His Dr. told us not to go home and research it because it would scare us to death. Well I didnt listen and have researched until my eyes are crossed. This just doesnt seem like the right thing to be giving a teen. He has some acne on his face but the worst of it is on his back and arms. Does anyone have any advise for body acne? He has tried Doxycycline 100 mg twice a day and clindamycin topical lotion but it has not helped at all so now they want him to try accutane. Please if anyone has any advise im listening!!
My son is 15 and is being put on accutane for his acne, any advice?
Question posted by thauver68 on 14 May 2012
Last updated on 29 April 2022 by nurselizzy
11 Answers
Official Answer
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on May 1, 2024.
Acne can be effectively treated, although response may sometimes be slow.
Accutane is reserved for people who have severe nodular acne that has not responded well to other acne treatments. It is extremely effective but not without risks and side effects.
Acne can have profound social and psychological effects especially in adolescents at a time they are developing their personalities. Peer acceptance is very important to the teenager and unfortunately it has been found that physical appearance and attractiveness is highly linked with peer status.
It is worth considering Accutane if your son shows signs of low self esteem, is socially withdrawn, depressed or does not want to go to school.
For more information visit: https://www.drugs.com/condition/acne.html
thauver68
21 May 2012
Thanks for responding. I have read that its used mostly for nodular acne and thats why i didnt understand why he put him on it. My sons acne looks like a rash on his back and arms but by no means are large and cystic looking. I just feel that just because the first round of things we tried didnt work, that maybe there might be something with less side effects to try before using this drug. Felt as if we are being rushed into this with no other choice and im not one for that kind of doctoring. Getting a second opinion there soon. He can cover it with clothing that helps when being around peers, but will not take shirt off when swimming, etc. I hope we can straighten it out soon. Thanks again!
nurselizzy
29 April 2022
Please do not put your son on Accutane. I am 51 years old and a nurse. In my early 20's I went on Accutane and it did clear my skin after the dry peeling purging phase everyone goes through with all retinoids. Retinoids work! Topical retinoids do wonders!!! Why I say no to Accutane is because when I completed the medication (with clear skin) within one year I became severely depressed. The depression literally destroyed my life. It went on for years with episodes of ups and downs. I attempted suicide at one point. Please do not put your son on this medication, if I could go back and do it over knowing what I know now I would never have chosen that Med. Next: I'm not sure what type of acne your son has but I found retin a, oral antibiotic, using medical grade skin care products (unfortunately are pricey), find an experienced Esthetician especially if comedones, blackheads etc.
, Regular facials steaming and professional extractions , and at some point microdermabrasion; I run into men getting facials all the time and it's relaxing will help with stress of having Acne. Please take my advice he can achieve same results with topical retinoids. He needs a daily skin care line with gycolic/lactic/salicylic acids to exfoliate dead skin cells, when dead skin builds up it clogs pore and you get blackhead or closed comedone and sometimes inflamed lesions so removing dead skin cells essential. Please if you feel his doctor is not making progress find another one. Maybe research doctors online find most reputable the same for an Esthetician. Please don't risk his mental health with this drug. I know mentally acne is devastating but looking bad the level of depression from accutane was far worse. One last thing : APRROXIMATELY 3 YEARS AFTER COMPLETELY ACCUTANE THE ACNE CAN BACK FULL FORCE!!! Not worth it! I
Ashley3355
8 April 2022
I am so glad this has already been asked .
My son is 16 and is suffering terribly from the acne.
He has been on roac since Nov 21 but had to come of it as the acne on his chest went into overdrive with painful lumps and cysts
nicobe
6 March 2019
Can you please tell me what treatment you ended up using for your son? My son is 15 and is currently in the same position as your son was. He is on the same meds as your son was and it didn’t clear it up. They want him to start isotretinoin, but I’m worried about all the side affect. He plays spring and summer sports and will be outside constantly, wondering if I should postpone till fall if we decide to go this route.
Sunrise4
28 Sep 2017
Hi, I just found out my nephew is on Roaccutane and very shock by it!! I know how bad this is for him and did a little research for myself and your story came up. I actually have a solution that really work to help my nephew's severe acne and was wondering if I can help your boy as well. If you are still looking for a solution that is safe, works naturally and no painful please let me know and I can show you how. Best wishes
nicobe
6 March 2019
I’m interested in your solution if you would mind sharing.
ehamrak
31 Oct 2014
Hi, my son is 14 and also began accutane treatment yesterday. I agree that the internet can scare you to death, but from experience - (I took accutane as a teen myself) there were no side effects other than dry skin and lips. And like your son, mine also suffers from acne on his back and chest not on his face. The Dr. said this will clear it up and never come back. Again, from my own experience I know this to be true. And by the way, I had only one suicidal urge... just kidding! Good luck!
cristianoleao
7 March 2017
Did your son experience any deficiency in his growth?
Thanks!
JRMH346
6 Aug 2012
I am on my 13th week of Accutane now and I wish I had started it earlier. Your doctor obviously thinks it's the right call to put him on the drug or else he wouldn't of prescribed it. I also read some stuff on the internet before i began treatment and i was skeptical at first but I'm glad i went on it. Even if he has mild acne now Accutane will more than likely prevent him from getting worse acne in the future. Nowadays Accutane isn't as scary as it was in the 90s, he'll get monthly blood tests and professionals will be monitoring him. Just tell him not get worried if his skin gets worse for the first month or two, as almost everyones does, and for him to buy some chap stick and he'll be fine.
Inactive
21 May 2012
When my son was 17 he starting getting acne very badly also, & our doctor put him on tetracycline. It really helped him. It's another antibiotic, & is used quite extensively for acne. The biggest problem he had was you are not suppose to eat 2 hours before or 2 hours after taking it, & he was on it (if memory seves me correctly 4 to 6 times a day. Mad it awfully hard for him to find a good time to eat, but it sure cleared up his skin problems. Just my thoughts... Mary
thauver68
21 May 2012
thank you for your answer back. Getting a second opinion soon.
Inactive
21 May 2012
You are very welcome... Mary
madhattersbash
21 May 2012
Hi:
I had severe cystic acne on my face, chest and back for over 25 years. I was finally put on Accutane in my mid-30s and it was a wonder drug for me!
I have heard about the alleged suicides in teens however, and would get a second and maybe even a third opinion from other dermatologists before starting it. You MUST stay out of the sun--- so this is really the wrong time of year to start it, as you need to be totally covered up and not get sunburned!
I also had to have a monthly lipids panel done, as your levels go sky high while on Accutane. Your skin gets extremely dry and your lips crack and bleed--- but ALL of this was worth it for me! I took it in the mid-80s, so don't know is any of the above 'rules' have changed or not...
Best of luck to you and your son,
Mary, the madhatter.
thauver68
21 May 2012
We are getting a second opinion here soon, until then we are trying other suggestions. Thanks for your response
madhattersbash
21 May 2012
You are very welcome--good luck to you both.
I was put on tetracycline in my teens, but it didn't help at all.
Everyone is different...
Mary, madhatter.
DzooBaby
14 May 2012
Dont put your child on accutane unless he has cystic scarring acne so bad and you have tried everything else! I had two cousins who commited suicide at age 17 while on accutane back in the late 70's to early 80's and they now know that accutane is linked to teen suicide. That stuff is not good unless it is just a last ditch effort and even then I would think twice! My son uses Doryx (which is the doxycycline abx) and clindimycin/benzoyl peroxide topical (Acanya) and he uses Atralin (trentinoin) which is the peeling agent-oh and he uses a sulfer wash called Sumadan. My son takes growth hormone and his face has just exploded from the hormones!! We pretty much have it under control with this treatment though.
All kids are different but refuse the accutane! Tell the dermatologist you want to go a different route and if he cant help you then find someone else! Anything that requires two forms of birth control in both male and females who are sexually active, cant be a good thing to put in ones body!! If it can change the chromosomes on the sex cells that much, what else is it changing? I just dont like the stuff and I flat out told my dermatologist that no child of mine would ever take it! She was ok with it though and respected my opinion. I know, too, that not everyone gets horrible side effects but why take the chance if you dont have too? Your son will need to be very religious with his routine. You can be half way and still get results. Patti is right in that he needs to keep his skin and hair squeaky clean. Watch out with hair product too, because they can really clog the skin. He has to use stuff as directed and as far as cleansers, benzoyl peroxide wont penetrate the skin unless it is left on the skin one to two full minutes. Most typical people's washes take about 30 seconds so he needs to leave it on his face longer. That is a mistake a lot of people make when they try to use ProActive. Proactive is good but you DO HAVE to leave that cleanser on for at least 1-2 full minutes for it to penetrate. He may need help getting his back washed. I bought my son a back brush but make sure he isnt too rough with his scrubbing-it can make things worse if he is too vigorous. It sometimes takes a bit of trial and error to find something that works but it can be done! Good for you for researching that poison and question letting your son use it! I just wont take that chance with my son!!
thauver68
21 May 2012
Im very sorry to hear about your cousins. Very sad! We are getting a second opinion soon and trying some other suggestions also. Thanks for responding.
Inactive
14 May 2012
hello, yes, there a things he can do to treat his back. If this is the only solution the dermatologist suggest, at least consider another dermatologists opinion and care. He is going to have to keep his back really clean, with whatever he is using to clean his face, keep his hair off of his back, if it is long. Believe it or not, the extra oil he is producing due to going through puberty, can get on the back and thqt is coming from his hair. Please have him shampoo his hair a few times a week with PRELL shampoo, it really gets tht oils off the hair, because as your son sweats, the oil and sweat qre getting on his back making the back acne worse. Antibiotics kills the germs in the bumps, HR probably needs a good cleanser for his face and back, they do have some rx cleansers, a medicated skin scrub and possibly a peeling agent that will help.
I don't think they make this any more, but years ago, they had me use a scrub called Pernox, it as over the counter, and desquamex peeling agent, and I saw a dermatologist often for some uv lamp treatments and they somehow used a tool to push the big cysts that seemed to be forming, and kept them from getting big. Tell him to keep his hands off his face and back too, as it spreads germs to the skin. I applaud you for listening to that hunch and doing the research, believe me, a better dermatologist is what he needs, not this poison called accutane. Patti
thauver68
21 May 2012
getting a second opinion here soon and trying some of the other suggestions until then. Thanks for your comment.
Related topics
Further information
- Accutane uses and safety info
- Accutane prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Accutane (detailed)
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