Accutane Long Term Side Effects (Page 72) (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 After I have researched this drug extensively, I can't believe that the FDA allows this drug originally made for cancer patients to be marketed for teenagers with acne.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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Hi Miranda, I am wondering if you have started having in side effects from the Accutane? My son took the medicine for 47 days and I am worried to no end if he will have any side effects. I did talk with the dr. and nurse practioner with very little worries but the dry face and lips... The suicide thing was all I was really told about and that was down played by saying the the person could have been depressed because of the acne... doesn't make since... if they were depressed before the accutane and the accutane is improving their skin... then why would someone want to commit suicide now that they are healing? I have been reading through comments and I am soooo soooo sad for what might happen... It would be great to hear that you are doing just fine..

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Johntorontocanada: Good idea!!! I'm from Europe and thank God my parents got me drinking wine when I was age 4. It prevented me from having acne. If i would have had to wait till age 21 to drink like American kids, I would probably be a victim of Accutane. We didn't just go to the local bar as kids, we drank a glass of wine with dinner. Most Europeans do this and the kids don't abuse it either. Hard to believe for you, I know. On holidays we were allowed more.

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@jim
Actually mr Jim .. I am Italian!! My mom grew up drinking wine as well .. Shes from Calabria.. She suffered from acne just as my sister and I did. Also I am from Canada where the drinking age is 19 but I love America and think it is wise to push the age to 21. Everyone in my family is very healthy and has good hygiene.. I am also catholic and I totally disagree with your wine theory.. It's honestly the stupidest thing I have ever heard of!! Hey, maybe a glass of wine a day is good for you but its not the reason why you never had acne.. I grew up drinking orange juice, is that why i am ripped and your not ? lol.. If you didn't suffer from acne or ever take Accutane .. why are you even in this form? I can't wait to hear this ..

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Like I said .. Did suffer from acne.. I took accutane.!!.My face is as clean as a whistle and its hard to tell I ever had zits .. I don't believe that the benefits out weigh the risk though.. That's why I don't support it.. My mom on the other hand only wish she took accutane sooner that way she wouldn't have as much scaring as she has .. compared to me were i have basically none.. My sister took it late and didn't finish the course and basically had no change..

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My advise for people out there that want it.. Goes like this.. # 1Be prepared to deal with accutane side effects long after you finish taking this drug.. If you already have suffered from bad acne a nd have scaring .. Don't take this drug.. It will make your skin look even older and uglier and make your scars stick out even more.. Your best bet is to ride it out .. You will have scars and zits but at least you won't suffer from the life long affects of tang.. Most people that I know that took accutane and have had good results caught it when it was early.. Just know that this drug is not like taking Advil .. It can be very dangerous.. It can possibly clear up your acne but will most certainly change your body in some not so likeable ways.. Good luck!! And I also don't recommend wine as a cure !! Lol @ Jim

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To John torontocanada: I will make a toast to you with wine, not to mock you but to hope that you and your future children, learn of the healing properties of God given natural cures. You DO NOT need dangerous chemicals to destroy your body when your Creator left you a planet full of natural cures that work just as well without destroying or harming your body.
When I grew up, acne was blamed on chocolate and greasy food. Luckily my family was used to treating disease and illness with Homeopathic medical cures that God gave us. ALL products made from the GRAPE cured my acne, my brother's and my 2 sister's acne. We didn't just sit around drinking wine all day like John seems to assume. We ate grapes, raisins, drank grape juice and wine. ANY source of the GRAPE. John can laugh all he wants, but it worked for my whole family and we didn't have to give a dime to a dermatologist. So John, LOL all you want, cause I have kept my money where it belongs, in my pocket and the grocery store. Who's laughing NOW???? Love those raisins! AND WINE!!! YUMMY!!!

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To Jim.. Your a funny guy! What do you do for a living Jim ? I was wondering if you happen to sell this great wine that you speak of ? I actually happen to eat a lot of berries n grapes as it is.. It is good for you, I don't disagree.. When you have bad acne, No price to fix it is too much.. Hey! I am not knocking you.. Drink all the wine and grape juice you like.. I love my cheese and grapes!! I am just saying that I don't believe that wine cures acne.. I think consuming lots of antioxidants is a good idea in general though for anyone's skin.. Not enough to get rid of bad acne though..

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Jim.. I believe wine has helped u.. I don't discredit that.. But sugars arnt the cause of acne and wine and grape products most likely wont get rid of acne.. Exercising is healthy too.. I would recommend that for heart conditions before wine..

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Brandy,

After reading this I have some very similar symptoms.
I'm going to get some information from my doctors to get some sort of time line going. I as well took Accutane when I was in my late teens or early 20's and had UTI's all the time after I stopped.
They went away for a while but in the past 3 years started more frequent and two years ago it was so bad, I had MRI, a scope up my bladder and other visits to have them determine nothing.
If you could share your email address with me I would really like to chat back and forth.
Danielle

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Danielle, How long have you been off the accutane? I am sure if I recall that at one time there was a class action law suit involving it. My son was adult and doing well so he would not partake of the suit. But we went through 2 years of hell as parents because of it. Sure would hate to know other teens suffer like he did..Let me know if I can help you.
Dee

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To johntotontocanada: I beg to differ with you about sugar.
The natural sugars in fruit do not harm the body. It's all the refined sugar that is added to everything. Please look around you. Every teenager has a huge glass of soda which has been supersized. All the frosting on cakes and sugar filled snack food and the preservatives that is in baked sweet food is harming our youth. After you look at all those whom you see eating and drinking all that stuff, take the time to check their faces and you will see more ZITS than you can count. I have tried to stress that anything made from the grape PURIFIES the blood. IF kids snack on donuts, cake that has a half inch of frosting, sweet rolls, and eat absolutely no fruit that is the source of natural sugar, they turn out to be obese with acne. Not all end up obese, but since the introduction of all the chemicals that are injected into chickens & cattle to make them grow fast, and the preservatives put into baked goods, and then we had ALL the fast food places SUPER SIZE their menu, so that now, America has the most morbidly obese people on the planet. When i grew up, i saw one lady who weighed 600 lbs. Now, just go to any Walmart and every single electric scooter has a 700 or 800 lb person sitting in it and the poor transmission is smoking trying to struggle to move them around the store. I go to the VA Hospital and I never thought I would live to see electric scooters in the hallways the size of a John Dere tractor. Fast food before they removed trans fats, were poisoning people to make them become addicted to SUPER SIZED burgers & fries & sugar laden drinks. Now, grade school & preschool kids are morbidly obese and suffering bullying. By the time they are ready to get married, their only choice is another morbidly obese partner, and one wonders how on earth they will manage to have a family. Plus, they have made their life expectancy drop to zero. Exercise has been replaced with video games and high calorie snacks that give ZITS. Pretty soon, our military will be full of FAT people who are only able to push a button. On a battle field, American troops will be sitting targets, the largest targets on earth. Use Doctor Peter Gott's diet of NO SUGAR, NO FLOUR, NO WHEAT!!!! In the mean time, I don't have ZITS or acne because I did it the Homeopathic way of letting ANYTHING from the GRAPE purify my blood. I will sit back and enjoy my wine and listen to sob stories about people who are suffering from acne and got poisoned by Accutane. I may have Parkinson's, but I'm having it with a beautiful complexion.

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Guys I posted a reply that's coming, but I want you to keep in mind when you avoid sugar your body goes into ketosis. This means it starts eating the fat away for energy(not necessarily bad). I'm on an extremely high fat diet right now(coconut oil or mcts.) Anyways, my thoughts on sugar are coming. Not that I'm an expert. :)

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Dee,
So weird, it's like I'm talking to myself! I'm going to get my records from my dermatologist tomorrow and try to figure it out. I'm not sure, could have been 18-15 years ago.

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I'm truly warning you, Do not take this medication! I was prescribed accutane in March 2012. I took it for 3 months and stopped after experiencing extremely dry lips and migraine headaches which I haven't had in about 11yrs. It cleared up my acne 100%, but gave me health problems I'd never experienced within this past year like bloody stool, joint problems in my wrists, hands, hip, knees and elbows. I'm a 32 year old Army Vet. and a active Cop, with a great health history until now. Last week my Dr. referred me to a rheumatologist to be evaluated as he is puzzled. Clear skin is amazing, but their are other ways to clear it with a little patience. My career may get cut short as a result of these newly discovered possible long term effects from Accutane. Definately not worth it!

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I am concerned about my son who has taken the generic for accutane (Apsorica).. i was never informed of side effects except for the dry skin/lips..suicide debate was side stepped; i was told by the nurse practioner that people are most likely depressed because they have acne and contributes that to the suicide... my son was taking 30 mg. . 2 times a day... he took it for a total of 47 days..little over 6 wks... i have been researching on how and if i still have time to detox or something.. he is having stomach cramping now but i am not sure if it is from the mild all body detox product that i am giving him... does anyone know if i can still try to get this out of his system before it does more damage? I am not going to stop until i have informed every single person who will listen..

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Diane go to natural doctor. He could be experiencing a detox effect. Best to get him off sugar, wheat, gluten, lactose. Have him eat small amounts of meat and veggies. Let his stomach settle back down. Take a probiotic in morning and night. Take it slow. depending on the detox it could be creating an acidic condition. Try to mantain alkaline system while replacing with probiotic bacteria which is essentially an acid as well.

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Thank you so much!!! I have never been so scared for him in my life. Has anyone ever tried Dr. Oz or The Doctors to get an opinion? I have been sharing this link with anyone who will listen...

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Check which veg are high in vit A as my son had sweetcorn and ended up in A & E twice as corn is high in vit A. It seemed too much of a coincidence so i dont let him eat certain things like carrots either..

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Thanks everyone for their input and advise... Has anyone ever heard of an envirormental cleasing? I have tried to find a natural doctor and ran up on the man who specializes in herbs... He told me the probiotics and milk thistle is not going to help? My son was only on the accutane for 47 days... and not sure how much damage was done...

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Just checked the ingredients in the Enviro-Detox and it does have the milk thistle and a lot of the other things I have heard talk about on this site. Giving to my son now... KOLN

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