Hello everyone!

Even though my dick doesn't work so well during the day, I actually feel quite optimistic and full of life.

Although my libido is pretty much zero and I sometimes can't get an erection for the life of me, I almost feel on top of the world after recovering from emotional anhedonia, sleeping problems and my brain feeling disconnected from reality.

Andrew: I'm not trying to draw any rash conclusions, I'm just stating what is out there in the scientific literature and listing my experience in the most objective way possible to potentially help others.

I think it is important to understand what isotretinoin is doing to our bodies on a biological level. Vitamin A serves as a strong anti-oxidant at normal levels, however high levels of its products (retinol, etc) can cause persistent changes in gene regulation.

The way accutane works is by altering androgen mediated activity, leading to androgen resistance in the sebaceous glands and for some people in the brain, liver, bones, eyes and other areas of the body.

Isotretinoin and FoxO1 A scientific hypothesis

http://www.fly-bay.n...MelnikDE3-3.pdf

Effect of oral isotretinoin treatment on skin androgen receptor levels in male acneic patients.

http://www.ncbi.nlm..../pubmed/7714084

Isotretinoin, finasteride, propecia, proscar and dutasteride all affect androgen mediated activity through inhibition of the 5AR enzyme that converts testosterone into the more potent DHT. This temporary inhibition has been hypothesized to cause gene regulation changes, altering androgen receptor function.

This hypothesis is also supported by Dr. Kevin Pezzi M.D. (The Science of Sex) and several other people who have temporarily recovered by resensitizing their cells to androgens using DHT inhibitors such as finasteride (Unfortunately I can't find the links at the moment). However I would HIGHLY advise against this because finasteride and propecia can also make side effects worse (refer to www.propeciahelp.com).

This change can cause problems where the 5AR enzymes are most active --- in the liver, the brain (depression, emotional anhedonia, libido/erectile problems), bones (osteoporosis), genital tissue, etc. These can also cause auto immune disorders such as IBS, arthritis and allergies. The moderators of www.propeciahelp.com have linked all of these together and they are working with scientists all around the world to test and attempt to come up solutions for these ideas. I HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU ALL DO THE SAME!!!! SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SUFFERING FROM THESE MENTAL AND SEXUAL SIDE EFFECTS FROM ISOTRETINOIN FOR 15+ YEARS AND THEY HAVE ONLY BEEN BROUGHT TO LIGHT IN THE PAST YEAR BECAUSE THE PEOPLE AT PROPECIAHELP HAD THE GUTS TO SPEAK UP!!!!! MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A VOICE!!! TALK TO DOCTORS AND SCIENTISTS AROUND YOUR UNIVERSITY. SHOW THEM THE RESEARCH I HAVE GIVEN YOU! I'M CALLING ALL ISOTRETINOIN USERS TO SPEAK UP! MOST OF US HAVE DONE A VERY POOR JOB OF GETTING OUR VOICES OUT TO THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY!!

FURTHER: BECAUSE OF ALL THE PEOPLE MAKING NOISE ABOUT PROPECIA THEY HAVE BEEN FORCED TO LIST PERMANENT ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION AND PERSISTENT MENTAL SIDE EFFECTS ON PROPECIA'S LABEL. KEEP BUGGING THE FDA WITH YOUR SIDE EFFECTS AND THEY WILL BE FORCED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

My goal right now is to help bring awareness. I am currently applying to medical school and I am composing my story with links to thousands of people who have suffered from our condition. I am submitting this story to most of the medical schools I am applying too. Some of them may think I'm crazy and it will definitely raise a few eyebrows with the admission committees, but they would have to be extremely arrogant to ignore the overwhelming evidence. This may hurt my application, but I think It will make the top dogs of some of the finest research institutions more aware of our problems. I'm sending my story with my application to 30+ different schools. Some of these schools have some of the finest gene therapy and neurology programs in the world, so if I can just make one of them more aware then I have succeeded. I'm also applying and submitting my story to all the PFS (Post finasteride syndrome) medical schools such as George Washington U (Dr. Irwig) and University of Boston (Dr. Traish). I'm very Interested to hear what they will say!

Lastly a note of reassurance: Most of these side effects are reversible (but often times very difficult) and there are several propecia and isotretinoin users who have had resolution of their side effects overtime. I am a living example of someone who has recovered/overcome some of the most severe mental sides.

I plan on spending the next few years investigating these problems aggressively throughout my time in medical school and through my studies in integrative medicine.

I urge you all to get up and take a stand as I am!

 

I couldn't have said it any better!!! In fact, a few law firms I have spoke to recently are now true believers in this condition...thanks to many of your publication links that support the claims.

[Edited link out]

Another new video above..

Anyways, how are y'all today?

Me and jmsil (James) heard back from Hebe, the lady who did our hair analysis', today.

She said she would ask a couple of experts she knew if they had any suggestions for us.

One guy has replied that we should use a product he sells called Essential digestive plus to improve the health of the digestive tract.

He has also mentioned a product called Liver Balance, and one called Kidney rescue which are meant to show good results within one month's use.

This may be something to consider, and Hebe believe they offer a money-back guarantee.

He lastly said that Milk Thistle (which I think we're both taking) prevents the detox effect so we should stop taking it until we are healed. It is meant to be a protector.

That's all I have to say today.

Just thought I'd let you guys know incase it helps.

I may have a look at the site, but I'm probably doing okay for now with liver supplements.

Ciao.

[Edited link out]

Just looking at the products actually and they do sound pretty good!

A bit pricey though.

I guess sometimes you have to pay out for the best.

I never thought about my kindeys being a problem.

Even when I got it back as a problem in my test.

I only just looked on this site and I have quite a few of the listed symptoms.

I know I'm taking a lot of supplements already, but this might be worth ago.

Do I buy 1 or 4 for the price of 3... Hmmmm

Indy

[Edited link out]

This is the liver one.

I'm chasing the adrenals at the moment and got my test kit through the test (which will be 75 and 12 postage!) but maybe I should be focusing on the Kidneys, which govern the adrenals. I feel a hit of new hope! Hopefully (no pun intended) it'll last!

The last few days I've also been looking at supplementing the adrenals Indigo, as Chico mentioned a few posts back. It seems the herbs needed for this are "Adaptogenic Herbs" - and this morning I bought Maca Powder, of which is an adaptogenic. Maca powder is not new to me, and maybe some others have tried it here? But the supposed benefits persuaded me: [Removed]. Improves mood, increase energy and stamina, improves sexual function are all things I need! It does it by fueling the endocrine system, one of which is the adrenal glands, to promote hormone production! Typically though, since buying it I've seen it has side effects, but a little more research and it seeems all adaptogen herbs (like schizandra berry) have the same side effects, because they are all a mild stimulent.So now I'm not sure if I'm even going to take the maca when it arrives tomorrow... The thing is I don't know what other options there are for adrenals. Chico, you mentioned supplementing the adrenals, but didn't mention any specific herbs - can you suggest any?

I've heard that Maca can also do great things for your sleep, so I'd give it a shot if I were you and see if it helps. Big doses of Vitamin C (above 100mg for many, including myself) will also help significantly in a comprehensive manner. I've also heard nothing but praise from almost every adrenal fatigue sufferer about Real Salt, which is an American brand of sea salt. Apparently it's pretty critical to have salt in your diet, but regular table salt that you can buy everywhere is more detrimental than beneficial.

By the way, when Milano said "my toilet habits are regular and I no longer flush daily" I got a very wrong impression of what you actually meant, haha!

Not really much else for me to add, but I will say that recovery won't be linear -- that is, you're gonna have setbacks and falls despite doing everything absolutely perfectly, so try not to feel discouraged whenever this may happen! Just keep pushing and eventually you'll see how your efforts will pay off over the long-term.

Hooray, we have hit over 300 replies!

I didn't think when I started this off earlier this year it'd get this much attention.

It's like we've become a little family.. haha.

I believe we are on the right track and will get to our desired goal.

I went for a walk today and was listening to The Healing Code for what must be the third time.

Something about it really just adds up.

I feel like a paradigm shift is due and that energy healing is the next big thing.

It takes an open-mind to think like that, but when the reviews keep hitting 5 stars you have to think 'There's something to all of this'.

The whole idea is backed up by a 'gold-standard' medical test (Heart rate variability) which shows doing the code removes stress from the body.

They mention this is something that cannot react to a placebo effect.

I'm totally buying into it anyway.

A part I was listening to was talking about Codex Alimentarius, and the doing away with herbs/supplements.

This is all going on now, and you may recall when we talked about the European Union ban of herbs, that kicked in earlier this year.

Despite thousands of people fighting this, it might be a lose-lose situation.

Why am I saying this?

I'm just saying that if this is the case, and herbs/supplements are taken out of the equation (without having to go through a physician, or spend a lot of money) in the upcoming years, people need something else.

Regardless of your religious/spiritual beliefs, it does seem The Healing Code has been released at the right time. As if someone or something is protecting health for mankind. Because if herbs etc aren't there, we are pretty much left to drugs and healthy eating. I'll never touch another drug again, unless it was my final available choice.

I'm doing my adrenal test today and will have the results within the next few weeks, but it's well known amongst health professionals that you can do all the right stuff health-wise, but still some people just don't recover. You have to get to the cause instead of the symptoms. Whenever I hear of something, like The Healing Code I can't help think 'But this is different. I took a drug called Accutane and it damaged my body. I can't do anything about it, except try to repair my body with healthy food and supplements.' Maybe I'm wrong though. Stress is the cause of all disease and illness. Not just in terms of emotional stress, but anything that impairs the immune system. Anything that creates a toxin-response, and emotional stress can of course wreak havoc on your body. The easiest way to say this is 'Fight-or-flight mode'. If we feel stressed, we are creating a stress-response. This is why so many cases of digestive problems are stress related. Once your body is in a regular state of stress, it will go into the fight-or-flight response. When this happens, your body is so focused on whether or not it should run or fight, it forgets about the other physiological processes (such as digesting food and carrying out healing mechanisms).

I hope this makes sense. I am pretty much repeating what I've heard in The Healing code, but doesn't it just make perfect sense to you?

Our bodies are so resistant, but over time they can take on too much and break down.

The immune system is impaired.

The healing code claims it can get the immune system working again.

Once your immune system is in peak-condition, you start to heal.

If this is all true, it will go down in History.

We need to stop thinking our bodies can't heal.

We need to relax throughout the day, KNOWING we can and will get through this.

This alone will get rid of a lot of stress.

But the healing code claims that is works at a cellular level, by use of energy.

We can't fix all of our bodies problems through controlling current stress.

All that past stress is influencing our bodies and we need something to eliminate the stress.

Once this has happened, we can start to heal.

The book is extremely well written, so I'd advise reading it. I actually got mine from Audible and I find I have new hope when listening to it.

I probably sound like a sales-rep, but I just really believe in this thing.

Of course, science matters too, and we need to address our health physically (through good food, exercise and possibly supplements).

But I think we all have a big amount of stress, sitting inside of us because of what happens.

With the example of using exercise to heal though.

Think why that may be.

Sure, it's great for making your stronger physically and can get your blood flowing, but how often do we hear about the mental benefits of exercise?

I think that plays the bigger part.

It helps to release pent-up stress.

What I've just realised is, we have the resources we need, right now.

I'm feeling optimistic at the moment, and I can feel the energy going through me.

Because I've made it a possibility to feel good again.

Because I'm feeling good now.

The energy was there all along, but I was over-riding it with negative emotions and helplessness.

I'm going to give this thing a fair trial.

It may not be something that cures us, but it's certainly making me want to give it a go.

Indy

The excessive sweating can be linked to anxiety. I'm in the same boat because I have SEVERE sweating in my armpits and head/face when I work out at the gym.

But I've noticed when I take my anti-anxiety medicine, my sweating is limited to almost nothing. I've only read the first post and I realize that you want to try natural ways to cure your symptoms, but I'm just putting in my input.

Goodluck

JMSIL, how are you getting on with the diet? Have you changed it according to the afood sensitivites?

For lunch, I find that organic peanut butter on rice cakes does the job nicely.

I've been using a product called Colosan to give my colon a good clean (lovely jubbly) and it's working. Not sure if it'll be something to help long-term or just while I use it.

I'm looking to boost my immune system, because I believe it plays a key part in healing.

I'm going to fit it more exercise every day.

I still believe The Healing Code could serve us well, but I haven't started doing that yet.

I'm interested in getting a rebounder though.

I know you mentioned it.

I just wondered if you've been using it, or if you think they're worth it?

Here's the site than has informed me of its benefits: [removed]

It says it's 'fun' to use. Not sure if there is any truth in that, because it looks pretty boring. I'd rather jump on a bouncy castle, but don't think I have room for that.

To be honest I haven't altered or changed any of the foods that the hair test said I was sensitive too... the reason is because it doesn't include allergies, so I don't think the hassle of changing my foods is worth it, because there could still be foods I'm eating that I'm allergic to that I don't know about, so it's defeating the object.

The rebounder is good, and it IS fun, they are right! Th 2 reasons I don't use it that often is because 1) I physically don't feel like exercise and 2) I've found th best time to go on it without feeling sick is on an empty stomach first thing in the morning before eating, which can be hard. That's just me tho. You could probably go on it a few hours after eating no problem. It doesn't really get boring because you can put your ipod on or have it in the living room whilst watching tv. Or you can bounce in your garden.. it's up to you.

I 'm pretty numb right now.... losing the motivation... losing the hope.. if I felt pysically up to it, I would exercise all day, every day. But some of the time I can only do it so much, and a lot of the time I feel worse after, or need like days to recover to normal. Hey, we need more poeple like Connor sharing there positive experiences after this drug, but Connor making out that vigorous exercise is a cure-all for all Accutane sufferers is badly underestimating damage this drug causes on the body - it doesn't apply to me anyway. For example, if your adrenals are exhausted, there is no way vigorous exercise can help.. it will make things worse! I wish bit of exercise was the answer.

I wish I had got something like bad liver damge through drinking or something, or some other bad illness through bad diet. I'm pretty sure I would be able to heal my body from anything from what I've learnt about natural healing. But Accutane is a f****** monster. It's like the exception to the rule...

Anyway, I took maca on Sunday... but havn't had it since.. don't know why, i'm not believing right now. Right now the only thing I'm taking are the 4 liver tinctures from Sensible Health, I guess I'll take these for as long as I want..

C'mon, Mr Miracle Man, still waiting for the cure-all post....

To be honest I haven't altered or changed any of the foods that the hair test said I was sensitive too... the reason is because it doesn't include allergies, so I don't think the hassle of changing my foods is worth it, because there could still be foods I'm eating that I'm allergic to that I don't know about, so it's defeating the object.

The rebounder is good, and it IS fun, they are right! Th 2 reasons I don't use it that often is because 1) I physically don't feel like exercise and 2) I've found th best time to go on it without feeling sick is on an empty stomach first thing in the morning before eating, which can be hard. That's just me tho. You could probably go on it a few hours after eating no problem. It doesn't really get boring because you can put your ipod on or have it in the living room whilst watching tv. Or you can bounce in your garden.. it's up to you.

I 'm pretty numb right now.... losing the motivation... losing the hope.. if I felt pysically up to it, I would exercise all day, every day. But some of the time I can only do it so much, and a lot of the time I feel worse after, or need like days to recover to normal. Hey, we need more poeple like Connor sharing there positive experiences after this drug, but Connor making out that vigorous exercise is a cure-all for all Accutane sufferers is badly underestimating damage this drug causes on the body - it doesn't apply to me anyway. For example, if your adrenals are exhausted, there is no way vigorous exercise can help.. it will make things worse! I wish bit of exercise was the answer.

I wish I had got something like bad liver damge through drinking or something, or some other bad illness through bad diet. I'm pretty sure I would be able to heal my body from anything from what I've learnt about natural healing. But Accutane is a f****** monster. It's like the exception to the rule...

Anyway, I took maca on Sunday... but havn't had it since.. don't know why, i'm not believing right now. Right now the only thing I'm taking are the 4 liver tinctures from Sensible Health, I guess I'll take these for as long as I want..

C'mon, Mr Miracle Man, still waiting for the cure-all post....

 

Hey man... I wish I could be the guy to bring out the answer.

I'm actually feeling super good right now.

I think i've finished my book about Roaccutane. In 2 days! It's 20,000 words long (34 pages on Word).

I'm going to have to spell-check it and make sure I haven't written something stupid, but I'm feeling pretty good about it.

There needs to be a book on this! I think I've done a good job of outlining how terrible Accutane is and also offered some advice (most of it you will know already).

I didn't know anyone can publish their own ebook on Amazon. It's super simple.

Chin up man. But you do have a right to feel like shit.

I just feel like I'm on the right track now though.

Something I figured out today was Gilbert's syndrome (which I was told I had but not to worry about it) indicated raised bilirubin, which then indicates a poor functioning liver and bile flow issues. This fits in with what Chico has said. (Chico gets a mention in me book! lol) It's also enough proof to me to know my liver is screwed up. This is a starting point. Surely, by doing things than help the liver, things will improve.

I think allergies are known, like Hebe said. We would choke on a peanut if we were allergic. I think sensitivites may cause stomach/digestive issues, but I'm not sure.

Sergio, who I know on YouTube, is trying out the 30-day water fast.

It'll be interesting to see if this helps him, like it helped the other guy.

If this works, I think it's worth trying.

I still think there is something to The Healing Code.

It has been said to even cure cancer.

I know that's a BOLD claim, but the reviews on Amazon(.com mainly) support it.

The book itself does make a lot of sense.

It is meant to get the immune system working again, and once this happens your body can heal itself of disease.

Exercise is a must. Walking 30 minutes a day shouldn't be too much to ask? You don't have to force yourself to do anything heavy. I'm looking forward to getting my Rebounder in the post. Amazon shipped it today

I will have my adrenal results very soon, my friend. I will post them on here, or link a YouTube video as soon as I can.

Stress is the main cause for adrenal fatigue though.

Of course, Accutane can cause stress, but we need to do the best we can to stay happy.

Focus your mind on something fun, like Toy Story 3.

Ta Ta.

I don't think just the swelling/closing of the throat (choking) is the only allergic reaction. I'm sure loss of energy, feeling jittery/on edge are other signs of an allergic reaction within hours of eating an allergy food which can go undetected.

I know you'll enjoy the rebounder.. it's a lot more fun then walking or running!

2 days is pretty fast to do a book... i'm not surprised in a way... you had probably so much in your mind about this drug over god knows how many years it all just spilled out.... Just make sure you get permission off Chico for his mention... you don't want him sueing you for the millions you make from this bestseller [Edited link out]

Good luck mate.

Well I haven't taken any Accutane, yet. I will be starting a course soon. I was wondering if you could go back in time and choose if you took Accutane or not, which one would you pick? After reading this I'm even more timid to start my course but my acne has been persistent even with oral/topical antibiotics and retin-a. So I'm really just wishing my acne will be permantly gone or as least greatly lessened with minimum side-effects. So I read a large amount of this topic and I wanted to know is your side effects under better control? Would you recommend trying to detox your body after finishing Accutane?

Don't take it. Simples. Change your diet. Acne isn't forever. Your hormones will slow down in a few years.

Well you know I can't exactly stop and say "No way, Jose." I could but my derm and also my mom actually thinks I should based on that never has worked for me totally. Well to answer the diet thing I mean I could do that but still my parents still had acne after they were out of their teens. So I'm thinking my acne is not totally hormonal. Diet is something I always try and work on. I've been trying to eat as healthy as I can during my school lunch as they are usually are not to good for you. I really didn't want it to come to this but once I got off minocycline my acne the next day got worse and then progressed even more bad from there. This is my last option really and I understand you basically saying that I shouldn't, but I shall.

Don't take it. Simples. Change your diet. Acne isn't forever. Your hormones will slow down in a few years.

Well you know I can't exactly stop and say "No way, Jose." I could but my derm and also my mom actually thinks I should based on that never has worked for me totally. Well to answer the diet thing I mean I could do that but still my parents still had acne after they were out of their teens. So I'm thinking my acne is not totally hormonal. Diet is something I always try and work on. I've been trying to eat as healthy as I can during my school lunch as they are usually are not to good for you. I really didn't want it to come to this but once I got off minocycline my acne the next day got worse and then progressed even more bad from there. This is my last option really and I understand you basically saying that I shouldn't, but I shall.

 

Don't take it. Simples. Change your diet. Acne isn't forever. Your hormones will slow down in a few years.

 

Why not make diet/lifestyle changes in addition to Accutane? Just make sure to take care of yourself while on Accutane; get plenty of sleep, drink lots of water, aim for 5 fruits/veggies a day (green smoothies and juicing are awesome for this), don't drink, perhaps take some supplements like fish oil, etc.

On 11/3/2011 at 8:03 AM, Brown Spots said:

Well you know I can't exactly stop and say "No way, Jose." I could but my derm and also my mom actually thinks I should based on that never has worked for me totally. Well to answer the diet thing I mean I could do that but still my parents still had acne after they were out of their teens. So I'm thinking my acne is not totally hormonal. Diet is something I always try and work on. I've been trying to eat as healthy as I can during my school lunch as they are usually are not to good for you. I really didn't want it to come to this but once I got off minocycline my acne the next day got worse and then progressed even more bad from there. This is my last option really and I understand you basically saying that I shouldn't, but I shall.

Sounds like you've made up your mind, and you can do what you like, but all I ask is that you say this to your Mum:

"Would you say it is necessary to take a chemotherapy drug for Acne?"

That is what Accutane is, in case you weren't aware.

[Edited link out]

You can also ask her to watch this too.

I know you have a one-track mind right now.

I don't know how bad your acne is, but I'm sure you think it's the worst thing in the world.

I had acne pretty bad, so I've been there, but the risks of taking this drug are not justified.

You have simply not tried everything, have you?

How old are you? You look like a kid in your picture. Just because your parents had acne out of their teens doesn't mean you will.

I just think you need to really think about this.

More people than you are led to believe get long-term side effects from this drug.

At the time, I was told all side effects were rare and that even if I got any, they would only be temporary.

That was a lie.

I'm not sure how the label reads these days, but there is enough info online about the dangers of this drug.

In regards to the above post, it won't do you any good to eat a healthy diet etc, during treatment with this drug.

That's like saying 'While you feed your body this poison, throw an apple in there too'.

You might be one of those people who get lucky and don't get the side effects, but it seems those people normally have their acne return anyway.

Don't play Russian Roulette with your life is all I can say.

If you're not convinced, still, maybe I'm wasting my breath.

I will have a book out in a week or two. It's going to be called 'Roaccutane: The Truth'.

(Roaccutane is the same thing, in case you didn't know. But I like in the UK).

It's basically my story of what happened to me, both while taking the drug and afterwards. It's got a few other pieces of info in there too, such as theories to why Accutane can be so damaging.

Your choice man.

Chico, do you mind if I write this? ...

"...in the forum on Acne.org, a friend of mine who goes by the name of Chico has a theory that Roaccutane is stored in the body. He has done his research and he is the one who made me aware of this. Retinoids are stored in the body; that has been proven."

Cheers

DON'T TAKE ACCUTANE!

This is for anyone reading this topic considering Accutane, read the Accutane report. It was breifly mentioned earlier in this thread, but I don't think a link was given for it, so here it is:

[Removed]

My book is finished, and I've edited it all

It is now in the 'review' stage on Amazon and should be available to buy within 24 hours!

I've put it up for $5.99/£3.71 and you will need a Kindle or a Kindle App. if you would like to read it.

I think it's really good, but I would say that!

Stef

And Jmsil, I've read that report, probably a year ago. It's pretty convincing, I know.

I've heard that DNA is not as important as we believe though.

It has been proven that negative thoughts actually damage DNA.

Positive ones repair DNA.

I'm not saying positive thinking is a must.

I'm just saying DNA can be changed just through thinking.

Our liver's have been damaged. We know that.

We can take action on this front.

What does the telomere theory give us to go on? No hope?

Chin up, lad.

If you fancy a chat, I'm here to talk.

Don't get your hopes up, but I have something that might fix all of this. Keyword = Might.

If Chico is right, and I believe he is, by saying retionoids are stored in the fat this could be the solution.

Liver flushes are unlikely to work. It'll help the liver which I'm sure has been damaged, but it won't get rid of the Accutane.

So what the fuck will, I hear you ask? Niacin.

I came across an article by mistake... http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/niacin.htm

Give it a read (as if I needed to tell you to do that).

Let me know what you think.

I have a good feeling about this...

I really understand your point and I have basically tried a lot of things. This summer I ate pretty dern healthy and did little to my acne.

The things I have tried are: Differin, topical erythromycin and clinimycin (gel & lotion), retin-a 0.5 & 0.1, benzoyl peroxide many types 2.5, 5%, gel, lotion etc., salicylic acid gel, lotions, toners. I've tried zinc (doesn't appear to help), fish oil (broke me out), a probiotic with many strands of good bacteria, vitamin A & D. The oral antibiotics I've taken are tetracycline, doxycycline and minocycline. Many acne kits such as Proactiv, Exposed, Zenmed and many more I can't remember the name of.

EDIT: I just took some photos so you get an idea. Right now my acne it not to inflamed but it almost always flares up in the morning. But I'm still using clindimycin twice a day and a retinoid (differin 0.1 gel). Also my acne will almost always look worse to me but it actually looks better in those pictures. I'm thinking I was in to much direct light but you get an idea. About once a month or every couple months I can sometimes get these unusually large nodules or cysts (usually cysts) and they can scar badly. Acne also shows on my back, which happened this summer, and a month ago my neck starting having some acne on it.

Have you tried light therapy???? What type of diet did you eat? Also when you say fish oil did you mean cod liver oil which is good clearing up acne ( do not take cod liver oil if you have been damged by accutane)? Have you tried going on the holistic fourm threads here?

There are many who were excited to finally think they were getting rid of thier acne, there are many who would tell thoose with side effects that they would go away, it wasn't Accutane etc... and then bam they became one of the unlucky ones....It's Russian Roulette my friend!

As for Nathan's report it does have merit, he posted more to his theroy and it is acutally published in a book (not a e-book). Nathan is also very holistic and does a lot of natural things and is fairing well. http://ragforum.freeforums.org/more-evidence-validating-my-theory-on-accutane-s-mechanism-t58.html

Also scientist are acutally studing Accutane regarding something ( can't remember at the moment but will post the link when I remember)

Dude, your acne isn't that bad, I promise.

Yeah, I'm not in your shoes, but I can tell you that visually, your acne is not bad at all! You look just fine!

Compared to other people's acne no, but still my acne is still very persistent. My current state keeps getting worse and worse. Also it stills scar every now and then, I mean an actual indented scars (not really indented very much, but enough) not red/dark marks. I do have a few red and dark marks as well. Now you put me in a place that I didn't want to be put in and I'm thinking that I should talk to my mom. I probably should, but I'm running out of options. Right now I just want my acne to be gone forever or at least lessened, but doesn't everyone. I already have my blood work done and my Accutane is being shipped to the pharmacy so that would of been a waste. Right now I really just want everything to better as you guys keep making me second guess my choice to get on Accutane. Which is a good and bad thing in my opinion. Thanks for your opinion though!

Well after reading 16 pages of posts I feel like I already know you guys.

I took Accutane in high school in 2002, for a period of I believe 3 months, I am unsure of the dose (would have to ask my parents what it was) but I believe it was either 20 or 40mg. I was so happy the day my doctor agreed to prescribe it for me...I felt like I had already beaten my acne. Well, I got my wish. My acne disappeared. I was on top of the world. The only side effects I had were the typical dry lips/skin which I had no problem with. My problems were over, right?

I think you guys know the answer. About a year later I noticed a small side effects. Lots of skin itching and I would sometimes get a very itchy white bump on my skin (usually neck or face) that was surrounded by a red patch. Now this in itself wasnt too hard to deal with, I just put it off as some temporary thing. Eventually it slowed down and finally stopped happening. I graduated high school, and went through a few years of relative fun and enjoyment living life acne free. I started dating in my first real relationship when I was 21. Things were going great. Fast forward two years, we had grown apart due to differences and I became quite depressed, I began to drink every night, sometimes a 6-pack, sometimes half a bottle of wine. One night, it caught up to me. Was in bed with her and little johnny didn't want to come out to play. I know this happens to every guy at some point in their life, and most would attribute this to the alcohol. But I knew it was more than that...there was a strange feeling of discomfort/slight pain in my pelvis that I knew was somehow directly related to my lowered sex drive. I thought "no biggie its just from alcohol and lack of sleep". That was almost two years ago, and the problem has yet to abate. I had a number of embarrassing encounters with women that year after splitting up with her that ended in the same manner. For some reason I continued to drink a lot even though I thought it was causing my problems (guess i was depressed, which I know in itself can cause ED, but as I said, I could feel there was something physical to this problem). I noticed as the year continued My energy dropped further and further, every day driving home from work I felt like I was dying...I kept thinking "I must have cancer or something...". In november last year my sleep took a turn for the worst out of the blue. I started waking up every 2-3 hours through the night...I always used to be a heavy sleeper. I attributed this to stress and thought it would run its course. It is still "running its course".

A year ago I was getting tired of the problems and decided to try to change my life for the better. I started eating healthier, exercising, slowed down and eventually quit smoking cigarettes, and although it took awhile, tapered off the alcohol (with some wild binge drinking nights thrown in the mix) to the point where for the last 2-3 months I have barely had any alcohol. While I have recovered a bit on the energy, my sex drive is still at zero, and the pelvic pains and insomnia persist. I have had a prostate check from two different doctors who both said it is just slightly enlarged, and said it's nothing to worry about. Really? Enlarged prostate at age 25 is nothing to worry about?

Anyways, to sum things up, my symptoms are:

-Zero sex drive (can only get erections with heavy manual stimulation and they are weak at that)

-Inability to get a fulfilling sleep despite every effort made including changing diet, trying every herb or supplement you could imagine for sleep, prescription sleep aids, meditation, blacking out my room, establishing a sleep schedule, and everything inbetween that I missed

-Enlarged prostate and general feeling of "fullness" down there

-Reduced penis sensitivity

-My digestion isnt the greatest. some days are ok, but most days, my BMs are small, dry, and light colored (like Chico mentioned about the bile)

-Recently, anxiety symptoms from these problems (racing heart, panic attacks)

-I was tested and had low testosterone at 321 pg/nL. Dog * for a 25 year old.

I realize some may think these problems were a result of my binge drinking phase, but there are simply too many similarities to post-accutane symptoms others have posted all over the internet. I believe that I eventually was going to contract these symptoms, the alcohol phase simply accelerated the process of poor health.

I apologize for the long introduction post. Now, to get on to the healing stuffs:

Obviously a very common theme amongst all recovery stories seems to be a cross between general health/wellness (diet/exercise/mental strengthening) and detoxification processes. From what I have read in this thread, most of us have the diet nailed fairly well...Chico is obviously very knowledgable in this regard. My personal focus at the moment is starting a detoxification regime.

I am ordering two full-body system cleanses from renewlife. The firstcleanse and cleansesmart systems. Both have many positive reviews on the web...people claiming that fatigue, brain fog, digestive issues, etc have all been cleared up. Many IBS sufferers claim this is the only thing that works for them...and we all know the link between accutane and IBS.

About 3 months ago I used their liver detox pills, in order to help my system recover from my hard year and a half of heavy drinking, 5 years of smoking cigs, and even a stretch of weeks downing half a bottle of nyquil a night to try and sleep, which is notorious for ravaging livers with a passion. A month ago I had my liver tested...AST was 16 on a scale of 5-40 and ALT was 19 on a scale of 5-50. Though I don't have test levels prior to takign the pills, after the hell I've put my liver through, I'd say those are pretty damn good numbers. Others reviewing the product also made similar claims of liver recovery. This is what gives me hope for the other detoxification products they sell.

Another thought I have been having...accutane, like antibiotics, has an obvious tendendency to * people's digestive systems up. Taking a quality probiotic is essential after taking an antibiotic, and I believe the same is true for accutane only on a MUCH larger scale. And when I say probiotic, I don't mean eating yogurt or kefir every day. I'm talking taking a LARGE, broad spectrum probiotic. I am going to be taking a 50 Billion CFU probiotic from the same company that has 10 different strands of probiotics. The thought behind this (and it is even stated on some antibiotic side effects lists) is that excessive antibiotic use can lead to increased yeast infections (Candida albicans) in the body. Systemic candida overgrowth is a vastly overlooked condition in conventional allopathic medicine (It sounds strange but it can happen in men just as much as women...can you imagine the look on your doctors face as a male asking for a yeast infection test?) and the symptoms mirror MANY of mine and I'm sure many of yours. I believe accutane (and if you're like me, antibiotic use prior to accutane also) may have led us all to have Candida overgrowth in our systems. It can be fought through diet by limiting starches, yeasts and sugars, and consuming plenty of probiotics. I will be attempting this as well and keep you guys updated along the way.

Again, I'm sorry for the long post, but I would like to join you guys in beating the **** out of these effects. I'm Eric, btw.

Oh...and Brown spots, before you take accutane, just ask yourself...is it worth losing your sex life for? Ask any of us in this thread who have taken this drug...I think I can safely speak for everybody that if there was one thing we could redo in our past, it would be to never take this horse crap "cure" for acne. I would gladly take a functioning penis over a clear face any day of my life.

PPS: I should also mention im trying the protocol explained at [Removed]. This may be of some interest to those with ED problems. My experience so far at day 30: I AM getting morning wood every day, which I never used to get since my problems began. Interested to see what day 90 holds.