Question about weight

[needhelp]

I was wondering..is weight gain a side effect of accutane? Cause I feel like I've gained a bit since I fist started using, and my diet/level of pyhsical activity hasn't changed at all.

[Nellie]

Let me tell you that the last time I was on accutane--7 years ago I lost bunches of weight; this time I feel like I'm gaining weight--and like you I haven't changed diet or exercise routine much in the past month....I'm going to have to ask the derm next week when I go...and does anyone know if being off accutane for a week will cause a set back or flare up---derm says no (I'm on vacation; he's on vacation) and with the new rules I couldn't get in to see him until a week after tonight--which was the last pill of the first 30. I'm just starting to see something of a turn around after an initial horrid month of a breakout..it's slowed down and I sure don't want to go through it again...I'm worried.

[needhelp]

ya. F this BS. I have basically been starving myself for the last few weeks and I'm still not losing weight. The only meal I eat is at dinner (cause I need to eat to take the pill) I'm gonna lower my dosage a bit. I dont care if my derm says its not a good idea, cause it might come back but wahtever Ill take my chances. My acne is mild anyways. Id rather have a bit of acne than gain weight.

[sarah]

I am so glad to see that I'm not crazy. My derm kept telling me that weight gain was not a side effect and it must just be in my head. I've actually started exercising more and I've still managed to put on 10 pounds on accutane. I don't think I can handle this drug much longer. Yes, my skin looks great...but I'm only half way through.

[tatiana]

okay...this is awfully strange because since accutane, ive lost about 10 pounds... i seldom eat now...maybe one meal a day...im 5'5 and 134 and im lossing weight by the day.i think accutane is suppressing my appetitie...which is great.lol.

althou, it is a fact that we tend to eat more in the fall than any other season.

[nazy]

Omg, me too! All this time i was wondering why im eating so much, its cause of accutane.... I have seriously packed on alot of weight. My doctor put me on 60mg then the pharmacy only gave me 40mg, the first month, then the next month my dr. put me on 60mg which caused a lot of muscle pain, so i went back to 40mg. Did anyone have muscle pain with accutane? Did anyone see inprovement within two months? I heard you have bad acne for 6month, and sometimes it comes back and you have to repeat it again, anyone have that problem?

[sarah]

Hi, Sarah, im wondering how long it took you to see results on accutane? Its been close to two month and people say you will see results now, i havent so far. And my acne is getting worst, its really depressing... Thanks nazy

[shane]

Hey i just finished my course today, and it took roughly 2 and a bit months for me to see dramatic results. And yes it does get worss for awhile but it gets way better near the end. Stay positive and know that the drug is doing it's job , and the time varies from person to person so stick with it cause it's soo worth it in the end!! good luck! If u have anymore questions just ask!

[Danny]

first of all Needhelp, simply not eating is the absolute WORST way to lose weight, long story short it won't work well and you'll gain it all back.

as for me, i've been losing weight recently, i'm 2 months into it. I'm 6'0 155 and I've lost 10 lbs since i stopped working out about 5 months ago, the weight loss seems like it sped up once i started on accutane.

[Manoj]

I have gained around 10 kg after i have started accutane...I has been over 4 months since i have stoped the treatment, but there is no loss of weight...Can anybody tell me what should be done...and whether the weight gain stops after discontinuing the medicine?

[Betty]

I'm going on Accutane next week. I was recently put on Ortho tri-cyclin as my 'main' method of birth control, since from what I understand I need 2, and also to start to control the acne. I just took myself off this pill because my weight gain started right away...as did the mood swings and constant crying.

May I ask those who have not gained weight, and I suppose those who have as a means to compare: what pill was suggested to you as one of your birth controls(whether you use it or not- I understand this is a personal matter of discussion)

Anything would be greatly appreciated. I have a Dr. apt next week and would love to be able to refer to other peoples experiences as a benchmark.
Thanks!

[holly]

to everone who has gained weight are you male or female because if female it may be due to the birthcontrol pill that we have to take so we dont get pregnant whilst on the drug. i was on dianette which made me put on weight but when i came off roaccutane i came off dianette and the weight dropped off. you can go on pills that dont make you put on weight, marvelon is good for that.

[Manoj]

Hi Holly..i am a male and started put on weight since i started acutane. Now it has been over 4 months i am off pills but there is no drop in weight.

What is a marvelon..please let me know.

[Laura]

I have only been on Accutane for 1 month, and I have already gained 3-4 pounds. I'm taking 20 mg in the morning and 30 mg at night. I have actually improved my eating and exercising since starting the medication by cutting out all fried foods and I run everyday. Nonetheless, I'm gaining weight. I had heard that Accutane caused you to lose weight, so I was shocked to see that my weight was increasing. Birth control is not a cause of my weight gain, because I am abstinent. It's a relief to know that I am not the only one who is struggling with this, but I also want to find a way to take Accutane without gaining weight.

[Brendansmomma]

I have experienced weight gain too =( I've gained between 5-7 pounds. I noticed I was eating more, and craving snacks late at night.
I have a strong suspicion this is why:

When your body signals "hungry" or "snacktime!" it really means "I'm thirsty!" more than 70% of the time. So try drinking instead of eating.

So, my theory makes sense because on Accutane you are supposed to drink tons of water, and never drank enough fluids to begin with. I've focused on drinking 1-2 more bottles a day and dropped 2-3 pounds already.

[Kisha]

I've gained weight too- about 8 pounds. I'm in my 2nd month of accutane. I have seen great results in the first month and would definitely recommend it, but at the same time I don't like gaining the weight. I'm def going to discuss this with my doc next month. I went from stressing about my face to stressing about my weight!

Oh, and I've been on BCP for 15 years, so its def not that.

[sgordon]

I began accutane treatment 2 1/2 months ago and have been blown away by the results--my skin looks great! I have actually lost from 125 lbs to 108 is approx. 3 months. I assume this is from the accutane since I have changed nothing. my primary BC method is vasectomy and 2nd is condoms so BC pills are not involved. I also think that weight loss IS a side effect due to the warning on the bottle about eating disorders--but drugs affect everyone differently. brendansmomma is most likely correct with her theory that accutane dries out everything so you must consume MORE water to counter-balance this--it may work. Anyone have any good lip balms to reccomend? this is my BIGGEST problem.

[Randa]

I'm on my last month of accutane, 40mg every other day. I've gained 8 punds, no change in eating habits. It's either accutane or the birth control. By the way, my face is 100% cleared up, and i have not had 1 pimple in over a month.. This stufff is amazingggggggggggg.

[saymo]

I've been on sotret (the generic for accutane) for about 3 months now. My doctor had me taking 1 pill a week to start, then 2 a week for 2 months, and now I am up to 3 a week. My skin is getting better but the results aren't as dramatic as others are reporting, but this makes sense as the course of treatment seems to be different than the standard 1 pill a day.

Anyway I have noticed a bit of weight gain. I started back on Jenny Craig after I started the accutane and noticed that losing weight is a lot harder than it was before I was on the drug. So anyway it looks like for me accutane doesn't help me lose weight :(

[Fran]

Just started taking Accutane couple of weeks ago, and I am losing weight, because my appetite has gone down.

I had no change in weight when I was on Accutane 6 years ago, so this sudden change in appetite was unexpected.

I'm losing even though I've been way less active these days - I'm napping because I seem to be getting tired from the med (or maybe because I simply don't sleep much during the night).