So i'm on my last month of Accutane(actually Claravis, but lets keep it simple). I already know all the side effects so no reason to bring up the depression, sadness, suicide and other stuff in this thread. I never had anything more so than i had before.

My acne wasn't disgusting or overtaking my face. But it was visable, with a good amount of cystic type underneath the skin. Accutane has made a world of difference, i'm just scared my face will go into a recession once its out of my system.

My question is for those of you that went thru the accutane cycle. How long have you been off of it and how is your face doing now?

1/31/2007 8:27:59 AM

mine was really bad, took it during my sophomore yr of college.

i was paranoid it would come back after I stopped but it never has 7 years later.

there are plenty of folks who have to go through second and third treatments. i think three is the maximum allowed.

1/31/2007 8:35:59 AM

i was on accutane back in 7th grade, so about 1993. i never got acne again....i do still get the occasional pimple every now and again, but never an outbreak.

i tried multiple drugs before finally going with accutane, and it ended up working like a charm.

i too (and still to this day) never experienced any of the depression side effects.

oh, i had a lot of acne, but it wasn't super super bad (like my whole facing being red). i had a few patches that were constantly acting as little zit gardens.



[Edited on January 31, 2007 at 8:50 AM. Reason : ;']

1/31/2007 8:38:08 AM

ditto of the above post. except i was on it in 2000.

[Edited on January 31, 2007 at 8:42 AM. Reason : ]

1/31/2007 8:42:28 AM

I took it back in 2000-2001, i guess you cant compare the before and after since I met you around 2003

it's still working!

it seems like it simply knocks it out for good

1/31/2007 8:47:39 AM

I took it back in the early days high school, I think it was 1999 or 2000. The cystic stuff stayed away for good- I haven't had a cystic breakout since (they used to be all over my face). I still get breakouts (mainly around my period, etc), but they're really mild. Keeping my face clean and using some topical gel clears keeps most of it in check.

I still have a few scars and stuff, but I don't look like a pizza anymore.

Quote :

"i tried multiple drugs before finally going with accutane, and it ended up working like a charm"

I tried a lot of them, too. I ended up being allergic to the tetracycline family, so that went down the poop chute quickly as far as options were concerned. For a while after being on Accutane, I was on a low-dose amoxicillin daily.

[Edited on January 31, 2007 at 8:57 AM. Reason : .]

1/31/2007 8:51:31 AM

I took it in 01-02. I was pulled off of it before I could finish the last month of treatment because my cholesterol levels were too high. There was a world of improvement but I still had occasional breakouts. I went back to my dermatologist and got prescribed some topical creams and antobiotics which is what I was using before the treatment. That kept it pretty much in check and I eventually quit filling my prescriptions. I get the occasional minor breakout now but its nothing that doesnt go away in a day or two. I only use a daily face wash now.

1/31/2007 9:18:26 AM

I did two cycles back in 98-99. The first one helped, but it didn't really take effect...it came back after I went off. So I did another cycle and my face has been fine since then. I never had the cystic kind, just all over and they wouldn't go away even with perscription stuff.

I think the reason I had to do two cycles was because I was still so young and no pill can fix puberty

1/31/2007 9:40:59 AM

thanks for the info guys. I have been on everything it seems. Antibiotics worked good for a few months, but my body would always build immunity against them. I had real oily skin so i would have to keep switching OTC treatments every couple of months to keep the oil under control and my poors clean. Differen, Retin-A, clyndamicin, etc etc never worked. I think i would over wash/over cleanse too much which had a reverse affect.

Accutane has made a world of difference, my skin is dry(too dry sometimes, but i'l take it over the slip and slide i used to have) and my face has smoothed out so much. Since i've been on it i've had to use a light face wash. I began using Cetaphil(which i tried a long time ago but it never felt like it helped the acne itself) but now it makes my face and pores feel so refreshed.

1/31/2007 11:33:16 AM

Took it twice, took other oral meds for several years post.. still need topical treatments (Retin-A currently) to keep everything completely clear.

1/31/2007 12:15:38 PM

I was on it in 2004-2005, i had some acne on my face (nothing i couldn't control w/ OTC), but I took it mainly for my back, which was to the point of scarring from the acne. I did one treatment and haven't had any serious acne breakouts since then, just a few single zits now and then. I don't use any kind of acne treatment now, just wash my face good. It did give me dry skin, especially during the winter, which can itch pretty bad sometimes. My dermatologist told me to stop using all the harsh acne soaps and just use Dove and it has helped a lot. I just use the unscented kind so I don't smell like a flower or something.

1/31/2007 12:16:16 PM

I used it back in 98-99. My acne wasn't horrible but the zits i got were fucking disgusting. I havne't had a zit since, and I use no sort of facial cleanser and my face is only washed by the water hitting it during hair washing. accutane, ftw.

1/31/2007 12:19:47 PM

i was on acutane back in 2000-02. I was on it for almost a year and a half. At first I was taking one pill a day. Then two. I could see the redness in my cheeks fade out after the first week. 1 Month into my lips started chapping really bad. The BEST thing to do is keep your lips moistorized. They will crack and bleed if you don't take care of them.

After I got off, I never got any pimples. I still get the random few from stress but its not like the big ones,etc. My face is still clear today. Just make sure your dermatolgist keeps you on it long enough to pry your pores open.

1/31/2007 12:23:33 PM

Quote :

"my skin is dry"

My skin is still dry all these years later. It used to be oily as hell before Accutane.

Quote :

"The BEST thing to do is keep your lips moistorized. "

And yeah, I still have to put on lip stuff every day, too. If it gets really bad, my dermatologist recommended Super-Lube by Merle Norman- that stuff is amazing.

1/31/2007 12:30:46 PM

HAHAHA, super lube.

But yeah, i never used chapstick once before acutane, and when i went on it i still didnt use it until my lips started cracking and bleeding and i could barely open my mouth because the sides were cracked and needed to heal. Now i have to use chapstick all the damn time, but its a small price to pay because i dont have acne and girls like chapstick.

1/31/2007 12:33:21 PM

I recommend the medicated kind that comes in the little circular containers. I forget the name. But its a dark blue container. Good stuff.

1/31/2007 12:37:01 PM

yeah, accutane worked for me back in high school. after i finished it, my face was fairly dry, but it worked wonders.

i think the depression side effects are bullshit. if you were a pimply-faced kid in high school, you might feel a little sad, too.

1/31/2007 12:42:10 PM

Quote :

"But yeah, i never used chapstick once before acutane, and when i went on it i still didnt use it until my lips started cracking and bleeding and i could barely open my mouth because the sides were cracked and needed to heal. Now i have to use chapstick all the damn time, but its a small price to pay because i dont have acne and girls like chapstick."

I use chapstick a lot now, too.

1/31/2007 12:49:33 PM

My brother took it and had great results. He did apologize to me about 4 or 5 months after he came off it. He said something to the effect of "Hey man, sorry I was a huge dick for about 6 months" and I was like "yeah you were, go buy me some beer."

1/31/2007 12:52:50 PM

I've been having some acne problems ever since I got off birth control last summer. (NEVER had any before that) Nothing has worked so my dermatologist wanted me to try a low dose of Accutane but I chickened out. Looks like you all have had good experiences though...



[Edited on January 31, 2007 at 1:06 PM. Reason : ]

[Edited on January 31, 2007 at 1:10 PM. Reason : ]

1/31/2007 1:05:59 PM

I had pretty severe acne in high school, and took one cycle of Accutane in 2001. I haven't had an outbreak since. I occasionally have problems with my lips being dried out, but not the rest of my face.

Being on it while I was playing football sucked, though.

Also,

Quote :

"if you were a pimply-faced kid in high school, you might feel a little sad, too."

1/31/2007 1:20:53 PM

i was on it in high school too...hell on earth with the dried out skin and such...i did one cycle and it really helped and cleared most of my problems, although i did still have small problems until after my sophomore year in college and it all disappeared.

one thing that worked really well for me is that Proactive stuff that P Diddy and J Simpson push...that stuff worked really well.

Quote :

"Being on it while I was playing football sucked, though. "

agreed

[Edited on January 31, 2007 at 1:38 PM. Reason : ..]

1/31/2007 1:38:10 PM

wow, totally shocking. Many users here on tww were pimpled faced and needed to use accutane in hs. who woudl have thought?

1/31/2007 1:47:37 PM

^ Welcome to 90% of the population.

I took it back in 7th grade, I believe two rounds. Worked great. First time it dryed out my lips--very chapped. I could easily pull off a 1/2" long section of dead skin. 2nd round dried out my hands. I could literally rub them together and have dead dry skin fall off. I don't have problems with either, now, although I do like to use chapstick/carmex etc to keep the lips from being dry in the winter.

1/31/2007 2:20:45 PM

i took it three times in middle/high school back in the mid 90's. it kept coming back in part due to football/wrestling, which isn't very good for the skin anyway.

after i took it the 3rd time though it stayed away for good.

1/31/2007 3:21:08 PM

Quote :

"I've been having some acne problems ever since I got off birth control last summer. (NEVER had any before that) Nothing has worked so my dermatologist wanted me to try a low dose of Accutane but I chickened out. Looks like you all have had good experiences though..."

Just know that you'll probably have to be on some kind of BC if you decide to be on Accutane. They try to make sure you won't get pregnant because Accutane can cause some really nasty birth defects. They made me sign some kind of form about me being on BC constantly (despite that I was about 14, obviously had skin problems and was awkward enough to begin with...). Maybe they just thought I was too young to be trusted- I don't know.

1/31/2007 3:41:11 PM

Quote :

"I recommend the medicated kind that comes in the little circular containers. I forget the name. But its a dark blue container. Good stuff."

Blistex Lip Medex. Yeah that stuff is great, i use it before bed every night. Burts Bee's during the day, and Blistex Medicated if my lips get really really bad.

As far as skin goes, i'm ready for it to warm up a bit, my skin has gotten itchier this past month. But i keep it lotioned up so i'll survive.

Good results from this thread, thanks guys , looking forward to finishing up my last 30 days of this stuff!

1/31/2007 4:07:26 PM

^or Blistex DCT

i would recommend going on a maintenance dose before completely going off of it......maybe once or twice a week

that way you could avoid the possible having to go back on it and the initial breakout and all that crap, and also it'll still be in your system

[Edited on January 31, 2007 at 4:33 PM. Reason : ]

1/31/2007 4:32:28 PM

ah yeah! i like that idea. I 34 pills left (17 days). My last appt. is next friday so i could save the last blister pack and do a twice-a-week type deal. Thanks

1/31/2007 4:41:13 PM

i dont even know what it was way back when, i just called it zit cream and pills. I had very oily skin back in the day so it took forever....once those years past, havent had a problem

1/31/2007 5:44:15 PM

How long were you guys on Accutane and how expensive was it? My doctor mentions it occasionally as an option to help with an infection, but says it's expensive as hell even with insurance.

1/31/2007 8:15:33 PM

its $400-500 a month if you don't have insurance. My co-pay is like 20 bucks a month. the cycle is 6 months.

1/31/2007 9:04:15 PM

^^there's a generic brand that i took, my insurance almost fully covers generic meds....if yours is like that it shouldn't be so bad

1/31/2007 9:29:32 PM

Isotretinoin is the drug. Accutane, Amnesteem, and Claravis are the main three with the latter two being more generic.

I was given Amnesteem the first couple months, but switched pharmacies and began getting Claravis. No difference other than pill shape and packaging.

1/31/2007 9:39:52 PM

i think i went through 2 rounds of it back in 9th grade.....and here i am almost 7 years later and while i have occasional blemishes, nothing compared to how it was before...

1/31/2007 10:04:22 PM

Took it in high school for cystic acne, 2 cycles... it cleared up, but 18 months after finishing, it came back. I didn't want to take it again so I didn't and it's pretty much clear now (with the exception of a breakout now and then). My derm. told me that it takes about 18 mos. to get out of your system, so in my case, it didn't do the job.

1/31/2007 10:11:34 PM

Please get the rx before your IPledge expires b/c then you're shit out of luck. Make sure your doc is on top of that shit as well.

2/1/2007 12:14:51 AM

^ why are you SOL after that? can't you just re-join the iPledge registry and all that?

2/1/2007 12:36:42 AM

accutane makes everything worse in every way possible. And i'm not talking about the first few weeks.

2/1/2007 8:46:33 AM

or it makes everything better, like it did for me.

2/1/2007 8:46:57 AM

i took it for a few months. cleared up major probs and ive never had any side effects (while off it, had mega dry skin while on it). my face isnt perfect, but you cant expect that.

2/1/2007 9:27:13 AM

Yeah, I used to carry around cetaphil lotion with me all day because my face would dry out by lunch. I had the big pump bottle at home, too...face lotion like all the time and tons of it or else I would seriously get cracked skin. But other than that, no problems.

2/1/2007 9:42:12 AM

Took it twice. After finishing the second time, within six months I would get small breakouts occasionally. I still do, but it's manageable. It's like a little less than the average person gets, but it's still there.

I'm really glad I took it though. It's a huge improvement.

2/1/2007 9:56:52 AM

I was kind of in denial about how bad things were (eventually it became the cystic type )and after trying lesser treatments did one cycle of Accutane somewhere in 98-99. I didn't have any side effects other than dry skin (that cetaphil lotion is good stuff ^^). It has been gone for good, and I'm really glad I took it.

I need to find out something to do about the scarring from the acne, its not horrible or anything but I'm self-conscious about it.

2/1/2007 10:43:11 AM

acutane... worst idea ever

2/1/2007 10:49:36 AM

I took it in highschool for bout a year. It made it worse for a little while then started clearing up the acne. I still have dry skin and use chapstick like a madman. But no more acne since.

2/1/2007 10:59:23 AM

Quote :

" need to find out something to do about the scarring from the acne"

2/1/2007 11:27:06 AM

2/1/2007 11:30:31 AM

anyone ever been on minocycline ?

another treatment for acne

2/1/2007 11:35:55 AM

i took it last year and it worked great. typical: chapped lips and skin. i however now have keratosis pilaris on my cheeks after i was finished with my treatment. i never had that before (even when i did have cysts on my face) also...i have lost 1/4 of my hair. i started losing it 2 months before i was done with the treatment and i am Still continually losing my hair. if you dont have horrible cystic acne...dont take this fo real.

oh and i still have tiny breakouts every now and then

[Edited on February 1, 2007 at 12:07 PM. Reason : .]

2/1/2007 12:06:28 PM