Accutanerecovery- I would suggest 1 since you are 16 maybe speak to your parents and see a doctor about having hormones tested, possibly a urologist also. I would also suggest that you possibly look up Kevin Pezzi M.D. Are you taking anyother medications???
I will pm you with some other people who can possibly direct you in the right direction. On a postive note you only took Accutane for 25 days, so hopefully things will continue to get better, I know it is probably hard but try not to stress as it makes things worse.
I am roughly middle aged, and after getting divorced I had a lot of stress due to money and family issues. At that time I began to break out again, which I'm sure was stress related.
Having had a lot of success with accutane as a teen, I took it again and my skin cleared up. However, about that same time I also experienced E.D. and it caused the loss of another relationship.
Now, after reading this and other forums, I still think it was partially stress related, but possibly also due to accutane and maybe some St. John's Wort suppliments.
Looking back, I see that the problem went away after I discontinued the treatments. Maybe coincidence, maybe not.
I will say, don't give up! My "thing" was dead for a long time, and I had loss of libido. And while this is anecdotal, my experience is that you can get going again by buying pills from places like Natural Up, or go full-bore with Viagra or Cialis, and before long it'll be back to natural.
I found this forum because I've had some more E.D. recently which I attributed to stress. So, of course I broke out due to the stress, so I got some more accutane. Now that I understand the possible correlation between accutane and E.D., I'll be more careful. But, I do believe repair is possible.
Cialis, Viagra and Levitra are just enzyme-inhibiting vasodilators. They don't affect mood or hormone levels. If ED has a neurological cause, the drugs won't work very well and they can have unpleasant side effects (including some reports of a kind of depression, dizziness, shortness of breath).
Medical treatment will only be truly successful, if the underlying cause of a disease is found. Remember that principle and you will make progress. Sadly, mainstream medicine usually tailors the diagnosis to meet the available treatment. Most doctors function as bureaucrats, shoving patients into pigeonholes and then dishing out whatever the "high priests" of their profession have decided is the right drug/ operation for that pigeonhole. Whether diagnosis is accurate or meaningful, or treatment effective doesn't matter at all. Basically, mainstream medicine is the labelling and treatment of symptoms. As such, it can never move beyond the management of ill health. That suits many doctors (and all drug companies) just fine: patients, who fully recover, aren't very profitable.
Medicine is divided into specialisms, mostly on the basis of symptoms. Can't get a stiffy? Go see a willy doctor! "But what if the cause has nothing to do with what's going on, down there?" you ask. Well, that's just tough titty: it's the way things are and nothing else is available apart from the treatments I can offer you (or so your urologist will tell you).
Generally, investigation of ED involves the Nocturnal Penile Tumescence test, to begin with. This is probably a hangover from the days, when it was believed that a significant minority [30% +] of cases were of psychological origin. Today, it's thought that only 10% are "all in the mind". Next, come x-rays of the veins and ultrasound scans of the arteries in and around the penis.
Treatment ranges from pills, through prostaglandin injections [injections into the corpora cavernosa] and vascular surgery to the insertion of penile prostheses (either flexible metal rods or hydraulically operated silicone sacs, replacing the corpora cavernosa and corpus spongiosum).
Elsewhere on this site, I have referred to newer treatments, which may be able to repair the damage to the male reproductive system and its associated nerves that Roaccutane can cause.
what are these newer treatments? i am very interested in this i have been suffering from this for a while and it is very hard to cope with. ginkgo biloba has helped a little but not much
hey guys. i have seen a lot of supplements online that have helped people who have been on propecia and finasteride. most of them are supplements used by body builders to counter the effects of steroids on their system. [removed] this supplement is used after cycles to bring back lost libido. i dont have a great idea what im talking about but i know this stuff helps with 5ar deficiencies. im going to do some research on this product and many others before i consider putting them into my body. i know another drug called dermacrine sustain was supposed to work without side effects but im having a hard time finding it. Im not really educated on steroids or hormones but ive been doing a lot of research on it and will definitely be testing what seems to have worked well and wont mess my body up in the long run. thought everyone on here should see, cheers
iRyRy said:Teh Pwn, I'm sorry about your ED.I suggest you try Zinc supplements. I used to take them, they kind of make it harder then usual.
Be careful with those Zinc supplements. Zinc, Omega 3, vitamins B6, D3 and beta carotene, are weak 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors:
[removed]
Part of the effects and side-effects of accutane are due to strongly inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase-1. Maybe a little zinc is ok but I would not overdo it if I were on accutane or had just stopped.
accutanerecovery said:hey guys. i have seen a lot of supplements online that have helped people who have been on propecia and finasteride. most of them are supplements used by body builders to counter the effects of steroids on their system. [removed] this supplement is used after cycles to bring back lost libido. i dont have a great idea what im talking about but i know this stuff helps with 5ar deficiencies. im going to do some research on this product and many others before i consider putting them into my body. i know another drug called dermacrine sustain was supposed to work without side effects but im having a hard time finding it. Im not really educated on steroids or hormones but ive been doing a lot of research on it and will definitely be testing what seems to have worked well and wont mess my body up in the long run. thought everyone on here should see, cheers
Hey, accutanerecovery. I am sorry to hear about your problem. I have experienced the exact same thing. Endocrinologists say that orally ingested steroids are really bad for your liver, so androhard may not be the best solution. This is why transdermal or intraveneous testosterone is usually preferred for treating hypogonadism, since those delivery systems bypass the liver.
Perhaps you are better off trying some of the treatments at propeciahelp, or something like HCGenerate which will restore rather than replace natural androgen production.
Have you had your hormones checked by an endocrinologist (testosterone free and bioavailable, LH, FSH, estradiol, prolactin). It may be a good idea to consult a knowledgeable doctor. Some of the experts on drug-induced hypogonadism are listed here:
[removed]
I believe John Crisler, DO in Michigan and Alan Jacobs, MD do phone consultations and treat patients long-distance.
Because you are very young, your body has a better chance of recovering with the right intervention...
Teh Pwn, I'm sorry about your ED.
I suggest you try Zinc supplements. I used to take them, they kind of make it harder then usual.
Be careful with those Zinc supplements. Zinc, Omega 3, vitamins B6, D3 and beta carotene, are weak 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors:
Part of the effects and side-effects of accutane are due to strongly inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase-1. Maybe a little zinc is ok but I would not overdo it if I were on accutane or had just stopped.
I'm also facing erectile dysfunction... my doctor has advised me to stop isotretinoin and given me zinc supplements to recover. But by reading your column, I'm confused now.
Each capsule contains :
Zinc Sulfate Monohydrate 41.4mg
Thiamine Mononitrate 10 mg
Vitamin B2 10 mg
Nicotinamide 100 mg
Vitamin B6 3 mg
Vitamin B12 15 mcg
Calcium Pantothernate 50 mg
Vitamin C 150 mg
Folic Acid 1500 mcg
Biotin 100 mcg
Please advice what should i do?
Thanks for reading
As a past Accutane patient, I can honestly say thank G-d I never had any of the side effects
Mentioned in this topic. Accutane is a dangerous drug, and responds to everyone differently,
And it is entirely possible that i t can cause something like ED in rare cases. My acne has cleared up and I do not expexperience break outs anymore, I have experienced some sexual frustrations but from your average causes like alchohol and stress. Not getting it up can be caused by thousands of different things, most prevalent being anxiety. Probably not what most of you want to hear but for me that's been the problem. Sometimes trying not to worry is the best medicine, thought that's easier said then done. Just my point of view, wish you all luck and a speedy recovery.
Teh Pwn, I'm sorry about your ED.
I suggest you try Zinc supplements. I used to take them, they kind of make it harder then usual.
Be careful with those Zinc supplements. Zinc, Omega 3, vitamins B6, D3 and beta carotene, are weak 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors:
Part of the effects and side-effects of accutane are due to strongly inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase-1. Maybe a little zinc is ok but I would not overdo it if I were on accutane or had just stopped.
I'm also facing erectile dysfunction... my doctor has advised me to stop isotretinoin and given me zinc supplements to recover. But by reading your column, I'm confused now.
Each capsule contains :
Zinc Sulfate Monohydrate 41.4mg
Thiamine Mononitrate 10 mg
Vitamin B2 10 mg
Nicotinamide 100 mg
Vitamin B6 3 mg
Vitamin B12 15 mcg
Calcium Pantothernate 50 mg
Vitamin C 150 mg
Folic Acid 1500 mcg
Biotin 100 mcg
Please advice what should i do?
Thanks for reading
Hi,
Sorry to hear that you are on the same boat...
This seems like a decent multivitamin, especially since it does not contain vitamin A. The Zinc content does not seem to exceed the recommended daily allowance by too much, so it might be ok as long as you do not overdo it. But I am not a doctor so it might be best to ask your doctor directly. You could show this list of articles and this url to him and ask directly if he thinks zinc will be bad or good for you at this moment. (You could try asking him diplomatically, i.e. "I do not know if this is relevant, but I read in these journals that accutane is a 5-alpha-reductase-1 inhibitor, and therefore decreases some potent androgens such as DHT, and that zinc also inhibits the same enzyme. So I am a bit worried, if accutane has inhibited these androgens, would extra zinc inhibit them further, or not?")
Personally, I think that taking a number of things blindly, without knowing whether I am deficient in them or not, might be like a shot in the dark. I was instructed to take nothing for a month and then have all my vitamin and hormone levels checked. Then I knew clearly what deficiency needs to be corrected. This is how I found I was high in homocysteine, low in B6, B9 and D3 vitamins, and low in testosterone and aldosterone levels, and my hematologist and endocrinologist were able to correct some of these deficiencies.
Bottom line is, if you take your multivitamin and the problem does not resolve spontaneously after 2-6 weeks off accutane, please consider a thorough vitamin, hormone and liver panel. And please avoid alcohol and vitamin A for at least a month after accutane.
Note added: I just found out that Zinc Citrate also inhibits the enzyme aromatase (which converts testosterone to estrogen). So zinc citrate would increase testosterone by inhibiting its conversion to both estrogen (by inhibiting aromatase) and dihydrotestosterone (by inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase-1). Inhibiting estrogen a little bit might help. But it should not be decreased too much, because estrogen is needed for libido and other things. Without knowing what your levels in these hormones are, it is difficult to know in which direction they should be twinked. But I do not think a little bit of zinc will make a dramatic difference.
For what it's worth, Dr. Shippen in his book "The Testosterone Syndrome" recommends starting at 50mgs/2mgs of copper 2 x's a day for the first 30 days, then take one. But that is a bit too much in my view.
Btw I am just describing what my experience was, what I did and what I would do.
Teh Pwn, I'm sorry about your ED.
I suggest you try Zinc supplements. I used to take them, they kind of make it harder then usual.
Be careful with those Zinc supplements. Zinc, Omega 3, vitamins B6, D3 and beta carotene, are weak 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors:
Part of the effects and side-effects of accutane are due to strongly inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase-1. Maybe a little zinc is ok but I would not overdo it if I were on accutane or had just stopped.
I'm also facing erectile dysfunction... my doctor has advised me to stop isotretinoin and given me zinc supplements to recover. But by reading your column, I'm confused now.
Each capsule contains :
Zinc Sulfate Monohydrate 41.4mg
Thiamine Mononitrate 10 mg
Vitamin B2 10 mg
Nicotinamide 100 mg
Vitamin B6 3 mg
Vitamin B12 15 mcg
Calcium Pantothernate 50 mg
Vitamin C 150 mg
Folic Acid 1500 mcg
Biotin 100 mcg
Please advice what should i do?
Thanks for reading
Hi,
Sorry to hear that you are on the same boat...
This seems like a decent multivitamin, especially since it does not contain vitamin A. The Zinc content does not seem to exceed the recommended daily allowance by too much, so it might be ok as long as you do not overdo it. But I am not a doctor so it might be best to ask your doctor directly. You could show list of articles and url to him and ask directly if he thinks zinc will be bad or good for you at this moment. (You could try asking him diplomatically, i.e. "I do not know if this is relevant, but I read in these journals that accutane is a 5-alpha-reductase-1 inhibitor, and therefore decreases some potent androgens such as DHT, and that zinc also inhibits the same enzyme. So I am a bit worried, if accutane has inhibited these androgens, would extra zinc inhibit them further, or not?")
Personally, I think that taking a number of things blindly, without knowing whether I am deficient in them or not, might be like a shot in the dark. I was instructed to take nothing for a month and then have all my vitamin and hormone levels checked. Then I knew clearly what deficiency needs to be corrected. This is how I found I was high in homocysteine, low in B6, B9 and D3 vitamins, and low in testosterone and aldosterone levels, and my hematologist and endocrinologist were able to correct some of these deficiencies.
Bottom line is, if you take your multivitamin and the problem does not resolve spontaneously after 2-6 weeks off accutane, please consider a thorough vitamin, hormone and liver panel. And please avoid alcohol and vitamin A for at least a month after accutane.
Note added: I just found out that Zinc Citrate also inhibits the enzyme aromatase (which converts testosterone to estrogen). So zinc citrate would increase testosterone by inhibiting its conversion to both estrogen (by inhibiting aromatase) and dihydrotestosterone (by inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase-1). Inhibiting estrogen a little bit might help. But it should not be decreased too much, because estrogen is needed for libido and other things. Without knowing what your levels in these hormones are, it is difficult to know in which direction they should be twinked. But I do not think a little bit of zinc will make a dramatic difference.
For what it's worth, Dr. Shippen in his book "The Testosterone Syndrome" recommends starting at 50mgs/2mgs of copper 2 x's a day for the first 30 days, then take one. But that is a bit too much in my view.
Btw I am just describing what my experience was, what I did and what I would do.
Thanks a ton for your advice...
I consulted with my doctor and he said isotretinoin clears from the body in a month or two. Now, I'm getting erections but duration is low & less toned. I know i was very good in past. Sometimes I feel morning erections also that is a good sign. I checked my testosterone levels which are very good in numbers.
The bad thing is boils are back. It's just 25 days ago I stopped isotretinoin and now they again started happening on my head area. I consulted with my doctor and he gave me antibiotics to get by. As they have reappeared soon, he prescribed me Aquasol A 50000 units per day. I have checked Aquasol A is not recommended with isotretinoin as isotretinoin is itself a derivative of Vitamin A.
I am thinking to start Aquasol A after a month because then it will be two months gap between the two medicines.
What do you say?
Thanks for reading
Teh Pwn, I'm sorry about your ED.
I suggest you try Zinc supplements. I used to take them, they kind of make it harder then usual.
Be careful with those Zinc supplements. Zinc, Omega 3, vitamins B6, D3 and beta carotene, are weak 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors:
Part of the effects and side-effects of accutane are due to strongly inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase-1. Maybe a little zinc is ok but I would not overdo it if I were on accutane or had just stopped.
I'm also facing erectile dysfunction... my doctor has advised me to stop isotretinoin and given me zinc supplements to recover. But by reading your column, I'm confused now.
Each capsule contains :
Zinc Sulfate Monohydrate 41.4mg
Thiamine Mononitrate 10 mg
Vitamin B2 10 mg
Nicotinamide 100 mg
Vitamin B6 3 mg
Vitamin B12 15 mcg
Calcium Pantothernate 50 mg
Vitamin C 150 mg
Folic Acid 1500 mcg
Biotin 100 mcg
Please advice what should i do?
Thanks for reading
Hi,
Sorry to hear that you are on the same boat...
This seems like a decent multivitamin, especially since it does not contain vitamin A. The Zinc content does not seem to exceed the recommended daily allowance by too much, so it might be ok as long as you do not overdo it. But I am not a doctor so it might be best to ask your doctor directly. You could show list of articles and url to him and ask directly if he thinks zinc will be bad or good for you at this moment. (You could try asking him diplomatically, i.e. "I do not know if this is relevant, but I read in these journals that accutane is a 5-alpha-reductase-1 inhibitor, and therefore decreases some potent androgens such as DHT, and that zinc also inhibits the same enzyme. So I am a bit worried, if accutane has inhibited these androgens, would extra zinc inhibit them further, or not?")
Personally, I think that taking a number of things blindly, without knowing whether I am deficient in them or not, might be like a shot in the dark. I was instructed to take nothing for a month and then have all my vitamin and hormone levels checked. Then I knew clearly what deficiency needs to be corrected. This is how I found I was high in homocysteine, low in B6, B9 and D3 vitamins, and low in testosterone and aldosterone levels, and my hematologist and endocrinologist were able to correct some of these deficiencies.
Bottom line is, if you take your multivitamin and the problem does not resolve spontaneously after 2-6 weeks off accutane, please consider a thorough vitamin, hormone and liver panel. And please avoid alcohol and vitamin A for at least a month after accutane.
Note added: I just found out that Zinc Citrate also inhibits the enzyme aromatase (which converts testosterone to estrogen). So zinc citrate would increase testosterone by inhibiting its conversion to both estrogen (by inhibiting aromatase) and dihydrotestosterone (by inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase-1). Inhibiting estrogen a little bit might help. But it should not be decreased too much, because estrogen is needed for libido and other things. Without knowing what your levels in these hormones are, it is difficult to know in which direction they should be twinked. But I do not think a little bit of zinc will make a dramatic difference.
For what it's worth, Dr. Shippen in his book "The Testosterone Syndrome" recommends starting at 50mgs/2mgs of copper 2 x's a day for the first 30 days, then take one. But that is a bit too much in my view.
Btw I am just describing what my experience was, what I did and what I would do.
Thanks a ton for your advice...
I consulted with my doctor and he said isotretinoin clears from the body in a month or two. Now, I'm getting erections but duration is low & less toned. I know i was very good in past. Sometimes I feel morning erections also that is a good sign. I checked my testosterone levels which are very good in numbers.
The bad thing is boils are back. It's just 25 days ago I stopped isotretinoin and now they again started happening on my head area. I consulted with my doctor and he gave me antibiotics to get by. As they have reappeared soon, he prescribed me Aquasol A 50000 units per day. I have checked Aquasol A is not recommended with isotretinoin as isotretinoin is itself a derivative of Vitamin A.
I am thinking to start Aquasol A after a month because then it will be two months gap between the two medicines.
What do you say?
Thanks for reading
Hi,
My understanding is that 50000 IU vitamin A per day exceeds toxicity limits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypervitaminosis_A
Personally, even 4-5 months after my last exposure to accutane, I noticed that even a little bit of alcohol or a protein bar with Vitamin A 50% RDA (1500 IU), would worsen my symptoms significantly for days or weeks. So I decided to not risk further and abstain from vitamin A and alcohol. This may seem extreme but I know another user who noticed similar things.
The side effect profile of retinoids is partly due to their fat soluble nature. Fat soluble substances cannot be excreted in urine and so are conveniently stored in fatty tissues. This includes the sebaceous glands as well as the meibomian glands, brain, liver, genitalia etc... According to an FDA review panel, thin people are more likely to get neurological side effects from isotretinoin, because they have less peripheral fat so more drug is absorbed into the brain.
Moreover, isotretinoin causes apoptosis in the cells of some of these tissues. This is how sebacaous and meibomian glands decrease in size.
In addition, retinoids and other drugs cause epigenetic side-effects, i.e. changes in gene regulation. Even though these epigenetic changes do not alter the actual DNA, they can be persistent and even transgenerational, i.e. capable of being passed on from one generation to the next! I have confirmed this with a doctor and a biologist.
So, even if accutane is out of the body, its effects and side-effects are persistent or perhaps slowly reversing.
At the moment I think the priority is to recover from exposure to Accutane. My impression is that vitamin A (especially high amounts), would be a step in the opposite direction. It may bring similar side-effects as accutane (especially given the previous exposure & side-effects).
Right now, I wish I could trade back my neuro-endocrine problems for my acne. I would never risk my health again because of a few pimples. There are much safer alternatives.
Antibiotics may be effective after Accutane, even if they did not work prior to it. After all, Accutane has done something. For example, Amoxicillin, Roxithromycin, Clindamycin (oral or topical as Evoclin foam) were effective for me after Accutane, even though they did not help before. Clarithromycin (oral) and Duac gel (benzoyle peroxide + clindamicyn topical) were also somewhat helpful.
In addition there are certain mineral and vitamin combinations that are anti-inflammatory and weak 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, so they can help with acne, especially when combined with oral or topical antibiotics. But I would save those for later, since 5-a-R inhibition is not something you would want right now.
As for the libido problem recovery, I have tried many supplements without much effect. But gelatinized maca was somewhat helpful and HCGenerate increased libido to uncomfortable levels.
Again, I am not a doctor, I am just speaking from the symptoms I have experienced, the things I tried and the publications I have read (which most doctors do not take time to read).
Teh Pwn, I'm sorry about your ED.
I suggest you try Zinc supplements. I used to take them, they kind of make it harder then usual.
Be careful with those Zinc supplements. Zinc, Omega 3, vitamins B6, D3 and beta carotene, are weak 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors:
Part of the effects and side-effects of accutane are due to strongly inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase-1. Maybe a little zinc is ok but I would not overdo it if I were on accutane or had just stopped.
I'm also facing erectile dysfunction... my doctor has advised me to stop isotretinoin and given me zinc supplements to recover. But by reading your column, I'm confused now.
Each capsule contains :
Zinc Sulfate Monohydrate 41.4mg
Thiamine Mononitrate 10 mg
Vitamin B2 10 mg
Nicotinamide 100 mg
Vitamin B6 3 mg
Vitamin B12 15 mcg
Calcium Pantothernate 50 mg
Vitamin C 150 mg
Folic Acid 1500 mcg
Biotin 100 mcg
Please advice what should i do?
Thanks for reading
Hi,
Sorry to hear that you are on the same boat...
This seems like a decent multivitamin, especially since it does not contain vitamin A. The Zinc content does not seem to exceed the recommended daily allowance by too much, so it might be ok as long as you do not overdo it. But I am not a doctor so it might be best to ask your doctor directly. You could show list of articles and url to him and ask directly if he thinks zinc will be bad or good for you at this moment. (You could try asking him diplomatically, i.e. "I do not know if this is relevant, but I read in these journals that accutane is a 5-alpha-reductase-1 inhibitor, and therefore decreases some potent androgens such as DHT, and that zinc also inhibits the same enzyme. So I am a bit worried, if accutane has inhibited these androgens, would extra zinc inhibit them further, or not?")
Personally, I think that taking a number of things blindly, without knowing whether I am deficient in them or not, might be like a shot in the dark. I was instructed to take nothing for a month and then have all my vitamin and hormone levels checked. Then I knew clearly what deficiency needs to be corrected. This is how I found I was high in homocysteine, low in B6, B9 and D3 vitamins, and low in testosterone and aldosterone levels, and my hematologist and endocrinologist were able to correct some of these deficiencies.
Bottom line is, if you take your multivitamin and the problem does not resolve spontaneously after 2-6 weeks off accutane, please consider a thorough vitamin, hormone and liver panel. And please avoid alcohol and vitamin A for at least a month after accutane.
Note added: I just found out that Zinc Citrate also inhibits the enzyme aromatase (which converts testosterone to estrogen). So zinc citrate would increase testosterone by inhibiting its conversion to both estrogen (by inhibiting aromatase) and dihydrotestosterone (by inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase-1). Inhibiting estrogen a little bit might help. But it should not be decreased too much, because estrogen is needed for libido and other things. Without knowing what your levels in these hormones are, it is difficult to know in which direction they should be twinked. But I do not think a little bit of zinc will make a dramatic difference.
For what it's worth, Dr. Shippen in his book "The Testosterone Syndrome" recommends starting at 50mgs/2mgs of copper 2 x's a day for the first 30 days, then take one. But that is a bit too much in my view.
Btw I am just describing what my experience was, what I did and what I would do.
Thanks a ton for your advice...
I consulted with my doctor and he said isotretinoin clears from the body in a month or two. Now, I'm getting erections but duration is low & less toned. I know i was very good in past. Sometimes I feel morning erections also that is a good sign. I checked my testosterone levels which are very good in numbers.
The bad thing is boils are back. It's just 25 days ago I stopped isotretinoin and now they again started happening on my head area. I consulted with my doctor and he gave me antibiotics to get by. As they have reappeared soon, he prescribed me Aquasol A 50000 units per day. I have checked Aquasol A is not recommended with isotretinoin as isotretinoin is itself a derivative of Vitamin A.
I am thinking to start Aquasol A after a month because then it will be two months gap between the two medicines.
What do you say?
Thanks for reading
Hi,
My understanding is that 50000 IU vitamin A per day exceeds toxicity limits:
Personally, even 4-5 months after my last exposure to accutane, I noticed that even a little bit of alcohol or a protein bar with Vitamin A 50% RDA (1500 IU), would worsen my symptoms significantly for days or weeks. So I decided to not risk further and abstain from vitamin A and alcohol. This may seem extreme but I know another user who noticed similar things.
The side effect profile of retinoids is partly due to their fat soluble nature. Fat soluble substances cannot be excreted in urine and so are conveniently stored in fatty tissues. This includes the sebaceous glands as well as the meibomian glands, brain, liver, genitalia etc... According to an FDA review panel, thin people are more likely to get neurological side effects from isotretinoin, because they have less peripheral fat so more drug is absorbed into the brain.
Moreover, isotretinoin causes apoptosis in the cells of some of these tissues. This is how sebacaous and meibomian glands decrease in size.
In addition, retinoids and other drugs cause epigenetic side-effects, i.e. changes in gene regulation. Even though these epigenetic changes do not alter the actual DNA, they can be persistent and even transgenerational, i.e. capable of being passed on from one generation to the next! I have confirmed this with a doctor and a biologist.
So, even if accutane is out of the body, its effects and side-effects are persistent or perhaps slowly reversing.
At the moment I think the priority is to recover from exposure to Accutane. My impression is that vitamin A (especially high amounts), would be a step in the opposite direction. It may bring similar side-effects as accutane (especially given the previous exposure & side-effects).
Right now, I wish I could trade back my neuro-endocrine problems for my acne. I would never risk my health again because of a few pimples. There are much safer alternatives.
Antibiotics may be effective after Accutane, even if they did not work prior to it. After all, Accutane has done something. For example, Amoxicillin, Roxithromycin, Clindamycin (oral or topical as Evoclin foam) were effective for me after Accutane, even though they did not help before. Clarithromycin (oral) and Duac gel (benzoyle peroxide + clindamicyn topical) were also somewhat helpful.
In addition there are certain mineral and vitamin combinations that are anti-inflammatory and weak 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, so they can help with acne, especially when combined with oral or topical antibiotics. But I would save those for later, since 5-a-R inhibition is not something you would want right now.
As for the libido problem recovery, I have tried many supplements without much effect. But gelatinized maca was somewhat helpful and HCGenerate increased libido to uncomfortable levels.
Again, I am not a doctor, I am just speaking from the symptoms I have experienced, the things I tried and the publications I have read (which most doctors do not take time to read).
You are very much right because while on isotretinoin i didn't found anything wrong till one day when i took alcohol and that also in large amount. After some days i felt erection is not as much as it used to be but i took it lightly guessing it happens sometimes in normal life.
I got shocked when i got a chance with my GF and erection not lasted for some few minutes. I failed to intercourse.
Anyways, what is happened has happened and i can't reverse it. Now, the main point is how to recover from it. I have stopped Vitamin A after taking it two days as I don't want to make things worse. I am now on antibiotics but it would not help me in longer time because i can feel my disease is now getting used of it.
I also read about HCGenerate and want to know is there any side effects of it?
I am also thinking to change my doctor.
Many thanks for your advice.. i really appreciate it
As for the alcohol-accutane toxicity, perhaps this is relevant:
Ethanol elevates physiological all-trans-retinoic acid levels in select loci through altering retinoid metabolism in multiple loci: a potential mechanism of ethanol toxicity.
FASEB J. 2010 Mar;24(3):823-32. Epub 2009 Nov 4.
Regarding HCGenerate, I personally did not experience any side effects, but I only used it 5-10 times. I am not sure what it did to my hormones since I did not check. The only "side-effect" I experienced was that it increased my libido to uncomfortable levels.
In the past, I also found benefit from Himalaya speman, gelatinized maca, glyco-carnitine and testosterone gel. Since long-term exogenous testosterone suppresses endogenous production, I have now switched to HCG injections.
Other options are listed here. Incidentally, the post-accutane symptoms are very similar to those described at propeciahelp by post-finasteride syndrome sufferers. The only thing that the two drugs have in common is inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase (type 1 and type 2 respectively) via epigenetic mechanisms.
By the way, I would encourage you and everyone with such side-effects to report them straight to the FDA. The product label ought to be revised and include sexual side-effects. If enough of us report this side-effect, the label will be revised. This will accomplish two things: First, it will warn future users. Second, it will allow people that suffer permanently from this problem to pursue litigation. This is already happening with Propecia. Two weeks ago, Merck finally had to revise the product label and include permanent sexual dysfunction as a possible side effect. Now it is time for Accutane...
crookbond said:You are very much right because while on isotretinoin i didn't found anything wrong till one day when i took alcohol and that also in large amount. After some days i felt erection is not as much as it used to be but i took it lightly guessing it happens sometimes in normal life.I got shocked when i got a chance with my GF and erection not lasted for some few minutes. I failed to intercourse.
Anyways, what is happened has happened and i can't reverse it. Now, the main point is how to recover from it. I have stopped Vitamin A after taking it two days as I don't want to make things worse. I am now on antibiotics but it would not help me in longer time because i can feel my disease is now getting used of it.
I also read about HCGenerate and want to know is there any side effects of it?
I am also thinking to change my doctor.
Many thanks for your advice.. i really appreciate it
LOLZ, people will blame accutane for everything eh? Please refer to my avatar on what you all sound like.
Sorry to reply to this old thread but this is laughable.
Guys, sexual disfunction is really common (nowadays anyway) - stop blaming a drug that had nothing to do with it & research something that can actually FIX it.
A lot of this stuff is in your head as well, as long as you are fixated on blame, you are taking away from trying to change your situation, and probably making it worse.
Thanks for your mature, insightful comments 
I have some clarification questions, so that we can all benefit from your expertise:
Don't you think people might have the capability of recognizing symptoms of hypogonadism, especially when they occur in their body, rather than yours?
Are you capable of diagnosing them over the internet without knowing them or their medical history or labwork?
Have you understood (or read) any of the literature, before making such comments?
Or do you just know everything, so you need not read?
Btw, I also doubted accutane could trigger such problems after my first two courses, although I had read about it on wikipedia. Which is why I started a third course. Wikipedia was right the third time.
I guess it's human nature. If it does not happen to you, it does not exist...
Just be respectful of the unlucky minority that encountered persistent health problems, and be thankful that you do not yet belong to that minority.
By the way, when you make fun of people with neuroendocrine complications from accutane, by calling their health problems laughable, what do you think you sound like?
LOLZ, people will blame accutane for everything eh? Please refer to my avatar on what you all sound like.
Sorry to reply to this old thread but this is laughable.
Guys, sexual disfunction is really common (nowadays anyway) - stop blaming a drug that had nothing to do with it & research something that can actually FIX it.
A lot of this stuff is in your head as well, as long as you are fixated on blame, you are taking away from trying to change your situation, and probably making it worse.
Thanks for your mature, insightful commentsI have some clarification questions, so that we can all benefit from your expertise:
Your welcome. 
My suggestion, don't take expired drugs. Who knows what else you took that actually caused your ED.
Stop obsessing & get some help for you ED instead of just bitching about it. I have friends, young & old that have had problems on & off with sexual disfunction over the years (none of whom have been on accutane) but they don't have the easy scape goat of tane to stand on a soap box & yell about instead of actually doing something about it.
ED isn't something to laugh about, blaming accutane as the sole reason for it, is.
So, because guys not taking accutane can get ED, guys taking accutane cannot get ED from it?
And I am not talking about just ED. I am talking about hypogonadism. And it is not just guys. Women in this forum have experienced hypogonadal symptoms on accutane that improve once they stop, but more often than not the improvement is only partial.
When you notice all the symptoms of hypogonadism (including muscle wasting, testicular atrophy, complete loss of libido and morning or night wood) on accutane, and symptoms subside after stopping, but not completely, then there is not much room for doubt. When these symptoms appear in your labwork as low testosterone and rhabdomyolysis, then you know they are not psychological. When a reputable endocrinologist says that accutane and alcohol can cause rhabdomyolysis and lower pituitary hormones in susceptible people, there is little left to doubt.
I suggest you take a good look at the [removed] forums, and see what these guys are going through. Do you think these people created the forum just to bitch about it and they did not seek help for solving their problems? Do you know how many people told them the problem is in their head? It is in their head, but it is usually in their pituitary and hypothalamus, it is called hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism and/or androgen resistance, and it took 20+ years for the manufacturer to update the drug label.
I am not writing comments just to bitch about accutane. I am providing people with information that ought to have been written on the product label.
You need not to take my word for it. Just keep taking accutane. And maybe have a drink or two while you are at it. Maybe nothing will happen. Or maybe something will.
Many people get screwed by mixing accutane with alcohol. Rarely, even one drink is enough to cause permanent damage to susceptible individuals. I think people deserve to know.
Beauty Bot said:Babis said:Thanks for your mature, insightful commentsI have some clarification questions, so that we can all benefit from your expertise:
Your welcome.
My suggestion, don't take expired drugs. Who knows what else you took that actually caused your ED.
Stop obsessing & get some help for you ED instead of just bitching about it. I have friends, young & old that have had problems on & off with sexual disfunction over the years (none of whom have been on accutane) but they don't have the easy scape goat of tane to stand on a soap box & yell about instead of actually doing something about it.
ED isn't something to laugh about, blaming accutane as the sole reason for it, is.
A medical problem that was going to happen at the time in your life that you were taking Accutane; would have happened with or without Accutane in your system. Most of the time, it's coincidence that this stuff happens. I'm not saying that it NEVER does, I know for a fact Accutane is dangerous. But, I highly doubt your sexual problems have ALL been because of Accutane.
You can get serious, permanent and life-threatening side effects from a common drug that everyone uses like Advil/Tylenol. Hell, you can get serious side effects from ANY drug/medication. Blaming every problem on one drug is just unrealistic. Again, I'm not saying Accutane does not cause serious side effects, or that people ARE suffering from side effects caused by Accutane, I'm just saying, it's not as horrible and dreadful as everyone automatically assumes it to be.
Yes, these medical problems were going to happen anyway. At age 90.
Accutane does not cause medical problems. It just helps you travel 60 years into the future.
A medical problem that was going to happen at the time in your life that you were taking Accutane; would have happened with or without Accutane in your system. Most of the time, it's coincidence that this stuff happens. I'm not saying that it NEVER does, I know for a fact Accutane is dangerous. But, I highly doubt your sexual problems have ALL been because of Accutane.
You can get serious, permanent and life-threatening side effects from a common drug that everyone uses like Advil/Tylenol. Hell, you can get serious side effects from ANY drug/medication. Blaming every problem on one drug is just unrealistic. Again, I'm not saying Accutane does not cause serious side effects, or that people ARE suffering from side effects caused by Accutane, I'm just saying, it's not as horrible and dreadful as everyone automatically assumes it to be.
Yes, these medical problems were going to happen anyway. At age 90.
Accutane does not cause medical problems. No. It just helps you travel 60 years into the future.
A medical problem that was going to happen at the time in your life that you were taking Accutane; would have happened with or without Accutane in your system. Most of the time, it's coincidence that this stuff happens. I'm not saying that it NEVER does, I know for a fact Accutane is dangerous. But, I highly doubt your sexual problems have ALL been because of Accutane.
You can get serious, permanent and life-threatening side effects from a common drug that everyone uses like Advil/Tylenol. Hell, you can get serious side effects from ANY drug/medication. Blaming every problem on one drug is just unrealistic. Again, I'm not saying Accutane does not cause serious side effects, or that people ARE suffering from side effects caused by Accutane, I'm just saying, it's not as horrible and dreadful as everyone automatically assumes it to be.
Wow. Beauty Bot was right, you guys really do blame everything on this drug. I guess you don't realize that ED can happen at any age, just because you get it when you mature to a certain age doesn't mean it's some sort of guarantee that it's impossible to get before you're a wrinkly old prune. Some people are born with defects, maybe ED is in your gene pool.
Like I said, ANY, and I mean ANY drug/medication you take has POTENTIAL side effects that are SEVERE and LIFE THREATENING. It doesn't matter if it's a drug like Advil or if it's a drug like Accutane, it's possible. I'm not denying that you can't get ED from Accutane, I'm simply telling you that it's extremely unlikely and that you may have gotten defects just from being you; your gene pool, and not Accutane.
It seems, to me and many others, that people taking this drug, and that have and/or get a defect, jump on the band wagon and criticize Accutane, like it's the problem to everything in their life. It's like their on Accutane, so if they get and/or have a defect/problem, it's automatically, without question, no ifs, ands or buts, Accutanes fault.
I often wonder why people like you and a few other previous posts come on thread of suffers who are searching help for thier side effects...Don't you have something better to do, say like looking at threads that would pertain to you instead of insulting the orginal posters thread????
What happended to the debate thread seems some of theese posts need to be there. 
Finally, a voice of reason. I was feeling kind of lonely in this forum 
I often wonder why people like you and a few other previous posts come on thread of suffers who are searching help for thier side effects...Don't you have something better to do, say like looking at threads that would pertain to you instead of insulting the orginal posters thread????
What happended to the debate thread seems some of theese posts need to be there.
I'm not denying that you can't get ED from Accutane
Really? You don't say.
Some people are born with defects, maybe ED is in your gene pool.
And maybe arguing-without-evidence-or-reading-the-literature-or-knowing-what-i-am-talking-about is in your gene pool. 
You wanna talk about genes? This little-known article largely elucidates isotretinoin's mechanism of action:
Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin mediates 13-cis retinoic acid-induced apoptosis of human sebaceous gland cells J Clin Invest. 2008;118(4):1468-1478
Look at table 2 and table 3. Gene expression in the skin and every other organ is changed by isotretinoin. These changes persist or slowly reverse and may be passed on to offspring. If you have doubts, ask any biology major if epigenetic changes can persist or be passed on to offspring.
If you are going to tele-diagnose me over the internet, the least you can do is read the literature first. A number of articles on endocrine aspects is posted above. There are plenty more on neurological aspects.
Btw, I am not saying that if you take accutane you will get ED. That is very unlikely. It only happens to a small unlucky susceptible minority. But if you do get it, and if it is not psychological (there are ways to check), and if there are additional hypogonadal symptoms, then it is very likely to have been accutane. And it is the interaction of accutane with your genes and environmental factors that does the job. Not accutane alone and not genes alone. It would not have happened without both factors contributing.
This forum is for exchange of opinions and ideas about how to solve or avoid a problem. Constructive criticism is welcome. But I will resist replying to further comments of insulting or destructively critical nature. It is getting boring for me and the readers of this forum.
Hmm, I was not aware I was "insulting the original posters thread". Thanks for the advice, I'll be absolutely sure to consult you when I need to know what other people's feelings are! 
And to Babis, if you're going to try and make me look bad on the internet, the least you could do is have the decency to not come off as such an ass. I never once directly flamed you in my previous post, like you just did numerous times. I'm not trying to have a pissing contest with you, but apparently, being arrogant and bad-talking everyone that disagrees with you is in your gene pool, as well.
My God, you people remind me of the interesting fellas over on Blueline. 