Time for accutane?!
Question: im returning to the dermatologist next tuesday. Its been six weeks since he put me on retin-a and two pills of doxycycline 100mg a day.he said that this would be attacking my acne pretty aggressively and it would take 6 months tell if it was working. idf like to go on accutane. do you think thats what he will do. andif i ask him about it will he prescribe it?
Answers: im returning to the dermatologist next tuesday. Its been six weeks since he put me on retin-a and two pills of doxycycline 100mg a day.he said that this would be attacking my acne pretty aggressively and it would take 6 months tell if it was working. idf like to go on accutane. do you think thats what he will do. andif i ask him about it will he prescribe it?
Here are some things to consider:
- Accutane is usually used for cystic/nodular acne
- If you have cystic/nodular acne, nothing else usually works
- Retin-A can be very irritating to the skin / difficult to tolerate
- Don't listen to gloom-and-doom stories
- Over 2 million have taken Accutane, most without problem
Depending on the severity of your acne and how oily your skin is, you may want to pursue Accutane with your dermatologist. Both doxycycline and Retin-A only provide results while you continue to take them. Once you stop, your acne returns. Of course, Accutane can be difficult for some people to tolerate, and it is not indicated in all cases of acne --> it is not intended for mild cases of acne.
Six weeks is enough time to know if the antibiotics would work, but it's not enough to know if the Retin-A would work. Generally, you know if a retinoid, like Retin-A, is going to work for your after about 12 weeks (3 months). 6 weeks should give you a good indication of how well your skin can tolerate Retin-A, however. Some people do very well on it -- others, not so well. It doesn't sound like you're satisfied. Discuss this with your dermatologist and see what he says. All doctors should be willing to take input and feedback, but if you don't have truly severe acne, many dermatologists are unwilling to prescribe Accutane. Good luck!
Accutane can be a very dangerous medication. It should not be something you take on lightly. There are a lot of precautions and things you have to follow or they will really affect you. Here is some patient education points form lexi-comp on Accutane:
Do not take any other vitamin A products, limit vitamin A intake, and increase exercise during therapy. Limit or avoid alcohol intake. Exacerbations of acne may occur during first weeks of therapy. You may experience headache, loss of night vision, lethargy, or visual disturbances (use caution when driving or engaging in tasks requiring alertness until response to drug is known); photosensitivity (use sunscreen, wear protective clothing and eyewear, and avoid direct sunlight); dry mouth or nausea (small frequent meals, sucking hard candy, or chewing gum may may help); or dryness, redness, or itching of skin, eye irritation, or increased sensitivity to contact lenses (wear regular glasses). Report depression or suicidal thoughts. Discontinue therapy and report acute vision changes, ringing in the ears or changes in hearing, rectal bleeding, abdominal cramping, or unresolved diarrhea.
Do not take accutane! My ex boyfriend used to take it and it had so many bad side effects! Please Please Please do not take it! I remember I couldn't even kiss him because his skin and lips got so dry and flakey and rock hard, if he tried to talk or smile, his lips would crack and bleed and he would cry. Alot of other things happened too.. He wished he never took it!
http://www.weitzlux.com/accutane/sideeff...
Accutane is some pretty mean stuff, my son was on it many years ago and while it drys up the zits, it made his fingertips crack and bleed, affected his nose and lips. It did clear up the acne. Make sure you know what you're getting your self into.
I advice you not to take Accutane. I took Acnetrex a year ago and it is isotretinoin as well like Accutane but is a lot milder. It cleared up everything including the oiliness on my face. The only side effect I noticed was that my lips are slighty dry but not that awful. Lip moisturizer usually make the problem go away. I took it for 2 months and it gave my acne the boo! I thought I would grow old and die having acne on my face. It changed my life completely. Try asking your dermatologist for it. Trust me it has no other side effects besides the thing that I have mentioned.