low dose roaccutane

[liberatedbetty]

Hi. If you've been on a course of low dose roaccutane, how long did take to start working?
Thanks,
LB

I think about 5 or 6 weeks if I recall. The VERY BEST THING I ever did for my skin. Wish I had done it years ago.

Thanks SnookyPooky.
What dose were you on and for how long?
Sorry for bombarding you with questions!!
LB

I've taken 3 courses of it in my 20s. Each time I noticed a difference within 2 weeks, my skin felt much better. Not sure if I was on a low dosage though.

Agree, if you've got difficult skin, there is nothing like it in terms of results. I'm now in my late 30s and on antiobiotics (again!) and they're not a patch on Roaccutane.

I took it a million years ago (20+!!) and it worked miracles. Think I had two rounds of it. My brother did too. Worked miracles too. I have scars but that's because I really had it majorly bad. Tis a good thing this drug!!

Must say that each time I took it my skin got progressively better and it has never returned to how bad it was pre-Roaccutane.

Quite a while. About 4 weeks. But I was on a v low dose. However what a miracle drug! Wish I'd done it 20
Yrs ago too!

Thanks for your replies, everyone. Really useful.
LB

Transformed my skin. I think within 4 weeks there was a dramatic improvement - clearer skin, unclogged smaller looking pores and no new spots. I did have an initial breakout but my derm hopped on it with treatment. Like other posters, I wish I'd done it years ago.

Roaccutane ruined my immune system entirely at 16. I'm now 34 and have suffered miserably due to takings this. Please read the side effects they are no joke and potentially life changing. My lips peel all the time and that is just a trivial side effect. So I can't wear lipstick ever.

Despite me trying to discourage my younger brother in taking it he did and ended up with acute depression. He gave up his a levels and did nothing for a couple of years at all. It was all triggered by roaccutane.

It got worse before it got better and my lips were a mess. But my skin has never been as bad again as it was pre roaccutane and my back and shoulder acne totally cleared up

how difficult is it to get nowadays ? I had a course about 15 years ago, it was amazing but I would love to have some again as it's gone steadily downhill. It was consultant-only prescription then, you had to pay for it and it was only available from a hospital pharmacy, had to go through all sorts of hoops.

If I could easily get some nowadays I'd go tomorrow

It's still consultant only. And you still need to jump the hoops. But start the process ASAP. If you've already had Roaccutane they will probably be more inclined to re-prescribe. Go for it. Acne is a total pita.

Thank again everyone. I know there are risks and can be nasty side effects. My derm has said the side effects will be greatky reduced on a small dose. Even though my skin isn't dreadful, the oroblem is persistent and I tend to scar.
My only worry at the moment is the idea of an initial outbreak. Hate the thought of it.
Think I might ensure starting coincides with my Easter hol.
35 next week and determined to put an end to the misery!
Thanks again!

thanks all, you've given me the impetus to do something about it. I had terrible cystic acne in my 20s, it's certainly nowhere near those levels now but still not what you would expect of someone nearly 40.

I suffer from terribly dry skin and very dry lips since having it but considered it a side effect worth suffering for the results, I appreciate other people have it much, much worse.

My dp has suffered side effects and still is in his 50s.

My DSS1's acne has improved immeasurably on low dose Roaccutane and he has had none of the side effects associated with the classic doses.

Our dermatologist opens all the cysts and empties them before starting the course of Roaccutane.

I don't remember the dose but it was low. I was on it for 6 months.Never looked back. Now I get only the odd PMT pimple, nothing like the giant cysts of the past.
It did dry my lips and inner ears out terribly but nothing I couldn't cope with.

I'm 46 and I've been on it for 3.5 months now. Started at 40mg a day for the first 8 weeks, since then have been on 60mg, so not really a small dose.

I was expecting the initial breakout they tell you about but it never happened (possibly because my skin couldn't get any worse, really). Since then I've had no new spots at all and am just letting the drug do its thing. It's not an overnight cure but I now have just two really stubborn spots that won't budge and a bit of red scarring on my chin and forehead. I'm thinking another month should sort everythng out.

Also, I was expecting a horrendous collection of side-effects but all I've had are the dry lips. The skin around the spots is a little bit flaky but the rest of my skin (body and face) is completely normal. Nothing else to report.

I am very very happy with the way my face is healing. I was on constant cycles of 5 different antibiotics for years and years and even when they were working (which they did in the short-term) I always felt that they were just keeping the acne at bay and it would always come back (which it did). With Roaccutane, already I feel that I just have different skin now and something more fundamental has changed.

Thanks again for all your replies.
Going to give it a try!
LB