Isotretinoin for Rosacea User Reviews

• Hopeful
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 23, 2019

Accutane (isotretinoin) "My rosacea got progressively worse in my late twenties. After seeing several different dermatologists and trying various medications and topical treatments accutane is the only thing that has worked for me. I started on taking 20mg daily and after approx 4 months gradually reduced to 20mg every 3/4 days. I now hardly ever get any spots at all and my skin condition is 100x better! I know it comes with risks but it has truly been life changing for me personally so far outweighs the other risks. Reducing stress was also a major reducing factor I believe. Although it’s hard not to be in the vicious cycle of stress when you check your face 1000 times a day! I used to spend hours and hours looking at this forum and across the Internet in desperation looking for something that might work and some reassurance from others that I’m not the only one battling this miserable condition. I just hope this helps anyone know they’re not alone!"

• Carrier
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 7, 2019

Accutane (isotretinoin) "Have Rosacea since my early 20s. After 10 years of my doctor acting like I was complaining about nothing I eventually went to a skin specialist who prescribed Rosex. Symptom free for 12 years - when it stopped working. Tried Soolantra, Muravaso, oral antibiotics it was time for Accutane. My Rosacea affects my nose. Very oily skin, occassional spots. general redness and flushing I'm one week in - no side effects. I'm on day 7. The 'gets worse before it gets better' thing hasn't happened yet. Flushing is 70% better. Spots have eased right back - by 70%. General redness down maybe 50%. Oiliness maybe 20% improvement so far. I put off going on this medication out of concern about side-effects. I'm glad I went ahead - Rosacea is a nightmare that was literally ruining my life. I was desperate. Hope the improvements continue."

• Melanie
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 5, 2019

Accutane (isotretinoin) "I have been on this drug about four times in my life. In my 20s I went on it twice for mild to moderate acne that made me acne free with perfect skin for 20 years. Now in my 40s I went on it twice for papulopustular rosacea. it was a total cure and leads to stunning skin. It also acts as a wrinkle eraser which is something that the media is too afraid to talk about publicly. This drug is highly recommended. Yes it dries your lips so what. If you want perfect skin it’s worth it"

• Tried...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 19, 2016

Accutane (isotretinoin) "4 years, dozens of approaches. ONE solution. Accutane. You name it: Pulse Dye Laser, Metronidazole, Ivermectin, Mirvaso, Doxycycline...plus dozens of "I heard this works great" attempts. And then I got the guts to ignore the "don't try accutane" reviews and try it and it's been nothing short of a miracle from the heavens. Sure, I have a little chap lips while I am on my 6-month regimen but that's easily fixed with lip balms. But when this 6-months is over, I will be cured PERMANENTLY. Stop everything you're doing now and get Accutane. It's a life changer."

• Beach...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 30, 2019

Accutane (isotretinoin) "I went on accutane for rosacea after about 3-5 years of trying antibiotics and metronidazole and any other prescription or OTC cream or health care remedy that I could find. I ended up with an allergy to one antibiotic and having 2 other antibiotics that no longer work for me. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on scams that I prayed would work and did nothing. The damage to your self esteem is incredible, walking around with pimples the size of Texas that have 5 to 8 heads and feeling like hiding in a closet all day. Accutane was a life changer! I started with 1 pill a day, then down to every second day and then stayed for years on 1 pill every 5 days. I went from almost constant breakouts to none and it has also helped with reducing the redness as well. I’ve been off accutane now for a month, but I will go back on in a heartbeat if I break out again. I’ve never had a single side effect, and feel that the plus side of using accutane far outweighs the negative."

• thebr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 5, 2015

Accutane (isotretinoin) "Just hitting one month on Accutane. Don't forget, this is a review for Rosacea, not Acne. I gave it a 9/10 for acne and on Rosacea I will give it an 8/10 so far. I will update the review over time. I was so hesitant to try Accutane with the horror stories, but you have to remember it is for less than 1% of the people that take it. I struggled with depression and have had ZERO depression episodes. Dry eyes and dry lips. Hair thinning a bit, but am not losing any whatsoever. Vivid dreams. That is all. Only had two headaches (minor). This and CeraVe Cleanser CeraVe Moisturizer has made my rosacea go COMPLETELY away. The redness on my face is gone. It is amazing to me. Good luck to all who go down the Accutane road! Everyone is different."

• Cat
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 6, 2019

Accutane (isotretinoin) "I posted on here after 3 weeks of taking Oratane saying I was too scared to keep trying - but I did end up persevering. Really glad I did. Been 4 months. Take one 20mg every 4 days & my rosacea is gone. No rash. No flushing. Gone!! Now I'm too scared to stop taking it....."

• yoyojo
• April 18, 2011

Accutane (isotretinoin) "I waited years to take this until I found a doctor who used it for Rosacea. I think I was on it for less than 3 months and it totally changed my skin for the better. Accutane was a miracle cure for me. I took it about 25 years ago and have rarely had to deal with Rosacea since. When it does flare up I can handle it with tiny amounts of topical medication. But follow the rules and don't become pregnant. This is serious medicine."

• RichZ...
• September 3, 2017

Accutane (isotretinoin) "I'm 70 years old with rosacea; redness, tiny white bumps, pimples that just don't clear up. To take a step back, I was on Accutance for over 10 years, starting in 2002, with adult acne issues and it helped clear up the condition and improve my life. Now I have this rosacea condition; very depressing. Just started to take 10mg Accutane 2 days ago and condition is worse already. Going to stick with Accutane as I did in the past and hopefully it will help me once again! My best to all who suffer with rosacea!"

• Rosacea...
• October 15, 2013

Accutane (isotretinoin) "I took Accutane about 10 years ago, it was a pain to go to the lab every month so I could get my prescription but it was worth it. My skin was so bumpy and inflammed that at some points my eyes would be swollen shut from the massive bumps on my cheeks. I only took Accutane for about 3 months and I have been mostly clear since. I have only had about 2 large rosacea related cysts since and they were 1/4 the size and didn't have the pain that just made you want to cry. I'm still on other medications as it didn't completely clear up my rosacea acne but it was 80% better and I couldn't be happier that I no longer suffer from the pain of the cysts."

• Jasmine
• February 28, 2018

"Low dose for rosacea works better than anything else. I have minimal side effects - some dry lips and that’s about it. Nothing else but isotretinoin has worked. I have been on low dose got over 10 years. High dose will make flushing worse so I recommend low dose (10mg every other day)."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 3, 2012

Accutane (isotretinoin) "After years of dealing with a red bumpy itchy burning face, this was the only medicine that cleared my face totally. Apart from some drier skin I had no other side effects. I gradually was able to wean off them and don't really think I was on it for long at all."

• Frank
• September 12, 2019

"Doctor said I should take 20 mg isotretinoin per day (low dose) for my rosacea already after 3 days I could feel my face go red hot and itchy. Not really the start I was hoping for, but at the same time I could actually see improvements especially when it comes to my enlarged sebaceous glands. My condition is mild redness on the cheeks "mild" acne/rosacea in the T-zone and enlarged sebaceous glands in my forehead I've been on this only for total of 1.5 weeks, and Ican tell it makes a difference, already with the enlarged sebaceous glands they actually is already closing.. My cheeks are more red, but my "acne/rosacea" is not breaking out more.. the first 2-3 days I got a few new ones but they went away faster then ever. I will update along the way No side effect yet Before this I've tried Finacea , doxycycline, Soolantra , Metronidazole cream , tetracycline , Ery-max. IPL-laser, clindamycin cream, eating paleo diet for a year, I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot, Oh yeah all home remedies in the world :)"

• Kat
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 9, 2019

"I've suffered with Rosacea for a few years and I've tried, without success, different topical lotions prescribed by my dermatologist until he finally suggested isotretinoin. I was on this medication in the past for acne and it did wonders clearing that problem up, so I knew what to expect in terms of potential side effects. I'm so happy I went back on isotretinoin for my Rosacea. It has been a life (and confidence) saver! This is such a horrible condition that really effects a person's confidence level, so I am happy to be my normal self again! The side effects for me have been minimal...dry lips and some (very) minor headaches. Nothing that ibuprofen can't cure. I am taking 10 mg once per day and it seems to be sufficient to keep the problem at bay. I moisturize my face well, and always have vaseline with me for my lips, and this seems to do the trick for the dryness. I'm very happy with my results!"

• Dusty
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 24, 2021

"As I read through all the positive comments, I'm wondering how everyone’s rosacea is doing NOW, post-accutane. Before I had mild rosacea and was put on accutane for random cysts I kept getting. Personally while I was on accutane my mild rosacea was slightly improved, but after getting off of this drug my rosacea has slowly become worse than ever. My skin is so much more sensitive now and literally every “trigger” causes me to flush. I’ve talked to several dermatologist about it making my rosacea worse, and they all assure me that I’m wrong. Well I’m sorry it’s 1+1=2 in my opinion. I know what my skin was like beforehand. I now have laser sessions scheduled because NOTHING is working to tame my rosacea at this point and I’m desperate. Proceed with caution before you jump on this stuff because I’m definitely not the only one who has experienced this! I’m also a 28 year old male FYI."

• Rasa
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 8, 2014

"I am 35 years old female. I had severe acne rosacea. Antibiotics, topic metronidazole and azelaic acid didn't help me. I fell in a deep depression because of look of my face. Roaccutane saved my life. My face cleared up in about a month. Big big thanks for inventors of this miracle."

• Cat
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 9, 2019

Accutane (isotretinoin) "3 weeks in on Accutane for rosacea. My rash has doubled in size & I look like a beetroot by the end of the day. After trying everything else for 4 years, This (oratane in Australia) was all that was left to try. For vanity's sake I hope that I get back to what I had before. Too scared to keep going..."

• AcneR...
• March 23, 2016

"This is a miracle drug. Nothing would clear my acne for years and this cleared it right up in a few months. Can't recommend highly enough. People will try to scare you with crazy side effects but these are really really rare. I only got dry skin, dry nose, and dry lips."

• Pissed...
• April 17, 2016

"I have been on accutane for five months and have not seen a single improvement in my skin. I just finished the last of my pills and I am highly disappointed. I still have red splotches all over my face and my face, neck, and chest get red very fast and very easily. Which I want to mention did not start to happen until AFTER I got on the medicine. It has made my skin so sensitive never like before. I hated this entire journey because the dermatologist filled my mind with false hopes saying this was a miracle drug and my cure all. I do not recommend anyone taking this. It's a complete waste of money and time."

• 5mg
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 22, 2023

"I took this for about 5 months, and my skin has improved 100%. I had avoided medication for 20 years and tried to treat it with creams, diet, etc. It was only a small dose of 5 mg, but my condition was really terrible and so sensitive and aggravated. I was at the stage where I was ashamed of my face. Now I still look in the mirror every day after 9 months and am amazed by how clear and beautiful my skin is now. This honestly changed my life and I wish I took it sooner. Worked for me."

• Janey...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 18, 2017

"Just over a month in....very low dose (10mg) for Sebaceous Hyperplasia and Rosacea but appears to be working! Tried umpteen other lotions and potions and nothing worked then this medication. My specialist is insisting on blood tests to keep an eye on my liver and cholesterol so fingers crossed the first tests come back positive. Dry lips and some dry skin on my body but making sure to use lip balm and moisturizing lotion after showers. Minor headaches and minimal joint pain but no nose bleeds or other symptoms. My skin is starting to look more 'normal' again and my hair glorious after years of greasy misery. Fingers crossed things continue to improve "

• lost
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 2, 2021

"I tried a lot before and nothings works like Doxycycline , rozex gel , elidel Cream, zata cream, and lymecycline. But nothings works for my rosacea so isotretinoin is my last hope. I'm on isotretinoin for only 7 days, the doctor gave me 30mg and he say my skin is really very, very, very oily. But I can tell you that I'm depressed because my rosacea become worst the swelling, itching, and redness. I read here that the rosacea will become worse at the beginning, so I will try to be patient. I will post again if I contented using it. I hope it becomed better."

• Cat
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 7, 2019

"Week 3 of Oratane (isotretinoin generic) and my rosacea rash has tripled in size. I have lived with it for 4 years & thought it was bad until it did 3 weeks on Oratane. Too scared to try any longer. It just keeps growing...."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 12, 2022

"Started isotretinoin (Myorisan) in November 2021 per a dermatologist’s recommendationfor rosacea. Had tried almost everything else available (Oracea, Finacea, Metrodinazole, Benzoyl Peroxide, etc.) and had moderate success with benzoyl peroxide but caused permanent redness/erythema and dryness. Oil production is reduced significantly, maybe 70 or 80%. I don’t break out at all three months in, acne or rosacea. Any little red bump that starts disappears quickly. Flushing got worse initially, but I can use heavy duty moisturizers now and my skin looks less red and is more balanced than ever. Side effects have included dry lips and tinnitus that is mild. I take one 30mg every other day, considered low dose. Worth trying when you’ve tried everything else."

• JackI...
• October 13, 2020

"Hey guys, so I have been suffering from Rosacea since I was 17 (now 24) and I had my good phases and bad phases. When I was 20 I took accutane mostly for acne, but it also helped my rosacea a lot. Then last year my rosacea started getting worse again so went on doxycycline. What can I say... allllll my skin problems came back, rosacea with a vengance, acne, seborrheic dermatitis, I started getting dandruff again (haven't had that since I was 12). Anyways whatever, Btw I was constantly using Elidel, and every time I would have a breakout and would use Elidel it would burn (knowing that it was getting better, and it would). After Doxycycline Elidel was negligible I just started taking accutane again with erythromycin topical. Even tho my face has become redder (storm before the calm =P_ I have experienced this cycle before. My cream is starting to give me that burning tingling sensation like it used to, giving me the confidence to stay on knowing it would hopefully work."