ACCUTANE Reviews (ISOTRETINOIN)Average Rating: 3.3 (746 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare ACCUTANE with similar:
Type: Brand name discontinued; available as generic
|
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 | cystic acne | Dry lips, rash on forearms | This medicine changed my life!!! I don't kow if I was just lucky but for me I didn't have that many side effects- my acne just began to clear up after a couple of weeks (before it'd take two months for one cyst to heal!). Yes, there was some dryness but I mostly just experienced the good effects. I have now been off it for about 5 years and my skin is still clear! I get the occasional break out (especially if I get lazy washing my face) but after experiencing years of painful, red,scarring, cystic acne that took months to heal a couple of zits are no big deal. | F | 25 | 5 months | 5/18/2007 | 5 | persistant acne... nothing helped | dry eyes, achy joints and dry lips | I am a medical student... 23 years old and have been dealing with acne since I was 17. Nothing worked, I was on antibiotics, spirlactone, duac, retin-A, proactive, benzoyl peroxide... you name it. My acne was not that bad... just consistent. I began to get tiny little scars, and thought about how much I was spending on finding a treatment. After my first year of medical school, and learning about accutane I decided to try it. (I am super health conscious, and really concerned about my liver.) I began to talk to some peers in my class who did accutane and had incredible results. I did not hear from any of my classmates that they regreted their decision. That was importnat to me, because all of them are very aware of the side effects, and how harsh it can be on the liver. Just know that your doctor will be monitoring your liver during your treatment. If anything is ever out of range your physician will take the necessary precautions. I am finishing my last month, and cannot believe the | F | 23 | 6 months | 8/2/2007 | 5 | severe cystic acne | dry skin, eyes, lips | I loved it. I'm normally extremely oily. i enjoyed not having to dab my face all day to keep the shine at bay. my makeup looked great all day. not sliding off with the oil. tho i had to moisturize my lips constantly, the rest of my body was not as dry. i started using a moisturizer for dry skin and that took care of the dryness on my face. i have finished taking accutane and my skin still looks good. back to using a moisturizer for oily skin. | F | 48 | 4 months | 8/17/2007 | 5 | Acne | I think this is the best drug! A miracle! I took a cycle of it and though I did have dry skin and cracked lips, it really improved my skin dramatically. I took 40 MG / day for 10 months. | Some blemishes did return after stopping but not the cysts. I'm a 33 year old woman. People think Accutane should be off the market because it causes birth defects. Do not avoid taking it because it causes birth defects. Just don't get pregnant on it!!! Pretty simple. | F | 33 | 10 months | 10/20/2007 | 5 | accutane | dry lips, nose, and skin. Sore muscles and fatigue. Painful sex | F | 24 | 5 months | 10/17/2007 | 5 | Cystic acne | Dry lips, arms and hands. | I am about to start my third month of accutane. At first I was on 30mg/day, but I was increased to 60mg/day after my first month. I have struggled with acne since the 4th grade. I also have polycystic ovarian disease. I have tried every treatment available and/or suggested, from other antibiotics to disgusting home remedies. My skin was EXTREMELY oily. Within no more than 30 minutes after taking a bath/shower, my skin literally had a layer of oil on it. I had at least one very painful, swollen, cystic outbreak around my menstrual cycle, that usually resulted in a large scar. So, I decided to take a chance. I'm dealing with having to take birth control and with the monthly blood tests and doctor visits. My skin cleared up within the first month. I never imagined what it would be like for my hair to stay oil free for a few hours much less more than a day at a time. My skin and hair is super soft and clean - I don't need to take three showers a day anymore! When the derm increased my do | F | 26 | 2 months | 11/7/2007 | 5 | Severe Disfiguring Nodular Acne | Dry lips and everything else; decreased night vision;prolonged healing of skin; hair thinning; hightened agression, thoughts of suicide(during the first 3 months when it got much worse) | After suffering over a decade with disfiguring acne, the third course of a 15 month low dose treatment finally worked. Accutane is the best thing to ever happen to me. I would recommend it to anyone who is like me, and isn't afraid of going through hell to have a life. This is not for people with pimples, but for those with serious cystic acne that literally deformes their face like mine did. The benefits outweigh the risks so don't be a wuss. | F | 25 | 15 months | 11/11/2007 | 5 | severe cystic acne | Dry lips, dry skin, sensitivity to cold weather- welts on legs, very painful. Nose bleeds, especially after a flight. Now burn in the sun more easily. | Had suffered with acne from teenage years until mid 20's, no other treatment touched the problem at all. Had accutance treatment for approx 1 year at a fairly high dose (full dose for my weight) and the acne cleared up. 3 years later it hasnt returned and when I do get the odd spot it vanishes very quickly. No side effects remain other than chapped lips in cold weather and odd dry patches on legs and arms if exposed to cold. | F | 31 | 1 years | 12/11/2007 | 5 | acne | dry lips, eyes sensitive to light | cleared up my acne that i had for 6+ years. | F | 23 | 1 years | 2/25/2008 | 5 | Cystic Acne | Very dry and cracked lips, moderately dry, flaky facial skin, increased skin allergies (hives at first, but Claritin took care of it completely), dry hair, itchy scalp, joint pain, tired all the time. | There are some pretty unfortunate side effects to this drug, but it has proven FANTASTIC for me so far. I have been on it for three months, and my skin is immaculate. Prior to starting, there wasn't a day since I was 12 years old that my face did not look like an oil slick with multiple cysts...over the past year, I had multiple very painful and red cysts on my neck daily. These are all gone. I feel very comfortable on this drug, as my dermatologist checks my blood monthly, and I have been fine. As long as you see a dermatologist who cooperates with the iPledge system, and insists upon doing bloodwork monthly, I would highly recommend this drug. A few months of inconvenient side effects WAY outweighs the emotional and physical pain acne causes for years. Do your research and monitor your health, and you should be just fine. | F | 26 | 3 months | 2/18/2008 | 5 | cystic acne and extremely oily skin | dry lips, eyes, & skin, occassional but treatable rash on the tops of my hands, periodic sore/fatigued muscles, occassional bloody nasal mucous, slower healing of minor cuts | I am a 35 year old mother of two, working psychologist, taking my third 20 week regimen of accutane. I have never had "severe" acne but did have the cystic acne with extremely oily skin, sometimes needing two showers daily. My first two consecutive regimens began at age 31, almost two years after the birth of my first child. The benefits were permanent until my hormones were sent back into flux again during my second pregnancy and birth of my second child a year and a half ago - the oil and minor cystic acne breakouts reemerged. I am currently taking 120 mg/day, a very high dose but I suppose I'm able to tolerate it due to high oil production. I have never posted a drug review but feel compelled to do so after reading some the absurd anecdotal accounts of this medication. I caution those considering taking accutane to base their decision on sound medical literature and take subjective reports with a grain of salt. While I have been extremely pleased (decreased oil prod | F | 35 | 12 months | 2/26/2008 | 5 | Acne | Dry lips & skin in general; skin burned after eyebrow wax (don't wax on Accutane!!) | I struggled with bad acne from high school until about 27-ish. A few different docs had recommended Accutane, but I resisted because of all the side effects. Finally, I gave in and am so glad I did! I still get the occasional breakout (been off it a few years), but after Accutane, it was NEVER that bad again. Would take it again in a heartbeat if necessary! | F | 32 | 5 months | 2/28/2008 | 5 | bad ance; nodular & cystic | Dryness of eyes, inside of nose. Severly chapped lips. | I have only been on it for 1 month so far. i will continue for the next four months. I have seen an incredible difference so far and nothing has helped me to this extent in the past. The chapped lip are annoying, but totally worth it. I am 20 and past the teenage hormonal stage, so I don't know if it would have cleared up on its own. I have had few breakouts since I started the treatment and I noticed an incredible difference right away. My skin actually feels soft. I feel more confident about my skin too. I understand that it affects people differently, but one should not rule out trying it just because they have heard bad things about it. You and your doctor know what is best for your body and if it helps, I am working with one of the top derms in the country who would not recommend the drug if you were not a good candidate for it. | F | 20 | 4 weeks | 1/29/2005 | 5 | ACNE | DRY LIPS, TIREDNESS | F | 36 | 4 months | 6/7/2002 | 5 | Cystic acne | The main side effect I had was flaky skin. Near the end of the third month, I got odd bumps on my knuckles and small black lines (look like splinters) under my nails. My derm referred me to a cardiologist, who found nothing wrong. I've been off of accutane for two years, but I still get knuckle bumps and nail lines intermittently, along with lips that peel constantly. | I love my skin now. I actually get complements on it! Though my skin is still oily, it's not nearly as oily as it was - and it's remarkably clear and smooth. Well worth the mild side effects. | F | 27 | 3 months | 2/22/2005 | 5 | Cystic Acne | Lower Back - joint pain, dry lips, lethargy, sweaty eyebrows (just noted that someone else had this!) | I have been pleasantly surprised - My face is finally clear! I did get breakouts on my back - the only other time was when I was pregnant 10 years ago! Good to know that I dont have to look like a teenager as I enter my 40's! | F | 39 | 4 months | 2/22/2005 | 5 | bad acne | headaches, extremely dry skin | F | 19 | 6 months | 3/22/2005 | 5 | acute acne on face and neck | dry lips, dry forearms which developed into a rash when I sweat | I didn't suffer any mood swings or depression from the drug. I swear by it. I had wrestled with the decision to take accutane for years and I wish I'd taken it sooner. | F | 28 | 7 months | 4/5/2005 | 5 | cystic acne | No severe side effects except dry lips for my first two episodes of acutane usage. This third time around (20 years later) is different. Dry lips (normal) and some kind of rash on my hands which is now spreading up my arms and back. It's itchy, sore and looks horrible. Doctor says it's a normal reaction but I never experienced it with previous intakes. Honestly don't know if it's a normal reaction to the drug or if it's in anyway a dangerous symptom. Doctor doesn't seem to concerned about it and has given me cortisone cream. | Took accutane in my early 20's (still experimental then) and again in my later 20's. Went 20 years with pretty much no cystic acne problems and now it's came back again in my 40's. This is the 3rd time I've been on the drug but it is the only drug that eliminated the cystic acne for me. All other prescriptions were worthless. | F | 43 | 3 months | 4/15/2005 | 5 | Acne, cystic acne | dry eyes, dry lips, dry inside of my nose, dry skin on ears, tiredness/laziness, a little bit of joint stiffness | This is the best drug ever for acne. It's amazing. I used to have such oil skin/hair, I could shower three times a day and still be oily. Now, after being on accutane for 4 months, I could go for a week without washing my hair and it still wouldn't be oily! It's amazing. My skin is beautiful now, and I get lots of compliments on it. I say if you're thinking of taking it, just try it. And if you do get depression while you are on it, talk to a counselor right away. The clear face is worth it. No bumps or sores on my face! YAY! | F | 20 | 5 months | 4/20/2005 |