Accutane Long Term Side Effects (Page 90)
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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 After I have researched this drug extensively, I can't believe that the FDA allows this drug originally made for cancer patients to be marketed for teenagers with acne.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

Im 14 years old and have been on accutane for 3 months now. When I first went for a dermotoligist appointment, the dermotoligist imidietly suggested accutane. The only side effects he talked about were birth deffects if I got pregnant. My mom and I told him that he didnt have to worry about that because im a virgin and wasnt planning on having sex anytime soon anyways. He didnt seem to beleive me and still drilled all this stuff bout birth deffects into my head. Before i started, my mom asked him if there were any long term side affects id have to worry about, and his exact answer was pregnancy! pregnancy! and he went on about that for a while. Then my mom asked again if there was anything else we needed to worry about and he said no. Now after reading this im realy scared about what will happen for me in the next couple years. If someone told me this in the beginning i never would have taken it...

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Wow. Thank you for your condolences. I wish I had internet back in 2001 as I do now. Something needs to be done about this. I wish we had someone like Ralph Nader fighting for consumer rights. I am going to some group therapy meetings now and will ask around if their kids took this. I will post what I have discovered. I never thought this would have such long term effects. I didn't even know it was recalled. This is a crime!

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Reply to Dc. Fort Worth,

Sorry that you lost your son. It must have been tragic. I remember when taking accutane. I had some of the worst depression in my life. I had to force myself to get up in the morning and to focus at school work took all my energy. I am sorry I took it because it has now given me Crohn's Disease.

I have to remind myself to be happy that life is really short. I couldn't take my life. But I have felt the pain of this drug and must endure for life.

Roche has removed the drug from the market in the US. They claim that it is because they have lost market share. But it is because of the law suits.

For some reason they still push this poison in other countries. How mush is your intestine worth? DONT TAKE IT!!!

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Please do not take this drug. I took it when I was 15 years old and it caused a lot of problems. I no longer have Acne however, I am having to deal with some of the less attractive side effects. I went to a radiologist last week and a GI the week before. Both have come to the conclusion that I have Crohn's Disease. My body is attacking healthly cells because of this Drug and I will have to live with the side effects the rest of my life, I am 24. I dont know what to do medical cost for Cronh's can be in the millions and it puts me at rist for colon cancer. I would rather scars on my fact to be honest. Just remember vainity is one of the deadly sins. Thank God I am a strong person, I can deal with this. Please don't do it to yourself. I was young and didnt know better.

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This past weekend, while watching TV, I came across a lawyer commercial that said, did you have acne? do you now suffer from IBS or IBD? I quickly googled ibs and accutane and was suprised by what I found. I've been suffering from IBS and chronic dry itchy skin for the past 5 years. I can't believe that I never made the connection between accutane and IBS. I was never made aware of these side effects when I was taking accutane 12 years ago.

Let me just say one thing though... I deal with IBS on a daily basis now. It's an inconvenience at best, and debilitating at worst. But looking back... I would take accutane again in a heart beat, as I suffered from acne for 10 years and it was ruining my life.

But before taking accutane, please exhaust all other medications first... and please know that there are sideeffects much worse than chapped lips. (While taking the drug, I also got Shingles and Uveitus... diseases I would never have gotten otherwise.)

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To All,

For the record, someone other than me ( named Scott ) posted Post 146. I am the one that started these post and just wanted to make that clear.

Sincerely,

Scott

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I was on accutane for 5 months over 3 years ago, and am on it again for another 5. I have NEVER experienced symptoms worse than very dry lips. I was a college athlete and still compete at the semi-pro level of my sport after graduating. Don't scare some of these people away from accutane because of your experiences, it is different for everyone! And I can say after 3 years that I have no pain, no IBS, and my hair is down the length of my back. Good luck :)

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well miranda moore, some people didn't have the luxury of the internet back when they took accutane, not to mention not all doctors are honest about side effects. when a drug is fairly new there isn't alot of info on side effects and such. but then again maybe your mommy didn't explain that to you. oh yeah, and maybe if you weren't so wet behind the ears then you would know that the side effects that people sue over are unknown side effects. side effects that are unknown because of a lack of proper testing and improper fda regulations. but again maybe mommy didn't explain to you how things really work in the real worldo

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I began taking Accutane around age 14 after having every sort of acne imaginable covering my face and beginning on my back. I felt completely hopeless at this point after trying everything, and I mean everything. I, like many others, had to do blood work and urine samples monthly to prove I was not pregnant. Going through the process of taking Accutane was almost as humiliating as actually having acne. Your lips peel constantly, you can literally pull large pieces off by the minute. Your skin is very dry as well and it seems neither chap stick nor lotion was strong enough to counteract either. I stayed on Accutane for longer than my mother or I hoped. I was supposed to be on it for 6 months and ended up being on it for about 9 months when my Mother decided enough was enough. Nearer to the end of the 9 months the black heads on my nose began to go away, but after stopping, they came back and now- 3 years later I still have them. I still experience minor out breaks, but nothing at ALL like I used to. I found out years later that you cannot even give blood when on Accutane. It did wonders for my self-esteem, it really truthfully did and while I don't -feel- that I've had negative side effects I really don't -know-. I have some issues with my joints and back pain, but I wouldn't neccesarily define it as crippling. My main concern, like many others, is the long term effects. Yes, it might not be bad now, but what about in 5 years? I would also like to know if anyone has heard of any post-Accutane patients giving birth to children with defects?

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Dear Dc, Fort Worth,

Thanks for sharing your personal story about you son. My son, Ryan took this medication when he was 14-15 years old .Last week he had a Cat Scan done of his stomach looking for inflammation in his bowels, We have not got back dr. report yet. Last August he had a colonoscopy and it was negative but still has occasional blood in his stool. This is only one side effect of many he has to deal with. Unfortunately, I feel your pain everyday of my life.

Best wishes ,
Father of a wonderful son,
Scott

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Our son was on Accutane from 5/2001 to 1/2003. The dermatologist also put him on Doryx which isn't suppose to be done. Now I know. He dropped off the swim team because of muscle aches. He didn't complain otherwise until he was driving home one day 9/2001 and had to stop the car because he had vertigo, was confused and disoriented. We took him to the doctor the next day with all the medical info from the dermatologist. They said he had a panic attack. He went on Buspar and then Effexor in college.
To make this story short, in his last letter to us, he said he loved us and then he said it all started when he was 17 years old. It was when he was on Accutane!
My personal opinion, don't take this. It does things to your brain, your muscles, your thyroid. It confuses a growing brain and your child's/teenager's brain needs to develop correctly and naturally. It is fragile. Put up with the acne now, and years from no you won't have any regrets.

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I took Accutane in 2006-2007 for 6 months I only had one problem during the time i was taking it and that was one blackout went in for a blood test and CT scan and all they could find was a high Creatine level I was on no other supplements or medicine at the time. Up to this day I'm fine. I was told by my dermatolagist this is a drug he will not subscribe to anyone under 18 because of the possible effects to growth and other systems in your body that haven't matured yet.

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I took Accutane when i was in highschool. i didn't have any problem with it then or right after it. I have in the past couple of years been having joint pains and just thought it was from when i hurt my self knee boarding, but that was only in the shoulders. Now it happens in the shoulders elbows and wrist. As I am typing this i am in pain. I work all day with my hands and i had to go home early due to the pain.

i would of never thought to think about it being this drug but my mother told me that people are sueing the company for their problems so i am looking into it and most of what yall are saying happens to me. when i get the money i am going to get looked at. i hate the pain and fear of being stareal scares me to the point when i think about not able to have kids i want to cry.

my mother she worked as a pharmay tech and she is the one who told me all the side affects of the Accutane and i am sorry for everyone who has taken that drug...and to be honest....i still have acne on my back and chest and break out every time i shave. so i dont think it worked all to well.

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accutane side-effects

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I decided not to take accutane. I thought there where way to many possible side effects-even though it is rare that such serious effects happen. Instead now I'm on Mylan-Minocycline once a day-which I'm bad at remembering to take :P and a Retin-A Micro topical (micronized tretinoin, tretinoin gel 0.04%) anyways the tpoical has helped HEAPS-yes I still have horrid acne and scars but my cyctic acne has gone down in size incredibly-my skin is dry and flaky, very sensitive and more prone to burning even though I don't usually every burn-but I'm glad I'm on it-so far it's worth it. It's upsetting what has happened to some of the people/parents on here :( good luck-and thank you for this forum I would have blindly gone on it-and may have regretted it later :)

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Lucky,
I am happy for you that Accutane has worked for you with no know health concerns. Yes, there are people that take that Accutane and it’s generic brands in United States , Clavaris and Amnesteem.

It seems with some but not all, that the length of time and the dosage prescribe may have a part in who has side effects and who doesn’t. It may also have to due with on how active a person is while taking the medications. And simply put, it just may have to due with the fact that Accutane is a chemo drug and should only be used as such.

When I started this forum last summer I had no idea, if anyone would reply to it. Fortunately This forum has become a wonderful place for those who have suffered, or family members that have. I personally am very grateful for those who have opened up their own personal experiences with the only thing they wanted was to let other know what these drugs have done for them. Personally if I can just deter one person from taking these drugs, I have succeeded in my reasons for this forum. I thank all those who have shared their personal story’s with us.

We welcome all replies to this forum, but it it obvious it has become a place of support than a place to argue.

Best wishes, Scott

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I'm sorry to hear about folks having problems from Accutane. I took it back in the mid 90s when I was in high school and have had no problems. It cleared up my cystic acne and the only side effects at the time was dry skin and lips, which went away when I got off the drug. But it worked great for me because I never had acne problems since then, and I'm still a very active, athletic person so I think I would notice any physical problems.
Again, I'm sorry for all those having problems, but is there data for what percentage of users have trouble and those that don't? I'm not discounting anyone's experience, but I wonder if this forum is a bit one-sided. Please don't take that the wrong way.

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Jacquie,

I am happy that you are responding to this drug with positive results and few side effects. I think your position is clearly that of a young person who has had the positive cosmetic benefits of this drug which I know is very important at your age. I allowed my son to go on accutance at your age. Within 10-13 days on this drug we saw his personality change 180 degrees. He was a smart athletic boy with leadership skills and a strong future. Today he struggles to get out of bed, will barely pass high school and we do not know what his future brings even though he now has beautiful skin. The beautiful skin will neither relieve his depressed state nor his inability to concentrate for what may be his lifetime. In our family three other cousins took the medicine with no negative consequnces; however, if one of them had suffered what our son has, it would be one too many. Pharmacuetical companies must be accountable to ALL people and the FDA must make sure that ALL drugs on the market are safe for ALL people. If one dies, commits suicide or is impaired for life, that is one too many. There are other methods for treating acne and I wish we would have simply waited it out. Our son was moderately affected by acne and this drug should have been limited to the serious cases but instead began being prescribed for the masses. When a young person at the age of 15 is offered a chance for clear skin as my son and you were, he is persistent to get the drug for the results. I should have listened to my guts. Again, congrats on your results.

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I am 15 and am currently taking accutane right now. I beleive it is a miracle drug! being a teen in highschool makes body image a number one concern. I beleive that doctors should be in control wether a person takes it or not, not the government. You wouldnt beleive the things i have to do just to get a months presciption. Not everyone is a good candidate for the drug. the only side effects I encounterd are dry eye, chapped lips, dry skin, headaches, and occasional muscle cramping due to track. My dad and uncle also took it and are fine today, My dad is in the military and never expirienced any long term effects. people are to caught up and expect a drug that does it all and is perfect...their is no such thing. The doctors informed you about the risks, you should expect what is coming. The medicine has effected my everyday life but my self confidence skyrocketed! I hated pictures and now love them. I think the mental image outweighs the not permenant effects. You people sound paranoid, these effects could have coincidentaly happened you know. All im saying is that this drug should be made easier to get to for those depressed underprivilaged teens with bad acne and get picked on for it. You adults also need to understand that the regulations and rules have changed since you first got it. Their are more blood tests, questions, concerned doctors, birthcontrol, and even an online website that i must go on to answer a few questions just to get the prescription. Things have changed along with the dosage.

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Ronny
yeah I think you took it a little to personal. Yes I have had problems since taking accutane but I can't say that accutane was the cause. I do have hair thinning but I'm also 24 abd runs in the family and I stress alot and had quite a few bouts of depression. I just don't know what to blame, myself or the drug. I'm not saying your a scaremonger but they are out there. Don't take it personal.

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