Has anybody taken Roaccutane???

[mae]

Has anybody taken Roaccutane? My doctor has referred me to a dermatologist with a view of taking it for my acne. I have tried absolutley everything else including detox, herbalist, Nlite (£400 cost), glycolic acid (£50 per treatment) vitamins, antibiotics, creams etc etc and I do stick to them and give them a good chance. I have suffered with this since I was about 15 and am 35 this year.. I only get a few spots on my face around jaw line chin nose and forehead but my biggest problem is bad on my chest and back. As you can imagine this has affected such things as going swimming with my children. I completely cover up on holiday and have to choose my clothes very carefully so I'm not showing any skin. I am now on my last resort with this roaccutane??
Thanks

[LITTLEMISSFLOWER]

Hi Mae, I Had Acne For Years Really Bad On My Back And Chest.i Did Start Taking Roaccutane But It Is Very Strong And I Stoped Taking It Because Of The Side Effects. I No Its Really Bad And Im Not Saying You Should Do This. But I Started Going On A Sunbed And It Really Helped I Dont Do It Anymore. But I Do Take Mulivitamins And Only Get The Odd Spot Now

[LITTLEMISSFLOWER]

Sorry Also You Should Go Swiming As I Found The Water Really Helps. Dont Worry About What People Think.people That Have Never Had Acne Dont Understand How Much It Affects You. Have You Tried Dolcin T ? Sorry Cant Spell It

[skintscotsman]

Yes I have taken Roaccutane and it was fine.

There are significant side effects: I suffered from lots of nosebleeds and very dry skin, but since I have completed the course I've never ever had a problem with acne...only the occasional spot from sweat or dirt or something.

If your acne really gets you down then Roaccutane is worth a try.

Get on the course before the summer though: I was on the course during summer and really had to cover up as you are more susceptible to being burned while on Roaccutane. I've got very sallow skin and tan very, very well but while I was on Roaccutane I burned quite easily.

I can't really remember if I suffered from any mood swings or anything like that though ie non-physical side effects. I was about 15/16 at the time though so my parents maybe put it down to being a stroppy teenager ;)

I suffered from dry lips for a good few years after the course of Roaccutane though....but this was a minor inconvenience once compared to the acne and the possible scarring acne leaves behind.

I think it's worth trying.

My Dad called it Internal Sunshine!!! lol

[mae]

Thanks for your replies.. Littlemissflower yes I do go on sunbeds now and again but doesn't really help enough..I've not tried dolicin T but I may ask my doctor for some..
Skintscotman thanks for letting me know your experience its good to hear it worked for you, my main concern is that even though I have acne my skin is unusually not oily it is dry so if I start this treatment goodness knows how dry it will get.. But I am at my wits end at what else to try.
Thanks

[shokadelika]

MY friend took it payed privately for the prescription and has Acne on her chest and back she is 35 and had a lot of side effects with the treatment,it did not work for her.There are a few groups one here http://www.accutaneaction.com/ where people have suffered serious side effects and a Congressional hearing into suicides which may be connected to it!.Vitamin A in high doses has been reported as effective without the side effects http://www.mercola.com/2002/jan/23/accutane.htm

[accountnurse]

You'll find lots of help and advice here:

http://biochemistryofbeauty.com/phpBB/profile.php?mode=register&sid=fa3b655c48f89eb0244c2f8d9e845a96

You'll need to register but it's well worth it.

Also try

http://skincarerx.com/phorum/index.html

the acne forum is full of personal experience help

good luck

[*Sparkle*]

Oh noooo dont do it!!

Sorry, i have to say it.
Roaccutane is extremely strong and as previously mention it has serious side effects, it takes such a long time to leave your body.


I work in a medical aesthetic centre, we do things like laser hair removal,skin treatments and much more....
I would strongly suggest you come to one of our clinics for a free no obligation skin assesment, we have so many Patients with damaged skin and the results i have seen are excellent.
We are using a fantastic product called Cosmedix, its very different from all the others.
It works the papillary dermis were other products cannot reach, the papillary dermis is deep within your skin, were all your NEW skin cells are produced.
Other creams and potions all sit on the epidermis and basically do nothing but clog and irritate the skin.
The products are chirally correct which means they have no harmful, irritating chemicals in that inflame your skin.

We used to do Glycolics but have stopped this as its a irratant that inflames the skin, we now use the cosmedix peels which are great.
I can personally recommend them, i have had one done myself plus i'm using the products i have noticed and others have noticed too that my skin is great now!

Its also about the diet too, its an old saying but its true," you are what you eat....." you need to be eating fresh produce and have a balanced diet.
Look out for things like nuts,seeds, berry's(blueberrys), fish as well....

I hope that helps and please feel free to PM me.

[maryotuam]

My son took roacutane when he was 17. He had tried everything else and suffered a lot of horrible abuse from other teenagers including strangers. I thought he was ready to have a nervous breakdown. It took a while for the benefits to kick in and he still had some remnants of very bad acne when he finished the course but it continued to improve He looks and feels great now and was able to enjoy the latter end of his teenage years.

He had some dry skin whilst on treatment and was monitered by blood tests. However in his case I wished he had taken it sooner.

[mae]

Sparkle Thanks for your post and I will read up on Cosmedix but my belief now is that after everything I have put on topically that it is no good treating the outside and not the inside. I need something for both.. Maybe the cosmedix would be something to use along side or after the roaccutane?? As for my diet I completely agree and I eat very healthily, seeds, nuts, detoxes now again but still not clear skin so food alone isn't going to do it for me unfortunately.. Also I've spent so much on private treatments I mean it must runs in to over a thousand pound that I am now going to try the NHS I can't afford to keep experimenting.

[*Sparkle*]

Your welcome Mae, cosmedix philosophy is to "treat the skin from inside out and outside in!"
Here's their website for more information www.cosmedix.com, i know a woman who can fix your skin her practice is at the cromwell clinic http://www.cromwell-hospital.co.uk/htmlpages/contact.asp.
She's a director for cosmedix and A.M.I.A her company is called medico beauty, she is absolutly fantastic and has helped people from all over the world!
If you want me to put you in contact with her let me know.
Are you planning to have anymore children?

Good luck! :D

[mae]

No I've got a boy and a girl and don't want anymore. Thankyou so much for the info I will look at it but I just can't jusitfy shelling anymore money out on my skin without any guarantees.. I was told that Nlite really works I paid £400 and nothing at all changed..Funny how nobody offers money back on these expensive treatments if they fail to work..

[impy78]

Hiya Mae,
I am presuming you are a fellow girlie because of your name, so apologies if you aren't!!

I had terrible acne on my back and my chest and I tried anti biotics and all that mullarky, with no result at all.

My doctor put me on Dianette, an oral contraceptive, and it did wonders for my skin.

I still get one or two, but that's sort of it.

It does have side effect though - weight gain, irritability, and you cn't take it if you have high blood pressure, or a history of thrombosis in your family, but I have found it to be the only thing that works for me.

But the best thing is, because it's a contraceptive, it's free.


My husband was on roaccutane (before he met me), and he had very raw skin and photosensitivity. But it did work for him in the end.

But, as points out, it has been known to cause side effects like terrible depression and suicide in some cases.

[*Sparkle*]

:rolleyes2 Nlite- also know as IPL we curently offer this treatment but not for ACNE!! we use it for broken capilleries. :rolleyes2

Well its up to you at the end of the day, make sure you have reserched all the risks and side effects.
In our clinic,We cant treat anyone that has been on roaccutane they need to have been off of it for 6 months with a letter from the doctor.

Let me know how it goes, keep us updated as a professional i'd be interested to see how your treatment goes.

PS i'm also on dianette! :D

[Lady_K]

My daughter changed her birth control pill and this completely wrecked her hormones. She had never had problems with her skin before but this completely changed her. She went to hell and back and to have a skin problem like that is absolutely devastating to say the least!

We went to the doctor who misprescribed her steroid cream to put on her face 3 times a day she did that religiously for 4.5 months and only later did we find out by accident that it thins the skin and did absolutely nothing for her but make it worse and we found that if its used for 6 months it leaves permanent damage. She was given a number topical treatments all guessing the condition, one guess was rosasea, all wasted time and suffering. In the end we ended up going to a private dermatologist. He talked about roaccutain but suggested trying the longer way first.

Birth control pill DIANETTE(now changed to yasmin its safer)

1 minocin each day

a special wash cleanser(max twice a day)

and Retin A(of which she used for the least time possible as long term its aging and can cause pigment loss)

It took a few months to kick in but evenutually it improved and luckily she has no scars because we acted quickly

I read through the papers we got about roaccutain and the side effects really worried me. The main one is the depression it can be dangerous if you are prone to depression and people have been known to comit suicide whilst on it. But I do know the way we felt then. If the other way had not worked I'm almost sure she would have tried it because she was completely desperate and the condition had taken her life away really. But I would have watched her very closely for early problem signs and made sure she had checkups regular. If you take it make sure you have the support of close family.

My daughters is really being controlled by the yasmin now, she did try to come off it once and the problem started coming back when she had been off the pill for about 6 weeks. With roaccutain from what I've read once youve had it, it more or less clears you of the problem for life but some side effects can remain like permanentally dry lips

[mae]

Awe Thanks for all your replies... Yes it is horrible living with this condition I know some people would consider it trivial in medical terms which I suppose it is but it can be really embarrassing and cause lack of confidence at the very least..
I have tried Dianette years ago but it made me very nauseaus?? Also I know that the pill comes with its own set of side effects and warnings..I don't have to take the pill as my husband has had a vasectomy but I would take it if it agreed with me and helped my skin.. I'll see what the dermatologist says when I see him.No idea how long the waiting list is??

[Lady_K]

If you go through referal the doctor I would think the waiting list would be long. I know someone with really extremely severe skin problems and he had to wait 10 months just to get his first consultation then the appointments were so hard to fit in thy were 6-9 months apart. The doctor confirmed this would be the case for my daughter too if he refered her. So we then asked for his recommendation for a private dermatologist which he gave and we got an appointment the very next day. If the problem reccured we wouldn't mess about we would definitely go to a private dermatologist recommended by the doctor rather than go through the stress of waiting for nhs, sad as that is. I wouldn't just get one out of the paper

[mae]

Yeah I wouldn't mind paying to see a dermo privately but not sure if my doctor could recommend one because when I went to see him the other day he said he was new and new to the area and also he hadn't even heard of roaccutane when I mentioned that the only thing I hadn't tried (strange). He just said he would write off to the hospital..
I live near Manchester if anybody can recommend a good private Dermatologist??

[Lady_K]

I'm not sure how true this is but I read that Doctors get trained for 7 years and during that time they only do 2 weeks training on skin conditions. I think the full training has dropped to 5 years though now. They can't know everything about everything but it is surprising that he doesnt know what raoccutane is though.

The dermo cost £70 per appointment but this was in Aug 2002 so it's probably increased by now. Any treatment is on top of that. He took a blood test to see if her liver was healthy enough to be able to go on Roaccutane if she decided she wanted to and that was £19. Also the prescriptions were not covered by NHS either as it's a private dermo but he did advise us to go to the doctor and explain to him and he may prescribe what was needed and this is what the doctor did after that so they kind of worked together to help her. But Raoccutane is not covered by NHS anyway, its expensive but you prob already know that

[accountnurse]

British Association of Dermatologists

http://www.bad.org.uk/about/

Explains how to find a Dermatologist and what qualifications to look for.

Good luck

[mae]

British Association of Dermatologists

http://www.bad.org.uk/about/

Explains how to find a Dermatologist and what qualifications to look for.

Good luck

Thanks I've emailed them and they are sending me a lists od derms in my area.

[Smiley_Mum]

You could follow the basic principles of this diet and it may help your skin. I'd be wary of using such strong medication also. Check out this link for info on this liver cleansing diet.

http://www.liverdoctor.com/Section2/08_symptoms.asp

I followed it when I had really bad skin problems/allergies etc and it cleared them up in several weeks, granted I wasn't totally clear but a lot improved to from when I first started on it. Also lost a lot of weight too as the liver burns fat and you're cleansing it so taking all the rubbish out of your system too. I would strongly suggest you have a look at the info on the website and see whether applying the basic principles would help ease your acne. I'd hate to see you go on strong meds if you would be able to alleviate your symptoms with dietary changes.

[Minky2Slice]

Dianette did wonders for my skin, and i've only been using it for 1,5 months... not so much side effects as roaccutane...of course one treatment doesnt work the same for everybody, but I've had no side -effects, and my skin has changed dramatically!!

[Lady_K]

My daughter was on Dianette for a couple of years prob more and that helped her loads too, she was prepared to stay on it. But then she moved to university and had to change doctors. Instantly the Doctor said she had to come off Dianette because it was much higher risk for blood clotting than other birth control pills. She was very upset and worried sick because earlier she had tried to come off it for 6 weeks to test out just how much it was helping her skin and the problem had begun to return so she knew Dianette was controlling the problem.

She couldn't cope with the thought of having to go through all that again with her skin. The Doctor would not budge from her decision saying it was better for her and they would deal with any problems that came up if and when it happened and if necessary use topical creams. She spoke to another Doctor within the practise to see if they would give her Dianette and that Doctor said similar but was more understanding and said to try Yasmin as that helps with skin problems but is not as high risk as Dianette. She changed and things have been fine and in the end it was safer.

I just thought it was worth mentioning that because if you have a chance to change to Yasmin it could be a good idea. Some health centers dont give it out though and some surgeries because it is the most expensive of birth control pills

[howididit]

Just to add my experiences of roaccutane. I was prescribed roaccutane about 15 years ago now. It is certainly a VERY powerful drug, and for me it was effective, but as you know there are downsides, for me this was mainly the dry skin, lips, hair, etc. On the more serious side effects like depression, its hard for me to differentiate as I was a teenager at the time so not sure it would be fair to blame that on the roaccutane!

It was the most effective thing I used - and worked - but clearly has side effects, its good you are weighing up the pros and cons before commiting to treatment. I'd say if you do go for it make sure all other aspects of your health are in as good an order as possible i.e. you are exercising, drinking very little (from the points of view of alcohol being a depressant and the additional strain it would put on your liver would not be good - it may well be the case now you are advised not to drink at all when taking it anyway) and generally feeling well in yourself.

Finally - and I tried lots of prescription, OTC, and other products - but the only other one I found to be effective (and it was actually very effective) was something that you could just buy off the shelf in superdrug etc. I can't remember the brand name, but it had some kind of shark bile ingredient in it I seem to remember. If you haven't already, I'd give this ago maybe before trying roaccutane - it was very good for me.

[powie69]

I can understand you worry as to if roaccutane is the right thing for you. I was prescribed it about 4 years ago, as I had spots similar to boils all over my back, front and neck. I was hesitent in using it at first, but after reading all of the pors and cons, I felt it was the right thing for me to take. I took a course for 6 months, and experienced very sensitive skin to the light, and had very dry chapped lips. However, since I have been off it, my spots only flare up slightly, now and again, and are nothing to what they were used to. Good luck with what ever decision you make.

[Dora the Explorer]

I work in a medical aesthetic centre, we do things like laser hair removal,skin treatments and much more....
I would strongly suggest you come to one of our clinics for a free no obligation skin assesment, we have so many Patients with damaged skin and the results i have seen are excellent.
We are using a fantastic product called Cosmedix, its very different from all the others.
It works the papillary dermis were other products cannot reach, the papillary dermis is deep within your skin, were all your NEW skin cells are produced.
Other creams and potions all sit on the epidermis and basically do nothing but clog and irritate the skin.
The products are chirally correct which means they have no harmful, irritating chemicals in that inflame your skin.



It would be sensible to discuss with your GP the pros and cons of any treatment delivered at an aesthetic centre before parting with hard earned cash.
Your dermatologist should have discussed with you the benefits and drawbacks of any proposed treatment, if you have any concerns about side effect etc the consultant or your GP are the best, and most qualified, people to discuss things with.

[impy78]

My daughter was on Dianette for a couple of years prob more and that helped her loads too, she was prepared to stay on it. But then she moved to university and had to change doctors. Instantly the Doctor said she had to come off Dianette because it was much higher risk for blood clotting than other birth control pills. She was very upset and worried sick because earlier she had tried to come off it for 6 weeks to test out just how much it was helping her skin and the problem had begun to return so she knew Dianette was controlling the problem.

She couldn't cope with the thought of having to go through all that again with her skin. The Doctor would not budge from her decision saying it was better for her and they would deal with any problems that came up if and when it happened and if necessary use topical creams. She spoke to another Doctor within the practise to see if they would give her Dianette and that Doctor said similar but was more understanding and said to try Yasmin as that helps with skin problems but is not as high risk as Dianette. She changed and things have been fine and in the end it was safer.

I just thought it was worth mentioning that because if you have a chance to change to Yasmin it could be a good idea. Some health centers dont give it out though and some surgeries because it is the most expensive of birth control pills


Good lord!!
I've been on Dianette for 12 years with 1 break of 2 months in which I turned into human pizza again!


**gets asprin out of cupboard***

[*Sparkle*]

It would be sensible to discuss with your GP the pros and cons of any treatment delivered at an aesthetic centre before parting with hard earned cash.
Your dermatologist should have discussed with you the benefits and drawbacks of any proposed treatment, if you have any concerns about side effect etc the consultant or your GP are the best, and most qualified, people to discuss things with.

Dora, i dont know if that's a dig a me but i agree with you.... that yes the general practicioner is the first port of call.
But like previously mentioned the GP doesnt have extensive knowlegde of the skin, like a dermatologist(we also have those working in our centre's), nurse, medical aesthetician does, we also have doctors working in our clinics too.
These guys study and work with skin on a daily basis unlike GP's, we are not a "beauty salon" trying to flog you every cream going, we provide treatments that have medically been proven to work.
We dont try and sell either, we give you all the information and educate our patients(hence the consultations are all free with no obligation) then its up to the patient whether they choose to go a head with the recommended treatments!
And i just want to get the point across that i'm not trying to advertise, i havent mentioned our clinic name at all, i am mearly trying to educate!

[Dora the Explorer]

Thanks Sparkle, I wasn't having a dig and thank you for agreeing with me. I was trying to make the point that it's sensible for someone to talk to their gp about any invasive treatment they are considering paying for, and that the OP, who has already spent a small fortune on treatments that haven't been as effective as they hoped, has been referred to an NHS dermatologist and was sensibly asking for other people's experience of Roaccutane.

[mae]

Just to add my experiences of roaccutane. I was prescribed roaccutane about 15 years ago now. It is certainly a VERY powerful drug, and for me it was effective, but as you know there are downsides, for me this was mainly the dry skin, lips, hair, etc. On the more serious side effects like depression, its hard for me to differentiate as I was a teenager at the time so not sure it would be fair to blame that on the roaccutane!

It was the most effective thing I used - and worked - but clearly has side effects, its good you are weighing up the pros and cons before commiting to treatment. I'd say if you do go for it make sure all other aspects of your health are in as good an order as possible i.e. you are exercising, drinking very little (from the points of view of alcohol being a depressant and the additional strain it would put on your liver would not be good - it may well be the case now you are advised not to drink at all when taking it anyway) and generally feeling well in yourself.

Finally - and I tried lots of prescription, OTC, and other products - but the only other one I found to be effective (and it was actually very effective) was something that you could just buy off the shelf in superdrug etc. I can't remember the brand name, but it had some kind of shark bile ingredient in it I seem to remember. If you haven't already, I'd give this ago maybe before trying roaccutane - it was very good for me.


Thanks for this.. Was the product you bought over the counter at Superdrug a tablet or a cream?

[howididit]

Hi mae, it was actually a clear fine spray, pretty much like water! You sprayed it on, left it for a minute or so to allow it to absorb and then just carried on as normally, it wasn't visible or anything.

As I say, the key ingrediant was definitely something to do with sharks, so I've just googled it "shark acne" (!) which led me to the compound being called Isolutrol and apparently a brand is Ketsugo which I'm pretty sure is the brand I used.

I'd definitely give this ago if I were you before going down the roaccutane route.

[Dora the Explorer]

Mae, just a thought - has your GP checked for polycystic ovary syndrome? It can cause acne.

[mae]

Mae, just a thought - has your GP checked for polycystic ovary syndrome? It can cause acne.

Thanks for this suggestion and I have wondered but when I did some research about it I have no other symptoms apart from the bad skin so I don't think I have...?

[Dora the Explorer]

Apparenty 1 in10 women suffer from it, but I expect that many of them will be symptom free. Might be worth mentioning it to the dermatolgist?

[mae]

Just an update while I have been waiting for the dermatologist appointment I have been trying other methods.. I have been washing my back and chest with a body brush and neutrogena body wash specifically for bad skin and then applying panoxyl 2.5% gel all over and at the same time I'm taking erythromycin antibiotic tablets. I can honestly say this is the most improvement I have ever had my skin looks great I've only got the red marks and scars but hopefully they will start to fade.. Idon't know why this is working now because I've done similar things in the past.. I hope I'm not just being lucky and going to get another flare up but if things go on like this I could see me being very happy this summer..I'll still go and see the derm just in case and if things are still good maybe I could talk to him about dermabrasion or something to even out the scars which are mainly dark patches?? Thanks to all those who took the time to reply and give me info that they had..
Soory just in case anyone was wondering how long this has taken to take effect I started this regime after I saw the doc because I knew there would be a waiting list to see the derm and had to do something in the mean time so I started about the 25/02/06 only about 2 weeks ago but its amazing??