DS has been offered Roaccutane

[CharlieBoo]

Finally had Ds’ appointment with the dermatologist today. She would like to try him on Roaccutane. From what I’ve read it’s quite the miracle drug for acne with people saying the results are amazing. However the side effects are quite harsh (very dry face, lips, mouth, thirst, achy joints, tiredness and the one that worries me, depression).

DS has just turned 18 and has had acne since he was 16. He also has other skin issues on his scalp which the dermatologist thinks it will help with too. He’s been on antibiotics for a while and at the moment his skin is much improved since he started this new antibiotic.

can anyone give me any advice or personal experiences. Thank you

I took Roaccutane in my late 30s and DD took it in her early 20s. Both of us would say it's the best thing we ever did, and I'd recommend it to anyone.

There are some harsh side effects: we both had very dry face, lips and inside of nose, and I've been left with dry eyes that I now have to use drops for. But I don't remember any issues with thirst, achy joints, or tiredness, and don't remember these being a problem for DD either.

You absolutely must not get pregnant on Roaccutane as it does awful things to the foetus, but that wouldn't apply to your DS, obvs.

Neither of us had depression either, although I've heard that it can affect some people badly. I kept a close eye on DD while she was on the drug, and she had lots of check ups with the dermatologist during the 9 month treatment.

I had roaccutane a couple of years ago.
I suffered with bad acne for 15 years so I was willing to try anything.
It wasn't too bad but things did get worse before they got better. My skin went extremely dry and started peeling. It left behind big areas of red skin that stung when I put moisturiser on. My lips were very very dry too and I got through chapsticks like we are going out of fashion. The saving grace for me was this was during the first year of covid so a face mask, baseball hat and sunglasses was my go-to if I had to go out in public.
The horrible stage didn't last long though and it was well worth it. I am now about 18 months post medication and I have a few tiny spots coming back but they clear up quickly and I probably just need to get better at my skin care routine.

Dd went on it aged 17 and it was life changing for her. She was so self conscious and upset about her skin and it totally cleared it up. She had no side effects at all apart from a sore back (!?) no dry skin etc. She had tried everything else beforehand and nothing had worked but this did. She’s now 20 and so, so pleased she went on it. The main thing is to be carefully monitored and keep in mind a lot of the horror stories are about depression and suicidal thoughts that may have already been there already - I’m not saying it didn’t make them worse but it really is a miracle drug for many and I’m sure dds depression would have been far worse without it and having terrible acne.

I took it at 41, I was tired and my lips went dry.

Dh took it in his 20s and he was fine. A bit dry skin but that it.
DS needs to go on it but his MH isn’t great so I’m a bit nervous.

I had it at 16 and around 27 I think it was, it was the best thing I ever did and forever grateful for my parents for going private that first time. (2nd time self funded) Both times I had quite dry skin on my face and hands, the second time around my joints ached quicker after a gym session (could be age though)

Invest in a really good oil free moisturiser and apply from day one, up his water intake too and steer clear from harsh face wash / soap etc.

I never got depression either, it was worse seeing my face / back with acne, that was more depressing.

Cerave / la roche posay are good and cheap products to use during and after it.

also, the sun will burn so he needs a factor 50 at all times, even on the cloudy days. Highly recommend la roche posay again or heliocare and not your standard nivea etc for the face.

My son had it and it worked extremely well. It's a long time ago but I don't recall any side effects. There were monthly check-ups with the dermatologist.

My daughter took it a couple of years ago. She had quite a few side effects - very dry lips (cracked and bleeding) cracked hands and very low mood. BUT her skin is now amazing (she had severe acne for 12 years) She considers it to have been worth the side effects.

Ds was prescribed it after trying the usual antibiotics etc when he was 16. It caused very dry lips and eyes, but the difference it made to his skin was nothing short of miraculous.
We had lipsalve and eye drops all over the place for the duration, and he had regular blood tests at the gp before each hospital appointment - but they were all fine.
The dry lips and eyes stopped almost as soon as treatment ended and he has had clear skin ever since…around 6 years now.

Another thread is in Chat at the moment for other stories.

I took it in my early 20s and it worked amazingly. I wish I had taken it years earlier instead of wasting time on harsh face washes, creams that burned my irritated skin, a succession of antibiotics that did nothing, and all the home remedies.

The roaccutane made my skin worse for a couple of weeks, then dried it up quite badly, which I could manage with Silcocks base and 8 hour cream. I didn't even mind because I could see it was actually doing something, which nothing else had done. It was totally worth it and I think people's misgivings about it (apart from the risk during pregnancy) are misplaced.