Roaccutane. Think this is the next step - any good/bad experiences?

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My son has been on spot treatment pills for about 5 months with no effect at all. We have an appt next month and I think I might have to ask for roaccutane. I know there can be bad side effects but I'm worried these spots will start scarring. He has them all over his face, neck, chest and all over his back, right down to his waist line and probably beyond.

Anyone got experience of this pill?

Not personally but my best friend took it, made it look like her skin was literally falling off for a couple of weeks but it was definitely a case of looking worse before to got better but after that it was miraculously better

The dermatologist really emphasised looking out for symptoms of depression and she found the 2 weeks of looking worse incredibly hard but for her it was overall a good choice of treatment

I know a teenage boy who has taken a course. Life changing for him.he experienced dry mouth and lips. Lip salve sorted this. He has finished the course and still has a clear skin.

I haven't taken it, but have read up on it quite a lot. I still have acne - mild though now - and have considered taking Roaccutane to get rid of it once and for all.

IMO if your son's skin is that bad - then go for it. There is nothing more miserable than having bad skin. If the antibiotics aren't clearing it up then he needs further investigation.

Has he seen a Dermatologist yet - or just the GP? If he hasn't seeen a derm yet, then ask for a referral.

OP - you may want to get this moved to Style and Beauty or General Health - might get more seeing your thread.

It is amazing. I had it when I was 15 and yes, for a while it did look like my skin was falling off (I do not remember the cracked and bleeding lips fondly - I could peel whole sections off like snakeskin or something) but it was miraculous. I went from dozens of huge spots and infected pores across my face every week to no more acne.

Frankly, I credit it with saving my life, as I was so depressed by the acne that I had considered doing something very stupid several times.

You have to be careful though - it is one hell of a powerful drug and can cause depressive/suicidal thoughts in some patients. Key is to be on the look out for adverse reactions.

I took it in my 40s. Best thing I ever did. I had incredibly dry skin for several weeks, but well worth the inconvenience for the end result.

My dermatologist started me on half dose for the first several weeks to monitor my reaction, then full strength after that.

Girls/women: you MUST NOT get pregnant whilst taking this drug though. It does horrible things to the foetus.

I took it in my third year of uni - so I was 20/21, and had had acne from about 13. It made an immeasurable difference to my skin. I've never had acne since then and I'm in my late 30s now. It is powerful stuff and even if you don't get the worst side effects (depression etc), then the dryness can be very difficult to manage, especially if you're used to greasy skin. It's amazing stuff used carefully though.

Both my sons had terrible acne and tried everything. Both had 6 month courses and barely a spot since (years). They were very dry and had to lipsalve and moisturise religiously. It was hard but both are so happy they did.

I must admit that I'm a bit worried about the depression thing. He's 15 and talks often about hating this or hating that or how crap his life is. He often says it humorously if you can imagine, I mean he has a great social life and loves going out as much as he can with his friends. But I don't know, I just have a feeling that this drug might affect him in this way - I can see the emotional vulnerability. But his spots are dreadful. I'm sure there's no other way to go, I'm just a bit worried he might sink down.

I'm not sure I'm explaining very well why I think he may be affected by the depression.

He's just a typical teenager, mooching about, bad moods, constantly quite 'low' unless he's with his friends. I just wonder if he'll be able to cope with the severe side effects.

I was put on it at about 20. I had severe acne and had it since about 13. I regret I wasn't offered it before. The only reason I was referred to a dermatologist was because I finally admitted to my gp that my acne made me feel so depressed. After attending the gp for my skin since the age of about 15. I have rarely had a spot since. I had very dry lips but don't remember my skin feeling especially dry (it was so greasy that I probably didn't notice!)

I was on Roaccutane from my mid-teens to mid-twenties. It was the only thing that ever really cleared up the acne and it made a big difference to my self esteem. Roaccutane doesn't cause depression. Bad acne can cause depression and then when you go through the initial Roaccuate phase where the acne gets worse, so does the depression. So it's really important to prepare DS for this.

This thread has really helped my thought processes, thank you all so much. Appointment with dermatologist is next month so fingers crossed. He's actually going to the dermatologist about a mole on his back which is fine, but they are keeping an eye on it and last appt, the doctor mentioned his acne and gave these antibiotics. I mentioned roaccutane then, and she seemed quite a fan. She said she 'loved treating acne'!!

My DD was on it for 4 months when she was 14. She had massively dry lips which was pretty awful, but other than, it cleared it up a treat. It is starting to come back though, and I'm wondering whether she might need another course.

I waited until I was in my mid 20s to go on Roaccutane, I wish I had pushed for it sooner as 10 years of antibiotics, medical creams and cosmetics did nothing to solve the problem.

Downsides are the rare but serious side effects like liver damage or suicidal thoughts. But it really does work and treatment is monitored VERY closely by a consultant, regular blood tests, etc.

The problem with back and body acne is that it tends to be quite deep and will leave dark scars that take years to fade, so best get it treated now so the skin can start to heal.

Haven't read full thread - got to run but DS1 had Roaccutane at a similar age to your DS and it was really effective - brilliant for his skin though he did have very dry nose and lips. I am really glad we did it. He is a confident young adult now.

I'm another who's found it to be a miracle drug. I am halfway through a 6 month course at the age of 25; I wish I had done this a decade ago! The dry lips are bad but you can tend to them with special moisturisers (just make sure you don't leave them at home!). I suggest waiting for your son's dermatologist to recommend it, have a frank talk with him about possible side effects, and then keep a close eye on him. Good luck.

DH was on this when he was a teenager and still has an obsession with Vaseline and creaming to this day. Most of his friends were on it as some point. It did give him IBS which still causes him problems now 16 years later!

They all swear by it.

My friend who started taking it when she was 30 had to have the contraceptive implant inserted and had to sign a contract saying either she wouldn't get pregnant and if she did, she would abort. Scary.

Had this as a teen more years ago than I care to remember - and it was life-changing. I know it doesn't suit everyone, but I am very grateful that it was an option for me. Teenage acne can be an incredibly difficult thing to deal with. Hope your son is sorted soon OP.

Both my children had it. Remarkable results. My daughter had a flare up a year or so later that responded well to antibiotics. Dermatologist said that the depression was more linked to the acne than the medication. My son lost his dad a month before he went on it so I was naturally worried.

DD who is under CAMHS ATM and has had very bad skin, is taking an antibiotic, Lymecycline. She's been told that it's a 6 month course. It's made a difference almost immediately. She hasn't had the skin peeling that some PPs have talked about. DD couldn't take Roccuatane because of the other medication she's taking.