User Reviews for Isotretinoin

Always had acne, but not this bad after i was diagnosed with sarcoidosis which required me to take prednisone (steroid)for a short period of time and whoa did that rx swell me up and caused severe acne. so after one full year (2017) of trying tropical creams and once with solodyn my Dermatologist said Accutane would be the last resort, so here I am at the second month of using and I cannot believe how fast it has worked, my face was always oily and acne didn't help obviously but now my skin has cleared up that it has boosted my self esteem. I am so happy and yes I was also scared of the side effects and so far it's only been my lips being too dry. I do get discouraged by other patients who have had many of the bad side effects and others where they say acne has come back. Because like I said I've only been on it for almost 2 months. Although I still have my sarcoidosis I hope my face stays nice, clean and dry. According to my Dr I will only be on Accutane for 6 mo or less. I hope to come back in the near future and continue to let everyone know how it has worked on me.Read More Read Less

I started using accutane about 6 months ago. My back has improved, but my face hasn't.

I took Accutane in 1982-83 when it was first introduced by Hoffmann-LaRouche and after taking Tetracycline did not work for me. The side affect warnings are the same today as back then. I suffered from extreme dry/chapped lips. It was so bad, I had trouble opening my lips wide enough to insert a fork. That is when I ceased use however, it worked incredibly well. There has never been any other side affect and my kids were born without any medical conditions as a result of consumption however, I will not give it to my two teenagers. I do think you should research the product's history, considering there continues to be controversy with the product. A BRIEF SUMMARY: The original Accutane patent expired in 2002 and generics were introduced. By August 2002 (20 years), roughly 6,000 reports of psychiatric adverse events, such as depression and suicidal thoughts were documented and the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System contains almost 23,000 reports for Accutane. The FDA approves the first generic version of isotretinoin called Amnesteem. By 2008, over 425 lawsuits were filed claiming the drug causes inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Hoffmann-LaRouche soon afterwards voluntarily removes Accutane from the market citing competition from generic isotretinoin versions. In 2010, The American Academy of Dermatology issues a statement on the use of isotretinoin claiming that, according to published scientific studies, there's no direct relationship between isotretinoin and IBD or psychiatric disturbances. By 2014, Hoffmann-LaRouche wins and loses lawsuits. I had 1 side affect, but others were not as fortunate. Read More Read Less

I am male and took Accutane in the 90's while in my late teens, back before it was heavily regulated. I never had to get blood/lab work or be monitored by my doctor. They gave it out like candy. I was on it for about 1.5-2 years. I am now 40. It works very well to clear up acne. However, I did experience and continue to experience dry skin, dry hair and dry eyes. My vision worsened after taking this drug. I also suffered from some bone loss which made being an active teenage guy difficult and resulted in many broken bones I never had before taking the drug. Also, erectile issues and lack of sex drive. When have you heard of a 19 year old guy not having a much of a sex drive? Before Accutane I was your typical teenage guy, maybe more drive than typical, but afterwards, nearly gone. I continue to suffer from these things today. NEVER GIVE THIS DRUG TO YOUR CHILDREN!Read More Read Less

This is a partial review because I am only on this medication for two and a half months. So far, so good. I am 37 years old. Quick history of my acne: Severe case when I was 20 (it seemed it was an overnight flare out of the blue) - 2 years later I had it under control by using topical stuff but lots of damage had been done to my skin. Over the years I've done microdermabrasion, facials, fraxel and pixel to reduce scarring. I was also using ProActiv just to keep the flare-up at bay for almost 10 years. Fraxel made a huge difference in the appearance of the scarring. In January of 2017, I decided to go full natural products on my face as ProActiv was causing wrinkles around my eye area, that backfired on me (Lesson leaned: Never do cold turkey on your skin). 3months into using natural products (March)I had full blown flare up with huge cystic acne even on my neck area and face became extremely oily. By April, I tried to return to ProActiv but it made my acne red and irritated so I discontinue it. At this point I was so down and thought there is no hope. I was depressed and hardly go out anymore. Going to work everyday was a dread. Finally went to dermatologist in May and right away she prescribed me with Accutane with brand name Claravis. I started the meds in June. Two and a half months later I can say that I was back to my old self. I am now able to go out, confidence is back and life is beginning to come back to normal. I still have acne here and there but definitely so much better than before. Just the fact that the oiliness has went away made a huge difference in the appearance of my skin. I had a purge in the first 2 weeks but slowly faded away. My derm said I should see full clearance around 4th or 5th month, I believe it since 2 and a half months so far made a huge difference. Side effects: Besides dry lips, virtually none. I keep up with a good moisturizer and lip balm, I'm good. Will update again once my full treatment is complete.Read More Read Less

Please consider other options. I took this medication when I was young and I now have severe health issues which I believe are due to this medication. I have lost my colon and my liver is in bad shape as well. I am not, nor have I ever been a heavy drinker, smoker or used drugs. I first noticed a change in my body when I no longer could tan. I'm Italian and always got dark brown in the summer and never had a sunburn in my life. Since my time on Accctane I can't go in the sun without high SPF sunblock. While at first it cleared my face I still have acne today, and some of it is worse than ever but I also have spots on my body where my skin is overly dry. I urge you to think about your future and look into another medical option. Read More Read Less

After being on antibiotics for four years and seeing no improvements I decided to try accutane. I could not be happier with the results. I was hesitant at first because of the crazy side effects I was warned about. I had minimal side effects just bloody noses, chapped lips, and dry skin, but nothing too extreme. I did not experience the months of my skin getting worse at the beginning of using the drug and simply saw results quickly. Im so grateful for accutane because I no longer have to spend time being upset over my skin, being nervous about meeting new people, or dreading going to class. I have been off of it for about two years and still have clear skin!Read More Read Less

I'm 21 years old. Want to start off by saying I have never written a review on something. Accutane is a life changer. I had moderate acne for about 7 years. I got cystic acne as well and when my skin started looking very damaged due to all the acne I've dealt with over time I decided I needed to do something about it. During the first few months things look worse but all you need to know is that by the end of the treatment your skin WILL look a lot better. You have to treat your body with more care during your course. I am close to finishing my 5th month which will be the end of my treatment and I do not have a single pimple on my face. my red marks are looking better with each day. Accutane has really given me back a big piece of my self confidence. I now feel like my outside appearance reflects how I feel inside which is happy and healthy. If you are tired of acne ruling your life then accutane is really the step you need to take. THANK YOU ACCUTANE :)Read More Read Less

Before taking this drug I obviously done my research, read many reviews some of them really scary but I after speaking with my doctor I have decided to take in despite all the bad side effects. It was the best decision I had made I can't see anything else curing my acne. I have started treatment 02.16. It is November now and my skin is acne free. I loved my skin & hair whilst on the drug. Normally my skin is very oily shiny within 30 min after putting make up, my hair are greasy next day after washing. I didn't have those problems at all while taking this drug which was amazing change for a while. Drug has cleared my acne completely and got my skin in perfect condition before my wedding day. Worst side effect was really dry lips but you can live with that. Read More Read Less

I didn't really suffer from severe acne, but I would occasionally get moderate to severe breakouts near my chin and mouth areas. I took Zenatane, a form of Isotretinoin, for 5 months and it worked great. Of course, it dried out my skin and lips, but all you have to do is STAY ON TOP OF IT! Cetaphil moisturizing lotion and face wash are fantastic to use while on accutane. Also use Aquaphor in the areas where you suffer from acne. It helps keep the moisture in tact while on accutane, and you can put it on your lips every night too. I loaded my face with Aquaphor and Cetaphil, and my face didn't dry out hardly at all. My lips would get a little cracked and dry, but that's it. And now, my skin is clearer than ever and I hardly ever break out. I highly recommend accutane if you suffer from severe acne, because it WILL help. Just stay on top of the dryness and you'll be just fine!Read More Read Less

My hormones changed after I had my son and my acne came back with vengeance. I tried to treat it for about 4 years when my doctor finally put me on this drug. The side effects are barely tolerable but the results are amazing. For me the side effects included dry/bloody nose, severely dry lips, dry scalp and skin. During the first month my skin was so dry and itchy I considered giving it up. I'm glad I didn't! The dry skin and associated itchiness subsided after the first month (my dry lips and nose persevered though). At the end of month 2 my skin was nearly flawless! I would get one or two zits here and there but nothing compared to what I experienced before this drug. I haven't been off the drug for long so I can't rate it's long term effectiveness. My only other complaint is the process of getting the prescription filled each month which was a pain in the butt!! Monthly pregnancy tests, blood work, iPledge quizzes, following up with the pharmacy, etc.Read More Read Less

So for a little bit of background about my acne past, i have had severe acne and oily skin for the past few years in high school. And when i say severe, i mean my face was full of large, painful, cystic acne. And i used numerous treatments to try to at least calm down my acne: home remedies, target acne spot treatments, over the counter topical ointments, and anything else i could get my hands on. However, nothing worked! So my doctor finally recommended accutane as a last resort, because keep in mind this is a powerful drug. And although the process of taking blood samples every month is tedious, the end result is completely worth it! So for the first month i was on the medicine my acne did not improve at all, in fact it got a bit worse if thats even possible! But during the second and third months i saw major improvement! And by the sixth and final month my acne was completely gone! Not one acne bump in sight! And now six months later i barely get acne and even if i get one small bump its gone within a day or two! I finally have the clear skin i have dreamed of! So i definitely recommend this to all people who are sick and tired of their severe bothersome acne! Trust me it will be well worth it! Read More Read Less

Taking Accutane/Isotretinoin was the Best Decision I made! I had Moderate acne and very oily skin and now my Face, back, and chest are Clear! My only side effects were dry lips my hair started to thin my last month of treatment. I took it for 5

I used Accutane for a year. during treatment I had dry lip and skin but my skin was clear and there was no acne and I was confident and I felt so good. It was working on me so well. I just had dry skin and lips. I took it under my doctor recommendation with blood test to control liver factors and cholestrol every two months and I was okay. now my acnes are back so I am retaking them. It does have its own side effects but the side effects are not worse than painful white head acnes so if you wanna take it don't do it on your own, consult a doctor and don't forget about blood test every two months and the first time you wanna take it.and also don't use vitamin A supplements and eat less fat like fastfoods. generally for taking supplements consult a doctor. Read More Read Less

For about 5 years I suffered with the deep cystic acne that we all dread. I finally got on accutane in 2009 and had to do a second round again in 2011 because cycstic acne was coming back, but only on my back. During my treatments my face was flawless! Now, it is 2016 and my cystic acne is coming back. It's so frustrating. I'm going to my derm tomorrow to see if I can do a 3rd round of accutane. Has anyone ever done 3 rounds? I'm somewhat scared to do so because I don't want to loose my hair and I feel as if I got some short term memory loss from this medication. All in all, a great drug - it changed my life!Read More Read Less

I suffered with acne for 30 years from age 13 to 43. Tried everything on the market with little to no improvement. Side effects were mainly dry lips, eyes and back ache. I still managed to wear my contact lenses throughout the treatment though so not too bad. I would recommend this drug to anyone in fact my 15 year old son is taking it right now with only slight side effects of dry lips and eyes. This medication is amazing. Don't suffer like I did. For years I had constant cysts on my chin, forehead and back and now 18 months after finishing my medication I haven't had a single pimple. Thank you Accutane. Read More Read Less

Although the side effects were tough- I got some emotional over reactivity, pretty dry skin, lips and nose, and some harsh back pain, taking accutane is the best decision i have ever made. It takes about 3 months (for me at least) to see results, but when they came they occured very rapidly (most of my acne was gone within the next month). The side effects can be brutal, but vary from patient to patient, and no matter what- they are worth it. I am done with treatment and haven gotten a single pimple in months. Only one side note- do not drink or smoke weed on this drug, seeing as it is filtered through the liver and can cause liver damage. The blood tests once a month really werent as bad as I thought they would be. Read More Read Less

First month they 'ramp' up with a half dose, to give your body a chance to adjust to it gradually. I saw results within 2 weeks on the half dose! Granted, my cystic acne is not severe, it was constant (back, neck and face - normally large and painful). It has changed my lie. About half way through the treatments, the side effects have been minimal, but the fatigue and joint pain are definitely worsening (but very much worth it!). Highly recommend trying it if the acne is persistent and affecting your life!Read More Read Less

Let me just say, Accutane was the best thing that has ever happened to me. I had really really bad acne and now I feel like a goddess. In 5 months, I can now live in bliss. Accutane cleared my skin 100%. If I can go back and do it 10 times again I would do it. I completeley understand if people are scared from the side effects. I did get the dry lips but chapstick solved that problem. Put some lotion on and there goes the dry skin. Avoid the sun by putting on a hat and wearing suncreen. At one point taking all these extra steps felt good cause I felt like I was taking even more care of my body. You got an ache in your joints, stretch it out. I honestly think the depression and anxiety are not caused by the accutane and may be a placebo. Don't drink for 5-6 months and you won't have acne for the rest of your life. Now that is what I call a steal!! What I'm trying to say is that the side effects are manageable and the outcome is magnificent. I know when I was on accutane I always wondered when my skin will start clearing off. For me, I actually started to feel a difference after week two. Now it did not completely clear. It was a very gradual process. But each day I felt as though it was getting smoother. I did get many breakouts in between but nothing like how I used to. It was much less and it got better day by day. Around month 3 was when overnight there was a dramatic difference. Accutane was my best friend and my life savor. Best drug ever made hands down. Read More Read Less