16 replies to this topic

[Zitophobe]

I have suffered from clinical depression for several years. My derm has just prescribed Roaccutane and I'm terrified!

Has anyone else taken it with a history of depression?

Does this potential side effect wear off after stopping the drug, or will it continue?

I'm so scared of getting worse, but my acne is bad and I've tried everything else. What should I do?!

Thanks xxx

[-lxl-]

are u depressed about ur acne? or is it something else?
if acne is the case, i think accutane will probably help

[bluray]

Well. You may have clinical depression, but that doesnt mean that the drug will cause depression with you or make your depression any worse.

Don't take my advice though, I'm no expert. Why haven't you mentioned this to your derm? Discuss it with him/her.

[Wynne]

I have had clinical depression since I was 12 years old. I took Accutane at 29 with no ill-effects whatsoever, mental-wise. My mood actually improved as my skin cleared.

My doc said that there's a higher risk of depression for those who don't get their acne treated with Accutane when it's needed. He's not my derm, however, but my derm is also of the same opinion. As am I.

My depression was very severe. I was psychotic at one point. I took anti-depressant medication while I took Accutane and had slight liver enzyme elevations and triglyceride elevations due to both medications. But I do eat a healthier diet now than I did then, so I think my elevations would not be as bad now as then if I were to do Accutane again.

I had to stop Accutane as I injured my knee and then had to have surgery on it, so I did not finish the course. Stopping Accutane was not fun and I was not happy about that at all. It worked SO well for me and I still stayed clear for years after that one partial course.

The final decision is up to you. Did your derm know you have a clinical depression when s/he wrote the prescription? If so, then he/she did not think it was a huge risk, and really it is not as high a risk as the media hypes it to be. Monitor yourself very closely and also ask your friends and family to monitor you for signs of exacerbated depression. Then contact your doc for a possible increase of anti-depressant, or decrease of Accutane.

My doc also told me that a long term treatment, low dose, of Accutane is as effective as a shorter one with higher dosages as long as the cumulative dose meets what's recommended. He says those dosages are better for people like me. My dermatologist (10 years ago) was not even a bit concerned about the depression as she knew skin problems can cause depression anyway.

[Zitophobe]

Thanks for your replies.

Bluray - I did tell my derm and she's going to consult with my psychiatrist to get his opinion. She was very unhelpful, unsympathetic and unwilling to give me any time to ask questions - that's the UK's NHS for you (I can't afford to go private and have been waiting for 2yrs).

She barely told me anything, just said to go for blood tests and come back in 6 weeks. I only know what I have found on the internet, and it's pretty scary for someone like me who self-harms and has been suicidal in the past (I'm 28 and have suffered from acne since I was 12)

Thanks Wynne, your post is reassuring. I wish you well and hope that your depression and acne are greatly improved. Hugs.

It's hard to say whether the acne is causing the depression - it's certainly not the only factor, but it has ruined my self-esteem and that gets me down.

Thanks all xxx

[Wynne]

My acne definitely did not cause my depression, but it is amazing what a mood-lifter a clear skin is.

The right medications for your depression will help greatly, too, plus regular physical exercise to get those endorphins going. THAT helps a LOT. It doesn't have to be a lot, even a brisk walk around a shopping center or around your neighborhood (if it is safe) is a great bit of gentle exercise.

Good luck!

PS: Oh, yes! My depression is very well treated right now and has been in remission for more than four and a half to five years now. My acne is far better thanks to this website. I wish you the same.

[Zitophobe]

Glad to hear that Wynne, that's great. I wouldn't wish depression on my worst enemy. Still wading through the different antideps trying to find one that helps. Thanks for your advice, I exercise as much as I can, but suffer from M.E which limits me a lot physically.

Thank you for taking the time to reply xxx

[Dionysus]

Their is ZERO evidence that suggests accutane can cause or worsen depression.

The only reason that accutane comes with a Depression warning is that their were a couple of high profile cases. Where teens had killed themselves while taking accutane (one was the son of a a U.S congressman) Which led to the conclusion by the U.S congress that accutane was related to depression.

[Zitophobe]

What about the low-profile cases though? There are hundreds, even thousands of people reporting psychiatric disturbances with no previous history. Even my derm admitted she'd treated people who had gone on to develop severe depression for no other apparent reason.

When you've been at absolute rock-bottom, the thought of taking something with even a slight risk of contributing is pretty scary.

[Wynne]

What about the low-profile cases though? There are hundreds, even thousands of people reporting psychiatric disturbances with no previous history. Even my derm admitted she'd treated people who had gone on to develop severe depression for no other apparent reason.

When you've been at absolute rock-bottom, the thought of taking something with even a slight risk of contributing is pretty scary.

Truthfully it is scary to think of something possibly worsening our depression. But...I was on Accutane 80mg a day and had no increased depressive symptoms whatsoever. Most of the correlations between Accutane and depression are NOT direct correlations and increased depression cannot be directly attributed to Accutane. Most of the time, those who develop depression while on Accutane are at the age when a depression will first occur. In those cases, I believe the depression would have occurred regardless of Accutane therapy. I had no previous history when I developed depression. It just suddenly happened. And the Accutane many years later had zilch mental effect.

I do think part of it is a placebo effect. If one thinks one is going to have mental problems, one will. I have read of people on these boards who develop side effects from Accutane after their very first pill. That is not possible physically; they've given themselves the side effects via the placebo effect. The placebo effect can work two ways, for bad or good.

When I started Accutane I was determined I'd have minimal side effects (and yes, I'm a nurse, too!) and maximum benefits. So...even without a full course, I stayed clear. The mind is amazing in what it can do; I've seen things in my everyday work that raise chills up and down my spine and raise goosebumps all over my arms. People can think themselves better to a certain extent and they can definitely think themselves worse.

[kluxy]

Actually I second the notion that accutane causes a difference in mood. My skin is finally beginning to clear up but I've been in the pits for the past little while. I suffered from depression before accutane and have been on meds for a while now but my mood hasn't come so far as me being really happy for awhile now.

Hopefully it's all in my head or something but I just find myself feeling glum for a long period and then later attribute it with Accutane, not the other way around.

[Addie]

I'm bipolar, but swing heavily towards the depressive end of the spectrum.

My psychiatrist said he'd be "reluctant to recommend" I ever try Accutane. And I might be a tad more reluctant than him. Although, I already have a track-record of being hypersensitive to any sort of med changes whatsover. (Psychotic depression when any med even thinks about looking funny at one of my neurotransmitters.)

Accutane's risk is probably insignificant given all the other, already stated, factors, but it's still a little creepy. Personally, I'd rather have a pussy, bloody cyst growing out of every pore on my body (seriously) than risk revisiting some of the places I've been. Acne also doesn't figure into my depression as much as it seems to for a lot of people out there . . .

I'd say don't do it if you know you're especially vulnerable to depression due to med changes, and otherwise, just do it very cautiously. Ideally, it'd be nice if you're derm would get on board about your brain, too . . .

[Wynne]

^ Yes, I do totally agree there. If you have a tendency to react to any type of medication changes, it would be better not to risk Accutane.

For me, personally it was so worth it (as I had minimal side effects at all besides dry lips even in the middle of winter) and I'll be asking for Accutane at the end of this month. I might not get it, but I'm asking.

[WackyJacki]

I have suffered from anxiety/depression for about 10 yrs now (I'm 23), and have been on many different antidepressant/antianxiety meds. I have now been on Accutane for a little over 2 weeks. My depression is really not related to my acne, although having acne certainly doesn't help!

I'm glad I've decided to go on it, as I am already seeing positive results. Just make sure you are monitored closely. The chances of your depression worsening from Accutane are very, very slim (if it's even possible at all, which is debatable).

I also strongly agree with the above post regarding the placebo effect. If you convince yourself you're going to go into a state of depression from Accutane, you probably will. The mind is a VERY powerful thing!

God bless.

[Zitophobe]

Thanks for all your input, I've had zero support from the medics so it's nice to feel not so alone.

I have suffered from anxiety/depression for about 10 yrs now (I'm 23), and have been on many different antidepressant/antianxiety meds. I have now been on Accutane for a little over 2 weeks. My depression is really not related to my acne, although having acne certainly doesn't help!

I'm glad I've decided to go on it, as I am already seeing positive results. Just make sure you are monitored closely. The chances of your depression worsening from Accutane are very, very slim (if it's even possible at all, which is debatable).

I also strongly agree with the above post regarding the placebo effect. If you convince yourself you're going to go into a state of depression from Accutane, you probably will. The mind is a VERY powerful thing!

God bless.

So glad it's helping you WackyJacki, hope it continues to go well with minimal side effects. I totally agree about the placebo effect and will be doing lots of positive self-talk if I decide to try it

Take care all and good luck on your journeys xxx

[mx123]

Before I started accutane, I was a mess to be honest. I was depressed and suicidal, and had absolutely no self-esteem at all (which also gave me social anxiety), I remember at my initial consultation I couldn't even look the derm in the face. I sat there feeling ashamed and worthless, staring at the floor. He had to tell me to look up so he could actually look at my acne.

Once I started accutane, I started to feel better. In a few months I would be clear. I didn't care about my acne, I started to get more confidence and self-esteem.

However, I was wrong, a few months later I finished accutane and my acne was still as bad as ever. It took a while for it to sink in that it hadn't worked, and all I had was false hope. When it did sink in, I did become kind of depressed again.

However, I've got over it now. I feel like even though I'm not clear, the experience has made me a stronger person, and shown me that I can be more confident and happy, even without clear skin.

[Cubsin2100]

I'm in a similar boat as the poster before me... for a while, I was worried that the accutane had caused the depression I was feeling. But now after looking into it, I read numerous sources which said that the accutane depression link may be more correlational than causation. I mean, come on, kids with acne are going to be more depressed. Ill look for the link, but I found one source which said that individuals on accutane had a lower rate of suicide than the general public...