Accutane Long Term Side Effects (Page 40)
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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 After I have researched this drug extensively, I can't believe that the FDA allows this drug originally made for cancer patients to be marketed for teenagers with acne.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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Sorry to hear about these side effects. Again, not seeing it in my situation. Took it many years ago and have had no issues since and acne is cured. Again so sorry, but want to relay that there are success stories to Accutane as well. Everyone's body chemistry is different. All drugs can affect us differently. Example is while I may be allergic to Sulfa's you are not. Accutane worked wonders for me and I only need one course to cure Acne and have no long term side effects in my body chemistry, in my situation.

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I took accutane 20+ years ago and have had 3 healthy kids and no side effects like many of you unfortunate individuals have experienced. I needed one course and my acne was cured. I am in my 40's now and have none of the long term side effects like many of you have. I also have 3 siblings who took it and all had healthy children and no long term side effects. Back when I was prescribed accutane I had no issues with elevated liver enzymes or cholesterol. I guess I am fortunate and did not sustain these side effects. The long term self esteem effects of acne needs to be outweighed against potential side effects of isotretinoin. I am fortunate I have not had the "puckered face" and scarring of acne. It is so severe in some individuals and causes self esteem and social issues, difficult to go to job interviews, etc.

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i just want to inform everyone that before my brother had his schizophrenic episodes, i saw him have seizures .. like he was shaking for like 5 or 8 minutes. I wouldnt really know what was going on... coz during that time he was shaking, he claims that he dint know he was shaking... i feel terrible everytime i think about the awful thing he had gone thru just because he took accutane 8 years ago. May the people that invented this drug and decided to give it to teens at an early age of growth in their lives go to hell for all the lives they have damaged. They invented this drug for people to keep going to doctors and spend more money on medicine to keep the money coming in. fooling everyone to think that they need more doctors and more meds. May all the drug companies pay for all the damage one day. I know karma comes in many forms. There is no way to reverse the damage that accutane has done.. they purposely created the drug so that no matter what kind of test you do, everything will show that you are normal but in fact you are already messed up. It kills the very thing that makes your cell grow. and once dead, it will never return to normal. Hope you guys who havent taken this never take this or this will be the biggest mistake of your life and you will live in regret forever. I am sorry for saying this but it is the truth. it is very painful to read this forum .. tears come to me everytime.. my heart goes out to all of you guys...

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I have two different issues. I have my daily pressure headaches and then I have "episodes" that have lasted up to 3 months. My daily headaches are pressure behind my eyes, dizziness, blurred vision (I now have glasses), and sensitivity to light (I can't drive at night because headlights are too bright). My episodes have those same symptoms, but much more debilitating. I have extreme pressure, my headaches are very positional, sensitivity to light and sounds, nausea, and stiffness of my back and neck. I had 3 episodes in 2012, but had 7 in 2011. The only relief I have found is Lumbar Punctures. It sounds like your son may have had too much fluid removed causing a low pressure headache. These are worse than the disease itself. It is had to find a doctor who can do the LP correct the first time and not take out too much. My doctor usually takes 20 CC and then waits 5 minutes to see how I feel. If I dont feel relief, he will take out another 5CC then wait. I can feel if my headache is gone within minutes from an LP. It usually takes me 4 days to heal from an LP just because of the back pain. I have had my eyes tested and all my tests have been normal, but that is because I only have episodic PTC. Obese people that have PTC 24/7 have constant pressure on their optic nerve causing the damage. If I have a long episode, towards the end my nerves start to get affected. I have never had it long enough to do any permanent damage. There are some differences between people that have it because of obesity and those that have it from Accutane. We break the "normal" mold of PTC patients. I live in the Spokane, WA area and have seen 3 neurologists here, 2 optometrists, 2 neurologists in Seattle (Swedish Hospital and University of Washington Research Facility), and a naturopathic doctor in Portland. I have also been denied by the Mayo Clinic because "they cannot do anything more for me than my current neurologist". Like I said, you guys will have to do a lot of researching yourselves and bring it all up to his doctors. I have had to ask for tests and even beg. But the doctors haven't been my advocate, so I have to be my own. Let me know if you have any more questions. It helps to be able to help/relate to others.

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@Andrea I was wondering what were or are yr symptoms? And did they come and go? After my boys lumbar puncture i took him home as he did not want to be in hospital. It took him 3 wks to be able to sit up in bed. He said he thought he was on his death bed the pain was horrendous. He keeps getting migraines but the imigran spray no longer works. The local Doc said he shouldn't have migraine for several days. Now they say its Tinitus. Having looked up Pseudo Tumour Cerebri it does sound familiar as this keeps occuring. But this time he's had it nearly 3 months. I also had my sons eyes tested the last time approx 18 month ago & everything was normal. Did you have eye tests and were they normal ? Thankyou

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My apologies, I did mean your son. I have had opening pressures around 25 and higher. My two neurologists and optometrist were convinced within 10 minutes of meeting me that Accutane gave me this disease. PTC patients are usually obese. Losing the weight is what relieves the symptoms, but I am 22 and weigh 120 pounds. I have been trying to find a cure or even just a relief for 3 years now with no luck. I am doing all I can to see what legal rights I have, but it is such a long process. I will be praying for your sons appointment in February. It would be interesting to hear what comes of it. I have been where your son is at with not wanting to take meds or tests. He will want to eventually, and hopefully he finds relief. In the meantime, hang in there. I would be completely lost if I didn't have my mother through all of it. Good luck!

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@Andrea. I'm guessing you mean my sons symptoms. Some 18 month ago my sons pain was so severe they did a lumbar puncture but said his level was normal. I think they said it was at the top end of normal possibly 25, if i remember right. Maybe the small amount of fluid was enough to ease the pressure at that time. My struggle is he will not take drugs or have any scans as he feels it could cause more problems. He's seeing his Neuro in feb so i will mention it. But i doubt my son will have the brain scan she suggested last year.. Thankyou for sharing your experience. It sounds like it could be the problem.

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His symptoms sound very similar to mine. I took Accutane at different strengths for 13 months total. I know have a disease called Pseudo Tumor Cerebri. I went undiagnosed for 3 years. It is worth researching soon because this disease can cause severe damage to the optic nerve. I pray he doesn't have this, but I had to do my own research because the doctors just dont care anymore. And it turned out I was correct after some tests.

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"autoimmune" disease is nothing more than pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or worms. I dislike when people use the term autoimmune. It has the connotation that the body just randomly starts fighting itself. The body is intelligent and it is fighting the bad stuff inside us.

Please read my posts on detoxification. I also want to let everybody know that I am having a lot of success with colloidal silver. I have to mention though that I take about .5 grams of vitamin c 1 hour after just to help pull the silver out of the body. I also just completed a rotational antifungal cycle of garlic, oregano oil, grapefruit seed extract, and caprylic acid. It was tough, but it has helped change my bacteria. I will probably hit up golden seal next. I try to keep my body alkaline, but at the same time even natural antifungals contain acids which burn our organs... They just don't burn them as bad as prednisone and chemotherapy radiation. My routine always includes probiotics. Without the probiotics you have no way of overcoming the pathogenic "stuff", because it is always feeding.

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Hi all.. My son has been suffering from ringing in his ears and pain in his head & also cannot stand noise or the light for nearly 3 months now. He sits in his rm most of the time as even a short car journey makes him feel worse. He will not take meds only nasal spray, which no longer seems to work for his migraines. Its just over 2 yrs since stopping (roacc) Isotretinoin. He will be 19 next month & the past 2 yrs have taken its toll on him. I just dont know where this will end !

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One cycle 40 milligrams twice a day

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Hello again, I was just wondering how long everyone here took accutane and at what dose. I had it for five months with 40 mg I think.

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Also I forgot to mention that a lot of doctors contributed the peeling of my skin to fungal infections.. I never experienced these before accutane.. It's kinda funny because I ve been readying a lot about fungal and bacteria issues in this form and in others.. It would be nice if we could get a very qualified doctor that specializes or has great knowledge about accutane or even taken the drug them self to give us some answers. Things you think a dermatologist would be able to tell us!!

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@ cloe I am not so sure about the joint pain.. I've always been sore and just figured it was from the gym or work.. I guess I am used to it.. As for hair loss, I started to notice that my scalp was sore and very dry n flaky almost immediately after taking my corse of accutane. My hair and skin on scalp was literally shedding.. I had patches of dry skin that would shed and my hair with the folicules would come out. When I took showers I really noticed a lot of hair coming off into my hands.. My scalp was extremely sore! Like you I noticed there was a problem here.. I went to dermatologist and doctors.. Dermatologist said it was dermatitistcs . Basically when the scalp is really itchy and inflamed.. And they will give you steroid creams, drops, and shampoos.. Which have more side effects.. My doctor that prescribed me this hellish drug who was not a dermatologist, told me that accutane shrinks your oil glands and as you get older your oil glands shrink naturally.. He said this might be the reason I am suffering more as the days go bye.. Scalp and skin issues where a big one for me the first few years after taking accutane (dermatitis of the skin, peeling, and my hair falling out due to the harsh environment of the skin) even if you skin isn't flaking and extremely dry it's possible for your hair to be falling out abnormally in cycles, due to the change of your skin. It's been about 8 years for me and I still have skin issues that started right after taking the tang.. I ve learned some things that helped me..
1.)Try not to wash your hair with super hot water or to take more showers then needed, this will dry you scalp out worse and help the shedding ( I find that living at a house with well water helps compared to when I shower at my chicks house)
2.) Do not use dandruff shampoos , I went through a sloo of them and found it dryed my scalp even worse
3.) Try using natural shampoos like ( wen) and natural conditioners.. ( conditioner with a tea tree oil - found at a natural store) I ve been doing this for a few months and I find it to work really good. I can actually grow my hair out a bit long with out it being sore
4.) Guys- Try to keep hair short - I rocked a fade for a lot of years
5.) I found that moisturizers didn't help situations as well as they would help a typical persons skin- accutane makes the skin kinda lifless .. Dosnt really respond well
6.) If you work out or sweat the salts can dry you up even more sore it's a good idea to shower- make it quick and not to hot!
7. My skin situation has gotten better with time.. I prolly suffered some perminent hair thining while I was at my peak of shedding ..
If I can recommend anything to you it would be to see a dermatologist and try to explain how you are certain it is due to accutane.. If you have a good derm they won't find too unbelievable.. It is a side effect. Second try to be as healthy and active as you can.. I noticed a lot of shedding while usually on my computer.. Drink antioxidant teas and try to eat healthy.. I do all those things now.. But the truth is that when my skin was at its worst, it felt like nothing really helped. I am not bald and still consider to have a desent head of hair, even know I notice a bit of change its hard for others. So I think you will be fine, keep positive. Sorry for the lengthy reply and any errors, I am on my iPhone

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Chole,

Have you had any lab work? Such as thyroid, b12, iron, ferritin, labs for Rheum conditions. Accutane can cause autoimmune. Also interesting post CAT! Thank You I am going to spread the word to some suffers I know who have the same issues.

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I took accutane 2 years ago. I am now 19 and I’m suffering from severe joint pain at the knees, my shoulders and wrists. It is so bad that I cannot even walk up the stairs at times and I am also suffering from severe hair loss, my hair falls out like crazy. I know for sure that this is because of Accutane cause I have never experienced any of this symptoms before the course of this drug. I am only 19 and I am so worried about my health. Is there any way to treat these symptoms or get better?

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Okay, well I just figured out that I have Morgellons disease. I'm not putting this out there to cause a wild debate, but just to inform others of what I believe to be a consequence of Accutane. It's a parasitic/bacterial/fungal infection of unknown etiology. Whether or not it came from Accutane, I cannot be entirely certain because a lot of the side effect of Accutane are identical to Morgellons Disease, which I began to experience during a course of Accutane. Headaches, can't concentrate, debating fatigue, itchy dry skin, dry hair, vision decline, teeth issues, bone and joint issues, ect. This disease is progressive, sometimes slowly progressive. And the worst part is that physicians don't believe this disease exist, but it's serious! And it's so much more than sores on the surface of the skin, which you may NOT even have.

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Hey Tom.. I wish I had the anwser for you.. My best advise is to try to stay positive . Like jrad try to find things that seem to make the situation better. I do the sAme as jrad, find little remedies to help ease the side effects. Some of the side effects I am guessing can't be reversed but I do my best to stay active and keep my mind off the situations . Stick to a routine that works for you..

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John,

They aren't going to ever search for the problem. So they aren't going to search for the bacteria causing the problem. I'm not sure of your severity or your current medications, but keep in mind that prednisone is being used as an acid to kill the bacteria. Lialda or sulphur drugs are being used to inhibit bacteria spread. If you have a lot of yeast sulphur drugs will not work.

So if you are bleeding most likely you are too acidic. Three ways to neutralize acid. 1. Trace Minerals. 2. ozonated water 3. Bentonite clay.

Bentonite clay is really strong and literally pulls candida of the walls of the intestines. If you have spots in your poop that is yeast. Look up colloidal silver on youtube. It will pretty much kill everything in your system. Use it sparingly. Well informed doctors in Africa are using it against Malaria.

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SO my newest inclusion to my ever growing stomach problems is a lot of blood in my stool.... it never ends. They took 2 samples of my stool and found blood, but no cause as to why...... I currently hate life.

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