Accutane for moderate but persistent acne?
I'm 15 years old. I've had moderate acne since I was about 13. I'm wondering if Accutane is the right choice, since nothing else seems to have worked.
Here's a list of what I've tried:
1. skinID
2. proactiv
3. clearasil/neutrogena/clean and clear/any other Over the Counter wash/gel/cream
4. Differin for 3 months
5. Minocycline 50 mg a day for 4 months
6. Minocycline 50 mg twice a day
I know Accutane is only for severe nodular/cystic acne, but it just seems like it won't go away.
Is there any way that my dermatologist will prescribe me Accutane.
Or do they automatically refuse to give it to people like me..
Can i demand Accutane?
Any answer is appreciated .
Thanks:)
I was on Differin and Minocycline 50 mg once a day at the same time for about 4 months. And it didn't help. If anything it made my face more red.
July 12th, 2010 - 08:07
The two main reasons for giving accutane are for bad cystic acne, and for persistent acne that is not responding to standard antibiotic therapy. Since you’ve been on a good antibiotic for a reasonable length of time, it’s possible that your dermatologist will want to give it to you. On the other hand,there are other antibiotics available that seem to work when minocycline fails to do so. So, it’s possible that he/you might want to try that route first. Discuss it with him, and also the possibility of going on accutane.
July 12th, 2010 - 08:07
You can ask your dermatologist about it. Mention everything that you’ve tried that hasn’t worked.
July 12th, 2010 - 08:07
You can demand it and they can refuse to give it. The risks of accutane must be weighed against the benefit of accutane. 50mg of minocycline twice a day is still not as high as you can go. What about tetracycline, doxycycline, Oracea and other options? Also did you use the minocycline and Differin at the same time? They work best together. Accutane works best for severe acne but can be used for persistent acne if all else fails. It’s just that the risk of recurrence after accutane is higher and that’s a lot to go through if it’s just another management tool instead of cure.