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Accutane on NHS - anyone with expirience?!

Right so I'm 21, acnes not severe but have had three rounds of antibiotics, BP, some other topicals and nothings worked. GP was still hesitant to write out a referal but did eventually, booked an appointment, seeing a dermatologist later this month. I was just wondering:

1-Will I get the meds on the day of my appointment?
2-Do I take the blood test on the day of my appointment?

Basically just wondering how long before my trip to the derm and me starting my course? Waited five months for this appointment starting to get impatient.

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Reply 1
They will talk to you and decide there and then but the blood test is done before the next appointment, they prescribe it when your blood test results are ok - that's if they give it to you.

Acne is majorly caused by diet, try cutting out dairy/gluten or going on a low GI diet.
Reply 2
Original post by Freak Out
They will talk to you and decide there and then but the blood test is done before the next appointment, they prescribe it when your blood test results are ok - that's if they give it to you.

Acne is majorly caused by diet, try cutting out dairy/gluten or going on a low GI diet.


Have tried almost everything, think it must just run in the family, older siblings and cousins are still dealing with it at 24/25, I'd rather sort it now.

If they decide and take blood in the first appointment what do they do in the second? And how far apart are they will I have to wait another couple of months?

Thanks
Reply 3
Blood tests are done in surgeries as far as I'm aware, then results are analysed over the next few days. Your next appointment should be soon
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 4
Original post by Anonymous
Have tried almost everything, think it must just run in the family, older siblings and cousins are still dealing with it at 24/25, I'd rather sort it now.

If they decide and take blood in the first appointment what do they do in the second? And how far apart are they will I have to wait another couple of months?

Thanks


I've previously taken accutane, and after about 5 months of treatment I now have really good skin!

This is based on my experience so I'm not entirely sure if it will be the same/similar for you:

After your blood test results come through you'll most likely be given your medication at your next appointment (mine was about a week after the blood test). You'll be started on a low dose to get your body used to the drug (I was started on 20mg).

I was then given another blood test about 4 weeks later, followed by a routine appointment a week later. I believe they can only prescribe you a certain amount of accutane at a time, and I remember having appointments about every month or so. I had my dosage doubled to 40mg about 2 months in and continued the same dosage till the end :smile:

P.S stock up on vaseline! I really liked two products for my lips: (1) carmex lip balm- was really great and kept my lips moisturised nicely and (2) blistex lip therapy (I think thats what its called anyway!) it's in a little white tube and the balm itself looks like moisturiser! I smeared loads of that on at night, worked wonders.

Also, diet doesn't always contribute to acne. I understand that for some people certain types of food triggers/worsens acne such as dairy. However, in my experience it was just something that runs in my family. I eat very healthily, plenty of water, exercise and my dairy intake isn't that huge (just a small dash of semi-skimmed milk in my tea!) but my mother and 3 of my siblings had acne, so for me it was a hereditary thing (I'm going by what my dermatologist told me).

Good luck on your accutane journey. It's definitely a tough process, and your body goes through a lot, but the results really are worthwhile.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Freak Out
They will talk to you and decide there and then but the blood test is done before the next appointment, they prescribe it when your blood test results are ok - that's if they give it to you.

Acne is majorly caused by diet, try cutting out dairy/gluten or going on a low GI diet.


I went on accutane and was given it on the same day as my blood test.

Also there is no evidence to suggest diet is the cause of acne.
Reply 6
Original post by Foghorn Leghorn
I went on accutane and was given it on the same day as my blood test.

Also there is no evidence to suggest diet is the cause of acne.


Actually there is. Food intolerances and high GI diets amongst others can worsen or cause acne. The majority of people who have followed a strict diet kind to their skin have cleared up immensely, if that's not evidence then what is?
Original post by Freak Out
Actually there is. Food intolerances and high GI diets amongst others can worsen or cause acne. The majority of people who have followed a strict diet kind to their skin have cleared up immensely, if that's not evidence then what is?


From the NHS website:

Myths

There are several myths about what causes acne:

Food. Many people say that eating chocolate or greasy food causes acne, but this isn't true. There isn't any evidence that acne is caused by what you eat. However, eating a balanced diet is good for your general health so aim to eat as healthily as you can.



Having a food intolerance that causes acne is not the same as saying diet causes acne. People with nut allergies can die from eating nuts, but nuts aren't known for causing death (unless allergic).


Lol i think i'd rather take the opinion of the National Health Service, than some guy called "moonbase" on an acne website tbh.
Original post by Foghorn Leghorn
Lol i think i'd rather take the opinion of the National Health Service, than some guy called "moonbase" on an acne website tbh.


Lol because the NHS are the be all and end all. It's an acne website, devoted to that one problem. I'm more likely to trust a post which evidently has had TONS of research contributed. Many members have been doing intensive research and trial and errors for ages and know their skin better than a service which covers a broad range of illnesses but probably not to the very core. Most of whom who work there aren't acne experts I assume, at least not with an open mind if it doesn't match their criteria... If dermatologists can be inaccurate in even simple cases (the things I've been told when a mere Google search could have told me otherwise just proves not all of them are all that) so who's to say that it's stupid seek information elsewhere? This is just one dietary related post of many, and in every case that I've seen most have noted improvements or a complete clearup... So...

In my case, I could have my skin under control for months, but the moment I go out and have a bit more of a certain food than usual I have a breakout over the next few days. I'm not forcing you to believe it but this information is no more than helpful advice and is factual (there's no golden rule, it's not a simple case of dont' eat sugar, don't eat red meat... you need to find out what your own skin can handle), they're not selling anything... It wouldn't hurt to try it if you're so desperate to get rid of your acne.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 11
Original post by Anonymous
Right so I'm 21, acnes not severe but have had three rounds of antibiotics, BP, some other topicals and nothings worked. GP was still hesitant to write out a referal but did eventually, booked an appointment, seeing a dermatologist later this month. I was just wondering:

1-Will I get the meds on the day of my appointment?
2-Do I take the blood test on the day of my appointment?

Basically just wondering how long before my trip to the derm and me starting my course? Waited five months for this appointment starting to get impatient.


Are you male or female? The procedure and how often you have to have blood tests varies dependant on gender.
Be prepared for some very dry lips. The symptoms I had when I took it were:
-Very dry lips - would crack and bleed
-Very dry inner nose - would bleed at the smallest thing.
-Muscular aches - Pretty bad, I had to stop all exercise, because otherwise I was just a jelly of a person the next day.
-Very fatigued, when I first started accutane I was pretty tired a lot of the time.
-Joint aches - not so bad, but I couldn't do any joint intensive sport, especially in conjunction with the muscles.
My hair also really dryed out, but this wasn't a big issue for me, if anything it was a benefit.

In terms of what they do - the derm I saw gave me a prescription for 2 months worth of accutane at 30mg a day. She also gave me two blood test forms which I had to take on an 8hour fast, to test for lipids. I got the accutane on the same day as my appointment, but had to go in the next day in the morning for a blood test.
At the end of the two months, before I had to go in her again, I had to do another blood test. I was then given another 4 months worth of accutane, at 70mg per day. They only seem to have it in 10mg and 20mg capsules, so be prepared to bring home a lot of boxes if you get 4 months of it in one go. I also got 3 blood test forms - one to have the next day, one to have halfway through the 4 months, and one to have before I came in for my checkup after.

It's a lot of hastle, and the sides aren't very nice, but accutane is a wonder drug. I broke out pretty bad in the first month of it, but you will wake up one day, look in the mirror, and see no more spots on your face.
One point though - I didn't see "progress" until literally a few weeks before the treatment ended. This was because I expected to have a completely clear face after the treatment. However, you'll probably have a few red marks all over your face, where the spots USED to be. This is post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. They aren't spots, and they fade over time. It took me a few months after treatment to have clear skin, free of red marks. However, actual spots had all vanished a few months before, I just hadn't seen because I was obsessing over the red marks.
Good luck, and prepare to see great results. My only regret with accutane is that I didn't take it sooner.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 12
Original post by Freak Out
Lol because the NHS are the be all and end all. It's an acne website, devoted to that one problem. I'm more likely to trust a post which evidently has had TONS of research contributed. Many members have been doing intensive research and trial and errors for ages and know their skin better than a service which covers a broad range of illnesses but probably not to the very core. Most of whom who work there aren't acne experts I assume, at least not with an open mind if it doesn't match their criteria... If dermatologists can be inaccurate in even simple cases (the things I've been told when a mere Google search could have told me otherwise just proves not all of them are all that) so who's to say that it's stupid seek information elsewhere? This is just one dietary related post of many, and in every case that I've seen most have noted improvements or a complete clearup... So...

In my case, I could have my skin under control for months, but the moment I go out and have a bit more of a certain food than usual I have a breakout over the next few days. I'm not forcing you to believe it but this information is no more than helpful advice and is factual (there's no golden rule, it's not a simple case of dont' eat sugar, don't eat red meat... you need to find out what your own skin can handle), they're not selling anything... It wouldn't hurt to try it if you're so desperate to get rid of your acne.


People on a website who have 'done intensive research and trial and error for ages' don't have anywhere near the knowledge of those who have completed lengthy medical degrees and specialised in dermatology. If it were as simple as making a few diet changes the NHS wouldn't spend loads of cash perscribing this stuff.

Coming from someone who HAS tried various diets over long periods in order to beat this it definitely isn't a factor for all people. If that is the case with some then they should adjust the eating habits accordingly and consider themselves lucky they won't have to go through taking meds/blood tests etc.

Thanks to everyone posting info/stories, very promising srtuff
Original post by Freak Out
Lol because the NHS are the be all and end all. It's an acne website, devoted to that one problem. I'm more likely to trust a post which evidently has had TONS of research contributed. Many members have been doing intensive research and trial and errors for ages and know their skin better than a service which covers a broad range of illnesses but probably not to the very core. Most of whom who work there aren't acne experts I assume, at least not with an open mind if it doesn't match their criteria... If dermatologists can be inaccurate in even simple cases (the things I've been told when a mere Google search could have told me otherwise just proves not all of them are all that) so who's to say that it's stupid seek information elsewhere? This is just one dietary related post of many, and in every case that I've seen most have noted improvements or a complete clearup... So...

In my case, I could have my skin under control for months, but the moment I go out and have a bit more of a certain food than usual I have a breakout over the next few days. I'm not forcing you to believe it but this information is no more than helpful advice and is factual (there's no golden rule, it's not a simple case of dont' eat sugar, don't eat red meat... you need to find out what your own skin can handle), they're not selling anything... It wouldn't hurt to try it if you're so desperate to get rid of your acne.


Seriously! It's the NHS opinion over "moonbase". There's no contest.
Reply 14
Original post by 7887
Good luck on your accutane journey. It's definitely a tough process, and your body goes through a lot, but the results really are worthwhile.

Original post by Foghorn Leghorn
I went on accutane and was given it on the same day as my blood test.

Also there is no evidence to suggest diet is the cause of acne.

Original post by Skarm
Good luck, and prepare to see great results. My only regret with accutane is that I didn't take it sooner.


Did either of you expirience an initial breakout?
Reply 15
Original post by Anonymous
Did either of you expirience an initial breakout?


No.
Original post by Anonymous
Did either of you expirience an initial breakout?


Yeah, it went away in 2-3 weeks
I didn't take it on the NHS but privately, because the waiting list for NHS was too long and after 6 years of fairly bad acne one day I had had ENOUGH. Can't recommend it enough. Good luck. And the side effects are more annoying than anything, they shouldn't affect your day-to-day life.
Original post by Anonymous
Did either of you expirience an initial breakout?


Nah mine was pretty bad anyway so it wouldn't have made a difference. It started to clear in about 4 weeks. I was on it for nearly 6 months, but it cleared me right up. The only problem I got was some dryness apart from that I was fine.
You get your blood test done whenever after your first appointment. I got mine done on the day in the walk in blood clinic, and then got my tablets three days after. I started my treatment two days after that, on half a dose!
its been two months and my skin is clear of spots. I only have red marks left.

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