Roaccutane

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Am about to start Roaccutane and reading about the side effects is scaring me! Does anyone have any tips?

My DS was offered this after just a five min consultation. I think it’s given too freely.

The side effects are apparently rare, but that’s of little consolation to those affected by them.

My brother had this when it was fairly new on the market and quite controversial at the time. It wasn’t given out easily then - 25 years ago!
He had absolutely no side effects at all despite the long scary list of them. His friend a few years later practically had all the side effects going.
Only time will tell if you’re going to suffer from any of them, just so you know both my brother and his friend ended up with great skin and his friend said it was all worth while.
Hope it works for you

The side effects for many drugs sound scary - in fact if you read through the entire list every time you pop a pill you’d probably bin all medicines!

All I’d say, having taught several teenagers who have been prescribed roaccutane, it can be a total miracle. I’ve seen a couple of teenagers go from being utterly miserable, barely going out because of severe acne which just doesn’t improve no matter how careful you are with skin care, using various products etc

TBH I was wary and a bit cynical about roaccutane when I first heard about it. But having seen what it does for really intractable skin problems I think it can be life changing

My dh and his brother both took it when they were teenagers, and my ds took it last year , all had great success with it and no significant side effects. Their acne was dreadful and resistant to all treatment up to that but roaccutane worked brilliantly for them. The only side effect they had was dry skin esp lips.

Both my children had this. Now they both have fabulous skin having had horrendous acne. My son had more side effects than my daughter. Mainly dry mucous membranes which meant he had terrible nose bleeds. The prescribing of this in the uk is highly regulated. A GP cannot give it.

Blistex is great for dry lips.
I was on a fairly mild dose, and so dry lips was about the worst of it. I also developed some odd word finding problem, bit it didn't last.

It was the best thing I ever did for my skin (I was about 26).

Buy a big dispenser of E45 or similar, you may need to pump and spread liberally on your face 2-4 times a day as it dries your skin out, more round your nostrils if they go dry and crispy, like they do with a runny nose in cold weather. You'll get a monthly pregnancy test to make sure you are not before each repeat prescription is given.

Both me and my brother went on Roaccutane. Him in his late teens, me in my early 20s. It honestly changed my life. My brother was rubbish at remembering to take it and his acne didn't clear up as well as mine did. I literally never got another spot. I don't even get the odd one now. And my skin was shocking, my acne was cystic and left scars. I had dry lips and couldn't wear make up for a while because my skin was very dry. But I felt fine on it. So did my brother.

I used it 21 years ago when I was 17. I've had great skin since, hardly ever get spots. I didn't have any significant side effects, I think I just had dry skin on my hands which e45 helped to manage.

I had this acne treatment to cure my acne, you can see my results here and how I deal with the acne scars I'm left with! www.emilyrajch.co.uk/acne-treatment/

also lots of advice on my YouTube channel:

Miracle drug. I had the most awful cystic acne for more than 20 years (had to regularly take penicillin as it would always get infected). At one point I counted 35 separate spots on my chin area alone. Was on cycle after cycle of antibiotics for years and years. Was at its worst in my 40s. It was grim beyond words.

Six months of Roaccutane and 4 years later I have not had a single spot since. Side effects were fairly minimal (dry lips, sore joints for the last 2 months, bit tired in the evenings). An absolute life changer. Every day I look in the mirror and think thank god I finally got access to this amazing drug. My skin feels and looks completely different.

And no, they don't give it out far too easily. It is very stringently regulated and you're monitored very well throughout.

My son had this last year (17). It was having a brilliant effect on his skin but he developed dreadful anxiety and became very depressed on it. The dermatologist took him off it after 3 months. The anxiety has stayed with him unfortunately

I was prescribed it in my early 20s, I had dry skin and hair and even dryer than usual lips, but no other side effects. It transformed my skin though, I have light scarring still but only really get spots around my period (one or two only).

I am going to bite the bullet and go on it.

My derm has offered it to me a few times but I declined. I am now on antibiotics again which do help but they only come back worse when I have to come off them. Plus, I take 4 a day and they make me feel sick a lot.

My cholesterol was raised though a few years ago which might cause issues. I have health anxiety and the thought of checking my cholesterol again does panic me.

My dd was prescribed it as a teenager. A few side effects like dry nostrils but it cleared up her skin beautifully and she doesn’t even have any scars. It was the best thing to happen to her

I had it as a teen - minimal side effects bar the dry skin. Cleared up mainly, but I’m starting to suffer badly again now (I’m 28). The difference now is that I have given up giving fucks about it!

I took it about 14 years ago. Was amazing. Just used blistex and vaseline intensive care moisturiser. Unfortunately mine has come back with a vegance last couple of years.

I think it’s given too freely. Not in my experience, you have to go through everything else before they'll give it I've found. An expensive drug by all accounts. I was on it around 15 years ago, the only thing that worked for me. I also have a friend that was too, the only real thing that worked for them too. All drugs have side affects.

Lucy, sorry to hear about your sons anxiety. I get it and itsbloody awful.

can I ask if your ds had poor mental health before starting it?

My ds GP suggested referring him to a dermatologist for it now that his old meds’ have stopped working for his skin.
He is 16 and has a pretty crappy last year with depression and anxiety.
He’s not keen to try the roaccutane because of the known mental health link.
I’m trying to find out a bit more about it.

Thanks.

Both my DSs are currently on month 5 and it's made a massive difference. Even the consultant was saying their acne was dreadful. DS2 will still need plastic surgery they think. Anyway, yes to very very dry lips and skin. DS2 had daily nose bleeds for the first couple of months and some skin rashes. I'd say both are slightly more grumpy than usual but nothing too noticeable. On the last leg if it now and they both had a little flare up a couple if weeks ago but that's the first fresh spots for a couple of months. It is very controlled and not given out easily. We are talking years of taking antibiotics and every topical treatment known to man. Can only be prescribed by hospital and made up by hospital pharmacy. My DSs both did Dofe expeditions while on it so doesn't seem to have affected muscles etc.

Chimchar my DS1 is very shy and anxious. It hasn't made it worse and in fact having improved skin has helped. The most common side effect is dryness and this is often the only thing people experience.

I had a 6 month course starting in November at the ripe old age of 30.
I can't tell you what a difference this has made for me, no more waking up and panicking about what I will see in the mirror.
The dry lips are something else!!! And I was more achey after the gym. But nothing that's not manageable and 100% worth the outcome.
Good luck!

Does it help with old scarring? You know, the lovely red scars cystic acne leaves behind.

Chimchar

He was badly bullied from a young age so I tended to blame every thing on that. He probably has always had a tendency towards anxiety and the Roaccitane just multiplied it.

Ds1 was also bullied. It's at the core of his issues too I think. He is finally getting some support at school which I think is focussing on mindfulness from what I can establish but he doesn't give much away.

're the scarring. Unfortunately I don't think roaccutane will help with that. They've said to Ds2 that he'll need some sort if plastic surgery as his face is very scarred. He had a lot of acne on his cheeks and the skin there seems less robust that the forehead nose and chin where most of DS1s visible acne was. Both have horribly scarred chest and back and shoulders too. But it obviously the face that takes priority. I'm assuming they mean some sort if dembrasion for DS2.