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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Acutane [/quote]

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[b]OP, I don't know if your teen has cystic acne or not, but if so, Accutane is the only thing that will permanently work[/b].[/quote]

I can't believe these irresponsible recommendations for Accutane!  Nobody should just jump to accutane.  Accutane is a dangerous drug that has been known to cause depression that has resulted in suicides.  Before you even consider this drug, you should try prescription topical agents and antibiotics.  My DS had terrible acne (not cystic) and although it took a while, these methods worked.  It is now very much under control.  We did consider Accutane if these methods did not work.  FYI, one dermatologist wanted us to go right to Accutane.  So glad we waited.

[/quote]

[i]As I said, above[/i]: Accutane is the only thing that will permanently work for CYSTIC acne.  Which is absolutely true.  You can try stop-gap measures, such as antibiotics, and they appear to work beautifully - with the caveat that you have to stay on them indefinitely.  Our son was on them for two years.  When we decided to stop - because his skin looked so great - the acne came back with a vengeance.  Our dermatologist had warned us about this when he laid out our options (Accutane being one of them), but we had to see it for ourselves to believe it.  After that, it was straight to Accutane.  His skin cleared - permanently - after about five months.  Unfortunately, because we took so long to act, he was left with scars.  Now we know what to do if our other children develop cystic acne.  Accutane, immediately.

You may find it "irresponsible" to recommend Accutane, but then you son *didn't have* cystic acne, did he?  You might change your tune if you had a child with cystic acne whose self-esteem was in the toilet and who needed help.  I find it irresponsible to try and dissuade parents from the only sure bet out there (again - for CYSTIC acne).  Our son's life changed due to this medicine, and he'd be the first to say so.  He went from a DEPRESSED, withdrawn teen, to a confident, outgoing one.  And this would never have happened without Accutane.  
[/quote]

Yes you said that your son had cystic acne, but you didn't say anything about the risks associated with the medicine.  You don't know if the OP's kid has cystic acne, so you and others just threw out the word Accutane like it's a miracle cure of all.  I didn't say YOU shouldn't have used it, I just said that it shouldn't be recommended so freely with no knowledge of the person's condition and without disclosing the risks.  I know a family that lost their son due to this medicine.[/quote]

I've helpfully bolded my exact words, above.  I said that I didn't know what kind of acne the OP's son had but IF it was cystic, Accutane is the only medicine that will actually eradicate the acne.  So please stop trying to make it sound like I just threw that out there, willy-nilly.  I stand by what I said - if it's cystic acne the OP is talking about, then there is really only one medication proven to cure it.  Everything else is simply a stop-gap measure.

As for side-effects:  has Accutane been linked to suicide?  Yes, in rare instances.  But who's to say the suicide wasn't caused by the acne *itself*??  Accutane takes a long time to work.  And it also makes things worse before it gets better.  I could definitely see a teen becoming more and more depressed that his/her acne was getting worse, not better.  My own son was [b]horribly[/b] depressed - BEFORE going on Accutane.  We had to reassure him that it would be worth it in the end, and it was.  It sounds schmaltzy, but he was like a caterpillar gradually turning into a butterfly.  The difference in his demeanor was like night and day.  Once the acne had cleared up, he was so much more comfortable socializing, and even worked up the nerve to date, something he had never done before.  He really came out of his shell and actually enjoyed his last year of high school.

I will always recommend Accutane for anyone suffering from cystic acne.  It can have serious side effects, but it usually does not.  The miniscule risk was worth it to us, as our son was already depressed and needed help.  Accutane helped him.[/quote]

But the Accutane should not be used until other measures tried first.  Accutane is not the only cure of cystic acne, as you seem to claim.  It was the only one for your DC, yes.  But to recommend it to people right off the bat is irresponsible.[/quote]

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