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  Moderate and persistent acne Dry eyes, lips, skin. WORSE was backpain (tailbone) and neck. Joints crackling, light tendinitis For mild acne, try everyother thing first. I went for the "easier" and everlasting way and couldnīt handle side the side effects for 2 weeks. For me, no more of this poison in my body. After i read here the possible LONG-TERM side effects, i quitted immediately, my doc didnīt tell me about possible hair loss, bone changes, bowel problems, etc...It can lead you to clear beautiful skin, alright...But, at what price? F 31 14 days
6/15/2008
 5  Acne cysts backpain, dryskin on my face only for the 1st 2 months, rashes on my arms and hands, slight lack in sexual energy, dryness of inside of my nose, dry scalp This medicine is worth every side effect I have had!!! This is my mircale drug, nothing else ever worked, I look normal, heck I look hot. I know this medicine is not for everyone but I encourage people to at least try it if you have a bad reaction stop taking it and call your doctor, but you owe it to yourself to try this. I look 80 mg everyday. I am so happy, and I hope who ever else takes it is too. F 19 4 months
6/6/2008
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 5  Cystic Acne dry face/lips, scalp is less oily, reduced pore size, skin a little itchy at night (lotion helps). My acne is purely cystic (not a bunch of white/black heads). I would get 2 or 3 cysts at a time, then heal, and then 2 or 3 more - usually in the same area. I dreaded Accutane because of the side effects, but it's not so bad. I saw positive results within the first week. I've had 2 small blemishes which dried up quickly within my 1st month. My skin is more even = looks healthier. The monthly blood tests and doctor visits are annoying, but it's been enjoyable so far. F 27 31 days
6/6/2008
 4  cystic acne Severe drying and permanent increased prolactin level Have not had any significant break-outs since taking medicine 16 years ago; however, I believe there is a direct connection to my elevated prolactin level. F 40 6 months
6/4/2008
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 4  acne Dryness inside and out; skin is soft with the exception of dry patches on hands, arms; bloating; slight headaches; red bumps on legs like bites that do not itch; some night vision differences I am a little over halfway through the treatment and couldn't be happier. I started to break out at 25 and have been on countless topicals and antibiotics since then. I wish I had taken it when offered by the first doctor a couple years ago, but wanted to wait until I was 'ready' and made sure that nothing else worked. It was refreshing to read other comments and see that I am not the only one experiencing some of these side effects. My skin already has a glow and is starting to even out. My breakouts are minimal and clear up within a couple days. I started at 40 mg/day, then moved to 60 mg/day. I will end the program at 80 mg/day. The low fat diet was hard to maintain at first but I've gotten used to reading labels and feel better about myself. I would recommend these meds to anyone who qualifies. F 28 4 months
6/4/2008
 4  acne vulgarus bad backache,mood swings,sore joints,nosebleeds,crying spells,chest pains,itchy skin,dry skin,hair falling out,tiredness!! i went on holiday during my course and was fine with sun!no sensitivity..although i have 2 jobs and attend college full time studying hairdressing.im standing constantly think thats adding to the back/joint pains..really tired at times..i would advise anyone who bleaches their hair (on scalp) to be really careful!!! too much to handle!!had few odd breakouts.although my confidence has got much better glad to be back to my old self, partying again id recommend this treatment to anyone!!!!!!!only 2 months in to my course x F 18 4 months
5/31/2008
 1  Chronic Cystic Acne A decade of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Anxiety/Nervousness, Joint Pain, Insomnia, Most Significantly Loss of Sexual Desire & Sensitivity, Fatigue, Dry Hands, Chapped Lips, Dry Hair & Halos at Night. It is not worth it. I now take Zinc Picolinate from my homeopathic doctor and it controls my breakouts. I did two courses of Accutane in my 20's and have never been the same since. The loss of libido is devastating and now I am exploring bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. I am a 34 woman in perimenopause. It blows. Also, I still continue to struggle with IBS. Don't do it... F 34 6 months
5/29/2008
 5  Acne VERY dry lips, dry skin, lower back pain, occasional headaches, rash on back of hands and arms that goes away with cortizone cream, sunburn easily, longer wound healing time. The side effects I have had are very normal. This is the first time I've taken it and it has been working great. I'm on 100mg now and this is the first dose that has really dried me out. I also had pretty bad scaring on my cheeks and it has made most of it go away. The only thing I don't like is if I get a cut or scrape, it takes atleast 1 month to heal completely. But I would recommend this to anyone who has bad acne. It really helps. F 17 5 months
5/25/2008
 2  mild acne on cheeks, forehead, chin chapped lips, dry skin on hands and face i started taking accutane because 3 medications before this did not work. Much of my acne is gone, but the side effects are still ever present... i would not take this if you are having puberty related acne, because that type tends to go away, but for adult acne, this is better. F 13 2 months
5/20/2008
 5  acne Severly dry lips (causing open wounds and blister looking scabs); canker sores; bloody nose; dry skin; vaginal dryness (causing itching and maybe a yeast infection after intercourse); dry scalp (too much hair washing caused scabs on my scalp); not sure if my recent back pain is associated worth it! F 25 5 months
5/10/2008
 1  Moderate Acne Headaches, severe fatigue, nausea, severe anxiety, paranoia, digestive problems, hair loss, strange cough, "spacey" feeling. I took a round of accutane when I was 21 years old. I had minor side-effects (dry lips, etc.) My skin did get better for about 2 years, but the acne came back. I decided to go on another round at the age of 29 and had SEVERE life-altering side-effects, so much so that I could barely function. This drug might work to make your acne go away, but the side-effects are so horrendous that it doesn't make it worth it. I had to go off the accutane after one week and my awful side-effects went away. F 29 7 days
5/8/2008
 3  reoccuring cystic acne Joint pain, Lower back pain, SUPER dry eyes and lips, constipation This is my second time on this drug and I only agreed to do it again becuase i was 100% acne free after the first time for over 6 years! My skin was BEAUTIFUL. Then...it started coming back...one pimple by one pimple. The second time has been a nightmare. I have HORRIBLE lower back pain and my joints are stoved up from the time I wake up in the morning from the time I go to bed at night. I am quitting the drug after 4 months. F 32 4 months
5/6/2008
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 5  Acne Dry skin, dry cracked lips, loss of hair, redness, moody, sever stomqach problems, vision problems. I would tell anyone who wants to take this drug NOT to. It has caused me so many stomach problems for the past 5 years. Chronic diearea since then. I have also spoken to many other people who have taken the drug who have had the same side effects. It was not worth it to me to have the problems I do now because of acne. Think about if you want to live your life in pain to get rid of some acne. F 20 6 months
5/4/2008
 3  moderate cystic acne since teenager chapped lips, slow wound healing, bumpy dry rash on back of hands, nasal bleeding, greatly increased joint pain and tendonitis. Also irritability and depression. This was my 3rd round; took it at age 25 for 16 weeks with good results and only side effect then, besides the dryness, was slightly depressed mood but acne came back in a few years. Took again at age 30 and stopped when I developed severe pneumonia @ 10 weeks. Unable to tolerate more than 40 mg this time. After a slight injury that would have gone unnoticed normally, I developed tendonitis in biceps and rotator cuff that is still not resolved. Existing knee and hip problems were MUCH worse. And my hair is much thinner. I am loving not having oily skin but still have some breakouts. Queen Helene Cocoa Butter Cream great for inside dry nose; Kmart Fruit/Earth VitE cream good moisturizer; GNC l-phenylalanine helped with mood but check with your doctor first. DO NOT take Accutane without carefully weighing the risk vs reward and DO have a friend monitor you constantly while on it. I took 6 Rx over 7 months. F 50 7 months
5/3/2008
 5  roseacea dry lips i have been taking accutane for 1 year now for roseacea. it has help me a great deal. it has been prescribe 1 20mg tab 1x per week. it has kept acne roseacea under control to the point that i do not suffer with pain. still some slight reddness/flushing of skin with minimal breakouts. F 38 1 years
4/29/2008
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 3  Acne Dry lips, dry skin. I am currently on my second course of Accutane. It worked very well the first time but my acne returned and I'm back on it. It's not working as quickly as it did last time but my acne is slowly clearing up. I would recommend it for those who suffer from low confidence due to acne! F 19 6 months
4/27/2008
 1  cystic acne, adult onset I am on 20mg claravis. I noticed confusion and an inability to concentrate with the first dose and a dry mouth immediately. (day 1) On day 2, concentration was difficult and had a couple of dizzy spells. Day 3, onset of severe heartburn, abdominal pain/ bloating, some dizziness and noticed a few floaters and. Day 4, read some web sights and have decided to stop until talking to my doctor on monday. Very scary stuff. The first day I thought everything was in my head, but the with each day, I am noticing more and more severe changes that are troubling. I don't want to take this drug, but I don't know what to do about the adult acne that has flared with a vengeance. The topical and oral antibiotics did not touch my acne. So I thought I would try this medication. I was wrong. Nothing seems to be working!!!! That's is what is depressing!!! But I don't want to try to improve one thing and create other life long problems. My diet is very healthy and I regularly workout. Maybe I'll try reducing some stress in my life. That may help. F 34 4 days
4/27/2008
 4  Moderate Acne. Depression, dry skin, eczema, dry lips, mood swings. My boyfriend commented that I was really moody while taking Accutane. I was taking 10mg twice a day. I would be really happy, but when I hit my lows, I hit them pretty hard. The dry skin was not too bad seeing as I had oily skin in the past, but the dry, cracked, bleeding lips was kind of annoying. It kept my face clear for about a year after stopping the treatment, but now my face is still really dry and I still have rather horrible cystic breakouts. F 22 6 months
4/24/2008
 3  cyctic acne more acne I have only been on this for about 10 days so I am not sure how this is going to work for me, I have started to break out on my face and this was not one of my problem areas in the past. Hopefully it is just temporary. F 29 10 days
4/10/2008
 4  moderate to severe acne dry eyes, nose bleeds,rash on hands and arms, fatigue, moodiness,joint pain, serious breakouts throughout the course, headaches A scarey drug. Weigh the pros and cons before taking accutane. Try to have a friend or loved one monitor your psychological health throughout course. Drink lots of water, moisturize hands,lips. So far, after two courses of 4mos each at 40 mg daily my face is acne free. Just waiting on some red marks to go, but they seem to be going (2 wks post-tane). M 16 8 months
4/9/2008

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