What is accutane and what are the side affects?
I was thinking about going to the dermatologist and getting accutane is this bad for me and should I start it? I have severe acne.
Thanks!
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What is accutane and what are the side affects?
I was thinking about going to the dermatologist and getting accutane is this bad for me and should I start it? I have severe acne.
Thanks!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Accutane is a very powerful retinoid which is used to help clear SEVERE acne. It works extremely well with adverse effects, WHILE you use it. When you are taken off, expect acne to come back full blast.
Here’s a link to the side effects, which are very common. I can’t number how many stories I’ve heard of sudden depression and hair loss.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotretinoin#Adverse_effects
For a safer bet, you should use Doxycycline, or minocycline. They are both still very good for getting rid of pimples.
I suffered a horrid outbreak 2 years ago…and was prescribed Minocycline, plus I committed myself to drink 2 litres of water a day and to NOT PICK MY FACE. Since then…well…My skin is perfectly clear. I use no prescription drugs now, I only retain my routine of not touching my skin (rubbing it with a piece of clothing if it’s too itchy) and drinking 2 litres of water a day.
It’s because water flushes all the toxins out of the system, and speeds up the healing process for pimples and scars.
Another product you should ask of your doctor is Benzyl Peroxide. It is a great topical that you can place on troublesome pimples at night time. Simply wash them off in the morning, and the pimple will be dramatically reduced, or disappeared.
Hope this helps, don’t ruin your body and mental health for Accutane. It’s not worth it.
accutane is a last resort drug for people with severe acne. if your acne is cystic and/or nodular, it wouldn’t hurt to ask your dermatologist about accutane. have you tried any other prescription medications to clear your acne? if not, your derm will probably have you try some other things (topicals, antibiotics) before he will give you accutane (for insurance reasons). there is a long list of possible side-effects of accutane; however, the chances that you would experience any severe side effects is quite rare. you would most likely experience some of the less severe side-effects of accutane. the most common side-effects are dry lips, dry skin, dry nose that may lead to nosebleeds, and occasional joint/back pain. these can easily be dealt with by using vaseline or aquaphor on the lips, using a good moistuizer, using a saline nasal mist, and using ibuprofen for pain when necessary.
if you’re in the u.s. you’ll need to be registered with the ipledge program in order to take accutane. this requires all females who can become pregnant to be using two forms of birth control one month before their course until one month after their course, even if they’re not sexually active. females will also need to get a pregnancy test each month while on the drug, as accutane causes severe birth defects. all patients will need to get monthly blood tests to check triglyceride levels to make sure the drug isn’t harming their body. they will also need to answer a series of questions on the ipledge website before their prescription will be filled.
i’m on my fourth month (out of five) of a generic accutane called claravis and it has been working great for me. i had severe nodular acne when i started my course and noticed improvement by the end of the first month. my skin is almost completely clear now. the only side effects i’ve experienced are the ones i listed above.