Has anyone used Rocaccutane (sp?) and did it work?

[Rabbitytatttatt]

I have terrible acne and wondered if anyone had used it and how they got on? And also how you got it GP or consultant?

Thanks

It helped dd who was absolutely riddled with 'sandpaper acne' (which I'd never even heard of!). She looked like she had some sort of infectious disease bless her.

The thing is though that 2 years later she started with ulcerative colitis. Of course we never even thought about a connection to Roaccutane but it was her consultant who brought it up and said there is a known link between its use and inflammatory bowel disease. It's pretty rare apparently but there are a fair few damages claims going on in the States by people who ended up with life-long bowel disease after taking it.

I would say, explore ALL the alternatives first. DD was given an antibiotic first which also really helped her but blood tests indicated it wasn't ok for her to keep taking it.

I didn't get any depression symptoms, maybe because I was so thrilled about my skin clearing up. I also covered myself in moisturiser (I used Eucerin for my face) & lip balm constantly.

I used to feel deeply un-confident due to my skin, wouldn't wear short sleeved tops, let alone sleeveless or low-cut, also wouldn't wear my hair up as my jaw line & neck were sometimes quite bad. I'm scarred now but frankly I don't care, in comparison to how my skin used to look, it's amazing. And Bollocks to anyone who thinks otherwise, they are obviously looking too close, the scars do fade.

Please speak to your doctor, OP, you sound like me a decade ago.

I had cystic acne in my 20s after always having Good skin. I looked dreadful. A dermatologist prescribed Roaccutane. My skin cleared up instantly. I had no spots 2 weeks later, it remodelling the scars including chicken pox and bcg marks. I now have trouble providing that I was immunized. The consultant who as female late 30s told me she took it before her wedding. I couldn't.t wear contact lenses while on it and needed constant lip balm carvol is the best but it was an amazing drug.
Only minor recurrences in the last 12 years.
The other miracle cure is Guinot hydradermie facials and there skin calming moisturiser and concealer which you can wear 24 7,hides spots while treating them.

I am 46 and just about to go on it after 20 years of trying every possible antibiotic known to western medicine. It took this long to get a referral and I am just kicking myself I didn't push for one a bit sooner.

My skin is so bad at the moment that I don't actually want to leave the house so even though I'm prepared for some hardcore side-effects I am pretty excited at the though of finally being free of this. I'm figuring I can cope with the dry skin issues and am going to aim to have a really clean diet, drink lots of water and really take care of my body for the next six months, while the drug does its thing. Apart from over Christmas, of course (although I'm not going to be drinking at all, I don't think...).

I am going to be the one voice of gloom here and say that it didn't work for me. I would consider trying another course at some point though just to see if it would make any difference.

I think you have to weigh up the fact it is a huge pain in the arse to be on Roaccutane (taking contraception, dealing with the dry skin and dry eyes, no drinking, you have to always have something fatty around that you can take it with so it absorbs properly) against how the acne is affecting you psychologically. For most people, it is worth taking it.

To the op and the other struggling, if you are female have you tried dianette?

I've tried Dianette, Dalacin T, at least five different antibiotics on rotation (have lost count), plus have had short-term courses of penicillin (and similar -cillin type drugs) when things have been really bad. Also tried giving up dairy, a million different skincare regimes & acupuncture. Even when the antibiotics work, as soon as I come off them it all starts up again and has done so for two decades now. I'm ready for the unpleasant side-effects if it will just sort this out once and for all.

FairPhyllis, I am trying not to entertain any notion that it might actually not work! I think if that were the case I'd have to just cut my face off.

I had 2 lots of it in my early twenties when years of low dose antibiotics & the Dianette pill hadn't worked. I only suffered with dry lips, it did dry my skin too but because my skin was so greasy this was actually a v.good thing. I paid to see a hospital consultant dermatologist privately (about £300) but then got the roaccutane on NHS prescription via him. Worked brilliantly, then acne started to come back after a while which is why I had another lot of it. I wished I had been able to have it earlier, would have saved years of feeling down about my crap skin.

I was prescribed this 15 years ago via a dermatologist. It was amazing, I was monitored closley and only remember having dry skin and also having to be very careful in the sun! Think factor 50 and sun hat in the spring. My skin cleared up and I have maintained a clear complextion. I remember the Dr taking a before and after photo, the change was very emotional, I cried with relief. Good luck with your decision! I didn't think to much about the side effects at the time.

I had dianette years ago and it didn't work. This is getting me down so much, the children asked mummy why have you got chicken pox on your back. It looks so awful and it effects things like taking them swimming I won't go because of how it looks, going on holiday, I'm embarrassed and of course I've been single now a long time and can't imagine anyone would want me with how it looks.

Yes, at around 42, wish I had done it years ago.

The thing is though that 2 years later she started with ulcerative colitis. Of course we never even thought about a connection to Roaccutane but it was her consultant who brought it up and said there is a known link between its use and inflammatory bowel disease. It's pretty rare apparently but there are a fair few damages claims going on in the States by people who ended up with life-long bowel disease after taking it
On the ulcerative colitis issue, I spoke at length with the dermatologist (he does lots of medico legal work too) and he felt there was no causal association...although obviously people who have taken Roaccutane will get inflammatory bowel disease just by the law of averages.
I was extremely concerned about it, as we have a very strong family history of Crohn's and ulcerative colitis. He was totally up front about depression etc and I'm a doctor too, so I hope he was straight with me.

OP, you won't know yourself if you take it. It really can knock your self esteem. Your dermatologist will go through everything in detail with you, and you can decide then. But really, I put it off for years, fretting about side effects, and I KICK myself for not taking it in my 20s. There really is no other acne treatment that cures like this.

OP have you tried Yasmin? Dianette didn't work for me either but Yasmin has helped. A lot of people report improved acne with Yasmin, even though it is not generally a first choice for treating it (Dianette is cheaper ... ).

lurking Don't worry about it. So many people do so well on Roaccutane that I think people like me are few and far between. It is a brilliant drug and I am always thrilled for people when it helps them, because I know how down having acne as an adult can make you. I just wish I could find a solution for me.

I took it in my early twenties so around 20 years ago and it was amazing. My face and back were pretty bad and it completely cleared them up, not just for the time I took it, but for years afterwards. I remember my skin being very dry -especially my lips- but I had no sun sensitivity. I took it before all the depression/suicide side effects were widely known but I'm not sure that would have put me off to be honest.

I'm in my early forties now and my skin has recently been quite badly broken out and I'm considering it again. GP has given me Zineryt which I think might be working and I've also been trialling Dr Weil for Origins calming serum which I think has also (fingers crossed) worked. Your skin being bad can make you feel so down as its so obvious.

I did try Yasmin as well but the headaches were horrendous. I'm booked to have blood test this week and GP next week. I guess gp can't prescribe direct?

I thought it had to be prescribed by a Derm in UK?
I am in Cyprus and got mine from the company Dr though still had to have monthly blood tests.

No, GPs can't prescribe it and you have to go to a hospital pharmacy for it. You have to get referred to a dermatologist, either on the NHS or a private one.

I believe, though, that if you live much closer to your GP's surgery than to the hospital, then you can arrange to get your monthly blood tests etc done at the surgery rather than having to see the consultant efvery month. That might be a discretionary thing, of course.

roaccutane has to be prescribed by a dermatologist and usually you have to have tried at least 3 different types of oral or topical preparations from your GP first . Both my children have had it one at 16 the other at 14 and it has worked brilliantly for them .

I'm on it now - it's marvellous for me! Skin is clearing up well - no new spots and old ones calming down. My lips are dry, but manageable with lots of lip balm and cicaplast. I'm using very gentle skin care products, avoiding alcohol and being careful with SPF, but I'm fairly ok really - a few dry patches but nothing hideous.

Roaccutane changed my life. My teenage years were a misery due to awful cystic, painful acne on my face, neck, back and chest. A four month course and it was gone.

My skin was lovely for a while afterwards. That was more than ten years ago now, and I get a bit spotty but have other medication to control it and generally my skin is fine. Whenever it gets annoying I just think how bad it used to be and am infinitely thankful that I was able to take that drug.

Having said that, I doubt I'll take it again unless my skin was as bad as it used to be. I have stomach problems which I think it might have exacerbated (maybe not though as I did have a history of issues anyway). I don't think it would be worth risking it again unless my skin was really bad.

cathyandclaire I really hope research has now found no link between roaccutane and UC as I've felt v guilty for allowing dd to take roaccutane ever since she was diagnosed. It was her last consultant who pointed out the link. She now lives in London and her present consultant is at one of the big hospitals there so it would be interesting to know what he thinks. There is no history at all on either side of our family of UC or crohns. As far as I'm aware she's the only one who's suffered with it.

I took it for six months in 1988 when I was about 14 - it changed my life. I had horrible cystic acne and nothing touched it until I was referred to a dermatologist and got prescribed roaccutane. Side effects were harsh but I would have gone through anything to get better skin!

I tried Dianette 10 years ago. Was on it less than a month before I started getting hemiplegic migraines, which I still get (despite stopping the Dianette immediately).

I've had 2 courses, one when I was 14 and another when I was 30. I had great skin when I was on it, and for a couple of months afterwards, but the spots are back now. I want to TTC but I'm waiting until 2 years after taking it as it's present in the bones for at least that long and it's very teratogenic (dangerous to foetus).

It's worth trying the other treatments first as a dermatologist is only likely to start roaccutane if you've tried other things and they haven't worked, or if your acne is scarring.