My Accutane Story – 4 years on

 

Hey Everyone,

Today’s post is quite a long rambly one as I’ll be talking all about my experience with Accutane!

So here we go…

The second I hit my teenage years , acne became the bane of my life, and after my GP had prescribed every antibiotic and topical treatments under the sun, it seemed like there was no hope of resolving it!

After visiting my GP for what felt like the 100th time he referred me to a Hospital dermatologist who recommended a drug called Accutane. However once she began to mention the potentially harmful effects it could have on my body  my mum and I were left apprehensive and decided to not to pursue it at the time.

Subsequently, about a year later with no improvement in my skin and an increase in acne scarring, I decided the potential risks were worth taking for the chance of better skin. I revisited a dermatologist via a GP referral, but the eligibility criteria had changed and this time I was told that my acne was not bad enough to be prescribed Accutane…ironic isn’t it….

So with that the only choice left was for me to find a private dermatologist, and that’s how I found the lovely Dr Holder at the London Dermatology centre.

After explaining my situation and her and examining my skin, she was happy to prescribe me Accutane , and was reassuring about the potential side effects. So, after a blood test to check my liver function , and a routine pregnancy test , I began a course of Accutane 40mg 2 tablets twice a day for about 6-9 months.

Side effects:

My liver function tests were all fine and my skin never became severely dry,as I didn’t experience any peeling or flaking of my skin. However, I will say that I have have heard of friends of friends suffering really badly with this as well as some other physical side effects , so I may have just been extremely lucky. Cetaphil cleanser and lotion, and a good sunblock  alongside some Vaseline or Carmex was more than enough for me!

Now with regard to the psychological side effects that Accutane is commonly known for, I have experienced bouts of low moods and anxiety whilst on Accutane . However due to the stress of GCSE’s and general life at the time, I’m really not sure whether this was purely down to Accutane, or had just been a long time coming and would have happened regardless.

If you’re on Accutane and find yourself experiencing any physiological side effects , be sure to speak to your’re doctor about it.

4 years on, was it worth it ?

I would definitely say that experience with Accutane was a positive one.  I still experience breakouts every now and then , but these are mild in comparison to what they would be like pre-Accutane. After a long trial with various products I’ve managed to develop a skincare routine that keeps these mini breakouts at bay.

Would I recommend Accutane ?

Purely based on my personal experience, I would recommend Accutane as a last resort if you find that nothing else seems to be working. However the best thing to do is to visit you’re doctor/dermatologist to seek their advice as they’re the professionals.

So there’s my Accutane Story!  I really hope you found it informative!

Have any of you previously suffered from or  currently suffering with acne? If so, how are you currently treating it?

Have any of you experienced Accutane or currently taking it?

Comment down below , I’d love to hear you’re stories 🙂

Love

CJ x

P.S.

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2 comments so far.

2 responses to “My Accutane Story – 4 years on”

  1. Thanks for sharing! I’ve seen so many mixed reviews.

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