Severe Breakout after getting on Roaccutane

Dear Dr. Rockoff,

I have mild acne problems for the past 7 years (on one side of my face) and have gone through several antibiotic treatments (tetracycline, doxycycline). My doctor has recently put me on a one-month course of Roaccutane (10 mg/day). Ever since I started the acutane treatment, I developed severe breakouts and flare (on the side of face that I always have acne problem). I have never had so many acnes on my face in my life and I thought accutane suppose to cure my pimples? I am on my 2nd week of accutane treatment now and the acnes just won't stop growing (usually I have one or two acnes on my face. Now I have 10+ and they just keep on coming!!) I am scare to look at myself in the mirror because of the severe breakout. Should I stop using accutane? Is it normal to have such a severe breakout when undergoing accutane treatment? If so, how long do I have to wait until the acne clears up? Do some people react adversely to accutane, thus making their acne problems worse? Should I just go back to antibiotics instead? It seems like accutane has made my skin alot worse than before...

Your help & input is much appreciated. Thanks

Laurence

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Some people do indeed flare up early in the course, though I must say that 10 mg per day is an awfully low dose.  If your acne is severe enough to warrant treatment with this drug, you should not give up on it.  Ask your doctor about treatment for the flare (if that's what it is.)  Roaccutane doesn't start working for 2-3 months, so some people just go up and down until then, until the medicine takes effect.  That may be all that's happening.  My advice is not to be alarmed and give up.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[karvedys]

A related discussion, Dosage and period of roaccutane was started.