Some of the requirements were a real pain for me, but I seriously would do it again in a second. My skin was the bane of my existence since I was 12 (I'm 26), and I just feel so much better about myself now. I get a blemish once in a while, but otherwise it's clear, and it even helped with some scarring that I had leftover. So for me, it really was a miracle drug.

I'm not willing to sacrifice my general health just because I have sh!tty skin.

I took Accutane when I was a teenager - and it truly is a miracle drug. My acne was never horrible, but all other treatments stopped working (antibiotics, etc.) so I went on a low dose of this as a "last resort." And it worked! My brother had much worse acne and received a higher dosage of this, and to this day he has lovely skin. Obviously as a powerful medication it requires a lot of monitoring, but for those in need I truly would recommend talking to your doctor about it.

It seems like it works but all the warnings and side effects scare me I want to have children someday soon and I don't think I would feel safe doing so after being on this medication. I guess it's one or the other and I can live with the acne

My college roommate and two other close friends of mine took Accutane in the past. Other than a few mild side effects (dry eyes, lips), they were fine and their skin improved tremendously.

I would definitely do it if I suffered from acne and nothing else worked.

I use Retin-A right now. It helps me control the random and stray cysts that I get. I wonder how bad the side affects are...I've been using it for a while now that I forgot...gotta look it up.

I was on accutane for 6 months. It was the best decision I ever made. It's not for everyone but worked great for me, It's been 2 years and my skin has never looked better. There are a lot of side effects, but I only had dry lips.

I took accutane for one 6 month cycle, and I have to say the side effects were very annoying but bearable. Mostly you just have to drink twice as much water as you normally do. Three years later my acne is coming back, though it's not quite as bad as it was before I went on accutane. I know that a lot of people who look at it as a miracle drug, but for me I would not go on it again. My acne is improved but it wasn't a cure. I don't regret going on it though, at the time I had exhausted every other option my dermatologist could think of.

I'd be on accutane in a snap if I had health insurance.

yeah but last time i went to give blood, one of the questions was if i took accutane. that kinda freaked me out... WTF does it do to ur blood :S

My dermatologist just recommended Accutane for me about three weeks ago. He put me on an antibiotic until I can start taking the birth control pills. Could you do a pro/con for birth control as well? I'm only 17 and I'm not sure I want to go on it yet,considering I'm not sexually active and also the stories I've heard about contraceptive pills causing facial discolorations, etc, which are the main reason I want to get rid of my acne (I'm Indian, so any acne I get always leaves scars). Thanks so much!

one of my coworkers tried this and raves. but we're talking about starting a family so this is not for me

Great questions everyone! Let me try and clear a few things up...
First of all, bransugar79, you don't have to worry about having kids after finishing Accutane. Within 30 days your body flushes all the excess Vitamin A from your system, so it has no permanent effect on your ability to have children. As a precaution you have to use birth control for one month after finishing treatment, but after that, you will be fine.
For mn48225, if you are on Retin-A, make sure to use loads of sunscreen because it heightens your sensitivity to the sun and you can burn much easier than usual.
ur_momm, the reason you can't give blood while you are on Accutane is because you have elevated levels of Vitamin A in your bloodstream while undergoing treatment, and if a pregnant woman, or even a woman who might become pregnant, received your blood, it could pose a risk to their unborn child.
Hope this helps!

Accutane changed my life! Probably the best thing I have ever done for myself. I tried everything before going on Accutane and nothing else worked.
Now whenever I see someone with acne, knowing how debilitated and self-concious it can make one feel, I wonder if some people still don't know what a miracle cure it can be? Aside from the acne getting worse before it gets better, and the incredibly dry skin(all entirely worth it by the way to have clear skin!)I didn't experience any of the negative side effects. I took it almost ten years ago now and aside from the odd pimple every once in awhile, my skin is still clear.
Also, because I took it before I became sexually active I didn't have to have the monthly blood tests or take any sort of birth control.
I HIGHLY recommend Accutane to anyone suffering from acne.

Isn't that the one that increases risks of depression?

I took Accutane a few years ago, and it made such an incredible difference. I had really bad cystic acne on my face, up to the point where nothing worked and it hurt to even touch my face. After the first six months, it pretty much disappeared, and I didn't have any scars. I did have to take monthly blood tests (even though I was like, 14, and wasn't sexually active. Um, I'm not that dumb, Mr. Dermatologist.) but it actually kind of helped me get over my phobia of needles. Another plus (that nurse was great at taking blood, lol).

Now, a few years later, my face is impeccably clear, while everyone else's looks like a pizza . I only get small blemishes, and that's only when I get really stressed out or something.

It really has made all the difference, especially when it comes to my self-image. I am one of those "ravers", because I think it really is some sort of miracle drug, although, I wouldn't recommend it for those of you who are planning to start families and so on.

I spent 18 months on Accutane as a teen when it first came out. It did not "cure" my acne but it certainly diminished it by about 85%.

I suffered from mild cystic acne that was exceptionally resistant to other treatments.

To this day, over 18 years later, I have bad problems with dry lips. I must have balm on them constantly or they crack and bleed.

Something else to consider - in people with a genetic disposition there is anecdotal evidence that Accutane use can can kickstart psoriasis.

About 4 years after my final course ended, I began to develop patches of psoriasis. Now, my great-grandmother had it and so does my sister (who did not take Accutane) so there is no way to say I wouldn't have developed it without Accutane ... BUT as Accutane "helps the surface of your skin renew itself continuously, preventing the buildup of pore-clogging dead skin and sebum" it's not too far away from psoriasis' constant over-production of skin cells.

Per the National Psoriasis Foundation's website www.psoriasis.org ... "A normal skin cell matures and falls off the body's surface in 28 to 30 days. But a psoriatic skin cell takes only three to four days to mature and move to the surface. Instead of falling off (shedding), the cells pile up and form the lesions."

So there are pluses and minuses. And if I'm not sure knowing what I know now I would make the same choice. Back then it was a "miracle cure" and they didn't know as much about Accutane's effects other than clearing acne.

To even further reassure bransugar79 beyond Bella's remarks ... I have a beautiful, perfectly normal 6 year old daughter. No ill reproductive effects.

No, I use Retin-A as well, and it works great. I have moderate cystic acne. My skin is clear, peaches and cream complexion.

However, I knew someone who used Accutane as a last resort, and it worked great on her. She wished she used it earlier to avoid some of the permanent scars (they looked like little pits).

bella, there's one factual error in this post -- you write, "You have to sign documents committing to using at least two forms of birth control, including one hormonal form." the copper IUD (Paragard) is a non-hormone form of BC that is recommended for Accutane users in place of the hormonal birth control... it's one of the primary forms in the iPledge handbook that you get when you're about to start the medication.

I'm actually on Accutane right now. I'm thankfully finishing up my last month It took 4 months on the pill for me to have clear skin. It's not like it works over night. I have severe dry cracked lips. Honestly, my lips are hurting right now. I also have the dry nose side effect (sometimes bloody). Overall, my experience with Accutane has been positive because it's the only thing that has cleared up my skin.

I was on accutane about 7 years ago, after my sister went on it. Didn't completely stop my acne though, but it did helped a lot. It is not the cure for acne, it doesn't make it completely disappear, at least not for me. The only thing that stopped my acne was time... and that only happened a couple of years ago!
Even though I know how frustrating bad skin is, I probably wouldn't go on it again.
I would recommend lots of research before going on this medication. And prepare for unbelievably dry skin.

wow what a coincidence... I've had skin problems for the past 7 years and I have an appointment tomorrow to ask my derm. about this as a last resort... nothing has worked (and believe me i've tried it all)

I just take 12k mcg of vitamin A every day... I've read that it has the same effects.

i was on it for 6 months and my skin looks soooo much better but i had increased triglycirids (sorry don't know how to spell) so had to be on a pill to lower those. also i had severe chapped lips and lived with chapstick BUT i tired everything pills creams you name it i tried it. yep i still get occasional pimple but it made people stop calling me pizza face just have a good derm

My dermatologist prescribed several medications and topical treatments for my acne. I have been very pleased with the results. I am taking Spironolactone and birth control pills (there was a write up about this on Bella Sugar within the past few weeks) and topically I use Tazorac and Metrogel. I, too, was prepared to research Accutane as a last result, but this regimen has worked well. My skin looks great with or without makeup!

ive been on it for about 3 weeks ago..this is the 2nd time i go on it in the past year which sucks..my doctor said the reason my acne came back was cuz i wasnt on it long enough last time..
the worst side effect is the dry skin..and my skin gets sensitive and is red ALOT!!!
haha only 5 months to go..

I am 46 years old and I have had cystic acne since I was twelve. Accutane can be a miracle drug if it works. However, I have had three courses of it and still suffer from acne.

Mine is definitely genetic as I have the same skin as my father, who still had oily skin and breakouts at the age of 80! Basically, you can name an acne treatment and I have had tried it. My dermatologist recently put me on a course of minocin which has (fingers crossed!) cleared my skin. I just finished the treatment so I will have to wait and see if this finally will do it.

My step son is 15 and has terrible acne. Well I should say had. He had been on numerous medicines for about the past 3 years and he has been on Accutane for 4 months now and it has dramatically improved his skin. He is so much happier now and has more self confidence. He has a few more months to go but so far it is well worth it. If you have acne, seriously, go on this.

I took accuatane for a hellish 2 years. I had cystic acne ALL over my body, it was even painful to lie down. After two years, it almost 100% cleared up, it really is a miracle drug, but the things you go through while you're on it...physically and emotionally. It really messes with you, so it's a serious decision to make.

I am on my last month of my second round of Accutane at the moment. I recommend it, but there taking the drug is a hassle. All women who take the drug have to go through the iPledge system, and the blood tests and doctors appointments every month are annoyingly frequent. However Bella, according to my iPledge packet, you can say that you're abstinent and not take birth control - it's not recommended, though. The dry lips, nosebleed, and rashes are hard to deal with, but it's worth it if nothing else works.

did you use accutane alone? What about the marks and scars?

I suffered from very painful moderate cystic acne and took my first course of Accutane 2 years ago as a last resort (tried all of the anti-biotics and topicals). I saw fantastic results after my first course in regards to the cysts, but I was still having trouble with nodular acne so my derm and I decided to try another course to wipe it out of my system. I took a stronger dose and was only on my second course for 4.5 months. I still get small breakouts but it is NOTHING compared to my skin before Accutane. I used to be depressed and self conscious about my skin and hide out in my apartment on the weekends, but now I can actually go out in public WITHOUT MAKE-UP! Accutane is a miracle drug in that respect.

I did suffer some ridiculous side effects though. Here are my own pro's and con's:

Pro's:
-Clear skin, obviously
-It was GLORIOUS going from super greasy where I had to wash my hair every day (sometimes twice) to only having to wash it every few days. (the grease, unfortunately, comes back after you go off the medication)
-It really suppressed my appetite, so I wound up losing a lot of weight while on it.
-My hair was growing SUPER FAST while on it.
-My nails were so long and strong while on it.

Con's:
-Dry Lips (the best solution for this is Aquaphor!)
-Dry flaky skin (I had never, in my life, moisturized before going on this medicine!)
-I also had a very dry nose which would bleed constantly.
-My eyes dried out as well, and I had recurring problems with conjunctivitis (never a problem before Accutane).
-I suffered from night blindness. The high dose of Vitamin A made driving at night a NIGHTMARE. The bright glare from street lights and headlights made it really scary. (I have perfect vision and after going off the meds the night blindness went away.)
-My cholesterol levels SKY ROCKETED, but I managed to drastically bring it down by eating oatmeal for breakfast every morning.
-Hair loss. Yes. Lot's of it. I had pretty thick hair. My derm said that this is not uncommon. She also said that it's a side affect that doesn't necessarily stop after going off the meds which was really scary because I still do feel like I'm losing too much hair.
-The initial breakout can be pretty brutal. It usually happens during the first month of treatment when the drug is first beginning to work and your pores begin to close and all the gook inside of them is getting pushed out causing blemishes. It only lasts a week or two, and it's completely worth going through.
-IPLEDGE. What a pain. You have to use two forms of birth control, go for a blood/pregnancy test once a month (in a restricted time period between your last menstrual cycle and your derm appointment), then, after you see your derm and before you can get your prescription filled you and your derm have to go online and take a quiz through the IPLEDGE system. It's a ridiculous quiz (common sense), but you and your derm have to have MATCHING answers. They only give you 30 day prescriptions, so it could get stressful trying to meet deadlines so that you can get your next months supply.
-Your skin is really sensitive and thin, so if you get a scratch or a cut it could take an abnormally long time to heal.
-I developed eczema patches under my eyes after coming off of the medication.

All in all, I say if you're suffering as much as I was, GO FOR IT, and good luck!

I agree with all of the above who say this is a miracle drug. I had good skin until my senior year of college when it suddenly decided to go crazy, after trying antibiotics and topicals that didn't do the trick, I went on accutane and absolutely loved it. It cleared up my skin in about a month. The only side affect I encountered was the dry lips, but after 4-6 weeks they were balanced back to normal with the help of aquaphor.
Having my skin break out like that was so miserable for me I would prefer to deal with the possible side effects than the irritated skin and constant feeling of being overly self conscious.

Thanks Bella!

Here in Canada it is way different to get accutane. There is no ipeldge program although you are told to go on 2 types of birth control. There are monthly blood tests to get your cholesterol levels checked execpt I was given the whole 5 month perscription up front.

I'm finishing up my last month of Accutane, and it has been amazing. I had persistent moderate acne. I tried everything topical and didn't respond well to antibiotics or the pill. My face cleared up completely after the first month, and the red spots left behind have faded a lot. The main con is the dryness... My lips are cracked, my face peels (especially around the mouth and chin), and I have little exzema patches along my arms and hands. My derm told me to put vaseline on my face at night, and that's helped. Otherwise, I haven't experienced any drastic side effects. Just a weird little thing that I notice, though, is that my face gets flushed after drinking caffeine.

Unless the acne is very serious and nearly unclearable, I don't see why people should use Accutane. It looks like the cons significantly outweigh the pros.

I'm 17 and on my 4th month of my 2nd round of Accutane. My dermatologist and I have tried EVERYTHING else. Last time I was on Accutane, it cleared me up really well but the acne came back after I stopped taking it. This time it's taking longer to clear up. I have terrible "backne" and moderate cystic acne on my face. It's horrible on bad days and not bad at all on good days. The backne is always awful, because I have to pick clothes according to what covers my back completely.

Also, I'm not on any form of birth control (besides abstinence, obviously!), although I have to go in for a monthly blood test.

Sounds like I have a similar story to everyone else- my derm took one look at me (probably not the best way to diagnose but I was one hell of a pizza face) and said I was a candidate, and it worked wonders. For my seventh form ball (for my American friends- Senior Prom) I had beautiful skin- which suprised me as I like everyone else got the incredibly dry lips (3 lip balms before bed anyone?) and 3 weeks before the ball, my lips had a reaction to a balm I'd used before and swelled up to Angelina Jolie proportions and started to peel off like old wallpaper. We're lucky in NZ with a public health system- once you see the derm (which costs about $80) the Gov subsides your prescription- it ends up being $3 per 6 months or so. Very cheap.
Also PrincessPeach, I had to sign a mental health disclaimer before I could go on it, but my derm said it was a minor risk and the big hoohaa about it came because (not sure if this is true, but this is what my derm told me!) a senators son killed himself while on it, but he was also an illegal drug abuser so that was more likely the case.
Either way its still a serious drug, but it made my skin clear for the first time in years and I feel so much better for it

also, in response to the mental health comment above -- my derm told me that the severe depression occurrs rarely and "almost exclusively in males." just an FYI to those reading.

Yes I think thats what I was told as well,I didn't make myself very clear- good point carhorninapril!

OMG my roommate is currently on Accutane. Scary stuff. They remind you almost in an overkill way to not get pregnant. We think it's really funny and have little icons of a circle with a slash going through a pregnant woman hanging all around our apt. Seriously, just looking at all the warnings on her packages makes me run from it!

What is the reasoning for being on birth control while you are on Accutane?

My husband uses it; if I got pregnant would there be some type of problem?

The concentrated amounts of Vitamin A can cause serious birth defects. I'd get your husband to talk to his doctor about it

Accutane made my sister's horrible acne virtually disappear!

I had a clear complexion until i turned 19 (23 now) and suddenly i had acne everywhere; i tried absolutely everything and nothing worked. Like the description says above, it is not for everyone, but it is the only thing that worked for me. Aside from the side effects (which i KNOW sound scary) i would recommend Accutane in a heartbeat.

My doctor has recommended Accutane to me several times, and I have yet to take her up on it.

I've used an alternative to Accutane, but it is not permanent. It's called a BLU-Light with PDT. And for me the results lasted probably 6-9 months. I just had my second light treatment. Even my derm was shocked by how well my skin reacted.

If you are sick of your acne, but don't want to do Accutane, I recommend researching BLU-Light with PDT, and seeing if someone in your area offers it.

I ahve tried EVERYTHING like creams washes and antibiotics and they all FAILED and acne is now all over my face and back. it hiurts to lye down becasue of the cysts on my back. i have not had a clear skkin day since like 3rd grade!!! acne started appeareing when i was about 9 YEARS OLD im almost 17 now and i cant take it anymore. acne has ruined my self confidence. im going on accutane. even though i alaways said "im never going on accutane" my derm. suggested it today and, im going to do it because seriously, i just want beteer self esteem. if u have severe consistant acne for like, over 3 years, and when litle kids ask u what ur bumps are on ur face, and people in stores are constantly suggesting thigns 2 u to help, u will know what im sayin. to all the ppl who are still like "ill never do this" trust me!!!!! u can only take ur acne so long before it starts ruining ur life.........and then the pros start to outwigh the cons. acne is a horrible disease ! in my h.s. i looka round and think w ow none of these girls have acne as bad as me. IT SUCKS. ACNE SUCKS. !!! AND I CAN DEFINELTELY UNDERSTAND WHY SO MANY PPL GO ON ACCUTANE!!!!!!!

Very nice site!

I am 52 and when I was 28 I went on Accutane the first time. I started having cystic acne when I was 13 and every one told me I would "grow out of it", I didn't. 24 years ago, at age 28, the dermatologist told me that she used it for skin cancer patients; however it was not approved by the FDA for that purpose. During the five months I was on it I sat in the waiting room and saw people with skin cancer "cured". I had been a sun worshipper so I had some rough spots on my skin (keritits) that completely disappeared during the accutane treatment. I started on 40mg and it was increased to 80mg, I was 125 lbs. Within weeks my skin sloughed off in sheets like a lizard and deep plugs came to the surface. I had nose bleeds like the kind you get in very dry weather (I live in So. Cal. with the low humidity)and I had to baby my eyes because I wear soft lenses as the natural oils in my eyes were reduced. I put on chapstick constantly. When I took showers I was careful not to scrub too hard and I rolled of the moistened layers of shedding skin. Before accutane I had extremely oily skin, I absolutely had to wash my long hair every day otherwise it would become very greasy and my makeup allways bled off my face towards the afternoon.I could scrape the oil off my face with a fingernail and it would drip off my nail! The dermatologist said the good thing was that I would not wrinkle like other people. This is true, even today people can't believe I'm 52.During this first treatment of accutane the dermatologist explained that my immune system would go into hyperdrive and any past bone or joint injuries would be cleaned up by the increased microphage activity so expect joint and bone aches. I had injured my elbow once and during the accutane treatment my right elbow and shoulder became extremely tender but it faded during the third month.With the skin and mucose membranes becoming very dry and developing surface cracks I knew my skin would be vulnerable to viral or bacteria invasions so I was very careful to avoid public places and I frequently used hand sanitizers (I was ahead of my time, I made my own sanitizers back then).At the third month my skin cleared up and my body's oil production was at an all time low. I didn't need to wear deodorant, I only washed my hair once every 8-10 days, and my make up stayed PERFECTLY fresh on my face 24 hours at a time!!I LOVED accutane. After that I made a point of going on accutane every four years, age 33 and age 37, though my acne never went back to being severe. Then 15 years passed, I didn't go on it till now. It's so hard to get a prescription now that I buy it overseas. I have been on it now, again for the fourth time, for a week and my skin loves it!But I am going on it for a different reason, I have cervical cancer, caused no doubt by HPV, and recent clinical trials (clinicaltrials.gov) with accutane on cervical cancers, and other cancers like penile cancer, colon cancer, bladder cancer, have proven to be very promising. Being as accutane STILL has not been approved by the FDA for cancer I can't get my insurence to pay for it but that is not a problem with the avenues available on the internet. I will be taking acyclovir, accutane and interferon ab2. If a man gets penile cancer caused by the HPV virus acyclovir and interferon is approved by the insurence companies but not for cervical cancer,instead the standard is to remove the cervix or an hysterectomy! The medical industry is very male driven and since the cervix is out of sight then I guess its OK to cut off that body part!! I take bio-identical hormones and I am not in menopause, I had to push like crazy to get bio-identicals and I have no intention of having a hysterectomy.Accutane is truly a wonderful drug and its too bad so much litigation has caused it to not be put to its full potential. I would not have a problem recommending it to anybody as long as they understood the affects on your body and the care you need to take during treatment.Go forward and take Accutane and FREE yourself!