Accutane Experiences?

[HeathGT]

I always get back/shoulder/arm pimples every cycle, I don’t want to have red dots all over my back and shoulders at the pool this summer. Should I consider Accutane? What are the side effects? What dosages should I run and for how long? Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[rudestyle]

on a somewhat related note I had some sort of insect/spider bite and the doctor prescribed me two different antibiotics and an anti-inflammitory and my back/shoulder/chest acne cleared up like magic. Too bad the rx is only for a month :-/

 

[AIPCTSHOP]

rudestyle" pid='13528' dateline='1526459270:

on a somewhat related note I had some sort of insect/spider bite and the doctor prescribed me two different antibiotics and an anti-inflammitory and my back/shoulder/chest acne cleared up like magic. Too bad the rx is only for a month :-/

You can probably buy those antibiotics from online shops FWIW but self dosing antibiotics should be done with care and caution.

 

[Themallot1]

Theres a lot of info on dosage recommended by doctors online. Accutane works great. On the very high end a doctor mught recommend 1mg per day per kilogram of bodyweight. Only for a month or two then dropping down.

Personally I stsrtrd at 20mg for about 1-2 months. Then dropped down to 10mg for 1-2 months. Then went to 5mg for about 6 montha. Total about 9months. Its usually used for about 6 to 12 months. It can take 3-8 weeks before results start to show. Acne can get worst initially. Results are permanent. I hardly get any acne anymore.

Side effects.
Very dry skin. Dry lips. Use “Dr Dans” chapstick. Avoid tanning too much. Use lotion.
Liver toxicity. STAY AWAY FROM ALCOHOL
Nose bleeds(randomly starts bleeding)

Not a doctor.
All this info is easily found on the web

 

[bigben200]

It’s fantastic.

Running a cycle used to give me some gnarly, DEEP cystic acne all over my back. I tried scrubbing the crap out of it with a loofa, tried dish soap, tried nizoral, tried salicyclic, tried benzoyl peroxide. Nothing put a dent in it, and it HURT.

After a lengthy period of BnC, I PCT’d and was natty for about a year. Acne went away.

I went back to BnC, but started running 20mg accutane from the start. I still get some tiny little surface pimples if I don’t change my sheets frequently enough, but it’s basically resolved.

Carry chapstick, wear sunscreen if you’re in the sun, avoid alcohol in general. Chapped lip / dry skin sides have been extremely minor for me.

 

[GaintheEdge]

It may be simpler to ask you local general doctor for a script of antibiotics to combat cycle induced acne. If your acne goes away after cycle naturally did you really want to go on accutane? My personal experience is that it is a godsend for those that suffer cystic acne or other forms of acne that would continue throughout their lifetime. Otherwise you may be using a sledgehammer when a flyswatter is better.

There are some risks to accutane that may not justify its use as a general tool to combat acne (high triglyceride counts, possible liver damage, pregnancy complications etc.). Start with the antibiotics and if that fails you can always go on accutane with the help of a physician to monitor you health and evaluate how long you should be on it.

Also if you do go on accutane and have a healthcare plan covering this check how much it costs. The pharma companies have rigged some of the state systems and made it very expensive but I hear this is state by state.

 

[Mal1ce]

I had pretty much the same experience as Themallot1, the worst part for me was the chapped lips.

I ran it for 6 months last year, didn’t drop the dosage though, I just ran 20mg/ed. So far so good and I’m mid-blast right now on 650 Test/wk with some other stuff.

The real test for me will be when I run my next bulk with NPP/Deca…thats what really caused me to break out.

 

[DauntlessToaster]

Accutane is life changing in both a good and bad way. I took it as a teenager after every other treatment for acne had failed. It is extremely harsh… You will have more breakouts than ever before for the first 4 weeks or so, then it gets better. Liver toxicity is extremely high, so forget about using other orals or alcohol. I wouldn’t use it to treat acne that resulted from running gear however. Accutane is no joke, and should be an absolute last resort!

*Dry Skin
*Lightest scratch causes you to bleed
*Fingernails became very thin and bend back easily
*Light sensitivity, sun burn easily
*Nose bleeds, non stop nose bleeds that are embarrassing and interfere with life

The result was clear skin after months of treatment, and still remains that way 15 years later. My skin is also still thinner than it was before, so still get cuts easily.

 

[c_note_nc]

DauntlessToaster" pid='13562' dateline='1526484060:

Accutane is life changing in both a good and bad way. I took it as a teenager after every other treatment for acne had failed. It is extremely harsh… You will have more breakouts than ever before for the first 4 weeks or so, then it gets better. Liver toxicity is extremely high, so forget about using other orals or alcohol. I wouldn’t use it to treat acne that resulted from running gear however. Accutane is no joke, and should be an absolute last resort!

*Dry Skin
*Lightest scratch causes you to bleed
*Fingernails became very thin and bend back easily
*Light sensitivity, sun burn easily
*Nose bleeds, non stop nose bleeds that are embarrassing and interfere with life

The result was clear skin after months of treatment, and still remains that way 15 years later. My skin is also still thinner than it was before, so still get cuts easily.

What dose was you taking daily/weekly?

 

[AnavarTheLastBarbend]

I can’t speak to dosages, because my derm put me on it a while back and I don’t remember what they were. The sides for me were severe sun sensitivity/chapped lips. The worst side for me–and one that I don’t see talked about all that often–is an insane increase in sweat. I’m not really a sweater, even on 600mg test weekly. But holy god, when I was taking accutane I was a fucking sweat monster. My clothes were drenched if I did anything in the sun at all. Acne cleared up tho. Hope this helped somewhat.

 

[Themallot1]

Speaking of sweat…I mo longer use chalk. Seems like I dont need to anymore.

 

[kill]

Accutane is no longer available in the USA so if you live here you’ll be fucked. I’m not sure if there’s a generic for it either.

https://www.drugs.com/accutane.html

It’s a godsend though for acne.

 

[Brochacho_Prime]

kill" pid='13633' dateline='1526515070:

Accutane is no longer available in the USA so if you live here you’ll be fucked. I’m not sure if there’s a generic for it either.

https://www.drugs.com/accutane.html

It’s a godsend though for acne.

It’s just a brand name, isotretinoin is still available as well as a few similar drugs.

 

[SDMoose]

I’m on the fence with myself. As with everything, some people handle it better than others, but for those that have a bad time with it, it can really suck. Can’t stand the shoulder and bacne I get though. I think I’m going to try and go to the doc, take the antibiotic route, see if that helps. If not, I think I’ll end up going with it toward the end of the year.
kill" pid='13633' dateline='1526515070:

Accutane is no longer available in the USA so if you live here you’ll be fucked. I’m not sure if there’s a generic for it either.

https://www.drugs.com/accutane.html

It’s a godsend though for acne.

Plenty of our sources here offer it.

 

[vers002]

i’ve been on 30mg/day for 3 months now.

at that dose im currently experiencing slightly dry eyes and severely dry lips but having chapstick w/ me helps a lot.

as far as my acne, it definitely stopped break outs on my face, chest, shoulders, and back.
face is just slightly oily at times but not even close to as it was before i started.

i’ll still get a random few pimples here and there but nothin’ to complain about.

what’s fucked up though is all my acne scars all over my body from before i started accutane.

so even though i don’t break out like crazy anymore it still looks like i have acne everywhere cuz of my dark scars/dots /:

 

[ForeverSmallz]

vers002" pid='13662' dateline='1526529159:

i’ve been on 30mg/day for 3 months now.

at that dose im currently experiencing slightly dry eyes and severely dry lips but having chapstick w/ me helps a lot.

as far as my acne, it definitely stopped break outs on my face, chest, shoulders, and back.
face is just slightly oily at times but not even close to as it was before i started.

i’ll still get a random few pimples here and there but nothin’ to complain about.

what’s fucked up though is all my acne scars all over my body from before i started accutane.

so even though i don’t break out like crazy anymore it still looks like i have acne everywhere cuz of my dark scars/dots /:

Had basically the same experience, been on 20mg ed for a few months. No sides other than dry lips and face, acne is completely gone other than one or two spots.

Try using a retinol serum before bed (and a good moisturizer a couple times per day), I’ve been using one for a few weeks and the scarring is fading super quickly.

 

[bonesss]

One additional source of good information is:
https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/

It seems hormonal acne is hard to fight with only topical protocols, but if it’s not severe they seem to be effective. There is also a lot of good information on products that can reduce or eliminate scarring from prior acne. Personally, I would start with something topical(salicylic acid and/or benzoyl peroxide) and shower more frequently, then if that does not work try antibiotics. It can also be a large help to your gut and digestive health to get on a probiotic protocol after taking antibiotics becuase they kill all bacteria good and bad in your body.

I have a friend who started Accutane a while back, and he had his liver enzymes tested until they were low enough to start safely. He had to stop drinking for over a month, but it was very effective.

I have yet to read enough research on Accutane to know all of the risks, but from what I do know, I would be much more hesitant to take Accutane than to inject most steroids.