Accutane And Infertility

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I took accutane almost 14 years ago as a teenager. I am now a 32 year old woman who has just been diagnosed with infertility that they believe is linked to autoimmune issues. I truly believe that accutane is the cause of this; from the research that I have done it seems that accutane has been linked to other thyroid-related diseases, but that they have not yet been able to prove a link between accutane and infertility. There are, however, actually more people like me out there than I originally thought. Being diagnosed with ovarian dysfunction has been a horrific, horrific blow. And while there was plenty of information about accutane and birth defects, no one ever mentioned a possibility of future infertility. I was a teenager! This is a tragedy and I believe something should be done about it. If you too have been affected diagnosed with infertility and have taken accutane, please email me. There are plenty of suits against accutance. If there are enough of us, we can come together to do the medical research and get the help we now need.

635 Replies (32 Pages)

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1

I too took accutane in my early 20's and am now 35, went through about 5 years of infertility treatments with no specific problem and have been unable to have children still. My diagnosis is unspecified infertility. I believe accutane may be the cause of this.

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2

I too was on Accutane as a teenager and experienced infertility as an adult. I was fortunate enough that the drug Clomid worked for me and I was able to have two children. I believe without the infertility treatments it would not have been possible for me to conceive.

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3

I took accutane 10 years ago for 4 months in a row and I was just diagnosed with Diminished Ovarian Reserve at age 27! I've been told that the only option for me to have children is to adopt of IVF using donor eggs. I'm wondering if taking accutane is the culprit to why I've lost more eggs than women my age. The doctors don't know the exact reason, it could be hereditary, environmental or that I was just born with less eggs than the norm. I'm just devastated by this news.

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4

I took accutane as a teenager (13). I have just been diagnosed with infertility due to 'borderline pcos' even though i dont have cysts. im 22 now, and im certain it was accutane.

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5

I was on accutane when I was 16 years old. I had blistered lips the whole time I was taking it. I was on it for 6 months. I have been trying to have a baby for 4 years now. I have been working with an obgyn for 9 months. I took serophene, metformin and provera. Nothing seems to help. My progesterone levels will not rise over 0.2. even with the meds listed up above which are designed to help boost my levels. The doctor says I am perfectly healthy and he says tests show no problems. He wants to send me to a special that I could never afford because he says invitro is the next step. I have a feeling it has to do with the accutane I took 6 years ago. My menstrual cycle has never been right since. i went 9 months without a period.

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6

I was on accutane when I was a teenager, my husband and I have been trying and trying for over a year now to get pregnant (even with the help of my obgyn) to no avail.

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7

I took accutane for 12 months straight when I was 12. Now at 35 I have unexplained infertility.

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8

I too took Accutane as a teenager twice and am infertile.

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9

I took Accutane in my mid 20's...it worked OK, not completely, but my skin was better. However, now I am 42 and have been trying for years to get pregnant and cannot. I am heartbroken, as is my husband. It horrifies me to think that Accutane may have done this to us. At the time I was on it, the big warning was not to get pregnant while taking it, and that I had to have blood tests each month for liver and cholesterol changes, which they did know about. Nobody EVER said anything about possible infertility!

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10

I took Accutane at the age of 22 for 6 months, i am now having so far unsucessful ivf. The diagnosis is PCOS. I firmly believe Accutane is the cause of this.

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11

I took 4 rounds of Accutane beginning at age 26. I've been trying to conceive since I was 33 (I am now 44). I was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve and poor egg quality since age 36. In the back of my mind I've always wondered whether the Accutane could have caused this. I am now pursuing egg donation to get pregnant.

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12

Wow, reading all of this gives me chills...I have had a very similar experience. My husband I have been trying unsuccessfully to conceive for almost two years. I took accutane for 6 months in my early 20's. After countless tests, the doctors say I have 'borderline pcos' (raised AMH level) thyroid issues and uterine cervical stenosis. I shudder to think that this could be caused by taking Accutane and I could have prevented this heartbreak by not taking that drug.

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13

I have always wondered about this - I am 48 and also took accutane in my 20's. I had two miscarriages and was never able to have children after taking the medication. I am the only woman in my family to suffer from infertility.

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14

i was one of the first users of accutane in the early 80's for terrible cyctic acne and now I have a sperm count of zero. completely unexplained; no blockage...just zero.

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15

I took accutane for about a year 12 years ago, and my husband and I have been TTC for 3 years. We've had two miscarriages (took us 10 mos to get pregnant the first time and 1 year the second time) and a failed IVF.

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16

I took accutane for many months in my late teens for severe acne. My husband and I have been trying to conceive for over ten years with no success. I had one miscarriage, and we have been diagnosed with unexplained infertility. I'm convinced it's the result of taking accutane in my teens.

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17

About egg quality: I think with all of these celebrities getting pregnant without telling about their donor eggs, we forget that women get diminished egg counts and quality starting in their 30s. 36 is considered Advanced maternal age and is considered high risk for a pregnancy. At 38, infertility is likely because of age. Once you hit 40, the chances of getting pregnant with your own eggs is less than 1%. Women today want to delay pregnancy because they have careers and delay marriage, but we have to remember that in terms of ease of getting pregnant and things like egg quality and counts, getting pregnant in your 20s is your best shot.

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18

To clarify, my comment is NOT to disregard the emotional trials of infertility and does not address anyone specific who commented here. It is just something I have noticed in general: women seem to have forgotten that in terms of biology, it is easier to get pregnant as a teenager than it is to get pregnant in your 30s. Of course women DO get pregnant in their 30s and 40s without help, but statistically speaking, once you hit 35, your chances of having a healthy baby though a pregnancy starts rapidly declining each month and year.

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19

I took accutane about 16 years age. I have had one still born birth of a little baby girl and two miscarriages after being off this medication for at least five years. My doctors don't understand why I am not able to carry to full term and I am only 29. I been to two different infertility doctors and went through many rounds of iui treatments with clomid with no sucess. I have dealt with cysts and abnormal periods. I also was diagnosed with axial spondylitis which is an autoimmune diseases. My mother called me one day and suggested I research accutane because of all the media report. So I did and found out that this drug does sometime caused spontaneous abortion. I am very upset that they never warned me about infertility being a possible side effect.

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20

To Mike - My two sons now ages 29 and 30 took accutane as teenagers and now also have zero sperm count and no explanation - they have had all the tests - no chromosomal abnormalities, no genetic problems. I think we should contact fertility clinics and ask them to ask their male patients with azoospermia if they ever took accutane. In the literature that came with the medication it said it causes decreased sperm count in dogs and I saw another article that says it causes infertility in male hampsters.

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635

When I was 20 I became pregnant with my 1st child. In my late 20’s I took acctuane for roughly 6 months. I was married at age 30 and at 32 found out my fallopian tubes were blocked. Nothing in my medical history shows a reason for this blockage. While no studies are found, I worry it was due to the accutane.

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634

I took accutane twice (ages 18 & 28). I am now 32 and have been trying to conceive for 2 years. I was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve...I've discovered two pud med articles from 2014-2015 saying accutane/isotretinoin cause a significant diminishing of ovarian reserve. They then put out more recent articles saying a "low" dose will lower FSH LH ovum volume and AMH while on it but will "bounce back" 18 months after being on it....it's physically impossible for your AMH or ovum volume to go back up...so many they mean the LH and FSH and hope that people are not smart enough to dig deeper. Anyways, I feel a legal suit is appropriate.

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633

hello, I used roaccutane for 6 months at the age of 15-16. While using it, a cyst formed in my ovary and I saw it. I have been married for 3 years. I have 5 made. We had IVF. There is infertility for no reason. I do not get pregnant for 15 years after using it. Do not use

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632

Re: Jane (# 513) Expand Referenced Message

If you have a lawyer I’m willing to write the first $100K check to make sure there are nine figures in damages.

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631

Re: Mike (# 14) Expand Referenced Message

Hi Mike, I'm so sorry to hear that your sperm count is zero. My son was on accutane as well during his teenage years. He now has a lovely girl that he would like to marry and have a family with. I don't know if I should tell him to have a sperm count before trying for a family to save a lot of angst or just let them get on with it and see what happens. I would like to hear from any male accutane users that have been able to make babies please.

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630

Accutane ? Is there a relation ship to
Depression in later years

Just witnessing this and wonder of a notable connection ?

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629

I'm about to be 30. I took Accutane for 5 months when I was like 18-19. I got pregnant at 21 and lost it at 7 weeks. Unexplained infertility since and I have quit ovulating within the last year. I haven't been to a specialist yet, but I know in my heart and mind I'm not going to be able to fix this. I firmly believe Accutane and maybe the help of Gardasil has caused this! I'm torn but I'm learning to accept it.

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628

I’m currently in the middle of all the “fun” fertility testing and I recently received my AMH level of 0.77. Awaiting all my other tests but it definitely has me worried on what else could be wrong. I had normal periods all my life and while on accutane. Two months after completing my accutane my periods have been 14-20 days in length, my progesterone level is so low 0.4 that my doctor says I’m not ovulating. The plan pending my ultrasounds is to induce ovulation but I’m so worried about not being able to conceive. I truly believe accutane has caused this havoc on my body. I did find an article on PubMed that years 82 women of reproductive age with acne who were treated with accutane. The results of the study demonstrated that oral isotretinoin had a significant negative effect on the ovarian reserve. There has to be something we can do about this! Anyone know of any class actions being filed?!

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627

I took Accutane when I was in my early twenties. I am now 48 and have no explanation for not being able to get pregnant. I recently met a lady who is similar in age who took Accutane. She had to adopt. Doctors had no explanation as to why she couldn't conceive.

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626

I took acutane twice as a teenager, 15 & 17 years old. I am now 35 and am undergoing IVF due to low ovarian reserve. I believe acutane impacted my fertility.

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