My time with Accutane
I have finally received and completed my Accutane cycle. And I'm here to dole out what advice I can before you guys and gals start this treatment.
1) Accutane is very, very expensive. Roughly $1500 per month, and treatments are from 3 - 6 months.
2) Accutane is (and I want to re-edify IS) available in a generic called Isotretinoin, at about $500 per month.
3) You will have sever side effects and you must pass muster on blood levels before it will be prescribed.
4) You have to go to a Dermatologist to have it prescribed, an MD, DO, NP or PA can not prescribe this drug.
5) Incubation period before results are 7 - 10 days, sides begin as soon as effect is taken.
6) Drug is a derivative of vitamin A
7) This drug works every time on everyone from the research I have done.
Here's what happened. Tired of persistent back acne on or off cycle I went to my friend a D.O. to prescribe Accutane. After a month long fight with every health care provider and lots of testing I was finally awarded the coveted script. Price $1440.00 before tax. After waiting for two weeks to save up the cash, prescription expired (7 day script life). While waiting to get another script my Pharmacist located a generic at $480. For the first month my hands looked like a shedding snake, skin was falling off my ears, nose, arms like a leper. Lips dried out and begin to split open in several places. And not one cystic acne occurrence after day 5. I mean not a single one, all other blemishes had frozen, neither enlarging or disappearing. Skin became much softer over entire body. A blemish before Accutane could be extracted and the tissue around it would return to normal in about a day maybe two. After Accutane a single extraction will leave a mark like a BB gun wound for over a month. this stuff literally changes your skin. If you have any question about this drug feel free to ask I will help you as much as possible, but only with my personal experience. And no, I did not become depressed, suicidal or homicidal.
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I ran a course of accutane back in '09 and the side effects were pretty harsh... dry skin, joints, peeling lips, etc. Began losing muscle mass as well. It got to be so bad that I had to quit the treatment a couple months early (40mg/day). But apparently it worked, hardly ever get any kind of acne anymore. I always had it on back back/shoulders before, and now my skin is as smooth as silk. I've run all kinds of compounds since then... test, tren, mast, deca, npp, even a couple prohormones back in the day and never noticed an increase of acne. Well, maybe the occasional tiny zit here and there but nothing to be concerned about. It truly is a wonder drug.
Old IronYou can always reduce dosage, the dosage amount is related to the severity of the infectious cystic acne deposits, the past scarring events as well as the potential for future scarring with current infections. You may even began on a minimum dosage and end up with the same results. It's so hard on your system is why the MD's want you on and off quick. But yeh, side are fricking brutal.
Yep, probably could have lowered it. But I was just so sick of it I said fuck it, turns out that's all I needed anyway. Looking back I'm really glad I went through it all, but man.. it was a bitch!
Old Iron7 month update. Small brown discolorations from acne that never matured still under skin. Skin still hyper sensitive to extraction of acne cyst. Occurrence of acne cysts that have to be extracted, one per month on back or high on shoulder or back of arm. Previous to Accutane, 3 - 5 per day.
Ace VenturaThat sounds pretty damn good. Have you cycled on and off roids since completing accutane? I'm about a month in on a six month treatment. My Derm is worried the acne will return if I keep on the juice.
Old IronI've completed one cycle Test - E at 500mg per week for an 8 week cycle. Skin became super oily as usual, but had only two or three deep tissue acne cysts. The odd thing were these were located all around my hip line, never ever had that before, but better than being in the middle of my back right? The dermal change is permanent in my case and everywhere else I could find. You skin becomes softer, and much MUCH more delicate. Pressing on it to remove a cyst results (in my case) in a bruising type discoloration that last for a month or longer. When I use to extract large cystic acne within an hour after I only had a small pink dot left behind that was the actual exposed extraction pore. DO NOT BITE THE SKIN OFF THE INSIDE OF YOUR LIPS. I did that and didn't realize how deep it was sloughing, ended up with a split lip for two months. Also my ears peeled like a snake as well as hands and fingers. There is a blue cream that comes in a round tin that was recommended, it helped with the lips i remember goggling it and found it in the first pharmacy I went into. It's an OTC cream. When my lips got really bad I would squirt a little Novocain 2% into the lip cream, I like to think it helped. I suffer with sever back acne for over 20 years to the point of wearing shirts in the pool from the age of 25 to 41, would shower with girlfriends and always keep my back away from them, and they knew what I was doing but it was just so fucking embarrassing. This summer I caught myself mowing my store front without a shirt, in public, because i didn't want to get my shirt dirty. I was sporting a grin I couldn't wipe off because for the first time in my adult life I was not ashamed of my back. So I'd say even if you get some acne from a cycle it won't be anywhere near as bad as without. Oh and please don't cycle while on Accutane, it's hard enough on your system alone. I see your a Level 2 so I'm sure your accustom to research. good luck bro and I'm super happy for you
Ace VenturaAwesome. I haven't had it nearly as long, but I can imagine what it would be like to live half your life like that. Good post and thanks for the feedback.
Wow 1500 dollars thats crazy. I was on it for 6 months up to 160mgs per day so 4 boxes of claravis per month and i had a 5 dollar co pay. I guess I was one of the lucky ones, my lips got dry, but never cracked. And my skin was only slightly dry. It was totally manageable with moisturizer and chap stick.It sounds like it worked really quick for you though, day 5 acne stopped?. I broke out like crazy for the first two months and finally towards the end of the 3rd it really cleared everything up.
Old IronI HAVE NO INSURANCE, and the insurance that would have paid it would have cost three times the amount. Most companies will only allow it for deep tissues damaging / scarring cystic acne. That's weird I was glazing down like a Krispy Kreme two or three times a day with lotion I still have a 500 GM tub of Shea Butter from Letco Medical I was adding to the mix. Still a snake. Then I was adding 2% Lidocaine to the 'Terra M' lip cream with no relief, I have on little scar on the bottom lip were it just kept splitting, stuff was harsh bro.
Old IronI never experienced the power break out that a lot of others do, so I guess that was a rarity, but yep in five days I had no new spots.
How much did you use of the tane? For myself I had bad cyst I would get on my back so I decided to take the accutane. I started on 20mg a day and by the end of the first week I was clear 100%. So I went down to 20mg eod. I did thid for this for four Months then stopped. Everything has been perfect since. Ocassionally I get some little pimples but no painful cyst.
Old Iron20mg per day or 2 X 10mg per day to be technical. 155 days, did not take on Sunday per prescription, never sound out why they skipped one day per week, but I know when they do they choose Sunday because it's easiest to remember.
epcfitnessAccutane changed my life. Looking back I had to fight with my doctor to get it. She should be ashamed trying to keep me on antibiotics when my face looked like a monster and I was truly suffering in so many different ways.
Old IronI promise you the DR's kids don't have to fight for it. When you have a girlfriend and you won't turn your back to her in the shower or have to wear a shirt all year round, it is humiliating like you have a choice to be "unclean". I'm just fortunate it was not my face. I finally got my MD to set up an appointment by getting real close to her face and saying, " yep, just what I thought no scarring". I wouldn't suggest it unless your pretty cool with them but it worked for me.
I know how you felt mate, terrible! For me I could handle the embarrassment, but the pain was intense. I tried 8 different types of antibiotics before Accutane was mentioned. Every time I see someone with acne like I used to have myself I want to whisper in there ear "Accutane"
Total opposite with of my doctor. He wanted to put me on it from day one. But i was worried about the sides and tried to tough it out with antibiotics and creams for like 8 months before I finally gave in and started the accutane. Only regret now is not starting it sooner. Changed my life to.
Glad to hear you had good results and are happy.
Just a note though. You cannot say that a treatment costs 1500$, not even roughly.
Because let's say you took 40mg ED and it cost you 1500. If someone was prescribed 20mg, it would cost them 750, 50%... Or if someone needed 80mg, it would cost them 3000 not 1500 right.
The dose is very personal.
My doctor prescribed me 80mg. Guess what, I did my own research, and decided to take 20mg instead. I was happy and cured and never had remissions =)
Btw, if you have time, accept my FR and PM me.
Old IronJust going by my experience. the first Pharmacy told me $1440 then the second pharmacy with the second script found the generic. Not all Pharmacies use the same drug companies, some offer generic others don't. I've heard of the people taking 60mg per day and was wondering how that would effect them with sides.
So in the end was your experience good? +1 good info bro.
Old Ironi still have the brown marks where some of the blemishes have never developed and are fading, but all in all I would say was like a magic wand. i feel like I'm in a new body with all the pustules all over my back. And I can sleep on my back without a shower if I want without waking up to a weeks worth of acne, and no more swimming in shirts, hell yeah man, if i could have taken it 25 years ago I think my life would probably be a lot better off socially. I would do again in a heart beat if I had to. And always wanted to but it was only recently I made enough money to afford it comfortably, I should have done it a 25 and just suffered the cost. hind sight is always 20/20 I guess. Except for Jennifer Anniston, her hind side is 100