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3.8 Overall Rating

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Most voted positive review

24 People found this comment helpful

It gave me nose bleeds, and my skin would peel off alot. That's the worst of it. Don't listen to all the scary stuff. It's not always like that. The iPledge program was HORRIBLE and useless. I am not sexually active but yet had to be tortured by them. I give this medicine an A++++ but I give the dumb iPledge program an F------- times infinity. Horrible idea. Lots of chapstick an lotion are a must....

Most voted negative review

1 People found this comment helpful

Caused extreme redness in my face and back areas. Also caused me to bleed out my rectum.

Shared reviews and ratings

Disappointed | 13-18 | Male | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
5/2/2023
Condition: Other
Overall rating 1.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

What they don’t tell you is the medication can cause terrible mental health episodes. The feeling of derealization. No, there is no mental health in the family. When the med was stopped 2 weeks later the symptoms went away. The worst feeling you could ever experience. In addition to this the purging was awful. Very large acne and burned areas of the face in places I didn’t have acne. I was on it for mild acne 40mg daily. I will never recommend this medication to anyone. Horrible experience. Now I’m clearing up what this medication did to my skin with topicals. Terrible. More people need to report the mood changes on this medication it’s very serious. Had to stop after 7 weeks. Read More Read Less

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JJohnson | 19-24 | Female | Patient
4/11/2022
Condition: Other
Overall rating 4.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I’ve had a battle with acne ever since I was in high school up until now (I’m 23) . For years I would have clear skin then out of nowhere bad break outs . Been on amnesteen for 6 months my last day is tomorrow!!! The process was not easy but so worth it would def recommend. However I did deal with a lot of side effects. Hair thinning / loss dehydration very dry chap lips . I would say by okeefes or Neosporin overnight healing lip therapy. As well as almond oil & babao oil is good for dry lips . Some hydration liquid electrolyte packs to put in your water . Ipledgeprogram is awful -1000000/10 . I would stay on top of my prescriber a week or days before my next refill just so I wouldn’t miss any days . Read More Read Less

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austin t | 19-24 | Female | On medication for 6 months to less than 1 year | Patient
1/4/2022
Condition: Severe Difficult to Treat Nodular Acne
Overall rating 2.0
Effectiveness
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Satisfaction

Horrible, the medicine itself works but there are some intense side effects. Also, Ipledge being terrible made me miss almost a months worth of treatments throughout the six month plan. When a dermatologist office and CVS cannot figure out why Ipledge won't let them fill a prescription you know the system is horrible. Ipledge sucks and the medicine causes depression, every time.

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mandy0530 | 19-24 | Female | On medication for 6 months to less than 1 year | Patient
9/19/2015
Condition: Severe Difficult to Treat Nodular Acne
Overall rating 5.0
Effectiveness
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I have tried Accutance 3 times (currently on my last treatment). When I was 17 in High School I had severe cystic acne all over my face, chest and back. Took a very high dose(started at 60mg,by 5th month was on 120mg; i DO NOT recommend that)&my skin was like porcelain, absolutely NO acne. My back and chest have stayed clear to this day, but slowly my facial acne started to come back after 5 months so I thought I would outgrow it,WRONG. I went on it again when I was 19, but due to my doctor starting me out at 100mg, I had severe side effects (tightness in chest and difficulty breathing)& stopped the medication 1 month into it. I am now 21, still struggling with acne, so I went to a new dermatologist and she has me on low doses for a longer period of time and the results are amazing. I still have 2 months left, but my skin has basically nothing on it. I can finally not wear makeup and feel pretty :) Common side effects: dry lips, face and skin. minor rash if in sun too long (ask doctor for a topical for rash if you get one) ***I later found out that the brand of accutane medication my doctor put me on the second time, shortly got recalled after I stopped it. ALWAYS RESEARCH YOUR MEDICINE*** The best advice I can give is to ALWAYS keep hydrating chapstick on your lips(I have cracked corners of my lips and that hurts), Use a gentle face wash unscented, and as much as you want to DO NOT PICK. The medicine will bring all the acne out of your skin and then dry it out like it is supposed to.Read More Read Less

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danthaman | 13-18 | Male | On medication for 6 months to less than 1 year | Patient
3/21/2015
Condition: Severe Difficult to Treat Nodular Acne
Overall rating 1.0
Effectiveness
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Anonymous | 55-64 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Caregiver
8/5/2014
Condition: Other
Overall rating 1.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

this medication is very dangerous. it was given to our grandson and has made him sleep constantly, cannot concentrate, and depressed. get away from this drug fast, and look for a healthier approach !

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jlfakir | 25-34 | Female | On medication for 6 months to less than 1 year | Patient
11/2/2013
Condition: Severe Difficult to Treat Nodular Acne
Overall rating 4.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I struggled with acne from the time I hit puberty (age 13) until age 24. I had managed to get it under control during my college years but when I hit 24 my face broke out like crazy and nothing I did would make the acne go away. I finally broke down and went to a dermatologist who put me on accutane for 7 months. I'm currently on the last month of my accutane and so far it has been a blessing. My face is completely cleared up and I break out maybe once a month vs a couple times a day before I started accutane. The biggest side effects I've had are dry/chapped lips and sensitivity to products. I've been using aquafor daily and switched to Mario Badescu products that don't irritate my skin. In month 5 of the treatment I began experiencing dry skin and nose dryness (although no nose bleeding). I bought bio oil to rub on my skin for the dryness (and has helped a lot with acne scars) and put aquafor on the inside of my nose. While all of the side effects are annoying, they are totally worth the beautiful skin I now have. I highly recommend this product.Read More Read Less

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aj5309 | 19-24 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
9/28/2012
Condition: Severe Difficult to Treat Nodular Acne
Overall rating 4.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

After trying many different topical and oral medications to rid myself of my acne, my dermatologist finally put me on Amnesteem. I wish he had done it a year ago!! The first month he started me on one 40mg per day. I was definitely feeling the effects within the first week. It started with bad headaches and a stiff neck, and it just kinda continued thru my whole body down to my ankles for the first two weeks. I started experiencing the dryness after about a week. I used Cetaphil facial cleanser and moisturizer, Aquaphor lip therapy, and Aveeno body lotion. Stock up because you'll need it! I never got bloody noses like some people mentioned, but my eyes were extremely dry so I didn't wear my contacts for long periods at a time. The second month, my dose was upped to two 40mgs a day. Definitely take the pill with a meal, about halfway through. I made the mistake of taking one without eating breakfast and had heartburn so bad I literally thought I was having a heartache. I was on Amnesteem for 4 months total. Have been off for a month and no sign of my acne returning. It definitely gets worse before it gets better and don't get discouraged with all the horror stories! If you really have severe acne and you want to get rid of it, you can deal with being uncomfortable for a few months!! It is SO worth it! The ipledge program wasn't hard to deal with and the blood work was quick and easy. Be smart while using this medicine-take no chances of getting pregnant please! This medicine, I promise, will get you the results you are looking for!Read More Read Less

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catpawz | 19-24 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
5/31/2012
Condition: Severe Difficult to Treat Nodular Acne
Overall rating 4.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I started taking this drug when I realized that birth control pills just weren't cutting it anymore. Typically, I used the pill to prevent the obvious AND to clear up my skin. When it stopped working I sort of panicked and my skin just got worse and worse. I started breaking out in places on my face I never had in the past (chin area). After pleading with my doctor I got a referral and it took the dermatologist about 3 minutes to say that I had adult acne and wanted to know what I had in mind to do. I made it clear I was done with acne and had tried everything (I have) and mentioned accutane or it's generic version. He agreed that this would be a great option for me so we started at a very low dose, 10mg. I have been on 20mg/once a day for 3 months and will be on it until July or August (5 to 6 months total). Since I am on such a low dose I don't experience the same side effects a lot of other people do. However, my lips are extremely dry as in NEVER ever moisturized. And it's important to take the drug with a large meal preferably dinner or else you may experience some chest pains as I did in the beginning. If you take the drug and are responsible about it you will most likely have an OK experience. But everyone reacts differently. My lifestyle has changed since being on the drug. These changes include more water consumption, better eating habits, more sleep and very little alcohol comsumption. The drug will definitely make you feel run down but eventually with more sleep I managed to curb that side effect. My face has cleared up considerably and since I'm not quite done with treatment I usually just put on a little makeup and BAM! super nice skin. The texture of my skin as improved quite a bit and I can see the drug working. I did a ton of research before I started the drug and I encourage anyone considering this treatment to do the same. Don't let the side effects discourage you but definitely keep them in mind. Read More Read Less

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carrilis | 13-18 | Male | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
2/22/2012
Condition: Severe Difficult to Treat Nodular Acne
Overall rating 4.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

My son took Amnesteen for 6 mos. Dosage was 60 mg. for the 1st 3 mos., then 80 mg. for the last 3 mos. I was very nervous in the beginning about the side effects - mainly the depression. He never had any issues with that. Early on he was rather irritable, but after the first month or so that went away. He had very dry/chapped lips and used chapstick endlessly throughout the day. Stock up! The dryness affected his whole body, so Cetaphil cleanser and face lotion, and St. Ives body lotion kept his skin from the itchiness & peeling. He used a shampoo & conditioner with tea tree oil to help dry scalp issues. It took a good 3 full months to see a difference in the acne beginning to clear, and til month 5 for it to really kick in. He just finished the full 6 months last week and in the past month, he's had maybe 2 small pimples that cleared up within 48 hrs. He does still have pretty significant scarring. We will go see the dermatologist in a month or two to see if there is anything further he can do about that. Even though we are very satisfied with the results of the medication, it did not come without a price. My son's back began hurting about 2 months after he started taking it. After many dr. visits (chiropractic, family dr., pain dr.) and x-rays and an MRI, we found out he has 3 bulging discs in his lower back. Could be a coincidence, however, I think it's from the medication. The pain dr. said some people with this problem have pain, and some do not. I think my son is having the pain because of the Amnesteen. Of course, none of the drs we've seen can or will say the rx caused it, but rather high up in most of the side effects listings is lower back pain. My son has always been athletic & involved in sports, and now the pain is too much for him to participate in much of anything. A 17 yr. old shouldn't have to endure back pain like this.Read More Read Less

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Twinmom | 45-54 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
9/27/2011
Condition: Other
Overall rating 4.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

Just finsihed a 5 month course of Amnesteen. Last year took a 5 month course of Clavaris. My problem is EXTREMELY oily skin. Three months after Clavaris, I was getting oily again. My Dr said I could try Amnesteen. Same side effects...Chronically chapped lips, nose bleeds, and vision changes. My skin looks fabulous now. No more daily oil slick by noon. I just hope it stays this way because I can't do another course. I also think I gained 10lbs during this period. I would recommend trying this if you are a candidate. Read More Read Less

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Anonymous | 35-44 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
4/16/2011
Condition: Severe Difficult to Treat Nodular Acne
Overall rating 4.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I was so nervous about the poss. side effects of this but as a 40 year old, having acne was affecting my life everyday and I was willing to try it. I had VERY dry skin and chapped lips and dry nose the whole time but nothing I couldn't treat. I had some hip pain for about a week and at first worried it my continue, but it went away with time and motrin. I had a few headaches that were different than my "normal" headaches but that got better quickly. The monthly appts. for pregnancy tests were annoying but well worth the end results. I admit I did not have severe acne but did have hard to treat acne all the time. Tried all the lotions and potions, birth control, spirnolactone, retin A, too. Nothing worked and having grey hair and acne at the same time really bothered me. I stayed at 60mg per day for 5 months and 80 for the last month. I still have some scarring but I can handle that since my skin is clear! I've been done for one month and hope I never have to stress about it again. Being able to be outside in the sun or at work with other people and not worry if they are looking at my breakouts is a wonderful feeling. If you are worried about side effects, please try the med and see how it goes. You can stop if the side effects are too troublesome but I would try it and see. I'm so grateful for this product. Read More Read Less

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Anonymous | 55-64 | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
1/15/2011
Condition: Severe Difficult to Treat Nodular Rosacea
Overall rating 2.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

Severe dry skin, flakeness of skin around chin, nose, ears, dry lips.

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Anonymous | 13-18 | Male | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
9/25/2010
Condition: Severe Difficult to Treat Nodular Acne
Overall rating 4.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I'm 14 years old, and have had sever acne since i was 10. I was prescribed this medication after nothing else had worked. In the beginning i had all of the basic side affects and some uncommon ones as well. After about 3 weeks, all of them had dissapeared besides chapped lips. Medication was easy to take (although easy to forget to take) and cleared all of my acne within 3 months and now it's clearing up my scars. I recommend this to any and everyone who suffers from severe acne. You WILL NOT regret it.Read More Read Less

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xxcamalxx | 13-18 | Male | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
9/19/2010
Condition: Severe Difficult to Treat Nodular Acne
Overall rating 5.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I am on my 18th day and i have noticed DRAMATIC results. I have gotten many compliments. My skin is very dry though and i do have very chapped lips but the redness of my skin has gone away and i barely breakout anymore. My acne was pretty severe. I had tried everything (antibiotics, creams, gels, chemical peels, facials, etc.) I was very nervous about getting on this but i love it and recommend it to everyone.

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Anonymous | 25-34 | Male | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
5/3/2010
Condition: Disorder in which Skin Converts to Hard Horny Material
Overall rating 2.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

Caused extreme redness in my face and back areas. Also caused me to bleed out my rectum.

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tdavid6 | 25-34 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
3/27/2010
Condition: Severe Difficult to Treat Nodular Acne
Overall rating 5.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

After trying oral antibiotics,Ziana,Neo-Benz,and several OTC acne meds my dermatologist put me on Amnesteem.I read all of the literature and knew the risks.This has been the only medication that has cleared my skin.I am currently in my last month of treatment.I didn't start seeing results until month 3 (of a total 6 month treatment).But it has been steady and noticeable since then.I have more confidence not having to deal with nodular acne at 33 years old (I thought this stuff only happened to teenagers!) Having the blood tests done each month,and following the directions on prescription refills seemed to be a bit of a hassle at first but well worth it when I started noticing the results.The only side effects I have experienced in my 5 months on this medication are extremely dry lips and dry eyes.The dry eyes are relieved by eye drops once daily.The dry (extremely chapped) lips are very severe,requiring me to carry around a thick, petroleum based lip ointment and applying it between 10-15 times per day.I use Aquaphor, it seems to work the best.I have experienced no other side effects. I have a history of mild-moderate depression,but have had no adverse psychological side affects with Amnesteem (which was one of my initial concerns). Overall, I would recommend this medication for anyone that has tried every other acne treatment available. You must want it badly enough to stay on top of all of the blood tests, monthly online surveys, and timeline in which to pick up your meds each month.Read More Read Less

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sc426 | 19-24 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
2/25/2010
Condition: Severe Difficult to Treat Nodular Acne
Overall rating 5.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I am extreamly thrilled with this product. I have been using for 4 months and I am about to start my 5th month. I have had no side effects, other than the usual dry skin. But that was to be expected. The product is clearing me up like there is no tomorrow. I am getting so many compliments on my face and how all the redness and pimples are going away. I recommend this product to all.

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sc426 | 19-24 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
12/1/2009
Condition: Severe Difficult to Treat Nodular Acne
Overall rating 5.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
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I am finishing my third month and starting on my fourth month of taking this drug. It has become a lifesaver. Before I started this drug I took every topival acne drug you think of. Anything from doxycycline to epiduo to aczone to benzacliyn and everything inbetween. This drug is very easy to use. taking it with food is better than on an empty stomach. My only side effects were chapped lips and somewhat dry skin. For my lips I use aquaphor and for my skin I use cerave. Both work great. I recommend this product to all who wantclear skin.Read More Read Less

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Anonymous | 35-44 | Female | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
4/19/2009
Condition: Other
Overall rating 2.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I have been on this drug for about 3 weeks now, and it has been horrible! i started out with headaches, some muscle aches,very dry peeling skin on my face,chapped and swollen lips,bleeding of the nose on occasion,get this one...scaly scalp( bad dandruff),and to top it off,the last few days,i seem to have broken out in a itchy,sorta painful rash.....i would not recommend this drug to anyone!!!!!!! As like others, my acne to got worse in the fist week or so,and Im still not completely clear,although I m much clearer then in the beginning,and not so oily!At this point in my therapy,I would say I am only about 40% satisfied with my results.Read More Read Less

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