Accutane

[The Prodigy]

I want to take Accutane in my offseason and wanted to see who has had experience on it. Can I take it while I am on a cycle or is that to hard on my liver? Did anyone get good or bad results from it? How much should I start taking and for how long? Thanks so much all!

[thestone40]

Prodigy, I believe Accutane is a great drug with many potential side effects. Some have tried everything to rid themselves of acne with no success and call it a "miracle drug". My opinion is IF you have regular labs and are on some form of B.C. AND you have exhausted other treatments, it's worth the six months of dry, cracked lips and other potential sides. You will have clear skin and addicted to chap stick.

[tight booty]

I think you have to avoid the sun too while taking it. I have known somebody who took it and it cleared up their really bad acne...you wouldn't even know they had acne years later. I think there is a waiting period too before you can get pregnant after taking it. Honestly, if I had bad acne I would go on it after seeing the results of others who have taken it! Acne causes scarring and that is so hard to get rid of!

[tammyp]

i debated for a long time abouttaking it. the sides kept me away. i found some blogs of people that used it and it was scary. i finally found doxycycline and benzaclin worked and still works awesome.

[fitbody]

i took it many many yrs ago not for long
my lips cracked thatz about it besides clearing my skin up
actually one of my girls is trying to get a script right now
her doctor declined and is sending her to a dermatologist
i'll keep you up to date if she experiences any sides

[The Prodigy]

Thanks everyone! Can you share with me how many mg you started on? What was your "cycle" like on it?

[5150]

I'd start with a low dose (40mg/day split into two doses). Some docs will throw people on 60mg/day and 80mg/day depending on the severity of their acne but I feel (from personal experience) starting at a low dose is better. I'm 3 weeks into 40mg/day right now and my back is cleared up A LOT, Chest is drying out but still has very bad cystic acne on it, Face is clear as can be and the only sides I am having are dry/chapped lips. I keep Chap stik and facial lotion with me at all times and use Head & shoulders shampoo to combat the dandruff (haven't had any yet but did when I was younger and on accutane).

Obviously we are all different and will react differently to these drugs but if you have any more questions feel free to ask. I was on Accutane at 60mg/day and 80mg/day when I was 14-16ish and now on 40mg/day at 25yrs of age. I'm quite familiar with the sides at all dosing levels so ask away.... Hope that helps. Take care.

[daywalker72]

It works. Made me feel like shit though. cracked lips, aching joints, and no energy

[The Prodigy]

For those of you who have taken it....how long were you on it before you began to see an improvement in your skin...less breakouts, etc......

[Jeepgcboy97]

For those of you who have taken it....how long were you on it before you began to see an improvement in your skin...less breakouts, etc......


i believe the overal duration of using accutane was 6 months. for me, the acne got worse before it got better (which i was told by the dr that would happen). the first few weeks were the worst, acne got worse and skin was dry. after those few weeks, skin still felt dry but the acne was going away daily. i never felt depressed or anything from this product. my whole family has used it and loves it.

i havent used accutane since then, only because i dont need it anymore. i get the rare pimple here and there but never an outbreak.

[Jello]

20mg per day is said to be 90% as effective as the typical 100mg per day that was being prescribed. Most doctors will start you at that now and have you get regular blood work.

Have you tried other/safer medications for acne. Doxycycline is a popular one that has low sides. You may want to look into that before using Accutane.

[The Prodigy]

Yes I have tried every oral and topical on the market! Been battling acne for years!

[Jello]

Well Accutane will most likely help you but make sure you are using some kind of liver protectant. My personal favorite is Synthergine.

[Curt James]

Yes I have tried every oral and topical on the market! Been battling acne for years!

Then Accutane is the drug for you.

I'll echo the comments about staying out of the sun, avoiding pregnancy, being monitored through regular blood tests, etc. and add that Accutane absolutely destroyed my terrible cystic acne.

Like you, I suffered from acne for years and my dermatologist threw literally every possible combination of drugs at the problem without success.

Fortunately, I worked at a printing plant/bindery which specialized in medical literature and periodicals. The one job was a brochure for the drug.

I saw the miraculous before and after images, snagged a brochure, and presented it to my dermatologist.

He agreed that it was worth a shot. I didn't take the entire prescription as the sides were incredible.

I remember the skin on my forearms cracking, every ounce of oil seemed to dry up in short order, and I had spot alopecia (makes no difference today, but at the time the bald spot was alarming :eek:), but it WORKED!

While I still have oily skin (that returned after I discontinued use of the drug) I've never encountered the horror of painful cystic acne after having used Accutane.

Be cautious of the sides, follow the directions, start with a low dose, expect with great confidence... A MIRACLE.

[The Prodigy]

I will be going thru a dermo and have already signed the IPledge agreement. Waiting til after the summer to start so I can enjoy the sun! I have heard that in the long run this is the best road for me to take. I worry about long term fertility issues though.

[The Prodigy]

Well Accutane will most likely help you but make sure you are using some kind of liver protectant. My personal favorite is Synthergine.


Who makes the synthergine and why do you like it so much? Other than milk thistle what else is in it?

[Jello]

Here
http://www.synthetek.com/products/synthergine-liver-protectant/

My liver values have never been better since I started taking this product.

[Curt James]

I worry about long term fertility issues though.

I thought Accutane had nothing to do with infertility but can cause birth defects if a mother conceives while on it.

This thread may contain some applicable conversations...

http://www.topix.com/forum/drug/accutane/TEC7BMNILDDUQIKC8/p7

[The Prodigy]

It has been shown it can cause birth defects if you get pregnant within two or three years after being off it as well.....

Thanks for the link. Why is this product better than plain milk thistle?

[Jello]

It has been shown it can cause birth defects if you get pregnant within two or three years after being off it as well.....

Thanks for the link. Why is this product better than plain milk thistle?

Made in a pharmacy specifically for our bodies. Other than that, I don't know. All I know is that my blood work continues to come back spot on no matter what I run/use/drink.

[The Prodigy]

Made in a pharmacy specifically for our bodies. Other than that, I don't know. All I know is that my blood work continues to come back spot on no matter what I run/use/drink.


Who sells it? Do you buy it online?

[Bryan Hildebrand]

something to keep in mind... since there are many women who use winstrol, using this drug in combination, even over a moderate amount of time can contribute or lead to tendon rupture. since accutane essentially pulls fluid from everywhere, joints are at the same risk. winstrol is notorious for the same issues. joint stiffness and soreness from fluid loss.

[The Prodigy]

Thanks! Yes, I plan to stay on my joint supplement as well as take milk thistle or something for my liver.

[jlgiller]

They are now running ads to sue the company that makes Accutane. My son was on 2 rounds of it when he was 16 he had to go in every month for blood work. The first cycle didn't work but the second one did. He was so sore from it he had to stop playing sports while he was taking it.

[HammerStrength12]

They are now running ads to sue the company that makes Accutane. My son was on 2 rounds of it when he was 16 he had to go in every month for blood work. The first cycle didn't work but the second one did. He was so sore from it he had to stop playing sports while he was taking it.

I missed my entire junior year of football/wrestling because of it. Very bad memories of this stuff. I suppose its less likely to happen if you're older though

[jlgiller]

I missed my entire junior year of football/wrestling because of it. Very bad memories of this stuff. I suppose its less likely to happen if you're older though


My guess is that it would be more likely as you get older. My son played, baseball, soccer, and rugby he had stopped playing football. He seemed to be tired all the time as well.

[The Prodigy]

WOW! So joint pain is something I will have to deal with......... I will be getting blood work every month and a prego test. Any suggestions on dealing with the joint pain. Any supplements you took that worked?

[HammerStrength12]

For me it was more of a general muscular fatigue, not really a specific joint. Not really sure what can be used to combat that

[The Prodigy]

For me it was more of a general muscular fatigue, not really a specific joint. Not really sure what can be used to combat that

So are you saying your muscles had trouble recovering and were always tired? Did you take any supps for it?

[Jello]

Who sells it? Do you buy it online?

I buy it through that link I posted.

[HammerStrength12]

So are you saying your muscles had trouble recovering and were always tired? Did you take any supps for it?

That and I just felt very lethargic in general. I will say, I know a few people who took it and never had any side effects. For me it was a last resort, I had such bad acne in hs that I used to get teased all the time.

For muscle soreness, any glutamine supplement has always worked well for me, although I'm sure everyone on here takes that anyway. Animal Flex is my favorite for the joints and Liv 52 is my favorite for the liver.

I'm not really sure how the chemical makeup of caused me to go through what I went through. Dr. Joel Nathan would probably be a good person to ask for advice/explanations, he posts regularly in the bloodwork forum.

[Anthony]

I'm about 7 weeks in running accutane for the first time. No significant joint issues, though cracked lips and easy cuts and scrapes have been common. 40 mg/day to start, 80 mg/day now. Dermotologist said dose should target 1 mg / kg body weight / day

No sudden changes to acne better or worse, just gradual fading and decrease in new acne. went from pretty bad 2 months ago to nearly clear now.

[juicegirl311]

I just finished a 6 mo. cycle of accutane monitored by a dermatologist. i took 60 mgs ed. my skin looks amazing. my face is smooth and pores are smaller too! my lower back is where i was getting the cyst like acne which cleared up great!

so........the bad part is that my cholesterol was through the roof! the last month i was on it jumped to over 400. i am having it checked again next month to make sure it has come down.

my lips and skin were dry but certainly worth having clear skin!

[Ibarramedia]

20mg per day is said to be 90% as effective as the typical 100mg per day that was being prescribed. Most doctors will start you at that now and have you get regular blood work.

Have you tried other/safer medications for acne. Doxycycline is a popular one that has low sides. You may want to look into that before using Accutane.

Doxycycline is good, as is Monocycline or 'Minosin'. With the use of both it is recommended thast you stay out of the sun as you will be more sun sensitive and thus sunburn easily. Both are antibiotics designed to clear the skin from acne,rosacea,etc.

[The Prodigy]

I have tried both of those oral drugs along with 6 topicals. I am starting accutane in a month!

[heavyiron]

Accutane has been proven in numerous clinical human trials to work at very low doses. 20mg daily. Side effects also have been proven to be dose dependant so less is better.

I have personally run 20mg daily and it is a miracle drug. I had dry lips as the only side effect and I was running steroids at the same time.

[retwa]

Best drug for acne, without a doubt. Start out with no more than .5mg/kg ED...if you don't see results within a few weeks then double the dose.

Also, a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor can help a lot with acne that is due to elevated androgens (as is the case with most sufferers on this board). Oil glands have androgen receptors, and they are especially sensitive to DHT.

[heavyiron]

J Am Acad Dermatol. (http://javascript<b></b>:AL_get(this, 'jour', 'J Am Acad Dermatol.');) 2006 Apr;54(4):644-6.

Low-dose isotretinoin in the treatment of acne vulgaris.

Amichai B (http://forums.rxmuscle.com/pubmed?term=%22Amichai%20B%22%5BAuthor%5D), Shemer A (http://forums.rxmuscle.com/pubmed?term=%22Shemer%20A%22%5BAuthor%5D), Grunwald MH (http://forums.rxmuscle.com/pubmed?term=%22Grunwald%20MH%22%5BAuthor%5D).
Huzot Clinic of Clalit Health Services, Ashkelon, Israel.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of isotretinoin at 0.5 to 1.0 mg/kg per day in the treatment of acne is well established and considered safe, although it is sometimes not easily tolerated because of its cutaneous side effects.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of low-dose isotretinoin in the treatment of acne.
METHODS: In this prospective, noncomparative, open-label study, 638 patients, both male and female, with moderate acne were enrolled and treated with isotretinoin at 20 mg/d (approximately 0.3-0.4 mg/kg per day) for 6 months. The patients were divided into two age groups: 12 to 20 and 21 to 35 years old. Patients were evaluated at 2-month intervals by means of clinical and laboratory examinations. A 4-year follow-up was also carried out.
RESULTS: At the end of the treatment phase, good results were observed in 94.8% of the patients aged 12 to 20 years, and in 92.6% of the patients aged 21 to 35 years. Failure of the treatment occurred in 5.2% and 7.4% of the two groups, respectively. Twenty-one patients dropped out of the study because of lack of compliance, and another patient discontinued participation because of a laboratory side effect. During the 4-year follow-up period, relapses of the acne occurred in 3.9% of the patients aged 12 to 20 years and in 5.9% of the patients aged 21 to 35 years. Elevated serum lipid levels (up to 20% higher than the upper limit of normal value) were found in 4.2% of the patients and abnormal (<twice the upper limit of normal values) liver tests were observed in 4.8%.
LIMITATIONS: This was a noncomparative, open-label study.

CONCLUSION: Six months of treatment with low-dose isotretinoin (20 mg/d) was found to be effective in the treatment of moderate acne, with a low incidence of severe side effects and at a lower cost than higher doses.

PMID: 16546586 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]