People on or who have taken Roaccutane?

[FelixFelix]

Did you specifically ask for it or did your GP offer it?

I've got an appointment tomorrow. I've had very bad acne for over 10 years now and last year did two courses of Doxycycline which cleared it up to a point, but not completely and after finishing it my skin is now back to its worst. I've tried every cream and diet change/skincare routine/magic potion going and nothing makes a difference. I'm using 10% benzoyl peroxide at the moment and it's doing nothing

If the GP doesn't offer it, what do you think the likelihood of them letting me try Roaccutane is if I ask? I feel like it's worth a try (and probably my last option now). Would love to hear other people's experiences!

My son (age 17) went to the GP about his acne and was put on antibiotics and Epiduo, after a couple of months he went back and the GP suggested referring to a dermatologist. He saw the dermatologist within 5 months of first going to the doctors, she said the GP was right to refer him rather than carrying on with less effective treatments. He started on a low dose of Roaccutane a month ago and only side effect has been very dry lips.

My DS had horrific acne as an early teen, with huge pustules despite the dermatologist prescribing tetracycline (which had worked well for his brother) and other a-bs, plus every topical cream and lotion available. Finally, at 15, he was prescribed Roaccutane after being made aware of the potential side-effects.

His skin became very dry, his lips were so dry that they used to split and bleed, and his hair became like a brillo pad - but he put up with it all cheerfully because he saw a difference in his skin very quickly. After about 3 months the spots had practically gone, and by the end of the treatment (six months, if I remember correctly) his skin was completely clear, and he had changed from a withdrawn, sullen teen into a confident, smiling young man.

It's 15 years since he finished his treatment and his acne has never come back. We were aware of the risks (depression, suicide, liver problems) but he was monitored closely. It was expensive, we''re not in the UK and we had to pay privately for the treatment, but it was worth every penny and more. He only has two or three small scars on his face, which is practically a miracle in view of the state of his skin before treatment.

Just piping up with my experience.... I have been on it twice and both times the spots came back

I love roaccutane. I took it when I was around 23 for cystic acne (Dr gave me one course of antibiotics and one go with a cream then referred me to kings hospital - but mine was v bad)
I took it for about a year, which I think is longer than usuaL. Taking it was fine. I couldn't drink but alcohol made me feel instantly sick so that was no problem. I had peeling lips etc but discovered kamillosan - the chamomile Nipple cream. Decant it into a little pot and apply regularly and it magically solves that problem.
I am grateful every single day for my skin now. I still get one or two spots around my period, easily covered with make up, but aside from that my skin is reliable and healthy.
I honestly don't think antibiotics or creams do a thing except maybe dry out the current spots, they don't stop your skin making more. For whatever reason your skin isn't functioning normally like everyone else's (not because of make up but because it doesn't work properly) the roaccutane makes your skin work differently. Tis amazing.

I had v bad cystic acne in my late teens and it was horrendous. Derm prescribed roaccutane 2x and it's worked a treat. Same for my brother. I am now in my early 40s and he's in his late 30s and we are acne free. Unfortunately we had scarring but it's nothing compared to the pain of acne.

I don't remember any peeling of skin etc but it did become drier. I have v oily skin though so maybe that's why.

Lots of interesting stories! I'm sorry for the people who have had their acne come back afterwards that must be awful.

I've just got back from the GP now. I've not seen her before and she was really lovely. She's prescribed me a 6 week course of Oxytetracycline and then said to come back when it's finished and we can re-assess. Hopefully it will work.

I had a course over 10 years ago when I was 25 and it sorted out my skin, it's still greasy in the T zone and I get spots sometimes but it never went back to what it was. I remember having to sign A LOT of forms to say I would not get pregnant etc, and had to be on double contraception, pill and condoms.

My dermatologist who I had been seeing for years prescribed it after we had tried everything else, I qualified as medium acne but unresponsive to all other treatment. If I had had very bad acne or cystic etc then it is easier to try it as the risk of scarring etc is much worse if it goes on.

Felix in my experience antibiotics clear it up, but as soon as you finish the course it comes back.

Thanks apple. From what I've read about the new one they have put me on, if it clears up my skin there's no reason why I can't take it forever. It seems like they will prescribe it long term too as its cheap. I'm not really that keen on taking two tablets twice a day forever more though

I would like to go on but I don''t think mine is severe enough? I get cystic acne on my chin but my forehead is mostly clear and cheeks aren''t too bad. antibiotics are no longer working and the topical antibiotic roll on I had did nothing.

I have been thinking about trying the pill again or a different brand on antibiotics. while mine isn''t severe it does get me down and my skin is often sore and I have a lot of scarring now.

Excuse typing using my phone and I have fat fingers!

U2 I was on an anti androgen pill for years, Dianette I think, it did help.

Felix I am just wondering though, now we know more about antibiotic resistance, is it good to take them indefinitely? Have you tried Retin-A or Isotrex? If you had the money, I would be tempted to see a dermatologist privately, I saw one at The Royal Free in London about my new problem, melasma, I felt better seeing someone affiliated with a hospital.

Apple that's what I mean - I wouldn't be keen on putting it in my body every day for the rest of my life. I've read so many reviews from people who have been on it for years though, but have said as soon as they stop taking it their skin goes back to how it was. I need a cure

Not tried Retin-A. I'm assuming it's something prescribed by the GP/derm? I'd love to be able to see a dermatologist privately but wouldn't be able to afford it for a few years yet

Glad to hear your new GP is willing to help Felix. Fingers crossed the antibiotics help.

U2, if roaccutane is something you'd like to try then do ask your GP. From what you've said (painful cysts, scarring, non responsive to antibiotics, getting you down etc) it does sound severe enough to warrant roaccutane treatment if you wanted it.

U2 I'd go back to the GP and see what they say. If other things haven't worked then I think you'd be eligible to try it. Someone linked a flow chart which GP's follow to treat acne up thread which is really useful and worth looking at.

Also felix (and I hate to be all negative) you might find that while ion theory you can stay on antibiotics indefinitely, in practice you become desensitized to them so they just stop working. I was on six-month courses at a time, and as soon as I stopped each course the acne unfailingly came back. The GP then put me on them as a permanent treatment, constantly rotating between different types to stop my skin getting used to any one type, but even that didn't work for more than a few years before they just stopped working altogether, no matter how many times I tried a different one.

It's true what Curls says - during the 20 odd years I was taking antibiotics, retinols etc I felt my skin wasn't getting any different in itself, it was more that the acne was being artificially held at bay and fighting to come back at all time, IYSWIM. After Roaccutane I actually feel like something fundamental has changed in my skin. It is like having a skin transplant where my own skin has been replaced with someone else's much much better skin

Oh and U2 I had it in my head my acne wasn't really that bad, until I saw the derm and he classed it as "moderate to severe".

I think I had got so used to it that I'd stopped thinking that having to take penicillin a few times a year because my face was so infected was anything out of the ordinary. So don't suffer in silence just because there might be someone out there with worse spots than you. Cystic spots are horrendous.

Chiggers if I were you, I would ask for a referral to a derm. It depends how bad your acne is but really you've tried everything and you need to move up the treatment ladder.

Lurking a skin transplant is what I need Roaccutane is what I'm working towards, but the GP wants me to try what's available first which I suppose is fair. I do have it in my mind that it will work for me and finally sort out my skin, but I do know it doesn't work for everyone unfortunately

My sister is in her mid 20's and had horrific acne with scarring and pitting until recently, due to roaccutane. Her skin has cleared up beautifully, it's still early days so the scarring is yet to fade but it's far easier to cover up. She was referred by her GP to a dermatologist and was only given prescriptions for a couple of weeks at a time, she had to keep going back so they could keep an eye on her. She had really dry skin and cracked lips but for her it was worth it, as someone upthread has already said short term pain for long term gain.

Good luck OP I hope you get it sorted, acne is horrible

OP I was on Roaccutane when I was about 12 so 10 years ago now when I think they were a little less reluctant to prescribe it than they are now. I was referred to a consultant dermatologist who was great and luckily I only had to take one course before my skin had completely cleared up. I was pretty much symptom free apart from very dry lips which vaseline lip balm helped with massively! It pretty much changed my teenage years though and apart from a little scarring on my shoulders (my acne was on my back and shoulders as well as face) you wouldn't know now I'd suffered so much. I think it is worth taking it if you can get prescribed it by a consultant but I'm very aware I seem to have had it pretty good on it compared to others so I understand the general hesitation people are met with! Hope you get something sorted out that works for you anyway OP, good luck!??