I have been suffering with acne since I was 11, and it%26#039;s gotten worse. I get big painful pimples on my face, and my back. I am now 18, and nothing has worked for me.
I%26#039;ve been told that it has a lot of nasty side effects. Is it worth it?
I had a pharmacist tell me that, since I was recently diagnosed with depression, that this may cause me to become more depressed. Also, would it be safe to take if I am taking other medications, like antidepressants?
How quickly does it work? Is it guaranteed to work? Are the nasty side effects worth it? How much does it cost?|||I am also 18 and I%26#039;ve had pimples since I was 12. I%26#039;ve tried just about everything (antibiotics, Retin-A, benzoyl peroxide and more) and nothing worked for me.
2 months ago I was prescribed Diane-35 which is a birth control pill that is used to treat severe acne. My doctor told me it was basically the second last thing I could try, with Accutane being my last option. Since I%26#039;ve been on Diane-35 I%26#039;ve only had 3 pimples which is a huge improvement for me! And since I just started my results will only get better from here on out. I don%26#039;t know if you would have the same results I have had, but I recommend you try it and see. Diane-35 has an increased risk of blood clots compared to other birth control pills, but my doctor said that instead of being 2 out of 10,000 like most pills it%26#039;s like 4 out of 10,000 which is still really low, less than half a percent.
My doctor thought that Diane-35 had less severe side effects than Accutane, which is why he said I should try it first. I know a few people who have been on Accutane, one did totally fine and no side effects besides chapped lips but the other had a lot of flaky, peely skin, nosebleeds, headaches and sore joints. Both cleared up like 99% of their acne and just get the odd, small pimple when they%26#039;re on their period or whatever.
I%26#039;m not sure about taking Accutane and antidepressants at the same time, but I have heard of some people who weren%26#039;t depressed before Accutane becoming depressed while on it, so I can imagine that if you are already depressed you might be very hesitant to try anything that could make your depression worse.
Accutane isn%26#039;t guaranteed to work. Nothing works for everyone, but a large percentage of patients are cured after one course. Some people have a recurrance and have to do a second or even a third course. There is a percentage of people that receive no benefit from taking Accutane, no matter how many treatments they take.
I recommend talking to your doctor about Diane-35 and see if that is an option for you. I can%26#039;t guarantee it will help you but I know it has really helped me. I feel so much better about myself and I wish I%26#039;d heard about it a long time ago! If it%26#039;s not an option for you, or if you try it and it doesn%26#039;t work then talk to your doctor about if you should be okay using Accutane and antidepressants together. You have to weigh up whether improving you skin is worth a potential worsening of your depression. If you do go on Accutane, make sure you TELL SOMEONE RIGHT AWAY IF YOU ARE HAVING SUICIDAL THOUGHTS! I can%26#039;t stress that enough!
Check out the websites below, they have a lot of information and are easy to understand compared to a lot of the websites I came across.
Sorry this was so long!|||I have taken accutane.
Two different times.
And yes, while I was on it. My lips cracked and sometimes bled. My vision got worse (but i have alreaddyyy super horrid vision, so its hard to tell if it was really from accutane or just my normal eyes getting worse, but worsened vision can be a side affect) My cholesterol increased as well.
And I would do it all again, I wish my doctor would let me do it all again.
Some people I know use accutane and they are cleared for life. They have beautiful skin, and I am so happy for them. And some people like me have uber clear skin while on accutane (and no oil!!!! and my hair was less oily to boot!) and then about four months after I stopped taking it, slowly it returned. The acne on my back wasn%26#039;t isn%26#039;t half as bad, but my face is bad again.
So I got about 9 months of happiness, well for the most part. I was still self conscious because my skin is highly sensitive so it is like permanently damaged from the cream retin a and all the other products I have used over the years.
I don%26#039;t know about the depression, but if your depression is caused from the acne, then you will feel better because the accutane will work. Its like a guarantee, yes. It gets worse in the beginning but it does get better.
If you live in California (and maybe other states) there is an awful program you have to go through. Are you a boy or a girl? I don%26#039;t remember your icon. Anyway you have to go and get a pregnancy test, and then you have to get it done again in a month. (even if you are a virgin). You have to get your blood checked every month and pregnancy test, and you have to answer questions online every month regarding accutane and your two sources of birth control etc. Its a lousy pain, and your doctor has to go on the site as well and plug in your information, so they have to be on top of it as well.
I don%26#039;t remember it being to expensive with insurance.
Ps your doctor will know all about, if it will be okay with antidepressants.
I didn%26#039;t feel anymore or less depressed when I was on accutane.
And I don%26#039;t know how sad you have to be to be considered depressed but i can tell you I probably cry three times a week because I am so depressed about my skin. It makes me feel completely wretched at times, I know I probably sound uber extreme. But there are times when I dont want to go out or do anything and I just want to cry. And I feel like I am too ugly to be loved. I have always wanted kids and so often I tell myself that I am never having kids of my own because I don%26#039;t want to pass down this horrible gene.
I know it sounds extreme, but I am telling you, if your depression is from acne, you may be so happy with accutane.
You will be carefully monitored, and the side affects suck and are very serious, but for me, when I was on accuntane I actually felt like I was living.
I actually went to the beach, I went somewhere without makeup. It was incredible, and I would do it all again in a heart beat.
My doctor doesn%26#039;t think its a good idea to go on it for the third time, but I am back there again, in an awful place.
I hope something works for you. Its the most awful thing in the world, well for me, I guess I am highly self conscious about it not to mention it is physically painful.
PS the birth defect comment below, is if you are pregnant while on accutane, hence the strong defense against pregnancy with the required birth control and second source of birth control, as well as the pregnancy tests every month.
After you are off accutane is recommended that you wait sometime for it to filter out of your blood system before you attempt getting pregnant. I don%26#039;t remember the exact amount of time but its like a couple of months or something. But since your 18, I highly doubt its a concern.
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