I'm a 17 year old female who started Accutane in February. After being on many different expensive prescriptions (i.e. Clindamycin Phosphate + Benzoyl Peroxide, Minocycline, Adapalene) since 7th grade that did absolutely nothing for my face acne, my doctor said the last resort was for me to be put on Accutane. I was on this for 3 months and saw no results. I experienced only some of the many side effects associated with this drug. My skin was severely sensitive to the sun- it turned bright tomato red. My eyes started to bother me- it felt like something scratched them and they even turned red. Saline eye drops would only help for a couple hours until they would feel irritated again. I also experienced lower back pain so I couldn't exercise (running on elliptical) like I used to be able before 5 days a week. I also began to not have an appetite after being on this for about three months now. However, I didn't have the common symptom of super dry chapped lips but keep in mind I took this in the middle of winter when my lips are usually dry. This is when my dermatologist upped the dosage to 80mg instead of 40mg like I had been on for about two months.
My fourth visit (3 months in) to the derm was when he put me on Absorica. It was supposed to be the stronger version and actually cheaper than Accutane- my parents' copay was $600 a month versus the now $5 it would cost for this Absorica. If only the doctors had mentioned that in the beginning of this already aggravating process! Also with Absorica I was told I didn't have to worry about eating fatty foods with my meal that I took the pills with and it was supposed to be the better option for athletes. I also took a 80mg dosage when I switched over to Absorica. This is when I noticed a clear difference between the two drugs. So many more side effects came on. Loss of appetite (not eating nearly enough nutrients/calories as I should have been), stomach pain, joint and muscle pain, worsened eye irritation, severely chapped lips (I carried a moisturizing chapstick everywhere I went), change in behavior- I became really on edge and emotional towards things that shouldn't have bothered me (my family noticed a change in how I was behaving too). I also became sensitive to foods that my body was fine with before. I also wasn't able to excrete daily. Miralax didn't even help- I was constipated for more than a week.
It's been three months since I've been on Absorica and there are definitely clear results on my face. I am now more confident about my face, I don't shy away when people talk, and I smile more. I will be getting laser treatment for my scars when my doctor says I'm able to.
This certainly was a journey and I wrote on this forum to hopefully help people considering being put on this drug and what it entails. If I was put on Absorica during the winter months, I'm not sure I could've finished the treatment. This medicine made me isolate myself and made me lay in bed for days. Thankfully I had a good support system around me and I'm a naturally happy person. There is some truth when I say the results are worth it from taking these medicines. The results on my face are great but what the side effects put me through made me question at times if this treatment was really worth it in the end. Do your research, read these forums and know what to expect- it's different for everyone.