Accutane And Infertility (Page 22)

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I took accutane almost 14 years ago as a teenager. I am now a 32 year old woman who has just been diagnosed with infertility that they believe is linked to autoimmune issues. I truly believe that accutane is the cause of this; from the research that I have done it seems that accutane has been linked to other thyroid-related diseases, but that they have not yet been able to prove a link between accutane and infertility. There are, however, actually more people like me out there than I originally thought. Being diagnosed with ovarian dysfunction has been a horrific, horrific blow. And while there was plenty of information about accutane and birth defects, no one ever mentioned a possibility of future infertility. I was a teenager! This is a tragedy and I believe something should be done about it. If you too have been affected diagnosed with infertility and have taken accutane, please email me. There are plenty of suits against accutance. If there are enough of us, we can come together to do the medical research and get the help we now need.

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421

Thanks for that. That's very useful. Could you post the source?

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422

Here are the references:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3159708

trialdetails.com/detail/NCT02061384/RA-2-13-cis-Retinoic-Acid-Isotretinoin

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423

There's another major life change that happens ar the same time as acne, it's called puberty. It is possible, even probable that all of these devestating problems are caused by an underlying medical problem that bcomes active at pubery and would have occurred without the isotretinoin. For the thin skin, Ehlers-Danlos comes to mind without eve doing an Internet search. Family history is critical.

If you see this forum as an on-going pity party, then I'm sorry to crash your party. If you see this forum as a place where people might stumble upon what to do before taking Accutane, or what to look for as an alternative to blaming Accutane for their infertility while it's not too late to do something about it, then I welcome your input.

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424

You never answered my question: did you take Isotretinoin?

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425

I read about this study before it you posted it. It is interesting. It does bring more questions about isotretinoin and vitamin A derivatives and the role that retinoic acid plays in spermatogenesis than it does provide answers. Retinoic acid plays an important role in vertebrate spermatogenesis. This is established in research outside of the whole accutane dispute. From what I gather it is crucial in the initial phases where the specialized role of cells in microtubules of the testis is established. The Sertoli cells nourish the germ cells in the micro tubules of normal testis. Perhaps some individuals such as myself experience testicular failure following events that disrupt proper organization of cell roles in the testicular micro tubules. This could might occur through endocrine disrupters of LH, FSH, testosterone, or chemicals that occupy the receptors for retonoic acid. There is a window of time where this organization can be formed or malformed. My thoughts are that accutane MIGHT have disrupted my testicular function because accutane acts on the same receptor as the ones retinoic acid does so naturally. Please understand I am not trying to pity myself ... But I do want to find answers and I feel that there needs to be more research on male fertility. No I am not looking for a legal suit or to whine but want to know about how these things work.

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426

Thanks, the first link in fact confirmed my suspicions. If you read the entire article, it states that sperm morphology was significantly affected in patients with varicocele. That is exactly what I have.

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427

So Accutane should increase your sperm count and increase fertility, while you're taking it. However, no one suggests that you take Accutane to increase your fertility. There must be other retinoic acid agents that would work.

As well as cooling.

I have not taken Accutane, it was not available when I could have used it.

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428

I have a friend who took acutane for a about 3 years and she couldn't get pregnant for a long while. I believe that it does cause infertility, but it may be reversed after the drug is completely out of your system. She got pregnant and had a baby after about 5 years.

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429

Look for this study:

"THE EFFECT OF ISOTRETINOIN ON OVARIAN RESERVE BASED ON HORMONAL PARAMETERS, OVARIAN VOLUME, AND ANTRAL FOLLICLE COUNT IN WOMEN WITH ACNE"

The researchers stated a "significant negative impact on fertility" resulted from Accutane / Isotretinoin.

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430

Actually that is not what the article says. It says there is a significant negative effect on ovarian reserve at the end of therapy.

They do not mention fertility at all.

Further, there is no follow-up as to whether these changes reverse in the months
after treatment.

There is no discussion of what form(s) of contraception were used. OCP could also explain the results.

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431

Read the abstract.

The samples for the second round of the study were taken 6 months after Isotretinoin treatment.

Also, anti-mullerian hormone (AMH), ovarian volume, and antral follicle count are considered reliable predicotors of fertility which were reduced after Isotretinoin, according to the study.

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432

The summary is unclear. You cannot determine if they mean 6 months after isotretinoin treatment was started or 6 months after isotretinoin treatment was completed.

Nor the dose or length of treatment

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433

Once ovarian reserve is dimished, it's diminished. There is no recovery.
It's not the same the effects of birth control pills, although multiple studies have observed a significant decrease in FSH and LH in Isotretinoin patients, similar to the effects of BC.

It is also known that decreased ovarian reserve can result from use of chemotherapeutic agents, a category which Isotretinoin falls under.

Let's assume the authors were measuring fertility parameters in women taking a standard dose somewhere in the range typically used to treat acne, since that is clearly stated in the abstract.

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434

It is a real stretch to call isotretinoin a chemotherapuetic agent in the common usage. If you want to be technical so is aspirin and every other drug, they are all chemicals and all therapeutic. It's not a cytotoxic agent. It was briefly used to potentiate the effects of other anti-neoplastic treatments at much higher doses than for acne.

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435

I've never heard of Aspirin being used as a front-line treatment for leukemia or neuroblastoma.

Apoptosis of granulosa cells in rats treated with Isotretinoin prompted the "ovarian reserve" study BTW.

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436

"The Effect of Isotretinoin on Ovarian Reserve Based on Hormonal Parameters, Ovarian Volume, and Antral Follicle Count in Women with Acne":

karger.com/Article/Abstract/371551

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437

If isotretinoin is so devastating to the ovaries, it's a miracle anyone who has taken isotretinoin ever gets pregnant.

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438

i'm not saying it is isotretinoine to blame, I just posted something I found interesting and because I took it for 7 years and had some trouble getting pregnant (no treatments but took a loooong time). FSG levels 5, AMH 1.1... My doctor said that is a contradiction that I have good levels of FSH but poor on AMH.... Anyways, maybe it's just the way I function, I did not have any test before isotretinoine.

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439

Ehy "Itisnotalwaysisotretinoin"! We are not the doctors! If we were doctors we solved Our problems by ourselves. If i Call a doctor i trust in him, i Pay for him Job, He is the specialist, not me. So, if He doesnt Tell me to do more exams or more ipotetic causes for the acne i trust in him and stop. So don't say to people it's Our responsability. Thanks. We just wanted to be sane, we couldn't know the aftermath if no one Tell us. We don't Study blood values, sperm and ovociti values. We are the patients, and we are trying to understand the permanent collateral effects of accutane Talking about Our experience, those effects that the pharmaceutical industry doesnt want Take in consideration And admit.

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440

I took the generic form of Accutane (Claravis) in 2010. I suffered the usual side effects while on it dry lips, sensitive skin, joint/muscle pain. The dermatologist prescribed 1.5 mg/kg/day with a cumulative dosage of 270 mg/kg for 6 months for a few pimples behind my ears. The dermatologist reassured me over and over that all of the side effects were temporary. Within one month of stopping, I developed digestive problems, dry hair, dry skin, deep wrinkles, ankle pain, back pain, shoulder pain, fatigue, tinnitus, early periods, basically accelerated aging. All of these side effects are still here with me today and don't look to be "temporary" anymore. I just found out that I am post-menopausal based on my latest blood work. There is no reason to go through premature menopause that I can think of except...oh yea this chemo treatment that I was given for a few pimples back in 2010. Unbelievable, this treatment ruined any chance of having my own child. The effects of this drug are worse than acne. Acne doesn't cause joint pain, digestive problems, dry skin/hair, hair loss, brittle nails, accelerated aging, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, low libido, erectile dysfunction, infertility, osteopenia, osteoporosis, autoimmune diseases, etc. Acne doesn't kill your organs, your colon, your ovaries. This drug kills!

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