Also known as: Accutane, Amnesteem, Claravis, Sotret
The following information is NOT intended to endorse drugs or recommend therapy. While these reviews might be helpful, they are not a substitute for the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgement of healthcare practitioners in patient care.
Sort by:
Reviews for isotretinoin systemic to treat Acne
Anonymous user said:
User Rating:
8.0
Accutane (isotretinoin): I'm 27 and have had cystic acne since age 11. I took Accutane my soph. year of college and it worked pretty much instantly with good results and no side effects (maybe dry lips but I barely remember that). The acne came back though about 2 years later, and I took a second cycle. About 4-5 years later (now) it has come back slowly and I am considering a 3rd round. I've used Proactiv for over a year, and that was working, but has seemed to stop working and severely dry out my skin. I'm nervous about the side effects with a third round, but the first 2 cycles I had no issues- so I'm hoping this round will last longer!
0 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I took Accutane a few years ago to clear up my swamp face (so oily!) and my breakouts weren't bad, but whenever I had one I'd scar so bad...So I did 30mg 2x a day...took about two weeks but the oiliness went away and after about a month or two I was seeing beautiful skin. Stayed clear for years after. Chapstick, and heavy duty lotions and creams are important, and I also had to use eye drops as my eyes got dry. Wonderful, wonderful medicine.
0 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): Ive been on Accutane for 2 months.I went through random breakouts and I turned to Birth Control to help control the hormones causing my acne. It helped but not as much as Accutane could, so I gave it a shot! I have scars from my acne so I always wear liquid and powder cover up. If anyone else is on Accutane and wears makeup, the dry skin is probably making your makeup look dry and cakey!
0 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I took Accutane twice to have little to no improvement for my moderate acne. It made my hands and feet completely dry, even years later, however, my acne is no better and my face and scalp are still completely oily.
0 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I was a junior in High School. Because of moderate acne throughout high school, my mom thought it would be a good idea for me to go on Accutane during the last part of my junior year. I took the first 30 days of the prescription, noticing my lips had cracked and bled horribly. Smiling was no longer possible. With the first refill came a notice about "notifying your Doctor if diabetes runs in your family". I told my doctor, my dad and his brother both died from diabetes complications. I was told I had "NOTHING" to worry about. I took Accutane for two months. Three years later, when I was 19, I was diagnosed with Diabetes.
1 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I began taking Accutane at the end of seventh grade. I finished in November of eighth grade. My face is completely clear. Accutane works miracles!
0 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Claravis (isotretinoin): I've been on Claravis for over two months now and haven't had a major break out since the first month. Very, very dry lips and overall dry skin, but my dermatologist recommended Cetaphil for that. Try to stay out of the sun as it does cause your skin to burn easily. Can't wait to finish as it does cause slight lack of energy.
0 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I took Accutane for my acne, a dermatologist prescribed it to me. I took it for about a year to a year and a half. My dermatologist promised me it would get rid of my acne forever. Here I am a year or two later and am breaking out worse than I was before Accutane.
2 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I've been going to my dermatologist since I was 13 (now 19) for my acne. I've pretty much always been on antibiotics but nothing seemed to really get rid of my acne. I took a 5-month Accutane course when I was 16 and it worked great. I don't even really remember having any serious side effects. Now I'm 19 and my acne has come back. It's not horrible, but it bothers me quite a bit and my doctor suggested a second round. I'm going into my third week now, and I feel like it's already doing me some good. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, because I am so sick and tired of having to struggle with my acne everyday.
1 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I am 35 years old and have battled acne and oily skin my whole life. I have tried everything under the sun to cure my acne but nothing worked. I started accutane 4 days ago and already notice a difference with my skin. I can tell it is drying me out but it is well worth it. My self confidence is rising day by day and the stress of wondering, "how bad will my face be today?" is leaving. I will comment on my experience when I can, but as of now I would recommend this drug to anyone. It has already changed my life.
5 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): Accutane was one of the best things that ever happened to me! Until I started taking Accutane I had the lowest self esteem imaginable. Didn't like looking in the mirror because it seemed like everyday there was a new pimple. It was hard not to pop them, but when I did they'd leave awful scars that are still on my face to this day. After Accutane, which took about a month to kick in, the bumps didn't come nearly as bad. While I was on the medication I had no acne whatsoever. My face was BEAUTIFUL. I'd recommend it. Chapped lips and dry hair are a SMALL price to pay for you to gain confidence to show people your face.
3 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Amnesteem (isotretinoin): I have had body acne for 7 years. Just started my third month of Amnesteem. I have seen decent results but still not 100% gone. I have experienced mild back pain, chapped lips, dry skin, headaches and some stomach irritability. Except for the side effects I would recommend this product.
1 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I took this medicine 10 years ago, it was wonderful and cleared my skin. It looked healthy, glowing and my large pores shrunk, my life returned to normal and I felt fantastic. This drug changed my life and the effects have lasted years but I am back on it. My skin started becoming very oily again and my deep nodular acne started to return. My hospital has placed me back on this medicine and I've been taking it for two weeks. Already I am seeing a difference, the grease has gone but I have very dry lips and skin. It is wonderful though, I don't need to wash my hair every day like I was doing.
6 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
isotretinoin: I'm currently on Atretin, which is the same thing as Accutane. The only side effect I've had is the chapped lips but I also stay out of the sun a lot because you can REALLY get BAD SUNBUR. I'm only really 2 months in so I still get a few breakouts but they go away very quickly. My skin is looking so much better. I looked like corn on the cob before the treatment but now I look so much clearer. I don't regret taking this medication at all. I recommend it for anyone with acne troubles.
0 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I have been on Accutane for a month and a half. I am not sure whether my acne was very severe, but it was bad enough. I was allergic to benzoyl so my doctor put me on Accutane, now I am having a pretty bad flare up of cystic acne although I am clear on my back and chest. Lips are unbearably chapped and I have bad back pains. Hopefully it will get better.
1 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): It has been 23 years since I took Accutane and other than the occasional pimple I have been acne free. I was a teenager with very bad acne. I tried every medicine that was around at the time. The drug was relativity new when I took it, but my doctor was clear about all of the side effects. I knew what I was getting into when I took the medicine. Dry skin, chapped lips, I could peel the dry skin off my face and I cut my lips in the mornings occasionally. This product was not forced on me, but it changed my life. It gave me my confidence back! I looked at my high school photos in grade 10( not a pretty picture), but in grade 11 I looked like a new person. People want easy fixes, but don't want it to be hard!
4 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): In the first month I broke out with the worst acne I've ever experienced (large and painful). The second month progressed to smaller acne occurring but my skin became very dry, especially my lips. Chapstick has to be applied about every 20 minutes. There were rashes on my forearms from a reaction that looked like poison ivy and felt like eczema. The third month is where I noticed my pores began to shrink. There are no more large breakouts, just minor acne when it decides to show. Now I am in my fourth month and there are very few break outs and in their own area; no clusters of breakouts. Overall Accutane is a great product for severe acne and it can change anyone's life, but the side effects are serious and patients need to be safe!
6 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
isotretinoin: I began isotretinoin November 2008 and finished my last dose March 2009. My acne consisted of small pimples on my chest and back and mild to moderate acne on my face, no nodules or cysts. After one week of treatment my acne was completely gone. I was amazed at how powerful the drug was. My side effects consisted of hair shedding, headaches, dry lips and face. I used Aquaphor on my lips about 8 times per day and Aveeno ultra calming moisturizer on my face twice a day. I never used a facial cleanser throughout the course, rather a warm face cloth morning and afternoon. My pores completely closed, and my skin was flawless. After being off it for six months, my face is producing a little oil, but is still acne free.
1 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I am currently into my second month with Accutane. I first took it to get rid of a few really deep pimples on my back; my face was almost perfectly clear. After starting Accutane, however, my face broke out horrifically. It looked like I wasn't on any medicine or washing my face at all. I kept persisting, hoping that it would clear up, meanwhile my social confidence dropped a ton. I still find new, deep, cystic zits when I wake up in the morning, despite taking Accutane faithfully, exactly to my dermatologist's instructions. I finally decided about 2 weeks ago to use a salicylic acid scrub along with Accutane, and that has seemed to help a lot. However my back is still developing deep zits. I just hope in the end that Accutane will start working.
2 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Claravis (isotretinoin): This medicine is amazing. I'm 28 years old and have tried a lot of different medications to clear up my acne but nothing worked until I went on Claravis. I have been taking 40mg once a day for 3 months now and my skin looks great. I am experiencing a lot of the side effects though, blood noses, extremely dry lips and back pain.
8 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Claravis (isotretinoin): My daughter used a generic form of isotretinoin. The results were amazing. It cleared her pimples and blackheads. She did not clear up immediately; in fact, her skin broke out more at first. However, she has been off the medicine for a few months and she rarely gets a pimple.
9 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I was put on Accutane when I was 16 after using every acne medication the doctors prescribed and everything over the counter. Immediately I noticed a difference and my self esteem soared. I think I did the best one can do on it. The only thing I noticed was my lips got dry quicker, but I just carried Chapstick with me. It was my miracle drug and I couldn't thank my parents enough for putting me on it.
I'm 23 now and I get an occasional breakout here and there but it's not cystic and painful anymore, it's 2 or 3 pimples. I recommend it to anyone who is sick of their embarrassing acne.
11 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I was treated with Accutane in a medical university study 12 years ago. I had very oily skin and hair, and moderate non-cystic, mostly facial acne. The drug took a while to work and the dry lips and skin were annoying, but the drug worked great, totally removing the acne and drying out my skin and hair. The effect lasted for years afterwards, and my skin and hair have gradually gotten oilier over the last few years but the acne has mostly stayed clear, even now, more than a decade after completing treatment.
I did not have any other side effects. This drug worked incredibly well for me.
1 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): It's been about 9 months since I stopped taking Accutane. I had really bad acne on my back and chest and tried everything and Accutane was the only thing that worked. The acne on my face was pretty bad but not as bad as the other places while I was on Accutane I never got any pimples but about 2 months after I stopped, it all came back on my face. I'm considering taking it again but I experienced some memory loss, backaches, bloodshot eyes, and my lips are still always very dry. It worked amazing on my back and chest though and I haven't had a pimple there since.
7 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I have been on Accutane for about three months now. It's taking a while for my skin to clear up but thankfully it is clearing up. I hope soon all my acne will just vanish. One thing to watch out for is crying spells. I have those quite often now but to get clear skin I think it will be worth it.
Good luck to those who use it.
5 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): Just starting my first round of medication and the dry, flaky skin is making me crazy. Hopeful the end results will be worth it but after several weeks I have not noticed any significant effects.
2 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I took Accutane 10 years ago while I was in high school. It's amazing what it did for my skin. The only side effect I had while taking it was a lot of really bad nightmares. After ten years my skin is still clear. I think I had my first pimple 6 or 7 years after taking it and only 1 more since then. I was on the lowest dose for 9 months. I was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome a few years after taking Accutane though, which can be a side effect. It worked wonders for my skin so if your acne is severe and you've tried numerous other products that don't work I would recommend taking Accutane.
4 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): My 19 year old son has been on Accutane for 4 months now. His face is much clearer but his 2nd month blood test showed his blood triglyceride levels had jumped from 120 to 730 (that's really high and bad). It's a rare side effect that tends to happen to people who may be genetically predisposed to diabetes and high cholesterol. He changed his diet from mostly junk food to a low fat, low sugar one so he could continue on Accutane, and his doctor put him on medication. Two weeks later and 10 pounds lighter his blood triglycerides were down to 65. His face continues to improve, he feels great, and has learned to really enjoy healthy eating. Moral: get those blood tests. The life you save may be your own.
12 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Claravis (isotretinoin): I am a 29 year old female that started to get acne about 8 months ago. After trying several different medications including antibiotics and getting no results. My doctor discussed Claravis (Isotretinoin). I was a little scared at first after reading about the side effects and the length of time you have to take the medication. But after no results using anything else and my acne getting worse, I started Claravis on May 9, 2009, 40mg once a day for 5 months. After only two weeks, I have already noticed a difference in my acne and have not had any breakouts since starting it. I had very oily skin before and now I am dealing with a little dryness around my forehead and eyebrows and yes very chapped lips. Overall, good results.
5 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I took Accutane for my severe acne 13 years ago. I have not had a breakout since I started the medication. It cleared up my face, back and chest in 6 months and have not had acne since. I know this is a serious medication and has harmful side effects. The only side effects that I experienced was the extremely dry, flaky skin. I do not regret taking Accutane. I tried many acne medications prescribed by the doctor and nothing worked. The acne would get better and then I would have a major breakout again. Accutane was the only thing that worked for me.
8 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): This drug is amazing. A miracle in pill form. I was scared to take it at first because of the many risks
but it was the best decision I have ever made in my life. I was on this for 6 months and now I'm off it and haven't had acne in years. Best drug ever. Highly recommended for bad acne.
26 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I THINK THIS MEDICINE IS A WONDER DRUG. WHEN I WAS 15 I TOOK THIS MEDICATION FOR SEVERE CYSTIC ACNE AND WITHIN 5 MONTHS MY ACNE WAS COMPLETELY GONE EXCEPT FOR THE REDNESS THAT EVENTUALLY WENT AWAY. I ONLY EXPERIENCE DRYNESS OF MY SKIN, LIPS AND HAIR AND VERY MILD DEPRESSION (BUT HEY WHO ISN'T DEPRESSED WHEN YOU HAVE ACNE THAT BAD). NOW I AM 27 AND SOME MINOR BREAKOUTS BUT I WOULDN'T GO BACK AND CHANGE MY DECISION TO TAKE ACCUTANE FOR ANYTING IN THE WORLD. IT CHANGED MY LIFE FOR THE BETTER IN SO MANY WAYS.
10 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I had some extremely unpleasant side effects (skin peeling, decreased night vision, increased sensitivity to light, in-grown toenails that required numerous painful surgeries, etc), but it was worth it. This medication is absolutely amazing. The only downside is that some of the side-effects appear to be permanent.
5 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): This stuff is pretty potent, but AMAZING. I love this. I am 22 years old now and have had acne since I was 14. I tried everything out there, from soap, to creams, to every lotion and pill, and NOTHING worked for me. I even tried Proactive for a few months, and saw no results. I have been on ACCUTANE now for almost 3 months, and my acne is gone. And it's really simple, all you do it take a pill once a day, and the power of Accutane just completely destroys your acne. The only side effect I have noticed is dry lips and skin, but it's okay as long as I carry chapstick and lotion and I'm alright. But other then that, this is a cure for me and I only have 3 months left.
12 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Claravis (isotretinoin): I have been using this medication for one month to treat sebaceous hyperplasia, which I developed at age 58, after a life of oily/acne-prone skin. I am amazed at the results - no oil and a reversal of the sebaceous hyperplasia. I will be on this (40mg once daily) for 5 months if all goes well as it presently is, and I hope that the results are lasting. No woman should accept that nothing can be done about this problem if they care about their looks.
5 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): Loved this. Took it about a year ago and it took about two months to really show results and you only have to take it for about 6 months. I had acne on my face and back which all cleared up. One side effect though was extreme dryness, which I dealt with. I also suffered from depression halfway through the treatment which I dealt with as well. This was all a year ago. About 5 months ago I had severe acne again as I began working in a greasy environment so I was a mess again. I'm back on the pills and its working wonderfully, I'm halfway through and now have mild depression but its not so bad. The only thing I worry about is when I get off this if I'll break out again badly. Also, most people don't ever have to do a second round of this.
31 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I took a 6 month course of Accutane. I have cystic acne on my chin and my neck, all of it in the area of facial hair. I only got somewhat chapped lips, but the drug did no good whatsoever. Sure, my skin became less oily, but that's all. I'm 35 and I get cysts almost on a daily basis. It gets worse and worse with age, I believe.
3 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): Today is my 11th day on Accutane and I have already seen some major results. I had a small breakout the first couple of days, but now it has gotten so much better. I'm so happy because I finally have hope that my acne will go away. Because I don't even go out with friends anymore and everyone at school makes fun of my acne. Yes, its severe and I'm glad this is working. Side effects I have are dry lips and a little bit of back pain not much though. At school I am so ashamed of my face I try to hide it. All those who have severe acne you are not alone, I understand how you feel.
15 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Claravis (isotretinoin): I just started this medication on April 1st and after 3 days I started seeing the effects and I can see it's taking it's course and working so far. The doctor started me on 40mg two times a day for 4 months. So far only side effect is dryness which was to be expected.
4 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I do believe, as all of you have stated, that Accutane is by far, the best form of treatment for cystic acne. I am 43 years old. I didn't have acne as a teenager, but ended up getting it in my early thirties. I have been on and off Accutane for the past 13 years. It does work, however, in my unfortunate circumstance, it always comes back. My doctor tells me that there are a select group of women who don't get acne until they are in their thirties and forties. For many of the adults, 1,2,3, or even 4 courses of Accutane don't work without the acne coming back at some point. For me, I have to take a consistent low dose to keep the acne at bay.
8 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I was prescribed Accutane for mild to severe cystic acne on my face back and chest, and was literally clear within 2 weeks and even showed signs of healing of old scars on my face. I highly recommend this drug for those who have no psych issues as it is believed that it can cause depression. Try it, it works.
14 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I have been on Accutane more than once. In Canada my sister has been taking it in low dose for years - rules are different there. I take B to Zinc vitamins to maintain my health while on Accutane. Watch what you're eating too. Lots of stuff contains added Vitamin A - some milk, cereals, etc. That may be the cause for some bad side effects in some people. They may be boosting the strength of their Accutane by eating added Vitamin A in their diets.
16 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
isotretinoin: I thought that this drug was spectacular. I got a little rash, chapped lips, and dry skin, but my severe acne was cleared away by this miracle drug.
1 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): Accutane was great for me. I had moderate acne and after taking Accutane for only 2 weeks it cleared up my skin. I kept clear all throughout my 5 month treatment and now I've been off of it for almost a month, still clear. The chapped lips is easily treatable and dry skin just needs a little lotion. Overall very worth it.
10 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I've been on Accutane for three months now and have already seen a major difference in my skin. My skin used to be super oily to the point where even right after I washed my face there was a layer of oil. After the first month all the oil had dried up, but I still had acne (which is obviously to be expected). Now, after just 3 months my acne is almost completely gone. Granted, I always have to have chapstick wherever I go since my lips are very dry, but it is manageable. I also have to make sure to apply lotion regularly especially on colder days. Other than the dryness, I have had no other side effects and would certainly say that the side effects I have had are worth it.
8 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I went on accutane while I was in my freshman year in high school. I suffered from severe acne in middle school. After the first round my skin was very clear. The acne came back again and I went on the second round and again it gave me perfect skin. I love this medicine. It did woners for my skin. The dry lips are worth the end result.
8 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I was presrcibed Accutane by my dermatologist. My skin cleared up after a month of taking the medication. It worked wonders. but then my acne started to come back a few months later. I was put back on it and just finished my second round. My skin is clear and healthy. Works wonders. Highly Recommended.
9 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I agree this drug works very well BUT make sure you continue to read the possible side effects every so often so you can continually monitor yourself for them, EVEN the rare but documented ones. My 16 year old daugther developed pseudotumor cerebri from taking minocycline for acne which disappeared after stopping the medication and then she started accutane - 5 months now. An eye exam today showed the same thing is happening. Swelling of the brain that mimics a brain tumor. HAVE YOUR EYE EXAMS WHILE ON THIS MEDICINE - PAY ATTENTION TO HEADACHES. It is a rare but documented side affect of both medications. Will show up in an eye exam but diagnosis takes other tests including MRI and lumbar puncture to measure the spinal fluid pressure.
29 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Claravis (isotretinoin): I have had acne all of my life. I am 30 years old and have tried EVERYTHING. I started 40mg twice daily three weeks ago and the results are amazing. My face it almost totally clear now. I am truly amazed. Excellent product.
8 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Amnesteem (isotretinoin): I have just completed my first month of Amnesteem (I had moderate acne) and I am extremely happy with the results this far. However, I experienced stomach ache, nausea, constipation, chest pain, head aches, lower back pain, sore throat, dry skin, extremely chapped lips, and fatigue. They all hit me at the beginning of week three. The good news is they all subsided by the end of the week except the constipation.
11 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I used Accutane about a year ago and it did wonders for my skin. As for side effects, I had dry lips but it was not a problem. I took the medication for five months and it cleared my acne. I had never felt so good about myself. After six months of taking it, my acne came back. I heard that you sometimes have to go on a second round with it before it totally clears your acne for a long time. Accutane is the best and I highly recommend it to anyone who tried everything to clear their skin. It is expensive but worth it.
10 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I have been on accutane for a little over two months now. My acne was terrible before taking this. I had been on everything on the market. In the first few weeks of treatment my skin got worse, but now it is fantastic with few bumps. My skin isn't very dry, just my lips. I play a lot of sport and experience joint and chest pain in many of my matches. I'd rather experience little physical pain over the emotional and physical pain of having acne.
16 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I used accutane about 6 years ago when I was 19 for 6 months -I don't remember the dose- it cleared up my skin, but just a few short months later the acne was back. My skin is nowhere where it was when I started using accutane, but it is pretty bad, so I am going to be doing a second treatment. I am a little scard this time because I am actually researching it and they make you wait a month before you can get a prescription which is a lot of time to have to think about it. I just can't deal with the acne anymore. I also heard that the second treatment usually "cures" the problem. I am really hoping that this will be it.
10 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I had acne for almost half of my life. I'm 26 years old and like everybody I tried every product on the market. Nothing worked but accutane is like a miracle. My face got clear in the first week. I didn't get worse in the first weeks. This is my last month; i did a 6 month treatment of 80 mg daily .
Talk to your doctor about this drug, it's 100 % effective.
23 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Amnesteem (isotretinoin): My 16 year old son was beginning to seclude himself in several ways from his friends despite his popularity because of his acne. Within a month of using Amnesteen his acne was drastically better and his personality was back to normal. We experienced no side effects from this medication.
11 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I went on Accutane in two cycles back in 2001 and 2002. Nothing works as well as this medicine, but the dry lips are a bit hard to deal with - if you're like me, I would take dry skin and lips over acne any day.
I still get breakouts every now and then, and am considering a 3rd round (6 years later). I would definitely recommend it.
12 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I took accutane in college and it worked miracles. However, my acne has come back and it looks like I'm going to have to go through another round. I really enjoyed the results, but it wasn't a permanent effect for me.
24 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I used Accutane and found that the secret is to complete the whole treatment. I used it for a month and acne disappeared but started coming back. Then I did the whole treatment for about 4 months and acne never came back. Side effects are not fun specially dryness of the lips but it is definitely worth it. No acne for more than 10 years.
Great specially for people with very bad acne.
28 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): The only way to combat acne is from the interior. All those soaps and cleansers don't work. Acne is just a bad genetic trait, so you cannot just put a cream on. You must take a pill to fight the problem from within.
32 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I took accutane in the early 1980's after years of unsuccessful treatment by dermatologists. I was given every antibiotic available, had ultra-violet light treatment, dry ice treatments, liquid nitrogen treatments and then finally X-Ray treatments. None of these worked. Accutane cleared my skin quickly and I haven't had a problem in almost 25 years. I had no serious side effects.
42 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I was pretty skeptical to try Accutane because I tried everything and didn't work. I eventually decided to give it a shot and was surprised to see my acne get better by the first month. Then it started to come back after about a year so I tried it again. My face was pretty clear for about 2 years after that. I would say it is worth it and really boosts your self esteem. The side effects are no fun but then again niether is acne. I actually think I might go back on it soon.
19 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): Accutane is a great product, even if taken in low doses. The unfortunate thing is that the acne keeps coming back approx. 8-10 weeks after discontinuing treatment. 7 years ago I went on my first course of treatment, suffering from moderate, sometimes painful acne. the treatment was 80mg/day for 3 months and another course of 50mg/d for 2 months. My acne cleared completely but returned after 2 years, again moderate but sometimes painful. I went on a low dose treatment taking 10mg/day for 6 months. but my acne returned after only 10 weeks. I tried Villantae for 4 months with limited success. I am now back on Accutane 20mg/day for 9 weeks. see how that goes.
What helps me most is sunlight - but only moderate amounts - for a max of one hour per day. I do naturally have darker skin. What also helps on the low dose is loads of sleep and water. Also you should consider changing diet completely, loads of fruit and veg no alcohol or chocolate or salty fatty food. but take your Accutane with food and a glass of milk.
35 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): Dry lips and skin are bad, but you can definately live through it. Accutane really helped me clear my skin, and its become a lot less oily.
13 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I had severe acne in my late teens through my early twenties. I took Accutane in the early 90's after other treatments and it was a wonder drug in my case. I still remember the feeling of my pores beginning to functioning properly and the irritating pimples going away from my back and neck. However, as others have warned, the side effects are real and not exaggerated.
27 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): Believe it or not I had it since I was 9 years old. Kids would pick on me and it would make me cry and as an teenager I cried because every product was promising me that they can get rid of it. It hurt because nothing worked.I was tired of little kids asking me how I got the ouches on my face, and people looking at my face, not my eyes. I even had it on my back chest and arms. Accutane works!
42 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I have struggled with severe acne since 12 years old, I am now 30. I tried EVERYTHING possible on the market, whether it be prescribed pills, or all kinds of prescribed lotions, but nothing worked. My acne was so bad that I contemplated suicide because of my shame. I thank God that Accutane is still available. I took it for about 5 months, and the acne vanished. It really brought me out of my shell, and house. I don't care about the negative remarks about it, I'm thankful it's around.
39 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I had cystic nodular acne on my face, back, and chest. I've tried every acne medication under the sun!! Accutane worked great and i could tell a difference within a month of using it. It's been 3 years since I took it and I'm still all clear. I would recommend Accutane to anyone with acne.
31 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I used Accutane in the Eighties so I guess I was one of the earliest patients. I was in my Twenties and while my acne as a teenager was moderate, when I was about 20 I started getting large cystic acne. After about 3 years of tetracycline daily (worked great) that stopped working and a dermatologist put me on Accutane.
It worked great. There is risk with any drug but I would recommend it.
20 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I would rate this medication a 4. It did clear my acne for about 9 years- I took it while I was in high school. I am a petite, small female and may have been perscribed too high a dose. I experienced thoughts of suicide (extremely out of character), depression, VERY dry skin, aggrivated acne and scarring that was much worse than I ever had. This medication should be prescribed VERY carefully and should be a LAST resort. Patients s/b monitored closely while on this.
29 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I just finished taking accutane 3months ago,I was on it for 4months and the first 6weeks were terrible my acne got worse before it got better.But it worked really well,my face is so clear rite now and I love it.It really changed my life I used to feel so insecure,I never used to go out but ever since I tried accutane my confidence has just BOOSTED.The side effects were not so bad I had dry lips but I always moved with a lipbalm or vaseline and my skin was so dry but I used an aquoes cream.
25 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): I am just finishing up 7 months I believe now. For me it was really bad to start with, and yes, it got worse. Scary thing to go through, and I want to say that just because it wasn't addressed here. Maybe I had it worse than others but I wanted to say that, even though a lot of bad things happened, Accutane made the acne go away. I have lots of scars now, but that is because I hadn't taken care of myself as well as I should have while I was on the medication. It sucks, but it's necessary
24 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): Accutane seems to have saved my skin. Before taking accutane I tried about everything on the market and NOTHING worked. I started taking it, it sucked with the constant dry skin, lips, and everything else, but it worked. I do have some pockmarks on my face since I had acne so long. But in looks a lot better than that UGLY acne!
28 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): My skin did improve a bit after taking it for a while, but it never was entirely clear and the acne returned to pre-treatment levels within months. Also, when I was on it, whenever I had a breakout, there always was scarring (not usually the case before the Accutane). Had uncomfortable chapped lips (forget about wearing lipstick while you're on Accutane!)
25 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Claravis (isotretinoin): I started taking Claravis two months ago. I have this acne on my chest and everything I used just didn't work. I finally went to go see a skin doc and he started me off with just 20mg which reading about all the side effects scared me alittle but so far so good. Right now I am on 40mg twice a day and the only problems I am really having is the chapped lips (aquaphor will become the love of your life) I am already seeing good results from claravis and I still got 4 months to go.
18 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): Like the info says, your acne gets worse before it gets better. My acne was so bad I had to take 2 treatments. I still get a little bit of acne but no major breakouts. I also did not end up with pockmarks or scarring on my face, chest or back. My girlfriend (now wife) got pregnant while I was on my 2nd treatment but our daughter was & is very healthy.
44 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
Accutane (isotretinoin): Although you might hear bad things about Accutane,it works. It worked for me in just 1 month, and I had no bad side effects besides dry lips and red eyes. You just take a pill for a few months and your acne melts away. Please, please do this if your acne is bothering you. Its so depressing to have acne, and Accutane can change your life around. Talk to your doctor today!
93 user(s) found this comment helpful. Did you?YesNo
JennaS said: 
Tay10r said: 
