Any LOW DOSE Accutane Users? Ceven? - Acne Message Board

thebigad · 05-02-2003, 08:34 AM

Hey Ceven -- and any other low dose accutane users. I'm talking about people who take 10mg to 20mg a day to keep oil at bay and control persistent acne on a long-term basis.

How long before you see acceptable results?

When will the initial breakout stop?

I took accutane at 80mg for 5 months last year. After four months my acne came back. So, I talked to my derm and for 31 days now, I'm on 20mg/day. I didn't expect to get an initial breakout at this dose - but I got one! and it sucks!

So, I want to know, when should I expect the breakout to stop. When will I see good improvement?

I have superficial acne, no cysts. I get small pustules and papules.

Someone in the same boat -- please respond!!!!

Ceven -- respond!

thebigad · 05-02-2003, 01:30 PM

bumps on my face...so bump this post

laur · 05-03-2003, 07:24 AM

I took accutane for a 5 month course in 1999. I was on 40 mg per day. I did not clear while on treatment although it did seem better. One week after treatment ended it was back just as bad. I tried many things to no avail for about 6 months so I was put back on 40mg per day accutane approx 4 to 5 days per week. I have been on since, only I have decreased the amount of days per week to only 2 and will keep trying to get off completely. I used the accutane for acne as well as skin rashes from lupus and it has never cleared me completely.

L

acnesucks · 05-17-2003, 07:45 PM

I've taken accutane 4 times over the last 8 years. My derm will not try an Accutane high dose regimen again so he put me on 40MG two days per week (Monday and Thursday)to be used over a long time (forever I guess?).

I just started this week so I have no idea what to expect.

My derm assured me that Accutane works at any dosage and the primary reason for the high dose regimens is to hopefully eliminate the acne completely. Since this obviously doesn't work for me (the last time I think I was up to 80MG a day at the peak of the cycle) I'm trying this avenue.

I have no problem taking accutane for the rest of my life as long as this low dose still works as well as the large doses. Anyone else in this boat?

Nellifer · 05-18-2003, 01:08 AM

I started accutane for the first time a few months ago. Started at 40 mg (I weigh 130lbs)...and had irritating side effects. Horrible head ache from the day I took the first pill to the day I stopped taking the pills.

My dermatologist took me off of them, and we decided to start at a really low dosage to see if my body would tolerate the accutane at all. He said you can often 'work your way up', as your body will get used to the medicine and often the side effects will go away.

So, I started on 10 mg for a month, and now I'm about a week away from the end of my 20 mg month. I should be trying the 40 mg pills next week.

Anyways....my skin was broken out the first few weeks and has calmed down a bit since then. My dermatologist (and me!) has noticed improvement in my skin since the end of the 10 mg month. Even he said "isn't it amazing how even a low dose works so well?".

So yeah....the low dosage for me is just so that I can take it at all. But it does help.