Accutane-a prescription acne treatment

Treatment for acne

What it is:

A form of Vitamin A that reduces the amount of oil released from the glands in your skin.  It also helps skin to renew itself faster.

Side effects:

Birth defects:

The birth defects Accutane causes include central nervous system, facial, cardiac, and thymus gland abnormalities. After Accutane treatment has been completed for one month, a woman can get pregnant without worry about birth defects. Accutane does not affect fertility, or make it difficult to get pregnant. Women who are taking Accutane should use two forms of birth control starting a month before treatment and continuing one month after treatment.

Common

·         Dry skin requiring the frequent use of moisturizers

·         Dry and cracking lips

·         Nosebleeds

·         Itchy skin 

·         Thinning hair

·         Excessive peeling, especially of the palms and soles

·         Muscle aches and pains, even worse with physical activity

·         Increased sensitivity to the sun causing sunburns more easily

·         Elevated triglyceride levels

 Rare

·         Headaches, if persistent and associated with nausea, vomiting, and blurred vision, may be a sign of a condition called pseudotumor cerebri.

·         The incidence of depression, psychosis, and suicide attempts is increased, and returns to normal after discontinuing the drug.

·         The production of tears in the eyes is decreased, which can cause, red eyes, itchy eyes, and possibly ulcerations of the cornea, especially with contact lens wearers.

·         The ability to distinguish between shades of black and white can be decreased causing night blindness.

·         Liver enzymes can be elevated causing jaundice, hepatitis, and abdominal pain.

Dosage changes:

First month was a smaller dose and after reacting well physically and having good lab work they upped the dosage.

Labs and my process so far:

My first visit: pregnancy test

2 days before my medications started I had to get lab work and a pregnancy test done, after the labs came back good I was able to take the iPledge quiz and then get the prescription within 7 days of the labs.  The office then called to schedule an appointment for 1 month out.

2 days before my appointment I had to get more labs and a pregnancy test.  I then went to my appointment where they told me my labs were good and I was responding well to the medication.  They upped the dosage at this time.  They called in the meds and I took my iPledge quiz then picked up my meds within 7 days.  From the second month on it is 2 pills instead of just 1.  They scheduled another appointment for me 1 month out.

2 days before my appointment I got more labs and a pregnancy test done.  I went to my appointment and they said I was doing great.  They called in my prescription and said I did not have to do any more lab work because the dosage stays the same for the last 3 months.  I took the iPledge quiz and got the prescription.  They scheduled another appointment for me 1 month out.

I went into the next visit without doing lab work and they gave me a pregnancy test at the office.  My doctor looked at my skin and gave me a prescription for the next month.  I took the iPledge quiz and got the prescription.  They scheduled another appointment for me in 1 month.

The next visit was the same as before although this was my last visit.  I was told to take the last month of medication and then to go to get a pregnancy test done after finishing the medication and then also 30 days later.  I did so.

DONE!!

Throughout the process:

I have felt fine physically so far.  I have had no complications.  The only thing that has been a hassle and complaint is the dry skin and lips.  I have used mostly fragrance free/sensitive skin products for the entire time.  I use many different lip balms for dry cracked lips.  The doctor also prescribed a steroid cream for the cracks that I developed at the corners of my mouth (that stuff is a miracle worker…cracks were gone over night). I have never experienced dry skin this way before.  I usually have oily skin and this made it so I had to put regular moisturizers on my face.  I usually always used acne prone skin moisturizers with treatments in them.  It has been quite the lifestyle change.  It has also been pretty time consuming with all the lab work and doctor visits.  I have also suffered with very frequent nose bleeds from being so dry.  I'm talking 2 or 3 daily.  This is not a fun time and I always feel like my nose is raw inside.  

Products I use and like the best:

Cetaphil facial cleanser and moisturizer, Eucerin moisturizer, First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream, Gold Bond Foot Lotion, Lypsyl Bee Smooth Lip Balm, Aquaphor Lip Treatment and Healing Ointment, Vaseline, lots of water

Expensive

The dermatologist appointments, lab work, prescriptions….all very costly.

I plan on doing an update at the end when I can give a true opinion on how the medication works.  Thank you all for checking out my experience.