Roaccutane for acne

Https://www.hitched.co.uk/chat/forums/p/367196/3270026.aspx

Was that the thread chuck?

Thank you Kjay but that isn't the one I was after I remember Funky saying he got stuff from body shop which was really good and I just can't for the life of me remember what the thread was called! I've searched acne and roaccutane through hitched and nothing :/

Thank you I just can't wait to be able to feel worthy to leave my house... Acne makes people feel hideous.

This one?! https://www.hitched.co.uk/chat/forums/p/373836/3292569.aspx

Sweetheart you are worthy! I know how tough it is and you are doing the right things to fix it but you are lovely and try to remember that even when you feel like the complete opposite x

YES YES YES! 'Hemp lip balm'. Thank you so much, and for your lovely words x

All the hemp stuff is good - I get mild eczema on my hands and the hemp hand cream really helps the skin feel less "tight"

Hi, I'm using it now for another skin problem but its done wonders for my spot prone and very oily skin. My eyes were a bit dry at first, hydromellose eye drops help, but after a few weeks they got better. Ive had problems with dry lips and cracked corners of my mouth. I found lush lip balms the best and a bit of hydrocortisone cream on the corners of your mouth to stop them cracking. Also a good face moisturiser and a high spf for your face and body as it can make you more sensitive to the sun. Hope this helps

Pleasure, happy to help

How long was it into the treatment you got the side effects? Thanks for your post, very helpful

My brother started with side effects pretty quickly, within the first few weeks. His lips were awful, they looked so sore and he didn't crack a smile for months because every time he did it split his lips!

You have to be really careful with what products you use as your skin will be super sensitive, keep out of the sun as much as you can too.

Are you on the higher dose short course or the longer lower dose? Do you exercise much? If you are on the higher short course be careful when exercising as there were side effects for that too, racing heart, struggling to breathe etc.

It can affect your mood, my bro was a right mardy little sod for months. Especially if he was hungry too!

It worked for him for a while but unfortunately his have started to come back he doesn't want to go on it again, and tbh I thought they had stopped prescribing it, maybe that's just to teenagers though.

Oh and don't get pregnant on it!

OB: currently on 20mg a day for a week because apparently acne flares up badly on it to begin with so this dose will lower those effects. After a week I will be on 40mg a day and this is for 4-5 months. I do exercise (pole dance, ab stuff etc) and not allowed to do that if my muscles start to ache quite gutted about that but clear skin will be worth it. As for pregnancy we have to use 2 types of contraception, don't want a baby for a while anyway so we are always very very careful. We've actually discussed abstinence!!! Every month when I pick up my new batch of pills I have to have a blood test (to check liver function) and a pregnancy test.

Yep you'll be on the stronger faster one. My brother wanted to carry on with his bike riding so he was on it for 6 months in total.

I really hope it works for you. If it does it will all be worth it

Hiya

I have been on it twice, first time for four months, second time for six months. It is a miracle cure for me but i did have to go on it a second time as my acne returned.

Side effects for me were - achy joints, muscles and dry lips. I used Elizabeth Arden eight hour lotion for my lips (only thing that worked) and Elizabeth Arden intense moisturiser which stopped my face getting really dry. The key is to keep well hydrated too and avoid heavy exercise if you can whilst on them.

This sounds wrong but this thread (the success stories) has made me so sad for my son. Happy for them, sad for us. We were told 6 months, he started taking it October '12 when we were on holiday in Iceland (he was only allowed to start it when I would be around to watch his moods due to the potential suicide risk in teens) and almost a year later he still suffers and just spent the best part of the summer holidays alone because it's shot his confidence. They're trying so hard for him, steroids too, creams etc. It makes me cry sometimes (not that I let him see) because it's so unfair and hard for him, sometimes he can't sleep on his back due to the painful swollen cysts, and loads of TMI things I wouldn't post because they're gross

Hoddy, his eyes aren't dry but his lips are AWFUL and he constantly uses balm to the point that a couple of times he forgot it at school one of us had to run it to him else he'd be bleeding by the end of the day.

Kentish, my brother went through it and his is back. It doesn't work for everyone unfortunately.

I know exactly now your poor son feels. I can't sleep on my back either, and have to lean forward to drive because I also get cysts on my back. I know how he feels about the confidence thing too, OH's parents took us to centre parks and I stayed in the lodge while they went swimming because I couldn't bear to let them see the state of my back (or my face without makeup). It's a total confidence killer. I'm not wearing foundation any more as I don't want to be rubbing my face too much as I've been told how thin the skin can go and I actually warned my friends from uni not to be too shocked at the state of me :'( I felt I had to warn them about my face.

Really hope your son can get his sorted too. It is so so so unfair.

Hoddy, I am so sorry. Everything you say makes sense to me. It's more debilitating than I think most people realise. And it's a physical and emotional issue because of the confidence thing. I know my son has had people try and bully him because of it, which I think for the most part he rises above, but he shouldn't have to.

We got an emergency appointment for steroids 2 weeks before my wedding because he came to me in tears worried he would spoil my photos, the poor love.

I very much hope the meds do their thing for you. I have been on various forums reading, and asking questions about Roaccutane and it really does seem to be a miracle cure for most people. My fingers are crossed for you x

Bless him and that's exactly how I feel about my own wedding, I also feel like I'm not worthy of being someone's wife...after all I just look like a spotty teenager not a woman. Thank you, I just hope that something works for your son too. I'm glad he has the strength to rise above the bullies.

Hi. The side effects started after about 2 weeks but once I got the right lip balm and moisturiser and cream for my cracked sides of mouth it was fine. Still have to use lip balm regularly, every hour or so but I have several scattered around the house and always have one in my pocket. Im on 80mg so your symptoms might not be as bad if your on a lower dose. Been on them for 2 months now. Not been moody, even though I had my wedding during this time too! It did cause a flair up at first but as long as your not getting married within the first month you should be fine.

I was on this for 8 months, heed the warnings about waxing! I stupidly got my eyebrows waxed a week in and then spent the next two months with scared eye brows, not a good look.

My hands were the worst for dry so mum bought me some Kiel's hand cream, expensive but the only thing that worked for my dry bleeding hands.

My eyes were fine though, I'm really funny about eyes too so was worried.

hope you get on ok with it? X

Thanks everyone for the replies. Yes I like getting my eyebrows waxed and if not I'm always plucking them - not allowed to do that anymore!

P.s Carmex is really good for lips.

also, I couldn't drink alcohol AT ALL..

hope that helps.

Yeah I'm not a drinker really anyway so that's fine by me.... Just really hope this works. I'm having to change so much in my life for it. Really hope it's worth it.

10 days in and despite using the hemp balm, Vaseline (at night) and also a wilko one as I forgot to take one with me the other day my lips are very sore and look like they are peeling This must be the start. Began taking 40mg on Wednesday whereas for the first week it was 20mg so that must be why.

Oh Hoddy!

Sorry you are having a rough time on it and the hemp is not working for you but stick with it.

Going on Roacctane was honestly one of the best decisions I ever made, a few months of discomfort for a lifetime acne free.

Hoddy, sorry to hear this. I recall my son's lips did get worse the longer he was on the meds and the higher the dose, but it got to a point where it simply stopped getting worse, and then eased off somewhat. They've messed his meds around loads over recent months and there's been no significant change so hopefully this is the worst of that, for you. And also, hopefully, it will be a small price to pay in comparison, fingers crossed.

Do any of you know if it's normal to have skin peeling from your lips and feel like they are fizzing? They feel all tight every now and then as well but I guess that's the lack of moisture. Also, do you have to apply the lip balm throughout the night?! Maybe that's where I'm going wrong?

Thanks Kentish Gal, I too hope it wears off a bit.. As I said I'm only 10 days in and already seeing the bad effects

I was fortunate that i did not get any major side effects but i was very OTT in prevention rather than cure.

Regarding lip balm I did keep it next to my bed and would apply it during the night if i woke up (which did not happen very often) but I would apply a silly amount all around my mouth before bed (fortunately I was single at the time as I looked like a small child that has been experimenting with lip gloss)

I also liberally applied hemp body butter in the morning and before bed (on my face too)

I was trying the prevention over cure tactic too but that doesn't seem to have worked for me. Thanks for the tips though, I will literally pile it all around my mouth tonight and see what happens! OH will just have to deal with me looking silly, better than me being covered in spots in the long run

Chin up chick, it will all be worth it in the end promise ?