This medication , took me through it,WOW!

This medication, made me so miserable, I had acne for a very long time in my life and in my mid 20s it came back. I went to the Dr and guess what, he put me on this. The dry eyes, the dry lips, the mood swings, the no alcohol.... wooooooh I can't. I did work , but the pain was not worth it for me. I prefer the topical version of this.

This medication is only for the strong, be warned.

I suffered from severe acne for many years due to hormonal imbalances. Taking the pill from a young age purely for skin purposes and years of antibiotics which come with their own side effects. These treatments worked initially and then my body became immune. I was prescribed a 6 month dosage of Oratane which is the generic of Roaccutane from my GP. Oratane is covered by most medical aids and comes at a much lesser price than the non-generic. I saw results after 3 weeks. The side affects vary from person to person. Your skin will definitely be very dry and thin so stay out of the sun as much as possible to avoid any permanent skin damage. Wear sunscreen, hats and light clothing to cover your skin if sun exposure is unavoidable. My eyes became extremely photosensitive. Sunglasses are mandatory for me even on overcast days. Even years later after being off the medication. I went on 2x 6 month courses of Oratane. Check ups with your GP or Dermatologist are critical in order to evaluate your blood work as side effects are inevitable.
My skin cleared up really nicely and I used other topical creams for scars.
I still have breakouts but none as bad as before Oratane.
I wouldn't take this medication again as I wouldn't want to expose myself to potential side effects. However it gave me back my confidence in terms of how I felt about my skin.

My dose went up to 30mg and this month to 40mg!
The side effects are really effecting me now, I have sporadic nose bleeds, and ecxema on my shoulders, also severe headaches, trouble sleeping and my bones and joints are starting to ache......
Hopefully it will only be for another month or so, and I am determined to push through all this,
My skin is looking dry but the acne is finally clearing up, I don't have one pus filled pimple for the last three days, and one cheek is already smooth, the other one is still a bit bumpy but that will clear up soon I am told!
I have to go for regular blood checks, to ensure my liver is doing well, and see the doc every three weeks or so

So entering month seven, with still a few pimples, we decided to increase my dosage and doc says will have to go another three months which is disheartening!

So now I am taking 20mg at night and 20mg in the morning!
What a difference! One side of face is clear of all acne and black heads for the first time in forever! Why didn't doc put dose up long ago?
On the flip side my lips are cracking and bleeding and very painfull! She have me blistex for that, also my skin everywhere else has become extremely dry, so much so I am not sure how to explain it! And my skin on my hands and arms has become very very thin!

I also can no longer wax or epilate as the skin breaks and bleeds so it's back to shaving! Silly me went out and bought a laser machine in the hope of counter acting shaving only to find out that I cannot use it until I'm off the roac!
Doc also changed my skin regimen to neostrata which can only be bought with a script, so I'll let you know how that works in few days!

All in all, I am willing to pay the price of all this if it means I will soon be acne free, also I am seeing a lot of my old marks looking much lighter and doc says that after the roac, we will do either laser or a peel to remove what marks are left!

I don't like how my skin looks at the moment though, I am seeing a big increase in lines everywhere including my hands but doc says that is due to the drying effect of the roacutane! And should go away when we stop the meds, in sceptic

A bit of background on me first. I am a 28 year old mother if two. I have suffered from acne since I was 11 years old, but was always told that it would clear up by adulthood! Needless to say that did not happen, I have been on antibiotics and every lotion and potion on the market, and some that are not. I went onto the pill at age 13, and that helped a little but not much, I'm now at the point that if this does not work then nothing will. Went to see my dermatologist two days ago and we decided it is time for extreme measures. She did a thorough check up and drew blood for tests, like pregnancy and cholesterol and liver enzymes (as you cannot go onto Oratane if those are not clear) The results came back clear and she sent me my script. I got my meds today and have taken the first dose! I had to sign an agreement with my doctor that I would not fall pregnant while on treatment as this medication WILL lead to abnormalities in a baby!!!
I will keep updating in this thread as the journey goes!