topic Re: Accutane - Please help in Beauty

Accutane - Please help

Chihuahualuv — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 23:36:19 GMT

Hi Beauties,

My 17-year-old daughter has severe acne. I took her back to the derm today and she said we have now exhausted all options - except for one. My daughter is allergic to sulfa drugs and all topicals that have sulfates in them. This limits treatment also. She suggested Accutane and told me to NOT go on the internet and Google it because she said so much of what is said on the internet about it is not true. The fact that I'm not supposed to Google it concerns me.

I have worked in healthcare for many years and I do know some of the side effects - birth defects if becoming pregnant, suicidal thoughts, dry eyes, lips, mouth, ulcerative colitis.

We live in a rural area. We would need to travel 100 miles each way to the derm once a month for 5 months for lab work, monitoring and to see the doctor. I'm willing to do that, but am just unsure about these side-effects.

Could you please share your experiences with Accutane? I want my daughter to have clear skin and will likely proceed with this unless I hear about bad experiences from you all.

Thanks in advance for any replies!

Chi.

Re: Accutane - Please help

Still Raining — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 23:44:55 GMT

Luv your nic, I have rescued a number of senior Chihuahuas. Just love them.

I took two courses of the drug during my 40s and it did clear up the cysts and they never came back. The only side effect I had was semi-dry lips.

If it were my daughter and this was the option that seemed to be worth a try, I would do it for her. (My girls never had it that bad). Hope all goes well with her.

Re: Accutane - Please help

IControlMyHappiness — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 23:49:32 GMT

Accutane is a strong medicine but I will tell you...it is a blessing, don't let your child be scared with the curse of acne. I was on acutance twice, in about a 15 year span. When I first went on acutance my acne was terrible but I did not have the craters and it cleared up my skin 10000%. My self esteem improved, my hyperpigmentation went away and yes...it did dry out my skin, but I used the required medications and followed instructions EXACTLY.

If your child is having relations, please ENSURE that she is on birth control. A child must not be born while taking this medication...back to my skin..

The first dosage cleared my skin for about 15 years then the acne slightly returned but no were NEAR the original problem. The second dosage was for like 3 months only. While the first dosage was longer.

Please don't curse your child, self esteem and ones appearance follows them for their entire life. Whether we "LIKE" it or not people JUDGE you by how you look. Please I'm begging you don't let the acne remain and scar her face with those deep craters. I know the distance is far but I'd explain to everyone...you are saving your child's life. I'm not trying to be dramatic but unless your face is SCARED like mine was with acne, you would not know how it feels to have severe acne.

I would plan for the trip, plan for lunch at a restaurant, maybe stop at a mall and make a fun day of it. I don't regret taking Accutane and I would tell everyone if it can improve your child life...not for this week,...not for this year...but for the next 50 years, she won't have to deal with the ....people staring, talking about her skin, people at her job....life is hard enough...if you can help her and make a way....please follow the advice of the doctor.

Re: Accutane - Please help

IControlMyHappiness — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 23:56:33 GMT

Also, I never had any suicidal thoughts, my skin did get dry and my lips did get dry. I kept a jar of acquapor (Vaseline) type product and constantly put it on my lips. There are acne message boards where people type their tips to combat the dry skin.

With all that, I'd go on Accutane tomorrow if I needed to.

If possible, how about making the appointments on a Friday. So you could drive to the apt that morning and possibly on occasion stay overnight in a hotel and come back the next day. If you live in a rural area, find out your insurance plan prescription options and your doctors options, could you take the required lab work at a local labcorp and have the results sent to her, or could you take it at a local doctor's office and have the results sent to her???

Also if not, I'd make a fun trip out of the event and have her put money aside to contribute to the costs, meaning, go to the apt, have lunch at red robins, go to the local mall, walk around relax, stay at the cheapest hotel overnight (60.00), them come home the next morning.

Or make a 1:00 pm-3:00 apt, then you could casually leave in the morning, relax, drive to the apt, then slowly come home.

Re: Accutane - Please help

Chihuahualuv — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 23:57:13 GMT

Thank you so much, Still Raining and sunshine 3215, for your replies. I was definitely leaning toward the treatment, but I just need to hear some success stories. My daughter is not sexually active and is already on birth control for her heavy periods. The doctor made her sign 2 contracts today to not get pregnant and to use condoms if she does become sexually active. She has a good head on her shoulders and knows to take this very seriously.

Re: Accutane - Please help

Mom2Dogs — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 23:57:31 GMT

I took this drug in the early 80's....I took two rounds. The side effects I had were dry lips and I had to stay out of the sun. My skin is a bit dry but I don't know if that my age now or the drug. In the end you will have to decide what to do but as long as she is being monitored and want to take it, I would probably go ahead. If her acne is really bad it can harm her self esteem. My acne was adult onset...

Re: Accutane - Please help

twinsister — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 23:58:35 GMT

I took two courses of Accutane when it first became available in 1983. It was a miracle worker for me - cleared up the cysts. I remember in the beginning my skin was slightly red and peeled and my lips were dry. Had regular blood testing, but thankfully no other problems with it.

Re: Accutane - Please help

itsmagic — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 00:00:15 GMT

My daughter was on Accutane when she was a teenager for severe acne. She did not have any side effects during the treatment other than extremely dry lips which went away when the treatment was done. I remember she had to have lab work done several times during the course of treatment to make sure it wasn't adversely affecting her. Her skin cleared up completely and she was very happy about that!

Re: Accutane - Please help

Chihuahualuv — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 00:01:52 GMT

Just another question for you all - I know that if one becomes pregnant on this drug, there is a very high chance of birth defects. Can I ask if you ladies became pregnant AFTER the treatment and delivered healthy children? Our doctor said if you take this treatment for 5 months, you will never have to take it again. It made me wonder why and hopefully, it is out of your body when you want to bear children.

Thanks again, everyone!

Re: Accutane - Please help

IControlMyHappiness — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 00:02:48 GMT

Chih - I'm going to tell you, you are doing the RIGHT THING, my mother did not put my on acutance and I had to suffer with the looks and stares and comments as a young adult. Please don't change your mind, you are doing the right thing. People were always commenting about my skin, I had to see all the "normal" girls in college and her I was with all these large bumps on my chin and all over my face. Plus I had the hyperpigmentation also which was the dark spots.

I don't regret it at all...You are saving your child's life...I'm serious and not trying to be dramatic, clearing up my skin, changed my life. I feel better, it is one thing to not worry about.

Please understand, no matter what anyone say...there are some people like me, that no matter what diet, exercise, face wash, no soda, no chocolate, washing with this soap or that soap... my acne was not going to be cleared up without ACCUTANE...period end of story.

You are saving your child's life ...after you and I are long gone, her skin will not be a source of shame, she will have one less burden to carry.

Re: Accutane - Please help

Mtnbikegirl — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 00:03:40 GMT

Try using 10 mg of doxycycline once a month. Natural apple cider vinegar (from nature store) to wash face (careful around eyes). My son had acne that was scary. We tried everything; except, Accutane. Doxycycline made his skin flawless!!

Please educate yourself. Hopefully, you have some good pharmacists around you that can send you in the right direction.

Re: Accutane - Please help

Chihuahualuv — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 00:04:46 GMT

Thank you, sunshine 3215. I'm so sorry you had to suffer through what my daughter is going through. It is sure not easy being a teen or young adult, even when you don't have acne!

Re: Accutane - Please help

Day1128 — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 00:05:32 GMT

I took 2 rounds of Accutane when I was in my twenties. I wish it had been an option when I was a teenager. I suffered with acne and have very mild scarring. I am sure if I had been able to take Accutane has a teenager I would not have the scarring. The only side effects I had was some dry lips. The doctor made sure I was taking birth control when I was on the Accutane as it should not be taken when pregnant. Good luck to your daughter.

Re: Accutane - Please help

Chihuahualuv — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 00:06:48 GMT

On 10/30/2014 mtnbikegirl said:
Try using 10 mg of doxycycline once a month. Natural apple cider vinegar (from nature store) to wash face (careful around eyes). My son had acne that was scary. We tried everything; except, Accutane. Doxycycline made his skin flawless!!

Please educate yourself. Hopefully, you have some good pharmacists around you that can send you in the right direction.

Hi mtnbikegirl,

Thank you for your reply! My daughter has been on the doxy and we have also tried the unfiltered apple cider vinegar with the "mother" in it. I know a lot of people have had really good results with that, but she's had no luck with that either!

Re: Accutane - Please help

DowntonAbbey — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 00:07:27 GMT

My former husband was younger than me in the 80's when we married and so he got on the meds at 22..........he had dry lips and his nose would bleed some but his skin became so so nice.........it is worth it and I think it is high doses of Vitamin A.........Did she try Differen cream? I don't know if that is a sulfer drug but I know if she has severe acne it is hurting her personality and her self-esteem. Bless her heart I feel sorry for her. I know that after I had my son I would get cysts around my chin line and someone told me to start taking Flaxseed Oil and I did and it cleared up my skin.........I wish you the best of your decision.....all drugs have side effects........I would make sure how long it has to be out of her system before she could have children and I would make sure that taking the drug and then going off would for sure not cause birth defects........it did not with my husband because we had a beautiful son but he has trouble with his skin also........but he does not take care of it and it was hard making him take care of his skin.

Re: Accutane - Please help

IControlMyHappiness — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 00:16:02 GMT

Thanks, I'm just trying to share my story...you will hear about different medications and washes which worked for person A and person B. One person's acne might be different than your child's acne. For me, as I said I had to do two rounds.

I know for me I had been on lower dosage medications and it did not work. Research, get suggestions and opinions...but in the END...do what is best for you and your child.

But remember once the scaring and deep pits arrive in one's face...their is no going back.. I have known people to get laser skin treatment to try and reduce the scaring and you don't want that to happen to your child.

Re: Accutane - Please help

Good4u — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 00:16:15 GMT

I also took Accutane when I was a very young teen. I don't remember any particular side effects, but I do remember the wonderful clear skin results! I was thrilled! I 'd take it again in a heart beat if I needed it.

Re: Accutane - Please help

boomerchick — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 00:57:50 GMT

I also was on Accutane in the late 80's for cysts on my face. I had very dry chapped lips and later started itching. It felt like ants crawling on me so my dermatologist took me off of it. The upside is my cycts cleared up & did not come back. Best wishes for your daughter.

Re: Accutane - Please help

bandmomof3 — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 01:00:21 GMT

My son took Accutane about 2 years ago when he was 19. His derm told us what some of the side effects were, but also said they were rare and sometimes couldn't be traced to strictly Accutane. After discussions with my son and the derm, we decided to give it a try. The monthly monitoring was helpful; they did all the "medical testing" to be sure the medicine was doing it's job, but my son also spent time with one of the nurse practitioners in the office (he had the same one each time) who talked about life in general, how he was feeling, etc. I think that helped keep somewhat of a track of his emotional state. Of course, I had a very open discussion with my son up front and felt like there was a good understanding of the side effects and how I hoped he would let me know if he was having strange feelings. I also warned him that I may be "watching" him more closely for signs of stress and that I hoped he understood and would humor me! I felt he knew it was out of love for him that I was willing to try the medicine yet watch for bad side effects. The nurse practitioner also gave my son her office phone number that he was to call if he ever had questions or felt like he needed to talk.

I have to tell you that he saw small results very quickly (I can't remember exactly..thinking a little over a week but may be wrong on that) and it was SUCH a moral booster for him! He did have dry lips but I bought Burts Bees as the nurse practitioner suggested and he used it all the time. That was about the only true side effect I noticed. He didn't really have extremely dry skin, and he started in October and went through the winter.

From my experience with my son, Accutane was the best thing that happened to him. It was a quick, thorough solution to an issue that had been plaguing him throughout high school.

Good luck with your decision. Good communication is a key player here, I think...both with derm and patient.

Shari

Re: Accutane - Please help

Mtnbikegirl — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 01:08:56 GMT

On 10/30/2014 Chihuahualuv said:
On 10/30/2014 mtnbikegirl said:
Try using 10 mg of doxycycline once a month. Natural apple cider vinegar (from nature store) to wash face (careful around eyes). My son had acne that was scary. We tried everything; except, Accutane. Doxycycline made his skin flawless!!

Please educate yourself. Hopefully, you have some good pharmacists around you that can send you in the right direction.

Hi mtnbikegirl,

Thank you for your reply! My daughter has been on the doxy and we have also tried the unfiltered apple cider vinegar with the "mother" in it. I know a lot of people have had really good results with that, but she's had no luck with that either!

I'm sorry it didn't help. I forgot the "mother" part of the apple cider vinegar. Thanks for that! It was driving me nuts trying to think of that...I wish you and your daughter the best. You seem very knowledgeable about all the different remedies.