Damage Done By Accutane?

My skin is very problematic. I’ve been using all kinds of anti - acne drugs since my adolescence, but not even antibiotics could help. One of the suggestions made by my current dermatologist is Accutane, but the very moment he suggested it he started talking about suicidal thoughts, dead babies and other appalling side effects. Is damage done by Accutane really that big? I’d like to hear some stories on the damage as well as those telling about successful treatment.

When the damage caused by a medicine is bigger than the benefits it produces then that medicine can’t be good. I’d ban Accutane if I could. Not only that it didn’t drastically change my face but it also cost me nerves and money to reduce the side effects. Of all possible side effects (and the list is very long - the influence on the baby, suicidal thoughts, dry skin and lips, sores on the face, nose bleeding, tiredness, weakness, headaches, vomiting and God knows what else) I had to end up with the most unpleasant one (and also not really common) - rectal bleeding. Just rectal bleeding and nothing else. No symptoms to make it more logical and to indicate that it might have something to do with Accutane. So my doctor spent about six months trying to solve the mystery of my rectal bleeding. I was healthy, good - looking, all tests were normal, no sign of any disorder... Just the annoying, painful and extremely unpleasant rectal bleeding. I simply didn’t know what to do; it was like having a period all the time, only with a sense that something isn’t right down there. When he finally discovered the cause and told me the reason of my bleeding I just stopped with Accutane treatment. And within a month everything was normal again. I could blame my doctor for not asking me about my anti - acne treatment (he must have seen my face - Accutan wasn’t that helpful), but I won’t. He did his best. I blame Accutan. Don’t take it.

nordlund wrote:

My skin is very problematic. I’ve been using all kinds of anti - acne drugs since my adolescence, but not even antibiotics could help. One of the suggestions made by my current dermatologist is Accutane, but the very moment he suggested it he started talking about suicidal thoughts, dead babies and other appalling side effects. Is damage done by Accutane really that big? I’d like to hear some stories on the damage as well as those telling about successful treatment.

What your dermatologist saying is: Don't be pregnant before, on, during or a month after taking the drug! Because it is a teratogenic. This means that it can cause birth defects.

I am on it for 5 weeks and have only experiencing minor side-effects (dry lips and a bit of inflamation on the acne on my face, which I am taking anti-inflamatories for).

2 out of 2 of my friends (both female) on it have reported positive outcomes, saying that thier acne 'hasn't come back'.

i'm a female who weighs 138lbs my doctor had me start on 40mg a day for 10days, and after that i switch to 80mg a day. After a month on 80mg a day my body hurt my hips, my knees my muscles, everything. My blood results showed that my c.k was extremely higher and i was at risk of having permanent muscle cell damage. I lowered my dosages for the remainder of my treatment to 40mg a day. I have been off accutane for exactly a month, my body is still very fatigued and my joints and muscle hurt frequently and easily. my c.k is back to normal, i was just curious if anyone knows how long it takes for the side affects such as the ones mentioned above to disppear or is there a chance i may have had some permanent damage.

I had severe acne when I was a teenager and was on Accutane for 6 months just before I reached high school. Being on Accutane was no easy thing: I had depression, dry lips, and a terrible rash on the sides of my arms. I was sensitive to light and my skin flushed really easily. Honestly, though, these reactions were bearable compared to the level of acne I would have had to suffer through. My skin cleared up wonderfully with the treatment. It has been nearly 10 years since I went on Accutane and my skin is still absolutely clear and beautiful.

Only your dermatologist knows what is best for you, and I can say from experience that Accutane is not a drug you fool around with. You have to watch yourself carefully and make sure that you report any signs of severe side effects. However, it can also be a life-enhancing drug when taken with the appropriate, cautious attitude. If your dermatologist recommended that you use it, it might not hurt to try it and just see what happens. It might be the answer to your acne problem--and might be the result of increased confidence as well.

I was on Accutane about 14 years ago, I had terrible acne at the age of 21, 22. I did 6 months of treatment and it cleared up my skin beautifully. However, the reason I am checking this site 14 years later is...Around 3 to 4 years after the accutane, my knees began swelling. Now, my knees are awful. I can't bend down at all, and I'm only in my 30's! I was always active until this swelling became so overwhelming. I've had 3 surgeries on my knees, doctors are scratching their heads. They don't know what is causing it. So, I started thinking about past medications I have taken and thought maybe accutane could be the cause. So, just wondering if anyone else has heard of similar problems.

I was on accutane for exactly 5 months and I could have been happier. I was originally supposed to be taking it for 6 but I contracted Hepatitis A from A restaurant which inflamed my Liver making my last month of treatment null an void. I have no clue where some of these people are getting these "symptoms". My mother and father are physicians and rectal bleeding, severe muscle deterioration and depression are not yet scientifically linked with accutane. I had moderate acne and after taking the medication my pores have decreased immensely, I no longer break out and my skin is extremely smoothe. One side effect I did get, which all get, are extremely dry lips and face around the mouth. I avoided sun when my skin was dry but after three months on the treatment my skin no longer was a cracked. when that happened i started sun tanning and being outside a lot more. If my children have acne I would push for accutane, It truly is a miracle drug that cures acne. And if most did there research, the side effects that are so frightening happen to less than 3 % of all who have taken the medication.