Roaccutane

[Lau247]

Hi

Does anyone have any experiences of Roaccutane? I’ve had mild sometimes moderate acne on and off since I was about 24 nearly 30 now.

Have tried all sorts of treatments over the counter and prescribed currently

been on Epiduo for 8 weeks now and lymeycycline seemed to be clearing first few weeks but not anymore. Acne is on my chin and jaw line only.. I have PCOS

I feel so concious about my skin wouldn’t want anyone to see my without make up on and i am seriously considering Roaccutane.

I’m worried about the side effects especially the MH ones.. I live alone and read something about you should have someone around to check on you?? I suffer with anxiety had a brief episode with depression when I was around 23 but not since.

Think I can deal with the dry skin aspect however I have dermatitis on my scalp and other areas of my body so worried this will get worse.

Also may sound silly but can you drink alcohol ? My 30th is coming up and also with the festive season etc And ideally wouldn’t want to not be able to drink at all.

My daughter went on Roaccutane after everything else failed.

It was amazing. It completely cleared her skin and even seemed to reverse a lot of the scarring.

She didn’t have any mental health issues - if anything it improved her mental health as she’s gained so much confidence.

She did have very dry skin and lips during the treatment, but nothing unmanageable, and you can take a lower dose for longer to minimise those side effects if it’s something that concerns you.

I’m not sure about alcohol as she was 14, so a non-drinker throughout her treatment.

@Hannahlee that’s good to know she didn’t have many side effects especially MH I googled it before I wrote this thread and saw an awful article on some parents say it should be banned as their children committed suicide from being on it.

I can deal with all the other side effects it’s just the MH ones that worry me.

I know it has amazing results though and I know it’s probably the only thing that is going to completely clear me up.. think I’d go on a lower dose too.

Was your daughters prescribed by her GP or did you go private ?

Roaccutane worked for my brother’s teenage bad skin, but he got high grade sunburn when we went on holiday and nobody told him to stay in the shade. Despite loads of sunscreen, so be aware! It also made him depressive so we got him off the pills and onto natural remedies. Can’t remember which. Mum was in charge at the time. So yes it works, but no, it doesn’t come without side effects. Google natural options in my view. Good luck x

Both my son and daughter took it.
It was amazing. They were around 17 and it really boosted their confidence.
I remember my daughters prom, she looked beautiful but sat crying before she went as her skin was so bad.
Neither suffered any side effects other than very dry lips.
My daughter had to have regular pregnancy checks even though she didn’t have a boyfriend.
They were both prescribed by the dr after trying numerous other pills and potions.

I took it when I was 16. It's a blunderbuss approach but it's amazing and my skin has been better ever since. I would talk to a doctor before taking it though if you have have a history of anxiety as I had the most appalling mood swings. Teenage hormones likely didn't help, but I've never had any other issues with MH so I reckon the roaccutane definitely played a part.

You can drink on it, but not much. Your alcohol tolerance will be much lower and it will exacerbate any MH problems.

The other main side effect is the dry skin, which everyone knows about, but for me I found the dry lips and nosebleeds worse. I've also had dry lips ever since, they've never gone back to normal and I spend a fortune on Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour lip balm as normal chapsticks do nothing to help.

Hi, I was on roaccutane it was excellent for my skin.
It did make my mood very low, something I can only appreciate now looking back on it. I'd no previous MH issues so I'd say it's important to have support.
It dried my skin out terribly, particularly my lips. But was manageable.
You need to be on birth control and need a negative pregnancy test each time you go to have your dose increased/bloods checked.
Roaccutane is really hard on your liver so you have regular liver function blood tests. They strongly advise that you don't drink at all as you can do yourself real damage.

Hope that helps, any other questions feel free to PM me ☺️

DD took it for severe acne when she was 16. Less than two years later she was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis which has impacted her life massively ever since. She also had liver problems during all her pregnancies one of which was so bad it resulted in the baby being stillborn. While it can’t be proven that Roaccutane caused any of this, there are many lawsuits in the US by people diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease after taking it and as her DM I always wonder if she would have been ok if she hadn’t had this drug and feel I should have discouraged her more from taking it. There is no history on either side if our families of IBD or liver disease.

Was your daughters prescribed by her GP or did you go private?

GPs can’t prescribe Roaccutane - it’s a consultant-only drug.

Your GP will need to refer you to a dermatologist. This can be either on the NHS or privately (we used the NHS)

My son took it and it worked wonders on his skin. He had very dry mouth and lips, but no other side affects.

This drug has ruined my husband's life. He has such bad face pain that he can no longer work. He struggles to take the children to school because his face is so sensitive to pollution, sun and other irritants. We are not living a normal life. Please don't take it.

My son took it about 10years ago,changed him completely,he was fabulous outgoing and sociable,a trained Nurse.He is now a loner,can’t work as a Nurse,suffers with bouts of horrendous depression,when he shuts off from the World.

I believe it was Roaccutane that caused this,he doesn’t agree with me,I no longer mention it.But I would not advise anybody to take it.