Hi,

Just curious as to opinions. I have had acne since my early 20's and
am now almost 35. Over that period, due to moving or just getting fed
up with no results... I have been to four doctor who each have had
their own special way or dealing with my problem.

My acne is nowhere near as bad as it was in my 20's but it's still
there and I am fed up. This spring, my chin decided to break out every
other week. I have been on most oral antibiotics you can think or and
many topical medications and even been on Proactiv. Most work for a
period and then my skin seems to "find a way around" the latest med..
causing me to have to switch again. Even though I have insurance, I
think if I totaled up all the doctors visits and drugs over the last
13 years or so... about $15,000 or more has been spent on my face,
even if it didn't all come out of my pocket.

Anyway, I was frustrated with my current doctor (who I had used for 8
years) and found the 20 mile drive to his office a pain, so I found a
new doctor this week who is near my office, covered by my health plan
and easy to get to.

I saw him yesterday, explained my situation and what I am using now. I
have not been on oral antibiotics on a few years, but have had luck
using Benzamycin for a while. While I was ok with staying with
Benzamycin I have had some recent breakouts it doesn't seem to work
that well on.

(Just giving background, now here is the question)

My new doctor immediately told me he wanted to put me on Accutane.
None of my prior doctors liked using it so it was never really
dicussed before. This one loves it. He said the following and seemed
to be well versed on it:

1. Since I have been on most oral antibiotics and topical acne meds
and still get breakouts at 36.. Accutane would be the best choice at
this stage.

2. He said I would need to take 60mg a day for 5 months. Since my acne
is mild these days, he thinks it has a great chance of ending my
breakouts forever and finally "curing" me. He seemed annoyed the prior
doctors didn't use it and hinted they may have avoided it for me
because they make more money with repeat visits to try other meds.

3. He said I MAY have a "very mild flareup" once I start taking
Accutane, but many people don't have any.

4. He said I MAY get SOME dryness of the lips and face and that many
over the counter lotions would get rid of it.

5. He said any stories I have read about depression, etc. are in
teenagers so I am out of risk for that.

6. He said summer is the best time to do this as the air is moist and
will cut way down on any dryness I could get.

This doctor has lead me to believe I will get some bloodwork done this
week, start taking Accutane, have little if any side effects and in 5
months most likely will never break out again.

How much do you agree with? I am willing to try, but do have some
fears.

The choice is yours. However, I have strong opinions against accutane.

I'm 38. I've been on every med for acne. None of them worked. Accutane
did not work. I was 28 when I was on accutane. I found the side effects to
be horrendous. The depression was astounding. The dry skin and lips and
eyes were horrible. I started bleeding all over. My period lasted a full
month. My migraine headaches came back. I lasted 4 months and demanded
that my doctor take me off of it. And she argued with me!

What finally cleared up my skin? A change in diet. All those years, scars,
embarrassment, etc. Not to mention the amount of money and all I had to do
was stop eating processed sugar, nuts, taking vitamins (B12) and stop using
Tea Tree Oil products.

Take care,ar

"Ryan" <welziak@snet.net> wrote in message
news:189b1c22.0406230720.59d15350@posting.google.c om...

Hi,

Doctors like to use acne patients to make money by asking us to try
antibiotics and keep coming back every 3-6 months..

Better to try accutance.

the party. Most people I know have been cured....

after 13 years... (Praise the God and Lord Jesus Christ!!)

So you have to keep carry around plently of lip balm and oil free moisturizers.

take accutance.


Regards,
acne_veteran.

Hi. I wanted to say that acne is a really annoying "disease" and I'm glad that
people are now realizing this.

Ok, I've been through this. Although, I am not 35, only 23, I had really bad
cystic acne a few years ago. I ended up going to numerous dr's and they all
put me on antibiotic. Nothing worked. I tried that Proactive crap and
something else that didn't work, and I finally went to a real derm and he told
me to just do accutane. I was pretty hesitant about it, but I did it b/c I was
so frustrated with looking the way I did.

The first few weeks weren't so great. I did have a minor flare up, but the
derm said that was expected. My lips did chap a lot, I was kind of weak and my
friends said I was really moody. I had read about the side effects and
stories, so that's why I was so apprehensive about taking it in the first
place. I took it through the summer, and yes, I used sunscreen and lotion
prescribed by the derm.

Accutane saved me. I'd tell anyone to go on it. It made me feel better about
myself, it made my acne go away, and I don't even have scars. It's that great.
I'd go out and sell it to people if I had the chance. It's a miracle worker
and I wish more people who suffered from acne only knew the wonders it works.

It's been about 3 years since my last breakout and I haven't, to this day,
(knock on wood) had a breakout on my face since. I do, however, get a few zits
after shaving, but that's always going to happen.

Listen to me, take the medicine. It will make your life better.

I hope this helps.

~Boss

On 24 Jun 2004 05:57:12 GMT, boss6sr@aol.com (Boss6Sr) wrote:

Hello - I have posted to this group. I had to wait until I was in my
50s and with almost lifelong acne to be able to go on accutane. This
was because it was unavailable to me in my 20s, 30s, and 40s (I guess
it hadn't been invented or if it was there was no way older people
could be treated).

I had severe (non--cystic) acne since I was 13 or 14 years old and
nothing but nothing worked. OK, perhaps the odd course of
antibiotics for other things relieved it a bit, but nothing really
worked.

Accutane literally turned my life around. I took it for over 12
years and didn't suffer anything more serious than dry skin, nose,
eyes and lips (all relieved with oil-free moisturisers and eye drops.

I now have completely blemish-free skin, no pores that you can detect,
and no age lines either (due to the oily skin apparently).

Go for it people. Only a very tiny proportion of people get
depression and high cholesterol - which is another side effect. Keep
in constant touch with your dermatologist (at least 6-monthly visits
and every 3 months for the first year or so if you are put on a lower
dose because of your age like I was).

Don't let the scaremongers deter you. Accutane is not nearly so scary
as a lot of people make out.

Cheers

Kim

"Success comes to those who don't let it happen, but make it happen."

Well, I did my bloodwork and started Accutane tonight. I am a bit
nervious.

I keep reading it's for SEVERE ACNE yet I have "mild" acne so I'm
trusting my doctor. I also could be wrong, but with the volumes of
stuff I read on the web seem to show the younger the accutane user..
the worse the side effects.

I just hope my mild acne doesn't turn into a major breakout over the
next few weeks. My doctor promised me it wouldn't happen.

Oh well... wish me luck and thanks for the info!

welziak@snet.net (Ryan) wrote in news:189b1c22.0406251652.352daac1
@posting.google.com:

posted this a while back, its straight from my derm.

Which acne patients need Roaccutane?

These fall into 3 groups:

1) A few young teenage patients with very bad acne right from the outset
that would not be expected to respond to oral antibiotics.

2) Patients in their late teens who have been through the 'standard'
treatments for acne, including antibiotics, and have become resistant.
Most patients are in this group.

3) A small group of patients in their 20s and 30s who often have
relatively mild acne but it is lingering on for year after year and these
patients want the 'knockout' ability of the drug.

Like you I am in group three and have been on accutane for 3 months now