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I've been on 40 mg daily Accutane for 3 months now. I saw results right away and feel foolish for ever being scaired of anything. I dunno if Im the exception here but like I said, I'm having a faviorable result to the treatment... Untill a few days ago..
I have had some pain, coupled with a bit of hypocondria I've probably worried unduely... A little localized pain in my liver and kidney area that have since subsided but now I have a headache on my right side of my head.
A little background on what I think may be the cause... My acne problems were mostly on my scalp. It was pretty bad which prompted me to go on accutane . I was left with one big problem site for almost a year before starting my treatment... As it was I was taking Minocyclne 200mgs a day plus benzole peroxide cream. The spot I was left with was a (to me) huge kieloid (sp?) scar on the back of my head that had been infected with a bacteria other than P,acne. Lots of sticky and watery discharge with a knarly order at times. My doctor (VA dr) finaly did a culture and prescribed me SULFAMETHOXAZOLE 800/TRIMETH 160mg 2x a day for ten days, which is some kind of antibiotic for the bacteria infection in my keloid scar.
Well from what I have read about Accutane you shouldn't continue your other antibiotic treatments (specialy of the cycline family) due to posable side effects which as I understand can include intercrainal pressure...
Now this may be me jumping to an amature conclusion but 2 and a half months into the accutane treatments (with no problems up till now) I started the SULFAMETHOXAZOL and tward the end of that course of meds I have developed headaches. I never get headaches!!! Its on my right side stemming from my right eye streight across to my right ear, streight up to almost the center of my head and back down to my right eye. Also on my forhead over my browline in almost a streight line going from my eye up the the top of my head is pain when I lightly press the area with my fingers. Like there could be a pimple developing just under the skin but there is no lesion to speak of.
My right eye feels more dry and light sensitive than the other and the pupil seems to be constricted to an almost pinpoint compaired to the other one. THere is also pressure and sorness and pain at my right ear. Like my lymphnode in that area is swolen and putting pressure on the nerve that runs along the back edge of the jaw. My ear feels like its pluged up and I have the constant urge to clear it as if I were swimming.
I do have a healing acne cyst on the side of my head close to the top of my temple that may be sitting on a nerve making me feel like Im having a head ache. We just went through Hurricane Ike coupled with the stress at work, I have noticed that Ive been clinching my teeth mostly on that side of my jaw which Im wondering might be causing the ear pressure...
Those are all the contributing factors that I can think of. What do you think? Im actually going to get my blood drawn in a few hours for my liver check up, im going to try and speak to my doctor then. Which is a VA doctor and not exactly the best situation for an unchedualed visit...
Thanks for the input, sorry for the long winded post...
T
P.s. You know how accutane makes some peoples skin on their hands thin and dry? I have read that happens in other places on the body as well. Like for instance my eyelids dont seem dry but like the skin has gotten thinner. They are tacky to the touch but feel as if they could rip if I were to rub them to rough.
Well the real question here is has anyone experienced this er- uh in that area uh... Down there? I just read a post that said that you shouldn't get waxed down there least your skin come off with the hair! Yikes!!! NOt worried about the waxing thing just using that to illustrate the problem... And tips? Any horror stories? The area will return to normal, right? LOL!!!
Well a lil update to my headaches. I was talking to a coworker and he said he was suffering practicly symptom per symptom what Im going through and hes not on Accutane. He does have a lot of allergies though which I do not have. BUt I guess that dosent mean that I couldnt develop them being that Im getting older and all. That better not be the case cause Im proud of the fact that I could roll around in posion Ivy/oak and not have any problems at all. THat would be a major bummer if thats the case.
Well he gave me a sudafed and a benadril that didnt seem to do squat lastnight but I feel tons better this morning! My right eye markedly less sensitive to light and I can tell that the droopy eye lid has kinda fixed its self.
This all could still be accutane related. Perhaps while on the treatment I will be more suceptable to alergins. I work in a dank nightclub and Im sure theres tons of mold going around in that joint. Im still in the books to see a Neurologist and get an MRI but would be kinda let down if all my symptoms go away before I can get in there.
Its officaly been a week since Ive been off the tane and Im not liking it... . I already have started to get the beginings of two cysts on my scalp that Im treating with clyosyn topical solution.. My nose area seems to be getting a lil oilyer that when I was on the tane full time and my lips are starting to return to their old selves. Not a happy camper right now...
Well a lil update to my headaches. I was talking to a coworker and he said he was suffering practicly symptom per symptom what Im going through and hes not on Accutane. He does have a lot of allergies though which I do not have. BUt I guess that dosent mean that I couldnt develop them being that Im getting older and all. That better not be the case cause Im proud of the fact that I could roll around in posion Ivy/oak and not have any problems at all. THat would be a major bummer if thats the case.Well he gave me a sudafed and a benadril that didnt seem to do squat lastnight but I feel tons better this morning! My right eye markedly less sensitive to light and I can tell that the droopy eye lid has kinda fixed its self.
This all could still be accutane related. Perhaps while on the treatment I will be more suceptable to alergins. I work in a dank nightclub and Im sure theres tons of mold going around in that joint. Im still in the books to see a Neurologist and get an MRI but would be kinda let down if all my symptoms go away before I can get in there.
Its officaly been a week since Ive been off the tane and Im not liking it... . I already have started to get the beginings of two cysts on my scalp that Im treating with clyosyn topical solution.. My nose area seems to be getting a lil oilyer that when I was on the tane full time and my lips are starting to return to their old selves. Not a happy camper right now...
If I was you I would be worried! Accutane can cause intracranial hypertension.
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), sometimes called benign intracranial hypertension (BIH) or pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) is a neurological disorder that is characterized by increased intracranial pressure (ICP), in the absence of a tumor or other diseases affecting the brain or its lining. The main symptoms are headache, pulsatile or pulse-synchronous tinnitus, double vision and visual loss. Diagnosis requires brain scans and lumbar puncture. There are various medical and surgical treatments.
If you read the insert that came with your medication you'll see that it says if you feel pressure behind any of your eyes or get a serious headache you should stop IMMEDIATELY.
I took the accutane for 2 months before I got really really bad symptoms. So don't take this lightly. You could die if you have this condition, and you should be worried since you said you NEVER have headaches. Taking accutane is not worth risking your life.
please google the word 13-cis retinoic acid. You'll find good information on there
I took.Accutane in 2005 and developed Intracranial Hypertension PTC or IIH SIH. It is a cruel, unrelenting disease. I suffered for many years until I found a neurologist who properly diagnosed me. I have chronic pain from this. A lot of bad days and a few good. I would never take Accutane if I could go back in time with the knowledge I have now. The pain is unbearable. You feel as though your head with literally explode. Constant pressure, pain behind the eyes. It feels like someone is using their thumbs to push your eyeballs out of your head. The pain is do bad, you vomit. I also get a noise of water running inside my head. Almost like a pipe is running across the back of my head
I also get the sound of fluttering wings in my ears. I can hear a pulse in my head also. Vision gets blurry too. This disease can you make you blind. Diamoxx has helped me a lot. I lost about 7 years of my life from this diseaee and blame it on Accutane. While on Accutane, in the beginning, I had bad headaches and my dermatologist told me I wasn't serious about the treatment if I was complaining and calling himover a headache. My recommendation - NEVER take Accutane.