Accutane side effects
and a safer alternative

"In December 1997, Seumas Todd, the 20-year-old son of the actor Richard, killed himself with a shotgun. In 1998 an 18-year-old sixth-former, David Bebby, jumped from a multistorey car park in Newport, Gwent, and a 20-year-old Dublin student, Liam Grant, hanged himself from a tree.

In 2000 a young married woman, Susan Johnson, stood in the path of a high-speed train on the London-Plymouth railway line.

In New Zealand, a 19-year-old student, Hugo Wilkinson, cheerfully waved from a window as his father went out to a rugby match, then returned to his room and killed himself.

In the United States, the 18-year-old son of Congressman Bart Stupak of Michigan, a popular college football player, shot himself after a prom-night party. Later the same year, a congressional committee heard how two other normal, healthy teenagers, Daniel Baumann, 15, of Illinois, and Clay Jackson, 17, of Texas, had suddenly decided to end their own lives, and how another, 14-year-old Amanda Callais, had taken an overdose but had been saved by her mother. On his website, Congressman Stupak drew attention to a total of 54 suicides in the US between 1998 and 2000."

Richard Girling
Scarred for life: Does the drug that cures acne have devastating side effects?Sunday Times: June 30, 2002

Do you know the thread that binds all those suicides together?

Accutane.

I know that there is no absolute proof that Accutane caused those suicides. Yet, you can't deny the facts:

• Roaccutane Action Group lists over 20 studies on their website linking isotretinoin (Accutane) with psychosis.
• A study compared the incidences of depression in patients on Accutane and 5 other commonly used acne medicines. Conclusion: Accutane is 900 times more likely to cause depression.
• Compared with all drugs in the AERS (FDA's Adverse Effect Reporting System) database to June 2000, isotretinoin (Accutane) ranked number 4 and 5 in number of reports of depression and serious depression, respectively, and 10th in number of reports of suicide attempt.

I also find it interesting that Accutane was initially meant as a chemotherapy drug - and it's still used for that. Only later on they found that it cures acne also. What do we know about chemotherapy drugs?

They are heinous poisons.

Side effects of Accutane

This is from the FDA's medication guide for Accutane(PDF):

• Accutane can cause birth defects (deformed babies), loss of a baby before birth (miscarriage), death of the baby, and early (premature) births.
• Accutane may cause serious mental health problems (depression, psychosis, suicide)
• Stomach area (abdomen) problems. Certain symptoms may mean that your internal organs are being damaged. These organs include the liver, pancreas, bowel (intestines), and esophagus (connection between mouth and stomach). If your organs are damaged, they may not get better even after you stop taking Accutane.
• Bone and muscle problems. Accutane may affect bones, muscles, and ligaments and cause pain in your joints or muscles.
• Hearing problems. Your hearing loss may be permanent.
• Vision problems. Accutane may affect your ability to see in the dark. This condition usually clears up after you stop taking Accutane, but it may be permanent. Other serious eye effects can occur. If you wear contact lenses, you may have trouble wearing them while taking Accutane and after treatment.
• Lipid (fats and cholesterol in blood) problems. Accutane can raise the level of fats and cholesterol in your blood. This can be a serious problem.
• Serious allergic reactions.
• Blood sugar problems. Accutane may cause blood sugar problems including diabetes. (how blood sugar problems lead to acne)
• Decreased red and white blood cells. Call your doctor if you have trouble breathing, faint, or feel weak.
• Accutane may damage the digestive system and, for example cause, ulcerative colitis.
• Accutane may create blood clots that obstruct blood flow and may lead to heart attacks.

Common, less serious side-effects of Accutane include:

• Dry skin
• Chapped lips
• Dry eyes
• Drying of nose and nose bleeding
• Hairloss
• Red eyes
• Eye irritation and itching
• Pain of the lips
• Skin infections
• Joint pain
• Rash
• Sun sensitivity
• Abnormal peeling of skin
• Low energy
• Headache
• Stomach cramps

Source: WebMD Accutane side effects.

I find it particularly worrying that Accutane may damage the liver and the colon. These two organs play a keyrole in both causing acne and getting rid of it. Any damage to these organs may seriously hinder your possibilities of getting clear naturally.

Putting the danger into perspective

I don't want to sound too gloomy here. You wanted to know about the dangers of Accutane. I reported the facts I found.

Now, let's put it all into perspective.

There is a reason Accutane is called a Miracle Drug for acne. It usually works when everything else fails. And it works for most people.

Yes, Accutane may lead to suicides and depression.

But so does severe acne. Disfigured face is enough to drive many people into depths of depression and suicide.

As the derms often argue; on the balance sheet of tragedy, Accutane produces the least awful bottom line - it saves more lives than it costs.

And that's a fact.

If there were now alternatives to Accutane most people would probably accept those risk. And if Accutane would permanently cure acne. Unfortunately this is not the case. Many acne victims find their newfound freedom much too temporary. In some cases acne returns within 6 months of finishing the treatment.

Let me ask you a question.

If there were an alternative that is:

• Cheaper
• Safer
• More effective
• Faster

Wouldn't you want to know about it and try it before risking Accutane?

Well, there is and if you let me, I'll share it with you for free.

Back to Natural Acne Solution home page Accutane page



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