Im sorry for the way you feel. I know how you feel, and all other cliches. (but cliches are only cliches cos they're true!!)

But how do you know you got like this cos of accutane? Maybe it just gave you something to blame it on. Anxiety ISNT one of the side effects of accutance. A side effect of acne sure, but not accuatane.

 

 

anxiety IS an effect of accutane. please see link below. Please don't post up information that isn't well researched.

 

http://biopsychiatry.com/serotonin/isotretinoin.html

 

or read the article here.

 

Depression Reflects A Genetic Trait:

Serotonin Study

New research has found that a drug used to treat severe forms of acne reduces the availability of the chemical serotonin, low levels of which have been linked to aggression and clinical depression.

 

In a study published in the journal Experimental Biology and Medicine, scientists reveal a potential mechanism that might link the drug Roaccutane (Accutane in the US) to reported cases of depression in some patients taking the medication.

 

The researchers had previously reported that the drug caused depressive behaviour in mice but, until now, the mechanism by which this might happen was unknown.

 

Using cells cultured in a laboratory, scientists from the University of Bath (UK) and University of Texas at Austin (USA) were able to monitor the effect of the drug on the chemistry of the cells that produce serotonin.

 

They found that the cells significantly increased production of proteins and cell metabolites that are known to reduce the availability of serotonin.

 

This, says scientists, could disrupt the process by which serotonin relays signals between neurons in the brain and may be the cause of depression-related behaviour.

 

Serotonin is an important chemical that relays signals from nerve cells to other cells in the body, said Dr Sarah Bailey from the Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology at the University of Bath.

 

In the brain it is thought to play an important role in the regulation of a range of behaviours, such as aggression, anger and sleep. Low levels of serotonin have been linked to depression, as well as bipolar and anxiety disorders.

 

Many medications aimed at treating depression seek to increase levels of serotonin to help overcome these problems," continued Dr Bailey. Our findings suggest that Roaccutane might disrupt the way serotonin is produced and made available to the cells.

 

This could result in problems associated with low levels of serotonin, which might include depression. We are currently looking into this mechanism in more detail.

 

 

 

Lol im a psych major and yes Anxiety is Listed as a Side effect of Accutane. But the thing your missing is the fact that people who tend to need Accutane are people with severe acne which also tends to be people with self confidence issues. It is pretty obvious why anxiety problems appear with Accutane users because the users generally have a history of social problems and lack of self belief. The guy above ya did not research it but in essence he is not completely wrong.

 

Please do not think that one conclusion cannot have many different paths and variables.

 

Even I cannot say that I am 100% sure in my analysis but there is nothing wrong in giving different points of advice.

 

If you tell this person that it is the Accutane DRUG that affected her then she will think that she must take another drug to reverse the affect instead of finding a more natural solution.

 

For things like confidence yourself, i find it highly idiotic to take drugs to get over being a recluse and being more social.

 

 

Psych major???? you are gonna fail buddy...!

Very kind of you to say you are not 100% sure in your analysis? Nothing like being glib and cocky eh?

I took the drug and was the happiest person in the world,I was a top sportsman with a brilliant family and life,hell I did'nt even care that I had Mild acne....I was a Guinea pig for the derm(in his own words) since then,and that's 23 years I have suffered from all anxieties.I have just come home from a Christmas party early because the place was filling up with people? I can't go on trains,buses,planes without massive anxiety attacks,I can't go into crowds or concerts etc. THE DRUG ACCUTANE messed my life.I'm not a Psych Major but I know a little bit more than you buddy,because like other sufferers, wev'e no reason to lie about something that curtails and runs our lives....

regards

 

Millsy

 

 

 

How can i fail when i already graduated =P

 

Milsy your the kind of people who given a placebo would react in accordance to whatever I said would happen. Im sorry that your not looking at your problem in different ways but constantly emphasizing the drugs. I truly am sorry and wish you best

 

I think you miss the point, When I say you will fail,I mean in your life because if you cannot see that things REALLY do happen to REAL people you have already failed sorry...! You beleive you are right already...that's called ego..

I have seen,and know of friends who have seen eminent Psychotherapists and psycho analysts,I myself saw specialist Psychiatrists who could not rule out accutane for causing my problems. They tend to have a little more expeience than you my friend. As a suggestion and it's only a suggestion,(I work in law enforcement). We were taught and have on going training to look 'outside the box' because with everything you read nowadays,it might not be set in stone.....?

I implore you to look outside the box now and again,because somebody else might know a little bit more about their body than you do? Please don't think that i'm patronising you, it needs someone to point things out once in a while.I'm 43 and still learning.!!

maybe its because of accutane, and maybe its not. hwo do we ever know for sure??? perhaps you do know from your direct experiance, but double check your reasoning as you would only suffer to come to a conclusion of false knowledge, or false certainty.

I recommend getting more darkness,deeper sleep at night and meditating. Also exercise a bit more, it relieves anxiety and depression more effectively then any drugs.

Im sorry for the way you feel. I know how you feel, and all other cliches. (but cliches are only cliches cos they're true!!)

But how do you know you got like this cos of accutane? Maybe it just gave you something to blame it on. Anxiety ISNT one of the side effects of accutance. A side effect of acne sure, but not accuatane.

 

 

anxiety IS an effect of accutane. please see link below. Please don't post up information that isn't well researched.

 

http://biopsychiatry.com/serotonin/isotretinoin.html

 

or read the article here.

 

Depression Reflects A Genetic Trait:

Serotonin Study

New research has found that a drug used to treat severe forms of acne reduces the availability of the chemical serotonin, low levels of which have been linked to aggression and clinical depression.

 

In a study published in the journal Experimental Biology and Medicine, scientists reveal a potential mechanism that might link the drug Roaccutane (Accutane in the US) to reported cases of depression in some patients taking the medication.

 

The researchers had previously reported that the drug caused depressive behaviour in mice but, until now, the mechanism by which this might happen was unknown.

 

Using cells cultured in a laboratory, scientists from the University of Bath (UK) and University of Texas at Austin (USA) were able to monitor the effect of the drug on the chemistry of the cells that produce serotonin.

 

They found that the cells significantly increased production of proteins and cell metabolites that are known to reduce the availability of serotonin.

 

This, says scientists, could disrupt the process by which serotonin relays signals between neurons in the brain and may be the cause of depression-related behaviour.

 

Serotonin is an important chemical that relays signals from nerve cells to other cells in the body, said Dr Sarah Bailey from the Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology at the University of Bath.

 

In the brain it is thought to play an important role in the regulation of a range of behaviours, such as aggression, anger and sleep. Low levels of serotonin have been linked to depression, as well as bipolar and anxiety disorders.

 

Many medications aimed at treating depression seek to increase levels of serotonin to help overcome these problems," continued Dr Bailey. Our findings suggest that Roaccutane might disrupt the way serotonin is produced and made available to the cells.

 

This could result in problems associated with low levels of serotonin, which might include depression. We are currently looking into this mechanism in more detail.

 

 

 

Lol im a psych major and yes Anxiety is Listed as a Side effect of Accutane. But the thing your missing is the fact that people who tend to need Accutane are people with severe acne which also tends to be people with self confidence issues. It is pretty obvious why anxiety problems appear with Accutane users because the users generally have a history of social problems and lack of self belief. The guy above ya did not research it but in essence he is not completely wrong.

 

Please do not think that one conclusion cannot have many different paths and variables.

 

Even I cannot say that I am 100% sure in my analysis but there is nothing wrong in giving different points of advice.

 

If you tell this person that it is the Accutane DRUG that affected her then she will think that she must take another drug to reverse the affect instead of finding a more natural solution.

 

For things like confidence yourself, i find it highly idiotic to take drugs to get over being a recluse and being more social.

 

 

Psych major???? you are gonna fail buddy...!

Very kind of you to say you are not 100% sure in your analysis? Nothing like being glib and cocky eh?

I took the drug and was the happiest person in the world,I was a top sportsman with a brilliant family and life,hell I did'nt even care that I had Mild acne....I was a Guinea pig for the derm(in his own words) since then,and that's 23 years I have suffered from all anxieties.I have just come home from a Christmas party early because the place was filling up with people? I can't go on trains,buses,planes without massive anxiety attacks,I can't go into crowds or concerts etc. THE DRUG ACCUTANE messed my life.I'm not a Psych Major but I know a little bit more than you buddy,because like other sufferers, wev'e no reason to lie about something that curtails and runs our lives....

regards

 

Millsy

 

 

 

How can i fail when i already graduated =P

 

Milsy your the kind of people who given a placebo would react in accordance to whatever I said would happen. Im sorry that your not looking at your problem in different ways but constantly emphasizing the drugs. I truly am sorry and wish you best

 

I think you miss the point, When I say you will fail,I mean in your life because if you cannot see that things REALLY do happen to REAL people you have already failed sorry...! You beleive you are right already...that's called ego..

I have seen,and know of friends who have seen eminent Psychotherapists and psycho analysts,I myself saw specialist Psychiatrists who could not rule out accutane for causing my problems. They tend to have a little more expeience than you my friend. As a suggestion and it's only a suggestion,(I work in law enforcement). We were taught and have on going training to look 'outside the box' because with everything you read nowadays,it might not be set in stone.....?

I implore you to look outside the box now and again,because somebody else might know a little bit more about their body than you do? Please don't think that i'm patronising you, it needs someone to point things out once in a while.I'm 43 and still learning.!!

 

Actually, sunaah is right... when somebody goes on Accutane and something changes by the time they get off, that DOESN'T mean that Accutane caused it. There are so many factors that go into it that you can't just blame the drug.

I speak from personal experience... I had social anxiety disorder BEFORE my acne came along...so it couldn't have been caused by Accutane could it? And also, get this, I DIDN'T take anti-depressants or anxiety medication and I turned out just fine! Crazy!

Look, Accutane has possible side effects (like any other drug), the only difference is that the possible side effects happen to be serious. That doesn't mean that if one of those things happens WHILE on Accutane, then the drug caused it.

Also, sunaah brought up a good point earlier about how it's no surprise that social disorders arise in Accutane users, considering they have a long history of them...How can I put this, most people (I'd imagine) who have severe acne, have some sort of social disorder. Lack of self worth, confidence, depression, you name it. Once you have one of those you're predisposed to them the rest of your life... if they happen to pop up again while on Accutane, well then that doesn't mean they were CAUSED by Accutane.

And thus, this ends my rant.

Good post sunaah..

I am thankful that Accutane has gotten rid of my acne and kept me clear for about 5 months now after accutane. Although the oil has come back, I am not breaking out at all.

 

I am now however, dealing with a bigger problem:

 

I've got Claustrophobia, Agoraphobia, and I guess you can also say social anxiety now. Accutane has really stuffed up my head. I started having all these symptoms about 2 weeks before I finished accutane, and continue to suffer even after 5-6 months now.

 

I can't finish high school because of this..

 

Because of this, I can't even go to school and finish high school. I'm 16 years old, and dropped out after year 10.

 

The reason I can't go back to school is agoraphobia. Fear of crowds, that I blame on accutane since anxiety is one of the side effects. I can't last too long in a classroom, especially if it's squashed up and it's hard to get out. I just feel like my mouth is dry, I find it really hard to swallow, I feel like I'm suffocating, and I just get really anxious thinking of "If I start to feel sick, how am I supposed to get out? It's so squashy", etc. These symptoms are just so bad that I just have to get out. After getting out, I feel alot better. My heart stops beating fast, and I can breathe better.

 

Basically, those symptoms I explained above, I experience them in alot of situations, mainly social settings and crowded environments, for example, I can definitely see myself not lasting in a concert.

 

I have anxiety when I'm travelling too, especially before I get on transport, eg. train, airplane, car, etc.

 

There's alot more to it than just that, but that's all I feel like typing.

 

Anyone know what I can do??

 

This has never happened to me before accutane. I would have no problem in classroom environments, assemblies, concerts, etc. those types of settings that now make me feel anxious.

 

I am getting help from a Psychologist, but it doesn't seem to be helping. I am taking Saint John's Wart, a nerve calmer, but haven't noticed any effect.

 

 

Is anyone facing something similar? If so, maybe we can talk through PM or something.

 

Any advice, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

 

I just want to be normal again.

Hi skribby I hope I can help you out a little bit...I sympathize with you because I've been through something similar in the past.

In 11th grade or so I got hit with a pretty bad case of social anxiety, I remember sweating in class and never being to talk to people... I rarely would eat lunch in the cafeteria because I was scared people would make fun of me or something weird (and I didn't even have acne back then)

What really helped me was: finding my own special hobby (playing drums) and exercising... it really gave me a sense of self worth and by 12th grade I was a different and more confident individual. And I got through it without rx medication from psychs. (No offense to anyone on them, I just think that anti-anxiety meds should be a last resort.)

Also, I hope you'll take a while to look at yourself and reflect who you really are.. hopefully you can be proud of who you are and build on it. If you're not proud of yourself, find out what you don't like, and change it. If you want to gain your confidence back, do things that help you do that!

You say that the St. Johns Wart isn't helping much.. this sounds weird but try and pretend that it IS helping, just for a couple of weeks or so. Convince yourself that it's working. I read a study that compared RX anti-depressants to st. john's wart in a double blind study, and the st. john's wart actually had a higher recovery number in certain cases. Mainly because of the placebo effect... so hopefully you can at least try that.

Next, have you tried to find a psychiatrist? I know your current psych. doesn't think you're severe enough to refer you, but you can try and find one on your own who's accepting new patients.

So...keep your head and seriously try to get help (either from yourself or from professionals)

I am thankful that Accutane has gotten rid of my acne and kept me clear for about 5 months now after accutane. Although the oil has come back, I am not breaking out at all.

 

I am now however, dealing with a bigger problem:

 

I've got Claustrophobia, Agoraphobia, and I guess you can also say social anxiety now. Accutane has really stuffed up my head. I started having all these symptoms about 2 weeks before I finished accutane, and continue to suffer even after 5-6 months now.

 

I can't finish high school because of this..

 

Because of this, I can't even go to school and finish high school. I'm 16 years old, and dropped out after year 10.

 

The reason I can't go back to school is agoraphobia. Fear of crowds, that I blame on accutane since anxiety is one of the side effects. I can't last too long in a classroom, especially if it's squashed up and it's hard to get out. I just feel like my mouth is dry, I find it really hard to swallow, I feel like I'm suffocating, and I just get really anxious thinking of "If I start to feel sick, how am I supposed to get out? It's so squashy", etc. These symptoms are just so bad that I just have to get out. After getting out, I feel alot better. My heart stops beating fast, and I can breathe better.

 

Basically, those symptoms I explained above, I experience them in alot of situations, mainly social settings and crowded environments, for example, I can definitely see myself not lasting in a concert.

 

I have anxiety when I'm travelling too, especially before I get on transport, eg. train, airplane, car, etc.

 

There's alot more to it than just that, but that's all I feel like typing.

 

Anyone know what I can do??

 

This has never happened to me before accutane. I would have no problem in classroom environments, assemblies, concerts, etc. those types of settings that now make me feel anxious.

 

I am getting help from a Psychologist, but it doesn't seem to be helping. I am taking Saint John's Wart, a nerve calmer, but haven't noticed any effect.

 

 

Is anyone facing something similar? If so, maybe we can talk through PM or something.

 

Any advice, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

 

I just want to be normal again.

 

Hi skribby I hope I can help you out a little bit...I sympathize with you because I've been through something similar in the past.

 

In 11th grade or so I got hit with a pretty bad case of social anxiety, I remember sweating in class and never being to talk to people... I rarely would eat lunch in the cafeteria because I was scared people would make fun of me or something weird (and I didn't even have acne back then)

 

What really helped me was: finding my own special hobby (playing drums) and exercising... it really gave me a sense of self worth and by 12th grade I was a different and more confident individual. And I got through it without rx medication from psychs. (No offense to anyone on them, I just think that anti-anxiety meds should be a last resort.)

 

Also, I hope you'll take a while to look at yourself and reflect who you really are.. hopefully you can be proud of who you are and build on it. If you're not proud of yourself, find out what you don't like, and change it. If you want to gain your confidence back, do things that help you do that!

 

You say that the St. Johns Wart isn't helping much.. this sounds weird but try and pretend that it IS helping, just for a couple of weeks or so. Convince yourself that it's working. I read a study that compared RX anti-depressants to st. john's wart in a double blind study, and the st. john's wart actually had a higher recovery number in certain cases. Mainly because of the placebo effect... so hopefully you can at least try that.

 

Next, have you tried to find a psychiatrist? I know your current psych. doesn't think you're severe enough to refer you, but you can try and find one on your own who's accepting new patients.

 

So...keep your head and seriously try to get help (either from yourself or from professionals)

 

Greeneyes

If you read my posts properly you will see that I had very mild acne,which didn't concern me whatsoever,I was a very happy,funny,boistrous teenager who thought that because a derm knew better than me. My confidence was always very high and there was nothing I wouldn't do or try,I did parachute jumps,motorcross,boxing etc.......

After the drug I couldn't walk into a shop,watch a show,walk into a crowd,get on a train,plane,boat....???

WHY........................................???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Sounds a bit more than coincidence,especially when you read the others that have suffered.

regards

Millsy

ACtually.........Accutane cn cause depression.......Depression and anxiety Come together a lot of times.....so try to get a treatment for depression instead of anxiety.........im workin on my medical degree and ive had a lot of anxiety attacks just to find out it was depression related when i got put in in-patient at the phyc ward

I am curious to know how anyone can, not only advise others on something that they probably never experienced themselves, but to also judge. I never really knew what an anxiety attack was when I had one about six years ago. It is when I got to the hospital that doctors told me that I was having an anxiety attack. Depression and anxiety is REAL. I did not conjure it up because I heard about it. It is the worst feeling in the world and the more you try to mentally control it on your own the more out of control it feels. It is a true chemical imbalance that medicine can help. You can't just get over it by going to the gym. It took me months before I finally admitted that I needed some help but I was so frantic about going crazy that I could not relax long enough to even listen to a therapist, let alone sit to "meditate." I've learned that you should never judge others, especially when you have no idea what the heck you are talking about.

jesus

you are way too young to be having these kinds of problems

K shoot me down for all its worth but I strongly say: It's all in your head!

 

Accutane didnt give you this fear you did. You were told of the side effects and knew what "could" happen etc etc. Small instances occurred in which "justified" the fear more and more. Perhaps, your using Accutane as an excuse, a crutch, to blame it on for your social problems etc. Im a humanist believer and I say that only you can solve this problem. No medication can give you confidence. Do not take the BS cuz then your just digging a deeper hole and you have to live on meds for the rest of your life.

 

So throw away the dam crutches of medication and blame and believe in yourself.

 

Just take a moment and think about who you are and your true potential.

 

Remember, it's all in your head.

 

Heck, people get Agrophobia and claustrophobia for a wide variety of reasons. Hereditary, childhood experience, etc. I'll bet its not the Accutane but its just you.

 

If you have a problem its up to You to fix it.

 

Be strong and dont let these BS psyches and pharmacists take your money and milk ya. Cuz sadly that is like being on life support cuz you cant live without em and you tend to NEED them.

 

Instead, talk to your closest friend, a lover, a mother, father, brother, or sister. What you need is a knight in shining armor to help you escape from your distress.

you're wrong. i have been the most carefree person in the world. i was the opposite of anxious. ive been in emergency landingsa in planes and a few major car crashes, fallen off bikes...i syill drive and fly and ride. i remember it took me almost two year to get over a breakup once. i felt miserable and sad - but never anxious or worried or scared. i got all the love i need around me. thats not it.

one pretty day i wake up with anxiety about 2 months after taking accutane. that and panic attacks and resipratory and cardiovascular symptoms.

if you say it's in my head - you're right but that doesnt mean nothing. its not my way of thinking, its brain chemistry or whatnot. i get anxious out of the blue while playing online flash games....

i wish you dont go thru it. stay off it

oh and for the record - they never tell you about these kind of side effects: anxiety and panic attacks and such.

K shoot me down for all its worth but I strongly say: It's all in your head!

 

Accutane didnt give you this fear you did. You were told of the side effects and knew what "could" happen etc etc. Small instances occurred in which "justified" the fear more and more. Perhaps, your using Accutane as an excuse, a crutch, to blame it on for your social problems etc. Im a humanist believer and I say that only you can solve this problem. No medication can give you confidence. Do not take the BS cuz then your just digging a deeper hole and you have to live on meds for the rest of your life.

 

So throw away the dam crutches of medication and blame and believe in yourself.

 

Just take a moment and think about who you are and your true potential.

 

Remember, it's all in your head.

 

Heck, people get Agrophobia and claustrophobia for a wide variety of reasons. Hereditary, childhood experience, etc. I'll bet its not the Accutane but its just you.

 

If you have a problem its up to You to fix it.

 

Be strong and dont let these BS psyches and pharmacists take your money and milk ya. Cuz sadly that is like being on life support cuz you cant live without em and you tend to NEED them.

 

Instead, talk to your closest friend, a lover, a mother, father, brother, or sister. What you need is a knight in shining armor to help you escape from your distress.

 

you're wrong. i have been the most carefree person in the world. i was the opposite of anxious. ive been in emergency landingsa in planes and a few major car crashes, fallen off bikes...i syill drive and fly and ride. i remember it took me almost two year to get over a breakup once. i felt miserable and sad - but never anxious or worried or scared. i got all the love i need around me. thats not it.

one pretty day i wake up with anxiety about 2 months after taking accutane. that and panic attacks and resipratory and cardiovascular symptoms.

if you say it's in my head - you're right but that doesnt mean nothing. its not my way of thinking, its brain chemistry or whatnot. i get anxious out of the blue while playing online flash games....

 

i wish you dont go thru it. stay off it

oh and for the record - they never tell you about these kind of side effects: anxiety and panic attacks and such.

 

Absolutely. It is because your brain chemistry has been changed. I love it when people say "it's not the accutane". They just sound so stupid. LOL REad something stupid people! lol

Im sorry for the way you feel. I know how you feel, and all other cliches. (but cliches are only cliches cos they're true!!)

But how do you know you got like this cos of accutane? Maybe it just gave you something to blame it on. Anxiety ISNT one of the side effects of accutance. A side effect of acne sure, but not accuatane.

 

 

anxiety IS an effect of accutane. please see link below. Please don't post up information that isn't well researched.

 

http://biopsychiatry.com/serotonin/isotretinoin.html

 

or read the article here.

 

Depression Reflects A Genetic Trait:

Serotonin Study

New research has found that a drug used to treat severe forms of acne reduces the availability of the chemical serotonin, low levels of which have been linked to aggression and clinical depression.

 

In a study published in the journal Experimental Biology and Medicine, scientists reveal a potential mechanism that might link the drug Roaccutane (Accutane in the US) to reported cases of depression in some patients taking the medication.

 

The researchers had previously reported that the drug caused depressive behaviour in mice but, until now, the mechanism by which this might happen was unknown.

 

Using cells cultured in a laboratory, scientists from the University of Bath (UK) and University of Texas at Austin (USA) were able to monitor the effect of the drug on the chemistry of the cells that produce serotonin.

 

They found that the cells significantly increased production of proteins and cell metabolites that are known to reduce the availability of serotonin.

 

This, says scientists, could disrupt the process by which serotonin relays signals between neurons in the brain and may be the cause of depression-related behaviour.

 

Serotonin is an important chemical that relays signals from nerve cells to other cells in the body, said Dr Sarah Bailey from the Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology at the University of Bath.

 

In the brain it is thought to play an important role in the regulation of a range of behaviours, such as aggression, anger and sleep. Low levels of serotonin have been linked to depression, as well as bipolar and anxiety disorders.

 

Many medications aimed at treating depression seek to increase levels of serotonin to help overcome these problems," continued Dr Bailey. Our findings suggest that Roaccutane might disrupt the way serotonin is produced and made available to the cells.

 

This could result in problems associated with low levels of serotonin, which might include depression. We are currently looking into this mechanism in more detail.

 

 

 

Lol im a psych major and yes Anxiety is Listed as a Side effect of Accutane. But the thing your missing is the fact that people who tend to need Accutane are people with severe acne which also tends to be people with self confidence issues. It is pretty obvious why anxiety problems appear with Accutane users because the users generally have a history of social problems and lack of self belief. The guy above ya did not research it but in essence he is not completely wrong.

 

Please do not think that one conclusion cannot have many different paths and variables.

 

Even I cannot say that I am 100% sure in my analysis but there is nothing wrong in giving different points of advice.

 

If you tell this person that it is the Accutane DRUG that affected her then she will think that she must take another drug to reverse the affect instead of finding a more natural solution.

 

For things like confidence yourself, i find it highly idiotic to take drugs to get over being a recluse and being more social.

 

 

Psych major???? you are gonna fail buddy...!

Very kind of you to say you are not 100% sure in your analysis? Nothing like being glib and cocky eh?

I took the drug and was the happiest person in the world,I was a top sportsman with a brilliant family and life,hell I did'nt even care that I had Mild acne....I was a Guinea pig for the derm(in his own words) since then,and that's 23 years I have suffered from all anxieties.I have just come home from a Christmas party early because the place was filling up with people? I can't go on trains,buses,planes without massive anxiety attacks,I can't go into crowds or concerts etc. THE DRUG ACCUTANE messed my life.I'm not a Psych Major but I know a little bit more than you buddy,because like other sufferers, wev'e no reason to lie about something that curtails and runs our lives....

regards

 

Millsy

 

 

 

How can i fail when i already graduated =P

 

Milsy your the kind of people who given a placebo would react in accordance to whatever I said would happen. Im sorry that your not looking at your problem in different ways but constantly emphasizing the drugs. I truly am sorry and wish you best

 

I think you miss the point, When I say you will fail,I mean in your life because if you cannot see that things REALLY do happen to REAL people you have already failed sorry...! You beleive you are right already...that's called ego..

I have seen,and know of friends who have seen eminent Psychotherapists and psycho analysts,I myself saw specialist Psychiatrists who could not rule out accutane for causing my problems. They tend to have a little more expeience than you my friend. As a suggestion and it's only a suggestion,(I work in law enforcement). We were taught and have on going training to look 'outside the box' because with everything you read nowadays,it might not be set in stone.....?

I implore you to look outside the box now and again,because somebody else might know a little bit more about their body than you do? Please don't think that i'm patronising you, it needs someone to point things out once in a while.I'm 43 and still learning.!!

 

 

Actually, sunaah is right... when somebody goes on Accutane and something changes by the time they get off, that DOESN'T mean that Accutane caused it. There are so many factors that go into it that you can't just blame the drug.

 

I speak from personal experience... I had social anxiety disorder BEFORE my acne came along...so it couldn't have been caused by Accutane could it? And also, get this, I DIDN'T take anti-depressants or anxiety medication and I turned out just fine! Crazy!

 

Look, Accutane has possible side effects (like any other drug), the only difference is that the possible side effects happen to be serious. That doesn't mean that if one of those things happens WHILE on Accutane, then the drug caused it.

 

Also, sunaah brought up a good point earlier about how it's no surprise that social disorders arise in Accutane users, considering they have a long history of them...How can I put this, most people (I'd imagine) who have severe acne, have some sort of social disorder. Lack of self worth, confidence, depression, you name it. Once you have one of those you're predisposed to them the rest of your life... if they happen to pop up again while on Accutane, well then that doesn't mean they were CAUSED by Accutane.

 

And thus, this ends my rant.

 

Good post sunaah..

 

That's great that you had anxiety before you took the tane. I didn't. Never did. Exercise every single day for hours. Happiest person you'll ever meet. I love stupid people man! Anyone reading this topic please beware, ACCUTANE DOES CAUSE ANXIETY. It changes your brain chemistry and fucks you up. It changes the way your brain absorbs serotonin. This is a FACT. Do you know what a fact is? that means there is research to prove it. Duh!

To Donnatkb

Stop talking to people as if they were stupid please? You're annoying with your never ending sarcasm and drama about accutane , every accutane thread I go , I see you talking about it as if it was the devil. Once you've given your opinion about the drug , just stop , we've all heard it a thousand times so get over it and if you dont want to then try to be nice to people. Some people like me took it and are perfectly fine. The only thing you're trying to do is scare people because you are frustrated that it didn't work out well for you. And just because some people dont share your opinion about the drug doesnt make them idiots.

Of course taking accutane will result in anxiety.

But you have to consider that taking any medication, especially one with so much controversy surrounding it, will result in anxiety. You are anxious to see how its going to work.. if you are on this forum, you probably read so many various things that it makes you even more anxious.. you experience the worsening period, probably get even more freaked out, but its tough to say its the medication itself to blame.

I am going to a skin specialist to see if he thinks accutane is right for me, but im pretty much out of luck. I've tried everything from all the various creams to like 6 blue light therapies that didn't seem to give me a single % of improvement. Even cortizone injections seemed "immune" to my acne. So I'm pretty much prepared for the seemingly natural anxiety that will come along with the experience. I actually hope that going in with this in mind helps, so wish me the best of luck!

To Donnatkb

 

Stop talking to people as if they were stupid please? You're annoying with your never ending sarcasm and drama about accutane , every accutane thread I go , I see you talking about it as if it was the devil. Once you've given your opinion about the drug , just stop , we've all heard it a thousand times so get over it and if you dont want to then try to be nice to people. Some people like me took it and are perfectly fine. The only thing you're trying to do is scare people because you are frustrated that it didn't work out well for you. And just because some people dont share your opinion about the drug doesnt make them idiots.

It is the devil. You'll see......

And no, I won't stop. So get over it. Okay.

And BTW, it DID work out for me. My face is clear as a baby's bottom. So what. It's still the devil. If I could go back I wouldn't change it. People that don't wanna read facts are ignorant. Sorry, that's just the way it is!

To Donnatkb

 

Stop talking to people as if they were stupid please? You're annoying with your never ending sarcasm and drama about accutane , every accutane thread I go , I see you talking about it as if it was the devil. Once you've given your opinion about the drug , just stop , we've all heard it a thousand times so get over it and if you dont want to then try to be nice to people. Some people like me took it and are perfectly fine. The only thing you're trying to do is scare people because you are frustrated that it didn't work out well for you. And just because some people dont share your opinion about the drug doesnt make them idiots.

To Donnatkb

 

Stop talking to people as if they were stupid please? You're annoying with your never ending sarcasm and drama about accutane , every accutane thread I go , I see you talking about it as if it was the devil. Once you've given your opinion about the drug , just stop , we've all heard it a thousand times so get over it and if you dont want to then try to be nice to people. Some people like me took it and are perfectly fine. The only thing you're trying to do is scare people because you are frustrated that it didn't work out well for you. And just because some people dont share your opinion about the drug doesnt make them idiots.

nah thats an insinuating argument. i had no anxiety during the treatment till one day i had a panic attack. and i still wasnt affraid of it (scared by it would be more accurate) till i researched the symptoms online and figured there was a fat chance i was having a heart attack - then i really got worked up and had a string of disturbingly scary panic attacks . checked into the ER, was told i was fine and went home happy and about to forget it. I WOKE UP WITH ANXIETY the next day. Anxiety out of the blue for no reason. Sometimes it's so bad it's debilitating. shortness of breath, discomfort in the stomach going up to your throat, chest pains, inability to concetrate, loss of pleasure in things you like, lack of energy to the point of wondering weather you can make it down the stairs to get a drink, lightheadedness, depersonalization and derealization and the list goes on. still have it. ill go see a shrink ASAP since i hear the faster you act the better your chances of getting rid of it for good.

I'll give you people the benefit of doubt. maybe i snapped one day and had a mental breakdown. thats slang for accute mental disorders such as anxiety, depression or different psycopathies.

However i dont think so.

But my acne is just about gone. Being mildly vain that IS a consolation. I'm happy to touch my face and not be disgusted by oily skin. Is it worth it? if this weird condition is temporary, then yes. if its long term or permanent - then no. but the bastards at FDA waited for 100 or so confirmed suicide cases of accutane users before including suicidal thoughts and potential attempts as a side affect. it'll take probably 100s and 1000s of anxiety cases before they include it in the drug's side effects. that's the part that makes some of us feel victimized - not knwing that anxiety is a side effect beforehand. i can't say that tho, i asked my derm for Accutane ...

ak87

I am sorry that all this stuff happened to you , I really am . But I just dont like the way the other girl always break it down on every threads.. I feel like she's just trying to keep everybody away from the drug by scaring them because she had a bad experience with it and she doesnt just say it once , she goes on every thread and talk about horror stories that can happen and she's almost like THAT IS WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO YOU IF YOU TAKE ACCUTANE , you got to understand that for the majority of people they end up clear and have no more than dry lips and skin during the treatment. And almost everyone is aware of the possible side effects before taking it and that's their choice to take it or not. Telling your bad experience with accutane is one thing but trying to terrorize everyone is another and I feel like that's what that girl is trying to do.

To Donnatkb

 

Stop talking to people as if they were stupid please? You're annoying with your never ending sarcasm and drama about accutane , every accutane thread I go , I see you talking about it as if it was the devil. Once you've given your opinion about the drug , just stop , we've all heard it a thousand times so get over it and if you dont want to then try to be nice to people. Some people like me took it and are perfectly fine. The only thing you're trying to do is scare people because you are frustrated that it didn't work out well for you. And just because some people dont share your opinion about the drug doesnt make them idiots.

AMEN!!! Ugh. It's just plain rude. She says, "It changes your brain chemistry and fucks you up." Wow. That conclusion must have taken a long time to research. Maybe she should publish it.

To Donnatkb

 

Stop talking to people as if they were stupid please? You're annoying with your never ending sarcasm and drama about accutane , every accutane thread I go , I see you talking about it as if it was the devil. Once you've given your opinion about the drug , just stop , we've all heard it a thousand times so get over it and if you dont want to then try to be nice to people. Some people like me took it and are perfectly fine. The only thing you're trying to do is scare people because you are frustrated that it didn't work out well for you. And just because some people dont share your opinion about the drug doesnt make them idiots.

 

AMEN!!! Ugh. It's just plain rude. She says, "It changes your brain chemistry and fucks you up." Wow. That conclusion must have taken a long time to research. Maybe she should publish it.

 

It already has been published.

1.

http://www.pnas.org/content/101/14/5111.full

"The results demonstrate that the regions of the adult brain where cell proliferation is ongoing are highly sensitive to disruption by a clinical dose of 13-cis-RA."

2.

The study was subsequently published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 2005. The full study can be downloaded here [bremner 2005]. Briefly, Dr Bremner compared the effect of Accutane on brain function and compared the results to his published findings of the effects of depression on brain function. Brain function was measured before and after four months of treatment with Accutane (13 patients) and antibiotic (15 patients) using PET scans. Isotretinoin (but not antibiotic) treatment was associated with decreased brain metabolism in the orbitofrontal cortex, a brain area known to mediate symptoms of depression. This study suggests that isotretinoin treatment is associated with changes in brain function. The study also proved that Accutane must enter the brain and therefore can cause depression, even if it is an acne drug!

http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/reprint/162/5/983.pdf

Of course taking accutane will result in anxiety.

 

But you have to consider that taking any medication, especially one with so much controversy surrounding it, will result in anxiety. You are anxious to see how its going to work.. if you are on this forum, you probably read so many various things that it makes you even more anxious.. you experience the worsening period, probably get even more freaked out, but its tough to say its the medication itself to blame.

 

I am going to a skin specialist to see if he thinks accutane is right for me, but im pretty much out of luck. I've tried everything from all the various creams to like 6 blue light therapies that didn't seem to give me a single % of improvement. Even cortizone injections seemed "immune" to my acne. So I'm pretty much prepared for the seemingly natural anxiety that will come along with the experience. I actually hope that going in with this in mind helps, so wish me the best of luck!

Good luck! Try and do it low dose it's your best choice!

To Donnatkb

 

Stop talking to people as if they were stupid please? You're annoying with your never ending sarcasm and drama about accutane , every accutane thread I go , I see you talking about it as if it was the devil. Once you've given your opinion about the drug , just stop , we've all heard it a thousand times so get over it and if you dont want to then try to be nice to people. Some people like me took it and are perfectly fine. The only thing you're trying to do is scare people because you are frustrated that it didn't work out well for you. And just because some people dont share your opinion about the drug doesnt make them idiots.

 

AMEN!!! Ugh. It's just plain rude. She says, "It changes your brain chemistry and fucks you up." Wow. That conclusion must have taken a long time to research. Maybe she should publish it.

 

Yes research is a grand thing little one! YOU should try it!

Accutane has really stuffed up my head. I started having all these symptoms about 2 weeks before I finished accutane, and continue to suffer even after 5-6 months now.

Hello Skribby, I'm so sorry to hear of your experiences. Very unfortunate for you being so young too! I experienced anxiety on the exact same time frame as you, I was fine for my whole course aside from the last two weeks and now I'm 5 months out and the anxiety continues. I actually fainted right as I started to ween off accutane and every since then anxiety. I am a 37 year old woman, so I know my body by now and this is definately not somatic. It's not in my head my physical symptoms of anxiety have been documented. I went to see a neurologist who is also a psychiatrist - he stated its entirely possible that the accutane may have made me more suseptible to anxiety, but he didnt say for sure. He prescribed "buspar" very light med for anxiety, I have not taken it as I've been trying to manage it with other natural means.

Acne is gone, but I too am left with and have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. I have mixed feelings now about having done the course. It has gotten better the farther out I am from my last dose, and was not as severe as yours.

I can manage the anxiety and hoping it phases out, but I truly believe it's related somehow to the accutane. I NEVER had anxiety attacks for 37 years, and I've been through a lot of anxious meetings and family health situations. This is new and I attribute it even if just in part to the accutane. I asked my dermatologist about it and her nurse told me they have never had this happen, and it was probably the stock market or the Christmas holidays, which I was insulted by, my stock portfolio didnt cause my brain chemical balance to go off, accutane did. When I read your post I wanted to reply because if two people (or more) have experienced this on the same exact 2 week time frame, seems like its not a coincidence.

I'm wondering how you are doing now that you are further out from stopping. How are you?

Wonder what happened to the OP? For the record, it IS all in his head, but only in that Accutane probably altered brain functioning. Patients who are already prone to depression are susceptible to psychiatric symptoms, but that doesn't mean "psychologically normal" ones are exempt from them. It sounds like Accutane altered the OP's brain activity, which can and does happen - like a user mentioned above me, it decrease activity in the orbitofrontal cortex, which mediates depression. If you don't have enough activity there to begin with, you're probably at risk.

 

I'm going on Accutane as soon as I'm prescribed it, but I don't underestimate the potential risks. Don't underestimate the people who are proliferating 'horror stories,' because they're all too likely. Accutane isn't just dry lips and skin, it's a freaking chemotherapy drug. It may also induce symptoms akin to Vitamin A psychosis. Stop trying to pass it off as something innocuous as ibuprofen, there's a reason most of the derms I've asked for it have cringed and told me to leave.

 

That said, I would kiss the feet of any derm who got me on this stuff immediately. With great rewards come enormous risks!

The drug is harmful to the brain for anyone that uses it

It is used in the treatment of brain cancer, and more.

Atleast you are well informed and know the risks, however there are side effects that develop AFTER therapy too when it's to late to change your mind, so be warned.

I agree, and certainly realize that I may feel perfectly fine directly after treatment, then horribly regret my decision years along the line. You never know what's going to happen. I have, however, decided to go with a relatively low-dose treatment, and know that Accutane is about the only thing left that can treat my skin. Acne affects my life so negatively at this point that I'm finally looking into Accutane... I've been thinking about for years, but almost dismissed it as distant conjecture. In a way, it's probably the only option for people who literally get suicidal over their acne, but of course it's doubly dangerous for them.

 

But hey, a choice is a choice. Just know what you're getting into so you're not completely baffled if you end up shit creek.

Exactly,

You are one of the few and probably the only one on this website, that knows what you might get yourself into. There are few of those, these days. Even though I'm against the drug today in the treatment of acne, except for severely cystic acne on the face especially, not the body, in low doses of course, as well. I understand, if you are suicidal, so maybe accutane is for you.

Atleast, the low dose will minimize, and if something happens, you might not beat yourself up for it, anyway, since you were prepared. But did you try changing diet fully too? AND is your acne cystic?

But it may not need a 13-cis intervention, do you live in a hot sunny climate? If not, spend the money and go to mexico instead, and get a tan, which will reduce the acne.

If you still do take the accutane, make sure to get a good brain shrink included with the capsules, which would have been nice for me before accutane to give me self-esteem, rather than after, the problems with acne could have been solved, now the problems I have, can't be.

Though, the brain-damage is persistant, with no available treatment.

Tanning does not help acne. It may provide temporary relieve but in the long run you are going to damage your skin. Read tha acne myths: http://www.acne.org/myths.html

Tanning gives rise to skin cancer so its not good to predispose yourself to it.

Yes, tanning is bad for acne, in the long term, I agree. But not 1/10 of bad as Accutane in both the short and long-term, especially the effects on the brain, immune-system, and more. It's not good to predispose your self to diabetes, arthritis and more, because this is what Accutane does, by lowering adult stem cells systemically throughout the entire body. Believe me, tanning > Accutane, the less taken, the better. The latest science shows, a small amount of natural sunlight everyday, to produce vitamin D is healthy, anyways