Accutane Affects On Healthy 18yr Old Girl

I've been on Isotretinoin for 6 months and my dermatologist said I have another 2 months to go at least as I am still a grade 2. However, after serious consideration, I have decided to get off the medication and try antibiotics and topical creams again (though they did not work the first time I tried them).

I was generally a physical person, but once starting Isotretinoin, I found it hard to walk up the stairs without being out of breath.
I experienced incredible headaches which I tried to manage by blocking out all light and noise, though that rarely helped.
I am a pilot and had to stop flying for months because I didn't feel I could physically task myself with it. Flying isn't particularly demanding physically yet still I was unable to manage it.
My skin was very, very dry. No amount of lotion could keep it from being red and flaky all day. I had to wear long sleeves and gloves as often as possible to hide the dryness. It wasn't possible to put enough lip balm on, my lips bled from cracking constantly.
I experienced some light hair thinning.
Those; however, are more common, less serious side effects I had.

One day, I was absolutely sick from dehydration. I was vomiting for hours and had terrible diarrhea. I went to a clinic and was taken care of with a simple IV. Two days later, I had appendicitis and was sent immediately into surgery for an appendectomy.
The worst side effect I experienced was that I lost interest in absolutely everything. I nearly gave up flying entirely and the job opportunity of a lifetime, I almost let slip through my finger.

This drug was awful for my physical health and detrimental to my mental health. However, it did help to relieve most of my acne, and for that reason, I do not regret taking it. My acne made me extremely self-conscious, it's still present but it is now manageable with good makeup.

If your acne is something that affects your daily life and mentality, I would recommend Isotretinoin, but please do your due diligence in researching it first. This medication is risky being explanation, be careful, and if you experience some abnormal side effects, DO NOT hesitate seeing a doctor, even if it's nothing, you're better safe than sorry.

REPLY

REPORT

1 Reply

Hello, Rachel! How are you?

Thank you so much for the well thought out and informative post about your experiences with this medication. I'm glad that it helped you, but very sorry for the experiences you had while taking it.

Does anyone have any questions?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Okay, I've been taking 30mg of Accutane for almost a year now. I'm very pleased with the results. I used to have...

6 REPLIES

My 21 year old son, who goes to the gym 4 times a week, watches everything he puts into his mouth, and who has never had...

1 REPLY

My girlfriend s n0w 2m0nths dlayed, but when the frst 2weeks 0f dlayed menstrati0n, we t0ok a pregnancy test, imean she ...

2 REPLIES

I have a son that took accutane 60 mg a day for six months in a row three years ago. Now after many trips to doctors ove...

1933 REPLIES

Hi I have been on accutane 2 times. 9 months at the age of 16 and 10 months at the age of 18. I have had many problems o...

1 REPLY

My son who is now 20 took Accutane for the first time when he was 16 but had a seizure in the 2nd month. He, of course, ...

1 REPLY

i have been on Accutane for three months now, first two on 20mg and started the 3rd month on 40mg. After upping the dose...

3 REPLIES

I was on Accutane for 27 days. I had to stop because of muscle weakness and erectile dysfunction. It has been a month no...

1 REPLY

I am currently on Accutane medication and I have been taking it for the past 2 and a half weeks. The first week when I s...

3 REPLIES

I was just wondering if jojoba oil reverses the effects of accutane? I have been using it on my skin ever since I starte...