<p>My D had horrendous acne caused by hormones (high levels testosterone). Fair ivory skin was purple and pocked marked with deep acne.</p>
<p>She finally defeated it completely using neutrigena skin ID products. Her skin is PERFECt. They have just discontinued it (ugh) but here is one product that looks similiar. We have not tried it yet.</p>
<p>Yes, my older kids both had great results with the Neutrogena Acne System. The results weren’t as noticeable with my younger son so we have been seeing a dermatologist this time around. Not much seems to be working for him. A friend is using Accutane and is having good results. When I heard that I was tempted. But, after dealing with colon cancer for the past six years I now think about everything that we eat/use.</p>
<p>My middle son had horrible acne. We tried everything. We removed milk from his diet (milk has hormones, even “organic” milk, simply because the mother cow has hormones). He tried oral antibiotics (the sun sensitivity caused him to get an exaggerated sun burn on more than one occasion), multiple topicals all of which seemed to cause side effects for him. We tried a mud mask of some sort that was recommended here that kind of worked, but there is no way he would wear a mask of that sort in the dorms. My formally super-confident guy’s self-esteem was taking a nose dive. We read all the horror stories, but finally, two years ago, he decided to give Accutane a try. He was on it for 6 months, we saw the derm once a month and he had monthly blood tests. The only side effect he had was dry lips (he still has a chapstick on him at all times). Now he looks absolutely incredible and we are so glad that he did it. For the most part his skin looks brand new. He occasionally will get a pimple but not very often. My younger son has mild acne which we are controlling with a combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin cream at night and he is drinking a juice concoction (a mixture of carrots, kale, beets, apples, berries, orange, ginger, etc…) that my DH juices with his juicer.</p>
<p>S2 had good results with Minocycline (although it took a while to work) and 2 different prescription creams. I also researched Accutane and was very hesitant about it because of all the stuff I read and some mental health issues with my husband’s family. I do know lots of kids who did take it and they all seem fine today - no lasting ill-effects that I know of. It does seem to work very well.</p>
<p>I know many dermatologists shrug-off the dairy association and acne, BUT I noticed a huge difference in my son when he left for college this past August. He is a big milk drinker (lactose-free) and because he couldn’t get his “special” milk on-campus was completely milk-free and was the most acne-free I had seem him in 15 months. </p>
<p>Also, he had completely stopped taking the antibiotic in September. I fully expected with the stoppage of the medicine, the added stress of college and poor diet that he would be worse, not better. He came home for Christmas break, drank some milk and had a mini-breakout. Coincidence? Who knows, but its worth trying!</p>
<p>MaineLonghorn, the same thing happened to our son. Btw, he is doing great now, meds are balanced, he takes care of himself, lives on his own. He works full time, goes to school part time. He’s been doing well for more than three years, we can finally exhale. Everything started within 4 weeks of taking Accutane. I strongly urge everyone to avoid Accutane. The risk is far too great. We and S’s doctors believe Accutane was the trigger. IMO, it should be outlawed completely.</p>
<p>Dairy and sugar: definitely triggers for acne, especially for my D. She excludes both and her skin stays clear.</p>
<p>I have been considered accutane for my 15 yo dd. She never has cystic acne but does have moderate pitting on her cheeks, usually a half dozen or so large pustules and lots of discoloration and I did not want the scars to get worse. I personally know some people who took accutane and now have Crohns or IBS so I did not go into this blindly. We have tried EVERYTHING. Antibiotics work for a while but the acne always comes back. </p>
<p>I finally decided that I was comfortable with her taking accutane as long as we went the low dose route. I told her the risks and she did not want to take it.</p>
<p>What has been working, for about a month or so, is a concoction that her college sister brought home from school that she ordered on Amazon. It has tons of good reviews, although I am sure many are fake, but it has made an amazing difference on my daughter’s face. It’s a mask, which I know might be a hard sell to a boy.</p>
<p>You can search Aztec healing clay on Amazon. My girls mix it with Braggs apple cider vinegar and use the mask about twice a week. Good luck with whatever you decide.</p>
<p>I have had both a son and a daughter take Accutane. My son complained about side effects (dry eyes, lips, nose bleeds) more than my daughter, who really had none. Accutane worked when nothing else seemed to do so, and we tried many of the remedies mentioned on this thread (Neutrogena Acne Therapy System, topical ointments both over the counter and dermatologist prescribed, antibiotics, …). My daughter was hesitant, but her dermatologist talked through her worries … only 16-20 weeks, low dose, closely monitored. He told her that while he really liked her as a patient, he loved his two daughters more than anything in the world and had prescribed Accutane for both of them. He said that never ever ever would he consider prescribing something he thought would harm either of them. I think that more than anything convinced her to give it a go. Her beloved pediatrician’s children had also taken Accutane … and he’s quite particular himself. Anyway, five months to clear skin … and no long term need for antibiotics. Obviously, though, I worry when I read a thread like this … Still, I repeat: Accutane worked quickly and well. While I don’t think it should be used without consideration, acne-to-severe acne can affect a person not only physically but also emotionally and socially. Weighing everything … with the medical advice given … we’d do it again. (Though I do plan to claim the parental right of brooding about it today after reading this thread.) </p>
<p>Of interest, my oldest daughter with always nice skin and no need for acne medications now has IBS. If she had taken Accutane, I would probably think it a cause-effect scenario … but she didn’t. So now who/what do I blame?</p>
<p>Finally in October (S is now in 11th grade) he put him on Accutane. It’s getting better, but it’s not gone.</p>
<hr>
<p>It takes 4-5 months to see a real change.</p>
<p>I do not advocate Accutane without trying everything else first. If nothing else works, the pros & cons need to be weighed. In my family, acne is really, really bad. My brothers used Accutane as adults, and they said they wished they’d had it as teens - they feel their confidence would have been so different; one believes he never would have had the depression he had as a young adult. My S decided to go on Accutane when he was 18, and he absolutely does not regret it. He knew the possible side effects, but he believed it was worth it … much as my good friend takes a chance on the side effects of Enbrel because it makes his life so much more worth living.</p>
<p>My D has battled acne, but it is different. Hers is hormonal, and her derm - a woman D trusts completely - tells her Accutane is not proven as effective with hormonal acne as it is other types; she does not recommend it for that. D tried antiobiotics, but was allergic to minocyclin … she is also allergic to Ceclor, so she couldn’t try any more antibiotics. She tried so many topicals. She is finally finding relief at 23 with a combination of spirinolactone, Retin-A, and Panoxyl. For women, the issue can be androgen; Accutane won’t “fix” that.</p>
<p>D2 had very bad acne from 15-17. When we moved to south of border, we took her to see a dermatologist there (she went to school in the US). The doctor recommended high dosage of vitamin C, which is Accutane, but lower dosage than what’s given in the US normally. It needs to be taken for a whole year instead of 6. The only side affect D2 has had was dry skin. She is almost done with it and her skin is beautiful. D2 used to wear a lot of cover up, but now she hardly wears any makeups.</p>
<p>As a teenager who is currently on accutane and has been for the past 2.5 months, I can honestly say it’s the best and ONLY medication that has worked on my skin. </p>
<p>I used ProActiv, Neutrogena, Clearasil, and A LOT of antibiotics. But the issue with the latter was my sever skin reactions to antibiotics such as minocycline and erythromycin (ER visits to both.) We decided to try accutane after weeks of research (my mom did clinical rotations with my dermatologists so she received sheets full of statistics and surveys about the drug from the patients.) </p>
<p>My derm started me off on a low dose of 40mg per day for 60 days. We just recently switched to 60mg for the next 30 days. </p>
<p>THIS MEDICINE IS AMAZING. My extremely oily skin, plagued with huge, unforgiving cysts, blackheads, and whiteheads is now pretty much acne free and oil free. I do suffer from dry lips, but it’s not unbearable if you stock up on Chapstick. I will have to do a few microdermabrasion treatments afterwards, due to the amount of dark, dead skin and enlarged pores, but it will be totally worth it. I’ve had acne for 7 years so I’m truly glad this medication has worked for me. </p>
<p>In closing: As far as depression goes, if you don’t have mental/emotional issues before you take the drug, you’ll be fine throughout. Trust me.</p>
<p>S and D1 took Accutane. I remember being very leery and concerned at the time (many years ago now). They had the usual side effects, dry skin/lips, but it did work. Both have good skin now.</p>
<p>I hope there are no long term effects. But at what point, ie how many years later, could you say with any certainty that it was the Accutane that caused, if they should develop, let’s say colon problems?</p>
<p>Interestingly, D2 never took Accutane because she didn’t have as bad a problem. But at age 22, her skin is not clear. Her siblings have better skin.</p>
<p>S used it at age 13 for cystic acne on back and neck–after trying everything else. It worked great. He’s 24 now and no acne since then, no long-term effects that we’ve observed.</p>
<p>S had very bad acne. Cystic and topical. He had an allergic reaction to antibiotics, and wasn’t crazy about taking them anyway. He refused to consider Accutane.</p>
<p>Previously, he too had good results with not ingesting dairy foods, especially milk (and he was a big milk drinker). But he did not want to omit milk all the time.</p>
<p>(Actually, I myself had excellent skin after only three weeks of eating vegan, but unfortunately, that was only for a six-week period in my life. Plenty of cashews and avocados too.)</p>
<p>Recently, he tried a simple method of washing with a gentle cleanser, slathering on plenty of benzoyl peroxide and letting it sit on the face for an extended period, and using a gentle moisturizer. He had used BP before, but I guess this method he uses now is incredibly more effective. Perhaps the product is better quality for whatever reason.</p>
<p>It’s all outlined on a web site that is an org. And the first part of the site’s name is the name of this disease: acne.</p>
<p>Punch line: I could not believe his skin when he came home for winter break this year. He religiously does this treatment every day. No pimples. It’s pretty spectacular.</p>
<p>He buys the products from the site. Pricey (but not compared to the medical solutions). I am not connected to this company, by the way - just wanted to clarify that! </p>
<p>Unfortunately, he does have scarring, and I don’t know if there is a solution to that (please let me know, if you know of one) - but, all in all, this 3-step BP system really worked for him. It sounds like a Proavtiv-type thing - he had tried such products, but something about them did not work.</p>
<p>In a nutshell, it sounds like Accutane works brilliantly for many people, and for a small minority, there is a serious side effect.</p>
<p>So it’s a gamble. Medical experts talks about moving into more individualized solutions for patients, and I hope one day this is more of a reality. It would be so great to know who can and can’t take Accutane.</p>
<p>I think this is already a reality in so many ways. My son and daughter each had different strengths of medication, different dosages per day (once a day, twice a day). I notice that my daughter’s treatment differed from ladylikeliz’s above post. (My daughter is tiny so had a dosage that took that into account, obviously). Each of my young adults saw the dermatologist monthly over the five month course of treatment: blood tests, physical exams, and discussion with each re any symptoms. The dermatologist adjusted medication accordingly. I would describe their treatment as highly individualized. Other than the medication itself and the requirement of a monthly blood test/visit, nothing was the same.</p>
<p>I still don’t know what to do. We will see if the new meds make a difference. I just can’t get past a medicine that the federal government makes you sign a release and a pledge form not to have sex to take…</p>
<p>^^ They make you sign a release because if you get pregnant while using the drug, there is a ridiculously high percentage of deadly or debilitating birth defects that could happen to a baby if born with isotretinoin in its blood.</p>
<p>Adding to that … our dermatologist stressed this with my daughter but pointed out that the concern lasts only as long as you are taking the drug. One of his daughters had bad acne and had to take more than one course of the drug. She is an adult now (also a doctor) and just had her second child … no concerns about birth defects from a medication used as a teen.</p>
<p>sopranomom - I want to say Vitamin C, but I think you are probably right that it is Vitamin A. The medication D2 got wasn’t Accutane, but maybe it is just a different name because we got them overseas. The doctor said the dosage was lower, therefore less side affects, but needed to be taken longer.</p>