6 ms·

Slightly off topic, but one medicine that really does work is Accutane (Isotretinoin) for cystic acne, and I'm super grateful for it. If you still have acne, I

Slightly off topic, but one medicine that really does work is Accutane (Isotretinoin) for cystic acne, and I'm super grateful for it. If you still have acne, I highly recommend trying it. I came across it on reddit a while back and it's basically solved my acne problem. You get a super dry face and chapped lips, but there are lots of products to help mitigate that. The Accutane subreddit is full of tips and before/after photos - https://www.reddit.com/r/Accutane/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Accutane/

nhooyr 7y ago
There are big risks to it from what I've read.
digianarchist 7y ago
There was a story on the BBC site about accuntane recently. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-47952076?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/c34vnl2xl5pt/medicine&link_location=live-reporting-story https://www.bbc.com/news/health-47952076?intlink_from_url=ht... I approached my GP after suffering with acne who put me on tetracycline which has some horrible side-effects such as staining your teeth and it didn't work for me at all. I bypassed my GP and bought accutane online. The side-effects are some of the worst I've had from a medicine, dry skin and eyes, regular nose bleeds, sensitivity to the sun etc. Nothing mental though. That said. It works. Before I used accutane I had several acne spots turn into keloid scars which I have been treating over the last decade with corticosteroid injections.
- vecplane 7y ago
  Yeah I didn't have the dry eyes, but I did have some nosebleeds 2-3 times a week for a while. The dry skin was the worst part for me, and I kept having to moisturize my face here at work. I also wasn't used to chap stick before, but now I carry it all the time.
- irq11 7y ago
  PSA to anyone reading this thread: Do not take Accutane without a prescription. There are very good reasons that doctors don’t want to prescribe it, and if you can’t find someone willing to do it, it means that the risks very likely don’t outweigh the benefits in your case. Doctors are going to want you to try more conservative treatments first, and you shouldn’t second-guess that. Accutane makes the “horrible side-effects” of Tetracycline look like a mild headache. Aside from being a powerful teratogen (i.e. it causes nasty birth defects), Accutane is linked to suicidal tendencies, liver damage, heart damage, and more. It’s not a drug anyone should be taking without supervision.
  - anonthrowaway2 7y ago
    OTOH, it's often that the risks _to the doctor_ outweigh the benefits _to the doctor_ of recommending you use it. Correlated with but far from the same as the risks/benefits to you.
- phkahler 7y ago
  For your keloids try Lugols iodine solution.
debug-desperado 7y ago
Aren’t retinol creams just as effective and much safer? They worked well for me from in my late teenage years.
- eq_sd_ 7y ago
  No? Accutane is often the last resort option when everything else fails.
- NikolaeVarius 7y ago
  Not in the same solar system in terms of effectiveness.
airstrike 7y ago
I've used it for multiple cycles and still have acne. I'm going to be 34 in a couple weeks. It's also been linked to increased suicide rates https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200102083440616 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200102083440616
- acneedum 7y ago
  I was acne free as a teen, but was put on Acutane anyway. (Ah, the wonders of middle America being the testing bed and profit source of Pharma) Remained acne free until suddenly getting cystic acne in my early 30s. Here's what helped me: - Do laundry more often ( Increase the rate you clean your: sheets and pillow cases!, face cloths, clothes. If this is impractical you can simply buy more pillowcases and swap out clean ones more regularly; especially if you're a prone to sleep drooling or have greasy hair. ) - Stop washing your face with soap ( Just use water and a wash cloth on your face; use firm pressure to get into pores but light enough to avoid giving yourself 'rug' burns or tears. This is great for exfoliating dead skin and removing surface oil. Do this twice a day; morning and evening. Buy multiple face cloths and use newly cleaned ones regularly; every 2-3 days. ) - Apply moisturizers twice a day; morning and evening ( My skin had an amazing response to Sea Buckthorn: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5438513/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5438513/ . Its coloring is very intense so for my twice daily moisturizer I cut it with Rosehip Oil usually only putting 5-10 drops per 2 oz of Rosehip; experiment for your skin color. To increase my skin's recover time and the effectiveness of the Sea Buckthorn I will take a regular long bath where I apply it directly, almost like a mask, and wipe it off after the bath. It has proved great at reducing redness and blemishes as well as healing open wounds such as exfoliated dead skin and bleeding pores. ) - Spot care for cystic acne with pure Salicylic Acid ( Only rub this on cystic pores. Avoid trying to pop any pores without a clear white 'head'. ) - Cold showers ( Or at the very least end the shower by holding your face under cold water to close your pores. ) - Exercise ( General health will aide skin health. Also great for hormone balance which can be a cause factor for acne. ) - Wrangle your hormones ( Through masturbating less, and eating a hormone nutrition informed diet. For example, if male, eat more cruciferous foods for Testosterone maintenance. ) Hope these suggestions can make the difference they made for me for you too.
pps43 7y ago
Be careful, Accutane can have some pretty bad side effects. I decided not to use it, and many years later still think it was the right choice.
SubiculumCode 7y ago
My wife conquered her acne with low doses of a blood pressure drug, which apparently alters the expression of hormones. Update: Spironolactone (Aldactone) is an androgen blocker drug that, at a lower dose, can help with hormonal acne.
dorchadas 7y ago
Yep. Only thing that worked for me to get rid of my acne. My original dermatologist wouldn't prescribe it, so we moved to one who we knew would. Worked really quickly (within a year, it was mostly all gone), and haven't had issues since.
bbulkow 7y ago
Accutain is some heavy chemistry and you need to be careful. It slows cell growth at a fundamental level. That is why it has pregnancy warnings, and there are concerns about brain growth. It is a reasonably effective anti cancer agent, you can find some of the clinical trial data if you look hard.
- gnulinux 7y ago
  Huh, I used accutane for years for acne (no acne now) and my doctor never mentioned this to me. The only thing they mentioned is I shouldn't take vitamin A supplements with it.
  - subjectHarold 7y ago
    There was a BBC story on this recently - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-47952076 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-47952076 - I believe NHS policy, for what it is worth, is to use as a last resort as the side effects can be severe.
  - robertAngst 7y ago
    Who is to blame? The customer who didnt research? The physician who gets lunch twice a year from Accutane? The government for stopping freedom? Note: none of this is /s, I would like to discuss why this happens, and if there are any solutions.
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
    - gnulinux 7y ago
      I mean I was 15 years old when I started using Accutane, it's not exactly when humans are known to be at peak intelligence. I definitely believe I have some agency and thus some responsibility, but I thought part of doctors' job is to inform patients of potential side-effects. I don't know how government comes into this play, in my mind: doctor explains me the benefits/side-effects of a drug, they claim it will ultimately be useful all things considered, I accept, they write me a prescription, I take the drug. Government's role stopped when they approved this person can work as a doctor.
stevesimmons 7y ago
I went on Accutane after a decade of tetracycline kept persistent mild acne under control but never got rid of it. Accutane worked amazingly, and very fast. Acne gone in a week, and never returned. I stayed on Accutane til I hit the target dose (maybe 3 months, I forget exactly). Twenty years later, I'm still acne free. Though without a doubt, Accutane is the strongest drug I've ever taken. I needed a liver function test before starting, and monthly during the treatment. My nasal lining and lips were unbelievably dry. I carried lip moisturiser and creams with me everywhere, used them several times an hour. I remember my dermatologist telling me to avoid the sun, and treatment was over the winter months. To anyone on long-term courses of tetracycline, I suggest trying Accutane. Be prepared for the side effects. And only do it under medical supervision.
- eq_sd_ 7y ago
  It's possible to take a lower dose for a longer time period to lessen the side effects.

nhooyr 7y ago

There are big risks to it from what I've read.

digianarchist 7y ago

There was a story on the BBC site about accuntane recently. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-47952076?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/c34vnl2xl5pt/medicine&link_location=live-reporting-story https://www.bbc.com/news/health-47952076?intlink_from_url=ht... I approached my GP after suffering with acne who put me on tetracycline which has some horrible side-effects such as staining your teeth and it didn't work for me at all. I bypassed my GP and bought accutane online. The side-effects are some of the worst I've had from a medicine, dry skin and eyes, regular nose bleeds, sensitivity to the sun etc. Nothing mental though. That said. It works. Before I used accutane I had several acne spots turn into keloid scars which I have been treating over the last decade with corticosteroid injections.

vecplane 7y ago
Yeah I didn't have the dry eyes, but I did have some nosebleeds 2-3 times a week for a while. The dry skin was the worst part for me, and I kept having to moisturize my face here at work. I also wasn't used to chap stick before, but now I carry it all the time.
irq11 7y ago
PSA to anyone reading this thread: Do not take Accutane without a prescription. There are very good reasons that doctors don’t want to prescribe it, and if you can’t find someone willing to do it, it means that the risks very likely don’t outweigh the benefits in your case. Doctors are going to want you to try more conservative treatments first, and you shouldn’t second-guess that. Accutane makes the “horrible side-effects” of Tetracycline look like a mild headache. Aside from being a powerful teratogen (i.e. it causes nasty birth defects), Accutane is linked to suicidal tendencies, liver damage, heart damage, and more. It’s not a drug anyone should be taking without supervision.
- anonthrowaway2 7y ago
  OTOH, it's often that the risks _to the doctor_ outweigh the benefits _to the doctor_ of recommending you use it. Correlated with but far from the same as the risks/benefits to you.
phkahler 7y ago
For your keloids try Lugols iodine solution.

debug-desperado 7y ago

Aren’t retinol creams just as effective and much safer? They worked well for me from in my late teenage years.

eq_sd_ 7y ago
No? Accutane is often the last resort option when everything else fails.
NikolaeVarius 7y ago
Not in the same solar system in terms of effectiveness.

airstrike 7y ago

I've used it for multiple cycles and still have acne. I'm going to be 34 in a couple weeks. It's also been linked to increased suicide rates https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200102083440616 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200102083440616

acneedum 7y ago
I was acne free as a teen, but was put on Acutane anyway. (Ah, the wonders of middle America being the testing bed and profit source of Pharma) Remained acne free until suddenly getting cystic acne in my early 30s. Here's what helped me: - Do laundry more often ( Increase the rate you clean your: sheets and pillow cases!, face cloths, clothes. If this is impractical you can simply buy more pillowcases and swap out clean ones more regularly; especially if you're a prone to sleep drooling or have greasy hair. ) - Stop washing your face with soap ( Just use water and a wash cloth on your face; use firm pressure to get into pores but light enough to avoid giving yourself 'rug' burns or tears. This is great for exfoliating dead skin and removing surface oil. Do this twice a day; morning and evening. Buy multiple face cloths and use newly cleaned ones regularly; every 2-3 days. ) - Apply moisturizers twice a day; morning and evening ( My skin had an amazing response to Sea Buckthorn: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5438513/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5438513/ . Its coloring is very intense so for my twice daily moisturizer I cut it with Rosehip Oil usually only putting 5-10 drops per 2 oz of Rosehip; experiment for your skin color. To increase my skin's recover time and the effectiveness of the Sea Buckthorn I will take a regular long bath where I apply it directly, almost like a mask, and wipe it off after the bath. It has proved great at reducing redness and blemishes as well as healing open wounds such as exfoliated dead skin and bleeding pores. ) - Spot care for cystic acne with pure Salicylic Acid ( Only rub this on cystic pores. Avoid trying to pop any pores without a clear white 'head'. ) - Cold showers ( Or at the very least end the shower by holding your face under cold water to close your pores. ) - Exercise ( General health will aide skin health. Also great for hormone balance which can be a cause factor for acne. ) - Wrangle your hormones ( Through masturbating less, and eating a hormone nutrition informed diet. For example, if male, eat more cruciferous foods for Testosterone maintenance. ) Hope these suggestions can make the difference they made for me for you too.

pps43 7y ago

Be careful, Accutane can have some pretty bad side effects. I decided not to use it, and many years later still think it was the right choice.

SubiculumCode 7y ago

My wife conquered her acne with low doses of a blood pressure drug, which apparently alters the expression of hormones. Update: Spironolactone (Aldactone) is an androgen blocker drug that, at a lower dose, can help with hormonal acne.

dorchadas 7y ago

Yep. Only thing that worked for me to get rid of my acne. My original dermatologist wouldn't prescribe it, so we moved to one who we knew would. Worked really quickly (within a year, it was mostly all gone), and haven't had issues since.

bbulkow 7y ago

Accutain is some heavy chemistry and you need to be careful. It slows cell growth at a fundamental level. That is why it has pregnancy warnings, and there are concerns about brain growth. It is a reasonably effective anti cancer agent, you can find some of the clinical trial data if you look hard.

gnulinux 7y ago
Huh, I used accutane for years for acne (no acne now) and my doctor never mentioned this to me. The only thing they mentioned is I shouldn't take vitamin A supplements with it.
- subjectHarold 7y ago
  There was a BBC story on this recently - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-47952076 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-47952076 - I believe NHS policy, for what it is worth, is to use as a last resort as the side effects can be severe.
- robertAngst 7y ago
  Who is to blame? The customer who didnt research? The physician who gets lunch twice a year from Accutane? The government for stopping freedom? Note: none of this is /s, I would like to discuss why this happens, and if there are any solutions.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  - gnulinux 7y ago
    I mean I was 15 years old when I started using Accutane, it's not exactly when humans are known to be at peak intelligence. I definitely believe I have some agency and thus some responsibility, but I thought part of doctors' job is to inform patients of potential side-effects. I don't know how government comes into this play, in my mind: doctor explains me the benefits/side-effects of a drug, they claim it will ultimately be useful all things considered, I accept, they write me a prescription, I take the drug. Government's role stopped when they approved this person can work as a doctor.

stevesimmons 7y ago

I went on Accutane after a decade of tetracycline kept persistent mild acne under control but never got rid of it. Accutane worked amazingly, and very fast. Acne gone in a week, and never returned. I stayed on Accutane til I hit the target dose (maybe 3 months, I forget exactly). Twenty years later, I'm still acne free. Though without a doubt, Accutane is the strongest drug I've ever taken. I needed a liver function test before starting, and monthly during the treatment. My nasal lining and lips were unbelievably dry. I carried lip moisturiser and creams with me everywhere, used them several times an hour. I remember my dermatologist telling me to avoid the sun, and treatment was over the winter months. To anyone on long-term courses of tetracycline, I suggest trying Accutane. Be prepared for the side effects. And only do it under medical supervision.

eq_sd_ 7y ago
It's possible to take a lower dose for a longer time period to lessen the side effects.