the drugs made you more paranoid and you thought your friends were freaking out over your face. Don't give up or freak out until it's all over. I know it's horrible now but I bet one day you won't even remeber all of this or how bad you felt.Hang in there.

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For everyone out there suffering from dry hair, I know two really good conditioners that make your hair silky soft, managable and provide lots of moisture: PAUL MITCHELL'S "Super-Charged Conditioner" and in L'OREAL'S KERASTASE range "Protein Conditioning ilk". In the KERASTASE range there is also a very good shampoo called "Satin Bath". These are all available from hairdressers, not your average BOOTS. I've had extremely dry hair all my life and have been using these and find them to be very effective. So to all of you out there to which this dry hair thing is a bit of a shock, give them a go! TO NINA: A bit extreme about the whole god thing don't you think? I don't believe in god either but there are many that do so lighten up a bit? TO EYEBROW PERSON: Yo don't need to wax your eyebrows to create an attractive shape, plucking is good too - may take a little longer but at least it gets the job done. Got to go now, good luck everyone!

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JADE: I like having a place where I can freely obsess about my skin. It keeps me from bothering my family and friends about it! I can sympathize with you on the flaky/oily thing. At least you don't have a flaky scalp yet. I put extra conditioner on my scalp today, instead of just putting it on the ends like I usually do. Hope it helps. Also, be strong and don't touch the weird zit/cyst thing! If I can keep my hands off my face, so can you. :) Good luck everybody. -A

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Hi, everyone. I was on accutane for five months (80mg/day, full dosage) last year. My skin became clear and spotless, but my acne started to come back about 3months after the end of the treatment. I started breaking out more on my chest and shoulder areas. My dermoto ogist told me that it's recurrence, and apparently this puts me in the minority because for most people, only one course of treatment is needed. I was so devastead and my doctor gave me accutane again, but she said that she would take a different approac this time. Instead of taking full dosage, I would take only 20mg/day for about a year. Has anyone heard about alternating dosage and attaining better result the second time around? Feel free to e-mail me. Hope everyone's skin becomes clear and beautiful once and forever.

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Oh and CHRIS so glad you're improving!

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Oh Gilbert a hug for you !!! But you should listen to everyone here and look after yourself...or else the acne will have won.

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Hi guys! Looks like we've been keeping close tabs on this board. Somedays I am so grateful that I can turn to this site when I am feeling alone with this skin problem. My face is oily and flaky-yuck! And now I have developed a weird cyst....my face wa clear except for what I could see lying under the skin on my cheeks and along comes this cyst right below my ear lobe on the jawline. At first it seemed like a bug bite without the itch. Overnight though it grew and has become painful. I want to screa , I had hoped I would remain clear. In the back of my mind I keep wondering is this the start of the horrible breakout. I'm crossing my fingers. Aaron and A stick with the conditioner-I have thick wavy hair and must condition everyday-I like aussie and pantene. I also use a leave in conditioner and infusium has come out with a real good one. If it doesn't work, maybe your derm can help. Fortunately I haven't encountered that problem yet. I don't know if I could handle not washing my hair daily...but I guess if it's not washing vs hair breaking off, I would not wash. Well keep in touch. A, I'm trying not to touch the weird zit too. In the long run we are doing our skin a favor altho it feels so grody. Take Care. {:0)

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hey, to all girls out there...how do u guys wax your eyebrows etc while on Roacc...my derm said u shouldn't do any kinda waxing thing,,,so um, what do u all do instead????...any help appreciated . thanx. m.e.

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Gilbert, get a grip. I personally don't care if you want to drop eccies or get yourself drunk, but THERE IS NO GOD! If there was, this site wouldn't be full of beautiful people with skin problems. Bitches and bastards that are vicious and uncaring would b having all these debilitating acne set backs, so pu-leeeease, spare me your prayers. God is a myth.

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Im 14 and im just about to go onto roaccutane and im really scared i have heard all these things about hair loss and skin drying up and lips drying up and i have even heard ur pimples GET WORSE and im not sure what to do im really stressed and i dont know if i should even go on it. If anyone has some advice for me plz tell me im really scared, my mum says im really strong and its a 2% chance that it will get worse (which is all im really worried about) so i dont know what to do plz help me

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well week 3 and still a few pimples. dry peeling skin and red underneath, do I just stick it out or what? Patience is a virtue right? To Golbert from US, I am not passing judgement but Ecstacy is a potent dangerous drug, to mix it with a strong drug like accutane and then drive is a risk. I know I sound like a mother but be careful, your life is worth something.

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Hello once again, one and all! Sorry that I haven't been to the site for so long, but my server has been down, and my search engine did not seem to like me at all. It's as if the computer was saying "NOOOOOOOO!!!! IT'S MY BLEEPING MODEM NOW!!!!!!!" Anyway, I'd also like to apoligise to Helly Welly. As a result of the problem above, my email is not working at all, and will not let me get into it to fix the problem. I will have to do a huuuuuuuge format of my hard drive. NOT NICE. My acne is getting MUCH better, and the side effects seem to be subsiding a little. The back pain and the peeling remains, but I will live. Sorry, but an error message has just popped up. Gotta go!!! Bye Helly!!!!

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After taking accutane 4 times over a period of 10 years (with great success), I still experience the hot flushes that I had whilst taking the medication. On & off throughout the day my face feels on fire, are there any ex or present acne sufferers that ar experiencing this problem ? I understand that many will say this is simply a reaction to stress/anxiety which is what my doctor claims, but I'm not convinced. I work in a relatively stress-free industry & get on extremely well with my co-workers as well as my friends/family. The inf on possible accutane side-effects does mention my symptoms, but I was under the impression they would only occur whilst taking the drug. I'm afraid I have may have done some damage taking 4 courses of accutane. Any thoughts ? thanks everyone.

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Reply to Gilbert Come on Gilbert. We all know how depressing it is to have acne. Try 16 years of it! Doctors prescibed nothing for acne when I was a teenager. We just had to live with it. So cheer up man, you have your arms and legs for gods sake. And you also have a good chance of beating this. Also, if you are going to take E's you have to put up with the side effects. If your derm finds traces of it in your blood he might stop your treatment.

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Let me start by saying that I think many people who have success with Accutan drop out of the forum, quite obviously, some come back to mail of their good luck, while others just want to forget their acne past. No, I didn't count, didn't check, that's jus what I think, cause at the start of my cure I wanted to post monthly, but I just didn't see this happen. It shall also not make you think that you'll just hear the probs here and millions of other people are faring well with it, so next thing you do ist tart taking Accutan. Think carefully before doing it. I thought about going on Accutan for over half a year, looking at this (great) forum (hope the new one will be even better) now and then, and then decided to finally try it out. So I've been on Accutane for 4 months, 80mg/day, 80 kgs. Main problem area: my back, and also my face a bit. 2 more months to go on 60 mg/day.I've had acne long enough to learned to live with it, so I do not rely on it with my life's happiness, and don't orry too much if it takes some time to get better and any drawbacks. But my story is a rather good one. I suffer only minor side effects Dry skin, lips, and the inside of my nose - prolly my biggest problem at times, as it started to bleed a bit during month 2 and 3. And it was watering a bit now and then. Nothing really serious. Some minor outbreaks during the first 3 months. Blood analyi is showing some blood fats going up, but it's still ok. Oh. Stay away from alcohol while on accutan (can't say it too often) - I usually don't drink, but one day some girl told me stories of the past that I had to drink som spirits (not getting drunk btw) and completely forgot my blood anylysis the next day. That one showed really weird values then, had to re-test quickly. Next one was ok. But now to my problem, to my Acne: As said, month four, and my face cleared up completely, as for my back, well, it's still not pretty, but it looks much better. Starting t heal, my doc says. Wonder if it will continue to get better next two months. So far, Accutan worked for me.

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damnit!!!...you guys don't even understand how pissed off i am right now. On saturday, i went to a rave, and saw all of my best friends who i haven't seen for about 3 months. For the first time in 3 months, i thought i looked feasible enough to show mys lf in public. It's been 14 weeks already, and i haven't had any major/big cystic zits lately, so i thought i looked feasible enought to show my self in public. Since it was a rave, i couldn't resist taking a tempting hit of E(ecstacy). Before i took th hit, everyone was goin up to me, tellin me how much they had missed me, since they haven't seen me in so long. So then, i assumed my face looked alright. Unfortunately however, when i began to feel the effects of the E, I started to become REALLY HOT a d SWEATY. Inside the room, it was dark, so no one noticed anything. But when we all went outside to get a breath of fresh air, that's when the TURMOIL started. We went outside to sit in a circle and smoke cigarettes, and everyone was staring at me, giv ng me a wierd look. Seeing as how i'm real perceptive, i knew right away something was wrong with my face, otherwise all these pricks wouldn't be staring at me. Then, all of a sudden, my friend tells me, "what's wrong dude, your face is hella red " I knew it was the accutane, but i couldn't let them know that, so i told them that i had major allergies, and that i had severe sinuses. Lame excuse huh. I felt so horrible, and so embarassed, and so ashamed. Since it was a rave w th thousands of people there, i lost my friends on purpose. I left the rave, without even telling them, went to my car and drove straight home. How depressing and pathetic is that. I can't even begin to tell you the pain i was feeling then. The next day, when they asked me what happened to me, i simply told them that i had lost them in the crowd, and because of that i decided to just leave. I hate my life. Its 14 weeks already. Why can't i just have a normal looking face. How m ch longer do i have to suffer from all this depressing misery. PLEASE GOD, YOU KNOW THAT I AM NOT A BAD PERSON, YOU KNOW THAT I HAVE A GOOD HEART, AND THAT I HAVE NOTHING BUT GOOD INTENTIONS...WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS

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hi its been over a week now from when I started taking accutane and my skin has become better. im still breaking out in some areas but not as much. I cant wait till the day my skin would be acne free. my hair does fall out quite alot and my lips become dr and bleed but other than that things are fine. if anyone knows of any natural lip balms please write

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To Sarah of Canada - A great cleanser to use on your skin is Cetaphil (very mild) and of course an oil free moisturiser - I used one from Clinique. As for the lips well I tried everything and the absolute best product is paw paw ointment (an Australian p oduct). See if you can obtain this from a health food store. All youn guys out there with sore and red eyes - just keep putting moisturising drops! Good luck.

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Natile and Jeanne- thanks for your support, I feel better now about the whole ordeal all of us are going through. I was wondering when people begin to loose hair, because I haven't noticed this side effect at all. I am only in my second month, and am sti l batteling breakouts, but I guess the side effects are different for everyone. I also noticed that someone mentioned alcohol. Is it true that it could alter my med's? The other night I had a couple of drinks and ended up throwing up, and I never do th t. I thought it could be the accutane or could it possibly be the birth control. Any advice?

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so im on month two I think? 80 mg a day, 125 lb. ive been noticing lately my nose is getting oily. Inver had a big problem with my face getting dried out on this med, but I never noticed it being greasy anymore. so now that my nose is getting a little bit greasy im getting worried, is it possible im get ing immune to the drug? and its not like im on a low dose either. plus I went for a blood test today cause my cholesterol went up to 247, hopefully the derm wont lower my dosage when the results come back, cause this drug is slow working for me and now im afraid im becoming "immune" to it. blech.

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Hi, everybody. I on my second week of Accutane, and I'm having a pretty good skin day! I'm starting to get a little flaky, esp. around my eyebrows, but no new zits today. I'm making a little challenge for myself for the next week: no picking at pimples or whiteheads. It hard not to, but I don't want to make them look worse! AARON, I totally understand about the dry hair/scalp issue. I *like* my hair, I don't want it to look awful due to Accutane. It seems like people are recommending cutting back on shampoo and using conditioner rather turning to dandruff shampoo. I'm still tempted to use Nizoral since I think it will stop the itching and flaking. Good luck everyone, and remember to drink as much water as possible (it really helps with the dryness)

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Hi. I am now taking accutane for the second time.The first time i took it, i was on it for 7 months @ 60mgs a day. After being off of it for only less than 4 months, my zits returned...smaller yes, but there were thousands of them...all over my fa e!! This stuff is really bad but I have no other choice...no where else to turn. People, just to let you know, do not be surprised if you are not CURED from acne after your first treatment. I heard that the majority of people are not. I know, rather depr ssing. Does anoyone have any atatistics on people who take a second course of it? And info would be much appreciated! ~ Montana

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hey all! not a whole lot happening lately...going on almost two weeks of accutane. my skin is still quite schizophrenic...oily in the morning and drier in the evening. I've had some hair fall out in the shower, not enough to really be concerned about yet. so far the the hair problems are the toughest, I've gone through what seems like 20 bottles of conditioner in the last few days. nothing really makes a pronounced difference. the fatigue and lightheadedness is nowhere to be found, history, outta here. *wh w* hope it stays that way. haveta run, take care everybody, talk to you soon

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Well i'm thinking of going on Accutane. A friend of my dad visited and my dad always jokes about my face (it's not that bad, but it just doesn't go away)... anyways, the friend mentioned Accutane, so i'm checking with my Doc. tommorow. Hope it works :) dunno why i'm posting this here, not like anyone cares. maybe i should ask if people think it's worth going on it. I've read a lot of possitive and negative posts. maybe people could email me and let me know what they think about it. than

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this is interesting site to check out if u wanna increase your oral skills....in 13 lessons( i think) the author undertakes to increase your oral skills.

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Hi evrybody! I do have some hair loss and I suspect roaccutane to responsible for it... Did somebody experienced that too and did his hair grow up again after the treatment? Has somebody heard about propecia (it is pills for growing hair and it's supposed to be wonderful)

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WINNIE: I haven't actually started roacc yet - I will next month, but at least now I know it's not completely abnormal - thanks. (This is completely irrelevant but I was born in Hong Kong and lived by Discovery Bay until '98 when we moved back to England! Sorry everyone, it's just exciting to see someone from HK.)

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Jon, I had little sores on my upper lip, and my doctor prescribed Cutivate Ointment. This worked pretty fast, but my sores were very small and pink. I also had very swollen lips for a month, and I got injections straight into them to bring them back to norma . I have found that mixing 1% hydracortisone cream with aquaphor helps releive the burning of my lips.

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has anyone developed what is like a sore on there lips during there treatment with accutane? i have had this little lip on my lip for a month or two(ever since i started accutsne) today this lump has got bigger and you can see it and its very red. has any ne had the same problems? my lips are burning and they kill!!!!! also has anyone else has swollen lips? Thanks

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I just wanted to say that I finshed taking roaccutane in February and my skin is still continuing to get better. I was very wary at first about taking it as all the side effects really worried me. But after weighing up all the pros and cons I decided to use the tablets. My skin was dry etc but now that I have been off the tablets for four months my skin is lovely and soft and I don't get any new breakouts. The scars where awful but I have been seeing a beauty therapist who is reducing the redness and scarring. I hope that this message helps anyone else who is cautious about this drug.

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Ian, it's best not to drink while on Accutane because your liver will have to work too hard. I don't know about the rash although I'm sure I have heard someone here mention this type of thing before...someone will post to reassure you! Good luck and by the way COME ON ENGLAND!!!

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sorry, was interrupted ( i am very shy about my problems!). I think i was about to say that i worry that i'm drinking too much? whats the deal? Can it stop the nasty little pills doing their job? And finally, somedays i feel like i'm losing it, like i'm g nna go mad at anyone who even says hello, and some days i just cant be arsed. Somebody hold my hand and tell me it'll be alright - please, especially about the beer and rash- are they connected?

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Yes, i've had the usual side effects - dry lips and skin - and i've seen it all before in two friends. Three things really worry me, though. One is that i have a really angry rash on the inside of my forearms - this seemed to get worse recently after a sp ll in the sunshine, and has started to blister painfully. Secondly, i

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I've yet to check with my doctor about this, but ever since my dosage was increased to 60 mgs/day, I've become extremely fatigued. I used to be so energetic, and now all I seem to do is sleep. It's a little distressing. The package insert and the PDR don' say anything about this, and I have been traveling a lot in the past three weeks, but it still is unusual for me to be this tired. Anyone have any info on this? Thanx!

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to holly -------> i had serious broken out after clubbing. but i think it's not related to clubbing. it's just the normal break out caused by taking accutane. any one can tell me the price of accutane in canada??? thanks

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Dawn, I have the exact same problem. I have these big lesions too where I picked. I also thought there is no way hair can grow out of a scalp so dry. I called my derm yesterday and she phoned in a script for me. One is a shampoo with cortisone to shrink inflamation and get rid of the flakes, the other is a lotion that does the same thing, the other was for claratin to take care of itching. Call your derm. My hair looks bad too! I just pull it in a ponytail everyday. I don't even have to brush it. A girl emailed me yesterday and told me not to worry so much because your hair does come back. Sometimes even thicker. I'm just going to try and stick it out. Good luck!!!! Someday we will have forgotten all about this annoying experience.

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Yes, lots of people get this. Eye drops such as Optrex should soothe them a bit. Good luck, Blue XXX

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Hello. I'd like to thank the operator of this board for their great job.. I've been addicted to this board this I started on accutane (8weeks ago) And I just cant wait for the day I come here and write about my success story (keeping all fingers crossed). I had one question.. I was wondering if anybody experiences red-eyes (even tho my eyes arent exactly red.. but they sure do feel like it) thru-out their course of accutane? My eyes have been feeling rather 'tired' and 'hot' lately. I feel like I need to c ose them more often.. Thanks in advance for any response..

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ALBO - I don't think it's really bad (healthwise) that you keep forgetting to take your pills, but if you don't take the pills as prescribed, then you might not get the result that you're hoping for. I also think you should talk to your doctor about your orgetfullness (just in case she/he needs to change your dosage), and in the future, you need to try and take them as prescribed. It really does matter. SARAH - a lot of people have written in with suggestions on which products to use, so I would recommend that you read through the Archives to see which products might be available in your area/country. ALL THE BEST.

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I stopped taking Roaccutane 2 months ago because of the hair loss I was suffering from. It's slowed now, but it has not stopped entirely. My lips and face are still dry too, so the effect of the drug must not have worn off yet. While on Roaccutane, becaus my skin was so fragile, I didn't use many topical acne treatments. But now I'm going to try using them to control the pustules I get on my forhead, nose, cheeks and neck. Benzoyl peroxide I've begun using now. But I would REALLY appreciate any advice on he use of Azelaic Acid and Glycolic (aka Alpha-Hydroxy) Acid solutions. Have they worked for you, which brands, etc. THANKS IN ADVANCE.

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I've been on accutane, for 6 weeks now,and there hasnt been much change yet, just that pimples dont seem to come to my chin anymore, which is pretty cool, but the reason im writing is beacuase, i have come lazy to a degree. When i go out on the weekend i ometimes forget a dose or two, do u think this could be effecting me, i havent suffered any side effects except dry lips and at the very start i had flakey skin, but that went away with skin repair cream, never to return? PLEASE TELL ME IF FORGETING IS REALLY BAD, BECAUSE ILL HAVE TO START TO MAKE AN EFFORT

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MY SCALP IS DRIVING ME absolutely crazy. It is flaking, and scaling like I've never seen before. I used to have pretty hair but it looks like sh*t now. I always had hair on the dry side but I could control it with dry hair shampoos and conditioner. Now my hair resembles hay and its so brittle that I don't even want to touch it because I think it will break. Also more of it is falling out then normal but nothing that looked too alarming (yet). What can you do for your scalp?? Is there anything you can do fo hair that has been destroyed by it? I've been on it for only one month and am at 60mg. I'm scared that its going to keep getting worse and worse and worse and will force me to go off accutane. And its not even for thinning its just ruined the texture of y hair and I can't even brush it anymore, its so uncomfortable and itchy and dry and I have two huge skin patches missing from the front of the hair from where I itched/picked it too much. I'm trying to leave it alone butI'm afraid that the hair is going o fall out of those spots and not grow back. SOMEBODY HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!!

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My acne is moderate and sometimes mild but persistent...I've tried everything..... and today I just started Accutane. I don't really know what to expect... can anyone tell me if my acne will get worse in the first couple weeks???? Will it even if it's no that bad in the first place??? Also...does anyone have any suggestions for good moisturizers for your face and/or lips???

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Just wanted to say thanks for the support! Its rough and any kind words/advice are definitely appreciated! Thanks Blue, I will be checking out that site. Over the next couple of months I hope to make a decision, more accutane at a lower dose or spiro. ike everyone else I just want this problem to end, and I'm determined. I think you really have to suffer from the disease to know how it effects you psychologically, it can be devastating. Its good to talk to other people who are battling it because they know what its all about. And I don't bring up my hair loss to scare everyone, my interest is to get advice from other people who have gone through it, and also if anyone had it the 1st time out and went back for more -- I'd really like to hear if anyone id that, and survived the 2nd treatment! I very much want to be positive.

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Could someone please give me some advice.... I was on Roac about three years ago, on 40mg a day, I weighed 62kg. Now I weight 48kg and the dermatologist has put me on 60mg a day. I am tall, 5'9'' - but does this make a difference in prescribing dosage. My skin is not as bad as it was the last round either. The doctor said it was to get through the course faster. Thanks....

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hey! I've now been on Accutane for 6 and a half weeks...I started at 40 mg a day, but my dermo moved me up to 60 mg a day. I've noticed that my skin is sooooo smooth on my cheeks and forehead, but I am still getting some cysts on my outer cheeks and jawl ne. :( They are clearing up, and when I get one they aren't that big anymore, but it is still bothersome. To all of you on Accutane, just stick with it!! In the beginning I experienced some hair loss (it's stopped), my scalp was itchy and dry (also st pped), headaches, and I did get a pretty bad breakout. My lips are also verrrry dry and I think I'm gonna end up peeling them off! :) But my acne is beginning to clear, woohoo! I still have some days where I feel crappy, but right now I would have to ay it's all been worth it. My dermo said I'm doing great so far, but I stlil have 3 and a half months to go! Yikes. Good luck to all of you! :),Chloe

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Melinda, Iknow just how you're feeling but please don't be despondent just give the Roaccutane time and I'm sure your skin will improve. For the first two months of Roaccutane my skin broke out something terrible and I felt like hibernating but now that the two months has passed I've got skin so smoothe and soft just like the proverbial "babies bottom!" I still can't believe it and keep on going to the mirror to check and just hoping that it will stay this way and not erupt into the terrible mess it was Just try to be patient and you"ll be hopefully as happy and amazed as I am very soon. All the very best and just believe YOU WILL GET THE CLEAR SKIN YOU ALWAYS HOPED FOR - I did and just hold thumbs it stays this way!!!!

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I am now into my fourth week on Roaccutane, and although my skin is drier, I am still getting new spots regularly. It hasn't helped with the hot weather here recently (90F+) as it makes my skin more oily. I have started drinking more water after reading comments on the board and have noticed that it makes my skin peel less. The main side effects that I have had are tiredness, even after long periods of sleep, and I have also had a sore throat since taking the drug, which is particularly bad in the morn ngs when I wake up. However, I can live with it as long as my acne is cured. I currently have a couple of cysts on more forehead, which come up like bumps under the skin. Does this type of acne disappear quicker than conventional spots?

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HAIR LOSS: here's my personal experience. i was 16, and didn't notice until after the treatment (had all the other crap to deal with at that time, plus a mental breakdown, so yeah ...) i went to a trichologist, which takes care of not only your hair, but they look at the inside as well, because t at effects hair pretty badly :) this was pretty embaressing for a 16 year old girl! (although I did get some pretty interesting chats in the waiting room, including an aging lady who told me that diana's death was a conspiracy and all her details on that!) but it wasn't really that hard to deal with :) well, thats my 2 cents ... :)

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Melinda - it can definitely take more than a month (or even 2-4 months) before you start seeing any improvements. I'm on my second course of treatment, and the first time around it took about 3 months before my skin started to clear up.

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even the ancient Romans and Greeks suffered from acne ... at least we aren't the only period of people, i s'pose!

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YIPPEE!! MY 1ST SESSION OF ACCUTANE IS DONE! i have been on it for 5 or maybe six months, cant even remember, its seems like forever! i did have the dry skin, but not bad like everyone else, just chapped lips, i weigh 110, ben on 60 mm a day for t e past two months, did it work?? yes do i look perfect?? no do i now have soft flawless skin? no, i unfortuneatly waited too long to begin treatment, so i do have some minor pitting and scarring. are people treating me any different? NO!! its s ill the same old me in side, and pills cant change that! i see my derm in another week i am going to beg him for some other kind of treatment to keep my skin looking like this (best in 12 years!) by the way i have spent 1500 on my treatment, with no i surance, so i deff. do not want to do this agian next year!

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I began taking accutane about a month and a half ago and can deal with the dryness, but have not seen any drastic results. Infact I am breaking out worse than ever. Why and when does this all stop? My dermatologist told me that it is normal for my acne to get worse at the beggining. I am deffinitley willing to hang in with the treatment if it means clear skin, but what can I do in the mean time? Is this normal, everyone else seems to say the results start showing within a month. Please help! -Melinda

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To Andi: I'm so sorry for worrying you, I'm the person that said I would take the so-called "overdose". It probably came out all wrong -- I knew I would see my dermatologist in a few days and that he would increase my daily dosage, so I just thought, why ot start a couple days early? Again, I'm sorry for wording it so poorly, I was in a bad mood and it showed :-( Sorry...

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A - Try using Moisture by Aussie. IT's an intense mosturizing conditioner and it seems to help.

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Thanks Jo, Obviously I am very sensitive. There are so many people with much worse problems and they seem to function everyday. I know my situation probably isn't that bad, it just feels that way. I wish I could just stop thinking about it, but it seems that is all I think about. I did call my doctor today and spoke to the nurse. She said hair thinning can show up in as little as 5 weeks. She is talking to my derm(impossible to get a hold of) and is going to get back to me. So...I'm crossing my fingers and hoping I can stay on this mentally for at least 3 months total. I'm supposed to be on it for 5 months. Don't think I can stand it. The androgen therapy sounds interesting. I wish you all the best on it. Who know, maybe I'll ask my doctor about that too. Thanks again!

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Right now, five months seems like forever. I've only been on Accutane for 5 days, and I'm already obsessing over my skin. I keep looking in the mirror to try to see a difference. Of course I know nothing will happen for a while, but I'm so impatient. hen I think about all the time I wasted using ineffective medicines, I'm so mad at my doctor. If I had started accutane back then, I would have clear skin right now.

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A really quick post cos i was really concerned about someone that mentioned that roaccutane didn't seem to be working for him and that he joked(I hope) and said that he would take an overdose to see what would happen and that who cares if it kills him... How could this be???? It is really toxic stuff that is why it is so controlled - body weight, blood tests and everything.... Most of us posting to this website know how destressing acne is - I know I do - I had it for several years and it really took away my confidence, self e teem and everything. I had to go on a second course cos it came back again after a year of clear skin. People started complimenting me saying that i was pretty - which i have a hard time believing cos i had really low image of myself, having suffered ac e for several years. It really scared me when my acne started re-appearing and my self-esteem shot down again. It really got me down so severely cos i thought i'd gotten rid of it, I even missed 2 weeks of uni. It really affected me psychologically(hope i spelt it right) too-really shy and everything, until i finally realised this is not how i want to be and this is not me- well anyway when i decided to go back to uni - i left off the foundation - my skin was the worst it had ever been at the point that t was really uncomfortable to wear - i was surprised that all my friends were so supportive about it, and could see the pain i was going through although i tried hard not to show it - they really did not treat me any differently as i thought they would. My point is, is that your true friends value you for who you are on the inside - forget about those ignorant people who stare at you and judge you - they are not worth thinking about - they don't even know you. I wish that guy luck with roaccutane - and i really hope that your skin clears - it is an unfair thing to have - but truely, whats in in the inside is really what counts. (o: Good luck.

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There are some unhappy campers out there today in Accutane-land, aren't there? Must be Monday. I'm trying to stay positive and hope that this drug will help my acne within the next few months. JADE, you might have a slight illness rather than an Accuta e symptom, but I don't know. My throat has been drier than normal too, and I definitely think that it could be related to the drug. My symptom of the day is DANDRUFF(scalp and around eyebrows). Gross, huh? I don't know if I should be using over-the-co nter Nizoral or just heavy conditioner. What do you think? Good luck everyone. -A

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Yes a lot of people get dry EVERYWHERE! I think you can use KY Jelly or similar. You have to be very careful if you use tampons, because the high absorbency plus the dryness could lead to TSS so you have to be especially sure you change it regularly and use the lowest absorbency you can get away with.

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Well, I convinced my idiot dermatologist to up my dosage to 80mg/day after 2 months of doing 60mg/day. At first he wanted to put me on some sort of penicillin to control the breakouts, instead of raising the Accutane dose. Grrrrr..... I don't want to CONT OL them, I want to END them forever! So I refused to take any antibiotics. If I get a reacurrance after my course is done, I don't want to look back and wonder if my dosage was too low. Oh yeah, I weigh 130lbs or 60kg. And yes, I know more about Accutane than my derm; he is just a vehicle to get my prescription.

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According to my dermatologist, Accutane will make you more sensitive to the sun (during and after treatment). So if you choose to still spend a lot of time in the sun, without using proper protection (sunscreen, clothing, etc.), then you will damage your kin, increase your chance of getting skin cancer, make your skin more red and wrinkled, and it will make you more apt to develop scars from the acne, as well as slow down the healing process for any existing scars.

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Hello, can someone please tell me why it is bad to be in direct sunlight while you are on accutane because I have to be in the sun all day its my job. I am kinda dark to begin with so does it just make your face redder, or doesnt let the red go away???? an someone please e mail me

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Hi Sarah! I am sorry if my story scared you, I don't mean to make anyone alarmed! I guess accutane is a pretty potent drug and you never know which side effects you will get. I have only corresponded w/2 other women so far who had the hair loss problem. I have the thinning around the part and front of my hairline - well, that's where I see it. But nobody else can tell, just me. I'm a bit concerned about when it will finally get better though, because I've been off now for 4 months and see some little spi y hairs, but that's it. I've gone to a different derm last week & she wasn't very positive about it, she said I should probably not do even a low dose of accutane (my skin's on the skids to add to my dilemna). I am looking at alternatives right now, main y hormone therapy, because I've been going through this since I was 11 yrs old - not severe, but mild to moderate acne. At this point I want closure on it, I don't want to have this until I hit menopause! I wouldn't worry too much about buying a wig thou h, I felt exactly the same way when it was happening but I'm far from needing a wig! If you're sure you are really shedding that much you might want to take a look at your dosage, and when this really was a problem for me I cut down on how often I washed my hair drastically and I even used a pick instead of a brush to avoid pulling at it. And don't brush it when its wet. If you are really sure its a problem I'd talk to your derm though, talking to other people about it helps alleviate the stress but a me ical pro can probably give you better insight, and hopefully make you feel less nervous. I know several other people who were on it when I was and although they had slight shedding it was no big deal.

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Does anyone find that after they go clubbing they break out? Coz I went on saturday night and then when on the nightbus home at 4am, I looked in the window and saw in my reflection that I had developed quite a big cyst on my forehead and a few smaller spo s too. Why does this happen? Is there anything I can do b4 going out to prevent this? Thanks for your time. xx

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Hey guys. it is Jill. I am currently on my 20th day of my second course of treatment. So far, side effects include dry eyes, VERY dry lips, itchy scalp, and dizziness/headaches. I see that many of you are experiencing the same. well, i'll keep posting!

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This is embarassing..but has anyone experienced a very itchy vaginal area while on accutane? Let me know! CC

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Hey all, checking back in today. It's only been a month but as I said before I am starting to get thinning hair around my part. This is sooo upsetting. I thought hair loss didn't start until the 3rd or 4th month. Like many others my scalp is sooooo dry and flaky and itches and burns all day. I'm gong to call my derm today. I wonder if the dry flaky scalp is responsible for the hair loss. My boyfriend wants me to stay on accutane because he says my skin looks great and my hair loss will not be permanent. I hope to God this is true. After reading Jo's story(sorry Jo but you cared me) about it taking forever to get back only some of her hair I am really freaked out. I'm already looking into wigs just in case. Well, if anyone has some advice, comments, etc. I could really use some cheering up. I just can't wait until this is ver!!!!! Needless to say, I was depressed all weekend.

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