Accutane Long Term Side Effects (Page 19)
(Newest replies 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 After I have researched this drug extensively, I can't believe that the FDA allows this drug originally made for cancer patients to be marketed for teenagers with acne.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?

REPLY

REPORT

I also was prescibed accutane in my late teen yrs. Im 49 presently. Ive been through more health problems then i care to list. I have a moriphine pump, due to destruction of my skellatine system. I have not yet mentioned this to my neurologist as im going through treatment for a tumor now. I would gladly get together to discuss litigation. Im disabled and have been since i was 35.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Hi,, there are thousands of people with the same symptoms that you have. I am suffering severe joint pain and still haven't found a solution. Now I am trying glucosamyne but I can't share the results yet. Some people say that helps with joint pain. Good luck y best wishes.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I know this is not related to Accutane, but I can't let such deliberate misinformation pass. Disgruntled Average, smoking damages the overall health of EVERY person who smokes. Even one puff changes the lung DNA forever. The toxins in cigarette smoke affect every part of your body and the full damage is most visible when you get older, but starts the moment you take that first puff. I have seen relatives dying from smoking and I have worked in a frail care unit. Smoking kills, eventually but definitely.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

YAZ is also risk! My daughter was on low-dose antibiotics for a while, then on YAZ, then on low-dose accutane. Even before the accutane, she started changing. Today, she is 22, but looks like a post-menopausal anorexic.
She has massive constant hair loss, chronic fatigue, sleep problems, depression, and now eye infections and rage. It breaks my heart. I believe the acne would eventually have disappeared. My girl used to look like a supermodel, and now she is a wreck.
I fought these treatments when she wanted them, and I regret not being more firm.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

I have been on the drug Accutane now for 7 months to treat a twenty year breakout of acne. I could not handle the higher dose of 55mg a day so I have stayed on 30 mg a day for a longer period. My side effects so far have been mild,,very tired and nose bleeds now and then and lacking motivation and creativity (which I usually have a lot of)..I did end up with a burst abcyss 4 months ago which led to peritonitis however, the abcyss could have been building up before I started the drug???!!! I am coming towards the end now (3 weeks to go) and my skin is clear and has been for 6 months...I do worry after reading lots of information, about the long term and invisible or internal side effects. I have lost a lot of time off work this year and I has been a struggle however I think back to the days my skin was so sore withacne I couldn't move or face anyone,,so I am glad to be where I am at the moment

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Ernest,

Thank you the detailed reply. I'm sorry to hear that you have so many lingering effects from this medicine. That is very worrisome as there are so many others who report the same long term ailments.

I actually did quite a bit of research over the weekend and found an interesting study indicating lower doses may also suppress the sebaceous glands without the serious side effects.

"Leading some researchers to posit that it is not cumulative dose that brings about permanent clearing as much as it is the length of time that the oil glands are suppressed." --Borghi A, et al "Low-cumulative dose isotretinoin treatment in mild-to-moderate acne: Efficacy in achieving stable remission."Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2011;

I think I will bring this up to my dermatologist and see what his experience has been.

I wish you the best as I continue to research this from all angles.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Dana,
I took Accutane 30 years ago as a 24 year old male. I had all the typical short term side effects, i.e. dry skin, chapped lips, nose bleeds, that stopped after I discontinued using the drug. My treatment called for a 3 month cycle on the drug, a 2 week break and then a second 3 month cycle. I was only able to complete the first 3 month cycle. I decided the short term side effects were too much for me and stopped the treatment. Now 30 years post Accutane treatment my life is a constant roller coaster battle. I have so many health issues I struggle to live a "normal" life. I have had bone and joint problems for the last 30 years since Accutane. I have Arthritis in my neck and spine. My bones and joints making popping sounds often. I've had shoulder pains, wrist pains off and on again. Seems like the problems shift around to different parts of my bones all the time. I've had many digestive/ stomach problems since taking Accutane, ulcers in my esophagus, acid reflux, IBS, issues due to intolerance of certain foods I eat that I had no problem with before taking Accutane. Prior to taking Accutane I had a great memory. Since taking Accutane I have trouble focusing on reading, concentrating on things. It's like I'm in a cloud at times, foggy like. I have had trouble with Depression also. Before taking Accutane I could eat all foods with no problems. Now, I have trouble with many foods, dairy products, spicy foods, fatty foods. Recently, I have become gluten intolerant. I read on here that other Accutane users have developed problems digesting gluten. My list goes on and on. I don't sleep well most of the time due to my neck problems. I have that "hollow look" in my face other Accutane users have spoken of. It's all really depressing. If I could go back 30 years I would gladly take my acne problem back. And btw, I still get acne sometimes. A couple of times the acne has formed cysts that I had to have removed. Accutane is not a guaranteed cure for acne! I would never recommend this poison to anyone! Think long and hard before you continue use of this drug anymore.
Ernest

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

I am a 32 year old female and am currently 5 weeks into my 2nd course of generic accutane (amnesteem) treatment.

I began my first course was when I was 22 and I have not had any lasting or long term side effects after treatment. I did not have any terrible side effects during my treatment but the medication cleared my acne completely until about a year ago.

Now, on my second course I am experiencing joint pain, extreme fatigue and stiffness. Weeks 1-4 started at 40 MG and now weeks 5-8 my dose has increased to 40 + 20mg. These side effects are slightly concerning since many people have reported in the blogs that these side effects did not go away even years after treatment.

I am curious to know if anyone else has experienced joint pain or fatigue while on accutane... more specifically if it went away after treatment or if it continues and for how long.

Any additional info would be very much appreciated.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

This is me exactly (Accutane, dermatographia, nightly hives for 10 yrs now)! Have you found anything to relieve your symptoms?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I posted on this forum two years ago when I was 18. I took accutane when I was 15 and today I see a psychologist who I had explained my story to. It is clear that accutane has had a permanent effect on me psychologically due to the fact that I look exactly like I did five years ago. I am the exact height and weight as I was five years ago, this might sound like a silly plea, but the truth is that not growing at all in high school and college is devastating for a guy, especially when your short and skinny to begin with. I was a top level athlete in soccer, which I have given up, in fact my head, hands, genitals, and bones in general are still the size of a young growing teenager.
How can I ever look at life the same knowing I wouldn't even look the same have I not taken the drug, I am looked upon by strangers as a young high schooler and my confidence has never been so low in my life. My acne was never horrible, I was still doing well with girls, but now that I look like a young kid my ability to attract women has been lost. I was always good looking and I was maturing steadily, but now I come off as a that tiny kid who never changed. On top of all this my voice still sounds like a fourteen year olds, strangers on the phone have even told me I sound young. I hope one day I become successful enough to discover a new and safer drug to provide to children.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

It has been 5 years since my sister and brother in law put me on this. My shoulder is always in pain even though i stretch and do yoga and exercise. It's always popping ans grinding. My stomach feels like i've eating the spiciest food and i always have blood in my stool even though i eat the best of best foods that i can afford. i never eat fast food. and yet i always feel like i'm dying. shortly have taking this med. about 6 months i stopped working out. completely. i lost all focus towards it. I lost my hair even though it's genetic in my family. i lost mine at 16... 16 i was balding when everyone in my family lost it in there 30s or 40s. if you see all these reviews and choose you take it. you're destroying yourself.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 3

Haha they dedicate numerous years of there lives to line there pockets with there patients money you ignoramus. Selling chemo drugs to children with mild acne is ok to you is it? 5-10 years ago when a lot of these ppl myself included took accutane after reading through the nice glossy leaflet provided by Roche they were assured by there oh so caring dermatologist that the only possible long term side effects were hairloss and IBS. Go join a pro accutane group, I think you'll fit in better there.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 3

Sorry to hear about the various side effects that people have experienced. However, I'm sure there is a number of people who have taken this drug with no adverse affects. Just as, say, smoking does not kill everyone who does it. it is all our chemistry. Quite perhaps, all coincidences, maybe those who suffer from acne have a faulty gene that leads to adverse health effects when older?
As for blaming the drug companies and doctors, whoever else you consider your cash cow, what is the point? The referral process for the drug is strict. You are not allowed to take this drug whilst pregnant or conceiving. You have to sign a waiver for this drug. This drug is serious business and it does not hide that. Not one bit. You can easily search for consequences online. So if you decide to take this drug it is your decision. Not your docs, dermos, or any other healthcare professional who have dedicated numerous years of their lives to serve the public and look out for the populations wellbeing!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

I had roaccutane around 25 years ago. I had a one month course, it completely cleared my acne and it hasn't come back since. I've had no side effects whatsoever, I didn't even suffer from dry skin or lips.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

I was put on this for severe acne when I was just about to turn 14 in 2009. Mid 2010 when I was 15, I was finally taken off it. I had the usual side-effects e.g. dryness, blood noses etc... but I knew this was going to happen. When I look back on it I can see that I was also depressed, which at the time I blew off as me being a teenage girl with the world on her shoulders. A year a go I had an abnormal Pap Smear & another one this year. I have LSIL & a more increased chance of getting HPV & cervical cancer. They think this could have to do with the cervical cancer needle I was given at 12 (yay more experimental drugs their not 100% about!) but my mum suggested that roaccutane may have something to do with it? i have to go in for colposcopy soon and I will pitch it to them. But over the years my dried skin has gotten worse, I still get sun burnt like anything, my hair falls out & the depression has gotten worse before it's gotten better. I am just happy that I'm not the only one that has side effects from this drug years down the track.. Oh And after about a year of not being on it, heaps of stubborn blackheads have decided to permanently reside on my face. Cheers for nothing docs!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Shelby,

Diet has no relationship with acne. Before Accutane I tried everything including changing my diet which was healthy in the first place. If you go on acne.org you will see people have tried diets but it failed to help their acne. If you have severe cystic acne just eating fruits and vegetables will not help you. I know there are risks but it is a miracle worker with severe acne when all else fail and there is no guarantee you will get serious side effects.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

They haven't done enough research to KNOW of any long term side effects, that's the problem. A lot of people are having similar complaints about joint pain and all that. You can't trust doctors or pharmacists anymore because they're getting paid by pharmaceutical companies to carry their product. Look at all the legal suits going about over FDA approved medications and implant devices! Just because the FDA approves it does not mean there can't or won't be anything wrong with what you're taking/prescribed. As much as I love having clear skin, it wasn't worth the sacrifice of pain all over my body. The pharmaceutical business is all about who has the most money invested in their product. You don't think a pharmaceutical business wouldn't pay the FDA to change or omit certain facts in order to get their product out their first and fastest? The first business to put out a revolutionary drug like Accutane will gain the most profit since generic brands cannot make that same product until the original drug-maker's patent has expired, which I believe is between 7-10 years. Our government just wants us to believe certain things and to shove a pill down our throats and make us into "sheeple." They don't want us to think for ourselves. They want to dumb us down and eventually kill us. I don't believe in a miracle pill anymore. I believe in natural health. Eating healthy (not the Standard American Diet, which is abbreviated as SAD, which is actually the real emotion of sad) is the best way to make your whole body and mind feel good. Don't eat a SAD diet! Eat more fruits and veggies than ANYTHING ELSE! I just want people out there who are just starting on Accutane to know that a pill is NOT the answer.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 4

Thank you for your replies, April. Now i'm thinking that isotretianin is too risky to try. (Im on antibiotic now) Plus, i'm not suffering severe acne, at this time i only have 3 active acnes, but with many scars left. The derm was overgreedy huh.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Excellent reading!! Have been speaking to a few people about this over the last while and is very encouraging! I've not been on the forums much recently due to feeling so fatigued and rubbish hope everyone is doing ok! Can I ask, where do you get this oil if your in the uk? Also did you do any special diets eg, specific carb diet whilst using the oil or just eating normally? My symptoms are gastric as well as mental so need to consider whats best to do!:) thanks again for a positive story!
I hope lots of people are managing the protest at Roche tomorrow? I'm in Scottish highlands so too far away

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

***** RECOVERY STORY *****

I've got permission to post this story that I had in my inbox the other day. The individual wishes to remain anonymous and thus any speculations to who it is I will neither confirm or deny. However, take it for what it is - good f***ing news;

Thanks alot man I appreciate it! I owe my life to this plant which is why I now dedicate my life to spreading the knowledge of this amazing medicine. I never expected any of this. To take it back to the start I was *** years old I Was literally the epitome of an athlete and healthy quite like yourself as I saw you mentioned. The death pill accutane turned me into what I could only expect it would be like at 80+ years old, after 6 months of 40mg per day...if I remember correctly 1 poison pill a day. Still remember near the end of the death treatment I found one of those pills crushed with a sickly orange goo coming out. Later to find out this poison is chemotherapy originally designed for brain cancer, which I now know is a whole other fraud just like most of the 'medical system', but that's another topic. Back to the point. I remember in the summer of 2010 when I was a month or two into the poison I suddenly realized my libido was becoming extremely weak and my feelings were slowly dying. I didn't understand what was going on I was only focused on getting rid of the acne. Time went on and I got worse and worse thinking it was only temporary. Never could i have imagined what these criminals had put me on for acne. By the end of the poison I pretty much felt dead. Extreme fatigue, extreme brain fog I could not think normally, could barely make sense out of regular things, at this point I was completely impotent with no more feeling in my body. Complete loss of libido. No thoughts or attraction to females at all. Emotionally dead. My joints in my legs ached bad and made cracking sounds when I would move them. My eyes were red and dry and I had horrible night vision I couldn't see outside at night even though I always had been able to in the past. My lips had a big split top and bottom from being so dry and cracked. They would split and bleed daily. I still have the scar lines from it. Basically the poison made me feel like I was no longer human. I don't know if I am forgetting anything but I think that about covers it. It was around 2 years until i really began cannabis treatment. I was feeling worse and worse no improvement at all to the point i was basically bed ridden with no hope. I eventually started off vaping and over the course of a few weeks my brain fog finally was clearing and I was getting some feelings back which was very exciting, but it wasnt always too consistent. The reason being i believe is the amount is very little being consumed compared to an oil tolerance. Also i feel that vaping/smoking is very mental so I believe most of the cannabinoids go to the lungs/brain rather than the whole body compared to ingesting oil. But it certainly began to clear up my mind. I began using RSO months later I believe a bit more than 1 1/2 years ago. Within the first few days i knew this was it. I took it very slowly and only increased my dose as I was comfortable but within a few weeks I was beginning to really feel the true healing power. I was feeling alive with energy each morning and I finally began healing. My mind was clearing up even more and feeling and emotion was returning. This is dated around a month or so. I no longer had joint pain and my night vision had returned.I continually increased dosage and I continued to feel even better and better. Every symptom just continued to feel better by the day. Libido and feeling continued to improve as did my energy and mind. Another thing that I think helped a lot is a few times a week i would mix some rso with coconut oil and put it in a condom and wear it. By this time it was around 3 months into treatment. I estimate I consumed around 50 grams of oil or about 12 ounces of bud. At that point I felt completely cured and back to normal. I continued to ingest the oil and continued to feel great. I have used the oil on and off since then as maintenance doses and I still feel great to this day. This oil is truly amazing. Throughout the course I didn't write down dates or measurements so it is mostly estimated. I continually listened to my body And feeling as I went along. That is the most important thing to remember on the oil. Take it slowly and build a tolerance. Once your tolerance is high after a few weeks or months the healing really begins. Start very small and give yourself time to build tolerance. 1/2 rice grain every 8 hours rick Simpson recommends, doubling dosage every 4 days. I started a bit slower but eventually built it up. We all have different tolerances and healing rates so always go at your own comfortable pace. It is important to use indica or indica dominant strains because they provide the best healing and rest. Many people have schedules so if you can only use at night before bed that's still okay. Sativas are not good because they are very mentally energizing and not suitable for healing the way indicas are. Some indica dominant strains have a bit of sativa enough to make a nice balance, but you are looking for potent sedative strains that make you want to sleep. These are the real healers. A few strains I used were afghan kush(indica), northern lights(indica), grand daddy purp(indica), white widow(indica dom), skunk #1 (hybrid). The indicas are definitely best but the hybrids were good to add in the mix for some euphoric good feeling. The best oils are a mix of strains which is what I did. Don't worry about cbd, simply go for potent sedative indicas and you will be good. I did not grow the bud I used for these oils, but I have knowledge on growing if you are looking for help. Growing certainly solves many issues in finding this medicine but sadly it is a risk as we know right now. I hope this was detailed enough to be useful and will certainly answer any further questions you may have. I apologize if there isnt a lot of detail but over my course of helping I didn't keep track of much besides how I felt and continued to improve over time. I would love to add more detail but I have been typing for about 2 hours now on my phone because I don't have a computer at the moment. I can't think of much else off the top of my head but Im more than happy to continue to chat and answer questions or help in any way I can. P.s. I tried finding a lawyer for a legal suit about 2 years ago but no one would take on the case unless symptoms included IBS or a few others... thats the corrupt system for us. I don't have money for a lawyer so I don't know how realistic suing actually is for me but I am still trying to collect info in the meantime. Very happy to talk to you as well man it's been an unfortunate part of our life but there is certainly a bright future ahead!"

That is very positive news if you ask me! But again due to this individual wishing to remain anonymous I would rather individuals not publicly speculate as to who this individual is on public threads.

As some of you may have seen before, I truly do think this may be the answer to our problems. There's the anecdotal evidence, the science and my own personal experience too. I hope this can give hope to those with long term issues.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

I had Harvoni treatment last spring. I am not the same. My nervous system is a wreck. My anxiety problems have increased...

263 REPLIES

What are the long term effects of the brain and mood changes in people taking 30mg of oxycodone for years? Do they act w...

6 REPLIES

My wife has been using Nexito Plus for the past 4 years. She is doing good, but she feels sleepy in the morning time and...

3 REPLIES

my boyfriends complaining after taking large dosages prescribed by doctors for sleep that he feels loss of sight, blurre...

3 REPLIES

My doctor just prescribed me Tramadol for a chronic back pain issue. If I take this med every night, will there be any l...

2 REPLIES

I have been taking clopidogrel 75mg + atorvastatin 10mg + metoprolol 10mg + telmisartan 40mg for the past 3 years since ...

1 REPLY

I am 41 yrs male.For the past one month occasionally one or two of my fingers move sideways without my control and then ...

1 REPLY

My father has been prescribed ecosprin 75 along with Dytor plus 10mg, prolomat XL and cardace 2.5 by a cardiologist. He ...

1 REPLY

I was just prescribed this medication by my doctor, because of irregular periods. For the past 2 years I have had my per...

1 REPLY

Folks, like everyone else who has started MULTAQ, I am having second thoughts about it's effectiveness. When I first...

1 REPLY