Accutane Long Term Side Effects (Page 10) (Top voted first)

I have a son that took accutane 60 mg a day for six months in a row three years ago. Now after many trips to doctors over strange medical problems, it seems accuatne is the culprit medication that has caused servere joint and muscle pain, severe dry lips, redness in face, eye infections of own immune system attacking itself, systems of osteoarthritis in both shoulders, both wrist and right hand, blood in stool, possible hair loss, abnormal liver function test results in AST and ALT. My son went from being a high school football and track athlete while taking this medication three years ago to someone that is in constant pain just washing a car. After I have researched this drug extensively, I can't believe that the FDA allows this drug originally made for cancer patients to be marketed for teenagers with acne. All one has to do is look online what vitamin A overdose does to someone and then you have the results of what this medication has done to my son. This drug needs to be taken off them market ASAP and the drug companies that make it need to compensate all teenagers that they have possible ruined their future. Shame on them! What is going on here?

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I have had two back surgeries more to come and every other bone problem osteoarthritis etc ..... Need a good lawyer ! do not go on this ever! someone please give me a lawyers name :(

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I too wonder and stress every single day if I did the wrong thing by putting my son on Accutane. He has been off of it for 18 months now and is 16 1/2. He was 15 when he started on it and begged for it because it was supposed to be the miracle cure to acne. Not only was his skin slow to react (he still has acne but it's better), he experienced severe irritability and depression. He confessed to me after a few months off of it that he cannot feel it when he has an orgasm. I'm certain this was extremely difficult to tell his mom. Pediatrician said it was all in his mind, eventually sent him to a urologist who ran a few tests and said they were normal..go see a psychotherapist. He did that and is still not better. Took him to another urologist....normal tests and now waiting for an endocrinology and neurology appt. He thinks that this is going to ruin his life and is devastated over it, as am I. I would do anything and take him anywhere for treatment. He is a gift to me and all I want is for him to be happy. Anyone reading this and has answers or suggestions, please reach out. Thank you.

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Wrong, the information wasn't on the internet in the early 90s. Hell there was barely any internet at that point.

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Yes, probably you are suferring long term side effects. You will find a lot of information and other people with the same problems that you described in acne..rg. Look for a post called "Repairing the long-term damage from Accutane",

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I totally agree with your posting. My 17 year old son started taking Accutane in November of 2016, in which he would experience severe nose bleeds, joint pain and by February 2017 he was having severe panic attacks and severe sadness. He never had any problems before this. He is a very good student, no drugs issues, athlete, loved going to school until now, in which he has severe panic attacks, feels sad, experiencing panic attacks, and he has missed 21 days of school because of these symptoms. I am a nurse and I have researched everything from vitamin A toxicity and Accutane is a derivative of vitamin A. Doctors keep telling me the drug should be out of the system but if it is a derivative of vitamin A, vitamin A stays in the liver up to 300 days. This drug caused this I know, even during his panic attacks my son said it is the medication because I was fine before this. Thank God he was only on it for 4 months!! If your child is experiencing these symptoms stop the medication, stay away from vitamin A for a little while, get them some psychiatric help, have them drink 6-8 glasses of water a day and don't take supplements for about 6 months. I wish I would not have let him go on this medication and the FDA needs to reevaluate this medication because it does cause chronic issues to these young teens and young adults!!!

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Hello, As you have heard everyone reacts differently to medications, but, I highly recommend that you do not take this drug unless you will be permanently disfigured from your acne. Myself and two children took this drug many years ago and we all suffer from permanent side effects. This sad thing is no doctor will admit it is from the accutane. My daughter, myself and son all suffer with constant neck pain and stomach issues. We all receive chiropractic care and my son and daughter periodically suffer, from vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain. When my daughter went to the emergency room because of blood in her stool and severe stomach pain, they told her she must have ate some bad food. Was that possible, sure but her husband ate the same thing and was fine. Personally, I don't think enough research was done on this drug and doctors certainly don't educate you, they are only there to write the prescription.

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Sorry but you'll see down the track how it will affect you , just sayin

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Re: Ernest (# 1901)

Ernest all I can say is , I totally sympathise with you and just hope you can hang in there and have some sort of happiness and normality in your life . My daughter is 40 and feels like a 60yr old Have you given Provigil or similar yet ?

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Re: Ernest (# 1901)

I am a veteran that was on Accutane for 2 yrs straight during which time I was told that I was crazy that back pain and abdominal pain was all in my head. I now am fighting like hell with the Veterans Administration who are saying the same thing when my civilian Dr's are saying Degenerative Disc Disease and Chronic recurring depression with abdominal pains have always been there as well as insomnia. If you have any attorney that could help me it would be appreciated.

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I took accutane in my 30’s because I had very oily skin and acne. How I wish I hadn’t, sure it cured my acne, but I’m now 70 and suffer all day every day from dry skin, my wife calls me itch and scratchy. I moisturize, I drink flax oil, but I’m plagued by dry skin, sometimes it’s so itchy that I scratch in my sleep until it bleeds. I wish that I had never taken this stuff. I would gladly suffer acne to have normal skin so to anyone thinking of going on this drug be very very wary of its side effects. They are horrible and permanent.

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I had urticaria(dermographism) at the mid of the third month while taking accutane and still have after 3 months from stopping it, i feel itchy every night and have horrible hives and welts when ever i scratch my skin even smoothly

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15 yr old son on Claravis(isotretinoin) for 12 days. Paranoid behavior started at day 10 and contuned to worsen. Now on Day 7 off the Claravis and we continue to wait for this drug to clear his system. He is experiencing extreme delusions, paranoid behavior, anorexia. Behavior was a perfectly adjusted 15 year old before starting this medication. I cant find much help locally of anyone ever expirencing this behavior. I have heard anywhere from 3 to 20 days to clear brain receptors.

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yes, it is so about money. The drug Company's dont care. Accutane is off the market but the generics are still out there. I will be looking into law suit at some point

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at age 22, i started accutane at 80mg per day for six months while on overseas duty. Sure the acne cleared and yes i was subjected to the 2xweek blood check procedures. After leaving military duty at age 23, I felt something was wrong with my ability to produce semen. Now at age 34, and the experience of a down fallen marriage which led to divorce due to not being able to produce, I strongly feel this medication Accutane had something to do with my side affect. Please, if there is anyone out there that has had same experience from this medication or links to more info. please respond. The greatest gift on earth is to be able to bare a child. Ernest H. Saenz

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i went to the doctor a few days ago and they wanted to prescribe accutane. i was going to take it but i started reading over the warnings. they warrnings literally brought me to tears. i was extremely frightened by the risks associated with this drug. they are outlandish. i am so sorry for anyone who has taken this drug and experienced permanent side effects. this is a gross injustice. doctors are supposed to be the keepers of our health and they should not be prescribing this drug to anyone.

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I regret taking Accutane, I wish I never took that drug. Be careful if you are taking that Medication. If you are on Accutane make sure you are on the lowest dose. If you are experiencing side effect make sure you let your doctor know about it so the doctor can stop it or decrease the medication.

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Ronnie-It is know that many accutane users carry more staphylcoccus/streptococcus. Have you had someone look at theese bumps or cultural them. As for fragile skin, flushing...yes many have experinced this after accutane.
To worried 16yr Old- I don't know if anyone will really have an answer for you. My suggestion would be to stop. No one can ensure that the side effects you are experincing will be permanent or not, some if not most joint,bone and muscle problems take a while to surface.
Personally I would try light therapy, it works just as good and no side effects.

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Scared 16 year old on Clarivis,
Have you told your mom and dad about this site and many others talking about the possible long term side effects of this drug ? Have your parents read the tread below where someone has been kind enough to share a detailed report on what Vitamin A over dose can do to a person. This drug is just that, over dose of Vitamin A. Have your parents read this report asap, and maybe you can make a good judgment on what to do next.

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Melissa,
Yes, I would contact this lawyer you speak of. Hopefully he can help. If you would like, Email me at my email address and I can give you a list of lawyers I have found over the past 4-5 years. Please be patient if one doesn't fit your needs. Maybe the letter you received is God sent or it may lead you to someone that can help.

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Mark, Thank You for leaving valuable information on here. It's a must read.

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