Accutane

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Worknprogress

Cathlete
My 15-year old daughter is having a terrible time with acne. It started about a year ago with a mild case but it bothered her so much that we went to the doctor. Since it was a mild case, they gave her a topical creme called Tazarac and told her what to use for washing her face, etc. After a few months of Tazarac, her face was getting worse so we were back to the doctor, got a different creme and an oral antibiotic.

Two and a half months ago and her face getting worse, we were back at the doctor. My daughter had a friend that went on birth control and it cleared her skin up. My daughter was desperate so we tried it. After one month of that, 10 pounds heavier and no improvement, she went off the pill. Now only did she have the acne, she is battling her weight as well since the 10 pounds ended up right in her belly, upper thighs and legs.

I had heard wonderful things about ProActiv so that was out next course of action. After 6 weeks - everything is worse. I felt so bad for my daughter when a girl at school said directly to her, "Your face is broken out sooo bad - you need to get that cleared up!"

Now the latest one she is hearing from a couple of classmates is Accutane. I read up a bit on it and that's not a drug to take lightly. We go to the Doctor on Monday and my daughter wants to ask her to put her on Accutane.

Anybody here have any experience with Accutane and if so, what are your thoughts?

Any help would be appreciated. I remember being a 15 year old girl and it's so hard. She calls herself a fat, pizza face and said the other day that she wouldn't want to be someone that had to look at a face like hers.
 
Personally, I would not try Accutane. It is so very potent. What BC was she put on? I have never gained that much weight - if any, it might be a pound or two at first that evens out over time. There are some very good low dose pills out there. I would try another before I tried Accutane. I hated being a teenager and having my face break out. I also hate being an adult and having it happen if I am not on the pill. :mad: My gynecologist has a good face care line, but I don't remember what it is. I use Neutrogena acne bar for my back - putting it on a scrub thing - b/c after workouts, I want to wash off the sweat and oil. I use it on my face too. What makeup does she use? Moisturizers? How are her eating habits? I know she wants to cry every day. I am sending her a hug - hope you can find an answer for her in place of Accutane.
 
Hi there;

I really sympathize with your daughter. Acne is sooooooo frustrating.

I have had very persistent acne since age 14 or so and I tried many things. Possibly everything. I gave up on dermatology by the time I was 17 and decided I just had to live with it. I also tried birth control pills but the one I was prescribed didn't agree with me so I gave up on that, too.

In my mid-20s, though, I went on traditional Ortho-Tri-Cyclen and my skin cleared up substantially. It wasn't totally clear (and probably never will be), but the improvement was HUGE.

That led me to re-explore my options at the dermatologists.

I am currently using a combo of Salicylic Acid (2%) cleanser from the drugstore, Retin-A micro, and a BC pill called Tri-Sprintec, which is a generic version of Ortho Tri-Cyclen (full dose, NOT OTC "Lo"). Did your daughter go on a higher-dose pill? I had no weight gain and generally found everything about this pill to be positive. (I actually lost five pounds during the first month). To cut to the chase: there are lots of pills, and they affect everyone differently, only the higher-estrogen pills help with acne, and sometimes you have to hang in there for a couple months to be sure.

Accutane isn't a terrible idea: if it works for you, it is, essentially, a cure for acne. The doc will want regular pregnancy tests and tests for liver function and cholesterol, among other things. I didn't have good health insurance when I asked my doctor about it, and it gets pricey, so I never did it, but I was curious. But there are serious side effects, so it might be worth exploring the many alternatives...

Retin-A micro really makes a difference. It also takes time (about 6 weeks), but the result is worth it. I alternate, applying Retin-A one evening and antibiotic cream the next, to prevent scarring (from the breakouts) and drying of my skin (from the Retin-A). Combining oral antibiotics and retin-A is pretty powerful, too.

Tell your poor daughter that it gets better, it's not her fault, and there are lots of remedies for her to try. Above all, don't give up too readily! I did, and I regret it. If I had stuck with it, I could have saved myself a lot of angst as a teenager!

Lisa
 
My 15 year old has been using .3% Differin, with a 6% benzoyl peroxide face wash and an oral antibiotic and got much worse this summer. She's now on a sulfa based antibiotic, Tazorac and 9% BP wash. We return in October and if there is not dramatic improvement our next step is Accutane. So, we aren't quite there yet, but I do know I will gladly fill that RX if needed. Teen age life is hard enough without acne,etc.
BTW~ my other two daughters achieved clear skin using YAZ (no weight gain) but their skin is not nearly as blemished. Make sure your daughter knows it's not her fault. Bad skin is just a lousy part of life for some of us.
No answers for you, but just wanted you to know there are others in the same situation. I also wanted to commend you for being so persistent in seeking help for your daughter. You are a great mom to continue seeking a cure for her!:D
Good luck to her! I hope the Accutane works quickly!

Becky
 
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Hi there:
In my early twenties, all of a sudden my face started breaking out and it got progressively worse, to the point where it was just depressing overall for me. I went on Accutane and it cleared up completely within a very short period of time. I did have nose bleeds, especially during the night, but sometimes at other inopportune times (in the middle of a class, etc) and my skin became tremendously dry all over my body. However, after the four month cycle, my skin was completely clear and the dryness went away shortly after I went off of the accutane. I was very relieved to finally have clear skin!

On and off over the years since I used accutane, I have had periods of mild breakouts; however, I can control these with retin-a and sometimes I use an additional topical antibiotic when needed. I would definitely explore the topic with the dermatologist. Acne can have a substantial impact on a person's self-esteem - I know that I got to a point where I didn't want to even go anywhere because I found it so embarrassing.

Good luck to your daughter!
 
I can sympathize with the desperatness of uncurable acne. I laugh every time I see a Proactive commercial. I could've washed my face with vegetable oil and had it be more effective.

The pill is all that works for me, and I would suggest a month is not enough time to see a difference. I've had horrible acne throughout my pregnancy, and now that I've been back on the pill for a month, I'm JUST starting to see things clear up. I was on this pill for 13 years prior to being pregnant (Mircette - it's a low dose), and had a BEAUTIFUL complexion, so I know that it does work. It just takes time.

As for the weight gain, it could be the specific pill that she's on, but it could also very well be her age. I went on the pill for the first time when I was her age, and I too gained weight with it and got boobs for the first time. That tends to come from a hormonal flux, and it just may be that the pill accelerated it for her. She would've likely seen that same weight gain come a year or two down the road when her own natural hormones kicked into high gear. It's important to note that I lost the weight that I gained from that pill, so it can definitely be done.

Accutane is a scary drug. It does work, but it takes a serious toll on the liver in addition to it's initial effects on the skin. You may want to do some more research on it before your daughter goes on it.
 
I appreciate all the input so far - THANKS - and look forward to more!

Several questions about the pill - she was on "Yaz" which is supposed to be a low dose of BC.

Debbie
 
I'm so sorry your daughter is going through this. Kids can be so cruel. My DS suffered horrible acne through his middle & high school years. We tried every oral, topical, & wash available and nothing cleared it up completely. I was really concerned about all the potential side affects of Accutane but his dermatologist kept tight control over his treatment. He had to come in every few weeks for a blood test and evaluation. Severe depression is a potential side affect in young adults so you need to watch them closely for changes in behavior. Females have to go on BCP or take a monthly pregnancy test as the drug can cause serious birth defects. It can raise cholesterol so that needs to be monitored as well. That said, the drug was a miracle! He only took it for 6 months and his face, neck and back quickly cleared up. That was a few years ago and he is still acne free.

{{{{hugs}}}} to your daughter. We've been there and I know how frustrating and hurtful it can be.

JJ
 
I was on Yaz and did not like it at all. I would try the OrthoTriCyclen or the Lo (that is the one I am on - the OrthoTriCyclen Lo). Yaz caused all sorts of problems for me. It uses a hormone that does not have a lot of history. I know lots of people do fine - also have heard some not so pleasant things about it. Even my gynecologist, who is so NOT an alarmist - quite the opposite - is questioning this pill. I would try another, if she is interested, and stay on it for longer than a month.
 
I actually did TWO :confused: courses of Accutane many years ago, so I can tell you that this med really does its job to treat a stubborn, cystic acne condition! I went thru my 1st course of treatment but, a year later I was still having problems, so my dermatologist put me on a 2nd course, which did the trick. My younger brother's acne was even worse than mine. After he saw what Accutane did for me, he went to my Dr. and got on it. Today you'd never know he ever even had acne. Accutane is the oral form of Retin-A. Another poster mentioned pregnancy.....your daughter would have to take a pregnancy test to confirm that she's not pregnant before beginning Accutane treatment, and she'll be required to sign a form stating that she's not planning to become pregnant within a certain time frame following treatment. As for side effects.... Accutane makes every cell in your body DRY, so you have to get used to keeping lip balm handy and take care to moisturize your body after showering. I loved not having oily skin during the time I was taking the pills! :p Good luck to your daughter! I know how tough it is to go thru what she's experiencing!!! :(
 
My now 20 year old daughter had to go through two rounds of Accutane but honestly, it was worth every bit of the hassle. The last time she developed acne was so terrible. It came back the summer of her junior year in high school and let me tell you, this acne was so terrible. My heart just broke for her. :-(

We took a summer trip to Hawaii that year and her acne was so bad during the trip. I remember as we were doing some tourist activities people staring at her skin. It made me so sad but we didn't talk about it because I didn't want her to be more self conscious than she already was. The acne hung on as she started school that year. There were nights that she just cried inconsolably. She talked about feeling so ugly. If I could have taken the acne for her, I would have. People in her classes were just jerks. She dealt with it for a good four months to the point where the doctor thought he was going to have to take her off the Accutane and start over. We had a breakthrough when school let out for Christmas break. It was like a miracle and probably the best Christmas present she could have gotten that year. By the time the new school year started, her skin was almost clear.

This was three years ago. Her skin is still clear, just very occasional breakouts that she controls with Retin-A. After that whole ordeal, we are absolutely strong supporters of Accutane despite the risks.
 
I am another successful Accutane story. It was the absolute last resort, but it was the only thing that worked on my cystic adult acne. The potential risks and side effects certainly give one pause, but as others mentioned, patients are closely monitored during treatment. For me, it was indeed well worth it.

Good luck to your daughter! I hope she finds the cure for her skin.
 
I have to be honest and i know accutane has worked for many and even many people i have known. i knw that for me it did clear up my skin (which was never as bad as i had thought) but if there is one thing in my life i regret it would be taking the accutane. i have had so many side effects since taking even though they say that it is out of your body. it completely stopped my cycle (it has been 6 yrs that i have not had a period) it was never an fda warning before but now is. i am also osteopenic now which osteoperosis is a rare side effect. i took this medicine when i was 22. all my monthly tests that you regularly have to take came back normal. i think personally my cycle stopped b/c even though now by law you have to be on TWO forms of birth control i wasn't b/c the pill made me sick. so i had nothing to regulate me during this time. i also must say that this was the first time i had experienced depression (not super severe) but enough for me. now i dont know if i was on a high dose and that is why i was effected by it but i do know that it was not worth it for me. i know am having trouble trying to have kids. you might want to check out the fda warning list before to see if you think the risks are worth it for clear skin. i cant remember anything else besides dry skin and having trouble seeing at night especially while driving. i hope there is an alternative but if she feels that strongly speak with the dr about these side effects and you are carefully monitored but for me it was the WRONG choice . Here is some info on accutane
http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-666...ugid=6661&drugname=Accutane+Oral&pagenumber=6
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/accutane/accutanemedicationguide.pdf
 
I feel for all of you that battle acne. I was lucky as a teenager -- my acne was very mild. However, back then of course you think its the worse thing ever. Now, my 13 y/o daughter is battling acne as well. Much worse than I ever had it. Currently she is on the oral antibiotic, Retin-A micro and a topical antibiotic. I have to wonder though, if she is using it correctly because she is also not experiencing any improvements. I remind her daily -- am and pm -- do go "do" her medicine, go wash your face etc. I also wonder now after reading all of your trials and tribulations, if she is also a candidate for this accutane treatment. We see the doctor again in November. Wish us luck.
 
I have very bad acne before and have also taken roaccutane. It did help to clear my conditions. However, you may want your daughter to try this first.
Get a cucumber and sliced it thinly and then lightly rub the cucumber slices over the face. Try this a few times a day. You can also try blending the cucumber to a juice to apply if that is easier. This will cool down the inflammation and let the acne heal without leaving scars. Many of my friends have tried this method and it really work.

Another method is to use aspirin which is actually salicylic acid.
Take a pill and dissolve it with a little water and add some face wash cream. I use Cetapill foam wash. Rub it over the face and then rinse off. It can be drying so use it 3 times a week only. It is very very effective for back acne too.

The above are just external methods to help clear the acne. Try them first to see if she still need to go for medication.

Shelly
 
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