My experience with Accutane

Back in high school, I had moderate acne. I felt like everything i was using was not helping to improve my skin. I remember trying a lot of different facial products with no luck. It was such an awful feeling. I ended up going to the dermatologist who first put me on antibiotics to help, but that didn't last or work out very well. Eventually after trying a few different things, he decided that i should try Accutane.

Now if you don't know what Accutane is, it's a form of vitamin A. It reduces the amount of oil released by oil glands in your skin, and helps your skin renew itself more quickly. He explained to me how if a woman on accutane became pregnant, the baby could have severe birth defects from it. That is why you have to be a part of the iPLEDGE program when you're taking it. You have be registered in the program and sign documents stating that you understand the dangers of this medication and that you agree to use some sort of birth control as required by the program. You also have to answer these simple questions to get your prescription refilled every month while on it. When i went to the dermatologist once a month, i had to have a pregnancy test.  I also had to have blood drawn every other month to check my lipid levels i believe.

You can have multiple side effects when on it, but the ones I experienced was mostly skin dryness. You're basically dry all over. My lips felt so chapped all the time. That was definitely the most awful part about it. I also had an occasional bloody nose at night time due to the dryness as well. That could be prevented by putting a little Vaseline around the nose for some added moisture. The dryness did have an upside for me though because i didn't have to worry about oily hair anymore! I could skip washing it for days. That was a nice change from the daily

Some more serious side effects that can be experienced from the drug that i fortunately didn't have are depressed mood, sudden numbness or weakness, hearing problems, seizures, flu-like symptoms, blurred vision, and joint stiffness. If you do experience any of those, you should call your doctor right away.  

Sounds like a long process huh? Well it was, but I have to say to me, it was worth doing and going through all of that. My skin did clear up after 5 months and i have never felt happier in my own skin. After a year or so, i started breaking out more. I ended up going back on Accutane a second round before high school completed. Not everyone needs this, of course. I think how high of a dose you're on can affect how long you stay clear. I felt like this time the side effects for me were mainly just dealing with being extremely dry.

It's been almost 5 years now.  After my second round was complete, i have only experienced occasional break outs to this day. If i do break out, it's mainly around my chin area or T-zone. I still think it's important to follow a regular skin regimen to maintain healthy skin.

Was it worth going through all of this all over twice? To me, it was. It was truly a miracle drug. I could hardly believe i was looking at the same person, even if i had to go back on a second round. The occasional break outs i get now are NOTHING to like what i was experiencing in high school. So i would highly recommend to anyone with even moderate acne who aren't getting results through anything else to go to the dermatologist. It's really the best thing you can do for yourself. Ask questions and see if Accutane is a good fit for you!