Accutane Long Term Side Effects (Page 9) (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 After I have researched this drug extensively, I can't believe that the FDA allows this drug originally made for cancer patients to be marketed for teenagers with acne.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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Janine please stop accutane now! I have pain in my joints for ten years because of accutane! you dont want to have problems for the rest of youtr life, imagine problem with your etes for the rest of life? Dont worth, it is a advice from a victm

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Accutane can (and does) induce long-term and permanent remission of acne. Often, a second course is not even required. In fact, it is touted as a "cure" for acne by some dermatologists and recurrence of acne after treatment is considered a "relapse". Successful treatment implies long-term remission.

Don't lecture me about having misconceptions of DNA methylation and other biological mechanisms of Isotretinoin as if my information on the topic comes from advertisements on natural news. If you assume every person claiming to have lasting side effects from Isotretinoin is a fool, you will fail in your mission to spread its good gospel.

More faith is to be found in the opinions of biological researchers reaching conclusions based on first-hand observations than in dermatologists regurgitating statistical reports from dermatological journals. When investigations into Isotretinoin's MOAs begin uncovering molecular-level effects that are strongly linked with claims of certain adverse reactions, they begin to add validity to those claims. It's not as if these studies are being funded to make the drug look bad, only to figure out how it works.

Believe me, you wouldn't want the raw data on reported adverse-reactions of Isotretinoin to be easily available to potential patients either. Its record is atrocious compared to other drugs when individual ADRs are adjusted for proportional reporting ratio, and would appear even worse than it actually is if one didn't consider how long it has been on the market. Somewhere around Half a Million ADRs Reported and Counting, which represents only 1/10th of actual incidences, according to FDA estimates on the viability of their statistics.

You obviously have a positive confirmation-bias regarding Isotretinoin for whatever reason, as I have an extreme disgust for liberal use of the drug being that my life began sliding into perpetual living hell a few weeks into treatment. The worst of the side effects coincided with permanent remission of my moderate acne BTW.

Your message will be attenuated here. You will have more success calling us hypochondriacs among people who currently have a positive opinion or no opinion regarding the safety of Isotretinoin.

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There are many other helpful products on the market for acne. Please do not start your daughter on accutane. If she has an aggressive cancer of some type maybe the doctors would think about using the chemotherapy drug, accutane. Sounds terrible but it is true. There are natural helping things, like natural oils, foods to eat and to avoid keep googling and trying different things. I was given accutane when I was 18 years old in the Army. I could do anything before accutane with acne but things changed after accutane. My acne sores took longer to heal and I still have scares that are problems today and I am 49 now.

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My Goodness. I'm 3 month after a very short 6 weeks treatment. I didn't have acne! My dermatologist (I went privately in Poland) diagnosed me with dermatitis seborreica and suggested a short accutane course. I now have spots, mainly around my mouth, nose/cheeks and, worst of all, my gums are receding more and more every day. I wish I was warned about this by the dermatologist. Only now, after the damage is done, I keep finding forums and other people with long lasting and dire side effects. How can people campaign to ban this poison, or at least make it compulsory for the doctors to explain in great detail the dangers of accutane?

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My son took Accutane in the late 90s for acne. Now he is having trouble with high blood sugars and high triglycerides..I am so devastated because I just know it's from the accutane...my heart breaks

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Going in for second back surgery! Took Accutane many times with constant pain everywhere and would love to get in on a legal case for back issues bones etc. How can we find enough people? The more we get the bigger the case. I'll find a lawyer when we get enough people with similar symptoms.

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I took Accutane twice, once in 1992 and once in 2006, I am now 39 years old. In October of 2013 I started feeling muscle and joint pain, bloody stool, and generally fatigued all the time. In December 2013 I had a colonoscopy and confirmed Ulcerative colitis, I was prescribed Prednisolone and Asacol, the Ulceratve colitis is now under control. The main problem I suffer from now is arthritis in my hands, feet, wrists,shoulders, and neck to name the main constant areas along with Reynauds Syndrome and unexplained weight loss. I have a rheumatologist and have confirmed a high ANA which is autoimmune disease (Ulcerative Colitis is also auto Immune). I have been through so many blood tests over the last year and a half and am seeing a rheumatology specialist at the University of central florida, and no one can find the root cause of my problems. I have brought up the fact that I took Accutane several times with my doctors and they have so far blown it off. Until mid 2013 I was very active and healthy, now I am always exhausted and simple tasks like opening a bottled water makes my hands hurt. I am hoping to find others that are in a similar condition and maybe there is a way to collaborate to find some sort of relief in order to get back to a normal life. I would really like to know if there are others suffering the way I am, so far it has not been able to be explained medically and this isn't something that runs in my family.

Regards, Brian

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I am searching for answers... I am a mother of 5 daughters and age 37 diagnosed with early onset Parkinsons disease... I believe that it's due to having taken accutane approximately 5 months, and 7years ago. I have accidentally came upon information about the correlation between accutane and neurological degenerative diseases. I have a serious problem with my future and trying to find more people who are having problems related to these degenerative diseases. I was going to be a nurse some day... No longer... I am on disability since 4 years ago... Due to symptoms and sever fatigue in my upper extremities and muscle and nerve damage. I also suffer from some memory issues. If anyone has any similar issues please contact me at {edited for privacy}

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Legal action, let's do it, lets scar those bastards for life. My life sucks because of them!

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I used accutane when I was 17 and had a lot of bleeding from the bowel during the course, after I finished the course I still had bleeding from the bowel, i had a colonoscopy to discover I have ulcerative colitis, no dr would admit it was from the accutane , I am now 46 I own my own barber shop and work very hard, a lot of days sick and in discomfort from the ulcerative colitis after years of taking prednisone to help the colitis, it has now left me with osteopenia and have recently been in a lot of joint pain and swelling and have been told I now have inflammatory arthritis due to the ulcerative colitis, I have been told by Drs that I should take imuran now a different drug to help the colitis and one of the side affects of that is cervical cancer, needless to say I said no I'm not taking it, I struggle a lot as I am on a mild dose of tablets for the colitis as I don't want to take anything harsher. I feel sorry for this poor boy and anyone desperately trying to clear their skin up, acne affects how you feel about yourself, it lowers your confidence etc, anyway that's my story.

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Hello!! My name is Michael and I've gone through seven years of absolute hell after taking accutane. From bleeding gums, terrible IBS, joint pain, not sleeping but being exhausted at all times. Recently my doctor suggested a low dose anti depressant and I blew it off. Yes I was extremely depressed because of it but I needed help with everything else. Finally I did research like I always do and found out you need a chemical for your mind that makes digestion of nutrients available and I thinks its seratonin but I think it was blocked. Anyways I went back asked for the pills and my mind and body are finally slowly healing. I was afraid I would go crazy on them but they have been a godsend. I started low then after a month went to 20 mg. one weird but awesome thing was after I started feeling better my libido went way up. Probably to where it should have been for a 30 year old but I was so sad and in pain I wasn't feeling it. I tried every natural therapy and supplement and did chiropractic all the way to growth hormone therapy. Now if you try it my way don't drink coffee it wasn't helping my body and mind heal I may reintroduce it later no time soon though. The medication I take is citalopram but may look into others too. Look it up for ibs. Seriously. I also take trazadones for sleep I sleep great and it's supposed to help the medication work better. Best of all to you. {edited for privacy}

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I have all the same symptoms and worse ,going on my second back surgery , ny life is ruined . 36f I can't prove it or i would sue

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Please put your son on 6 grams of taurine per day. 3x 2 grams each. Everyone with long standing symptoms from joint pain, to digestive problems. We are working on a theory.

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My son was put on generic Accutane at age 14. At age 16 he was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia. One day after his 18th birthday he went into the hospital for a bone marrow transplant. Two years later he died in my arms at the hospital. I know in my heart that the generic accutane was what made his own minutes system kill off his platelets and red blood cells. I wish I could take it all back and never allowed the doctor put him on this!!!! I remember having to sign paperwork that we wouldn't hold the doctor responsible for anything. The week after the funeral I received a generic letter from a lawyer in Texas, far away from where we live that they somehow showed that my son had taken this med and wanted us to join the lawsuit that was going on. I so wish I kept the letter and followed up but I was told by one of his doctors that we wouldn't be able to prove that is why he died. I think he sent it down from heaven to tell me that this was the cause of him getting sick. So if there was a lawsuit back then I don't know if another suit can be done. I live with severe depression, PTSD, and cry every day.

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Are there any medical tests that have shown a relationship of low blood oxygen to taking Accutane? I'm certain that this drug destroyed my sports career in the 80's. I was an all-around athlete and excelled especially in wrestling and track. Of course, my stamina was permanent gone after taking Accutane. I've been searching for answers for over 30 years now. Just starting to take SAM-e and Taurine as suggested by Notthis.

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Accutane destroys mucous membranes throughout the body. The lungs have bronchial mucosa. As well as mucous membrane bladder lining, gut lining, mouth, nasal passages, rectum, joints. When the mucous membrane is comprised disease happens. We all got dried the F out.

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Not sure. The retina-a cream is still prescribed and used sparingly on acne areas as too much can cause redness, skin peeling, and a burning affect where applied. I so wish I could find my paperwork and the release form that I signed when my son was placed on it. He was on the generic brand of Accutane that began with a c which is in pill form. Also wish I kept the letter from the lawyer in Texas that sent the legal information back in 2010. I also looked up the statue of limitations on personal injury. It is different for different states. Where I live it is 3 years. Guess I'm out on that one as it was 5 years ago. Unless there is a different legal suit with death resulting.

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Alison, I am very sorry for you. I wish you best of luck.

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when I was given accutane, there was nothing to sign about the drug. This was in 1984 the drug had just been found to help acne in cancer patients as a chemo drug.If someone would have said that I would have to live with this pain or with someone elses kidney because of accutane I would have told them to shove it where the sun don't shine. I would have never taken it. The fact that someone had a chance to read the drug monograph and still decided to take the poison is crazy to me.

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My son took Accutane for 6 months when he was 15 years old and yes it did clear up his acne. He is now 20 years old and feels like he is 50! He too was an athlete and straight A student before and for years has complained of fatigue, weakness in his muscles no matter how much he works out, erectile dysfunction, low testosterone, depression. After Accutane he seemed like a different person-exhibited OCD like behavior and has trouble concentrating. Does anyone have a doctor that understands the long term side effects of Accutane and can help him? I know there are legal cases for the IBS that it causes but what about depression, ED and OCD? He/we implore parents to not allow your child to take this drug.

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