Anyone know anything about accutane?

I was wondering if anyone on the boards has ever tried Accutane? I have exhausted all other resources, and am afraid that this is my last choice. I am VERY skeptical about taking this and would appreciate any feedback. If anyone can suggest another topical medicine or antibiotic, I'd really appreciate it.

Also - What foods do you notice make your skin worse? I've been reading so much on the internet, but would appreciate 'real' peoples' opinions :) TIA!

I have - twice and my sis as well. I would do it again and would have done it SOONER if I knew what the results would be.
FM me if you want more info. I am HAPPY to talk about my experiences with it - both positive AND negative.

If you could try another path, I think it would be better. Especially if you are a woman that is looking to have children. This is classified as an 'X-rated' drug...a mutator. If you become pregnant you can have serious deformities in your baby. Do some research on the side effects before you decide to take a drug. See if the pros are worth the cons.

Personally I swear by Proactive. I also use their makeup to avoid break outs. My breakouts were mainly hormonal and from makeup.

Definitly try to treat this topically before using something that has to go through your blood stream. When I took Substance Abuse in college Accutane was talked about a lot (not because it is abused, but because of the side effects). Some people have wonderful experiences with it, but it's not for everyone.

http://www.rocheusa.com/products/accutane/pi.pdf
(type manually (sorry, it won't allow me to link it) or see link below to a different web page)

see this link on product info for accutane. Read carefully, and read the whole thing. Also Accutane can cause psychosis as well as other disorders. Be careful. Don't mean to scare you, it's just that this drug is for people who have really exhausted every other method. It's serious stuff! Good luck. Hope this helps!

accutane

There are a lot of risks associated with taking the drug. I took it for six months and I had minor side effects (dry lips, skin and hair) while I was on the drug (I would do it again in a minute). I treated my acne topically for 10 years (from 1993-2003). While I didn't have severe acne I did constantly have zits and pimples and the occassional acne cyst- one every 2 months but they take weeks to go down (which were VERY painful and have left MANY scars). I have used Retin-A, Erthythromiacin (sp) pads, some type of weird sulfer topical, some weird thing that I kept in the fridge, hot salt compresses to dry the cysts, as well as $100s of dollars worth of chemical peels, 'freezing treatments' and facials. Nothing worked for me. After 10 years of failure I sought at a different dermatologist.
This doctor quicly put me on a 6 month treatment of Accutane. I've been off Accutane for 9 months now and I have amazingly clear skin with the most minor of zit break outs occassionally around my time of the month.
Yes, there are risks associated with the drug- you have to go for monthly blood tests to check for potential liver/kidney damage, you need to be very careful getting pregnant while on the drug and for atleast 1-2 months after you finish taking the drug, and it could cause thoughts of suicide. However, I don't know if the drug causes suicidal thoughts 'out of the blue'... I personally didn't have any- you'd probably have to be predisposed to suicidal thoughts/emotional-mental problems to be affected in this way.
I carefully weighed the benefits and risks and had conversations with not only my dermatologist but also my primary care physician- a trusted family friend- they both said they had never come into contact with anyone who suffered major side effects. This comforted me and I had no problems.
You do have to weight the risks carefully- and you have to be VERY careful regarding pregnancy... my doctor told me if I got pregnant while taking the drug I would HAVE to have an abortion as the fetus would not develop properly in the womb.
I know a lot of people are against the drug- but I would say that people who have SEVERE acne- not just zits, but people with painful cysts all over their face (like the infamous pizza face) are probably pretty depressed PRIOR to taking the drug. None of the studies regarding this drug have made any attempt to establish some type of psychological base line. Instead two or three people had committed or attempted to commit suicide while on the drug, and all of the sudden it could cause suicide in EVERY patient taking the drug. I don't know if such an elementary causal link can be made. If anything- that type of link doesn't sound very scientific (the birth defect link, however, is scientific).
This is a decision you need to make on your own- if your acne is bad enough and you've been fighting it for a long time, I would say it's worth having a conversation with your doctors (both dermatologist and primary care physician) about- see what they say and what they have experienced in prescribing this drug to others.
Good luck- I fully understand the frustration and distress constand break outs causes.
I am MUCH happier now that I don't have a face full of break outs.

Thank you so much for your input! I hear such GREAT things about accutane and such HORROR stories. It's amazing how one drug can be viewed in such a positive and negative light at the same time!

Can anyone recommend another form of treatment that might work? I'm want to try everything before I try accutane.

Also - can anyone suggest a good foundation for acne prone skin?

Thanks so much!!!

I've done 2 treatments and would do it again in a heartbeat. I had minor side effects including dry lips and skin. Other than that, it was positive (increased self esteem, flawless skin.)

I had been to 2 dermatologist and tried everything under the sun from prescriptions to over-the-counter and nothing worked. I finally was referred to a new dermatologist and she mentioned Accutane to me. She explained all the side effects (depression, high cholestorol, deformities in babies, etc.), made sure I wasn't pregnant and that I had no intentions of getting pregnant for several months to a year. Accutane was a godsend! I wish my previous dermatologists had put me on it sooner!