Amnesteem for Acne User Reviews

• Anonymous
• October 10, 2008

"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 Amnesteem, his acne was drastically better, and his personality was back to normal. We experienced no side effects from this medication."

• Sho...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 9, 2014

"I am 40 years old and have been struggling with adult acne for ten years now. My face has always been oily, and topical creams/antibiotics have only been temporary fixes. My dermatologist and I decided to finally give isotretinoin a try. I started taking Amnesteem in September 2013. The first three months I had moderate breakouts, as expected. But in December and so far this month, I've not had any acne, with the exception of a small bump I noticed today. I just had my last appointment with my dermatologist yesterday, where he gave me my last prescription. The only side effects have been dry eyes, skin, and lips, but not severe at all. Aquaphor for the lips and CeraVe for my face have been awesome. So far, very happy with the results."

• Anonymous
• January 14, 2011

"I am 32 years old and have struggled with acne since high school. I was completely freaked out about taking this medication after reading all the horror stories online, but after talking to my doctor, I knew I wanted to give it a try. I am in my 2nd month of taking the medication, and I have seen dramatic results. I have not had any bad side effects so far. I have had dry lips (to be expected), but they have not been bad at all (thanks to Aquaphor Lip Repair - I constantly put it on). My skin is dry, which is also to be expected. I wear contacts, and my eyes do get dry at times, but no drops help. I do notice joint aches at times, so I take Tylenol or Advil, and it helps. It's nothing severe at all. BEST MEDICATION EVER."

• Anonymous
• February 23, 2016

"Young teens, I'm telling you, there is hope. I used to have such bad acne all over my face. I was so insecure and always so sad, and it was beginning to make me depressed. I didn't even want to look in the mirror. So I got on Amnesteem. I had heard all the 'bad things' about what it could do to you, but I didn't care, I did it anyway. It was the best choice I had ever made. My skin is so clear, I never really get acne anymore, maybe one or two every month or so. It's so, so, so worth it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 21, 2015

"I've been on Amnesteem, or 'Accutane,' for 3 1/2 months now. I am now going into my senior year of high school and couldn't be happier about my skin. I've been struggling with bad acne for almost five years until now. I tried everything to help my acne, and some things worked, but my acne always returned. My only side effects are dry lips. I'm on 40 and 80 mg every other day. My face is so smooth, and after the second month, I didn't have any breakouts. I also used to break out on my chest a lot, but not anymore. I also haven't noticed any changes in mood. I was iffy about trying this, but happy I talked to my doctor and gave it a try. Hope after I'm off the drug acne doesn't return. Best of luck to all struggling with acne, I feel your pain."

• chr...
• December 25, 2008

"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, headaches, 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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 8, 2012

"Amnesteem worked very well for me. At first, my acne got worse, and I was doubtful. After a few weeks, my skin really cleared, and every morning I wake up, and one more blemish is gone, and the ones that are still here are smaller and less red. It is very important to wear sunscreen and always have Chapstick with you."

• Lem...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 5, 2018

"Taken for drug-resistant adult acne after all the topicals and some oral meds. I’m in my third month starting 80 mg/day. First two were 40 mg/day. Only side effects are chapped lips and back/knee pain. My skin is clear, and I don’t need to wash my hair as frequently."

• Him...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 18, 2013

"I took this in my sophomore year in high school since I was suffering from severe acne all over my face, chest, and back. Astonishingly, it cleared it all up within the second month. I felt great but got a call from my doctor saying that I should immediately get off this medication because my liver function tests skyrocketed. It was very scary, but my liver eventually recovered. A year later, my acne came back and came back hard. It was hard to go to school, and I had bad cystic acne. I talked to my doctor and decided to go back on. I am now two months into the medication again and seem to be having a lot more side effects. I'm still experiencing bad acne with redness, but I know it will clear up sometime. As for the liver, everything's fine so far."

• Anonymous
• December 18, 2010

"I used the generic version Amnesteem and find the results are the same as Accutane. I've struggled with acne for about 5 years, 4 of those were in high school. I had super oily skin, pimples popping up every day, and cystic acne. Alcohol wipes would not work, and neither would any topical creams. My dermatologist recommended the treatment after telling her my problems. 5 months later, my acne is completely clear, save a few bumps every now and then and a few lingering red spots. My face is no longer extremely oily, and my back acne has cleared up very well. The only downside is that I still have scarring on my face and back. However, I highly recommend this medicine to all those who want their acne to be cleared up. P.S. users may get initial acne flares."

• 40...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 14, 2016

"April 1st, 2016, I finally decided to declare war against acne and visit a dermatologist to formulate an attack plan. I've had periods in my life where my skin would clear up with over-the-counter treatments, but as a biracial/African American woman, I found that all skin types did not refer to 'my skin type.' I found that my skin loved the winter and fall while the rest of me loved spring and summer. Within a short two weeks, I've seen drastic changes in my skin, from the luster to the minimum breakouts that I would normally see this time of year. I have noticed moderate dry peeling patches that a little moisturizer hasn't eliminated and more windburned-type chapped lips, but I would definitely recommend Amnesteem to my fellow mature women!"

• Anonymous
• July 29, 2010

"I'm at my 12-week mark. My doctor said I can be done now if I wish to be, but I'm going to go one more month just to be safe. My face, chest, and back are completely clear of acne. My side effects have been the normal: chapped lips (use Aquaphor), dry eyes (eye drops), and just recently-joint pain. I've always had some joint and back pain, but it's gotten much worse the last couple of months. It may not even be related to the medication. However, I am getting an MRI just to be safe. I love the medication this far. I've heard horrible stories about people having bad side effects for years and years after, but I wonder how much of that is really related to the medication. People naturally get joint pain, etc. as they age."

• Anonymous
• May 30, 2011

"This drug definitely works. Covered in acne before starting the medicine, it only took 4 months, and I am now acne-free. But although it worked very well, many of the side effects are awful. Dry skin is bearable, but as an athlete, the joint pains made playing my sports very difficult. But worst of all was the depression. After about the first month, the depression hit, and I rarely went a day without considering suicide for the next 3 months. It may work, but if you are going to use this medicine, be aware of some of the devastating side effects."

• Sho...
• April 10, 2016

"I am 49 years old, and my skin NEVER broke out during puberty. When I was in my mid-30s, it hit me slowly and then real bad about 3 years ago. At first, antibiotics and spironolactone worked fine, then last year my body stopped responding to that treatment. That is when I started on Amnesteem. Aside from the initial pain in the neck of filing with the federal government to ensure I wouldn't get pregnant, I was excited to try it. The first month, my skin got really oily and broke out more, but my doctor said that happens. I am on my 5th month of treatment now, and my skin is almost clear. My only complaint is joint pain - I feel like I am 30 years older than I really am, and I eat Tylenol like candy, yet I am told that will also subside."

• par...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 23, 2016

"I am a 40-year-old male who has been subject to moderate acne my entire life starting at age 13. It has never been debilitating, but it has caused certain self-esteem issues (rather, it has exacerbated self-esteem issues). In an effort to make this as concise as possible, 99% of all that is on the internet will all the 'bad stuff' written about this drug is NOT true. Although my experience is one case, my case is a solid and reliable example of the true effects of Amnesteem / Accutane. The biggest issue with this drug is the insurance companies and the constant monthly battles to get them to cover it. Remember, folks, having insurance is not the same as having access to proper care and insurance coverage. BEST DRUG EVER!"

• Cam...
• September 19, 2010

"I am on my 18th day and have noticed dramatic results. I have gotten many compliments. My skin is very dry, though, and I do have very chapped lips, but the redness of my skin has gone away, and I barely break out anymore. My acne was pretty severe. I had tried everything (antibiotics, creams, gels, chemical peels, facials, etc.). I was very nervous about getting on this, but I love it and recommend it to everyone."

• mar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 31, 2017

"I used Claravis for my first course, and everything went well. The side effects that I remember were extremely chapped/dry lips, dry skin, dry hair (which I didn't have to wash for a week), joint pain, headaches. I repeated the treatment because some acne was reappearing, but nothing compared to the beginning, so I took a much lower dose. The second course was with Amnesteem (because it was the one available at Walgreens at that moment), and everything was going well until my liver enzymes were elevating each month, and I had to stop the medicine. When I recovered, I went back to Claravis, and liver enzymes got normalized. My doctor said that he experienced the same side effect with other patients."

• the...
• January 28, 2010

"I am 15 and have been taking Amnesteem for about a week now because I have very bad acne on my cheeks, and I must say it is very effective. Since I started this, my skin dried up, and my acne redness is definitely going away; however, it was kind of crazy the first 3 days because my big red spots started getting white heads, but they dried up very quickly and then flaked off in a day or two. I am 15, and the only bad thing about this is the chapped lips, dry skin, lower back aches, and I have arthritis in my left knee, and it seems that it is making it hurt more, but other than that, this medicine is a miracle!"

• Anonymous
• December 8, 2010

"I started using this medication... You cannot drink, need two methods of birth control, lips chap badly, skin gets dry and gets rashes, trouble going to the restroom, severe mood swings, always feeling sleepy and tired, started feeling depressed and suicidal. That's the possible downside... I started taking it about two years ago. My treatment only lasted about 4-5 months, had to cut my treatment short because of depression. It worked wonders on my skin. My skin was really REALLY BAD, BUT my dermatologist told me that if ever I were to get 3-4 pimples at the same time, to consult him ASAP. My skin had been absolutely clear for a year... a couple of months ago, I began to notice bad acne reappearing."

• Bio...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 19, 2015

"I'm 18 and have severe acne all over my back-at least, I did. Four days after starting Amnesteem, my acne was almost all gone. Two weeks into the treatment and I don't have a single pimple or blackhead. The side effects are taking their toll, however. Red, burned face from getting sunlight for over two minutes. Dry, flaky face. Dry, bleeding lips. The good news is that my doctor said I am responding so well that instead of five months, I may only need two to three months."

• Anonymous
• December 3, 2009

"I have been using Amnesteem for 5 months now, and I am about to turn 17. I have had many side effects, but the results are so far good. Before I started taking Amnesteem, I had a lot of acne, mostly on my face and back, all of my face has cleared up, but my back is not yet finished. Most of the side effects I had were itchy skin, depression, chapped lips, and feverish chills, but nothing that I couldn't handle. My skin has been greatly affected by this medicine, but in a good way. Lately, I have been experiencing a sore throat, but it is most likely not from the medicine. Even though I only have one more month of my Amnesteem left to go, I hope that it's the easiest one."

• Anonymous
• September 12, 2009

"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."

• Acn...
• June 19, 2011

"I have been struggling with acne since I graduated high school. It got REALLY BAD. Around that time (high school) is when I first took isotretinoin. I took it for about 3 months, and it worked wonders for me. However, 8 years later, the bad acne has reappeared. I take Amnesteem now. I'm in my second week, and it's making it worse. I don't remember this medicine doing this the first time. The only side effects I've experienced were dry lips, dry skin, and dry eyes so far. I hope this gets better for me. If it does, I will update this comment."

• Tom...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 19, 2021

"I’ve been taking Amnesteem for 1 month already, and so far I’ve been having great results! I am really satisfied with the first month. I rarely get any breakouts, and it’s slowly but steadily getting better each time. I do experience one side effect, which is dry lips, but if you use chapstick or Vaseline, then you’re good. This has been the only thing that has actually been clearing up my skin. I recommend it 100%"

• Emi...
• April 2, 2016

"I've been on this medication for a week and I know what you're thinking, skip this review but DON'T!!!! I've always had bad acne and while I've already seen it improve my acne (I turn 25 next month), the side effects are NOT worth it. It's made me experience suicidal ideation off and on since beginning it, it's made me paranoid about a lot of things and people. I've been so nauseous constantly that I've already lost three pounds, my appetite is so suppressed that I can't even force myself to eat three times a day. I've been having intense anger outbursts, which is not like me AT ALL. This is me after six days on 40mg. I love that it's clearing my face, but I cannot justify a medication that makes me want to kill myself. This has been terrible!"