Accutane doesn't work

**AAU America Jr.** · 06-06-2005, 05:16 PM

After 8 weeks of being on accutane, now 60mg/day, I am convinced that accutane does not work. It has made me worse, and MAYBE slightly cleared me up at the best. However, I had nothing on my back or face when I started. It was just my chest and shoulders....now my face and back are broke out as well. I must be the 1/400 people that it doesnt work for? Anyone have an opinion on this? I have a derm apt. tomorrow but I am convinced they don't know what to do either.

**Bryan2** · 06-06-2005, 08:23 PM

accutane is going to get pulled as an acne treatment soon anyways

**berniec** · 06-06-2005, 08:41 PM

bro jsut keep at it. i was the same way, i looked WORSE then before i got on it for the first 3 months or so of my treatment. Then everything started clearing up. My derm explained it gets worse before it gets better because its pushing all the shit thats down in ur skin out to the surface-- i.e. you get 2 months or so worth of pimples all at once.

give it another month and a half or so and youll be happy!

**AAU America Jr.** · 06-06-2005, 09:18 PM

hey berniec, did you get like hella scabs all over your chest and shoulders when they break open? Thats my major problem right now, to the point where I cant even lift. Never been in so much pain in my life. Also did you ever have constant back pain in the mornings, my god I can barely walk when I get out of bed.

**colossus1** · 06-06-2005, 10:50 PM

LMAO. If you knew anything about accutane you would know that acne gets worse before it clears up...........

**AAU America Jr.** · 06-07-2005, 10:16 PM

Today I got put on 80mg/day, 1 1/2 cc cortisone shot, and Zithromax and antibiotic. He said this obviously isnt your average acne as I am still very inflammed through two months or treatment. Its getting very old and annoying, not lifting for 6 weeks is like being disabled almost. This sucks...

**berniec** · 06-09-2005, 01:39 AM

Originally Posted by AAU America Jr.

hey berniec, did you get like hella scabs all over your chest and shoulders when they break open? Thats my major problem right now, to the point where I cant even lift. Never been in so much pain in my life. Also did you ever have constant back pain in the mornings, my god I can barely walk when I get out of bed.

yes.

i would go to sleep at night with a baggy ass tshirt on so that i didnt scratch the scabs off while i was sleeping-- they were itchy as hell.

those cortosine shots work great for the big ones that are still inflamed tho-- like a day or 2 after they get injected they are gone!

I will tell you some discouraging news tho-- all the areas that are scabbing over now will be big pits and scarred permantly even when ur clear tho

**AAU America Jr.** · 06-09-2005, 01:49 AM

yeah scarring could be a problem for sure. I am gonna do some dermabrasion and tan a lot that would help dont you think? Have you or anyone had that done? I heard it works wonders and hear others say it didnt do too much?

**berniec** · 06-10-2005, 09:48 PM

Originally Posted by AAU America Jr.

yeah scarring could be a problem for sure. I am gonna do some dermabrasion and tan a lot that would help dont you think? Have you or anyone had that done? I heard it works wonders and hear others say it didnt do too much?

you cant get dermabrasion done on your back, the skin is not thick enuff (or so i been told) If a doctor tells you differently def lemme kno, but more then one told me it couldnt be done.

my derm tried some laser that didnt do shit to 'em

tanning helps *some* but honestly not a whole lot cause the scars are still visable.

sorry for the bad news bro, but just gettin you ready for it when the time comes. I rarely even wear a tank b/c of the ones i got on my shoulders :\

**AAU America Jr.** · 06-11-2005, 02:07 AM

Yeah acne is just bad news all around.

I guess right now my first priority is to get it to go away, then get the red marks to go away and honestly I can deal with some scars and over time they will get smaller.

At least its not my face that is scarred like Marc McGwire. I just want to be able to lift again, and be able to take my shirt off, the scars will suck, but in the long run its just a mark.

How long have you been clear for bro? I am sure the scars will continue to get smaller. Also did your acne put you out of lifting for a couple months as it has done to me?

**berniec** · 06-11-2005, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by AAU America Jr.

How long have you been clear for bro? I am sure the scars will continue to get smaller. Also did your acne put you out of lifting for a couple months as it has done to me?

been clear for 2 years now

i dont have any scarring on my face, any red marks/scares just went away withing about 6 months of getting off accutane.

the marks on my shoulders are still there tho, some faded (the smaller ones) but the ones that were like scabbed over and shit left like a pitted indent in the skin thats scarred and those dont get any smaller or go away which sux.

i didnt really loose any time in the gym tho, but i did have to wear some baggy black shirts for a while so if/when any popped it didnt look like i got shot in the back. and ya chest day was PAINFUL.

it will get better tho bro

BG · 06-11-2005, 01:58 PM

I just had to go and get some anti-b's, my chest was covered the first week I came off, but thank god they wernt huge like the ones your talking about!

**AAU America Jr.** · 06-12-2005, 01:33 AM

Originally Posted by JUSTSTARTINGNY

I just had to go and get some anti-b's, my chest was covered the first week I came off, but thank god they wernt huge like the ones your talking about!

Well I would say my "huge" ones were caused by acctuane, because it has to clean your system out. I had on problem until I went on accutane, I just didnt want to have an acne covered body for years, rather get it real bad for 3 or 4 months and be done with it forever.

Hope the meds clear you up and you dont have to go on tane, its a rough thing.

**Machdiesel** · 06-20-2005, 10:21 PM

took it for 8 months, hadda use chapstick n moisturizer EVERY day, i if i didnt i couldnt move mmy face it was so dry, n couldnt really smile my lips would rip up, lol maybe it was to high of a dose, but 6 years going n i can count the number of zits ive had since then on my hands, so i loved it

**AAU America Jr.** · 06-21-2005, 07:11 PM

I hear you on the chapstick and moisturizer bro... How long did it take you to clear up? Then how long did it take you to get rid of the red marks?

I am on 80mg/day about 2 1/2 months into it, so I am just starting to see clearing, but still very frustrated.

**Klossus** · 06-21-2005, 09:49 PM

AAU, you have to know it takes a while for this drug to start working how you would like it to work...

it makes things a lot worse (as you've seen) before they start to get better. 2 1/2 months?? i'd say you have a couple more to go before you start to begin to reap the benefits of accutane. my friends would question me because my face looked like it had dandruff, all i told them was i was getting a new face...literally thats what it does for you.

and not only that but you have to know that accutane isnt a miracle drug; although for some it is. my good friend has run 5 courses of accutane over 8 years. so just so you know, as i did not, just because you are finished w/ your 1st course of accutane doesn’t mean that the acne will not come back...just be weary of that and dont get discouraged.

i had just finished my second course a couple months ago and am on a “follow up” dose of accutane, 40 mg 3 days a week.

i dont know, just some info i wish i had when i was going thru the same thing...i know how tough it can be trust me

**AAU America Jr.** · 06-21-2005, 10:31 PM

Well I am done with the gear, so I'd like to think that makes a huge difference in the grand scheme of things and my hormone levels will be consistent. What do you think?

**clockworks** · 06-22-2005, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by Bryan2

accutane is going to get pulled as an acne treatment soon anyways

Why do you say that?

I got very bad nodular acne from gear. I'm talking like marble sized puss pockets all over my chest and back. Its been almost two years and I still have scars, I hate it.

I did 2 months of Accutane and it worked great. I had to stop because I changed jobs and the new job has high premium insurance. Someday, I want to pay the premium and go on Accutane again and then maybe try gear again. I feel like the stupid acne is holding me back from what I really want to do. I feel like every workout is "maintenance".

Sucks...acne f-ing sucks.

**berniec** · 06-25-2005, 01:32 AM

Originally Posted by clockworks

Why do you say that?

i dont think theres any on-going hearings to pull it or anything, but he's probably refering to the groups out there who keep bringing up how it can cause severe birth defects in women who get pregnant while on it, and ppl try and link it to suicide, etc.

About 2 years ago the FDA came up with a bunch of special procedures and guidelines for the ppl perscribing it, which according to my derm also meant the docs having to go to a seminar about how to safely perscribe/monitor it, and requiring blood tests and monthly preg. tests for women who are on it.

i had horrific cystic acne and if it WERNT for accutane i probably would thrown myself off a tall bridge by now, so regardless of the critics, i still think its a ****in miracle drug.

**yannick32** · 06-25-2005, 04:56 PM

Sadly it doesnt work for everyone, i was a real pizza face when i was 18 add some zits on my chest back and legs also, i was producing too much sebum and my holes where getting blocked.

I used acutane with great success and it worked fine for me, i did meet a girl that tried it 3 times and sadly it did not work for her either

**berniec** · 06-29-2005, 05:46 PM

Originally Posted by yannick32

Sadly it doesnt work for everyone, i was a real pizza face when i was 18 add some zits on my chest back and legs also, i was producing too much sebum and my holes where getting blocked.

I used acutane with great success and it worked fine for me, i did meet a girl that tried it 3 times and sadly it did not work for her either

it dosnt work in EVERYONE but my derm said it still has one of the highest cure rates among all drugs, something like 85-90% of all ppl that take it are cured.

**AAU America Jr.** · 06-29-2005, 06:46 PM

I hope I am not in that 10% that it doesnt work for. I am just about to hit 3 months of treatment, and honestly I am scared that it might now be working, but I have a derm apt. tuesday so I am going to ask him what he thinks, I could use a 100cc cortisone shot right about now...

**ScreaM** · 06-29-2005, 08:18 PM

Man, the stuff worked great for me, it just took along time to kick in, I was on it for 10 months, I hated taking those pills 2ce ed for 10 months. Itll work, stick with it, oh, and watch out for all that dry skin, its a biotch

**likewize** · 08-25-2005, 12:58 AM

I took accutane...it definitely worked for me...I had very bad breakouts on my face...it took a while, but i stuck with it and it left. Face was clear as ever. The scars bagan to fade...But, I stopped taking it, and some of the scarring has returned...i get one or two every now and then...but it's much better than it was prior to using the accutane...

**Girlyman** · 08-25-2005, 12:07 PM

What kind of acne causes scarring on the face? My acne used to be worse in highschool, I'm 22 now and it seems like II'll have one or two pimples going at a time, do you think I am safe now or did some of you get it worse later in life (p.s I'm not gonna use gear)

**LeanMeOut** · 08-25-2005, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by Girlyman

What kind of acne causes scarring on the face? My acne used to be worse in highschool, I'm 22 now and it seems like II'll have one or two pimples going at a time, do you think I am safe now or did some of you get it worse later in life (p.s I'm not gonna use gear)

You should be fine.... especially if you are not going to use gear.

**Dally** · 08-25-2005, 01:24 PM

sounds dumb but im serious I have 3 friends that used proactive or whatever that stuff is on tv and it TOTALLY cleared em RIGHT UP MAN!!

seriously...totally and they had some zits.

**LeanMeOut** · 08-25-2005, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by colossus1

LMAO. If you knew anything about accutane you would know that acne gets worse before it clears up...........

As for the original question, this reply by colossus sums it up

**cacti** · 08-26-2005, 12:11 AM

I've got 2 questions-

1. I've have mild acne since highschool(24yo now)- is acutane only meant for severe cases?

2. I've been having more intense/widespread breakouts ever since I started a "hardcore" lifting routine/diet in June. Could this be related to the diet or do you think it's possible I'm increasing natural test levels? < I'm hoping this is the reason!

**xblade** · 08-26-2005, 12:23 AM

Accutane helps prevents acne in the future also, used it on my first cycle and belive it or not i barley got any zits on the next cycle but the side effects are real bad(depression, cold sweats etc) but it dose the job, good luck