Accutane Long Term Side Effects (Page 78) (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 After I have researched this drug extensively, I can't believe that the FDA allows this drug originally made for cancer patients to be marketed for teenagers with acne.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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REPORT

Very disfiguring acne
blogs.smh.com.au/lifestyle/allmenareliars/archives/2007/05/pizza_face_the_terrible_scourg.html

Very similar to the acne I had before taking Accutane 4 years ago
vnf.me/cystic-acne/understanding-severe-cystic-acne

I am providing these links so everybody knows that I am not just talking about regular teenage acne. Accutane should have never been prescribed for mild or moderate acne because it is a powerful drug. However, people with acne this disfiguring should be able to have the choice to use Accutane.

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Everybody Accutane should not be used for regular teenaged acne but these disorders are so disfiguring that the patient should be able to have whatever drug available to them.

Acne conglobata
sisbib.unmsm.edu.pe/BVRevistas/folia/Vol8_N2/tem_certam.htm

Acne fulminans
telmeds.org/atlas/dermatologia/a/acne/dscn4029/

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Hi Andrea & others,

I have discovered this discussion as I have been battling with what I now strongly believe to be attributed to isotretinoin long-term effects. I deal with a lot, thankfully much of it I consider to be more minor, but with the major side effects and everything else combined, it's lowered my zest for life in general. What has affected me most is dry eye syndrome and I have been trying to test for srojen's. I'm a 24 year old man and dealing with dry eyes, nasal passage, and mouth already. I also deal with back soreness, joint pain, general lack of energy, tooth discoloration, overall dry skin, various skin rashes and an increase in anxiety. It's becoming more clear and less of a coincidence that I am dealing with all of these problems at such a young age. I am currently on prescription restasis drops, I have a punctal occlusion in my tear ducts, and I use refresh tear drops very often. I have had to stop wearing contact lenses permanently because my eyes do not produce enough tears. I have literally been unable to properly cry for about a year now. Keep in mind my accutane course elapsed beginning of January 2010. I was able to successfully wear contact lenses without much issue for another two years and it was around this time last year where I started encountering more problems.

I am in the process of slowly reforming my lifestyle. I am exercising more frequently, slowly improving my diet through eating and various supplements. One thing I'd like to note is that I do heavy retouching work on a computer. I sit for long periods throughout the day and fixate my eyes on a screen too. My buddy has recently switched to a standing desk and I plan on doing the same as soon as I can. When you have time (everyone), research the benefits of standing versus sitting. There is researching showing it is more damaging to your health than a lot of things. I think it could help alleviate SOME of our body aches and pains.

It's bittersweet coming to read these posts. Part of me wants to feel happy I encountered those who share similar problems and more importantly, a mutual mindset on the root cause of our many issues. I would prefer to come here not reading about people who took Accutane 20 or 30 years ago who are dealing with a slew of problems and just hanging on to life by a thread. What we can only hope is that treatments are developed by those who don't seek profit and sellout to big money corporations. Our body is a very special thing so hopefully there were people who dealt with Accutane side effects for years, but slowly recovered and got their lives back on track. Chin up everyone. I'd love to speak with any of you personally. As you mentioned Andrea (I think it was you), it's hard to deal with something when not even your own family can empathize or take you seriously. By the way, any results on your DNA test? I'm really interested in learning.

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Anthony
Thanx a lot for your encouragement.i hope and pray all of our lives gets back to normal

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Anthony
Thanx for your encouragement.i really hope and pray all our lives gets back to normal

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I took accutane when I was 29, because I had bad acne. Before I was completely normal, just a cold here and there. I took the evil drug for 6 months; my life was transformed in a nightmare since then. I have been dealing with GI problems, IBS, rectum bleeding, fibromyalgia and due to malabsorption, I have developed already 2 kidney stones the couple of years. I even have had suicide thoughts. Any person considering start a protocol with this drug. Please do not do it!

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Diya, my pleasure. This won't get the best of us. You know everyone has problems and I need to do things to help my body recover instead of wallow in my own despair and self pity. If we focus on all of the bad qualities about us and our lives, we won't be able to break it. We need to stay strong mentally because I believe it has a strong affect on our body chemistry and overall health as well.

Accutane seems to cause a lot of other problems but some of them are treatable. Whether it is thyroid issues, autoimmune disorders, etc. Try to find out the problems and address them. Drink plenty of water, improve your diet if you know it isn't sufficient and healthy, and exercise routinely. I lack energy but I need to overpower that with my mentality and will power. Whenever I exercise I feel a lot more lively. We can't break a cycle if we don't bother to fight and do something about it. That's what makes this so bad is that we start fixating our concerns on all of our problems instead of doing some simple things to combat them. I will keep sharing my story and progress here as I hope everyone else does. One thing I must say is frustrating is that all of the doctors I have spoken with in regards to my problems seem to sweep accutane down immediately. I am a respectful, soft spoken guy, but this just makes me want to yell and throw a fit sometimes, haha. Especially if it's not a dermatologist....at least acknowledge it could be a factor! The only person to agree with me was an ENT that I saw. She thought my theory on accutane seemed plausible.

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Ok so around 3 years ago I took 40mg twice a day for about 3-4 months of accutane and I started having blood in my stools so of course I stopped taking it. I got an endoscopy done and everything was fine. So around four months ago I started it back up again. I am just coming up on finishing 4 months of it. Anyway, I am a vigorous runner and then all the sudden I got pain in my hips. I had some in my back but that went away after month 2, and now this? For real, I cannot even run anymore, more or less walk. . . I don't want to think it's accutane....but what else could it be? I'm afraid of telling my dermatologist because he may take me off the drug. HELP!

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I hate acne,

Please read up on here and try to get feedback from people that have the same symptoms as you. Taking Accutane for the second time simply put, was a huge mistake. Please quit taking anymore Accutane.
Wishing you the best,
Scott

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Stop Accutane Now!!!! Hope that you have not caused permanent damage. Accutane can dry up your joints, cause bone spurs, osteoporosis and many other bone and muscle problems. What's a clear face if your body is destroyed!!!!!!

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To: I Hate Acne
I was in the same situation 30 years ago. BUT AT THAT TIME NO-ONE KNEW OR TOLD PATIENTS ABOUT THE SIDE EFFECT!! There was no Internet, so I believed my Doctor. I went on Accutane 3 different times.... in 1982, 1984 and 1986.
During this time I had all kinds of health issues surface, NONE of which were ever said to be attributed to ACCUTANE. Now I know better.....Accutane has caused me life-long muscle, joint, gastrointestinal and many other problems. PLUS, even after 3 times, it DID NOT CURE MY ACNE !! STOP IT NOW !! I am 52 years old and have suffered for 30 years. It has only been within the last few years that I have become aware that Accutane was the root of most of my problems. I will NEVER regain my health because the damage has been done. LISTEN....PLEASE!!

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To IHateAcne,
The best thing you can do for yourself is to get completely off Accutane! Don't wait for your Dermatologist to take you off Accutane. Take your own self off the Poison!! Wake Up Man! That drug is what's making your hips hurt! I took Accutane as a young man about 30 years ago when I was around 24 years old. I have had so many bad health side effects since it has taken away any normal quality of life for me. I've had numerous stomach problems, ulcers, IBS, terrible acid reflux as a result of hiatial hernia, sensitivity to many foods I used to eat with no problem, and now gluten intolerance. Then there are the bone and joint problems. I have degenerative disc disease in my neck that is steadily getting worse with time. I have pain in my neck everyday. It is a chore for me to get out of bed and go to work. I hurt more laying in bed due to the pressure on my neck than walking around. I have bone spurs throughout my spine, combined with athritis. I'm plagued with dry skin year round. Because I feel bad most of the time, I have little desire to socialize with anyone. When my neck is hurting it makes my face flush blood red. I only took Accutane for alittle over 3 months due to the short term side effects that I experienced. I hate to think how much worse my plague would be now had I continued to take that poison for the whole 6 month treatment!!! If I could go back to the time before I took Accutane I would gladly take my Acne back in comparison to what I have experienced as a result of taking that poison!!
Get off that POISON before if does anymore damage to your body!!

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Ernest.. My now 19 yr old son has exactly the same problems you describe and more;ie has chest pain. Pressure so bad in his head they did a lumbar puncture thinking it was intercraniel pressure on his brain.. Now he has had a migraine & tinnitus since May 2012. He was very fit & was at college on a sports course doing powerlifting.. And no he has never used steroids only natural strength. He has not done anything for 2 1/2 yrs now. He has gone out on his own today to meet a friend for the 1st time in 17 months. He was on Isotretinoin (generic roaccutane) for 8 weeks.. If only i had searched long term side effects and not effects of this Poision i would have seen many problems concerning this drug. I just dont know whether he will ever have a normal life again !
Are there any others out there in UK ?

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Jacob....
(1.)You need to have your Vitamin D levels checked. I found out that my Vitamin D was depleted. Taking Vitamin D supplements helped greatly.
(2.)Eat more of a "cave-man" diet; meaning avoiding processed foods. I found that soy additives and high fructose corn sugars are added into virtually every processed. I have lactose and gluten sensitivities as well.
(3.)Stop listening to most Doctors. Very few will go outside the norm and dig deep enough to determine the cause of your Acne. I truly believe it can be caused by many things including hormones, diet, food sensitivities, vitamin imbalances, etc. You need to get in tune with your body and demand testing for things outside of the norm such as Vitamin D, hormone imbalances, etc.
(4.)Accutane might seem like the answer, but in the long run, it will ruin you. Every system in your body will be damaged by Accutane. Any issues or problems will magnify and become worse. Your Acne most likely will come back....don't believe the drug manufacturers.....start looking for answers elsewhere.

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My son is on Doxycycline.It is an antibiotic given by his primary care doctor. He takes 2-100mg tablets at bedtime and he sees an improvement though his face is not completely clear, he also does not take it consistently.Maybe ask your dermatologist of a good face washing regimen along with an antibiotic.SO MUCH BETTER THAN ACCUTANE! I put my daughter on it years ago (6) and she has nothing but all kinds of intestinal problems,bloating,diarrhea,, gas,constant belching it is awful.She has had all kinds of testing done and they can't find anything wrong with her.I blame it all on Accutane,there is nothing else it can be.I hope this helps .Proactive is another great product too but please stay away from Accutane.If you look it up it is actually a chemotherapy medication why they use it for teenage acne with all the risks is beyond me.Had I known this before I would not have used it!!

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Anthony
Nw i am trying to do exactly the same.overcoming all these with mental stability..guys u all can start with vitamin e it helps

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Thanks Marla I will take your advice and I am currently doing some research on natural treatments.

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Hi Jacob,
Keep us posted on your progress. I know how debilitating and humiliating severe acne can be; the ridicule and emotional suffering, etc. HANG IN THERE!!
I wish I had known the facts about Accutane, but I was put on it in the early 1980's before there was the Internet or any real way of knowing how BAD this drug really is. I have had a multitude of issues that I can attribute to Accutane. I am 52 and now want to save others from this misery.
Feel free to post or ask more questions......we are here to help....we understand what you are going through.
Marla

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Hi everybody,

I just wanted to give another perspective on Accutane. I have sympathy for your health problems but I am not sure if all of them are Accutane related. The fact is that while Accutane may caused side effects in others it has been a lifesaver for many people with severe acne. I took Accutane in 1987 and it was worth it for me. I had some joint pain while on it but there were no long term effects. My acne was so painful and unsightly that nothing else could work for me. To Jacob and others if you have severe, painful acne that is all over your face and/or body you should take the chance. There is only a small chance you will get these side effects. However, if you don't take Accutane it's guaranteed you will be left with cysts, nodules, and bad scarring that will continue to affect your quality of life.

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Patty I am happy that things worked out well for you. While it is true that there are people who get lucky and don't suffer the long term side effects, I would really discourage people from taking Accutane before exhausting all approaches. I for one also believe a large part of acne troubles relates to dairy intake, diet, water (that we drink and bathe in) and of course hormones and genetics contribute. Unfortunately for women I also believe the hormonal changes play a larger role than in men, and that males more frequently grow out of their acne troubles.

For me, Accutane was merely a trade-off and I am finally realizing it. You know, I took it too. I was so desperate to alleviate my acne troubles that I was willing to risk my body by taking a chemotherapy drug to clear my skin. I don't think it's any coincidence people suffer frequent and quite severe hair loss and develop alopecia and telegenic effluvium due to accutane. It was meant to frickin' treat cancer! Again, Patty I don't mean any disrespect and I am happy you avoided the side effects. To Jacob and others, I've learned from my decision, but only too late. Take it from the hundreds of others here that suffered. I lost acne for the most part but also deal with multiple problems sometimes as frustrating as acne. I know it can inhibit your life, but imagine what can happen with your life if your whole body isn't functioning properly. People are dealing with long term effects for decades. In some cases it's a coincidence, but I strongly believe many of these problems can be attributed to the drug. I was too hasty with my decision on taking it. And once it does its damage, good luck finding any professional in the health care field willing to even attribute your problems to isotretinoin. Good luck my friend.

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