Okay, so I am gonna start on Roaccutane in about a months time (Derm is wanting for me to be on the pill a month before hand) and I am fairly nervous, considering the amount of side effects. It looks fairly lethal. Some people have said that you shouldn't drink while on it, but this wasn't mentioned to me (possibly cause I'm only 16) Has anyone got past experience and advice?
I've recently done some clinical research involving isotretinoin (the active ingredient in Accutane and Clarus) Essentially, as you are female you must be very careful to avoid pregnancy as it is a known teratogen (harmful to fetus). I presume it is being prescribed because your acne is either moderate or severe. The side effects can be quite obvious, the most being dryness of the skin, lips, mouth and eyes, but if you use moisturizers, lip balms etc. you should be OK. You also need to consider that not taking it could result in permanent scarring from the acne, so these are the general things to consider. I would avoid alcohol, but your dermatologist and the patient package insert that comes with the drug or instructions given to you by your pharmacist (read these carefully) should tell you exactly what you need to know. Should you have any side effects that go beyond what is expected (to be discussed with your dermatologist) then see him ASAP and ask him what you should do in that case. Best of luck!
It's got better because I have been on anti-biotics, but they come back once I've been off them for a while and so hopefully the Roaccutane should get rid of them for good
As with all meds, there are side-effects. Isotretinoin has been studied for a while, but again, if you have concerns, your dermatologist should be able to tell you what you need to know. I don't know if the drug permanently stops acne, but I do believe it is a stronger medication than antibiotics alone. Take care!
Hi, I've taken Roaccutane a few years ago and I did not experience most of the side effects. None of the scary ones anyway. Your skin will definitely dry up but nothing that moisturizer can't help with. I did not drink during the time I was on Roaccutane but I wasn't drinking yet at that time so it wasn't a problem for me. I had really bad acne before I started taking Roaccutane and I do not regret taking it all. But you really have to research on it a lot and weight the options. Different people experience different side effects so you must be sure about taking the risk.
There are several old threads about member's experiences with Accutane. Here's a few: http://emptyclosets.com/forum/physical-sexual-health/16024-roacatain.html http://emptyclosets.com/forum/physical-sexual-health/46901-roaccutane-accutane.html http://emptyclosets.com/forum/physical-sexual-health/12229-acne.html