Is 13 too young for Accutane?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eliminate ALL dairy. Be strict, and see where that gets her.

That worked for one of my DD friends. Why the eye roll? Do me a favor and don't answer.

It worked for me too when two rounds of accutane didn't.

[Anonymous]

I did 2 rounds of accutane and that cleared up most of it. We are considering it for DD, but she is a serious athlete and I had a problem with muscle and joint pain so we are holding off. Limiting dairy is helping but hard.

[Anonymous]

Why wouldn't girls with acne always try going on the pill before starting Accutane? It seems like that would be the standard course of action.

[Anonymous]

20 years ago my kid took Accutane and in 3 months his cystic severe acne was cured. CURED. No side effects, he had weekly blood tests. No depression.

You people need to quit spreading false info.

The only thing wrong with Accutane is it's rarely covered by private insurance. Back then it was but not anymore and it's very expensive.

Do it in the summer though because it does peel your face.

[Anonymous]

Get a hormonal panel done first. If she has high testosterone, Accutane improvements won't last. Spironalactone can really work miracles and is much more efficacious than BCP if high testosterone is the problem.

Mother of DD who had three rounds of Accutane that failed within six months of finishing treatment; skin now very clear on Spironalactone.

[Anonymous]

My brother took it starting at 15. It triggered depression for him, once off the meds, the depression improved but never went away.

He may have developed depression anyways but the accutane certainly played a key role in bringing the depression on. He has always wondered if he would have had depression or if it would have been as severe if he hadn't taken accutane

[Anonymous]

Have you tried Differin gel? It's now available OTC.

[Anonymous]

Accutane is often maligned due to an alleged link to suicide. Accutane is most often rx for teenagers. The number one cause of death for teenagers is suicide.

My brother with severe cystic acne took it as a teen and it literally changed his life. He went from being angry and antisocial to a more normal confident person. My cystic acne was not quite as bad as my brothers but I ended up needing it in college and am so grateful for it. Neither of us had any sideeffects beyond dry skin. It honestly makes me sad to see the treatment has become so maligned when it can do so much good. Correlation is not causation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please don't use Accutane. It can have really awful long-term effects.
I had extremely bad cystic acne at 13/14 years old. It left prominent permanent scars on my face. It was difficult, but as an adult I'm glad my parents didn't make me take Accutane.
I went on to a great college, now own my own successful business, and have been married 10 years to the best partner anyone could ask for. Acne won't ruin her life.

OMG. Accutane also won't ruin anyone's life, and in fact, will improve it immensely. The side effects that everyone fixates on have occurred in a tiny percentage of cases. Both my boys had horrible cystic acne, both were put on Accutane around 12/13 and luckily, neither were left with scars because we acted quickly. Their skin is beautiful now. They experienced depression - BEFORE taking Accutane, because of how they looked. It was the Accutane which saved them. If my daughter also experiences cystic acne, we will most definitely give her Accutane as well.

There are few things more destructive to a teen's self-esteem than terrible acne. I would never tell my kids they couldn't take a drug that has been proven to be effective for cystic acne.

Looks like the Accutae marketing team found this thread.

You mean a parent who actually took action to fight her child's acne? Okaaaay...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do hormonal birth control (the Pill) first, but I had great results with Accutane.

I had terrible cystic acne that did not respond to antibiotics, special soaps, etc. Just enormous multi-year cysts, and scars. The Pill helped a bit, but there were fewer types of Pills available at that time and doctors didn't realize/admit that some were better than others; personally I react poorly to the old-style hormones that are in the minipill, implant, etc.

I went on Accutane in my early 20s and the change was amazing. I couldn't complete a full course because my triglycerides got too high, but the results were still great. My skin looked amazing while I was actually on Accutane. Over time it did get less perfect but 15 years later I still get very few blemishes. The most blemishes I have had, since then, were on the minipill after I was pregnant; once I got on a newer pill I have had clear skin.

I know there are warnings about blindness, etc., but the big worry is birth defects. I would think that doing a course of Accutane as distantly as possible from getting pregnant would be a good thing.

Absolutely. And for boys, who can't take the Pill for obvious reasons, Accutane is really the only choice for persistent, cystic acne. You can only be on antibiotics for so long, and once you go off them, the acne comes back with a vengeance. Our kids took Accutane and had bloody noses and dry lips. But they got through it fine and now have beautiful skin. They've often said they don't know what they would've done without that option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yup. Accutane marketing has found this thread.

Good work folks! Make those coins!

What, exactly, is your problem? Regretful that you never went on Accutane and don't want anyone else to either? You sound ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup. Accutane marketing has found this thread.

Good work folks! Make those coins!

I don't know why you're saying that-- I don't care about accutane. I have no interest or stake in it, and I'm aware that like many medications there are some risks. I'm not encouraging anyone to take it- but the story of suffering for years with cystic acne and having scars, but "gee after some bad years, my life turned out generally okay" is really not going to help any teenager with severe acne.
Most teens are wired to be self conscious- more than the typical amount of acne is going to prevent them from wanting to do normal things like wear a bathing suit or a prom dress. I remember feeling so hopeless and upset about my acne--it's a big deal.

+1000
I can't fathom parents who make their kids suffer through severe acne without doing everything in their power to help them. If I had had parents like that, I know I'd resent the hell out of them - especially after seeing and hearing about all the success stories with Accutane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eliminate ALL dairy. Be strict, and see where that gets her.

That worked for one of my DD friends. Why the eye roll? Do me a favor and don't answer.

Not the PP, but I know a girl whose parents made her eliminate all dairy. She had horrific cystic acne, and this was their "answer." After months of this nonsense, her face looked exactly the same. Maybe even a little worse. We lost touch with them and I don't know what the final outcome was, but I do know that poor girl looked miserable every time I saw her. I can only hope her parents finally got a conscience and put her on Accutane.

What a stupid, stupid thing to suggest for anyone suffering from cystic acne.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you tried Differin gel? It's now available OTC.

Topical creams/ointments/washes do nothing for cystic acne.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Accutane is often maligned due to an alleged link to suicide. Accutane is most often rx for teenagers. The number one cause of death for teenagers is suicide.

My brother with severe cystic acne took it as a teen and it literally changed his life. He went from being angry and antisocial to a more normal confident person. My cystic acne was not quite as bad as my brothers but I ended up needing it in college and am so grateful for it. Neither of us had any sideeffects beyond dry skin. It honestly makes me sad to see the treatment has become so maligned when it can do so much good. Correlation is not causation.

THIS. My brother also had the same experience, as did my sons. It was truly a lifesaver for us.