Roaccutane

[hillarypcof]

Hi all!
It has been a long time coming, and I have delayed this treatment for some time, however with the lockdowns/restrictions of the pandemic I feel there has been no better time for me to take up my Dermatologist's recommendation of Roaccutane for my acne.

I am aware that it is a very potent drug. I am aware of the side effects.

I wondered if any of you have had any experiences with this drug, and if there is any advice you would give in order for me to prepare?

What do you wish you had been told before you started it?

Thank you all so much in advance!

@Punxsutawney Im not sure they will prescribe. I have one teen who took it with no mental health issues, but it definately caused some serious MH issues and they had to stop taking it. Because of my other teens existing issues Im not sure it would work well for her either.

Thanks Onesipmore. I thought that maybe the case. Sorry it caused MH issues for your teen.

I'm not sure what else we can do for Ds. Started Lymecycline in 2018 and then onto Doxycycline last year and he's gone from pimples to more cystic acne all over his face.

He has sensory difficulties, so he struggles with using any kind of topical creams on his face.

@Punxsutawney, thank you. Thats a shame about cream. Mine takes lymecycline but it does very little.Shes just started with an online script from Skin and Me. But, it is a cream. Good luck x

I’m thinking I might need another round of it at the grand old age of 44 Tried antibiotics prescribed by the GP but they did nothing. I’m going to ask for a dermatologist referral at my appointment in a couple of weeks. Worried about the contraception bit. I shouldn’t really take the pill because I get migraines. Shame, because the only other thing to help my skin was the Diane / Yasmin pill.

You can take the mini pill sometimes if you can’t take the combined pill, it makes your skin oilier sometimes.

I wasn’t on hormonal birth control because dh has had chemo. I didn’t mind doing a pg test every month.

@Fluffycloudland77

You can take the mini pill sometimes if you can’t take the combined pill, it makes your skin oilier sometimes.

I wasn’t on hormonal birth control because dh has had chemo. I didn’t mind doing a pg test every month.

I tried the mini pill once. Was told told that for some women their periods pretty much disappeared. Sounds great I thought. Only problem was I was one of the women who bled non stop on it and I gave up after 8 weeks.

I’ve taken the combined pill before with no issues. It was great being able to skip the sugar pills and only have a period every 3 or 4 months. Sadly my GP refuses to prescribe it to me now

That’s bad luck. Copper coil?

Abstinence 🤨

@bluetongue

I’m thinking I might need another round of it at the grand old age of 44 Tried antibiotics prescribed by the GP but they did nothing. I’m going to ask for a dermatologist referral at my appointment in a couple of weeks. Worried about the contraception bit. I shouldn’t really take the pill because I get migraines. Shame, because the only other thing to help my skin was the Diane / Yasmin pill.

Same here! Diane was the only other thing that ever helped my acne. Wow, what a long time ago that was for me!

Oh it was life changing. I had spent years taking all different tablets but this worked like magic. I was warned against dry skin and lips but I was shocked at how bad they got, prepare in advance so start moisturising now so they are in good condition so you can keep on top. I put baby oil on as soon as I showered before getting dry and then I found body shop yogurt/butter useful for the dry skin. Unfortunately I couldn’t keep on top of my lips and started getting sores which was uncomfortable but fixed pretty much immediately after I stopped taking it.

I struggled with aches, towards the end my mum started forcing me on little walks around the village which I think helped.

Also, I was only 15 so contraception wasn’t an issue - extreme acne and a lack of self confidence did enough to stop me getting pregnant:

@Punxsutawney I was prescribed it today and I’m on Prozac so that’s not necessarily a barrier, the derm just said to keep an eye on my mood and if I start to notice a decline to stop taking it and let her know. At 39 I’m a lot older than your DS though.

I’ve had 2 rounds. I was lucky and noticed an improvement from the very first pill. Unfortunately I didn’t get a permanent result and I may end up going for a third round. But I don’t regret taking it! The pills are large- I liked taking mine with pineapple juice. Epaderm cream is great for dryness. You’ll likely need a lip balm, but try to wean yourself off it once you come off roaccutane. Long story, but I ended up developing sensitivities and a nasty skin issue. Don’t forget spf! Best of luck.

Thanks Balls, that's interesting to know. Hope it works well for you and doesn't impact your mood.

Ds is 16 and not on any medication (yet) for his mental health difficulties but they are pretty long term. Still not heard anything about his dermatology referral though, I think it could be a long wait.

Good luck with it OP.

Gosh I’m so jealous reading all these posts of people younger than me who’ve taken this. I’m 37 and my doctor won’t yet refer me 😡 says we need to explore more options first. I feel like I’ve tried everything, it’s been 20 years since I first saw a GP about my skin!

That’s shocking, can you see a different dr @Fiddlersgreen?.

@Fiddlersgreen register at a new gp!

@Fluffycloudland77 @Chanandlerbong01

I will see another GP (there’s more than one at the practice but I have been seeing the same guy for years) but it will have to wait until covid eases a bit as they are not doing face to face appointments unless urgent.
Incidentally I am seeing a different GP next week for something unrelated (and more urgent) so I may bring it up if there’s time and if it feels appropriate

@Fiddlersgreen

Good luck with it OP.

Gosh I’m so jealous reading all these posts of people younger than me who’ve taken this. I’m 37 and my doctor won’t yet refer me 😡 says we need to explore more options first. I feel like I’ve tried everything, it’s been 20 years since I first saw a GP about my skin!

I'd be furious if my doctor told me that :-( Does he/she have bad acne?

I highly recommend seeing a different doctor. Anybody who can't understand how psychologically damaging it can be to have bad acne right into one's 30s shouldn't really be doing the job, IMO