I got Accutane from a friend and want to begin taking 30mg a day, how long should I continue this course?

Question

I have acquired accutane from a friend who did not finish her course, I have moderate acne (9/15 active spots at any one time on cheeks and chin) and want to begin taking 30mg a day, how long should I continue this course for?

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Accutane is a go-to medication for patients with recalcitrant cystic acne. It can reduce pore size and also reduce sebum production in your skin, making it less oily; and in turn, dryer. Accutane can be used to control acne, but patients receiving the medication should be carefully monitored. In terms of skincare, always wear an appropriate sunscreen and reduce direct sun exposure. In my patients, I recommend a good ceramide moisturizer such as Elevase whenever they are on Accutane. This will keep the skin hydrated and reduce the oiliness of the skin that is associated with oil-based moisturizers.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian 
Realself100 Surgeon

Margaret Weiss, MD · Answer

Please don't do this--it would be completely irresponsible and your friend is not doing you any favors by even suggesting this.  Besides being illegal, it would be stupid and could be dangerous and put yourself and potentially a fetus at risk of injury.See a board-certified dermatologist for help--you and your face are worth it.

Humberto Cantu, MD · Answer

It would be one of the most irresponsible things you did. I agree with the views of previous doctors. Seek help from a doctor for the correct dosage and establish a treatment program that fits your features.

Arnold R. Oppenheim, MD (retired) · Answer

This is exactly what regulators and physicians fear: that Accutane will be passed from person to person. In fact, this demonstrates that all the regulations in the world cannot spare the public from the consequences of its own foolish behavior.   Accutane is a serious drug which requires carefully monitoring. While largely safe under those circumstances, a number of untoward events can occur such as acute pancreatitis, pseudotumor cerebri ( brain swelling), liver toxicity, etc. It is imperative that sexually active females be on birth control pills. A program, called the iPledge program ( very similar to the Obamacare website, in that, despite strong advice that it be delayed until the kinks were taken out, the IPledge website went up anyway and for months was a disaster...shame people do not learn from the mistakes of others), is in effect to ensure that female patients ( although males are in the iPledge program too, which makes no sense to me, since I have yet to hear of a pregnant male aside from that cinematic disaster Rabbit Test) do not get pregnant or at least are made triply aware of the need to maintain birth control.   My advice is two-fold: your girlfriend finish her course to achieve a permanent cure and if your acne is severe enough, that you seek a dermatologist who agrees to treat you with Accutane.

F. Victor Rueckl, MD (in memoriam) · Answer

This is a horrible idea. You need to see a doctor to determine if Accutane is really even the right course for you. Also, you need to be on two forms of birth control, if you a female. You should never, ever take medication that was prescribed for someone else, and frankly, I'm sure your friend should have finished her own course of medication and is now risking that she didn't get enough of the mg into her system for a long-term cure. See a doctor! "This answer has been solicited without seeing this patient and cannot 
be held as true medical advice, but only opinion. Seek in-person 
treatment with a trained medical professional for appropriate care."

I got Accutane from a friend and want to begin taking 30mg a day, how long should I continue this course?

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