Anyone Taken Accutane?

[AliceinHalloweentown]

Hi all!
I guess my question is in the title: Has anyone here taken accutane before?

My dermatologist keeps pushing for it, but the side effects are keeping me away...
They have to make sure you're not pregnant every month because it will seriously screw up your child...

So have you or anyone you know taken a course of accutane?
How did it go for you/them?

 

[WDW Traveler]

I'm not a teen anymore - not even close But when I was younger, probably around 23/24, I took Accutane. I had good results. I was very impressed with the way it worked and helped. Yes, you need to get a blood test every month for the course of the medication to check for pregnancy and other things - raises your cholesterol if I remember correctly. I did fine on the medication. No side effects what so ever. A few years later I had to take another 5 month course because of flare ups, but again, no side effects. It have been (clears her throat) probably more than 10 years since I took it and my skin is for the most part clear. I still get small flare ups here and there, but nothing like a used to. Every experience will be different I'm sure so what worked for me, may not be the same for you. Good luck though. I know how you feel!

 

[pigletgirl]

My roomie actually just ended her course on it. It really improved her acne. She had bad cystic acne that was all over her face, neck, back and chest. It was one of the worst cases the derm had seen. Poor girl, she's so beautiful and now scars cover her face. She's considering another treatment to get rid of them. (can't remember the name).

But yeah, she did get a little depressed on them, but other than that it went fine for her.

 

[mdezot]

Wow, I guess I was part of the test study of Accutane 19 years ago. They actually paid me when I took it and it definitely helped. I still get an occasional pimple now and then but nothing like it was. My skin improved rapidly during the treatment. I do remember the heavy warnings about pregnancy but I did not take monthly blood tests. I did end out with a strange bone growth -spur like- on one of my ribs that the doctor said was a possible side effect but it has never caused a problem. It just showed up on an x-ray. My sister-in-law also went through the treatment a few years after I did and noticed a dramatic improvement.

 

[disneydance]

My brother took it and had to stop taking it 2 weeks before his treatment was done because it got too dangerous for him...
He got a staph infection from it and it dryed up his sinuses to the point he was spitting out blood but other than that his face is looking better...
He just still trying to get rid of the staph infection that's all...

 

[GoofysOnlyGirl]

My brother just finished his treatment a month ago and had very good results. He had barely any side affects except for extremely dry lips, and being thirsty all the time. Other than that it cleared his acne up very well. Obviously he could not be pregnant, so that didn't affect him at all

 

[laurenluvsdisney]

I think MTV did a True Life about this... you might want to youtube it.