Hello! My ds, 15years old, has bad acne. I feel SO bad for him....I take him to the dermatoligst (SP?) and after about 1 1/2 years of doing the facial lotion and ect.. it has become bad enought that that DR has prescribed Accutane. He told us all about the side effects, and there are plenty..enough to really make me shook up. What I'm looking for from all of you is any POSITIVE stories about using Accutane...
I am so hoping that this is the miracle cure that we have been looking for.

Any encouragement?
TIA-
J.

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Love, J.

well, it's been 20 years, but my best friend in high school took it---and her acne cleared up in a couple of months. She had pretty severe acne on her forehead and chin and her back....

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

I took Accutane in the early 80s and have been acne free since. I told a male co-worker about it and after a few months of taking Accutane his skin looked better than mine! one of the side effects is dry skin on face and lips but there are products to use for that. I hope your son wikk give it a try it will help his self esteem 100%

I have known several people (mostly teenagers) who have taken this product. Under the supervision of a qualified physician, probably a board certified dermatologist, it is a wonderful medicine that works!

It can take several months using the medication to see results. Sometimes, the acne becomes worse before it becomes better. The skin is extremely dry and certain skin preparations must be used to keep the skin moist. The lips are also likely to become severely chapped. A blood test should also be done periodically as Accutane is actually a high dose of a vitamin. Must be certain that liver function remains stable. It can cause dramatic mood swings, but I did not know of that with the people I knew who used it.

Everyone I knew who used it had dramatic results. No more problems with acne at all. Their skin was clear and it looked like they never had a problem with acne. All the people I knew who used Accutane first tried all the creams, ointments, antibiotics first before the doctor decided to prescribe Accutane.

I used it when I was 16 and had none of the bad side effects... Just really REALLY dry skin, especially if I went outside in the sun. It totally cleared up my skin and I would do it for my kids in a heartbeat. The positive results do SO much for the self esteem. It really is almost a miracle cure. I say GO FOR IT!!! Your son will thank you.

Thank all of you for your encouragement! I hope this will be the cure. I'll keep you posted!

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Love, J.

My DS was on it for 8 months. He only had the dry skin none of the other side effects at all. Luckily our insurance paid for it! It's EXPENSIVE!! He hated that every 30 days he had to go for bloodwork but that was the requirement. It kept his face really clear for about 2 yrs but now they're kicking around putting him back on it again. His acne isn't too bad yet but he's using 5 prescriptions for it daily and still fighting it.

Jen

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Mom to Jake, Zach & Meghan
SJCC STREAKS FOOTBALL!!
CLEVELAND BROWNS FOOTBALL!

Great product! I wish I had put my son on it when he was 16, but I waited till he was 18 because I was afraid of all the warnings.

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Mary

I had two sons on it. My oldest who took it when he was 16 (now 30) had the most severe case of acne that I had ever seen. His acne cleared up but he had scars from chickenpox and acne. They wanted to tried to clear the scars but they tried a small area and that did not improve. After he had been on it a month, one of the larger problem areas opened and drained. He said it felt like his face was sliding off but it healed and has stayed clear. My other son had less problems but started at 16 too. They are both clear today. I heard of some of the problems after they had been on it. Dry eyes were the only problems they had.

I remember seeing a 20/20 or Dateline type program about Accutane and it's side effects. Other than the things everyone has mentioned, please be aware that depression & suicidal behavior are in that mix.

Accutane Side Effects - Depression and Accutane Side Effects

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Believe me, they tell you all about it-twice! it comes with a big book and if your female, an even bigger book, when you get it filled at the pharmacy it is a several step process then they all but escort you out with an armed gaurd..making you wonder, "what do I really have in this sack"
I asked my DR. WTF? and he said a senators son, many years ago commited suicide and they blame accutane and the senator passed all these standards- good for him, educate people

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Love, J.

Ok, just wanted to be sure you knew THAT side of Accutane. I'm glad you are well informed and it sounds like your doctor is as well. Hope this helps him!

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