Accutane Long Term Side Effects (Page 13) (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 After I have researched this drug extensively, I can't believe that the FDA allows this drug originally made for cancer patients to be marketed for teenagers with acne.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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My son is 17 and took accutane for 5 months in 2007 and 5 months in 2008. For the past two years he has had severe upper GI pain, to which he was diagnosed with acid reflux. He also has had back pain and shoulder pain. He just had a barium swallow to which he was told he has damaged stomach and needs more testing. This is a very bad situation and I feel it all comes from Accutane. If it is still on the market please dont use it its not worth the unknown side effects. One last thing we went to a homepathic dr and she gave my son a remedy that has helped tremendously.

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Oli Girl..Thanks for commenting back..I have not yet went back to the doctor for my follow up so I'm still a bit confused as to what I can eat. Hopefully I'll get it all straightened out. Anyone have suggestions as to what to eat when I have a flair up of the diverticulitis?

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Hello all,

I've read several of your posts about having problems several years and even directly after taking Accutane. I took Accutane at two different times in high school, once for 6 months and another stint for 4 months. My health/skin problems before Accutane were limited to strictly acne, nothing worse. The only immediate side effect I've felt that still persists today is perpetual dry skin. I never had the problem before, but I can't go a day without globbing a pound of lotion on my face and arms, otherwise I'm faced some serious flaky skin. Not pretty, but at the time, I thought it was a fair trade-off for having clear skin, which is still mostly clear today.

Exactly 4 years after taking Accutane, I can even pinpoint the day in college when it started, I started experiencing extreme irritable bowel problems, literally everything I ate upset my stomach and came out of me like fire water. Pretty gross, but the truth. Nothing dramatic had changed in my life, I was healthy, worked out 4-5 times a week, had a mostly poor diet but not awful, (I was in college) but only drank in moderation. Then one day, I can't sit through one class without having to run to the bathroom.

That was 6-7 years ago, and somehow I've gotten the problem to a very manageable point. The things I have done to help the problem, but not get rid of it completely, are to most importantly and obviously stay healthy. Try and eat a decent diet, take vitamins! The one that has worked the best for me is the GNC mega men multi vitamin, just be sure to take it once a day. The other life saver has been a religious regimine of Metamucil. It sounds stupid, but as long as I take 4 pills as soon as I wake up, again around lunch and once more late in the evening, I manage to stay healthy feeling without that constant stomach pain and without the fire water. Again, a healthy diet is also key. Without fail, every time I stray and start eating fried foods/fast food for extended periods of time, it starts flairing up again and I feel awful for a few days until I start eating like a decent human being. I'm not saying I don't enjoy some garbage food here and there, but be sure to eat some fruit/vegetables every day, whole grain breads and pastas, things like that.

I'm sorry for all of you that have had problems related to Accutane, I feel for you and I wish you the best.

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Hello all,

I just wantd to give a breif update on my sons long term side effects from Amnesteem ( Accutane.) If you read the original post you will see some of the problems he has had.

Like most of us here, we seem to have been there did that when it comes to trying to find a so called Medical Doctor to even establish the fact Accutane has cause any medical conditions that will not go away after you have taken the due course. Bottom line, I have not found a human being to explain why a chemo theraphy drug is givin' to our youth as acne cure. So my search continues looking for ways, vitamins, exercises etc that can help.

We have recentley tried something new that is helping my son's brain fog and overall well-being.

I am not saying this may work for anyone else, but it has help Ryan. He seen a nutritionist and stated him on a Candida diet. You can read more here..... www.candidasupport.org. Our hopeful thinking is that candida is not his major health issue, but may be something his auto-immue system has picked up being weak from a 6 months course of Accutane.

Ryan has been on this diet for about 7 weeks and claims his energy level has picked up and he general has better days. The diet hasn't taken away his joint pain and some other complications he deals with, BUT he is feeling better.

He has surprised me by staying on this diet religiously giving up all carbs and basically anything white in color.

I just wanted to pass some good news on. He takes a pro-biotic called Threelac once a day and stays on the diet, which hasn't always been easy for a collage student trying to eat hambugers without bread etc.

I am claiming no cure here, but we believe he has found a way for his bowels and stomach to have less flare ups and a better over all feeling of his health.

Best Wishes,
Scott

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Just got a call a few days ago on possible lawyer taking my Accutane case, sorry to sound negative here, but I will believe it when it happens, it's many years in the making. So I was told by the lady taking down the information that Accutane was first used for treating Fibromyalgia! I SAID YOUR KIDDING? The reason I mention it here is I never had Fibromyalgia before taking Accutane, and now I just got diagnosed by three RA doctors. Strange! She said I will make note of that for the lawyer.

PLEASE PEOPLE avoid this medicine and it's other names it's under it will do damage to you too it's all just a matter of time!

More later on this subject...

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To the person that said their doctor said that accutane did not cause their problems: After I found out I had diverticulitis, IBS, Proctitis, and colitis I asked him if it could be due to Accutane usage. He just kind of laughed and said no that is an acne drug. Do doctors not understand there is a relation?

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I've also taken accutane at the age of 16. That was definitely the worst medication I've ever taken in my life. Now at the age of 21, eating a healthy diet and exercising daily I personally haven't experienced any long term side effects of this drug. It certainly effects everyone differently, but I do agree with most here in saying that it should be taken off the market. I mean one of the side effects on there is Death! I don't know what I was thinking when I did take it for 6 months. I guess to me, the acne was so bad that I was willing to take that absurd risk to have better skin. Most doctors with good ethics will let you know ahead of time the great risks involved with making the decision to take it or not, before they even give you the side effect booklet. If I was 16 again in that position with the knowledge I have now, I would not have taken it. For anyone considering acne alternatives, just stick to eating a 75% diet of raw fruits and vegetables for 6 months and see how that effects your body from the inside-out instead! You'd be surprised that most of the bad acne causing bacteria (bad bacteria in general) contributes to bad looking skin from all the acidic food Americans consume. Many diseases/illness didn't even exist till we started consuming all the processed garbage on the market today. Food for thought; don't just take my word for it, but try for yourself a change in healthy eating habits for a long period of time and see how that works before trying something as detrimental as accutane.

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My daughter took accutane at age 18. She was suicidal because of how bad her poor face looked. She was very beautiful all thru school, and then severe acne hit. If it weren't for Accutane I don't know what would have happened to her. That was 20 years ago, and nothing bad has happened to her. Her acne was cured back then, thank goodness, and she has a few scars, but no disease. It was very much worth it. Note: she was carefully watched and tested by the prescribing doctor.

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I took accutane at 17. I later married and had my first child at 26. I did not have any problems with becoming pregnant and my children seem to be fine. I'm now 37 and just started my third round. I have chronic joint pain but I considered that the result of hard physical exercise. I have started to worry about this round.

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I have come here to explain there is great hope for you all. I took Accutane 7 years ago and experienced many of the symptoms described here. I continued to have life changing/terrible side effects in my digestive system after my 6 month treatment. There was a period where I could not eat anything, not even a bowl of rice, without feeling the need to vomit. My cholesterol spiked up when I was on Accutane and then never decreased for the past 6 years (until now). Most importantly my mental health plummeted. I have been one of the most confident people for as long as I can remember until I went on this drug. After taking Accutane I was experiencing overwhelming social anxiety in the most benign situations, even talking to my family. In despair, I went to more doctors and was prescribed more pharmaceutical drugs to solve the side effects caused by another drug. This was the definition of insanity for me. It was then, that I had an awakening.

About a year ago, I started looking into alternative medicines, AKA Vegetables. I stopped eating meat, began juicing vegetables and fruits and eating salads every day (look into sprouts). I also added wheat grass into my diet (one ounce shot a day). Within a month I had ZERO digestive problems. Even if I went off my new diet for a weekend and ate meat and cakes and everything that used to absolutely kill me. Not a single ounce of indigestion or even discomfort in my stomach. Additionally, this feeling of dread that I had been experiencing for the past 6 years about everything suddenly went away. No more emotional stress over just about everything, and no more anxiety at all. My cholesterol dropped 90 points in the first 4 months. In summary I healed myself. By now I firmly believe I have healed myself on the cellular level. It has been the most incredible experience of my life.

You can detox your body and rebuild your cells from the terrible damage caused by this drug, and all drugs. The answer is to look toward nature. Eat raw vegetables and drink them all day long. You will never ever feel any better, I promise you. You will also feel the shackles of this poison lifted off your body.

Not to mention all the positive side effects of eating healthy. This diet may not be what people want to hear. But think about it. If Accutane gave you joint pain, do you want to be on another drug for the rest of your life which is probably Accutane's distant cousin. Get to the route of the problem and free yourself.

Use Google for a wealth of information about juicing, raw diets, sprouting, wheat grass, etc. It WILL change your life if you allow it.

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Hello Robert,

Thank You so much for sharing your Accutane long term side effects in such detail. In your reply, like so many others, I drop my hands to my side after reading your post and I have to take a minute to pull myself together searching for words to reply back with that can be of some medical help, leads or at a minimum, inspirational. My prayers are with you and the strength you have to continue working and making the best of your life show very strong character and I am sure you are a inspiration to others.

Not that it will make your life better, but if you haven't already, contact a Accutane and its generic brands law firm to possibly get help with your medical bills and possible future health and finance situations. Because you have Crohns, you may have a case against the Pharma company that made this drug. Start with Hook and Bolton out of Florida, and if they can't help, keep on looking. Its my understanding the statue of limitations is being lifted in some cases due to the fact it may take years before someone is diagnosed with IBD.

I personally don't experience any long term side effects myself, but I watch one of my three sons go through similar health issues. It would have been easier on me if it would have been me that suffers from all his health issues then him. I fill so helpless at times and pray to God to take his pain away and give it to me.

. He just had chronic exertional compartment syndrome surgery 21 days ago on top of his daily aches and pains he lives with everyday of his life. He claims pain meds he took for his post operation pain do not even help his daily bone and joint pain. He also used to play High School sports in football and track and today, can't last longer then 10 minutes going at a slow speed on a treadmill. Like you, he had such promise ahead of him as a athlete.

He is so sick and tired of dealing with doctors and even lawyers that haven't help him to this point. Next step is for him this month is to swallow a camera pill to see , even after a colonoscopy, why no one can explain why he occasionally has blood in his stool.

Like you have said, We all must find a VOICE and stick together until the generics brands of accutane like amnesteem our taken off the shelf's in the USA and accutane is taken off the shelf's globally.

Nothing will change in the USA until the FDA is investigated and more studies are done on the long term effects of these drugs. I filled out my complaint letter to the FDA over 2 years ago and even after me calling them 3 times, I still have no idea if they even read my Med Watch report. SAD!

I did know the risk and read the paper well before I signed it to have my son placed on Amnesteem ( Accutane) but I was told any side effects he may have would go away after he quit taking the drug. I was lied to by my dermatologist, my PCP, until 2 years later my PCP admitted he did not prescribe accutane/amnesteem to his patients due to possible side effects. He did not hesitate thought to send my son to a dermatologist to be place on it for 6 months. Shame on the doctors that turn their backs , lying straight faced to a patient as they write the script for the drug. We have heard this line twice by 2 of the specialist we have seen over the past 6 years" My wife, children have all taken accutane and they are fine today. I would bet they would never let their love ones touch these drugs. It is so sad to think about all the people that have taken these drugs over the past 30 years and had no idea why they developed IBD and 1000 other life changing side effects.

Best wishes Robert and keep you comments coming. Thank You for being a part of this thread,
scott

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I took accutane for about 4 months when I was in my first year university. I got into university as an A+ student. During the 4 month accutane treatment, I had the usual side effects such as dry lips, skin etc. But it gets lots worse.

I have never had any health problems prior to taking Accutane. Infact, I have never been on any medication as far as I could remember, I have never even taken Advil/Tylenol in my teen years. I tried Pro-active before trying acne but I don't think pro-active...I did say I never took any medication before but I said that because Pro-active is simply a solution that you put on your skin....no ingestion involved.

Since Proactive didn't work my dermatologist suggested that I take Minocin (some antibiotics) or accutane....he was pushing Accutane and told me its the best since i had some severe acne all over my face. He told me about the side effects but not everything. He also told me that even everyday pills like Tylenol/Advil have similar side effects...he pretty much said Accutane is the best solution. Now that I think back, I think they get a commission because of the way they push this drug to you. I gladly took the accutane option since my dermatologist made it sound good. I know some of you are complaining how we should have read all the side effects but when someone like your family doctor/dermatologist advises something you go with it even if you are not so happy. In this case I was actually happy because he made it sound very nice and I was thinking of going acne free asap.

Life got lot worse. I wish I didn't take accutane.

Major Side Effect 1: Loss of Libido and Erectyle dysfunctional. I had a really good looking girl friend from the age of 15 to 21. I started having sex when I was 16 and we were very sexually active. I had no problem getting an erection 10 minutes after ejaculation. We used to have multiple sessions. I had minor acne from 14 to 17. It got little worse at 18 and by 20 it was all over my face. My gf and I loved each other and we were still together. Both of us went to same university and we lived in the rez and we had even more sex during this time because we didn't live at home. During my first semester in university we were intimate from 2 to 3 times a day. 3 months into the treatment, i was losing my libido. I didn't think this had anything to do with acne because we were still intimate at least once a day. I thought it was normal because I am not a teenager who can have 24/7 boner anymore. After the 4 month treatment was completed, my acne was gone and I never had acne again. About 6 months after the treatment my sex drive started to decrease and for the first time I had problems maintaining erections. It was embarrassing. I used to get a rock hard boner even before my girl friend got naked but now she would perform oral trying to get me hard and I would only get a mashmellow erection. My confidence went down. Trust me, you rather have acne than have your pecker disappoint you in front of a smoking hot girl wanting to have sex with you. She was still with me but I was really upset because it started to happen on a regular basis. At this point, the stupid me took and advice of a stupid frat buddy and decided to tryt o have sex with another girl. I went to this frat party and hooked up with this girl....she comes home and I couldn't get it up. It sucked. Whats even worse is that my gf found out about me cheating on her and that was the end of our relationship. I am 28 now and I have really low libido and its really hard to get a boner even when there is a hot chick doing everything. Life sucks when this happens. My relationships always failed after that first girl friend and its because of issues in the bedroom. This side effect happens to most guys but you rarely hear about it because this is not a topic that is comfortable to discuss for most people. Most people are too embarrassed to go to the doctor and talk about this problem, so this is not properly reported. I AM TELLING YOU, IF YOU TOOK ACCUTANE, AND IF YOU ARE HAVING PROBLEM GETTING IT UP, ITS BECAUSE OF ACCUTANE.

2. Major Side effect 2: Mood swings, low energy, depression, ineffective sleep etc. I used to sleep really well. I would close my eyes, sleep really well. All i needed was 7 to 8 hours of sleep and I would be full charged with lot of energy. This medication ruined my quality of sleep. I wish i could sleep like before now. I always feel that I am half awake half asleep. Sometimes I will need 10 to 12 hours of sleep because I would feel sleepy because of the poor sleep quality. My mood is always in the low side ever since the medication. Even my friends would ask me what the hell happened to me...I feel depressed most of the time but I don't take any antidepressants. I don't trust doctors anymore after the accutane incident.

Major Side effect 3: ADD. I cannot concentrate. I came into university as an A+ student. During and after the treatment, I cannot sit through a 2 hour lecture and concentrate. With in 10 minutes I would be distracted and my mind would wander. I failed all my classes. I couldn't finish assignments. I dropped out after 2nd year university. I had a microscopic GPA during that span...thats more like 20% average. Accutane definitely srews with your brain. I was a smart student, but I can feel that I am dumb. I am getting dumber every year. I cannot even write proper sentence anymore. RIght now i am typing away lots of things but I cannot really concetrate and write a proper sentence. I can assure that I come from a very smart family. Both my parents have PHD and have excellent profession. One of my brother is computer engineer and the other just completed his MBA. My sister got into university with full scholarship. I am the failiure. My life was fine until I took accutane....only problem before was acne...i rather have acne than my current life.

Major Side Effect 4: Fatigue, muscle pain etc. I played basketball and soccer in high school. When i got into university, I was part of the varsity soccer team. I also worked out regularly. I never took any products while working out. Only all natural whey protein one scoop after my weight session (only 3 times a day). After the treatment I would fatigue easily, get tired fast. I didn't continue with the varsity soccer after the treatment. My physical stamina and endurance is no where to be found. I get minor joint paints but from reading these posts in this board, I am pretty sure by the time i past 30, worse things are going to come my way.

Major Side effect 5: Hair loss. Both my grand dads had head full of hair past 50. My dad still has head full of hair. I had really nice thick, dense hair. After 1 year of treatment...21/22...my hair started falling out at a high rate and it was thinning fast. By 25 I lost 50% of my hair but since I had very dense/thick hair, I still had lot of hair left but you can tell I am balding from the top of my head. Now I am 28 and most of the hair is gone in the top. I shave my head because when I grow my hair i look like creep with no hair on the top...i am freaking 28.

I hate accutane. I hope all the people who are responsible for pushing this product to make money without caring about the others will suffer 1000000 times worse than all of us victims.

I CANNOT BELIEVE SOME PEOPLE ARE STILL CONSIDERING THIS LETHAL DRUG. THIS IS A DRUG FOR CANCER PATIENTS! IF YOU ARE A PARENT AND LET YOU KID TAKE THIS, YOU ARE GOING TO HATE YOU LIFE AND THAT KID IN A FEW YEARS. AS A PARENT, YOU SHOULD MAKE SOME DECISIONS BECAUSE, AS A TEENAGER, THE KID WOULD WANT TO TAKE THIS DRUG AT ANY COST BECAUSE ALL THEY CARE ABOUT IS GETTING CURE FOR ACNE. THEY WONT CARE ABOUT THE SIDE EFFECTS UNTIL IT HITS THEM.

If you read all this, I hope you managed to make sense of what I scattered. Sorry accutane killed my brain cells and I cannot write properly anymore.

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I did 3 rounds of accutane in my teens, 80mg to 100mg. By my early twenties I had stomach surgery due to severe stomach pain and I still struggle with stomach problems now. I have joint pain in my hips, wrists, and shoulders. I have severe low back pain. I get migraines. I have dry eyes and dry lips that NEVER resolved after stopping the medicine. While I was on the medicine I had the worst mood swings and depression. Worst drug ever. Bottom line. Wouldn't recommend. Wouldn't give to my worst enemy. I still live with it every day, 12 years after my last round....

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Hi,

It's good to see a few fimiliar faces from another forum...

I've just stumbled upon this forum... I keep reading what I thought was the last pag until I get to the bottom and see there is more, read that l las page, and more, and now I have finally got to the last page, so 've read about 4-5 pages on here.

From what I underatand Scott, if ive got it right in that you've set this forum up because of your son then well done to you. I don't think I've seen a collection of peoples expereinces here that demonstrate just how BAD this drug is. I've read a few people saying they knew relatives that have died from taking this drug due to the illness it's caused with cancer or other internal problems....

Later this year will be my big 10th anniversary since i hit the iceberg, and shortly after will be 9 years of suffering pysically and the emotional turmoil the side effects have given me. It started off with rosacea, and in the last few months my latest problems are headaches... bad headaches which it feels like i get almost daily. If i haven't got one, then it feels like its coming on, a strange feeling in my head.These headaches are also effecting my eyees, and my eyes have really taking a battering over the last 6 years and getting worse. When you get all these pains/discomforts/problems pysically, it doesn't matter how positive you try to be, or how good you try to see things, you cannot escape the reality.

I've got lots of problems and I've been to Privately to see a Liver Specialist around 4 times and Prively to see a Chest Specialist also around 4 times, and never got any answers to my problems. To both I mention Accutane and neither reply about it or ask me about it. They just say something else like I never said it. With the Chest specialist I had xrays and even went into a big tunnel lying down to get proper tests done and still nothing to giveme any answers. All I got was an asthma pump, which I never beleived I had and knew he was fobbing me off. had to ask him about the side effects as he didn't tell me. He said there are steroids in asthma pumps that go into your lungs. I must of just inhaled/used it about 10 times within the first week, becaue i felt pressurised to use it, but never took it again. There 's no way I'm putting even more crap in my body to make me even worse.... for a problem i didn't even have....I went to the doctors, and blew on the test pump and results showed i was normal.. the doctor couldn't beleive why i had been given an asthma inhaler by the specialist when the test showed i didn't need it. The point is i've tried to get help for my problems but get nowhere. I've been to the doctors at least a dozen times since the sides kicked in and so many blood tests, but don't get anywhere. When seeing these specialists, a fw times i see the derm walk past the receptionas im waiting for my appointment, and think it's ll thanks to you that im sat here with all these problems here back now in the hospital seeing more doctors. But that's exactly how medicine works I have learnt. You just get recycled and recysled until they;ve finished you off, getting them rich in the process.

I haven't seen my derm for years and years, but my dad visited him last year for a problem he had, and mentioned Accutne and my problems, and he come up with that old line I seem to hear everyone on here say... that the accutane stays in your body for **insert lie here* and then it goes out the system. It's like all derms are programmed to say this...... by Roche...

It's come to the pint where i just want to end my life, yet im too scared off messing up and ending up in an even bigger mess. What a dilema and situation to be in.....

Because it's the future as well as the present that scares me. What I'm having to deal with now is bad enough, but knowing things will get worse, because looking around that what happens, it's nothing short of mental torture.I don't want it to come to having to rely on medicine/pill to jsut keep my alive, or make my function better. but i know accutane can do this... just by reading others experiences.

why is it that doctors, if you say accutane is the probem, they ignore you, or don't beleive it, and dismiss it? It's happened to me as i mentioned, and everyone else i've read about get the same thing happen. i was lucky enough a few years back to ask dr schulze (natural healing doc) who has his own forum on a poluar natural website forums. The first thing he said was Accutane was "bad news"... and this guy does't even practise western medicine/modern medicine... just herbs, raw foods, natrual things... So if he knows Accutane is bad news, then normal medical doctors, who pratice all this stuff HAVE TO KNOW ACCUANE IS BAD NEWS! ESPECIALLY THE DERMATOLOGISTS THEMSELVES, WHO GIVE THIS S*** OUT!

Indigo mentioned it - at least we have learnt about health. but it's little consilation when my health/body is too ruined to use this knowledge to heal. Nothing works. Roche have adone a fine job in creating the best possible drug to ruin humman health. (and lives)

I've said this before that i can only be grateful that I had 16 years free of Accutane and these ended up being my peak/golden years. It's coming to the stage where i can't wait to die so i can be free from all my problems, and this hell, that Accutane has giving me.

a message to the few who have come on here saying accutane is the best thing ever... can you please stop being so insensitive when people here arereally stuggling in all imaginable ways. jus don't post here.. why are you here if you like is that great now? even if you think accutane sufferers are in a minority (which we're not.. look around...) how can you still possibly justify its worth all this chronic/degenerativve suffering with all types of illnesses/diseases/people dying for the you/ the rest to have clear skin.

It's ridiculous that 30 years since Accutane was released are the way it works - the mechanism of action is STILLL not establised. Does no one care? I remember Oli Girl saying that scientists are looking at the telomere theory which Nathan Carr come up with (Nathan deserves huge credit for that report and give some sort of exclamation as to why Accutane is so destructive) but I wouldn't be surprised if Roche paid off all these scientists for there silence if the telomere thoery proves correct. Because evidence of telomere thoery would probably allow who's suffering from any of the side effects, not matter what thy are, to sue. And I think we all know that Roche know exactly how this drug works, given there criminal activity in the past.....

The lowest of the low...

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Im 18, and have been on accutane for 4 months. My liver test is 4 points over normal which isnt bad. I am considering to stop taking accutane all together. I am suppose to go 5 months but my skin is clear and may not come back as bad as it was.

I read all of htese posts and notice that they have been takign the medication for around a year. Has anyone taken it for only 5 months and had long term symmtoms or problems?

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Hi to you all
This has been the most scarest reading ever to the point im beside myself.I took accutane when i was 23 id been told about it at 20 but my mum pleaded with me not to take it saying my acne would soon go been of that age.I tryed everything i could from ever lotion and
potion and also natural.At 23 i could not cope looking like i did so i took it back in 1992 i will say it worked i felt greet never better UNTILL NOW ! I fell upon this site
looking for something else how shocked i was when
reading it i felt i was looking at myself in a mirrow.I now at 42 years suffer so much pain in and out of hospital for different test just this monday had a barrium meal waiting for yet another duodenal biopsy i've been told i
have fibromyalgia.Has anyone else been told thats what they have.PLEASE THINK TWICE BEFORE USING !

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Melanie, dear, sweet, beautiful skinned Melanie...I guess ignorance is bliss. You certainly sound blissful. If the drug was so harmless, then why did they take it off the market and why is the pharmaceutical company continuing to loose multi million dollar lawsuits? Because it DAMAGED people and DESTROYED lives. I would do my homework if I were you before opening my mouth and criticizing victims. Let me ask you this. If your skin is so perfect and you have suffered no after effects, why are you bothering to visit sites about accutane. Your comments sound very phony. Then again, maybe you're truly ignorant. I will give you the benefit of the doubt and just conclude you haven't done any research. Be on your way.

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For better or for worse, I found this chain. I have to say I am quite grateful.

I am a 22 year old female, and have been taking Claravis (generic Isotretinoin) for 6 days now. I have been suffering from cystic acne on my face, chest, and back since I was 11 years old, and it has always come in waves. The worst is that I could have reasonable days, but when it gets bad - it gets reeeeeally bad.

I've tried everything from antibiotics to acupuncture and even attempted popular creams like Proactiv or Murad; nothing worked. If anything, the "popular" TV brand medicines made my skin worse! After this frustration, I decided to ditch my dermo and her suggestions and try natural remedies. I changed my diet, began exercising regularly, washing my face more often, and got to the point where I was rubbing honey and tomato all over my acne in an effort to make it disappear. Unfortunately - nothing worked. I decided to go back to her almost three years later, at the beginning of 2011, to see what she could offer me now.

I began taking Minocycline and using Differin gel for about 6 months starting in May, and after the first two months, my skin looked incredible! I wondered if maybe since I had gone so long without taking medicine and now that I was older, if my body was reacting differently. Either way it was great, everyone noticed how clear my skin looked, and there were even days when I could go without needing the usual layers of coverup to hide my bumps and scars. It was an incredible feeling and I was so happy. Suddenly, around the 4.5 month mark, I began noticing that the skin around my genitals was getting intensely dry and peeling - comparable to how one would peel from a bad sunburn. I tried to endure it, thinking it was my laundry detergent or underwear, but it got to the point where the skin was so raw that it would bleed, and it became intensely painful to sit down or even use the restroom. I began googling my symptoms and soon learned that everything I was going through had been listed as possible effects of the antibiotic. I immediately stopped taking the Minocycline. Upon seeing my dermo a few weeks afterwards, she confirmed that it had been a severe allergic reaction to the medicine.

Back to square 1.

Just as in my teens, before I had gone on a dermo hiatus, my doctor began pushing for Accutane. She suggested that since I had been struggling so long with acne and that since it was clearly not getting any better with age or antibiotics (I had been told for the longest that it would clear up around my 20s after my hormones settled), that it would be my best option. Just like before, I spent weeks researching and talking to people, including family members, that had taken it. I originally decided against it, fearful of all the possible effects, and honestly hoping I could just settle with firm attempts to not pick my face and some great new coverup. But after a month of using the leftover Differin (and my failed attempts at leaving my acne alone), my terrible cystic acne began taking over my jaw and cheeks again. I decided to 'take the plunge'.

As mentioned, I've been taking Claravis for 6 days, only once a day to help 'ease my body' into the medication, and I've already been feeling some side effects. I've tried to rationalize them as I'm an overactive and terribly busy college student, but the insomnia (I usually have difficulty sleeping but have never before been so wide awake at such obscure hours of the night; it's after 3am and while I have enough energy right now to go for a jog, I spend my days at work and in class fighting to stay awake). I've also been noticing blood shot eyes, increasing chest pain, strong lower back and neck pain, and extreme thirst. All of these things together are simply too much of a sudden combination of symptoms to continue to make excuses.

After reading over this chain and talking more about the Accutane with my family, I've decided that starting tomorrow, I'll be stopping the medicine. I'm also hoping that I'll be able to find a new dermo who is less into drugs and more into natural remedies. And who knows, maybe I can even find an antibiotic that works just as well as the Minocycline, without all the terrible side effects!

I want to thank everyone for their stories shared here. While it is truly devastating to hear about so many tragedies and misfortunes that could be, or honestly are, directly related to this medication, it has been a blessing for me. Especially because my number 1 fear going into this was the long term side effects. Thank you everyone, and I wish you all the best.

Have a good night,
Nicole

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Hi Nancy,

Thanks for your reply. It is called the Candida diet.Bee's website is probably the best and she doesn't sell anything (healingnaturallybybee.com).

I followed this to the T and it worked well. I have been off of it, due to the difficulty of the diet but will be going back to it. Your son may not have to follow it exactly but big things to do include:

Avoid Alcohol (Not a problem for him!)
Drink plenty of lemon water
Avoid all grains
Avoid starchy vegetables (Corn, potatoes, squash)
No milk, eggs, cheese
No caffeine
No Sugar (this is a biggie and the hardest part as almost all processed food has sugar)

Some supplements to take include Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar, Uncooked cloves of garlic, Grapefruit seed extract, SF722 (can be found on Amazon), Coconut Oil. I switched these weekly to prevent my body from being used to any one supplement. Also eventually lots of probiotics will be needed.

If your son tries it, please let us know how he does. Some exercise may help as well. If he is naturally thin with a high metabolism like myself, he should wait before exercising. Eventually Brown rice is allowed and that would help him keep weight on.

One last thing...the first two weeks were HELL. It gets worse before it gets better. His body will be cleaning out plenty of junk and it will make it's way out ;)

Best of luck to your son and any others that try it. I have heard great things about 5HTP as well.

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I am a 26 yr old female. I took accutane when I was 17 and again when I was 21. It absolutely changed my life. I had cystic acne, crazy oily skin, was shy, no confidence.. Thank goodness I was good at sports and had something else to focus on.

I took 80mg which I'm told is very high. I had dry red skin, some rashes on the back of my hands, but incredible improvement. I tried everything before this and accutane is the only thing that works for cystic acne.

Since I started breaking out really early I already had tons of scarring on my face, chest , and back. As a female this was pretty tough to deal with.

I'm now spending $1,000s of dollars on laser resurfacing and my ONLY regret is not taking accutane earlier. Please consider this with your daughter as I wished my parents were more proactive and not afraid of modern medicine. Females deal with much more scrutiny when it comes to appearances. I think you should definitely go for it! Start with small doses and monitor closely, she will thank you for it 10 yrs from now.

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