ACCUTANE Reviews (ISOTRETINOIN)

Average Rating: 3.3 (746 Ratings)

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 DERMATOLOGICS

 Type: Brand name discontinued; available as generic

  

ACCUTANE  (ISOTRETINOIN):  This medication is used to treat severe cystic acne (also known as nodular acne) that has not responded to other treatment (e.g., benzoyl peroxide or clindamycin applied to the skin or tetracycline or minocycline taken by mouth). It belongs to a class of drugs known as retinoids. It works by decreasing facial oil (sebum) production. High amounts of sebum can lead to severe acne. If left untreated, severe acne may cause permanent scarring.   FDA Approval Date: 1982-05-07 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)

  

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Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.)
5=HIGH (this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal.)

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More on ACCUTANE: Reviews Summary  |  Drug Safety Information

RATING  REASONSIDE EFFECTS FOR ACCUTANECOMMENTSSEXAGEDURATION/
DOSAGE
DATE ADDED
 
 2  Cystic Acne & Oily Skin Taken when I was 24, I took Sotret on 1st month & "brand name" Accutane for months 2-5. Side effects at first: nausea, loss of appetite, blurred vision, swollen dry cracked lips, dry mouth, feminine dryness. After 2 months: high cholesterol, joint stiffness, & muscle pain. On 5th month: insomnia, auditory & visual hallucinations, anxiety, anger, confusion, heart palpitations, severe hair loss, thinning of the skin, muscle pain, night blindness. I thought stress was causing all of these problems, but it was due to Accutane, so the doctor taken off of it since they attributed it to toxic brain effects. Long term: muscle pain, dry lips, insomnia, heart palpitaions, impaired wound healing, reduced night vision, acne scars. Some hair grew back but not all, thinning of the skin was permanent. Still get occasional zits, but Acne is gone, skin not as oily. I was really depressed about my skin, and the cystic acne was really painful, but I wouldn't recommend this medication ... the benefits don't outweight the toxic side effects. Took over 2 weeks for the brain side effects to subside. Apparently I wasn't supposed to be put on this medication in the first place, since I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). I also think my dose was too high ... I have low body fat & drug is fat soluble... it should be dosed on fat percentage, not actual body weight. & FYI: I actually had less side effect on Sotret (the generic) than Accutane. Swtiched to brand b/c the copay was cheaper with school insurance. F 29 5 months
40mg 1X day
11/15/2010
 1  acne Accutane has more long term side effects that go along with the depression and anger. My brother was on accutane when he was between 16 and 19. He became a very angry person. He was irritable and had thoughts of suicide. He is now 40 years old and his depression, irritability and anger have not gone away. I would love to have my brother back, but the drug has ruined him forever. who in their right mind would want that for their child? A few years of bad acne or lifetime of anger, depression and irritability? F 35 3 years
30mg 1X day
11/14/2010
 5  cystic acne Dry lips,nose,skin and eyes. Feel a little cranky. Bloodshot eyes and some joint pain where my body receives the most impact from running, cycling, weight training, etc. Can feel like a stimulant to me and will keep me awake if I take the second dosage too late. I think accutane is truly a miracle drug for acne. I have never had cystic acne in my life until I turned 38. And to go from beautifully clear skin to horribe acne cysts and redness with scarring was awful. I tried every alternative before I tried accutane, but developed sensitivity to some antibiotics. I have not had any serious issues with the drug except a mild version the side effects I listed. Also, the treatment plan on accutane is only 5 months on the meds whereas antibiotics can be long term. The other purpose of the blood draw, is to check triglyceride levels which can put a person at risk for high cholesterol. So, if those numbers are too high a patient should be immediately yanked off the drug. I am older and very healthy, so there was no change in those numbers for me. I have also spoken to some friends who have also been on accutane. They have not had any lasting side effects and it has been several years later for them. If anyone reading this cannot get rid of their acne and is healthy, I recommend investigating this drug. Possibly some (not all)of these reviews written about this drug are perhaps being posted by the firms who are interested in trying to sue the pharmaceutical companies who manufacture this drug. They are specifically trying to sue for ulcerative colitis and Intestinal bowel syndrome, of which I have had not one problem with my intestines. Understandably, as with any other drug there can be some dangerous side effects for some people. F 41 5 months
30 mg 2X day
11/13/2010
 4  acne on face, back, chest None that I recall I took accutane, the first round, for 6 months when I was 12/13 - in 1995/6 - I did not have any side effects then that I recall. It cleared my skin. However about 3-4 years after I took accutane I had recurrences of acne. I went back to the dermatologist and he recommended a 3 month treatment to re-enact the drug benefits. I recall him saying that once you had done the full treatment, another full treatment would not be needed (not so sure if that is true). So I did that, cleared acne. NO side affects again. I do have occasional stomach acid pain, but nothing as described in the various lawsuits, and it is probably more genetics than anything (father has issues), but I have not been checked or anything. I am now 27 - and have had problems with acne again for the past, 3-4 years. My dermatologist ( a different one) has recommended a full 6 month treatment of accutane again. I will likely start the new round in a few weeks. However, i must say that although my acne is bad, it is nothing close to being as bad as it was when i was 12/13 (very little on chest/back, mainly cyst/blackhead on face). I should also note that I have been under a considerable amount of new stress the past 3-4 years (law school) so it is likely this brought on a new onset of acne (makes sense). I am nervous reading about all these side affects, but I do not seem to have had any side effects from it (at this point). F 27 6 months
40 MG 2X day
11/11/2010
Email
 5  severe acne dryness, joint pain I took this in the 80s and it is a MIRACLE. I will note that I had pain in the month I went on vacation and pigged out on junk. Came back home to mom and good healthy diet, all joint pain was gone. To those who had bad effects, how was your diet? Were you eating right and taking vitamins? With this drug you need impeccable nutrition. I wonder if the studies on the negative effects even addressed nutrition. BTW, mom always had me eat right but I still had severe acne, so the accutane was what cleared everything up. F 40 5 months
lowest 2X day
11/9/2010
 3  Severe nodular acne Chapped Lips, Dry/itchy scalp. I've been taking Accutane for almost 2 weeks now and I haven't seen any actual results yet. My lips became chapped around the fourth and fifth day of taking it and my scalp has been really dry and itchy lately. I was in desperate need of something to help my poor face! I've had acne on and off since I was 16 but for some reason my acne has been really bad the last 6 months. I hope this medication works. I'll update yall in a month and let you know where I stand in my treatment. M 21 10 days
40 mg 1X day
11/6/2010
 1  Severe Acne on face, back and chest Ulcerative Colitis resulting in the removal of my small intestine after years of suffering from pain and incontinence. High Blood Pressure, hair thinning, on meds for irritability, liver problems, eczema... Most of these symptoms occurred 4+ years after taking Accutane. I noticed that most of the people who rated this drug as a 5 have just finished it or are still taking it and those who have rated it as a 1 took it years ago. Seems to me that the worst side effects take some time to develop. All those who gave Accutane a high rating should be asked again 5 years from now. DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG! It is not a coincidence that so many people are suffering the same health issues after taking Accutane, it's not worth the risk. I was very healthy and active before taking Accutane. I feel like I lost 7 years of my life and I will never be completely healthy again. F 44 6 months
? 1X day
11/2/2010
 4  Severe Acne Dry chapped lips, dry skin in shoulders, groin area, buttocks area....led to peeling simliar to a sun burn. Nosebleeds a several times a week. I've been on accuatane for 3 months now and I'm hoping to finish all 5 months with success. I wish I had taken it sooner. It is a very effective drug and I recommend it to everyone who is dealing with embarrassing acne! M 20 5 months
40mg 1XD 2X day
10/19/2010
Email
 1  adult acne 18 years on, early menopause, depression, osteo arthritis including huge spurs growing and snapping off having operations so I can bend my knees. I have had hair loss continually, but now i have balding thining patches at the side of my hair which causes anxoiusness, chronic gastric problems, I am a non smoker, non drinker, extrem fit ....my liver has NEVER recovered, and so bad that drs are amazed and think I'm an alcoholic! Yes its annoying all the drying skin blood tests, blah blah blah but that aint NOTHIN compared with the annoyance and stuff you are going to be dealing with for the rest of your life after using this drug.....believe me, pimples will be and would be welcomed in my life now in place of what i HAVE now ! F 50 6 months
cant rembr 1X day
10/5/2010
Email
 5  Cystic acne on my face Very dry eyes, which caused the whites of my eyes to be slightly pink which was annoying. Dry lips, carmex lip balm solved this though. Mild eczema on my arms and thighs, mental and physical exhaustion. I had sore joints (knees especially) at the start of treatment but it went back to normal around the 3 month mark. Sun damage is a bad one, I went out in Winter with sunblock on with a long sleeved top on while it was raining and still managed to get sunburned, rare for me usually in those circumstances. It's been 4 weeks now since I have finished my first course of Accutane and I don't have any of the side effects I had while on it, except for the slight eczema on my hands. But I would choose mild eczema on my hands than cystic acne on my face any day. I started out with cystic acne on my face which responded to no other medicine. My skin is completely clear now and I think this drug is Amazing, my confidence has gone up so much since being on it. I haven't had one cyst since the first month after treatment and I hope it stays that way. I have worse side effects on the birth control pill than I do on Accutane. F 23 5 months
40 mg 1X day
10/4/2010
 4  Mild Acne severe dry lips (they peeled an entire layer at least 3/times a week), hair loss, hard to pee (dry tubes?), bloody nose, extremely peely skin, dry spots on my arms and legs were painful, extreme fatigue, severe depression, angry mood, unmotivated to do anything, painful rashes whenever my skin got wet, bloodshot/dry/painful eyes, infected fingernails, dry skin under fingernails, cracky/bloody knuckles, mild joint pain except in my knees, they hurt really bad. Couldn't bend over to pick something off the ground without grimacing. Although i've had most of the side effects, this drug has helped my acne IMMENSLEY! My skin is very dry but will probably get much healthier once i stop. i really hope my acne doesn't come back. I don't want to take the medicine any longer because the side effects have really sucked. M 19 4 months
40mg 2X day
10/1/2010
 5  Acne on face, arms, back & neck. Severe dry lips, Very dry skin, very easily sunburned, sore and achey back pain & chest pain. Also, my knees are very weak and sore, lately. (Hopefully that will subside once treatment is over.) I have only been on accutane about 3 months. Accutane has cured almost all of my acne so far. I had severe acne on my arms and shoulders and also my back. My face wasn't awful, but not pleasant. Accutane has done amazing. I couldn't wear cute shirts or anything that showed my arms, back, etc. I am 15 and I am very active, I cheer, play softball & powerlift. I have numerous friends who have taken it & there skin is flawless. I have about 2 more months of treatment, to me accutane has been worth it. I take one pill a day and the next day take two in that pattern. Yes, in the beginning it was a bit of a hassel going to the gynocologist, preg.tests, & getting blood taken. If you asked me I would say GO FOR IT, but if you have awful side effects, it's kind of your own fault because you should've known of the possibilites. :) F 15 3 months
40 MG 2X day
9/28/2010
Email
 3  cystic acne Dry skin and lips. Bloody nose once or twice. I have been taking generic acctune (claravis) for 3months now, I have 3 more months to go. I could see a change in the first month taking it. In the first month of taking it I did not have any cysts until the last week when I got my period one popped up. In the second month all black heads have disappeared, and I did not have any cysts, Although I have had some pimples here and there. I am almost done with my 3rd month of treatment and still no cysts. I do have scaring from years ago messing with my acne. My dr told me it would help with scaring so we will see within the next 3months. Other than that I havent had any other side effects. No depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts. Only a lil bit of back pain and muscle spasms in my neck. F 23 90 days
40mg 2X day
9/21/2010
 4  Moderately Severe Acne, Cystic Joint pain, Muscular Soreness, Dryness, Scalp Peeling This medicine worked great while I was on it, it did what it was supposed to do, I had clear skin for about 3 months after it, but now my acne is back. I blame my genetics, not accutane. Accutane is a good drug for those that know what they're getting into. I guarantee I had much more negativity going on in my life than most users, and I never had issues with depression. If you sue any of the big Pharmas for your side effects, you're a pussy. Plain and Simple. M 19 180 days
60 2X day
9/10/2010
 5  Terrible Back and face acne. Joint pain, Extremely dry lips to the point i had trouble eating. Fatigue modd changes. It has dramatically removed my acne. But it does have its problems. Besides what I've listed i have had small twitches in several parts of my body. Not sure if this is or isnt a from accutane. M 15 6 months
100 1X day
8/28/2010
Email
 2  Moderate Acne Dry skin, eyes, nose, LIPS, persistent blood shot eyes and styes, mild fatigue, permanent thin skin, My eyes are messed up months after finishing accutane. I have had constant styes and they are always bloodshot. I hate looking people in the eyes. My skin went back to being oily with minor breakout about a month after quiting the drug. My once thick skin now shows every vein in my body. Right now I'm about indifferent between these seemingly lasting effects and my acne, but I'm terrified of future effects that could kick in/worsten. F 23 6 months
40MG 1X day
8/17/2010
 1  Persistant mild acne Back and joint pains, muscle pains, persistent eye infections, cracks in corner of mouth, very dry skin, hair thinning, rash on arms and face, bloody sore nose. Please think twice before taking this horrendous drug. The only side effects I was told about was dry skin and 4 months later I have daily joint and back pain. After 2 months after coming off of this drug I started to notice my hair shedding and it has since continued. I was a very healthy and active before taking accutane and now I'm very worried for my future. The constant worry and stress has started to make me very depressed. The doctors prescribing this awful drug just don't seem to know enough about it. I should never have been prescribed it for mild acne and certainly not on 40mg a day. Taking this drug was the worst decision of my life. F 31 2.5 months
40MG 1X day
8/12/2010
 1  acne cystic PERMANENT BACK/JOINT PAIN! DEBILITATING MED! I took Accutane in 2001, and I haven't been the same since. I was a healthy nurse working full-time, taking care of 2 small children, and kept an immaculate house. THEN, ACCUTANE RUINED MY LIFE! I haven't been able to nurse full-time or work full-time for that matter. I can no longer walk long distances b/c the back and joint pain is so SEVERE. I've been taking arthritis and pain meds for years now. Every time I try to come off, the pain is absolutely unbearable. I manage if I take my meds and be as active as the pain will allow. I also have a bladder disease, poor eyesight and thinning hair. This med is like chemo; it ages your entire body. My skin looks 10 years older than I am, and I still have acne! If you've taken it and have the same permanent symptoms, I feel so bad for you. You may email me, if you'd like. BEWARE,IT'S NOT WORTH IT! F 39
? 1X day
8/12/2010
Email
 4  To clear my skin Dry-ish lips, but nothing a little chapstick couldn't fix Topicals that normally irritated my skin worked great while I was on Accutane It helped clear up my pretty bad case of acne + rosacea + keratosis pilaris. Make sure you wear sun protection while on Accutane - it will really make a difference in the quality of your skin during and after you stop taking it. You could get some pretty gnarly sunburns (and brown sun spots) if you don't use it. Accutane cleared me up after one month of taking it . . . which leads me to suspect I may have a vitamin A deficiency (only because I don't eat enough A and get too much sun on my face)! Now that I am off Accutane and am on Spironolactone for maintenance, I am taking 20,000 mg vitamin A a day and wearing lots of sun protection! Yay! F 20 5 months
20 mg 3X day
8/1/2010
 3  hard knots on face (acne) dry lips /muscle aches Fifteen years after taking accutane I now experience severe abdominal and lower back pain. I have horrible headaches, depression, hair thinning, muscle pain,bleeding hemmorhoids, high blood pressure, diahrrea, constipation, diverticulitis, etc. YOU NAME IT!! I am looking into the suit against them. I have always been super healthy but am beginning to attribute my problems to accutane use. F 49 180 days
1X day
7/30/2010

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