Roaccutane

LegacyUser

Howdy, Ive decided to see a dermatologist to get rid of my skin problem. Its not all THAT bad on my face but its fairly bad on my back. Im 22 and have had the problem since I was about 13, it runs on one side of the family unfortunately. I wash my face twice a day, drink gallons of water & watch what I eat so please dont reccomend me any of these... Ive been prescribed minocin twice and it made a very very minor improvement but didnt come close to solving the problem. Ive also tried the regime on acne.org with the BP cream. It works at getting rid of them pretty well but doesnt stop them coming back.

I was banking on it clearing up in my late teens...and early 20's but it hasnt and doesnt show any signs of doing so. Im a very social, outgoing , confident chap but it really gets me down and has been for years so Ive decided to go down this road as a last resort...I understand its a strong drug and theres plenty of side effects asociated with it...just looking for some feedback from people who have experience ?

- How much does it cost
- How often do you have to get blood tests ?
- Can you drink alcohol while on it?
- What side effects did you experience ?
- Did it work... ?
- How long were you on it and how long before you started to see results ?

Thanks in advance!

Nevyn

Ring or call into your local chemist and ask them.

pinkdaisy

i was on roaccutane for 6 months this year. i finished it in september. and i have to say, it completely cleared up my acne, it's without a doubt the best solution. my skin is so clear now, you would never guess i ever even had acne!!
the cost depends on the dosage you're on, with me i was on a very high dosage, about 50mg a day (the dosage will be higher or lower depending on your weight and the severeness of the acne.) i think it cost about 50euro a month, maybe more.

i experienced no side-effects except severe dryness, especially on my lips. vaseline will become your new best friend!! and i was able to wear my contact lenses throughout though they tell you not to.
got blood tests every month or two months before my next prescription.

really you shouldnt drink while you're on it, the warnings are all over the packets and stuff, but i did and i was fine. that said, i wasnt binge drinkin and maybe its gud to just ease off a little while you're on it as theres a huge strain on your liver.

it really is the best solution for acne, id recommend it to anyone. my skin was pretty much clear after about 2months. it was hereditary with me also, and its all grand to say drink water, eat healthy, etc, but if its in your genes, theres no escaping it!! i tried minocin, bp, etc. literally everything and roaccutane is the only thing that worked. but make sure its the right choice for you as it is very strong and there have been cases of severe depression, mood swings, etc, while on it.
good luck tho!!

LegacyUser

pinkdaisy wrote:

i was on roaccutane for 6 months this year. i finished it in september. and i have to say, it completely cleared up my acne, it's without a doubt the best solution. my skin is so clear now, you would never guess i ever even had acne!!
the cost depends on the dosage you're on, with me i was on a very high dosage, about 50mg a day (the dosage will be higher or lower depending on your weight and the severeness of the acne.) i think it cost about 50euro a month, maybe more.

i experienced no side-effects except severe dryness, especially on my lips. vaseline will become your new best friend!! and i was able to wear my contact lenses throughout though they tell you not to.
got blood tests every month or two months before my next prescription.

really you shouldnt drink while you're on it, the warnings are all over the packets and stuff, but i did and i was fine. that said, i wasnt binge drinkin and maybe its gud to just ease off a little while you're on it as theres a huge strain on your liver.

it really is the best solution for acne, id recommend it to anyone. my skin was pretty much clear after about 2months. it was hereditary with me also, and its all grand to say drink water, eat healthy, etc, but if its in your genes, theres no escaping it!! i tried minocin, bp, etc. literally everything and roaccutane is the only thing that worked. but make sure its the right choice for you as it is very strong and there have been cases of severe depression, mood swings, etc, while on it.
good luck tho!!

You didnt get any depression or other side effects ? How long before you saw results ?

I would 6 monthes without drinking seriously hard. Its what my social life revolves around..sadly enough. How much and how often did you drink while on it ?

Stheno

One of my friends has just finished a six month course.

She had to have monthly blood tests for liver and kidney functions and a pregnancy test each month too, whilst she was on it, and she did suffer from extreme tiredness whilst she was on it, but said that it was worth it for the improvement in her skin which has been absolutely amazing.

Cost wise I think she was spending over €85 a month on her prescription, so she paid the €85 and the rest was covered under the drugs scheme.

During the six months she had a couple of drinks maybe once every two months, but was careful to avoid it as much as possible.

Pepe LeFrits

Questions... wrote:

Ive also tried the regime on acne.org with the BP cream. It works at getting rid of them pretty well but doesnt stop them coming back.

Um, would you not just keep on using it then? I started using Panoxyl 2.5 but it was way too strong and caused severe irritation, but my skin cleared up and took about 2 weeks before returning to being poor. Back using a weaker alternative and its clearing up again...

Rb

I did a six month course of it in my mid-teens.

I can't remember the cost, but it wasn't too bad (and the results were well worth it). I'd three blood tests in the six months which were no bother really.

I didn't drink during it. Its a seriously strong drug with sometimes extreme side affects, and I think anyone who does drink while on it is, to put it bluntly, a f*cking idiot.

Personally the only side affects I experienced were dry lips, one day I'd a dry nose which led to it bleeding but it was gone the next day. It also rid my skin of any colour, I was very white for a while after (I usually had a bit of colour all year round), and was quite sensitive to sun exposure after the course.

Not your day to day sun though, just when I'd sit out on hot days for prolonged periods and stuff and didn't use a high enough suncream (as I thought it'd be the same as I was before the course, I just used the usual..turned out I needed higher).Nothing too severe but it does differ from person to person.

It totally cleared up my skin and I haven't had a spot since (rougly 6 years since). I'd say it noticably started working nearer the end of the course, and it also continues working after you stop taking it.

If you do go on a course of it, just follow your dermatologists orders and you should be fine. They monitor you fairly strictly also.

Best of luck.

irlirishkev

I was on it in my early 20's, about the same age as you are now. I kept getting spots throughout the course, but I was told that would happen, and that the real benefit of the drug only starts when you finish. It cleared my acne right up, and have been clear ever since. I'm now 29.

I drank for a while, 'til my first blood test, when it was blatantly obvious I was still drinking. My dermatologist told me in no uncertain terms that he'd end the treatment if I didn't stop drinking. So I did. It's not that hard once you get used to it, and you just think of the end result.

Side effects for me were mood swings. It's only obvious to me now when I look back. Didn't realise it at the time. I was quite pale while on them, and a strange side effect, was my eyebrows perspired a lot(!)..
Oh, and I've been using vaseline on my lips ever since, but that doesn't bother me.

I think dermatologists will only prescribe it as a last resort. It's expensive, but isn't there a way that you only have to pay up to a certain amount per month for drugs? That's what I did.

It's worth it if it's recommended. I never looked back..

K.

LegacyUser

Pepe LeFrits wrote:

Um, would you not just keep on using it then? I started using Panoxyl 2.5 but it was way too strong and caused severe irritation, but my skin cleared up and took about 2 weeks before returning to being poor. Back using a weaker alternative and its clearing up again...

It works to a certain extent...but not all THAT well. Still takes a week or two for them to go away even with the BP cream. Also, hard to apply cream to my entire back.

LegacyUser

Are there not any other alternatives ? Other than Minocin.. anything else out there ?

LegacyUser

Been on Roaacutane now 14 months. Have being completely clear for last couple of months but did have a bad reaction when I first started with my acne getting much worse and had to go on high dose steroids to calm it down! Get blood tests evey 6 months. Side effect are dry lips and eyes mostly, carmex is my best friend even though I'm a guy! Don't try and get a tan either as your skin just goes a wierd red colour!
I drink as normal which includes getting really drunk, my derm told me I didn't had to cut it out. It costs me 85 a month which is the most anyone has to pay in the state for drugs, the gov pick up the rest.
I don't know how severe your acne is but I wish I had started this drug years ago because I've being left with scars that get me more down now then the acne did. Acne managed to completely destroy my social life but since I cleared thats completely changed.

pinkdaisy

Questions... wrote:

You didnt get any depression or other side effects ? How long before you saw results ?

I would 6 monthes without drinking seriously hard. Its what my social life revolves around..sadly enough. How much and how often did you drink while on it ?

no side effects at all, except the dryness like i said. i didnt notice any mood swings and i definitely didnt get depressed! but it does happen. i know a guy who was on it and said that it made him really tired all the time, but i didnt have anything like that. and my skin started to properly clear up after about 2months.

as for the alcohol thing, the best thing really is not to do it at all. but if you have to, be realy careful and dont overdo it. especially cos you're getting bloodtests so your prescription can be stopped if they think you're liver cant handle the drugs. i drank maybe once or twice a week, and nothing was ever said to me after bloodtests, but definitely not to the extent that i was off my face. im not a big drinker anyway, so it wasnt a problem for me really. but you have to remember it is only for 6 months, and its so worth it in the end. so just take extra care of your body while you're on it!!

OMcGovern

I was on roaccutane for 9 months, when I was around 25 ( 9 years ago )
Never looked back since...
I still get the odd spot/lump, but nothing that a cheap tub of Sudocream can't handle.

It is the drug of last resort, because it has many potential side effects.
So you'll have to try the anti-biotic route first, or prove to the dermatologist that you've tried that already.

It really dried out my skin, and I had to put on moisturizer.
My lips and inside of my nose dried out, and I needed vaseline.
My eyes were dryish, but I got away without eye drops.

It has been linked to depression, but I didn't notice anything.
I was reasonably emotionally stable at the time anyways.

I'm not sure how the drug refund scheme works now... but I had to fork out about 200 punts a month at the time, and claim it back 6 months later.
But I think you could get some special card first, to avoid that.
My knowledge of prices and drug refund schemes is nearly a decade out of date now.

In summary, it will be mildly uncomfortable at times... but I've never looked back. Acne can be like a cancer on the ego, and the curse was lifted from me, with the aid of Roaccutane.

regards,
Owen

jimi_t

pinkdaisy wrote:

...i experienced no side-effects except severe dryness, especially on my lips. vaseline will become your new best friend!! and i was able to wear my contact lenses throughout though they tell you not to.
got blood tests every month or two months before my next prescription.

really you shouldnt drink while you're on it, the warnings are all over the packets and stuff, but i did and i was fine. that said, i wasnt binge drinkin and maybe its gud to just ease off a little while you're on it as theres a huge strain on your liver.

I was on 20mg for 4 months upped to 40mg for 3 months and finally up to 80mg a day for 7 months. The only big effects were SERIOUSLY dry lips (make sure to carry vaseline tins), growing pains and some serious tiredness from time to time. I drank on it (granted I was never given a blood test or anything) and it appeared to have had no consequences, not that I'd recommend it.

Don't wear contacts, I've heard horror stories about people starving their corneas of oxygen or something with them. I had to get "fake tears" in my last few months because my eyes dried up on them. I think girls have to go on the pill with it as a precaution, same with epilepsy medication.

Blush_01

Questions... wrote:

I would 6 monthes without drinking seriously hard. Its what my social life revolves around..sadly enough. How much and how often did you drink while on it ?

Go out without drinking. It's not hard, it's as much fun, and especially if it's for medical reasons then surely the best idea is to listen to the professionals who're trying to keep you as healthy as possible.

I've done 6, 8, 10 months at a time when I didn't drink, but went out as much as ever with my friends. No medical reasons, I just decided not to. Anyone who says it's hard to do so shouldn't be drinking, because they're abusing it if they need it that much to be social.

LegacyUser

pinkdaisy wrote:

no side effects at all, except the dryness like i said. i didnt notice any mood swings and i definitely didnt get depressed! but it does happen. i know a guy who was on it and said that it made him really tired all the time, but i didnt have anything like that. and my skin started to properly clear up after about 2months.

as for the alcohol thing, the best thing really is not to do it at all. but if you have to, be realy careful and dont overdo it. especially cos you're getting bloodtests so your prescription can be stopped if they think you're liver cant handle the drugs. i drank maybe once or twice a week, and nothing was ever said to me after bloodtests, but definitely not to the extent that i was off my face. im not a big drinker anyway, so it wasnt a problem for me really. but you have to remember it is only for 6 months, and its so worth it in the end. so just take extra care of your body while you're on it!!

Strange that he told you you could continue drinking. Obviously I wouldnt drink at my current level. Maybe I could have 3 or 4 pints at the weekend though ?

I'll ask him about it...

Also, do I need to be refered to a dermo ? Can any of yea reccomend one?

doctor evil

Ask your docotor about it, you have to get the blood tests as it can really mess up your liver, which of course means no drinking! (at least you will make a saving there). I was on it and unfortunatley it didn`t quite help me. If your in any suseptible to feeling down or blue I wouldn`t go on it, in that respect I suspect it didn`t really agree with me (others things as well at the time). It cleared up my acne while I was on it but it was a b*tch remembering to take it twice daily.

Daithio

Questions... wrote:

You didnt get any depression or other side effects ? How long before you saw results ?

Regarding the depression I'd imagine that it would be genetic too. As in, if there's a history of depression or mental illnesses in your family it mightn't be the best thing to start taking. A good friend of mine has a history of depression, but it was never too serious until he started taking roaccutane. Anyway after about a month of being on it he completely flipped out and started having all sorts of weird suicidal thoughts. Thankfully he got off it soon enough and nothing serious happened as a result, but I'd be very careful if you have been prone to depression/ mood swings in the past. Your GP should know best, but sometimes, as in the case of my friend, they do prescribe certain drugs to people that really shouldn't be taking them. GL with it.

Daithio

Blush_01 wrote:

Anyone who says it's hard to do so shouldn't be drinking, because they're abusing it if they need it that much to be social.

I don't really agree with this. I can go for plenty of time without drinking, provided I'm not put in situations where others are drinking. But there's no way I can go out to a club or pub where my friends are all getting drunk and I'm not. After their third or fourth pint the conversations just get really boring, and people start repeating themselves too much. I'd rather stay at home to be honest. I don't think I have a drinking problem, in fact I know I don't, but in the culture that we live in I think it is very difficult to stop for extended periods of time.

spinandscribble

im on it for a couple of months and have experienced zero side effects except for dry skin on my face for the first two weeks.

LegacyUser

How bad does your skin have to be for a dermatologist to consider putting you on this ?

I have suffered from bad skin , which was especially bad in my teens. At that time I was on Minocin ( side effects), some topical prescribed stuff & all the over the counter stuff available.

I thought in my twenties I was free of it but after a particularly stressful year I have had a huge flare up which started around 5 months ago and has not abated. Mostly one area of my face & my back. I don't know if I would be 'bad' enough for this but after trying everything else Im not sure what my options are.

I know myself its not a very bad case, but the it is constant, unsightly & painful at times !

Civilian_Target

I was on it for 9 months when I was twenty. Had been on Milicin for a good year but got moved to Roaccutane as priority when I had to get a spot surgically removed. They were big, pretty painful and mostly on my face, neck and back although ocassionally on the groin and upper legs.

In my case, the treatment was all covered by the DPS, so for Roaccutane, plus the necessary eye-lubricating drops were €70 a month. I had to get a blood test every 2 weeks. That meant no booze, although I'd kicked booze at that point already to see if it would have any effects. If you drink on Roaccutane you'll usually get a servere case of the runs, so I wouldn't recommend it.

The main side effects were stiff joints, flaky skin and dry eyes and nose. My ears hurt for a few days as well. As long as you do some reasonable exercise while you're on it though it, the joints will ease up and the sweat should lubricate things like your ears to a certain extent. I was exercising 3/4 days a week.

But, it worked pretty well. Its not perfect, I still have blotchy skin, but it is a massive improvement overall. I still get the odd spot but it's nothing an in-the-shop spot lotion won't solve! I didn't see any results though until I'd been on it for 6 months, so don't expect an overnight miracle.

Overall I have to recommend it, it's not quite a miracle cure but it's pretty close!

Hope this helps!

[EDIT]And I suffered no depression more so than I already had from having spots for 2 years![/EDIT]

irlirishkev

Regarding recommending a dermatologist, you'd really want your doctor to refer you to one. Reason being, he'll want to write a letter to the dermo explaining exactly what methods you've previously tried to combat the situation.

The guy I saw was in Blackrock Clinic, but I can't remember his name.

I'm surprised to hear one poster is still drinking and was told it was okay to do so. I was told it was extremely dangerous to your liver, to drink while on the drug. Maybe something has changed, but I'd double check..