Accutane for Acne User Reviews

• Cai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 16, 2023

"My brother was on this medication for 5 months, and his only side effects were dry skin/lips, and his acne is clear. Now onto my review… I’m a 30-year-old woman who started suffering from cystic acne in my late 20s. After trying for 3 years with creams and antibiotics, I finally gave in to trying Accutane. I was on 30 mg for 10 days. The first 4/5 days I was fine. Around the 5th day, the headaches started. I tried to push through, thinking it would get better, but it got so much worse. I have had a migraine a few times before, but nothing like this. I felt like I couldn’t even speak. It was like my head was going to explode. I Googled and was convinced I had pressure on the brain. I’m still not convinced I don’t… I ended up at A&E on day 11 after I began uncontrollably shaking. All of my blood work came back normal, but I was given fluids/anti-sickness. A month later, I am still suffering from migraines with aura and I can’t work because my job is on the computer."

• Pet...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 4, 2023

"Age 29, male, 125 pounds, and has suffered from nodulocystic acne since the age of 14. Tried isotretinoin capsules multiple times: a round of 6 months, 60 mg daily at the age of 15 and a round of 9 months, 110 mg daily at the age of 22. I also used tretinoin gel at the age of 18. Unfortunately, the acne always comes back months after ending a round. Maybe milder, I can't tell for sure. Years ago, I once tried milk powder enriched with GOS and FOS, then a huge acne exacerbation happened. I was surprised. Now, after all these painful years, I protect myself by eating only food that lacks GOS and FOS (canned meat in its own juice or oil, canned milk, whey protein isolate [powder - cocoa taste], distilled spirits [without spices], espresso coffee, canned coffee, sugar, and carbonated drinks [without fruits, sorbitol, mannitol, or other polyols]). This way I am 100% clean. I wish isotretinoin helped me so I could eat whatever I want. Due to its very bad side effects, I can't take it forever. It only helped me while I was on it."

• Jon...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 1, 2023

"This is horrible. I took it for a month, one month, and the side effects are still lasting. I guess it affects everyone differently, but it sucked for me. Dry and peeling skin, bloody noses, pain. The pain is what got me. Pain in my elbows deprived me of weight lifting. My knees sucked. I couldn’t do anything. Skiing was out the window along with walking, just walking."

• Nik...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 3, 2022

"Don't take this drug, I'm warning you. I had very bad acne on my back, chest, and face. I took Accutane for 6 months, and it really cleared my skin, however, the permanent side effects are much worse. My acne came back to the same state as it was before, but now I also struggle with very dry skin, dry mouth, dry eyes, eczema, and others. Trust me, I'm telling you this for your own good, don't take it."

• Jus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 17, 2022

"I'm going on day 3 of Accutane tomorrow, my skin is itchy, and so far, I see no difference. I just want clear skin, I got acne on my whole body. My acne is still on my body going into day 3. I wish it was helping me so far, it's not doing anything. I'm not getting any side effects from it either. I'm gonna keep trying it a little longer. If this doesn't work, I guess I'll have acne for the rest of my life. I have tried everything else, no luck."

• rai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 19, 2021

"Everyone is different. But it caused horrible joint pain day one. Started with my sacrum and SI joints. Then my hips, then my knees. Had to go to a chiropractor. It also started clearing my skin right away. I had dry lips and dry skin also. But the joint pain was horrible, I couldn't sit without pain. Was on Accutane 40 mg for two weeks before I stopped, and my pain went away after a week. Be careful if you have major joint pain, tell your doctor. If you can't function, get off it."

• Ada...
• October 21, 2021

"Do not take this drug unless you have severely disfiguring acne. The side effects are awful, and they can be permanent. I took it for persistent, moderate acne, and while it cleared my skin, it was not a fun experience. I also developed a rare condition called achalasia after I took it, which makes it so food gets stuck in my esophagus sometimes, and it has really taken a toll on me mentally. Half the time I try to eat, I can feel the food get stuck, and I have to sit there and keep swallowing till it finally goes down. If you are a parent, keep your child away from this drug."

• Rya...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 19, 2021

"Why not ruin your health to get rid of acne for 6 months. I took Accutane when I was 17 and had severe pancreatitis 2 years later due to this drug. Pancreatitis only feels like child labor for 10 days, then your body just needs to recover from the stomach acids that leaked from my pancreas into my body. If you enjoy all body pain, then Accutane is for you. This destroyed parts of my body forever. My best friend took it at the same time, and now he has Crohn's disease. 2 for 2 for deadly outcomes, all to get rid of my acne for a few months, then it came back anyway. Why would anyone risk their long-term adult health to clear up acne is very strange. Why any parent would allow their child to take this is even stranger."

• Hun...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 15, 2021

"HORRIBLE. Left me permanently crippled with joint and back pain, irreversible damage. I now spend every day of my life suffering and in pain because of this pill that was pushed on me. It cleared up my acne fast, but all my acne returned worse a month after I stopped. Please never get on this. I am warning you. They never warned me. I've been dealing with the permanent side effects after being off of Accutane for 4 years now and the pain only gets worse. Worst mistake of my life. Save yourself, please."

• Mrs...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 22, 2021

"I just wanted to come on here and let anyone that was thinking about taking this terrible prescription know what happened to my mother. She took it for 4-6 months in 2007-2008, and it devastated her body. Before, she was a healthy woman, after she fought skin lesions, sores, severe arthritis, carpal tunnel, severe stomach issues, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. She had seen lots of doctors, and most told her it was all in her head or something of the sorts. After 12 years of battling severe pain, mentally and physically, she took her own life a week ago. It may not happen to everyone, but I just wanted to let everyone know what the possibility was."

• jon...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 13, 2021

"Two courses did not work (acne came back twice) and gave me chronic long-term side effects."

• TDS...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 13, 2020

"Took Accutane when I was 14. Pretty sure it stunted my growth by closing my growth plates as I stopped growing during my treatment. I still have permanent dry eyes and brain fog and severe depression now 8 years later. It's not worth the gamble, I didn't even have the choice, I was just a kid that followed doctor's orders. Please ask yourself why you would want to give yourself or your loved one an extreme retinoid overdose. It causes widespread damage to the body that is permanent."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 18, 2020

"I took this poison for 6 months, and it completely ruined my hair for life. It changed my hair texture. I have thinning hair, and it won’t grow long anymore. I have an itchy sensation on my scalp due to hair loss, and it torments me every day. I can’t even look at myself in the mirror anymore, trust me, I’d rather have acne than lose my hair. Now it’s made me more insecure. You're rolling the dice because not everyone gets these side effects. If only I would have known this medication could potentially cause balding, I would never have taken it."

• Joh...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 21, 2020

"Do not touch this stuff. It gets rid of acne, but the side effects are horrendous. It has given me permanent dry eyes, permanent dry skin, and permanent insomnia."

• ter...
• April 7, 2020

"This drug is poison. Please care for yourself. Accutane ruined my life. I took 80 mg of Accutane for 9 months at 18 years old. I had cystic acne on my back and face. I tried birth control, antibiotics, and topical creams. So my dermatologist recommended this. Side effects: dry skin all over, chapped lips, eczema, brittle nails. Vision problems, waking up in the morning with my eyes sealed shut with pus, and dry eyes. Lips were a huge scab. Normal and monthly checkups/blood tests. I had dime-sized blisters on my body from a sunburn. Six months: body aches that made it difficult to sleep, poor digestion, hemorrhoids, bloody stools, and sad. Months 7-9: my hair fell out! I lost 80% of my hair, in pain and depressed. Nine months: finished treatment, I was 'cured' of my acne. I was bald, poor vision, and in pain mentally and physically. Three months later, my acne came back worse. My dermatologist said to do round 2 of Accutane, and I told her never to recommend it to anyone. It is so toxic for your body. Please do not take this drug."

• She...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 11, 2020

"I posted previously about this drug making my hormonal acne much, much worse. It then made my skin so dry I looked aged by about 15 years. It gave me a lot of blurred vision, which turned out to be due to extremely dry eye, and it continued to worsen my acne until I finally discontinued it 3 weeks ago. My skin has improved so much since coming off it, but I now have a lot of red marks left from all the spots I had while taking it, and so far my acne is still worse than it was before I began treatment - but I’m just pleased it’s improved compared to how it was looking a couple of months ago because I was crying a lot over how bad it had made it. My eyes are still very dry but have improved."

• cpd...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 14, 2020

"Accutane completely sucks. It made everything for me 50x worse. If your acne isn’t severe, don’t take it. Because there is a chance that it will get worse like it did for me. Side effects suck too."

• Ala...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 11, 2020

"Complete garbage. Took it for antibiotic-resistant moderate acne along the jawline. 60 mg a day for 3 months, escalated the dose to 90 mg a day for the 4th month as a 68 kg male. Still ZERO RESULTS as of the end of month 4. If there is any improvement in month 5, it is too late and too little of what I wanted."

• She...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 11, 2019

"I have hormonal acne caused by having a Mirena IUD inserted. I had perfect skin before Mirena. I’m 25, never had acne, 1 occasional spot here and there as a teen, nothing else. Mirena caused deep spots mostly on my jawline - not many. The doctor was very quick to move to Accutane after trying 1 antibiotic that didn’t work, he didn’t advise me to remove Mirena, which I now think I should have. I’m on 40 mg and weigh 46 kg. 2 weeks after I started Accutane, my whole face started breaking out, places I’ve never had spots before. I have been on it 2.5 months now, and it's still 1000 times worse than before I began treatment, and every single spot I’ve had so far has left hyperpigmentation. The spots are smaller now than they were after the first month of treatment, but I have so many more of them than I did after the first month that I’m not even sure if this is an improvement. I really regret taking it and feel I was poorly advised by the doctor. Worried my skin will be ruined forever. I will be left with scars."

• Sky...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 1, 2019

"I was on this medicine, Accutane, for a bit but had to stop right before I got my second blood test for it. I had a nonstop terrible headache the entire time I was on it; my skin was so dry, and my mental health went straight down the drain. My mental health wasn't at its worst when I started taking it, but it wasn't at its greatest either; so it could be different for someone who has excellent mental health. During the time I was on it, I was super depressed and angry all the time without even realizing it. I kept snapping at everyone, which is pretty out of the norm since I usually keep those emotions to myself. I stopped taking it because I literally thought I would die from the head pain or because of how badly it affected my mental health. My skin got worse during the time I was on it."

• Joh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 23, 2019

"I’ve definitely heard of lots of people who love the medication Accutane as it’s worked wonders for their skin. Unfortunately, with my experience, all I got was the negative side effects, including dry red skin, chapped lips, nosebleeds, and the worst side effect of all was that I got super bad depression from the drug. Sadly, the medication also made my acne so much worse than it already was. After three months, my skin looked terrible, I have swings of depression, and my lips were always in pain. I decided to quit the medication and go back on doxycycline, a medication which I was previously on before Accutane. After making this switch, my skin and lips healed 100%, and my side effects were gone. Just thought I would write this review to let people know Accutane doesn’t work for all people. In certain cases, it can make your skin worse."

• SMa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 16, 2019

"Do NOT take this drug for mild acne! I wanted it to get rid of my blackheads, and it did that, but it did a lot more harm than good. It gave me rosacea and tissue-paper-thin skin that turns red at the slightest touch or movement. I cannot eat anything that requires chewing, or my face turns bright red. Plus, there’s burning and pain. Also, the skin on my face just looks dry and damaged now, no matter how much moisturizer I put on. This was a terrible, terrible mistake."

• Jim...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 25, 2019

"Did a year of Accutane, it gave me seizures. It did not clear my acne. My skin looked so bad while I was on this drug. It would crack, my lips would crack. I'm on Aczone now. I still break out weekly, not as bad as before. I've given up on clear skin."

• Joh...
• September 25, 2019

"Do NOT take this unless you have very severe cystic acne. I was heavily pressured into taking this 6 months ago with moderate acne, and I can't stress enough how much I regret it. I was urged by a dermatologist to start this before my acne might get really bad. Instead of stopping it, though, I had 6 months of unfixably chapped lips, dry skin, severe depression, and exponentially worse acne. My entire face and neck would break out far worse than ever before. My acne is now severe, and every single pimple has stuck around as a scar. My face and neck are covered with scars, and after what has easily been the worst half a year of my entire life, I look 100 times worse. If you only have moderate acne (i.e., you get some breakouts, but it disappears over a relatively short period), then please avoid this. Do NOT allow a doctor to pressure you into this. It took me from somewhat bad to severely bad acne. You will have all of the negative side effects with none of the positive ones."

• Cec...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 14, 2019

"Please do not take this medication. I know you are struggling and have tried everything to clear it, but the side effects of this medication are not worth it. Did it clear my acne? Sure, but I had horrible dry skin, had to layer Vaseline on my lips before I went to bed. There were days I couldn’t open my mouth because the corners of my mouth would crack and bleed. It sent my cholesterol through the roof, and the monthly blood draws are a hassle. I ended up in the ER with severe abdominal pain after 5 months on the medication. I had a CT scan and colonoscopy, and I was only 19 years old. The scans showed my intestines were severely inflamed, and of course, I had to stop the medication immediately. Now, many years later, my acne is back, and I still suffer from digestive issues that I attribute to this medication. I can 100% understand your need for a solution to clear up your acne, but please educate yourself on ALL of the potential side effects."