POSTED UNDER Accutane Reviews
Cystic Acne Ruined My Skin but Accutane (Temporarily) Fixed My Problem. Albuquerque, NM
ORIGINAL POST
I was 23 and for almost a decade had been dealing...
WORTH IT$350
I was 23 and for almost a decade had been dealing with minor acne issues. I had pimples here and there. Unfortunately for me, Cystic Acne runs in my family. My Grandfather had it, some of my Aunts had it and my Beautiful Mother had it. Guess which of the three lucky children in my biological family got it? You guessed it, the middle child, ME!
It started in June and worsened in July. Then in August, I was full of cysts on my cheeks and they felt like tons of tiny needles stabbing me! The pain emotionally was as bad as it was physically. I finally decided to go to a dermatologist. She immediately put me on Antibiotics, made me sign a non-pregnancy waiver which demanded that I use two forms of birth control and soon after (about a month) started taking Accutane.
I used the generic brand Claravis because that was affordable and what my insurance would pay for. It cost me $2 every month thanks to my Mother's great health insurance but cost me about $50 to see a specialist every month. So it evened out I suppose.
The Pros:
1. It got rid of all of my cysts!
2. It helped keep my hair nice and dry so I didn't wash it but maybe once a week!
3. I never felt sick or nauseas or even any pain!
4. I don't get cystic acne now, 5 years later! (but I still get acne)
The Cons:
1. My lips were dryer than I have ever felt. I used Vaseline at night because it was the only thing that helped keep my lips from chapping so bad they bled.
2. My eyes were very dry and I had previously had dry eye syndrome. (ya, I know, sounds made up but trust you me, the symptoms are awful!)
3. My hair thinned in areas that were already feeling thin. Now back to normal thanks to good hair care.
4. I don't know the long-term side effects. My partner and I have not tried to have kids yet but I have been on the same birth control (IUD) since before I used Claravis.
If you are debating Accutane because the side effects are too extreme, just weigh your Pros and Cons. Irritable Bowel Syndrome, suicide and Infertility were 3 of the worst side effects that I saw. I'm sure there are more but those stuck out for me. I was told that if IBS is already in your body, Accutane will be the fuel to its fire and cause an issue. I'm not sure if there are tests you can take before to check but I didn't do that. Suicide was an issue because I was an emotional mess from the acne itself NOT the Accutane. Infertility is still an issue for me. At the time, children were not in my future. What was, was the pain my cysts were causing me. I felt bad every single day because of it. The pain physically and emotionally had to stop.
Clarvis helped the pain stop!
It started in June and worsened in July. Then in August, I was full of cysts on my cheeks and they felt like tons of tiny needles stabbing me! The pain emotionally was as bad as it was physically. I finally decided to go to a dermatologist. She immediately put me on Antibiotics, made me sign a non-pregnancy waiver which demanded that I use two forms of birth control and soon after (about a month) started taking Accutane.
I used the generic brand Claravis because that was affordable and what my insurance would pay for. It cost me $2 every month thanks to my Mother's great health insurance but cost me about $50 to see a specialist every month. So it evened out I suppose.
The Pros:
1. It got rid of all of my cysts!
2. It helped keep my hair nice and dry so I didn't wash it but maybe once a week!
3. I never felt sick or nauseas or even any pain!
4. I don't get cystic acne now, 5 years later! (but I still get acne)
The Cons:
1. My lips were dryer than I have ever felt. I used Vaseline at night because it was the only thing that helped keep my lips from chapping so bad they bled.
2. My eyes were very dry and I had previously had dry eye syndrome. (ya, I know, sounds made up but trust you me, the symptoms are awful!)
3. My hair thinned in areas that were already feeling thin. Now back to normal thanks to good hair care.
4. I don't know the long-term side effects. My partner and I have not tried to have kids yet but I have been on the same birth control (IUD) since before I used Claravis.
If you are debating Accutane because the side effects are too extreme, just weigh your Pros and Cons. Irritable Bowel Syndrome, suicide and Infertility were 3 of the worst side effects that I saw. I'm sure there are more but those stuck out for me. I was told that if IBS is already in your body, Accutane will be the fuel to its fire and cause an issue. I'm not sure if there are tests you can take before to check but I didn't do that. Suicide was an issue because I was an emotional mess from the acne itself NOT the Accutane. Infertility is still an issue for me. At the time, children were not in my future. What was, was the pain my cysts were causing me. I felt bad every single day because of it. The pain physically and emotionally had to stop.
Clarvis helped the pain stop!
Welcome to the community, I am so happy that you joined us and shared your personal experience. Cystic acne is terrible to deal with, I have been there...and I remember how painful and uncomfortable it was -- so glad Accutane cleared your skin up. Do you have any scars from the cysts?
You mentioned that one of your side effects was hair loss but luckily it was temporary "thanks to good hair care" -- can you elaborate on what your routine consisted of?
The community loves before and after photos, so if you're up to sharing some, please do.