Is Roacutane worth it?
Sometimes things come in spurts... I have had a horrendous time with things breaking around the house (the car, the pool pump, the dishwasher and even the dog) and in my Health clinic the same thing happens! I get runs of things.
I seem to be having a run of "roacutane" and skin problems in my patients at the moment. So I have taken the time to research it more and thought I would give you the insider info as I go. (Roacutane is same as Accutane in USA) .
What I understand about this drug:
Roacutane, accutane (isotretinoin) is a HEAVY drug. The longer it is in use the longer it's warning list becomes and the more hesitant doctors are to use it. BUT if you are a skin specialist what else can you offer a young person suffering with severe acne?
Of course steroid cream!
From my understanding Roacutane stops the cells from utilising Vitamin A and dries up the pores (dries up sebum which is the oil produced at the base of the hair follicle which then is a perfect home for bacteria which leads to blackheads and white heads ). The result of this can last a life time which is why roactune has been deemed as so successful.
HOWEVER... read the fine print....
What are the concerns with Roacutane?
This is a cut and paste from the USA FDA (the big kahuna who governs medicines in the USA) and this is what they have to say about Accutane/Roacutane:
What is the most important information I should know about Accutane?
- Accutane is used to treat a type of severe acne (nodular acne) that has not been helped by other treatments, including antibiotics.
- Because Accutane can cause birth defects, Accutane is only for patients who can understand and agree to carry out all of the instructions in the iPLEDGE program.
- Accutane may cause serious mental health problems.
- Birth defects (deformed babies), loss of a baby before birth (miscarriage), death of the baby, and early (premature) births. Female patients who are pregnant or who plan to become pregnant must not take Accutane. Female patients must not get pregnant:
- for 1 month before starting Accutane
- while taking Accutane
- for 1 month after stopping Accutane.If you get pregnant while taking Accutane, stop taking it right away and call your doctor. Doctors and patients should report all cases of pregnancy to:
- FDA MedWatch at 1-800-FDA-1088, and
- the iPLEDGE pregnancy registry at 1-866-495-0654
- Serious mental health problems. Accutane may cause:
- depression
- psychosis (seeing or hearing things that are not real)
- suicide. Some patients taking Accutane have had thoughts about hurting themselves or putting an end to their own lives (suicidal thoughts). Some people tried to end their own lives. And some people have ended their own lives.
I am sure if a natural medicine supplement or a vitamin could cause such devastation that it would be banned. Anyway...

healing acne
The GREAT concerns stem from...
1. Decreased Folic Acid levels
Folic acid is one of those key ingredients for the body (just like cement glue). Without it we fall apart. Folic acid is used in so many chemical reactions in the body and without it, these don't happen.
Isotretinoin interferes with the absorption of folic acid (this is only one study, there are many) and most doctors will suggest supplementing with folic acid.
Folic acid is relatively safe and can be purchased from the chemist in 5mg dosing. I would recommend having Folic Acid 5mg a day for at least 6 months after stopping Roacutane as well. We have stores of folic acid and you want to make sure yours are not low, especially if you are aiming to have a baby in the near future after stopping roacutane as low folic acid is a key contributor to spina bifid a, kidney tube issues and a few other nasties. Which brings me to the use of roacutane in young FERTILE women...
2. It affects the unborn baby in a BAD way!
This is another cut and paste job from the USA FDA.
Do not take Accutane if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or become pregnant during Accutane treatment. Accutane causes severe birth defects.
Doesn't that rule out all women in their 20s, 30s and 40s???
It really should be a last resort for young women because of this high pregnancy and baby birth defect possibility. And if you feel like you have tried everything but haven't seen me (or another naturopath), see what I can do first.... not because I need business, because I don't want you to have an affected baby. I have read reports where I know the affects of Roacutane are in the body for 5 years... this is a long time if you are going to wait to have a baby to "be sure" and even then how will you know.
READ THIS BLOG BEFORE DECIDING about hormones, food and acne.
3. It can cause depression and is heavily linked with suicide.
I have heard statistics such as 9 out of ten suicides in Australian teenagers are on Roacutane. This is additional information that the FDA provides....
- Stop Accutane and call your doctor right away if you or a family member notices that you have any of the following signs and symptoms of depression or psychosis:
- start to feel sad or have crying spells
- lose interest in activities you once enjoyed
- sleep too much or have trouble sleeping
- become more irritable, angry, or aggressive than usual (for example, temper outbursts, thoughts of violence)
- have a change in your appetite or body weight
- have trouble concentrating
- withdraw from your friends or family
- feel like you have no energy
- have feelings of worthlessness or guilt
- start having thoughts about hurting yourself or taking your own life (suicidal thoughts)
- start acting on dangerous impulses
- start seeing or hearing things that are not real
The above symptoms sound like PMS to me. Don't mix the two I SAY!!
On a serious note, this drug is HEAVY with side effects. Don't start it lightly.
I know I mentioned this before but seriously, suicide attempts often result in success and suicide failures are equally as soul destroying. The link is so strong that I am prepared to never recommend Roacutane.
I'd like to suggest that you try these things:
* Dietary Triggers: Dairy, wheat, gluten may cause pimples/acne. Try stopping them for a month at a turn and see how your skin goes
* Stress can cause changes to our skin and extra oil production. Try embracing a relaxation activity every day (maybe yoga, meditating, breathing, DVDs etc)
* Address deficiencies. Vitamin D, Vitamin B5, Zinc, Omega 3s can all assist improve skin and are implicated with its poor state
* Seek out proper hormone balancing. Hormones impact on our skin immensely.
In women high testosterone, high estrogen and low progesterone can attribute to acne and in men, too much testosterone (as during puberty or taking steroids) and high estrogen can cause acne. I specialise in this area and have a number #1 best seller on hormones called Beauty & the Beast Within. You can purchase and download to read right now. Or if you would like to check out my consultations and other tests I offer, check them here.
* Metabolic problems. This area really would warrant a consultation with a naturopath or a holistic doctor. Often if you don't use your bowel daily or your liver isn't detoxifying adequately you will end up with a skin issue. I describe this to my patients as follows:
Imagine a swimming pool and as we all know pools have pumps to filter all the rubbish out and keep the pool water clean and blue. If the filter isn't doing its job then the water will become murky, change colour and look uninviting. The same happens with your skin, except the pool filter is your liver and the water is your skin.
You can chase the pool leaves, add chemicals to the water but most of the effort should go into ensuring you have a clean filter. This is the same as the body. Ensuring your liver is detoxifying correctly is amazing for ensuring good skin.
ON A PERSONAL note.
I suffer with acne from time to time (problem random pimples is a better description but they can be BIG). This is what I do:
1. Clean up my diet
2. Exercise more (to flush my body of rubbish and release tension)
3. Back off the stress (start cancelling things as usually I have over committed)
4. Increase my omega 3 foods (olive oil, fish, nuts)
5. Work my liver (St.Mary's Thistle, lemon in water, vegetable juices)
6. Balance my hormones (in my case I know my estrogen rises so I take my broccoli extract for a few weeks to calm things down).
The Health Queen Wrap UP:
I know I am a naturopath and can't write a script for Roacutane but even if I could I wouldn't. As some of you know I have a back ground in pharmaceuticals and love the way pharmaceuticals work BUT this drug is on the "DON'T GO THERE" list for me.
I get very concerned when I hear patients are on it and I will jump through hoops and over barriers to help you avoid going on it.
I also appreciate that having cystic acne is disfiguring, distressing and down right depressing.
Read my blog on hormones and foods for more information.
Purchase and read more about hormones and how they are affecting you with my ebook on hormones.
And to really sort your health out, order this hair test. You can send it to me from any where in the world! It might change your skin, your confidence and life!
If you have experienced Roacuatane/Accutane, let's us know if it was worth it over all or not. 🙂
It can also cause hormone imbalances which can last for the rest of your life. Primarily it inhibits Dihydrotestosterone(DHT) production, which has a large range of negative side effects. I would give it a 1/10, because there are many other alternatives you should go before even considering it
Dears,
I would to share my experience with Roacutane.
The first time I took Roacutane, I was under 18, but I had a severe Acne case.
After taking the medicine, I had a baby skin face and all the Acne disappeared, but within a year it got worse than before!
I couldn’t support it so I went to another doctor and he recommended that I take it again and he said many patients take it several times and it’s safe.
Second time was better, I am 28 years old now and since then I don’t have severe Acne. I only suffer from small infections in the skin from time to time.
The question is: Is it possible that it caused me some disorders that I don’t know about.
Is it possible that It affects my future babies or my liver? I did many tests at that period and the doctor said all is normal.
Thank you for your help.
Hi Lana
good to hear your skin is under control now but the real issue still remains – why did you have such severe break outs (ie was it hormonal, food or stress related) as this may still be an issue and might affect your health and future health (maybe doing a saliva hormone test) and secondly yes, the roactutane may still be in äffect”in your body. It switches off Vitamin A and sebum production.
the second possible residual damage is a really tough one – just be OPTIMALLY healthy before having your babies (consider detoxing) and definitely have vitamin B12.
Let me know if I can help more (lots of info on my website https://www.sambeaupatrick.com under clinic). cheers Sam
Hi,
I would like to share my experience with this nasty drug Roacutane. At 16 I had a face full of pimples, acne, regular boils and my Mum purchased every type of soap / cream on the market at the time to try and help me.
After many failed attempts of various products she then suggested a skin specialist who instantly prescribed me Roacutane. We were told that this was a fairly new drug at the time ( 1995-1996 ) but had quick results. The specialist also mentioned the side affects of extremely dry skin and possible birth defects, that was about all that was explained at the time.
After the few weeks of taking Roacutane the dry skin begun which included severe cracked bleeding lips but the acne improved!!
I continue to take the drug as the acne was improving but after approximately 12 months I turned 18 and started working, this was when the real side affects started to appear.
I started to suffer from a severe gambling / pokie addiction fuelled with heavy amounts of alcohol. This included stealing to fund the gambling and days of drinking non stop. What was I hiding??
At 23 my hair started to fall out and it was then I was told this was a side effect of the drug.
I am now 34 and I have been through rehab clinics, years of failed gambling counselling and I am completely bald !! Nothing can erase the past 17 years of drinking / gambling and letting down loved ones
Was It a form of depression ?? As I was pretty head strong I used to think that mental health was a hoax!!
Looking back now, I wish I had never taken that drug !!!!
I hope my little story can maybe help another teenager to make a different decision than taking Roacutane.
Thanks Kymbo
Hi Kymbo
thanks for sharing your story and possibly the drug did set you on that path! I have heard that it is associated with 90% of teen age suicides. Numbers like that are hard to ignore.
So sorry you lost a significant part of your life. I really hope things are working out for you now, Sam 🙂
Please stop throwing around the ‘associated with 90% of teenage suicides’. It is completely misleading and dishonest to keep making this assertion without any form of evidence. If you have a research paper or journal article which supports this claim then I’d really like to see it.
Cheers,
Adrian
Hi Adrian
Are you a GP? I would love to hear what you currently say to your teenage patients about to start Roaccutane. Do you warn them about all the associated side effects?
Do you get them to make food changes first – I have great success in my clinic cutting out certain foods, and then balancing hormones. All naturally of course.
I wrote this blog quite a few years ago, and I am not being dishonest about anything. There is reference below from the BMJ and is of interest. I can change the comment I made if that makes you happier but at the time of writing this, 2013, that was a figure being used by medical professionals. I do think it is prudent that people are made aware that this drug can cause depression (and therefor possibly raise suicide risk), especially in such a vulnerable group. Do you agree?
Ref 1 Association of suicide attempts with acne and treatment with isotretinoin: retrospective Swedish cohort study
BMJ 2010; 341 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c5812 (Published 12 November 2010)
Cite this as: BMJ 2010;341:c5812
Article
Related content
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Responses
Peer review
Anders Sundström, pharmacoepidemiologist123, Lars Alfredsson, professor in epidemiology4, Gunilla Sjölin-Forsberg, dermatologist and clinical pharmacologist2, Barbro Gerdén, dermatologist, senior expert2, Ulf Bergman, clinical pharmacologist3, visiting professor1, Jussi Jokinen, senior psychiatrist5
Author affiliations
Correspondence to: A Sundström Anders.Sundstrom@Ki.se
Accepted 6 September 2010
Abstract
Objective To assess the risk of attempted suicide before, during, and after treatment with isotretinoin for severe acne.
Design Retrospective cohort study linking a named patient register of isotretinoin users (1980-9) to hospital discharge and cause of death registers (1980-2001).
Setting Sweden, 1980-2001.
Population 5756 patients aged 15 to 49 years prescribed isotretinoin for severe acne observed for 17 197 person years before, 2905 person years during, and 87 120 person years after treatment.
Main outcome measures Standardised incidence ratio (observed number divided by expected number of suicide attempts standardised by sex, age, and calendar year), calculated up to three years before, during, and up to 15 years after end of treatment.
Results 128 patients were admitted to hospital for attempted suicide. During the year before treatment, the standardised incidence ratio for attempted suicide was raised: 1.57 (95% confidence interval 0.86 to 2.63) for all (including repeat) attempts and 1.36 (0.65 to 2.50) counting only first attempts. The standardised incidence ratio during and up to six months after treatment was 1.78 (1.04 to 2.85) for all attempts and 1.93 (1.08 to 3.18) for first attempts. Three years after treatment stopped, the observed number of attempts was close to the expected number and remained so during the 15 years of follow-up: standardised incidence ratio 1.04 (0.74 to 1.43) for all attempts and 0.97 (0.64 to 1.40) for first attempts. Twelve (38%) of 32 patients who made their first suicide attempt before treatment made a new attempt or committed suicide thereafter. In contrast, 10 (71%) of the 14 who made their first suicide attempt within six months after treatment stopped made a new attempt or committed suicide during follow-up (two sample test of proportions, P=0.034). The number needed to harm was 2300 new six month treatments per year for one additional first suicide attempt to occur and 5000 per year for one additional repeat attempt.
Conclusions An increased risk of attempted suicide was apparent up to six months after the end of treatment with isotretinoin, which motivates a close monitoring of patients for suicidal behaviour for up to a year after treatment has ended. However, the risk of attempted suicide was already rising before treatment, so an additional risk due to the isotretinoin treatment cannot be established. As patients with a history of suicide attempts before treatment made new attempts to a lesser extent than did patients who started such behaviour in connection with treatment, patients with severe acne should not automatically have isotretinoin treatment withheld because of a history of attempted suicide.”
Ref 2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1463189/
Ref 3 HEALTH AND SCIENCE Medications linked to teen suicide https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/medications-linked-to-teen-suicide/news-story/ca0cce790a7b4171774c6d21b74f05ef?sv=5ed437d31b339aaf55cf8ed538ad58e4
The Therapeutic Goods Administration yesterday said it would consider a formal review of the acne medicine isotretinoin, linked to 18 suicides in Australia in the past five years.
But the nation’s drugs watchdog said it would wait to evaluate the findings of an inquiry launched by the UK Commission on Human Medicines this week into Roaccutane, the most popular brand of the anti-acne pill.
The TGA’s database of adverse events lists Roaccutane as a “suspected’’ cause of 14 suicides in the past five years — in which it was the only drug being taken. In addition, the database links the drug to 14 other cases of suicidal ideation, five suicide attempts and two cases of intentional self-injury. The database does not provide details of the ages and sex of the patients taking the drug.
My experience with roacutane…
I am now 36 years old, but remember taking this drug at 21 after having a burst of bad acne after an overseas trip .I had tried and spent a fortune on natural remedies to help aid the acne, unfortunately nothing helped, so then decided to take roacutane.
After a short while of taking this pill I did notice a very drying affect it had on my skin- especially my lips, but to me that did not worry me as the pill was slowly clearing up my acne. However after about half way of taking this pill I started to have sad thoughts all the time which from there got worse and worse. I then started to take antidepressant medication to help with the depression.
My acne improved and then stopped taking roacutane – however did not stop taking antidepressant medication and still to this day strongly think it plays a part in my bouts of depression I have suffered through the years.
I have had two healthy babies since and am thankful for the joy they bring but will always wonder if the depression would have ever come if I had not taken this pill..
Hi Truds
it’s a tough one. Whilst it helped your skin it may have left you with long term mood changes. Its so hard to know when starting the drug what the outcomes will be and most are desperate to have clear skin. thanks for sharing and fortunately it is great you have 2 healthy babies 🙂 Sam
my doctor prescribed me this medicine!but after reading all ur comments, i am confused what to do!!!any helpful sugestion?????
Hi, the first thing I would do is change eating (drop dairy, drop gluten). This is really hard and sounds extreme but often skin issues due to food.I have a program that helps with this available on my site.. I would also try to avoid stress and see someone if you have any hormone issues. I find food and hormones account for 80% of skin issues. Then there are some other tricky things – gut issues, liver etc. St Mary’s thistle can help a little and a probiotic but getting the diet and hormones balanced as key. Let me know if you would like any more info. Sam 🙂
Hi
I have started to take Accutane last Oct 2014
And after 5 and a half months taking 40 mg a day
My weight being 60 kg
My hair started to fall out all of a sudden
It’s a lot of hair specially in the shower
What do i do to stop this ????
I dont want to go bald as some people said it happened to them
I am a beautiful woman and I know now I made a terrible mistake on listened to others adevices but anyway
The question I got here is
Have the hair folicules been permanent damaged ??
Am I going to be bald or nearly ??
I am a 43 yo woman who had already iron deficiency before this treatment however I did not have hair loss previously so I know it had been caused by Accutane .
Please help ,
Thank you
Hi Patricia
Thank you for your email. The concept of permanent damage is interesting. We used to think nerve tissue once damaged couldn’t regenerate, the same with cardiac tissue. But what do we know about hair follicles, especially with the use of Accutane. It is designed to interupt the whole system. A part of me wants to say it may not happen but the other part of me, that has seen amazing things occur, believes it can.
What would I do then if it was me?
Iwould stop the accutane, I would fix my iron. I would saturate my body in omega 3s Vitamin A, B5, maybe gingko and maybe something else that helps DNA unravelling like Co Q10. Specifically unsure what I can recommend for you today.
Maybe you could do the hair analysis that I offer. Any body hair is good – post it in and I will see what it tells you , you are low in. Might be the best thing I can offer for now
Sam 🙂
Hi Patricia, how are you going? I can’t give a full consultation here but might be worth looking at minerals – zinc, selenium as well as hormones including stress hormones, and testosterone. I can help with both – the hair test I offer can be done from home and I post you a result. The info can be found here: https://sambeaupatrick.com/sbp-hair/ and the hormone test can also been done and ordered from here https://sambeaupatrick.com/hormone-test-kit/ . Regarding Accutane…. it does do harm and the shorter you are on it, the better. Hope that helps and feel free to email me: sam@sambeaupatrick.com Sam x
I took the drug when I was 21 after years of severe acne and trying every other possible treatment without success. Within 6 months my skin had completely cleared up and I’ve never had a problem skin since. Quite simply amazing!
I admit it’s not particularly nice whilst taking the course of roacutane, with dry skin and chapped lips, however it was well worth the inconvenience for a lifetime of being spot free. Also I didn’t experience and other side effects.
People are blaming the drug for their depression but nobody has mentioned the damaging psychological effects of looking into a mirror every day and thinking to yourself how horrible you look. There were times when I wouldn’t even leave the house because I was so self conscious about my skin and felt incredibly low.
It worked wonders for me and I still look in the mirror 10 years on in amazement and joy at my healthy clear skin.
Thank you so much for your comments! Yes there are wonderful results and I am so happy you achieved your goal. And as you say (and as I have seen), skin issues are really debilitating psychologically. Thank you for your invaluable feedback Sam x
Thankyou so much for this and all your comments!! I have been suffering with skin issues for quite some time now, i have had 3 drs in the last 3 months recommend this to me and i have been very skeptical about it. I am already a hashimotos sufferer so i am very cautious about anything i take. Definitely feel like i am justified in my concern at this point. 🙂 Thankyouxx
Hi Belinda
lovely to hear from you,,,, and yes caution with roacutane. I can assist if you think food and hormones maybe playing a role. Send me an email: sam@sambeaupatrick.com. Sam x
I am been on roacutane twice and my acne has come back again worse than ever and I am severely depressed because of the state of my face … I have tried EVERYTHING suggested and been to a skin specialist where I had been in regular peels etc to help get this under wraps. It am now off to see a dermatologist … I know the side effects of going back on roacutane but I’m starting to get desperate… Also cared that my acne will come back again even if I do use it … Help?!
Hi Amie, have you read my blogs/clips on hormones and skin. If it is coming back it is more than likely a food/gut issues, such as dairy and a hormone imbalance , such as high testosterone or high estrogen. You may be low in inositol too. These things should help you if you haven’t tried them. Doctors are going to keep prescribing pills. They only have bachelors specialising in pharmaceuticals and surgery. Beauty salons can only (legally) offer you skin treatments. You need a specialist in food and hormones. A naturopath or nutritionist (ideally both). Which is what I do.
Let me know if you need more help, sam@sambeaupatrick.com xx
Accidentally bumped into this article and thought it was quite interesting and I’d like to share my experience. I took Roacutane almost 10 years ago, during my freshman year in highschool. During that time I had extremely severe acne and extremely low self-confidence because of it. If I recall correctly I took it for about a year. Like some people said, there were unpleasant side effects that were expected to emerge due to the drug (dry skin and lips) and I was very aware of the other possible side effects such as depression while taking them. I finished the treatment and my skin became baby-like and luckily enough I have never had any big outbreaks after that. Sometimes I’d get a few pimples here and there but now it’s very rare and I honestly cannot remember the last time I’ve had any acne on my face. Easy to say that it obviously changed my self-confidence and my life for the better.
With that being said, I think this article and some of the replies about the experience with the drug is a bit out of place. Yes, it is a strong drug with various possible negative side effects, but it is also intended for severe cases of acne. Any form of strong drug or treatment isn’t supposed to be used by just anybody, but by those with severe conditions. Those who are under the use of strong drugs and treatments are also supposed to be supervised closely by doctors. When alarming side effects start kicking in, the drug dosage should be decreased or should be completely stopped.
Patients should also be aware of the possible side effects before even taking the drug and examine themselves if they are fit for it. For example, people undergoing a lot of stress or changes in their life should be aware of a predisposition of depression, just as people know if they are trying to get pregnant. Another thing to consider as well is that although Roacutane has the possibility of causing depression, the positive changes occurring in your skin should be giving quite a big boost to your self-esteem, affecting your overall happiness, making it less likely to cause depression (which was what happened in my case and why neither I or my parents were worried about it when choosing to take the drug). I also know quite a lot of other people who have taken it and not suffered from depression.
Thank you Andrew! yes there are advantages and some people get so desperate. I am glad it turned out well for you and that life is soaring ahead.
Much thanks again. There are many success stories, I guess it shouldn’t be used first line.
Cheers Sam
Hi, so Im at the point where I am having to consider taking roacutane and all of these comments are making it a very hard decision! Im 26 and have tried everything over the past 10 years to rid the acne! every type of face wash and treatment, every type of hormonal contraceptive (I’ve even had my hormones checked and they are fine), every type of prescription cream and a whole list of antibiotics! I have even changed my diet and cut out dairy and wheat and eat super healthy and have an incredibly healthy lifestyle. On top of all that I have zero stress in my life and yet I STILL CANNOT GET RID OF MY DAMN ACNE and the older I get, the worse it gets!!! Im at the age of having to consider having kids which is a massive issue with the length of time the effects of roacutane can remain in the body and I have had issues with depression in the past! I don’t understand what else I can try to avoid roactutane and its horrendous side effects!???
Hey Sarah
sounds like you have tried stacks and all things I would recommend.
Just wanted to know if the hormone test was saliva, otherwise a waste of time on bloods. And has anyone treated your gut from a naturopathic perspective. It may not be dairy and gluten, but a fruit…
Hi,
As everyone commenting here, I have severe acne si also tried Roacutane for approximately 3 month(i took that decision after my acnee failed to disappear even though I tried every possible cream and antibiotics). After that I changed my dermatologist and I continued with Sotret( the doctor said it has the same effect only is cheaper). I took Sotret for approximately a year (4,5 grams(the quantity need for my body weight was 6grams)) and my skin started to be better. But at some point I started to lose my hair so I stopped the tratament( I also had dry skin on my entire body, especially on my lips and face but i would continuously use hydrating creams to keep it under control). For half of year everything was ok, i still had some marks from the acnee but I decided that I prefer to leave with them instead of losing all my hair. The problem is that now, after a year of not taking the pills anymore the acnee came back and I think is worse than the first time. It is incredibly painful and eatchy.
When I observed it starts to come back I visisted again my doctor and he told to take birth control pills. I am not willing to take them(not because I want babies but because I think that is the last I want in my body, after sotret), so I visited another doctor who gave me a cream which is worthless given my problem.
I had blood test, streptococcus test, salive test( i don.t recall very well the purpose of that since it was 3 years ago) and also hormones tests. Everything was normal (my testosterone level was a bit high but still in limits so the doctor said is not a problem)
This week I visisted another doctor which recomands me to start again with Roacutane but I am sceptical about it.
Now I have started a new chapter in my life, a significant change which expose me to a lot of stress so I am afraid of a possible depression. Also lately I experienced cramps and pain in my bones and I started to think that maybe is a late side effects of that drug. Can that be true or is just my imagination?
I have a strong feeling that I shouldn’t take those pills again, but at the same time this acnee is killing my self esteem slowly, I can see how it affects my life and I don’t like it.
What can I do? I do know all the theory that I am more than my body but it.s pointless when I look in thr mirror or touch my face and feel the pain. I am sick and tired of this situation and I really don’t know what more to do so it would disappear.
Thanks!
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Hi all,
I had severe acne and went on the drug in 2008 after trying everything else possible and was on it for a long time and on a high dose, it cleared my skin but gave me depression and mental health issues(however that could have come from the stress of having acne as a teen) and I also had the bad side effects like really dry skin, cracked lips and dry eyes…my acne has been eliminated ever since, however .. I’m 25 now and have just stopped taking my contraception pill because I want to eliminate all man made medications out of my body and I’m worried it may return with the change, has anyone else had a similar experience?
I have to Say that this drug totally changed my life, for me it was nothing short of a miracle I had severe acne throughout my teens which led to extremely low self esteem, however when I was finally prescribed the drug it changed my life as it totally cleared my acne and I had none of the side effects which have been commonly listed. To be fair if I was asked for advice on the drug as a successful user I would recommend 100%.
Hey, thanks so much for your comments and it’s great that it helped you 🙂 Sam
My son went on this drug for 6 months five years ago. It completely cleared his skin and now he has perfect skin no visible pores even. He was on 3 tablets per day with monthly blood tests.
I was angry with the doctor as he did not warn us of possible side effects such as depression. Near end of the 6 months my son started to act strangely withdrawing and sleeping excessively and feeling very depressed. When I told the doctor he dismissed my concerns and was emphatic this behaviour was unrelated to the drug. He now does not have any depression or long term problems.
My daughter has been on the drug for one month as she also suffers from severe acne. This time we have a new doctor and she takes one tablet per day as the dermatologist has said recent research indicates the dose does not change the outcome and lowers side effects. That is any dose of the drug clears the acne.
She has had minimal drying of lips and skin unlike my son on the high does who had bleeding lips and dry nose/ eyes that was irritating. We were just looking at her ‘before’ photos and already at the one month mark her skin is significantly improved.
In the end it was her decision to try it aware of the documented possible negative side effects. My son is happy he did it and would do it again for the same results in a heartbeat. Three other teens we know have also gone on it with excellent results and no side effects. One girl suffers depression but already did before going on the drug. She is no worse according to her mother.
I personally wouldn’t take the risk….but I have never suffered with acne.
Hi there, when I was 11 years I started troubling with acne, I tried creams, soaps and anything that my parents think would help. As I got older n went on my own I went to a dermatologist who recommended roacutane, at that time I was age 30 about to get married, so I needed something to help my face looked better I which it did help. All I was told is to use birth control pills, drink lots of water & use chapstick for the dried lips. Now I am 34 and the acne is back, I am stressed a lot because I am trying to get pregnant & I cry a lot and in the mornings I find it hard to get out of bed,sometimes I wish if I wasn’t born, Would this be size effects of the Roacutane. Inua
Hi Inua
thank you for your comments. It sounds like you are really affected by this and down. I would suggest in the first place having a chat to someone. Regarding the pregnancy and acne, you may have elevated testosterone. This is an area I specialise in, especially when it affects fertility. Have you looked on my site at the PCO and fertility packs. Have a look. They will offer more answers. Sam
Hi. Just wanted to say this was an interesting read. I was on roacutane in my late teens (16/17) for cystic acne. I am now 33. I had major issues with depression & generalised social anxiety disorder through my late teens until early 30s & also was rewarded with keloid scarring where all my cysts originally were (which I’ve had injected with corticosteroids in my early 20s to flatten/reduce visibility). On top of all that I ended up receiving ulcerative colitis in my early 20s (which I’ve seen on some md website can be related to roacutane). Just read this as my female interest is starting to receive similar symptoms as I did regarding the mental health & possible ulcerative colitis. I’d like to thank you for sharing your warnings with everyone about this drug.
Thank you Yuusuf. It is really good hearing from people who have been on this medication. It helps many but damages many more. I hope everything is settling down and that you have started some gut work (probiotics?)