Accutane Long Term Side Effects (Page 52)
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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 After I have researched this drug extensively, I can't believe that the FDA allows this drug originally made for cancer patients to be marketed for teenagers with acne.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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REPORT

TRY SUPPLEMENTING WITH ESSENTIAL VITAMINS. BUT PARTICULARLY WITH VITAMIN A. ACCUTANE SOMEHOW CAUSES VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY AND SINCE TAKING BETA CAROTENE IN LARGER THAN NORMAL DOSES, I HAVE FELT CONSIDERABLY BETTER IN MY MOOD, JOINT PAIN AND DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS. PLEASE CONSULT A NATUREPATH, BUT MAKE SURE YOU ARE GETTING ENOUGH A (AND VITAMIN D WHICH ACCUTANE MEESES WITH AS WELL). ALSO, A GLUTEN AND SUGAR FREE DIET DID WONDERS FOR ALL OF THESE ISSUES AS WELL. BE WELL FOLKS....

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I finished my treatment of Accutane a few months ago and now I have a nodule growing on the right lobe of my thyroid gland and Atrial Fibrillation. I am not the same person, health wise, I was before I started Accutane. I was a normal, healthy, active person in my 30's before Accutane and now I have the health status of a senior citizen. I would never recommend a person to take Accutane EVER! I would rather have the acne any day other than what I am living with now. Don't believe the doctors. They are in it for themselves and the drug company. I am a nursing student and I am saying to any one who is considering an Accutane treatment, don't do it!

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Very good point!! That does need to be studied. I think there is a Federal website on drug effects, studies and results. See if you can find it. I'm doing another study right now so can't take this on.

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I am curious if there are people on this thread that took accutane that is male and had children already? How are your kids? I hope no birth defects? Sorry I dont mean to sound crazy or an ass but I am just really doing a little analogy of this drug. I mean if it causes birth defects for female and alters dna? wouldn't accutane also affect males the same? with irreversible side effects?

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I have been using Manuka honey and Jojoba Oil to clean my face and I really like it.

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Your doctor should be reported if she doesn't know the extremely damaging effects of Accutane. Shame on her! Here is what the doctos are now using. Enbrel. It is a relatively new biologic drug but it too has some side effects. I pray they are not as bad as accutane. My son went on Enbrel to combat the effects of Accutane. It has eliminated his pain and aches in his muscles and he can now function. One of the side effects of enbrel (treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and now ankylosing spondylitis, which is result of accutane) is that enbrel clears up your skin. So it has two really good uses - clear skin and elimination of pain.

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Wow, thank god I found this thread. I had decided I was going to go on acutane but this thread make me completely change my mind. My dermatologist has been encouraging me to use this drug for about a year now. She says the side effects are ONLY short term and they are marginal...either she was lying to me or she is just completely ignorant. I kind of wish she was lying to me because is dermatologists are that ignorant about this drug then I don't even know what this world has come to.

P.S I had very severe acne but now it is subsided a bit. However, I scar VERY easily so already my face is scarred up pretty good. My options are either wait for the acne to stop and if it doesn't my whole face will be covered in scars OR take acutane and risk the long term side affects...both roads seem pretty bleak to me but I will rest in the fact that my acne will hopefully go away soon.

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10 years after taking accutane I started to develope bloating, constipation, stomach pain. I have always had dry pale skin, short temper, and dry eye issues just after taking this drug and have accepted it, but stomach issues i cant deal with. In spring of 2010 this all began, and have not had a decent bowl movement since, i've had a colonoscopy, cat scan, hernia repair to try to fix this issue. Doctor said eveything looks great. So what the hell is going on?? I'm worried the docs are not telling me everything. I dont want to sue anybody, I just want to know if there's anything out there to correct, or at least improve this problem. Because now my lower back is really starting bother me more often. I'm a farm boy not a winer so when I say my back hurts IT HURTS!! And i find it too coincidental that alot of us have the same exact problems the same amount of years after taking this drug. Because I know im not lying to get money, i just want information to help. If anyone has any good info about this please let me know.

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@kc. I doubt that you are a doctor and that you are sure with the facts, but many medicines help the human body. When you say schizophrenia cannot be caused by medication, then you are wrong. There have been many instances that is has caused depression and mental instability. You are right about researching about each and everything we put into our body. I hope that you are able to clear the facts in your head. Medications are there to help a certain kind of illness. But the problem lies in the drug isotretinoin is that it is for chemotherapy. Not really for pimples. Teenagers are all misinformed and lack the life skill to think about long term irreversible side effects that can lead to so many illnesses. We only live once, why spend it being in and out of hospitals. There are so many things you can do aside from being indoors coz you are on accutane. Anyways, I just want to let you know that side effects come in much later in life. Not in like a year or so after stopping accutane.

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KC.. You are wrong about this drug affecting the brain, It does and i have recently obtained a study from a Dr at Bath University UK. Which also was stidied with a Dr from Texas. I will see if i can add some of it or find a link later. Nerves endings are more sensative than cells and everyhing we do is controlled by the brain. It also shows a scan pre- Isotretinoin and post. The difference in the orbital cortex cortex is very noticable..

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scott; I got them about once a month; grand male so major thrashing, head trauma wen to the emerge every time. Because I research everything before I do anything I never went on any meds, I knew it was bc of the accutane a therefore an anitconvulsant would mess me up, I didn't have epilepsy or anything. I tried as hard as possible to live a healthy lifestyle; as much as you can while going through what you do while on the medication and i didn't add any medications. Also you shouldn't take vitamins while on Accutane, too much Vit A I believe (might be wrong) can cause serious issues. When I went off Accutane they stopped no issues since. Typically medications do not cause mental illness. They can cause deterioration of mental capacity but Accutane does not do this. Chances are there is some form of mental illness in the hereditary lines that your brother had stagnant until he took Accutane and it came out. Schizophrenia can not be caused by a medication. Unfortunately many medications can bring out things like this. There are many mood stabilizers and anti depressants that will actually also bring out schizophrenia, bipolar disorders etc.... The best thing to do is least amount of medications as possible, live a healthy lifestyle and find a really good network of health support. In your brothers case it sounds like its too late to avoid it so building a network to help cope and deal with is now the best. I would suggest meeting with many psychiatrists and interviewing them till you find one you trust, understands the goals of health etc... Just because you see a qualified doctor doesn't mean they are right for you. When you know there is a confirmed diagnosis of mental illness my opinion is the family doctor is no lover good enough until the person is stable in their condition. To do that they should see a specialist, in this case psychiatrist . I hope that helps, it is my opinion for what its worth.

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@kc on my god, my younger bro had seizures as well. and we didn't know how to stop them. that was when he was about to experience his wild schizophrenia. What happened after the seizures? How many times did u encounter seizures? how long would they last? that is a very bad sign regarding your health status. what have u done to control this? are you on any anti-convultion pills? please give details on what steps you took to help prevent this from happening.

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Iona make sure you do research; not just forums, talk to more than one doctor, research the drug, call the drug company, also talk to your pharmacist. I was on it read my comment #899, there are a lot, many experience the bad and many don't just make sure you educate yourself before you make a decision not one based only on others experiences. If we all did that no one would have babies, or get married. I had the worst and I do not regret taking it. Good luck!

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Agreed!

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I have to say I was on Accutane and experienced every possible terrible side effect this drug has. The major difference for me; my doctor properly informed me about all side effects and the chances and risks, I researched the drug myself and I went to online forums before i considered going on the medication. I was only 15 years old when I started it and experienced the most severely and adverse effects. I don't know about anyone else but I knew it was coming and I personally decided to make a decision to go on this medication. I would never sue a company because I experienced the side effects they warned me about. This includes trying to commit suicide multiple times(was perfectly fine no depression before this medication), my lips would bleed and become infected, I lost 30 lbs (at the end I was 90lbs and I am 5'5), I experienced night terrors, paranoia, severely dry eyes I couldn't wear contacts, rashes all over my body, extreme consistent nosebleeds, unknown and unexplained seizures (never had them before and haven't had them since), and arrhythmia . The point is you should never put anything even a vitamin in your body unless you yourself, not a doctor, not a parent no one unless you know exactly what you are doing and if you don't it is your job to find out, otherwise do not take it. I took it after knowing all this and wasn't surprised when any of it happened. Personal Accountability. Now I have great skin and zero of the problems that I had when I was on it!

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I am 35 now & started developing acne when I was about 17. I hoped that it was a "faze" but recently I had a bad outbreak & decided to see a dermatologist. I have not tried any other therapies other than shop bought products & various vitamins. I get deep, painfull outbreaks but I wouldnt class it as severe. The dermatologist did not discuss alternatives other than antibiotics & the Pill (contraceptive). I dont have any hormonal issues that I know of. I do suffer from depression and it was a red light for me when I read the information booklet he gave me & it mentioned depression. He didnt even ask me about that. I think he is just a bad dermatologist.

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Yes, I agree if you have abnormal lab work or find a dx for your condition caused by Accutane then sometimes I and others have found that you have no choice, but to take medicine. Like for my thyroid, sjorgrens and type 1 diabetes....Though Holistic measures and diet help along with taking meds.

I am glad your son got an answer and is finding relief. -Jen

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Hi Everyone, I don't post often because I become dismayed that so many suffer needlessly. I won't say that holistic treatment won't work, but believe me, some conditions as a result of accutane WILL become worse if you don't get treatment and meds. My son had all kinds of symptoms that were odd. I will type a short list. But the main one was finally diagnosed after 7 doctors. The rheumatologist began treating him and now the condition/disease is under control. The other doctors just told him to go to pain mgmt classes. Our hero doctors said that if he had not gotten treatment to keep him from going into these painful "flares", he would suffer permanent and crippling damage. So here's a short list of what my son suffered from: tailbone pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, rib cage pain, heart palpatations, all muscles ached, excrutiating pain when sneezing that radiated down arms, stiffness, just to name a few. Also, bowel problems. It was the tailbone pain that helped the doctor to diagnose Ankylosing Spondylitis. If untreated, the spine fuses with each flare up. If untreated, it can fuse so a person cannot sit at all or the spine/hips fuse in the bent over position. Please people, get treatment. Yes, my son had to go on an injectable medicine, but he is now pain free and no more flares. Next, there are a few U.S. attorneys specializing in lawsuits for inflamable bowel disease due to accutane. They win big. So far, no one will take on a lawsuit for ankylosing spondylitis. I'm still searching.

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What have you tried? Do you have severe cystic acne?

Have you tried light therapy? Have you tried any Holistic measures? Do you have any hormonal issues? How old are you

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My dermatologist prescribed Roaccutane yesterday, he explained some of the side effects and it scared me enough to do some investigation on the Web. After reading all the comments posted I have decided that for me personally its not worth the risk. I am desperate to have a wonderful glowing skin but its just not worth the risk. Does anyone know of alternative treatments?

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