Re: Accutane: It IS misunderstood. Appropriately used it's really best for prophylactic treatment of acne, i.e., you take it for 6 months, it dries up the sebaceous glands, and if successful, prevents acne from ever occuring again. It's not so much for treating flare ups, then taking again with another flare up. That's the way the antiobiotis are used. And it IS pretty hellacious to take - skin so dry you always have to keep some kind of lotion on hand to keep it from flaking. And photosensitivity like you wouldn't believe.
All that said, I had a course of it years ago and it's a great drug!