Accutane Long Term Side Effects (Page 95)

scott Says:

Thu, May 28, 2009

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 After I have researched this drug extensively, I can't believe that the FDA allows this drug originally made for cancer patients to be marketed for teenagers with acne.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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Danny Says:
Wed, June 14, 2017

I used accutane many many years ago and the treatment cleared my cystic acne for 10 years. A couple of years later, i was very depressed, was very very tired and constant headaches and brain fog. For more than a year, i went from one doctor to another to find what was the problem until i met a chronic fatigue specialist who sent me to take a blood test to get my level of testosterone. My testoterone level was below 0. For some time, I took andriol which is a testosterone supplement. And it helped with the tiredness. A few years later, i took another acutane treatment (not knowing what it was doing to me). Then my testosterone level went down again. So i got on andriol again with anti depressants. I am 62 years old and i have been on high dosage of testosterone and anti-depression medication for approximately 15 years now. I will probably take these medications for the rest of my life. I have muscle weakness all the time now and i often spend days in bed because of the tiredness.

How can this medication still be on the market for acne when the side effects are so acute to every one?

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Ernest Says:
Fri, June 16, 2017

Cindy, I took Accutane at the age of 24 for 3 months. I have suffered many health issues ever since. I am now 57 years old and still trying to cope with the side effects of this poison. I have bone and joint issues, neck pain, gastrointestinal issues, i.e. IBD, bouts of depression, headaches, brain fog, sleep issues, to name a few. In regards to your comment about your family's stomach problems, many people that have taken Accutane develop gastrointestinal problems. About 4 years ago I developed gluten intolerance which seems to be progressively getting worse. I can take just a bite or 2 of food with gluten in it and have stomach distress in some form. Try eliminating gluten from your diet and see if your stomach related/gastro issues improve.

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Michael Says:
Thu, June 29, 2017

I am 30 and I have been dealing with acne on and off since I was a freshman in high school; sometimes mild and sometimes severe. Over the years I have literally tried every cream and medication you can think of except for Accutane because I was afraid of the side effects. Recently, I got a new dermatologist and he recommend that I take Accutane. My doctor said that all of the side effects are completely blown out of proportion and that there have been a lot of medical studies published in the last couple of years that debunk a lot of the supposed long term effects. They have also altered Accutane where it isn't stored in your liver anymore which means you can have alcohol in moderation now. I feel like a lot of people don't realize this and if you look at all of the newer statistics, for the really harsh side effects, Accutane has only less than 5% chance of causing any of those and all of the side effects are temporary. Sorry, but I am very skeptical about the long term effects of Acctuane.

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Truth Says:
Thu, June 29, 2017

Spoken just like a pharmaceutical rep for a generic Accutane? You think we're all just making this up troll?

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Taylor Says:
Mon, July 17, 2017

I'm a female who started Accutane in February. After being on many different expensive prescriptions (i.e. Clindamycin Phosphate + Benzoyl Peroxide, Minocycline, Adapalene) since 7th grade that did absolutely nothing for my face acne, my doctor said the last resort was for me to be put on Accutane. I was on this for 3 months and saw no results. I experienced only some of the many side effects associated with this drug. My skin was severely sensitive to the sun- it turned bright tomato red. My eyes started to bother me- it felt like something scratched them and they even turned red. Saline eye drops would only help for a couple hours until they would feel irritated again. I also experienced lower back pain so I couldn't exercise (running on elliptical) like I used to be able before 5 days a week. I also began to not have an appetite after being on this for about three months now. However, I didn't have the common symptom of super dry chapped lips but keep in mind I took this in the middle of winter when my lips are usually dry. This is when my dermatologist upped the dosage to 80mg instead of 40mg like I had been on for about two months. My fourth visit (3 months in) to the derm was when he put me on Absorica. It was supposed to be the stronger version and actually cheaper than Accutane- my parents' copay was $600 a month versus the now $5 it would cost for this Absorica. If only the doctors had mentioned that in the beginning of this already aggravating process! Also with Absorica I was told I didn't have to worry about eating fatty foods with my meal that I took the pills with and it was supposed to be the better option for athletes. I also took a 80mg dosage when I switched over to Absorica.

This is when I noticed a clear difference between the two drugs. So many more side effects came on. Loss of appetite (not eating nearly enough nutrients/calories as I should have been), stomach pain, joint and muscle pain, worsened eye irritation, severely chapped lips (I carried a moisturizing chapstick everywhere I went), change in behavior- I became really on edge and emotional towards things that shouldn't have bothered me (my family noticed a change in how I was behaving too). I also became sensitive to foods that my body was fine with before. I also wasn't able to excrete daily. Miralax didn't even help- I was constipated for more than a week. It's been three months since I've been on Absorica and there are definitely clear results on my face. I am now more confident about my face, I don't shy away when people talk, and I smile more. I will be getting laser treatment for my scars when my doctor says I'm able to. This certainly was a journey and I wrote on this forum to hopefully help people considering being put on this drug and what it entails. If I was put on Absorica during the winter months, I'm not sure I could've finished the treatment. This medicine made me isolate myself and made me lay in bed for days. Thankfully I had a good support system around me and I'm a naturally happy person. There is some truth when I say the results are worth it from taking these medicines. The results on my face are great but what the side effects put me through made me question at times if this treatment was really worth it in the end. Do your research, read these forums and know what to expect- it's different for everyone.

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Dawn Says:
Wed, July 19, 2017

Hi. I know this is years ago, but I am desperate to talk to someone who understands :( I'm mom to an 18 year old girl who is very ill and I am so scared. So is she. Please let me know how your son is now!! ?? Very well I hope!! Thank you!

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Ben Says:
Thu, July 27, 2017

Ladies and Gentleman. I'm sorry about the conditions you and your children are suffering with, but I would like to counsel caution. Many of you are categorically blaming these conditions on accutane. Many of these conditions are extremely common (depression, Dyspepsia, IBS, idiopathic myalgias and arthralgias) and occur in loads of people who never took accutane. I accept that there is possibility that you are right and that you would never have got these conditions if you hadnt taken the drug, but i want you in turn to accept that its also possible that you would have got this condition anyway even if you hadnt taken accutane. Btw my argument doesn't apply to the people who have long term redness, xeroderma and cheilitis - I accept that those are probably due to the drug.

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Dawn Says:
Thu, August 17, 2017

Hi, I know this is an old post, but how is your son now?? My daughter is 18 and is even worse off then your son was at this time? ?? It's horrible, I'm sorry you are/we're also going through it! I hope things have improved!

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Truth Says:
Thu, August 17, 2017

So true about he drug companies. I'm sorry that your son and your family are having to live through the horrific effects of Accutane. Those of us who have lived through Accutane understand your suffering. I come from a family with 3 medical doctors and none of them knew these side effects before I took it in 1993. I'm 42 now and still suffering. Accutane caused me degenerative back disease, IBS, and interstitial cystitis, I have chronic sleep deprecation from being in "cancer pain" levels from the "cracked and bloody" lining of my bladder and gut, or at leadt that's what my urologist and Harvard medical school told me. Bless you and your son.

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Amanda Says:
Wed, August 23, 2017

I took Accutane as a young teen and now I'm a 29 yr old with the same exact problems that you're saying your son is having. I was also a basketball and softball player and that came to an end. Like I said I'm now 29 going on what feels like 89 everyday. My face has also been severely scarred on both cheeks due to the medication so I have to wear makeup everyday/all day and night because I'm so insecure about it. That medicine has caused me so much pain not only physically but mentally with getting and still suffering from depression and anxiety from it. It's ruined my life in too many ways. I empathize whole heartedly with you and your son. This medication is killing people and it should've never NEVER been approved.

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Josh Says:
Wed, August 23, 2017

I have been on Accutane for 2 and half months and the worst thing that has happened to me is that my skin has gotten dry and my lips have gotten severely chapped. You do know what Accutane is right? It is basically just an extremely high concentration of vitamin A. I have had over a dozen friends take it and none of them of had any side effects. I'm really sorry about your son, but some of the symptoms you have described are not symptoms of Accutane. Furthermore, it's important to note that all long term side effects go away by themselves. It's easy to put the blame on Accutane, but the symptoms just don't fit. I really hope your son gets better.

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