reversing the effects of accutane before its too late

[Stealth3]

Thanks for all that posted their symptoms, I no longer want to take accu

[anthony soloman]

i first had a course of roaccutane when i was 21,id struggled with acne from 13 yrs old?tried everything,tetrocyclin,oxytetr ocycline,minocin etc,through a skin spacialist,prof marks university hospital wales proscribed,roacutain,within 3 months changed from a well ballanced,sensitive,young man to a suicidle loose cannon!after about 5 years i was back to my real self minus spots,practilly 10 years since i first took roacuttane acne re appeared,next course of said drug,same response,how i havnt ended my own life is only down to my guts as opposed to the people who make this evil drug. thank you

[Debra]

I'm a 53 year old woman who took accutane in 1986 when it was fairly new in the US market. It was fantastic...I had suffered acne since early teens adn at 28, was SO over it. It cleared me up in three months, NEVER to have a zit again. Godsend. Would higly recommend it; improved the quality of my life and millions of others (have you noticed you don't see the pizza pie pimply people walking the streets anymore...why?...ACCUTANE)! Sorry for those of you who've had reactions. Plenty out there that HAVEN'T tho, so let's not get carried away with law suits. SO American.

[Depression and recovery]

I took accutane when I was 15 in 1995. As you can imagine, there wasn't really any internet back then and my dermatologist wasn't aware of accutane's side effects - or at least these were never really highlighted to me.
Within a month of going on accutane, it felt like my personality changed. I went from a happy out going kid, to being stressed, nervous, anxious & not enjoying anything. I was so miserable I thought my life was over, didn't care if I died & thought about suicide several times a day. Had quite a few nervous breakdowns also (basically crying for several hours straight - a very exhausting experience).
I knew there was something wrong with my system, but the symptoms persisted. After a couple of years I finally dragged my backside to tell my doctor (while at uni now) of my symptoms - he didn't know what to do & referred me to a psychologist. While I undertook some cognitive therapy, it helped a little but didn't address the underlying cause.
In the end, I saw psychologists for several years to help keep things in check. I really thought I was crazy & while I managed to do well in uni studying maths, the career never really took off & even got fired from one position (yay - thanks boss!). All the time my motivation sucked & I felt fatigued all the time. Sometimes the symptoms were very similar to diabetes - foggy head, falling asleep, especially after meals. As I was so annoyed with all this, I started doing sport which helped massively in terms of mental health (cycling + triathlon)....and eventually doing sport is what would save me.
Anyway, roll forward to when I'm 30 years old, still suffering symptoms, feeling depressed, knackered, jobs sucks, never had a girlfriend...wondering if this is gonna be my life. As part of my running, I started getting stress fractures in my feet and they wouldn't heal. I'd actually also broken my pelvis & ribs in separate incidents but didn't think much of it as they healed ok.
After 6 months of non-healing stress fractures I eventually had a bone density DEXA scan which indicated I had severe osteoporosis!! I was -3.0 standard deviations in the spine - very rare for a male of 30 years old. I attribute all of this to the accutane as I've always eaten very healthy otherwise, taken fish oil, multivitamin, fruit, veg, dairy etc.
Once I was put onto a proper dosage of vitamins (calcium+ most importantly vitamin D), after a year I started to notice an improvement in my depression (note....it took a whole f***ing year to get better - shows how screwed I was!) and now 3 years on my depression is gone & I feel normal again!
Hence, for anyone who's reading this (sorry it's long) and still suffering depression from accutane, go get your bone density check, your blood values & also consider supplementing with vitamin D.
I hope this helps someone reading this....and yes, I do consider suing Roche for loss of earnings etc.. Still weighing this up...for now I'm just grateful I have things sorted after 15 years of suffering severe depression and quality of life being severely affected as a result.

[chelsea]

i think what everyone is saying is ridiculous. accutane has been amazing for me ! i finish my second course in november and my skin is so clear. my hair sheds more than usual but it thickens back up when im done and i take biotin to reverse the effects. my lips are super dry but i exfoliate daily and moisturize with aquaphor healing ointment and it fixes it. my skin has never gotten dry either time i was on accutane, i got lucky. and each time i was on accutane i had severe back pain but the first time it went away within a month and im sure it will when im off it this time. and i dont think it causes wrinkles either, i tan alot and whenever im on accutane i feel like my skin improves. i think alot of this is just coincidenses or maybe it does just work differently for other people. as for scars and wrinkles you can consider getting laser dot surgery, i get mine next june !(: oh and im 18 btw, my first course was when i was 15. i got a second course for good measure, theres a better chancw of it not coming back if you do two courses.

[chelsea]

and i forgot to add it does make me extremely tired but ive found that goes away after about a month after ive been of accutane.

[Ronald]

so, you have back pain and extreme fatigue for a month, and you received chemotherapy since you were 15?
Believe me, you are too young to have gotten all the side-effects of accutane. Detox instead of accutane, it fixes your acne permanently without putting the next 60 years or so of your life at risk. Detoxing works, that's how I fixed my acne, permanently. Easy, real cheap and completely safe by oil pulling with sunflower oil. Try it for 4 months, 10 mins a day tops. You'll be amazed by the difference. Costs less than 10 bucks. If you need laser surgery at 18 you're doing it wrong!

[olive oil]

i took accutane for 4 months and didn't notice any side effects right away other than my skin drying out and my hair thinning. I was willing to pay that price willingly to stop the acne and the scarring. However, my acne came back in less than a year. I also started losing muscle mass and have had a difficult time gaining weight. I developed an allergy to certain foods especially gluten. since i gave uyp g;uten, I feel much better and my skin is responding favorably to my dietary changes. i have also elminated sugar with excellent results. I discovered my body was reacting in a normal way to food that was bad for my body. I did notcied theacutane seemed to age me more quickly. Luckily I have excelle3nt genes. I just have to work extra hard to be healthy. I have also had blood work for lymes disease which is a rising epidemic, especially int he northeast. I have many friends and family who have been bitten and some continue to have problems with chronic lyme. I was also reading that accutane prevents the body from holding onto water. I found this is true for me. i was just reading that hyaluronic acid helps the body to retain moisture and it is an antiaging supplement. It helps reduce the signs of aging. My heart goes out to you who are still suffering. I would recoomend eating a good diet (I also juice almost everyday with fresh vegetables),blood test for food allergies and Lyme Disease (antibody test for chronic Lyme), meditate, yoga exercises, and prayer-- I am nonrelidgious but it has worked for me. Stay positive and keep researching into better health. If a doctor tells you he can't help you find someone who can---acupunctureist chinese doctor, chiropractor, nutritionist, naturopath, etc. I believe the body has an amazing ability to heal itself. I have witnessed many health related miracles during the operation of my holisitic practice (20 years). I believe in you.

[Steph]

It's kind of sad that people come on here trying to convince people that have taken Accutane that they are crazy in any way shape or form. Show a little respect. This is a seriously dangerous drug. And sure many people might have benefited from it, but MANY people obviously were seriously harmed by it. I'd advise you to wait several years after taking it before you jump the gun anyways. you can be happy about having good results, but don't bash people who had their lives ruined because of this drug. My life was ruined by this drug and so was my brother's. My advice to all of you who have been affected is to stay strong, keep questioning things, and tell the doctors who think you are a hypochondriac to f*ck off. All the doctors I have been to do not know sh*t about Accutane or how it functions in the body. My dermatologist obviously didn't. I'm trying to do the natural route and take multivitamins without vitamin A, starting hyaluronic, taking B complexes, mainly B12, D, C, MSM, gluco., and Fish oil. I haven't seen much of a result, but maybe I need to take it for longer. If anyone finds anything else that works let me know! Good luck with getting well. Hopefully we all can someday.

[Krystal]

I went to dr when I was 29 for acne, and he put me on accutane. it nearly killed me. I was a 4.0 nursing student who became and depressed and didn't have a care in the world when i was on that poison. My grades plummeted during that time and I quit school I had to have surgery to fix my face after being on accutane for 5 months straight! My beautiful face started to get "monkey jowls" as my friend told me, within months of starting it. I also developed arthritis in my knees, finger joints and back. My eyes became so dry I had to see an opthamologist for treatment. The worse part is my acne came back within a year, but the side effects lasted ever since!

[wish i had a time machine]

I took accutane at the recommendation of a friend who also took it. Doctor said side effects if any are just temporary. I had really thick hair so wasn't too concerned about a little thinning. Well within months my hair started thinning and curling, and a year later my hair was half gone, and my friend who recommended it to me was bald! I was bald soon after, and have suffered from IBS, anxiety, slow healing wounds, poor night vision, dry wrinkly skin, etc. for 13 years now. Don't ever take this poison. This experience has changed my views on medicine and the pharmaceutical industry. The hairloss was bad enough, but the IBS or IBD whatever I have is the worst side effect as it has limited the quality of my life and job prospects as I must constantly be within arms reach of a toilet... constant diarrhea. And Accutane was expensive, I only took it for 3 or 4 months and probably cost $400, but since then I have spent thousands more trying to improve my now shitty life. I came from perfect genes, a good stock from both my parents, no disease in the family just strong blood but I think this drug permanently changed my genes and I hope it isn't generational going forward now :(

[wish i had a time machine]

I can't believe how recent some people taking this drug. If I had access to the internet back when I took it 13 years ago, I would have been convinced not to take it. It isn't worth it. Hair loss, IBD, joint pain... it will be hard to find love or a good job when your self esteem is lower from hair loss, and you can't go out unless you are near a bathroom, etc. Once the side effects kick in, it is all downhill and you will age fast and feel like you are dying slowly.

If you have acne, just stop eating refined sugars and simple carbs, drink lots of water, etc. and your acne will probably go away naturally. Doctors told me acne wasn't diet related but now I think that is a load of crap.

[do not_do_it]

I took this 13 years ago as well. Fortunately no IBS but depression has plagued me ever since. I wish I had never taken it.
Whilst on it I had bad hip pain and suffer from elbow pain as well. I'm now 37.
My skin is OK, I don't get acne but I am less sun tolerant than what I was. My hair is fine.
The depression alone is enough to make me wish I had never started roaccutane.

[Accutane should be banned]

The people who say that accutane does not cause any long term side effects are idiots. There are so many people who have had serious problems after taking accutane including me. I know exactly what these people are going through. I have recently started to suspect that accutane is the cause of my problems and after hearing what other people have said about it, I am now certain. I have also had every test under the sun to try and find what is causing my symptoms and nothing has shown up. Conisidence? I dont't think so. Accutane has to be banned it is a dangerous drug and anyone considering taking accutane should think again! I cannot stress that enough. I now have serious health issues as a result of accutane and I only took it just over a year ago. I hate the thought of having to live the remainder of my life with these problems. I am only 21 and how ever long I live it seems that I am stuck with the side effects of accutane. I can't go to the gym or take part in other sports that I love as much now because of it and I want to start my own business and I am determined to not let it stop me but it will make it very difficult now. Anyone who has very bad acne, I really do feel for you as I have been there as well but that was nothing compared to my problems now. There are much safer ways of treating acne and I have only just worked out how to treat my acne and that is to use face cream and moisturiser every morning and to eat a very healthy diet and change from cows milk to goats milk. It worked for me and it will for you I'm sure of it.

[Antonio]

Hey guys I've took accutane when I was in high school for a few months and it worked great. I have been plauged with mild depression for my whole life. I'm 30 now. I've been focusing on fresh fruits and vegetables. ABOVE ALL ELSE, do yourself a favor and research "Fulvic acid".(not folic acid). Its supposed to do all kinds of awesome things in the body including repairing damaged DNA. I just started taking it and the results in how I feel so far have been nothing less than amazing. Good luck all!!

[Hayden]

Hi everyone,

I am a 25 year old male who has been suffering from a constant headache since November 2005. I had been on accutane for 12 days and went off it a couple of days after the pain began. I have no other symptoms. My vision, hearing etc is fine and my joints and muscles are all ok but myself and the pharmacist who is helping me are convinced that roaccutane caused this. My body may have just had an immediate adverse effect to it. It's been 6 years and the pain has not changed. The pharmacist who is helping me has come up with a theory. I'm going to take 3 vitamin A tablets a day to boost my vitamin A levels for a couple of months in hopes of overriding the toxic shit roaccutane put in my body. Who knows, it may not work, but at this stage I'm willing to try anything

If anyone wants to contact me, my address is [e-mail]

[Tim]

Debra wrote:

I'm a 53 year old woman who took accutane in 1986 when it was fairly new in the US market. It was fantastic...I had suffered acne since early teens adn at 28, was SO over it. It cleared me up in three months, NEVER to have a zit again. Godsend. Would higly recommend it; improved the quality of my life and millions of others (have you noticed you don't see the pizza pie pimply people walking the streets anymore...why?...ACCUTANE)! Sorry for those of you who've had reactions. Plenty out there that HAVEN'T tho, so let's not get carried away with law suits. SO American.

......... Blahhhhhh.... U does death sentence Debra , this site is to discourage people, and you r fake, u have takin it twenty years ago how the heck r u on this site, dont be this stupid fool. Roaccutane ruins lives. End of story.

[Tim]

Debra wrote:

I'm a 53 year old woman who took accutane in 1986 when it was fairly new in the US market. It was fantastic...I had suffered acne since early teens adn at 28, was SO over it. It cleared me up in three months, NEVER to have a zit again. Godsend. Would higly recommend it; improved the quality of my life and millions of others (have you noticed you don't see the pizza pie pimply people walking the streets anymore...why?...ACCUTANE)! Sorry for those of you who've had reactions. Plenty out there that HAVEN'T tho, so let's not get carried away with law suits. SO American.

...dont b fooled, she's a liar. Roaccutane ruins lives. End of story!

[Tim]

Depression and recovery wrote:

I took accutane when I was 15 in 1995. As you can imagine, there wasn't really any internet back then and my dermatologist wasn't aware of accutane's side effects - or at least these were never really highlighted to me.
Within a month of going on accutane, it felt like my personality changed. I went from a happy out going kid, to being stressed, nervous, anxious & not enjoying anything. I was so miserable I thought my life was over, didn't care if I died & thought about suicide several times a day. Had quite a few nervous breakdowns also (basically crying for several hours straight - a very exhausting experience).
I knew there was something wrong with my system, but the symptoms persisted. After a couple of years I finally dragged my backside to tell my doctor (while at uni now) of my symptoms - he didn't know what to do & referred me to a psychologist. While I undertook some cognitive therapy, it helped a little but didn't address the underlying cause.
In the end, I saw psychologists for several years to help keep things in check. I really thought I was crazy & while I managed to do well in uni studying maths, the career never really took off & even got fired from one position (yay - thanks boss!). All the time my motivation sucked & I felt fatigued all the time. Sometimes the symptoms were very similar to diabetes - foggy head, falling asleep, especially after meals. As I was so annoyed with all this, I started doing sport which helped massively in terms of mental health (cycling + triathlon)....and eventually doing sport is what would save me.
Anyway, roll forward to when I'm 30 years old, still suffering symptoms, feeling depressed, knackered, jobs sucks, never had a girlfriend...wondering if this is gonna be my life. As part of my running, I started getting stress fractures in my feet and they wouldn't heal. I'd actually also broken my pelvis & ribs in separate incidents but didn't think much of it as they healed ok.
After 6 months of non-healing stress fractures I eventually had a bone density DEXA scan which indicated I had severe osteoporosis!! I was -3.0 standard deviations in the spine - very rare for a male of 30 years old. I attribute all of this to the accutane as I've always eaten very healthy otherwise, taken fish oil, multivitamin, fruit, veg, dairy etc.
Once I was put onto a proper dosage of vitamins (calcium+ most importantly vitamin D), after a year I started to notice an improvement in my depression (note....it took a whole f***ing year to get better - shows how screwed I was!) and now 3 years on my depression is gone & I feel normal again!
Hence, for anyone who's reading this (sorry it's long) and still suffering depression from accutane, go get your bone density check, your blood values & also consider supplementing with vitamin D.
I hope this helps someone reading this....and yes, I do consider suing Roche for loss of earnings etc.. Still weighing this up...for now I'm just grateful I have things sorted after 15 years of suffering severe depression and quality of life being severely affected as a result.

... Thanks man, really appreciate your recommendations, I feel a lot better, I'm on my 6th year , and my body is stuff too, I'm still experimenting with vitamins,different fish oil, ginger, health food, but what really helps is a supportive family, but unfortunately I don't hav day either, I'm promising myself to never give up, overcome the pain, I live with my cat, havin her around enables me to get out of bed which is good. Hmm... Best of luck! May all recover =]

[Douglas Bennett]

Im pretty annoyed with the people who come on here saying stuff about lawyers. Are they business managers worrying about their profits from accutane? Go **** yourself.

Someone wanting to commit suicide is bigger issue than teenage acne. Also there are alternatives to synthetic drugs. research it. Those people talking 100% pro-accutane need a doctor because they are zombies who dont give a damn about anyone else around them.

i cant add anything to this discussion but thanks to anyone who has proper knowledge and offered proper advice to help with side effects. If anyone else has more information please add to this discussion.

i took accutane in 1996 im 33 years now