ACCUTANE Reviews (ISOTRETINOIN)Average Rating: 3.3 (746 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare ACCUTANE with similar:
Type: Brand name discontinued; available as generic
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Results are sorted by Gender with females listed first (reviews with no gender reported listed before females). Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 |
More on ACCUTANE: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR ACCUTANE | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 5 | pimples | severe anxitey,mood swings,horrible stomache cramps,headaches if i didnt take it with food,dry skin, chapped lips,nosebleeds,hip pain, lower back pain, direahha | works good but the side effects blow. and you have to know how to control them. | F | 19 | 5 months | 11/2/2009 | 5 | Severe Acne | Horrible mood swings, SEVERE dryness of the hands, arms, lips and face | This cleared up acne that i had for over ten years! Its been 3 years since I stopped using ACCUTANE and i have received so many compliments on how beautiful my skin is, i never thought my nasty pizza face would ever look so good. HOWEVER--SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS: you have to be lotioning yourself religiously, otherwise you will have nasty dry patches that begin to bleed from the severe dryness, my lips suffered the most, i looked like a crack addict. However, always carry around AQUAPHOR, it worked the best on my horrible dry spots. Also you will have angry fits of rage,..be careful! However after the treatment You will be glad you went through hell! | F | 22 | 6 months | 11/4/2009 | 5 | Garden variety acne | Permanently chapped lips, permanently dried out eyelids and inside of nose. Eyelids and nose were not dry until 26 years after finishing accutane therapy. Eyelids are so dry that I cannot even open them at night. I had no other side effects and was happier after taking accutane because I was unhappy with daily pimples on my face--it really got rid of the pimples. I do think the combination of the permanent accutane effect and natural skin dryness due to aging created the painful eyelid and nostril condition I now have. | I took 60mg per day of accutane for 4 months in the fall of 1982 and again for 4 months in the fall of 1983. It was extremely effective on my acne. I have never seen another pimple. It caused the hair on my legs to permanently fall out too. I was not unhappy to see the leg hair disappear. My lips were permanently chapped since I took it in 1983. I had no eyelid or nose dryness till 2007. Unfortunately, now I have permanent eyelid dryness and extreme dryness inside my nose. My doctor of internal medicine is baffled as to why my nostrils are so extremely dried out. Accutane is my only guess. My ophthalmologist said the glands adjacent to my eyelashes have permanently failed. I think the accutane may have caused this because it permanently affected the skin all over my body. It is a really effective drug for acne--it works. However, you must be prepared to live with permanent side effects because it has a permanent affect on your skin everywhere. | F | 47 | 8 months | 8/19/2009 | 5 | Severe lifelong acne, cystic | Aching joints, like arthritis, extremely stiff getting up or down, sitting or standing, but once motoring okay. Dry and chapped skin and dry hair, very tired, feel poisoned every time the dose goes up, increased cholesterol levels, skin heebie jeebies, sleeping problems - tired but could not sleep with crawling skin - lead to exhaustion. | This is extreme medication, my doctor did not mess about and told me this. But I had extreme acne under control for most of my life but had exhausted every other cure and as a woman was really suffering from self esteem issues as it got worse, went down my back and chest and shoulders, my face could be used to frighten small children, and it always got worse under stress. The Accutane was like poison in my system, I feel sore and tired as if I am dragging myself around the whole time, eyes, skin hair nose ears dried out, vaseline my best friend....but the bottom line is it is a miracle cure for my skin and I can face the world again and smile at it, I am in my sixth month of taking accutane and my skin is wonderful, it was like getting a skin transplant. If it stays like this and the side effects go away it will have been well, well worth the six months of hard work. Will come back in six months time and update. | F | 42 | 5 months | 9/2/2009 | 5 | Acne | Dry lips, joint pain | I took Accutane when I was 23, when it was first approved. It cleared up 13 years worth of acne in a few weeks, with few side effects. No lasting side effects.I took it again at age 40 but noticed severe joint pain, and discontinued after two months. I am taking it again at age 52 for the occasionall hormonal flair up and again have severe joint pain. I am slim, very active, work out, eat pretty well, don't smoke. The joint pain will go away once I stop the dug. For the other reviewers, please know they may not be revealing anything else about their lives: do they smoke? Drink? Take other drugs? Symptoms are different with each person and it's hard to say Accutane caused this or that. It might be, but other things may also be affecting ther symptoms. I know it is giving me joint pain, but every time I stopped it, I went back to working out, running, being in good shape. So you need to take care of yourself very well and not just blame Accutane right away. Every patient should dsicuss their treatment and side effects with their physician, as every patinet is unique and may experience things differently. | F | 52 | 3 months | 12/20/2009 | 5 | moderate-severe acne | chapped lips, dry skin | I took 60mg of accutane for 10 months, 8 years ago. It was the only thing that worked with my skin after years of other medications. I was highly involved in sports at the time and noticed no aches or pains except those natural to the workouts and conditioning I was doing. Even my chapped lips and skin were't that bad. (I remember my doctor starting me at the lowest dose and upping it each visit until the 60mg dosage finally worked. And trust me, it was really obvious which dosage 'worked'. She said that a number of other doctors begin with high dosages and adjust from there, but the building up from a lower doseage was supposed to help combat some of the dryness and ensure I was using the lowest dosage possible for my skin). Anyway, I've been acne-free ever since. I still have dry skin (nothing a good moisturizer doesn't help), but have not had acne since (I can literally count on one hand the pimples I've had in the last 8 years). Accutane for me was a life-saver. My flawless skin (that I receive a number of compliments on being that I'm SNOW white, so any blemish would show) is the only indication of my time on this drug. I would recommend to anyone dealing with severe acne that he/she take with a (large) grain of salt many of the scares that are out there regarding this drug. | F | 23 | 10 months | 1/12/2010 | 5 | cystic acne | dry lips, dry cracking skin on arms and hands, nose bleeds inside of nose, mood swings, irritability, low libido, vaginal dryness. | My skin got a little bit worse the first and second month, but cleared up after that. It has been amazing most of the time. I have been moody about things that would not normally bother me. I also do not want to do many things I once did. I cannot wash with body wash because my skin gets too dry, my lips are only bearable because of medicated chapstick and prescription medicine. I would recommend accutane but be ready for the side effects. I am counting down the days until I am done. I'm only on it because absolutely nothing else worked. I want my normal life back. | F | 22 | 4 months | 1/6/2010 | 4 | cystic acne | dryness of lips and face. looking back probably depression | I took Accutane in 1981-82. I had to have 2 rounds of the medicine but I do not remember the dosage. The first round cleared up my back and shoulders but it took another round to clear the cystic acne on my face. The only thing I do remember was the dryness and sensitivity to the sun. But since then I have dealt with depression through out my adult life. I don't remember the joint/muscle pain but getting older or what I have had creeky knees and such for a long time. My daughter,who took it at the age of 16-17 still has break outs and I am concerned about her taking it again. I would like to hear feedback on how the medicine has affected females and their hormones. I think that rather than losing hair it has messed mine and my daughter's hormones up and has caused an increase in thicker/darker body hair especially arms and chin. I went into early menopause at the age of 36 and have a thyroid condition. I don't know if these things are related to taking Accutane but I would like to find out if others have experienced anything similar. | F | 45 | 4 months | 1/21/2010 | 4 | Adult acne | Extremely dry skin on my face, dry scalp, chapped lips, joint/muscle pain. Neosporin Lip Health is the best thing I have found for my lips. | I took Accutane about 10 years ago with only the dry skin and chapped lips to contend with. I am into my 2nd week and my lips are very dry and this time I have horrible back pain and stiffness in my hips and ankles. The stiffness does go away after I have gotten up and walked around. I have found a fantastic OTC chapstick that helps better than Vaseline. The Neosporin Lip Health is fantastic!!! I have also been using the Walgreens Shea Butter Vaseline on my face/inside my nose at night. It has been helping. Since I knew what to expect I was prepared for the side effects. It does get better!!! I am thankful that my sister is a massage therapist and that is helping with the sore muscles. | F | 28 | 14 days | 12/27/2009 | 4 | cystic acne | Dry skin, chopped lips, constipation,increase of appetite, Mood swings, dry eyes, fatigue, back pain and recently left hip pain going all the way down to my heel. | I m on the first week on my 4 month of accutane, my back cleared up completly with just one zit or two left but everything else is gone. My face is 90% clear now. however i am scaredthat i have developped a hip pain on my left side...-i don`t want it to be sth permanent! | F | 28 | 4 months | 12/12/2009 | 4 | Severe acne | When taking accutane I experienced very very chapped lips, dry itchy skin, peeling skin, thinning hair ( fell out in hand fulls), blurred vision (while on accutane I developed astigmatism and had to get special contacts, this later went away), flash headaches -this happened at least twice a day, a sharp blinding pain behind my eyes that lasted about 5 seconds then went away, last but not least I was extremely angry and aggressive. I was constantly frustrated and annoyed, I was either yelling or crying. I also had kidney stones 5 years after taking the drug...I am not sure if it could have been caused by accutane. | It works, but it is a very strange drug and you should make sure that you communicate all symptoms to your doctor. | F | 21 | 8 months | 9/1/2009 | 4 | acne | dry skin especially on face, at least. extremely dry face, rare nose bleeds & dry mucus. | it's easy & my family saw results in 2 weeks. still on my 6 month run. | F | 19 | 4 months | 9/18/2009 | 4 | Acne from severe to moderate | Dry lips, dry skin, lethargy and headaches. | This drug seems to be working very well - I have put off taking it for about 18 years or so. I have pimples every day but nowhere as bad as they used to be. My skin is almost clear except for a single pimple and ever present blackheads. When I started taking it, I already had a history of depression and Irritable Bowel Syndrome but it seems as if the aforementioned conditions have not be aggravated by this. I find that taking a B Complex with Vitamin C & 1000iu Vitamin E help with the side effects. Always take the pill with a meal and a full glass of liquid. I have also been using Bio Oil for dryness and scars. I am on a low dose 20mg so maybe that could explain the lack of severe side effects. I have been able to exercise and wear my contact lenses throughout the month or so that I have been taking it. I will see what the future effects are & I have been so afraid to take this drug because of the side effects but nobody that I know who has taken this drug has any of these long term side effects so maybe it depends on the luck of the draw. Good luck to all those taking it but I really think that this should be a last resort... | F | 28 | 1.5 months | 10/9/2009 | 4 | Oily skin/mild acne | Dry eyes, scalp, and arms. Mild tummy aches and constipation. More breakouts experienced within first couple of weeks of treatment. | I have been on the 60 mg dose for about 2 weeks now and have been handling it quite well. My dermatologist had warned me that dry skin would occur and muscle soreness may also occur. So far, I have not experienced any muscle or joint soreness but I have noticed my eyes and scalp to be very dry and itchy. I haven't had any hair loss, but I can tell you, I have wanted to rip my hair out with how itchy my scalp has been. Lips have been a bit chapped but I have been using Burt's Bees which pretty much has knocked that out. My tummy has gotten a bit sore more than often and I have experienced a little constipation, I will try to drink more water. Everyone has different side effects when taking this medicine; I wouldn't assume that everything you read will happen to you. I haven't seen too much of a difference, in fact, my acne has gotten worse within the first week and a half, but it's starting to clear. | F | 23 | 2 weeks | 10/23/2009 | 4 | Mild Acne- Hated The Blackheads | I have only been on this treatment for 2 weeks and i am feeling rough. My twin sister was on this for 6 months last year and only experienced the basics side affects that everyone seems to get no matter what...extremely dry lips & face and the occasional mood swing. However she was started on a lower dose then me even though her acne was alot worse. I thought id be fine but im really not. I have upper back pain most of the time and the occasional chest pain. I get blurred vision and my eyes are killing me! Headaches on and off and im tired alot of the time,which doesnt change much actually as i do shift work but it is making it hard. Im definately not coming off the medication as i know it works but i know its gonna be difficult. Im just hoping that these are all i get. I can handle mood swings and the dry lips & face, just not the constant pain and the headaches. | I would still recommend it as not everyone gets the same problems....my twin is the prime example.....she sailed through!!! She looks radiant and i hate her for it! :-P My sister is just generelly better now, psycially and mentally then she has ever been. | F | 20 | | 10/22/2009 | 4 | acne | dry skin ovarian cyst? | this worked great for my acne, had only crazy dryness. My skin is very soft. About a month after I finished my 6 months, I had an ovarian cyst...not sure if it was caused by the medicine or not..but I ended up loosing my right ovary and fallopian tube! Sucks cuz I am only 15 and now I am scared I won't be able to have kids, because I have a couple of cysts on my other ovary too. Anyone else have this problem? | F | 15 | 6 months | 10/27/2009 | 4 | Moderate but persistent acne | Dry skin, peeling lips, pain in rib cage, night sweats, eye dryness and irritation, joint pain, fatigue, muscle soreness. Results have been good for my skin. Looks good. I'm worried it is aging me but I am still on it and so I'm not sure what it will be when I'm finished. My skin cleared up in the first month and I'm on month 5 now. My doc believes I need 6 months for results to be more permanent. | F | 39 | 6 months 40 mg 2x | 4/15/2014 | 4 | Server cystic acne | Out of the blue my nose would just start bleeding, going into the sun would make my skin red, skin on lips would peel off an entire layer at once, scalp was very dry as was face. | It cleared up my acne but it came back did one more round and it came back again. | F | 32 | 1 months 30 2X day | 12/22/2013 | 4 | acne | Bloody nose, back aches, dry skin, eyes burning, lips cracking I just use a cotton swab and dip it in vaseline or vaporub for bloody noses and also my lips it works great! Everyone tells me they see results in my face had acne since 11 and barely turning 17 and still have it and I also got dermabrasion and that also helped my skin scrapped off all the skin I didn't need!I do have alot of redness under makeup also but that should go away after my treatment. | F | 16 | 2 months 40 mg | 3/27/2014 | 4 | Mild Acne on Face | Back pain while lying down, mild. Fatigue constantly ... Showing signs of slight depression. Sleep alot. Dry lips and skin. Burning sensation in scalp, hair isn't oily at all anymore. Dry nose. Very dry eyes, got pink eye twice and have red eyes daily. Poop normal .. Lol so far I'm fine and see improvements, these side effects are easy to live with, you just gotta have faith. | F | 19 | 2 months 40 mg | 10/20/2014 |