Comments on: Google Chrome – spot treatment is a go – Accutane, suicide & depression

By: Lindsey

Lindsey — Thu, 19 May 2011 03:13:07 +0000

HI Dan,
The Accutane medication is no laughing matter but i believe in most of these cases that the correlation between this drug and depression does not prove causation. I think that most of the people who use acctuane are probably depressed before they actually start the drug and who wouldn’t be? The embarrassment and stares from other people are enough to make anyone uneasy and self-concious about their appearance. Now, im no expert, but most people commit suicide in spring because they feel that even though the weather is nicer they do not feel any better. I think the same thing happens when people use accutane. When people star using this drug they feel as though things will get better relatively quickly not realizing that acctuane takes a long time to work effectively and therefore become depressed because things are not clearing up as quickly as they would’ve hoped. It’s just a theory, but i would be interested to learn more if you do find any more articles.

By: kittenpaw

kittenpaw — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 13:06:47 +0000

Though I was on very low dose -10 mg per day!- I remember being very depressed when I was on Accutane, that was the reason I cut if before due time to end my treatment. But I never curse Accutane, I always praise it for being a miracle on my face, clearing acne and healing red marks higher pigmented post acne skin. I really miss my face when I was on accutane. At that time I was on it, I had such hard time in my personal life with finals and exams, university was so hard also horrible room mates lol. So dunno if any connection with it or just coincidence.

By: Adri

Adri — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 06:07:00 +0000

I am going to start accutane in about a week! I’m actually really excited. The depression suicide thing did worry me for a while and worried my mom, of course, but the book the the dermatoligist gave me to read (iPledge Program) clearly says “If you or a family memember notices changes in behavior, stop taking accutane immediatley and tell your doctor” I mean it can’t get any more simple than that. I’ve also been looking at a lot of research since my dermatologist told me about accutane a month ago and he’s been really helpful as well. It is refreshing to know that there just needs to be more research done. As long as you keep an eye on it there really shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve tried everything already, i’m sick of this acne. I was prescribed bactrim and sulfa based medications, but was severly allergic to them and ended up in the emergency room -.-!, but i’m allergic to most antibiotics so this didn’t surprise me. I can’t wait to start Accutane.

By: Lauren

Lauren — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 17:06:58 +0000

Ive been on accutane twice, once in 2006 for about 5 or 6 months and ive just finished my second lot of treatment!! My face is clear but im really worried that the spots will come back again! I would recommend accutane, it worked well for me the first time and i had no spots for a few years after but then last year i started to get them come back which i think is because I stopped taking the pill (dianette) so my hormones were all over the place..which i think is why the spots came back!! How long does it take for accutane to go out of your system and for the spots to come back…well thats if they do…which hopefully they wont!!!…….fingers crossed they wont.

By: Carly

Carly — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 03:57:58 +0000

Hi Dan,
Thanks for the video! I just wanted to say that I am a student in a Physician Assistant Master’s program and I am currently just starting my third month of Accutane. We all have to write a Master’s paper, of course, in order to earn our degrees and be eligible to take our board exams after graduations, and actually this is the topic I chose a while back! I haven’t really been able to get into the research yet as we have been very busy with classes lately, but I really look forward to seeing what I can find with a very clinical, comprehensive, meta-analysis of articles and studies that have been done regarding the possible connection between isotretinoin and suicide/depression. Thanks so much for such a wonderful site; it really helps a lot of people and I’m sure there are tons more out there that would find it useful if they stumbled upon it!

By: Mally

Mally — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:29:48 +0000

ps. i am associating the dry lips with the accutane. not because of the regimen. thanks

By: Mally

Mally — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:28:20 +0000

well for those considering accutane… BE CAREFUL!!!!!! Do NOT do it unless absolutely necessary. I did it, & now believe my doctor had no business putting me on it. It didn’t work for me, I’ve never been clearer than when using Dan’s Regimen, thank you DAN!!! And also, when on accutane, DO NOT EVER TOUCH YOUR FACE… I did & have been left with scars. They are raised scars, like keloids, little roundish bumps of skin on my face that I’ve treated with microdermabrasion to make them “lesser” or try to make them go away.(you know the type of scar you get if someone sliced you with a razor, and the skin heals up but is raised?) Only accutane if you have serious acne, I didn’t, mine was mild & has been “cured” using dan’s Regimen. Yes I wanted to quit the regimen the first week or two, you will probably want to quit but push through, your face will eventually get used to it & won’t burn so bad. i also have very dry lips all the time.. ALL THE TIME. have to put on lipblam constantly.

By: Medusagorgonia

Medusagorgonia — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:54:58 +0000

(Ro)Acctune caused me to get so depressed I had to stop taking it.Even though it was working on my skin I couldn’t take how depressed it was making me feel

By: Siava

Siava — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:44:34 +0000

Thank you for covering research and studies. I don’t think enough folks research enough before starting any kind of regimen whether it’s topical or oral. Even a little research is not enough. A day’s worth of reading doesn’t cut it. As a post-industrial society, we want answers and results now now now. Patience is a virtue though. Read up as much as you can, the good and the bad, and then weigh the risks (because there are risks with everything). Anyway, thanks again for this log.

By: Caitline

Caitline — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 03:10:45 +0000

I think its pretty much accepted there is some sort of link, as my doc spent ages talking to me about it and my mental health history before he would consider letting me take the drug. Also depression is listed as one of the side effects in the info leaflet . . . . although that could just be a precaution. I got my Mum to ask her friend (who is a psycologist) about and she said she thought there was a link, and people she had seen both taking roaccutane and with depression had depression really badly. . . so take care guys xx

By: Erica

Erica — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 04:24:47 +0000

Currently on my 6th week of Accutane. I think the whole depression I feel comes from the fact that my face broke out 10 times worse than what I started out with on Accutane. THAT is embarrassing and making me just want to shut myself in my house and not go anywhere. Then on top of the break-outs you have flaky dried-out skin. My skin is a total mess–and painful. That in itself causes depression. Hope this stuff works soon.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:59:28 +0000

Hi there from Germany,

I took Accutane for YEARS and I recommend not using it unless you have severe acne. The massive side effects did not weigh up the good effects. So Daniel, if you want (need) some information from a Accutane-Veteran, feel free contacting me. I don’t get it anyway why you want to get on accutane if your treatment works so well.

I am currently doing the megadose vitamin B5 treatment, with great success so far.

Thomas.

By: Timothy

Timothy — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 23:21:47 +0000

Yay, Im happy to hear that the spot treatment is going to be made.

I can’t wait. Thanks for the update Daniel.

By: erik

erik — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:59:29 +0000

first, glad you’re going thru with the spot treatment.

i always wondered about accutane- the reports (and cost) always scared me off but i always wondered why you would get depressed if it was clearing your skin. i could see being depressed from acne itself but if your skin was getting better?? weird.

By: Tia

Tia — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 02:30:00 +0000

I’m new to the site…very new actually…I think its great by the way…I was on accutane for 9 months. The dermatologist took me off of it because my reaction was so severe, physically and mentally. I don’t have a history of low self esteem, depression (or any other mental illness for that matter), or a family history of mental instability. The accutane cleared up my skin, absolutely. It also made me feel so bad on some days I didn’t want to get out of bed. I stayed home from class. I never left my room. It got so bad that my mom insisted that I be taken off the medication (I was only 17). Even then the derm said that it was nothing to worry about. On top of the very deep bout of depression my eyebrows fell out, my hair thinned, my nose and lips bled if I so much as touched them, my potassium levels skyrocketed. Was it worth it? No. Studies certainly try to pin suicides on a pre-disposed condition. “They had tendencies even before the medication…” BLAH BLAH BLAH. If accutane can drive a mentally stable person to not leaving their room for days and days, imagine what it would do to someone with the slightest insecurity or instability.