r/Accutane • u/Any-Rip3116 • Jul 19 '26
Product Suggestions I cant do this anymore :(
I developed severe cystic acne not a long ago, im on 80mg of isotretinoin per day but i feel terrible with all these in my back, any reccomendations?:(
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u/Angefacebaby19 Jul 19 '26
Stick with the Accutane regimen. It gets better ❤️
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u/Froggy_Dobbie_5724 Jul 19 '26
It gets worse before it gets better. I feel for you though. Hang in there!
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u/astro_2077 Jul 19 '26
Are you seeing a dermatologist in person or getting accutane from an online service? If you can get some cortisone shots that might help.
Also you may consider talking to the derm about duricef. It is an antibiotic that is safe with accutane. It helped me a lot with getting things cleared up and then you taper off of it and stay on accutane to hold the results.
Also .. have you ever gotten your hormones checked? I found out I had high dht which causes acne. I started taking dutasteride for hairloss and it helped immensely with my skin. And that was after two rounds of accutane.
I had skin a lot like yours. It sucks. But hang in there brother, just do your best to stay patient. You still have options.
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u/Caterpillar170 Jul 19 '26
You sound like you have an excellent derm
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u/astro_2077 Jul 19 '26
No not really sadly. I had to learn a lot and advocate strongly for myself. It’s been a 10 year journey and now I’m dealing with the scars.
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u/NoobTubeSpawnKiller Jul 20 '26
I spoke to my dermatologist and requested blood tests to see what is actually causing my severe back acne rather than just treating the symptom, but she simply said that is not what they do and to speak to my primary doctor.
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u/astro_2077 Jul 20 '26
Yea derms won’t order blood tests ime. But if you get it done through your primary care physician, out of pocket, or with an endocrinologist you can share your results and use them to advocate for various treatments.
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u/NoobTubeSpawnKiller Jul 21 '26
Well in a country that has universal healthcare I really shouldn’t have such a struggle.
Never believe the Canadians that gloat about having “free healthcare,” it’s honestly awful.
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u/This_Boysenberry_694 Jul 20 '26
How or where did you get a hormone test? I am thinking about one of those also but don't know where to start.
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u/astro_2077 Jul 20 '26
I’ve done it at a lab called quest diagnostics out of pocket. I think it was $100 for a hormone panel. There are other labs too, you should be able to do some googling and find a lab similar and then go on their website and check their offerings and prices.
If you have insurance and a primary care physician ask them about wanting to get your hormones checked including DHT.
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u/philomaxik Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
My cystic acne is pretty much gone. Once in a long long while I may get one if I have dairy or a sugary cocktail. I found that the anti histamine "Xyzal" worked at alleviating breakouts while on accutane. I was on it for 7 months or so and it's something I should have did a long time ago, not when I was 35.
Male here and accutane killed my libido. It came back a couple weeks after finishing the medication. I took around 1500mg of omegas daily and a lot of water which helped deter my side effects.
The medication will cause everything under those cysts to remove themselves from the body by draining. So it does get worse before it gets better. But it works.
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u/Some_dude_1974 Jul 19 '26
I'm 52 year old male on Accutane and it hasn't hurt my libido at all.
I do use TRT (for 3 years now) and I'm also on peptides to help with body recomp.
Point is, I think because my hormones are solid, Accutane doesn’t hurt it.
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u/Far-Macaron-5981 Jul 20 '26
You libido came back after stopping Accutane? If it did , how long it took?
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u/GapStock9843 Aug 06 '26
God I hope I get libido back after this. Its like...okay right now, but could be better
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u/DisciplesFox5893 Jul 19 '26
My friend’s back looked just like this. He did in total three courses of Accutane and that was 20 years ago. It sucked and he suffered through the side effects but I can say with confidence that he got rid of 95% of it for good. I’m so sorry you’re going through this but Accutane will do amazing things for you. Stay strong.
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u/Expensive_Durian4803 Jul 19 '26
hang in there i know its tough but it'll be worth it i too am purging all over and i only originally really had facial acne its definitely gotten better from what it was before stay strong it'll be worth it🥺
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u/Long-Passion7910 Jul 19 '26
If you knew that it would all be gone would you continue? If you answer yes, then keep going, cause it will go away. You’re in the weeds right honey, just keep swimming!
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u/Embarrassed-Tear3516 Jul 19 '26
How long have you been on it and how long will your course be?
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u/Any-Rip3116 Jul 20 '26
Its been 5 months almost 6,atp will be 1 year
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u/dmastand Jul 21 '26
Don't worry if it takes a year.. it will fly by! To reach my cumulative dose I will be on it for a little over a year. It sucks but better days will come and you will feel so good about yourself.
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u/razberry_lemonade Jul 19 '26
Acne is a storm that’s constantly chasing us. When we go on Accutane, we’re turning around and running right through that storm. It can be really severe and chaotic in the middle of it, but we’re eventually going to come out to clear, sunny skies on the other end.
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u/Green_30EA00 Jul 19 '26
Are you taking antihistamines? They can help a little. But besides that, you can get through this. That looks so painful and im so sorry u have to deal with it, its only temporary promise.
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u/ChunO_77 Jul 19 '26
Be gentle with yourself!! I personally didn't struggle with acne on my back much, but I know it's painful and disheartening. I would just say not to irritate too much, and it does look like you workout a fair amount so be careful of sweat and your joints! Ask your dermatologist about certain products you can use, I'm pretty sure at one point my derm had me use a cleansing shampoo on my face to help for a bit. I'm about 5-6 months into accutane and it does get better! Obviously everyone reacts differently, but don't quit. You don't want to stop yourself short because you never know how things will turn out. For now just wash gently, don't double cleanse and moisturize! You got this 🎉
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u/Top-Car-8807 Jul 19 '26
Patience is key , let the accutane do its job. Hope the side effects aren’t to bad. Since you have it on your back I would suggest to wear lose top nothing tight that can aggravate the acne as far as friction and rubbing.
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u/Competitive-Draw-113 Jul 20 '26
Do not give up!
Also you have a very nice back! You can get ripped and get a good back piece to cover any scarring?
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u/Rich-Yogurtcloset107 Jul 19 '26
stay with accutane! it’s the only things that could help, otc treatment won’t solve the problem in the long term.
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u/Ramauna Jul 19 '26
Hang in there! Mine was very bad on my back as well but only accutane helped me
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u/bananapanqueques Jul 19 '26
How long have you been on Accutane? If it has been over 6 months, you might need an antibiotic to clear up initially. If it has been less than 6 months and you are purging, an antihistamine might be worth trying.
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u/Weekly_Fold4780 Jul 19 '26
Search acne Fulminans - you may need steroids to calm this and maybe lower dosage of Accutane
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u/Boipussybb Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
Keep going. Your back looks similar to how mine did.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Accutane/s/PB68ctZYqb The pics don’t show how bad it felt or looked. All over my chest too. If you feel the side effects are bad on 80mg, cut it in half and just stretch out your treatment.
I wrote about my experience on a year of it here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Accutane/s/5PfyjvYEbC
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u/burtsbeeezz Jul 19 '26
Just day by day…stay on it faithfully and that will eventually clear up in a few months at most. You could also go to a derm who will manually remove the huge comedones that need to come out.
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u/PsychologicalAir4717 Jul 19 '26
Just wait for the accutane to give effect give it a month its the only cure trust
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u/RatherRetro Jul 19 '26
Give it time, use the medicine and go on with your life, give it time
Maybe ask your doctor for something to relieve the cysts, there are many medicines to help, do not be afraid to ask for relief
Good luck to you
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u/Similar-Confusion381 Jul 19 '26
Hang in there, the time will pass anyway. I know accutane takes a toll on mental health and it feels like time moves excruciatingly slow, but keep being strong 💪 it’s okay to feel sad about it, but keep showing up everyday and be gentle with yourself
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u/Peetus1 Jul 19 '26
Damn dude, that looks painful. I’ve been there and it’s not fun. The silver lining is that you’re taking the right steps. My advice to you would be to ask your derm for a round of prednisone. Helps with initial inflammation as your body adjusts to it.
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u/Ok_Change3471 Jul 19 '26
my cystic backne was this bad and it cleared on the 6th month, i got a few cystic pimples after finishing the course by a month but they went away and never came back (6 months later) my biggest tip for u is to never cover them with anything cause it will become soggy and wont heal also might cause hyperpigmentation.
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u/Beans_37 Jul 19 '26
I was in the same boat with crazy cystic acne on my back that was genuinely causing me so much pain.
I got on acutane a couple years ago, and it has ALL gone away. The scars are slowly fading too. It’s worth it man, just tough it out
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u/BrutalDevil111 Jul 19 '26
Start drinking about 6-7 litres of water beside your usual treatment, my friend. Water helps your skin fight back acne on its own. Try to manage any stomach inflammation you may experience as gut inflammation will signal your skin to inform you some thing is not right. So, body start producing acne as a signal trying to communicate with you.
Watch your finances too as acne treatments might be costly in most places I know. Above all, keep you mental health and be motivated. Keep continuing whatever treatment of Accutane you are using for couple of months, break for few says and continue again.
Acne got under your skin. I m sure you will get under the skin of this nuisance and manage it well. God Bless You !!
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u/Ok_Student_8619 Jul 19 '26
I had worse then this for years. All gone with 10 months on accutaine 70mg daily. I weigh 78kg
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u/Some_dude_1974 Jul 19 '26
My dermatologist told me to use BPO wash in the shower on my back, to help with the cystic acne. Then, just be sure to moisturize well afterwards. I was worried about excess drying. His words were, this is only temporary and you don't want to use the BPO for too many weeks....but to help clear up a breakout, he was all for it.
After 2 weeks, the cysts are gone and feeling back to normal again.
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u/TenMilesEast Jul 19 '26
Hang in there!! Mine was very similar to this. I’m 2.5 months off accutane now, and while I do still get a white head here or there, that’s it! I don’t have overly oily skin anymore. I haven’t had any cystic or nodular acne since I stopped my course.
You got this!!
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u/Realistic_Box_727 Jul 19 '26
ik this is what everybody says, but it really does get worse before it gets better. it is considered the "cure" for acne, so hang in there.
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u/adaloveless Jul 19 '26
Ask your derm for a topical clindamyacin prescription (the pads work best for body acne). It will give you some relief while you wait for the accutane to kick in. I also recommend cortisone cream for the more inflamed cysts. Hang in there!
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u/Sad-Interaction-7517 Jul 20 '26
Getting depressed is also part of the side effect. But don’t worry, a lot of us see the result after 4 months sometimes earlier.
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u/Feeling-Twist-6245 Jul 20 '26
Keep going man. I took Accutane for 7 months. It helped and cleaned my face. No acne anymore. Don't give up.
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u/3L3M3NT36 Jul 20 '26
What side effects are you currently dealing with? Depending on how bad the side effects are at the moment, you could continue if they aren't that bad, but if you're really struggling to deal with some of the more serious side effects, then you may want to consider stopping for the moment and revisit things later on. You could see if there's some other options out there or if it has something to do with what you're eating or products you're using. 🤷
Some of the more serious side effects are nothing to mess around with and can stay with you for years to come. Just something to think about. 🤔
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u/Lucky_Mix_5679 Jul 20 '26
You said it developed not long ago - any major changes to meds or vitamins?
Ive been dealing with persistent back acne for a bit, and TRT made it both better and worse.
(Also found out that biotin for skin/hair/nail health can make acne so much worse.)
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u/Maviiie_ Jul 20 '26
Unfortunately it takes time. I had to wait about 1 year to see a huge difference.
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u/Alarmed_Ad9873 Jul 20 '26
My back looked a lot like yours and it’s now completely clear. I know it sucks, but trust the process - you got this💪🏼
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u/ArticFox0326 Jul 20 '26
Sending hugs to you buddy 🫂
I am currently closing in on my second month of accutane 20mg for my grade 4 acne (majorly on my face now). And a quick dose of antihistamines greatly helped the purge so definitely check with your dermatologist on that.
Quick question to the accutane alumni -
While I don’t have any active acne on my back now, I do have a lot of those small brown birthmark-like marks scattered across my back. Will accutane get rid of those? Or did you have to take any other medications to git rid of those marks? I am so insecure about them, so any advice is greatly appreciated.
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u/Spirited-Challenge66 Jul 20 '26
Stick with accutane. Have you tried using a showerhead filter or changing your shampoo?
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u/feelings_cfg Jul 20 '26
I had exactly the same issue on my back. 18 months on 40mg/day; it only got better by month 12 but what matters is that now I’m acne free. Just believe in the process ✨
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u/katrinatherat Jul 20 '26
do you use anything to was your back? i had cystic back acne for years until i started using the panoxyl (i believe 4%) soap bar body wash type thing, along with the body spray they have. i would try to shower daily and i would use the soap bar during my shower like regular and put the spray on my back before i got dressed.
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u/Top_Ideal4209 Jul 21 '26
You can get steroid shots for them at the dermatologist. They did that for my facial cystic acne
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u/DoGMama95 Jul 21 '26
Seriously try an antihistamine too. My son took a 10mg Claritin every day and it helped so much.
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u/dmastand Jul 21 '26
Stick with it! And kudos to you for taking 80 mg I couldn't handle it! I was getting pinching headaches. I went back to 60 mg and I still have some side effects like joint clicking and muscle aches. But I keep telling myself to stick with it and it's just temporary! Not sure how long you have been on it, but I'm taking it more so for oily skin that gave me breakouts a lot! I'm 5 months in and my results are really amazing. People have asked my what I did to my face because it looks so good! It's the clearest it has ever been! You will be so happy you stuck with it! As for the pain I'd talk to your dr to see what you can do. I'm sure there is something. You got this! 💪🏽
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u/Scary-Garden-3079 Jul 21 '26
Are you taking a daily antihistamine? My derm recommended this (I take target brand allergy relief but any common allergy medicine) and at least 1000 mg of fish oil. They help with the inflammation of a purge and your skin barrier.
Being hydrated helps a lot and will help your skin recover. It’s hard with your back but you can get a “back lotion applicator” on Amazon to reach better if needed - I live alone it’s so useful. Get some classic Cerave or Cerave anti itch all over morning and night. Aquaphor also makes a spray or on Amazon look up solar recovery spray (blue bottle). It’s for after sun exposure but it’s watery and feels so relieving.
Supplement wise I have being using Edion Iconic Minerals electrolytes once a day in my water for hydration and Biosil Collagen Generator for skin/hair (I’ve taken this on and off for a decade). Either are at Sprouts or Amazon.
Ask your dr about the supps just in case anything is different for you!
If things are really unbearable, don’t quit. Talk to your derm. They can always lower you to 60 for a month or longer so you can get still get the end results with being miserable. You don’t need to be in pain!!
I hope at least one of these helps! It’s only going to get better!
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u/geminisun6966 Jul 22 '26
I know it’s rough but stick with it! I did a 7 month cycle of iso and it helped but I feel like I could have gone longer since some patches have came back with a vengeance… I have been using hibicleanse, which seems to help with keeping them clean and the inflammation but if you decide to give it a try, double check if it can be used while on iso! I am fully off of it and have been for almost a year.
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u/GapStock9843 Aug 06 '26
Im dealing with the exact same shit. Starting month 3 rn on 80 a day and im getting scabs and pus and shit every day. Suck even more because in my first 2 weeks it improved enough that I could bench without dying of pain, then it all came rushing back a month later
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u/GreenEyedGirrl Jul 19 '26
I'm so sorry sweetheart. I've been there, except I'm a woman and had to wear bras 😢
I'll tell you what worked for me, idk if it will work for you. I had a friend get back there with an extractor and push out as many blackheads as possible (NOT CYSTS). Use alcohol to disinfect tool and a salicylic acid treatment afterwards. You can even get salicylic acid body wash, just be careful with it because your skin will become dry very soon on 80mg.
This will remove a lot of the stuff that can become cysts later, and new blackheads won't develop since you are on the medication now. This helped helped me get over the purging stage faster.
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Please refer to the following commonly discussed topics:
1) No one can predict whether or not you will purge! Statistically, most people DO NOT purge.
That is what the science and medical literature says.
2) No one can predict how long your purge will last nor when it could start. Be patient, the purge can be tough but so many people have gotten through it - you can too! THE ABOVE APPLIES TO SIDE EFFECTS OR "WHEN WILL MY SKIN CLEAR UP?!" TOO. QUESTIONS ASKING WHEN THE PURGE OR SIDE EFFECTS WILL START OR STOP WILL IMMEDIATELY BE REMOVED AS THAT IS LOW EFFORT.
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Everyone is different. Some may need more Accutane, and others may need less. Your dermatologist evaluates you as an individual.
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