roaccutane

[victoria74]

could any one tell me if roaccutane is worth the side effects as my daughter is thinking of starting this drug for her acne

[Gedz]

Hi victoria74,

I have taken roaccutane twice in my life. Once as a teenager and once as an adult. Both times were 6 month blocks.

The side effects are obvioualy different for different people. The first time around, it worked to a certain extent but it was tough dealing with some of the effects as a teenager with all the other things that brings. However, having taken it a second time it has definitely had a positive impact on my life. If I was in your position I would at least give it a go because it does work the majority of the time.

I would ignore lots of the negative press around the drug that concerns itself with the supposed 'link' between roaccutane and depression - there is actually no real clinical evidence to support this whatsoever.

[Hidden]

I'm currently in my second month of taking it, and my skin is definite to improving! I was nervous about taking it because of the side effects but so far I haven't really been affected by anything but saw lips. If there isn't anything that can help (which for me also there wasn't) I would suggest she gives it a go! 

[JHollick]

Hi,

I have used this treatment for the maximum length at one time, i think it was 6 months? I can honestly say I do not remember any side effects - other than the typical teenage ones that come with growing up! ( I was a teenager too when taking these ). The only downside is while it's great for acne, it has left me scarred in places which have never healed over the last 8 years.

[AmbaBamba]

Do it, it works and the younger you are rather than me at 40 when I took it, the better chance you have of it working and not having to repeat the treatment later in life.

The main side effects are very dry (all the time) lips as you progress through the course of treatment. Pure Vaseline works best on that every other lip balm is useless as for any scarring it is not caused by the drug but by continuously touching and provoking your acne. The best bit of advice I was giving by my consultant is to leave them alone but that is so hard when they itch and just frustrate you.

Give it a go you have nothing to lose but everything to gain. 

[LynneB59]

I have ROSACEA, which, when severe, can resemble acne - the conditions are different though, but the treatment is the same.  I was prescribed ROACCUTANE about 8 years ago, as my skin was terrible and I had truied every available treatment.  This worked fantastically well.  My skin showed signs of improvement in just a week.  I ttok the tablets for 2 months, by which time, my skin had settled down, the redness and papules had gone, and the change was amazing.  The only side effects I had were: dry eyes, lips and mouth - using petroleum jelly on my lips, and drinking lots of water all day long soon helped with that.  In total, I had 4 separate lots of treatment, over 5 years.

[scole7]

i had a course if it when i was 18 and it worked great. i had another course when i was 30 and it had some serious life changing effects on me, i started to hear voices and this made me so ill. I stopped taking it and needed antipsychotics that I still have to take and if I an in a stressful situation I can start to hear voices again. It was voices that I could her who put me down and called me every name under the sun they didn't talk to me just about me. worst thing ever. be careful. x