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 Date added. 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 |
| 1 | mild acne causing scarring | It gave me the normal side effects at first, just dry skin, lips, and hair. Then on my 6th month, my skin one day just turned beet red and it was burning like crazy. I dropped out of school. I haven't left my house ever since this happened, only to see 4 different doctors who all told me I have rosacea, which I never had until accutane. And there is no cure for rosacea, and every treatment they've had me try for it so far doesn't work. Rosacea is without a doubt a million times worse than acne will ever be. And my acne is returning now anyways, only 3 months after I stopped the medicine. I regret accutane every second of my life, and I sit in bed all day long wishing I was dead. I'll never have my life back. | This medicine has completely ruined my life. Make sure you really do your research before deciding to take a drug this serious. | F | 19 | 6 months | 3/30/2007 | 5 | moderate acne | the only side effects i had were dry lips and some dry skin | i love it i still have all of my hair i think it actually got thicker im clear of acne with the exception of an occasional one did not have any major side effects strongly recomed it ONLY IF YOU ARE HEALTHY!!!! please email for any questions | M | 16 | 5 months | 3/24/2007 | 5 | Prolonged Acne | Dry skin and lips | I am 21 and have suffered from acne out breaks weekly since the age of 12. I have tried absolutely everything and finally broke down and took accutane. I have been on it for over 2 months and I don't know why I didn't take it any sooner. My back cleared up completely in 7 days, and my face is almost completely clear. My hair looks more beautiful then ever because I don't have all the grease in it anymore, and can go days with hair that looks like I just washed and dryed...Everyone responds differently but I am one of the true successes of accutane...there is hope.... | F | 21 | 2 days | 3/23/2007 | 1 | Minor Acne | Scar easily, lack of sex drive, no natural lubricant | NO NOT TAKE ACCUTANE UNLESS YOU'RE OKAY WITH NEVER HAVING SEX AGAIN. I used to get wet before my fiance even touched me... now the only way we can have sex is by using lubricants. I cry at least once a month because it's so bad. I loved having sex and wanted it 24/7... now I actually dread it. I've been off of Accutane for a year now and it hasn't cleared up. My sex life is ruined!! | F | 24 | 5 months | 3/21/2007 | 4 | severe cystic acne | dry mouth/lips, eyes (stopped wearing contacts), dry nose, vaginal dryness, painful rash and some mild joint pain towards end of treatment | I took this medication nearly 8 years ago. I don't believe I've had any long-term side effects. I tend to have rather dry skin now, still get chapped lips easily, but that could easily be a function of a nearly 28 yr old body vs. a 20 yr. old body. No acne aside from very mild breakouts before my period. It did not clear my acne until the last few weeks of treatment, but my skin continued to improve after stopping. I believe ortho-tri-cyclen helped turn the tide in favor of clear skin. Psychologically, I was very unhappy while taking this drug but some sad events occurred in my life around that period. However, I did not feel down to the extent that it impeded my academic success or kept me from going out with friends. Yes, it is poison, so is chemotherapy as well as a lot of other useful drugs. The patient alone ultimately has to make an informed decision to accept the risk or accept the acne; the most informed doctor in the world cannot predict how an individual body will react t | F | 27 | 50 months | 3/17/2007 | 1 | Persistent Cystic Acne | Fatigue, mood swings, back ache, joint pain, headache, stomach cramps, naseau, depression, permanent hair loss | NO ONE SHOULD EVER TAKE ACCUTANE!!! THE CONS OUTWAY THE PROS BY FAR! MY ACNE IS NOW RETURNING AFTER ONE YEAR. MY ONCE BEAUTIFUL THICK BROWN HAIR HAS NOW TURNED INTO THIN FRIZZY WISPS OF HAIR. THIS DRUG KILLS HEALTHY CELLS AND CAUSES LONG TERM PERMANENT DAMAGE. STAY AWAY!!! | F | 17 | 6 days | 3/13/2007 | 1 | Acne | Dizzyness, headaches, dry lips, first floaters, then dimming of eyesight, completely blacked out while driving. | The doctor was told several times about the side effects with the eyes and we were told it would disappear after a couple months. The eyesight was getting worse, and asked if I should see an eye dr., but was told no. Finally my mom took me to an opthalmalogist. He took one look and asked if I was on an acne drug. He said it is a common side effect. I went into a ditch with my car as my sight went black just a short ways from a cliff. I now have only tunnel vision and can no longer drive. I am now a jr. in college working on a RN. I would not recommend this drug, expecially to people/girls that are heavy as I was at the time. The dr. told me it happens more in over weight people. It has been three years since I stopped the drug. | F | 20 | 6 months | 3/10/2007 | 5 | Cystic Acne | Floaters and dry chapped lips. | Don't believe all the bad press. I took Accutane after trying a few other remedies, and am very pleased with the results. I was depressed because of my acne, and thankfully Accutane cleared up my complexion AND it CLEARED the depression. Having a first hand experience with Accutane I believe the negative accusations to be unfounded and politically charged. I now receive compliments about my "flawless complexion" and I do give credit where credit is due. | F | 27 | 18 months | 3/8/2007 | 3 | mild acne that caused scaring | Dry lips, dry skin, joint pain at first went away eventully, bad break outs at first that caused bad scaring since skin's ability to heal is impared, red face, flushing, and hair loss!! | The dry skin, lips is easy to deal with. The hardest parts have been the red face with flushing and the hair loss. I have now been off the drug for about a month and the facial redness has subsideed somewhat however blochy patches of red remain espically around my eyes and upper nose. The hair loss has by far been the worse! It started allmost immeditaly once I started the medication and never went away. I stuck it out and was told the hairloss would stop once I stoped the medication. So far that has not been the case just as much hair falling out as when I was on the medication. With all this in mind I have not had the smallest zit in over 4 months. I cleared my skin up and I know I wont ever have to worry about acne ever again, however I feel I might have traded in my acne for a permentaly red face and a thiner haired head. Time will tell if these side effects eventually go away. If they do then the drug is worth it, if they dont it might have been a mistake for me to go on | M | 21 | 4.5 months | 3/4/2007 | 5 | inflamatory acne | Severe hair loss, all the normal dry skin/bloody nose/chapped lips... | Try everything else before trying accutane. I'm lucky that I had thick hair because I lost over half of it, but it grew back even thicker than before. I've been off of it now for about 5 years now, and I NEVER have any zits. | F | 22 | 6 months | 2/23/2007 | 5 | Cystic Acne | Temporary flare up of acne within first couple of weeks of taking Accutane. Extremely chapped lips; sore lower back and joints; upper arms, top of hands, and fore-arms extremely and painfully dry. Bouts of fatigue and weakness despite sleeping well at night. Also experienced mood swings, and my night vision was impaired. | While a teenager, I had sporadic episodes of acne, which I treated with over the counter remedies. I didn't erupt into cystic acne until my late 20s, early 30s, which did not respond to over the counter remedies or topical prescription creams - accutane was my last resort. I just started my final, fifth month of taking Accutane, and my skin is 100% clear. I've used Aquaphor on my lips for chapping, and a good oil free moisturizer on my face and arms for dryness. But, I've not been able to work out at the gym because of joint discomfort and fatigue, or drive at night because of night blindness. I also gained weight while on Accutane. I'm more than 50% sure I won't take Accutane again if acne re-emerges. | M | 33 | 4 months | 2/22/2007 | 5 | Acne on back and face | dried skin and nose | I'm a medical student and I did a ton of research before I started taking the drug. So far, my acne has cleared up completely and my lipid panels have been great. It dried my skin but chapstick, lotion, and 5 bottles of water a day has helped a lot. | F | 23 | 2 months | 2/22/2007 | 1 | Bad Acne | It cleared up my acne but left my face with severe scarring. I took this when I was 20 and had ZERO scars before my treatment. I had suffered from bad acne for several years, but my skin was always resilient and NEVER scarred before I got on Accutane. No one in my large family has any acne scars either although most suffered from bad acne in their youth. After my treatment finished, the acne was gone, but to my horror I was left with countless deep acne scars on my face. When visiting my best friend, his little sister, age 4 at the time, asked if someone had burned a cigarette on my face. Children can be brutally honest. I've spent thousands of dollars on plastic surgery for my scars (deep chemical peels and fat injections) with some success, but of course some scarring will always remain. | THIS IS A SERIOUS DRUG WITH SERIOUS POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS! Don't take this unless you fully understand the potential side effects. Many are NOT listed by the manufacturer and Doctors can be surprisingly ignorant of them. | M | 35 | 6 months | 2/22/2007 | 3 | acne, back acne | very very dry lips and nose, to the point of bleeding (Eucerin AQuAPHOR is the very best thing you can use for your lips and nose. not only does it keep some moisture in, it heals the cracks and sores. it will be your best friend...forget any lip balm or chapstick, even blistex...not so good for you) also experienced pain in joints (esp back and ankles), extreme dryness on hands and arms and face. flaking skin especially on face. my skin has become like a sponge, and all of the lotion and cream i put on, disappears almost instantly and the flakes are back. its a small price to pay for clear skin and peace of mind. depression and anti-social behavior more noticeable my second time around... | this is a wonder drug, but it comes with its fair share of really bad side effects. for me, the results outweighed any of the side effects...i have taken it once before about 3 years ago...my face looked really great for about 2 years, but my acne came back and i decided to take accutane again. so far, i am most excited about the acne on my back clearing up. for the first time i am able to wear spaghetti strap shirts. really exciting. :) i have noticed that my ankles and my back are really achy, and i didnt experience that the first time...i wish i wasnt this time either, but its not terrible. | F | 23 | 3 months | 2/11/2007 | 3 | deep cystic acne | i def. had dry dry lips. im constantly putting on lip balm. (aquaphina is a god sent). headaches, back pain, especially when going to bed. dry hands. good side effect is that my hair isnt as oily.i would have def. mood swings, happy then sad. i would cry about nothing. always wanting to sleep, and i've had more breakouts than what i orginally had, but i think its bringing it all to the surface. | make sure that accutane is your last resort. that you've tried everything else. it is a very harsh drug. has alot of side effects, even though im not even done with my treatment i think people should try it. it will improve your skin.. | F | 18 | 3 months | 2/6/2007 | 1 | persistent acne | During the 5th month of a 6 month treatment, I developed depression and anxiety, moodiness, fatigue, night sweats, joint pain, vaginal dryness, decreased night vision, and worst of all a COMPLETE loss of libido. (Depression subsided after drug completed; however, the other symptoms persist 5 years later.) | I had a course of Accutane in the late 80's with good results and no lasting side-effects, so at 30, I decided to take it again. This drug WILL clear your acne, but I would caution adult women from the drug, because for me, the side-effects were far more serious than they were at 16. I lived 30 years without 1 day of depression, and I am convinced this drug causes it. After stopping, the depression completely vanished and has been gone for 5 years. Unfortunately, the other side effects developed during treatment such as loss of libido, moodiness, night vision issues, extreme fatigue and joint pain continue to persist. I'd take my old acne back in a second to get rid of these new problems! | F | 35 | 6 months | 2/5/2007 | 5 | Deep cystic acne | Acne does worsen in first two months (IT'S SUPPOSED TO! Your shedding skin brings up the lower skin layers, and extracts all the built up acne beneath). Extreme dryness EVERYWHERE (all bodily oils are none-existant; can find relief with nasal lubricants, very dry skin moisturizers and LIP MEDEX BY BLISTEX SAVED MY LIPS when applied at least 20-30 times a day. Just carry some around in every pocket. It's really cheap too.)The only bonus was that my hair was no longer greasy. Bleaker outlook on life, phases of depression, grey-like skin for 2 months after treatment. Altered bowel cycle (minor IBS-Irritable Bowel Syndrome). Extreme fatigue (always wanting to sleep) | It is a VERY SCARY drug. Be sure to prepare when taking it. Stock up on Medicated lip balm (LIP MEDEX BY BLISTEX!), moisturizers & lubricants (for nose and intercourse!). Many people feel even more depressed then usual, and self-esteem is low. It's important to be aware that this may happen, and let as many people around you know what you're taking and going through. It helps to keep busy, work/school, take up fun hobbies (I watched a whole lot of movies with close friends during my accutane phase). Accutane is tough in winter (coldness, dryness, wind burn is harsh on fragile skin) and difficult in summer as well (DO NOT GET ANY SUN WHATSOEVER! 60 SPF!). My presecription was 60mg a day, but doses vary from person to person, and from dermotologist to dermotologist. Lastly, it's quite expensive! Be ready for all this. Although it was hard to go through, my skin is now amazing (minus a bit of scarring). It'll change your life :) | F | 20 | 5 months | 2/1/2007 | 4 | acne | Joint pain | For the girl who said that accutane does not cause depression: It has been reported that many people on accutane begame depressed. By the way, why would someone lie about such a serious thing like that u stupid peace of sh it | M | 15 | 2 months | 2/1/2007 | 5 | Cystic Acne | So far, so good. It's been one week and I am only on 20mg/day. My lips are a bit dry, but I am sure the dry weather is not helping. Skin is peeling off of my nose, kind of like a shedding. And my forehead has erupted into a mass of acne. It's funny because I would usually have a few little breakouts there, but nothing I would complain about compared to the grape-sized cysts on my face. I guess the Accutane is forcing my body to 'purge' everything from the inside out, and my forehead had a lot in there! The cysts are barely noticable in size now (albeit the doc also injected them with steroids 7 days ago.) I had very bad stomach cramping a few days ago, about half an hour after taking the meds, but it didn't last long. Finally, I am suffering from very acute tailbone pain. I actually hopped on line to see if anyone else was having the same. | This is my second round on Accutane. The first time was 6 years ago and I was on up to 60 mg/day. Side effects then were more severe in terms of the stomach cramping. Others also said that they noticed mood swings... I can't confirm that I felt too different though. In addition, my night vision suffered then as well.... However, the results were good and I didn't suffer from bad skin for about 5 and a half years after finishing that round. | F | 30 | 7 days | 1/28/2007 | 1 | Mild Acne | Slight headaches, Panic attacks, crying spells, dry lips, peeling palms, dry nose, Thinning , THining , THINNING hair, acne quadroupled after first month , dry face , dry dry lips | Plz if you have been considering this drug ," STOP" dont take it , it can and will cost you your life(happiness or Life). There are other options, try those or live with acne going crazy is not better than acne atleast you still have freinds right!!!!!! THIS is to the Makers or researchers"(( You know this drug is dangerous why dont you take it off the market, its just has bad as aids or any other disease sure it gets the job done 68% of the time but the damage is worst than an "atomic BoMB" on the human body)) -- in fact I think this was probably one of those chemical weapons that got modified because it was absolete!Q!!!!! | M | 21 | 6 days | 1/28/2007 |