Accutane as acne treatment page

[tovek]

Hi, every primal out there!

My name is Tove and I am 21 years old. For about four years I have suffered from a bad type of Acne(I got a lot of scars). My back had been covered, and now it looks like a mine field of small scars. My face has also suffered, but not as bad as my back. On the back I also have round and big pimples deep under the skin that never goes away. I feel embarrast to show them, so I always wear sweathers that covers them..

This fall(2011) I went to the dermatologist and I got prescribed Accutane, which he thought was the best alternative. He told me that about 90% get rid of the acne completely, but that it had some kinds of side effects and told me about(some of) them. Now, two and a half mounths later, I really doubt this is the best alternative. Sure, the acne is going away slowly, but I almost constantly have some kind of virus. My immune system is down at the bottom, and I don't at all have that energy I had before the treatment. It feels like my body is attacking itself.

When I read about all these side effects which some the doctor didn't told me about, and when I read about people who never get rid of some side effects, I really start to doubt that I am going the right way. I really want to get rid of this terrible acne, but I don't want to put my body through something that is maybe permanently damageing my body in some way.

I found MDA last year, and got so inspired. I am on my way to a primal life. I have for about two months totally ditched sugar, grains and all legumes(exept for some cake now and then) I eat a lot of vegetables, still some dairy(this is what I get to eat at breakfast at school). I have read that going primal can treat acne, but I wonder how easy that is. Is it possible to me? Can I even make it? Though, I am determined to do what it takes if it's possible.

What shall I do? Do you have any experience of Accutane? How bad is this treatment?

Thank you for reading! I am hoping for some answers!

//Tove

[jito]

I took accutane when I was 16 and it made a huge difference. I did not know enough about diet and nutrition at the time to try modifying my diet. If I could go back in time, I would certainly try the diet route first. Accutane is no joke - it is very serious stuff.

In terms of side effects, I find that depression/moodiness is pretty common. Also I experienced some soft tissue injuries from what I attribute to accutane. No last effects for me though. But I did quit after six months because I felt my acne had significantly improved to the point where the cost/benefit were in favor of quitting treatment.

Bottomline is try the diet route first. Ditch the dairy also - in my experience dairy has a pretty big effect on skin quality. Also when I don't drink alcohol and eat fish oil my skin improves.

Hi, every primal out there!

My name is Tove and I am 21 years old. For about four years I have suffered from a bad type of Acne(I got a lot of scars). My back had been covered, and now it looks like a mine field of small scars. My face has also suffered, but not as bad as my back. On the back I also have round and big pimples deep under the skin that never goes away. I feel embarrast to show them, so I always wear sweathers that covers them..

This fall(2011) I went to the dermatologist and I got prescribed Accutane, which he thought was the best alternative. He told me that about 90% get rid of the acne completely, but that it had some kinds of side effects and told me about(some of) them. Now, two and a half mounths later, I really doubt this is the best alternative. Sure, the acne is going away slowly, but I almost constantly have some kind of virus. My immune system is down at the bottom, and I don't at all have that energy I had before the treatment. It feels like my body is attacking itself.

When I read about all these side effects which some the doctor didn't told me about, and when I read about people who never get rid of some side effects, I really start to doubt that I am going the right way. I really want to get rid of this terrible acne, but I don't want to put my body through something that is maybe permanently damageing my body in some way.

I found MDA last year, and got so inspired. I am on my way to a primal life. I have for about two months totally ditched sugar, grains and all legumes(exept for some cake now and then) I eat a lot of vegetables, still some dairy(this is what I get to eat at breakfast at school). I have read that going primal can treat acne, but I wonder how easy that is. Is it possible to me? Can I even make it? Though, I am determined to do what it takes if it's possible.

What shall I do? Do you have any experience of Accutane? How bad is this treatment?

Thank you for reading! I am hoping for some answers!

//Tove

[Valkyria]

I've always had acne problems, but not as bad as you. Giving up dairy has really made the difference for me. Take a look at Home There it's explained how dairy can cause acne in some people.
It might not help, but why not try cutting out dairy before you go on medication.

[huntingBears]

Acne has a plethora of causes, diet, lifestyle, cleansing routine, sebum production stress, hormones, exercise, and probably more
That's why it's so difficult to pin point a single cause and why people believe diet dosnt make a difference, it can make a massive difference just not alone
i know you mostly have but...
Quit dairy
Quit sugar
Quit grains
Get exercise
Stop pummelling your face with harsh products
Relax, meditate, stress exacerbates the problem
Know that lifestyle changes will help you big time and that acne is not only an internal problem but also a hormone-related one too, sorting out your lifestyle will balance your hormones and make a huge difference, spot cream was invented for the lazy who eat poorly and dont look after themselves, and it works (poorly) by damaging your skin in the long term

Also, as difficult as it might be to believe, not washing your face is possibly the best route to take, just with water, try the oil cleansing method, putting something like olive oil on your face at night will send signals to your body to stop producing sebum which is what mostly causes spots, I do it and it works amazingly well, it also nourishes and hydrates your skin about a million times better than any synthetic man-made concoction will, remember you shouldnt put anything on your skin you wouldnt put in your mouth, would you eat accutane? probably not!

Finally, dont believe that anyone cares about you. The people who make acutane wants you to buy their products, so do clearosil, so do the doctors to an extent

[fiercehunter]

I am an Accutane vetern, took it twice as a teen in the late 80s for acne that was likely caused by dairy products, smoking, excessive exercise, fasting (I was 16) & lower calorie type dieting- I don't know what my cals were, I ate breakfast and dinner and no snacks. I'm pretty sure it was a combo or all of the above that gave me severe, cystic acne. My diet was low in protein and saturated fat. But here's the deal- 10 years later my acne came right back- not as severe in some ways but persistant and with blackheads which I never had before. I let it go for 5 years then went on the pill......... Now looking back I think low calorie dieting, carbs & lack of saturated fat caused it AGAIN. Acne is a complex disease like diabetes; Accutane, which is a **chemotherapy** drug, has nothing whatsoever to do with it. I'm sorry you're taking it it does cause long term side effects in some people and is quite dangerous. My symptoms aren't that bad but I feel I am a different person since taking it and have never really been as social or outgoing since.
There are 5,000 pending legal cases against La Roche Hoffman, the maker of Accutane, who has had to pull the drug off the market. The public believes it is because the drug is readily available online etc but that is not the reason.

You may want to spend some time on the Accutane/Roaccutane forum reading more about it:
Accutane/Roaccutane Action Group Forum • Index page

[ljq309]

On the other hand... I have a 16 year old who has been taking it for 6 months, almost finished. It is a serious drug, not to be taken lightly, 'we' are not taking it lightly. His skin was terrible, it is now 99% acne free. He has had very dry skin while using the drug but has been using cetaphil cream every day and it helps enormously. In cold weather he has nose bleeds, but he has always been susceptible to those, the drug just makes it worse. He has not felt ill, has had no perceptible changes in moods, energy, illnesses (none, not even a cold).

I don't think you can always dismiss drugs... if they help then use them, just keep your eyes wide open.

[ljq309]

Just?

I've never met you... have you met me?

[Kurapica]

Although there's a lot of side effects with Accutane, especially mental ones.. if you have a history of depression I'd consider carefully whether to take Accutane or not. If you don't, you might still want to have your doctor monitor yourself every few weeks. I do think Accutane is necessary for some extreme cases... Having suffered from severe acne for many years, I KNOW what it's like.. you can definitely get emotional scars for life if you don't treat it.

That said, I think going on a Paleo diet, cutting out all grains and doing some sort of elimination diet would be best in getting rid of acne. If going all Paleo doesn't work, try going all-raw (Wai's diet, google it).

As for facial cleansers, I highly recommend this one called Carley's Clear and Smooth. It's no cure for acne but it will turn severe acne to medium severity.

[huntingBears]

seriously, try not washing the face, or the oil cleansing method, both sound counterproductive but they're possibly the most effective treatment, and we're all here because of our disillusionment with CW

[tovek]

ljq309:
For me it doesn't work out that well. I do almost constantly have a cold. My energy is gone. I also feel strange mentally. Some days I can suddenly feel very sad and start to cry without reason. People have told me I look strange, particulary in the eyes which are always strange blank. I feel this is all because of the drug, and it feels all but natural and friendly to my body. I don't think we can take shortcuts and challenge the laws of nature like this without getting something else bad in return.

I have decided to skip the medication for a while and totally try focusing on the food. But I want to know more, have anybody of you get rid of the acne through primal diet? In that case, how?