All the negatives I listed above, positive is that my face is clear.

Do yourself a favor, just try alternatives, including a healthy diet before even considering this drug.

I must be about 6 weeks in now. I feel the biggest change for me is the heat in my face and very little itching – the sides of my cheeks used to come up in the little bumps really quickly from one day to the next but that has not happened to date. Although I can feel my face heat up quickly if I am stressed at work it does not stay as flushed or hot and happens a lot less in general.

I get these red patched across the tops of my cheeks but I would not say they have reduced in colour. Not too noticeble with makeup on but I know they are there and am probably still self conscious about them. I am not sure if there will be any improvement there over time.

About 2 weeks ago I developed what I thought was a rash. The chemist said it looked like a staff infection and could be the roaccutane. I finally went back to my derm today and he said it’s from the sun. The roaccutane makes you exrtremely sun sensitive – again I figured with darker skin I would be ok and this “rash” was only across tops of my shoulders and arms. Why wouldnt it be on my face if it was the medication? He said my shoulders are not as dark and dont see as much regular sun so my first trip walking in a singlet style top a couple of weeks ago (no sunscreen!) is the most likely cause. Hydrozone cream will clear it up but lesson learnt – especially as we head in to hot West summer.

Dry nose and lips are a bit annoying , seem to be really bad for a few days then good for a couple of weeks and so on, but again i just keep a chapstick at hand and apply throughout the day.

I have not had gastro issues as some others have so I am grateful for that. For me this has been the right step.

I never thought I would start to feel better about myself again as it’s been over a year and a half for me to get to this point. I remember not ever wanting to look in the mirror and feeling sick when I would take my make up off at night only to see this red dotty face staring back at me. Yet here I am, I may not look the same as I did before but I’ve come along way so all I can say is hang in there and I hope you get some results.

Take care I hope to see a post from you in a few months updating as to how you are looking and feeling better!

**Also Mandy: You mentioned you had nose bleeds with your rosacea. I also get nose bleeds and didn’t know if it was related to the rosacea. Did the Accutane help this as well for you? Does rosacea cause pores to appear much larger because mine are ridiculous. I have basically stopped socializing and hate seeing myself in the mirror.

Thanks to you both (and Ivan) for sharing your experiences.

Warm regards,
Amanda

I was on low dose – or not so low (20mg/day) for a whole year. That was my second time – the first time I took it for acne vulgaris. I did develop back pain and serious gastro problems that I’m almost certain – cannot prove, of course – are related to the isotretinoin. The back pain is similar to what you describe – gets bad when you’re inactive (resting) and goes away when you move. Almost 4 years after I stopped the treatment, I still feel the side effects. After living with a good skin for some time, my rosacea is back and bad as ever. Antibiotics do not seem to work at the moment as they did. Maybe I should have stayed on a maintenance dose forever. Believe it or not, I’m contemplating going back on the drug. Despite of all the health problems – don’t even get me started on my stomach problems – and huge medical bills in the last years that I relate to roaccutane. On one hand, it is this toxic and highly dangerous drug that can potentially ruin your health (I was a healthy 28 year old when I started taking it), but can do miracles for your physical appearance. On the other, it is a life filled with shame, missed opportunities and suicidal thoughts. I’m thinking of choosing the first, albeit with a very heavy heart and tears in my eyes.

I have experienced no such pain myself. The symptoms you describe seem unlikely to be related to Accutane. I would look elsewhere for the cause and continue with low-dose Accutane if it has helped with your Rosacea so far.

Ivan

Regards
Bjask

Kind regards
Sam

With the papulo-pustular variety of rosacea that I have, the burning sensation goes away with treatment (40mg per week in a single weekly dose). Certain foods trigger a burning sensation, however, as does alcohol and excessive sunlight. Individuals respond differently to different foods. In my case, foods in the Brassica family such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, etc. provoke a very strong burning sensation with accompanying redness that looks like a bad sunburn. I remember seeing a list of foods to avoid at the National Institutes of Health website years ago but I can’t find it now. Such foods were high on the list of foods to avoid so I removed them from my diet and experienced immediate improvement. This was long before I discovered low-dose Accutane. Coffee promotes redness in some individuals but it doesn’t do so for me. Since your condition doesn’t seem to be of the papulo-pustular variety it is hard to say if the dosage you are considering will work as it did for me but I don’t see any harm in trying.

Ivan