Ever Take Accutane?

I was on it for a while, and it did clear up my really bad acne entirely. 
 
That said, I did have really dry lips and nostrils (lots of nose bleeds) while on it. Vaseline and chap stick countered both issues. All in all it worked for me, but it is a last case scenario, and I assume it's impact, both end-results and side-effects, will vary from person to person.

I took one Zinc vitamin a day and washed my face with Clean and Clear and I never got acne

" @FourWude: All side-effects on all drugs are listed by the company that makes the drug. /Fact  "

Fuck me I didn't know that. How fucking stupid of me.

If they're listed by the fucking company itself, then what harm can it do for me to re-list those same effects to him on a website. It's not as if I'm just randomly making up bullshit. I also told the guy that if he had any qualms with the genuine info I had given him, then he should consult his doctor. Not that most physicians, doctors, dermatologists give a crap these days anyway, they're so overworked that spending more than 2 minutes with a patient is a burden to them. So it's best to go with genuine questions that the doctor has to answer.

Your problem with my post seems to come from the fact that unlike shyster drug companies I painted those side-effects as very real. Which is what they are, real, genuine side-effects which can affect your life in a very real way.

And lastly, I speak from experience. Grade A, first hand experience with this drug.

• Severe Nodular and/or Inflammatory Acne

• Acne Conglobata

• Recalcitrant Acne

Because of significant side effects associated with its use, ACCUTANE should be reserved for patients where the conditions listed above are unresponsive to conventional first line therapies.

ACCUTANE should only be prescribed by physicians knowledgeable in the use of retinoids systemically, who understand the risk of teratogenicity in females of child bearing age and who are experienced in counselling young adults for whom ACCUTANE is generally indicated.

A careful assessment of the patient's mental state should be made, including whether or not they have a history of previous psychiatric illness.

It is strongly recommended that each ACCUTANE prescription be limited to a one-month supply in order to encourage patients to return for follow-up to monitor side-effects."

I used to have cystic acne, anything i tried didn't work, then i  was prescribed Doxycycline and it cleared me up really good.  

"

Because of significant side effects associated with its use, ACCUTANE should be reserved for patients where the conditions listed above are unresponsive to conventional first line therapies.

You post as if every doctor, every time is gonna make the right decision. Fact is bud, they're not. Accutane is extremely commonly supplied to many patients who really shouldn't be on it. The fact that the official guidelines lists the side effects itself as "significant" which in layman's terms means they're severe and likely to happen in many patients should show to you the type of drug which Accutane is. Most doctors and even dermatologists  also treat acne lightly, on a list of priorities acne doesn't feature too highly, because they know deep down that acne will by and large clear up by itself, but they're not allowed to and cannot for financial reasons tell the patient to go away and be patient.

The sole reason why this drug is still on the market is because it is partly successful, but mostly it's because it is extremely profitable. A lesser profitable drug with such adverse side effects would have been removed from the market years ago.

Accutane and Depression:  
 
 
 Even studies that found a link between accutane and depression don't recommend against prescribing acne, instead they advise physicians to be more cautious of the possible side-effects and monitor the patient.  

Isotretinoin and the risk of depression in patients with acne vulgaris: a case-crossover study 

The inter-relationship between isotretinoin/acne and depression 

Although knowledge concerning the dermatological treatment of chronic acne has grown considerably in recent years, relatively few studies have assessed the impact of effective physical intervention upon the psychoemotional functioning of patients. Hypotheses regarding the psychological impact of acne were developed using concepts drawn from evolutionary psychology. A sample of 34 patients (19 men and 15 women) with chronic acne were assessed for psychological, emotional and dermatological symptomatology using a variety of self-report questionnaires over four time-points during 16 weeks treatment with isotretinoin. Thirty-four patients completed the first assessment, 21 the second, 20 the third and 15 the fourth and final assessment. At the first assessment, prior to isotretinoin treatment, 15 patients (44%) reported clinically significant levels of anxiety, while six patients (18%) reported clinically significant depression. Women with acne were significantly more embarrassed than their male counterparts about their skin disease. Treatment with isotretinoin produced significant improvements across a wide variety of psychological functions, although the emotional status of patients appeared to be more resistant to change. Acne appears to be a condition which has the potential to damage, perhaps even in the long term, the emotional functioning of some patients. (1999)

@FourWude 

I use to have bad acne, but I just stopped drinking as much milk and washed my face more and it went away!

When I went to the doctor for my acne the doctor prescribed Clindoxyl and it worked pretty well, also no matter how bad your acne gets your face is still better than this kid 

@FourWude

 said: 
 For a problem which will for most people disappear away with time, you have to make a real decision whether risking the side effects are worth it. 
 
It is important to note that in the second article, the psychological effects of Isotretinoin were not fully realized, thus their conclusion may not hold true today. But, it still brings up the important point that treating Acne is very important because it is not just a self limiting condition it can cause major depression in teenagers and that should be taken into account too.   

"

And this is why I stated in my original post that the studies are still yet inconclusive, simply because many teenagers who have severe acne will feel down and some may feel depressed anyway. What isn't denied by anyone is the very real fact that Accutane in no way, shape or form helps that original state of mind. In fact often the patient will see a deterioration in the mental condition whilst on it. How much of that is Accutane based is still open to studies.

The link with the amount of people who have committed suicide whilst on the drug is ridiculously high for any drug. 

Here's a few facts about the drug, which don't exactly paint it or Roche the company that produces in any good light.

In September 1983, Public Citizen, a national non-profit public interest organization, petitioned the FDA for warning labels because of the high risk of these side effects.

In 1986, Roche changed Accutane’s package insert to indicate that some users reported symptoms of depression.

In 1988, Public Citizen petitioned the FDA for a ban on Accutane.

By 1990, an FDA memo indicated that there had been 11,000 to 13,000 Accutane related abortions and 900 to 1,100 Accutane related birth defects.

In 1996, an FDA document indicated that more than 90 percent of females who were prescribed the drug did not have severe acne.

In 1997, French health authorities required Roche to add a warning to their package insert indicating the possibility of suicide to the list of Accutane’s possible side effects; but Roche did not inform the FDA about this action.

A few months later, the FDA issued a stern warning letter to Roche for failing to submit serious adverse event reports; unbelievably, Roche STILL had not informed the FDA about the French mandated warning about Accutane being a possible cause for suicide.

In 1997, A Roche doctor studies data on depression in Accutane patients, leading him to recommend users be supervised for signs of depression and, if necessary, referred for treatment.

In February 1998, the FDA concluded that Roche had not acted in good faith and recommended “active consideration of removal of Accutane from the market.”

They also advised doctors who prescribed Accutane to closely monitor their patients for signs of depression, and they required bold face warnings to physician package inserts which stated the following: "Psychiatric disorders: Accutane may cause depression, psychosis and, rarely, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and suicide. Discontinuation of Accutane therapy may be insufficient; further evaluation may be necessary. No mechanism of action has been established for these events."

February 1998

Dear Doctor:

Please be advised of important changes to the prescribing information for Accutane (isotretinoin).

The information pertaining to Adverse Experience reports of depression, which has appeared in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the prescribing information, will now also appear in the WARNINGS section. The following revisions will be made:

the WARNINGS section will now begin with the following paragraph in bold type:

"Psychiatric disorders: Accutane may cause depression, psychosis and, rarely, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and suicide. Discontinuation of Accutane therapy may be insufficient; further evaluation may be necessary. No mechanism of action has been established for these events."

the paragraph on depression in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section will become paragraph 5 of that section and will be revised as follows:

"In the post-marketing period, a number of patients treated with Accutane have reported depression, psychosis and, rarely, suicide ideation, suicide attempts and suicide. Of the patients reporting depression, some reported that the depression subsided with discontinuation of therapy and recurred with reinstitution of therapy."

It is important to note that reports of these Adverse Experiences are uncommon but, because of their potential consequences, clinicians should be attentive to any new behavioral signs and symptoms.

Please consult the revised complete product information for Accutane, which is enclosed. If you have any questions about Accutane, we encourage you to call the the toll-free number for Roche Medical Services at 1-800-526-6367. Also, if you are aware of any serious Adverse Experiences potentially associated with the use of Accutane, please report such information to Roche at the above number or to the Food and Drug Administration MedWatch program at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Sincerely,

Russell H. Ellison, M.D.
Vice President
Medical Affairs

Roche Laboratories Inc.
340 Kingsland Street
Nutley, New Jersey 07110-1199

So basically as far as 1998, Roche knew the drug had severe mental side effects, knew full well that discontinuation wouldn't solve the problem and didn't have a fucking clue what to do about it. BRAVO!!

Also quote: 

In November 2004, FDA researcher David Graham testified before Congress that Accutane should be carefully scrutinized to determine whether the drug should continue to be on the market in the United States. Graham describes Accutane as “a 20-year regulatory failure by the FDA.”

And like I've been saying the association with accutane and suicide risk is as yet inconclusive:

If a researcher were to examine the evidence from 2000 until 2005, he or she would likely conclude that there is no evidence linking Accutane with suicide or depression. However, as is often the case, further analysis showed limitations to many of the studies. A general overview published in 2006 by the International Journal of Dermatology noted, "the overall lack of concrete scientific data limits any conclusion that can be drawn about a causal relationship between isotretinoin and psychiatric adverse events."

Then, in 2006, depression-related behavior was shown in mice injected with the drug. While animal studies often do not reflect human models, it was marginally intriguing. But even more provocative was a large cohort case-crossover study published in 2008 by the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, which was the first controlled study to find a correlation between Accutane, suicide and depression, albeit relatively minor.

The bottom line at this point is that we simply do not know if Accutane is linked with suicide and depression, and if so to what degree. Therefore, it is important for anyone taking Accutane to closely monitor their mental health while on the drug. If you find yourself feeling depressed or suicidal, seek help right away.

Wasn't that stuff recalled? If not, it probably will be in the future.