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Repairing the long-term damage from Accutane

 
MemberMember
143
(@indigorush)

Posted : 01/12/2012 12:53 pm

What can we do?

I want to encourage ANYONE who reads this to get an acne.org account and get involved.

We've had something very, very bad happen to us. We all know that.

However, with any obstacle comes an opportunity.

Not necessarily one to recover.

But one to make the best of a sticky situation.

HOW can we spread the word more dramatically.

My book has sold 13 copies, which isn't bad, but that's not going to save lives.

We HAVE TO do whatever we can.

Think - If we were 13-14-15 again, this could happen to us.

We need to destroy this company and reveal the truth about this drug.

We need people to make the right decision for their future.

And we can't stop there.

Some kids aren't smart enough to realise how big a decision this is.

We need this drug OFF the market.

I don't have many ideas, but here's one.

My video (Why Accutane should be banned) keeps on getting views and comments.

Sometimes I get called a liar.. Often I'll get questions, or thank you's.

I know some/many of you will be camera shy.

However, you need to look at the bigger picture.

It doesn't matter if people judge you. If I can get enough of you involved, we may just make a difference to the world.

A much needed difference.

So, what I'm saying is this:

Get a webcam. Preferrable one that isn't God-awful.

Make a video. Only has to be a few minutes or something.

Just explain why you're against this drug and what it's done to your life.

Please. For the sake of mankind.

Then, video response it to my original video (on [Edited link out]

I'm not saying you need to list specific side-effects.

Just put some feeling into it.

It shouldn't be hard to pull some emotion out about this one.

At the moment, this seems the most obvious thing to do.

People get famous from YouTube.

We have a community on this site. Now, we need to step it up and do so as soon as possible.

Who's in this with me?

On a seperate note -

What I don't understand about this drug is:

It is chemotherapy.

And yet, some people don't get ANY side effects while taking it.

I'm pretty certain that everyone who takes regular chemo for cancer gets side effects.

For instance, they will definitely lose their hair.

So, does this mean Accutane isn't the same?

Obviously there are some differences.

Like - What other drug can cause side effects after stopping?

I'd like to hear from Andrew and Connor. How are you two getting on?

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MemberMember
143
(@indigorush)

Posted : 01/12/2012 1:09 pm

A better idea (suggested by my girlfriend) is that you send your videos to me. A couple of minutes each maybe. I could then collaborate them into one, and script my part. 5 or 6 of you are surely up for that? I can't thing of anything more logical than this right now. It seems the best option.

 

I'm not sure if you can email videos (if the size is too big) via email.

If you can't, maybe MegaUpload or MediaFire?

 

Let me know.

Let's get it done NOW.

Do you think you could do a video before this weekend?

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MemberMember
148
(@oli-girl)

Posted : 01/12/2012 1:28 pm

WOW @ MJ taking Accutane. That could explain some of his behaviour and prblems. Jessica Simpson - I remember in 2001 she broke onto the scene with her music, but I don't remember it lasting long, or doing anything significant after/since. I mentioned ages ago that I read Helen Flanagan, who plays Rsoie Webster in Coronation Street, took Roaccutane, and after just having a complete 3 month break, she has quit now - and the rumours are because she has been suffering from panic attacks. Amanda Bynes is not someone I know as I didn't watch mch Nickelodeon. It would be nice to know when these people started taking it so links could be more concrete. Have any celebs who have taken Accutane actually came out and blamed any of there problems on it? I read James Marshall, someone who I haven't heard of, blaming Accutane and filing a lawsuit, but that's all I know of.

 

 

Yeah, Jessica Simpson Marriage ended to Nick Lachey and she sought counceling, shortly after, or course they don't connect, or admit it was Accutane. Also this actress from somewhere Katrina Kaif, There was a girl from the The Girls NextDoor (Hugh Heffner) who posted on her about her eyes changing. Also, there was a teen actor who committed suicide. The mother believed it was the cause.

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MemberMember
16
(@humanstate)

Posted : 01/13/2012 1:57 am

Not sure if this has been posted here already, but it seems pretty in depth and... legitimate

[Removed]

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MemberMember
143
(@indigorush)

Posted : 01/13/2012 2:44 am

Yeah, we've probably all read it before.

It made me feel so low as I read it. Like I was being told I had cancer, or worse.

It's an odd coincidence that Roche have one of the few telomere machines.

I'm not sure if what Nathan says is definitely true, but it could be.

I know its still very rare, but you do sometimes hear of people getting better after Accutane.

Very rare, in fact, though not everyone posts online.

But:

- Fasting

- Multiple liver flushes

- Cutting out allergy foods

... These seem to be a few ways in which we can get better, though we'd have to try it ourselves.

Really, the fasting and cutting out allergy foods are the same.

If you're fasting, you're not eating anything for 20-30 days.

It's probably more complicated.

But like I mentioned, this doesn't seem to be a standard chemo drug.

Why didn't ALL of our hair fall out?

Apart from this, do we know what Roche's criminal record is?

I've heard it mentioned before.

New video:

[Edited video out]

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MemberMember
45
(@jmsil)

Posted : 01/13/2012 4:10 am

Thats a really good video, just as good as the first one, if not better. i hope there will be a big responce to it like last time.

 

I'm sure you and most ppl here have read it, but from what I remember, even tho i only read it about a month ago, the criminal activities and the kinda people Roche are is given in detail in the Babies, Blemishes & FDA pdf

 

http://leda.law.harv...a/472/Green.pdf

 

Yes I felt the same reading tht Nathan Carr report. It's horrific reading and hit me just how much deep shit I'm in.....

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MemberMember
4
(@coolguy)

Posted : 01/13/2012 5:30 am

what do you guys think of this. is it legitimate?

"A centuriesold traditional Chinese medicine may reduce the intestinal side effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients by stimulating gut cell division and reducing inflammation, a new study in mice suggests."

 

"Peonies and a pretty purple flower called skullcap, together with licorice and fruit from a buckthorn tree form Huang Qin Tang (pronounced Hu-ang Chin Tong), an ancient herbal medicine used in China to treat intestinal disorders such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Recently, a Western-style phase 1/2 trial confirmed that this drug reduces gut damage caused by chemotherapy in colon and rectal cancer patients."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100818141543.htm

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MemberMember
21
(@aharon)

Posted : 01/13/2012 3:44 pm

Uck, I just went again to the doctor at the local clinic to describe my problems. What terrible responses from them as usual. What a battle.

 

There is something about these symptoms that really brings out the worst in them. Doctors are a specific type of person, and it's definitely not a healing type. Why do I have to FIGHT what should be Healers?

 

The shitty thing is that we have a not-bad disability program in Canada. I get screwed by the fact I so much attention into my health. If I were uncaring about my own health I would be a lot more messed up. Then it would be more obvious about my problems.

 

We also have a serious doctor shortage here too.

 

This is all ridiculous. These problems have gone on way too long. This needs to stop somehow.

 

We need some hard data, like tissue samples that show residue/damage from accutane. That with the symptoms would act as confirmation.

 

I agree, this is disability territory.

 

I fought today where I could. I don't know what the outcome will be, but this is extremely exhausting. Almost everything is. Part of the depths of the problem with this is it strikes to the very heart of our medical system and even our financial, sell-it-if-it-makes-a-buck system.

 

Things need to change.

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MemberMember
143
(@indigorush)

Posted : 01/13/2012 3:54 pm

Sick of talking to my Mum.

I honestly don't want anything to do with her anymore.

She makes no effort to understand why I'm like this.

I was such a happy person before I took this drug, and yet she undermines it.

She says 'Just get over it', and 'Move on' as if I haven't tried.

I've read dozens of self-help books on depression/anxiety/confidence etc.

I can't help how I am. (I know that you all know that).

 

All she says is 'Stay off those bloody sites'.

As if that's the problem.

I need to talk to other people in this situation.

There are some parents who talk on forums on behalf of their kid who commited suicide because of Accutane.

It upsets me to know my Mum wouldn't do the same.

She doesn't really know how to use a computer, at all.

But, I thought she'd want to read my book or something.

 

My Dad is the same, though I don't live with him.

I saw him today, and we had a meal, but he can't do anything about this either.

He doesn't flat-out call me a liar though.

 

I told my Mum I would not stay off the internet because I can't just let this slide.

I said my Goals were to stop other innocent people from taking this poison, and that I wanted Roche to pay out compensation to all the side-effect victims because I feel disabled.

All she said to this was 'You'd get laughed out of the fucking building'.

 

I told her to get out of my face, and now I can hear her and David (my step Dad) just slagging me off.

Just moaning about me.

It's hard to take.

I feel like I have zero connection to my family at the moment.

I'm really low on reasons to keep living.

I keep thinking 'Just end it. Just buy some headache tablets, drive your car out to an empty field in the middle of nowhere and swallow the lot.' That way, I wouldn't get saved my the hospital and thrown into a mental hospital. I'd have ended all of this. Even if hell weren't a work of fiction, I couldn't imagine it to be much worse than this.

 

Dark thoughts, but it's mental torture knowing that things are going to continue to get worse if I choose to live.

I'm 21, and the amount of times I hear 'I wasn't tired at your age. I was out clubbing and drinking until 5 in the morning. Then I went off to work at 8'.

I know! That's what a 21 year old should be doing.

If I did that, I'd have literally no energy. It wouldn't be possible.

 

What the fuck are we going to do?

C'mon with the God-damn videos.

I'm trying here.

Make a video.

If 5-10 of you can do it, then more people 'out there' might get involved.

That may never happen, but if it did... It could keep gaining speed. Then, eventually we would get some attention.

Some much deserved attention.

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MemberMember
4
(@coolguy)

Posted : 01/13/2012 9:45 pm

i'm planning on buying another 5 of the books by kevin trudeau then heading to my doctors office again and leave them there for patients to take. and plus with the diagram posting on the office door to just warn people to be careful about prescription drugs. anyone know what kind of consequences i could get in to if i'm caught? like what if there is a law about unauthorized posting in the building? could i be fined? i just want to be safe lol.

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MemberMember
143
(@indigorush)

Posted : 01/14/2012 5:35 am

I've just scripted a third video.

I have enough things to say to make a forth, so will probably continue to write that now and save it for later.

I think it's even more hard-hitting than the second video (above).

 

I'd like to ask all of you though...

Who wants to take down Roche and get this drug off the Market?

We might not achieve that, but we won't know if we don't try.

If we put our heads together we can at least make a difference to the lives of some.

I got another message off someone who happened to watch my video the day before seeing their derm.

They were due to start the drug TOMORROW.

Good timing.

 

There are at least 10 people involved in this conversation.

You can pick up a half decent webcam for 15-20, and you may have one already.

Editing on Movie maker is easy.

It's so important that we do this.

 

Who's in?

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MemberMember
45
(@jmsil)

Posted : 01/14/2012 5:56 am

Good for you Coolguy for planning to do it again. It would be even better if you could put the poster/diagram up on the doctors door (if no-one is in view off it) and take a photo with your camera phone or something, with the "Doctor" sign included in the shot.As for the previous post, unless someone tries it then it's a failure. Sounding good and trying it are different things. After the disaster I had trying Eniva Vibe, which I have suffered from constand heaches, low energy, itchy scalp, hair loss, dehydration, drier skin..its made all my Accutane side effects worse, and am still not sure if im fully over those effects yet.. they keep coming and going.. but that's why im very reluctant to try anything new right now... I've also in the last 3 weeks stopped taking all the liver tinctures from sensible health, after 5 MONTHS constnatly on them. I wanted to give them a very good go.. not a half hearted attempt, and although i felt improvements early on, they quickly went, whcih i partly, if not fully blame the Eniva Vibe for that, as i started that about 6 weeks after. I've also come to realise over the past few weeks/months that cucumbers DEFINATELY make me feel worse. I used to juice cucumbers daily, but have realised when i don;'t eat them i feel better, despite not changing anything else that i eat, so i know it's the cucumber. It's really stupid to have problems like eating a cucumber, bu there you go.. it's added to a long list of foods growing that i can't have

 

If I didn't have the internet I wouldn't know what the hell was happening to me. My mum and dad also don't like me going on the internet regarding Accutane. But it's the closest thing to therapy i guess knowing others are in the same situation who knows how bad it feels to live like this.

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MemberMember
1147
(@lamarr1986)

Posted : 01/14/2012 10:56 am

Sick of talking to my Mum.

I honestly don't want anything to do with her anymore.

She makes no effort to understand why I'm like this.

I was such a happy person before I took this drug, and yet she undermines it.

She says 'Just get over it', and 'Move on' as if I haven't tried.

I've read dozens of self-help books on depression/anxiety/confidence etc.

I can't help how I am. (I know that you all know that).

 

All she says is 'Stay off those bloody sites'.

As if that's the problem.

I need to talk to other people in this situation.

There are some parents who talk on forums on behalf of their kid who commited suicide because of Accutane.

It upsets me to know my Mum wouldn't do the same.

She doesn't really know how to use a computer, at all.

But, I thought she'd want to read my book or something.

 

My Dad is the same, though I don't live with him.

I saw him today, and we had a meal, but he can't do anything about this either.

He doesn't flat-out call me a liar though.

 

I told my Mum I would not stay off the internet because I can't just let this slide.

I said my Goals were to stop other innocent people from taking this poison, and that I wanted Roche to pay out compensation to all the side-effect victims because I feel disabled.

All she said to this was 'You'd get laughed out of the fucking building'.

 

I told her to get out of my face, and now I can hear her and David (my step Dad) just slagging me off.

Just moaning about me.

It's hard to take.

I feel like I have zero connection to my family at the moment.

I'm really low on reasons to keep living.

I keep thinking 'Just end it. Just buy some headache tablets, drive your car out to an empty field in the middle of nowhere and swallow the lot.' That way, I wouldn't get saved my the hospital and thrown into a mental hospital. I'd have ended all of this. Even if hell weren't a work of fiction, I couldn't imagine it to be much worse than this.

 

Dark thoughts, but it's mental torture knowing that things are going to continue to get worse if I choose to live.

I'm 21, and the amount of times I hear 'I wasn't tired at your age. I was out clubbing and drinking until 5 in the morning. Then I went off to work at 8'.

I know! That's what a 21 year old should be doing.

If I did that, I'd have literally no energy. It wouldn't be possible.

 

What the fuck are we going to do?

C'mon with the God-damn videos.

I'm trying here.

Make a video.

If 5-10 of you can do it, then more people 'out there' might get involved.

That may never happen, but if it did... It could keep gaining speed. Then, eventually we would get some attention.

Some much deserved attention.

 

 

I've been around these and other accutane related forums for a LONG time...The drug has fucked me up for life and I have accepted that (for the most part), However I will never stop fighting the side affects, which Is why I still pop back in to check on progress with threads such as these. Unfortunately science is going to take a long time to catch up, in terms of being able to tell us what damage has been done, let alone fix it.

 

I do LOADS to help me health wise and I am held back when it comes to work and my career. I still managed to finish university and obtain a First Class Honours Degree and have worked my way up within an IT company to a good level....However what I have learn't is that you NEED to try and live a normal life, at times this will feel impossible, but if you CONSTANTLY reflect on everything without trying to live normally, it will beat you down.

 

Tackle one problem at a time, don't think that these diets and liver flushes will do much...I have tried most of them for extended periods of time and they don't do much for ME.

 

I take numerous supplements (namely aimed at inflammation and the immune system) as well as prescription drugs in low doses. Without the help of these I wouldn't of been able to live a relatively normal life, so I accept I NEED them.

 

I exercise frequently, both weights and cardio, I eat carefully, but I also enjoy myself, go out with friends, go on stag doos, go on holidays etc etc. Alot of the time I'm in pain for one reason or another or don't feel 'myself' (i've forgotten what that is?) but you really do need to participate in these things otherwise you will waste your life on something that you have little control over.

 

Yes it's extremely frustrating, yes life is very hard at times, but do NOT reflect on what accutane has done to you, do not obsesse about it. I did that for a few years and nothing constructive comes of it, believe me.

 

If I didn't have the internet I wouldn't know what the hell was happening to me. My mum and dad also don't like me going on the internet regarding Accutane. But it's the closest thing to therapy i guess knowing others are in the same situation who knows how bad it feels to live like this.

 

 

The internet is a gift and a curse (awesome Jay Z albums btw), it is not therapy though...Best thing I have found is to try and live a normal life, it distracts you from what you have been left to deal with. This will sound like what your parents say, but get yourselves a job, a hobby etc and your mentality will improve slowly over time in the right environment.

 

I don't think you can start to heal until you stop obsessing over what has happened to you.

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MemberMember
143
(@indigorush)

Posted : 01/14/2012 11:05 am

[Edited link out]

New video.

Welcome, Lamaar. I know about you, and it's good to have you on board.

I agree with everything you say.

I understand that you take Lupus medication, and that's understandable.

I really want to avoid taking any drugs, though I've been offered them before.

When there's an alternative, I'll try that first.

What supplements do you take for your Immune system?

At the moment, I take Reishi mushroom extract, as a tea, Vitamin C, and the VSL-3 probiotics - which haven't shown results yet - It's been a week or so.

I've also got a NOW product on order from iHerb. It's called 'Immune Renew'.

I've also ordered Colostrum.

I've tried this before, but it was 2-3 years ago, and I'd like to try it again as it's meant to help the immune system.

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MemberMember
1147
(@lamarr1986)

Posted : 01/14/2012 11:22 am

On 1/15/2012 at 12:05 AM, IndigoRush said:

[Edited link out]

New video.

Welcome, Lamaar. I know about you, and it's good to have you on board.

I agree with everything you say.

I understand that you take Lupus medication, and that's understandable.

I really want to avoid taking any drugs, though I've been offered them before.

When there's an alternative, I'll try that first.

What supplements do you take for your Immune system?

At the moment, I take Reishi mushroom extract, as a tea, Vitamin C, and the VSL-3 probiotics - which haven't shown results yet - It's been a week or so.

I've also got a NOW product on order from iHerb. It's called 'Immune Renew'.

I've also ordered Colostrum.

I've tried this before, but it was 2-3 years ago, and I'd like to try it again as it's meant to help the immune system.

Hey Dude,

I do indeed take a lupus med, it reduces the flushing, rayhnodes (spelling), joint pain, skin dryness amongst other side effects. I only take a very low dose now, but believe me I was an absolute mess before I took it, I couldn't leave my room without flushing bright red (this was also very painful). The 'drug' gave me my life back, yes it's a drug but mepacrin has been around for aproximatey 100 years and it's side effects are well known and fully reported due to how it was used in the past, it is also derived from a tree bark.

It isn't a distructive drug like accutane, but I do respect the fact you don't want to go down that route.

I take the following:

Milk thistle 300mg twice per day

Curcumin 500-1000mg twice per day (so 1000-2000mg per day)

GLA in the form of borage oil

l-tryptophan

B-right (a vitamin B complex)

I am also trying biotin atm at about 2000mcg per day, I have been on all the others for years.

I also take green tea extract in powdered form, super foods XS (which contains numerous anti oxident/anti inflammatory foods, such as red wine extra, broccoli, Blueberry etc)

I take something for mental performance as without it I can't cope at work, this is called piracetam (used to recover from strokes etc).

I use numerous topicals for my skin and eyes as they were pretty much destroyed by accutane. One of my main problems atm is my eyes (terrible ocular rosacea, which mepacrin didn't clear).

I also use light therapy in various forms, be it LLLT or Sunbeds (yes some of you will gasp at that but don't doubt the power of the sun and UV light, it is a fundamental part of life) with moderate usage you can get some very pleasant effects from sunbeds (I have my own at home). I believe the sunbed usage may slightly increase my chance of skin cancer, but I am a low risk individual and you better believe if I was to get skin cancer, I wouldn't touch chemo!

UV light can be anti inflammatory, produce vitamin D in the most usable form, reduce T cell count in the skin slightly and eliminate billirubin (I believe you have gilberts disease from memory? I also have this).

I add one thing at a time and monitor accordingly, I guess this is my 'stack' which helps various aspects of the side effects.

The number of things I have tried would take me a long time to type out. I intermittently take probiotics as there does seem to be some warrant for these, however I have never noticed any benefit from them. Maybe they need many many months of continuous use?

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MemberMember
45
(@jmsil)

Posted : 01/14/2012 11:26 am

Another good video. Most of it I agree with. Yes - seeing other people's status on Facebook having so much fun is very depressing...

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MemberMember
21
(@aharon)

Posted : 01/14/2012 5:04 pm

I had elevated bilirubin for years too. I read about Gilbert's disease years ago. Milk thistle and similar compounds never cured anything though.

 

Recent bloodwork showed low D, so I upped supplementation. Sun is important supposedly as well -- it's the best way to get D.

 

 

I take something for mental performance as without it I can't cope at work, this is called piracetam (used to recover from strokes etc)

 

I've read about piracetam in a few different reports from accutane survivors, that it's a reasonably good cure for the mental side effects of accutane. I remember taking it and don't recall it really did anything useful. It was like taking a lot of lecithin. But I wouldn't be against trying it again. At this point I've found enough to not get fuzzed out often, mainly through dietary strategies.

 

 

do NOT reflect on what accutane has done to you, do not obsesse about it. I did that for a few years and nothing constructive comes of it, believe me.

 

 

I have to disagree here. Of course anything shouldn't be obsessed over, however my attempts over the years to not think about it have been worse than when I stay focused on the real problem and cause. The real cause is the accutane poisoning, not the side effects of the poisoning such as depression or anxiety.

 

It's better to be realistic. I think often people who are hit less hard or tried something that helped a bit end up writing how one shouldn't obsess over the drug. Not everyone is so lucky. I know that any forgetting on my part is actually very bad for me. I've been dealing with this over 20 years now, so I know where I made mistakes. It was much harder to keep focused on accutane as the problem 10 years ago compared to now. It's better to stay on track.

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MemberMember
5
(@bourne)

Posted : 01/14/2012 6:05 pm

Going to get right to it: most, if not all of these problems can be fixed through lifestyle changes with what you're putting into your body. A 100% raw food diet including fruits, vegetables, and some nuts will begin to bring your body back into homeostasis. After you are on a raw food diet for a few months; then you can start to hit the problems with fasting, supervised water fast if over a week and fresh raw fruit and veggie juices for up to a month (please do your research and keep it safe). Your body puts a lot of energy into digesting meat and processed foods and even whole foods with fiber; and that takes a lot out of the natural healing process. So when you stop feeding yourself, your body will beging to do deep repairing which it doesn't have enough time to do while you sleep. You will begin to notice when you cut the digesting process you will develop aches and pains in areas where you previously injured yourself, but that's just deep healing that's going on now that your body has the rest to reach them and have sufficent time to do a full repair. Check out the liferegenerator on youtube, he has more knowledge from personal experience than most docters or "experts."

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MemberMember
1147
(@lamarr1986)

Posted : 01/14/2012 7:04 pm

I had elevated bilirubin for years too. I read about Gilbert's disease years ago. Milk thistle and similar compounds never cured anything though.

 

Recent bloodwork showed low D, so I upped supplementation. Sun is important supposedly as well -- it's the best way to get D.

 

 

I take something for mental performance as without it I can't cope at work, this is called piracetam (used to recover from strokes etc)

 

I've read about piracetam in a few different reports from accutane survivors, that it's a reasonably good cure for the mental side effects of accutane. I remember taking it and don't recall it really did anything useful. It was like taking a lot of lecithin. But I wouldn't be against trying it again. At this point I've found enough to not get fuzzed out often, mainly through dietary strategies.

 

 

do NOT reflect on what accutane has done to you, do not obsesse about it. I did that for a few years and nothing constructive comes of it, believe me.

 

 

I have to disagree here. Of course anything shouldn't be obsessed over, however my attempts over the years to not think about it have been worse than when I stay focused on the real problem and cause. The real cause is the accutane poisoning, not the side effects of the poisoning such as depression or anxiety.

 

It's better to be realistic. I think often people who are hit less hard or tried something that helped a bit end up writing how one shouldn't obsess over the drug. Not everyone is so lucky. I know that any forgetting on my part is actually very bad for me. I've been dealing with this over 20 years now, so I know where I made mistakes. It was much harder to keep focused on accutane as the problem 10 years ago compared to now. It's better to stay on track.

 

 

 

I disagree, note that I said always work towards healing yourself but don't obsesse, obsession is not constructive in any way shape or form. You don't need to constantly be thinking about the damage done to your body, in order to be able to work towards treating them.

 

Don't for a second think I haven't been hit hard, because I have been hit worse than most and I find it offensive that just because I deal with things well, you belittle what I go through.

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MemberMember
21
(@aharon)

Posted : 01/14/2012 7:37 pm

obsession is not constructive in any way shape or form

 

Obviously obsession is unhealthy. That's innate to obsession. That's like saying bad is bad. Keeping focused is extremely important. Anything that says, oh gee, just live a normal life, is not good advice in this case.

 

 

you belittle what I go through

 

I didn't 'belittle' anything you went through. What exactly do you interpret to mean as belittling?

 

If you're dealing with it better then you either 1) had some luck with what you found as a treatment and/or 2) maybe could have been hit yet harder. That's what I said. That's just basic logic.

 

I'm entitled to disagree with your saying how people should think about this issue. I've dealt with this for decades and I disagree. I'm certain that my many attempts to forget about it have been totally useless at best and destructive at worst.

 

I dealt with this for years long before there was the internet to even share what was wrong.

 

No one should think they shouldn't stay on this. They should. That is what is most likely to get results for them and help other people.

 

I say keep focused right until there is a solution at every level. Until there are results. Don't be afraid no matter what anyone says to stay focused on this.

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MemberMember
1
(@boris_)

Posted : 01/14/2012 9:16 pm

Hey guys,

 

After (excessively) lurking this forum for over a year, I decided to get myself an account and post an introduction + an inspirational

message.

 

I started taking Accutane in early 2010. I had moderate/severe acne all over my cheeks, and to some extent on my back and chest. As a

19 year-old sexually active university student, my frustation was immense, as my acne was proving itself to be a MAJOR cock-block. My

decision to use Accutane was set in stone after one of my friends reported over-hearing that "Boris has a great body, but such a nasty

face". So,from then... well, you know the steps. GP, Derm, Accutane. My severe acne made it VERY easy for me to get the prescription.

 

I was on the drug @ 80mg/day for 6 months. I was very athletic at the time, 6'1 185lbs 8% bf, played university sports, could bench press 225 lbs 5 times. I started getting random joint paints during/after the gym, shoulder/knees/ankles. I couldn't focus as well as I used to be able to at school, and didn't socialize as much as before the start of the treatment ( againt, that might have been due to the alcohol deprivation more than anything smile.png. I also started getting burning stomach pains after 3 months, which the derm quickly dimissed as being "non-related to Accutane". Can't blame the poor guy for not being more educated on the drug. I hurt my shoulder/elbow during that period, and I'm still unable to use heavy weights at the gym, I have to keep it fairly light. I now way 170lbs, and I lost quite a bit of muscle mass.

 

After 6 months of treatment, I was clear. No scars, no redness, I had flawless skin. The year that followed was one of the best years of my life. I had encounters with girls that I couldn't have dreamed of getting with my acne-covered face. I had way more confidence, and was able to socialize more freely... Once again I remember that at one point of my life, I have so self-conscious about my acne that I would always show the cheek that was the "least affected" by acne when talking to someone. Imagine being free of acne...

 

However, about one year after the end of my treatment, I started experienced odd physical & mental symptoms. It was the start of the semester, and due to my easy course load, I had been drinking a LOT of alcohol, up to 3-4 nights a week for the past few weeks. I started getting jittery/shaky the day after binge drinking, My hangovers were stretched from a period of a couple of hours in the morning to a couple of days. I still have numb/painful testicles after I drink, which I why I (almost) totally dropped the habit. I started producing too much saliva. My emotions were blunted. I couldn't drink coffee anymore, it would make me WAY too jittery.

 

After being off the drug for 2 years, here are my symptoms :

 

- Joint pain after a period of physical over-exertion

- Stuck in a light sleep phase, cannot get restful sleep. I need 8 hrs+ of sleep now compared to 5-6 before the drug.

- Cannot handle coffee, exercise, alcohol, and stress in general ( job interviews, exams, awkward social situations )

- Hair-loss

- Dry eyes

- Reduced Libido, hasn't been too bad however.

- Subtle wrinkles on my forehead

- Memory problems

- Eye problems, hard to explain, but cannot focus as well on a line while reading, and when going from line to line.

- Blood stools after drinking, painful stomach after too many simple carbs

- More..

 

However, I've maintained a very positive outlook on live throughout this ordeal. I truly believe in the value of being pro-active in life, and I've taken every step possible to make my life as enjoyable as possible. I don't believe that a small, yellow pill is enough to ruin my life.

Here are some of the things that I practice daily, and that have contributed to my well-being over the past several months :

 

1. Set goals and acheive them. This is crucial. Our abilites have been tampered, that's undeniable, however we can still acheive a lot. What I've realized while dealing with my side-effects, especially the stress related ones is that I blow them OUT OF PROPORTION. People cannot tell the difference between the old pre-Accutane Boris and the new Boris. I might feel like my eyes are twitching, my lip is slightly trembling, I must make this situation extremely awkward, those people don't enjoy my company, but people, from my feedback and in my opinion, cannot tell the difference. We're still are very capable human beings, the bodies we have are able to go through extensive damage, 99% of your system is working properly. I know it's hard not to get caught in a self-defeatist, negative thought loop, but we have to constantly remind ourselves to stay postive, and to truly believe that we can still acheive a lot.

For the sake of example, I'm a prospective law-school student. I taught for the past six months that my cognitive abilites were so affected that I would never be able to realize my goal. Well, 6 months of intensive studying later, I've scored in the top 2% of test takers on the LSAT ( Law School Admission Test ) in Canada. We can still acheive a lot.

 

2. Cut out what's likely to make it worse. For me, it's alcohol and coffee, two of the things I cherish the most : (. I still don't consider it as a sacrifice, I look at the pro's of the situations. Better liver function, decreased aging, better mood, stabilized energy. Once again, escaping the "victim" mentality for me is essential.

 

3. Have a routine set out. Everybody loves making promises/plans, but how many actually acheive them. I personally write in a journal every night, and set my goals for the next day. This goes back to being pro-active. Set time for exercise, meditating, and more importantly socializing/laughing/going out.

 

Omagad, this turned out to be a monster of a post. I'm not going to proof-read etc as I'm running out of time, and I apologize for the spelling mistakes. Once again, who am I to be trusted with advice, as I am just your regular 21 year-old. However I hope it will help and motivate a couple of people here !

 

Take care guys/girls & keep your head up.

 

Boris

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beans36, beans36 and beans36 reacted
MemberMember
143
(@indigorush)

Posted : 01/15/2012 6:32 am

Thanks for sharing Boris.

Welcome on board.

I agree with you about goal-setting.

I've done this before, and it brings purpose to each day.

 

I make excuses a lot, about why I 'can't' follow my dream to be on stage performing music.

I started my new job (office work) last week, and straight away I knew I couldn't stay there.

I'm already planning on leaving.

I've just filled in an application form for a local supermarket.

It's not much, but my girlfriend and one of my best friends work there.

I want a part-time job, and that would suit me good for now.

 

I see YouTube as a job for me.

I don't get paid for it obviously (apart from Google ads) but I see it as something to keep working on.

I seem to be getting more subscribers on that channel, and receive comments and messages everyday.

I've been making videos for years, and I always wanted to do some about Accutane, but at the time I was too embarassed.

I didn't want people to know I'd taken it, or that I was depressed.

I've moved past that now.

I believe that people like honesty, and if I get any bad comments (which I do) I don't worry about it.

 

In September, I really think I'm just going to go for it.

There is something called Access To Music in my city.

You have to Audition to get on the course, but if I really want to persue my dream, I have to face certain fears.

If it doesn't work out, I can say that I've tried.

When I wrote 'Accutane: The Truth' I realised how much I enjoy writing.

It's still early days.

I'm still learning.

I need to read a book on marketing, in order to get people to read my book.

I actually changed the name of the book yesterday, from 'Roaccutane: The Truth', because Accutane is a more recognised name.

If someone were to type Accutane on the UK Amazon, it's the first thing to come up.

On YouTube, my video is the second to come up when you type 'Accutane'.

I'm not sure why, because there are many hundreds of videos with more views than mine.

Hopefully though, by the end of this year, I will have managed to stop a hundred people taking the drug.

 

Today, I just posted "Anyone who is considering the drug 'Accutane', search for my book 'Accutane: The Truth' on Amazon" on several Accutane videos.

If I do this every day, hopefully I can make a difference and stop people buying into this scam 'Miracle' drug.

 

When I feel like I have something else worth writing about, I definitely will.

I'm unsure of whether I'd rather persue writing, music, health or something else.

I have this image of me being interviewed on TV one day.

Hopefully for getting Accutane off the market.

 

Aim high, aye?

 

 

Lamaar - I take B-right too.

I've had Biotin before, and it never helped my hair.

Do you still use your laser thingy?

Is green tea extract any better than just drinking green tea?

 

I love the Summer, and hate that the weather is so bad in England.

If I could, I'd move abroad.

I too, would not take Chemotherapy if I got cancer.

My body wouldn't take it.

 

Has anyone else done any bloodwork?

I'd be interested to see what your while blood count is like.

As I mentioned, mine was 4.9 (between 4 and 11) and it seems low.

I think stress is one of worst contributors to my worsened depression.

But it's so difficult not to get stressed, even for a day.

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MemberMember
45
(@jmsil)

Posted : 01/15/2012 8:39 am

Even more breaking news in The Daily Star newspaper today regarding our friends Roche and its drug Tamiflu. This is now the 3rd special investigation they've done in the last 4 months. Below are extracts:

 

"NEW RISK OF FLU PILL - 14 EXTRA SIDE-EFFECTS OF TAMIFLU

 

THOUSANDS of Brits who took Tamiflu during the swine flu pandemic may have suffered a string of side-effects they were not warned about, we can reveal.

 

The Daily Star Sunday has learned that 14 new adverse reactions were added to the drugs profile in November more than two years after the scare.

 

Among the conditions are back, joint and muscle aches, fever, menstrual pain, herpes, sinusitis and earache.

 

But to make matters worse none of the new officially recognised symptoms appeared on patient information leaflets for the drug we collected from pharmacies last week.

 

We were handed old leaflets from 2009 the year more than 1.6million were prescribed the drug via telephone and internet diagnoses.

 

The revelations come as a team of the worlds leading scientists prepare to release a report about the drugs safety and effectiveness.

 

As we revealed last year serious concerns have been raised and 13 deaths in the UK are being probed over possible links to the drug.

 

The renowned Cochrane Collaboration is set to release its findings on Wednesday and will claim that the drugs makers, Roche, withheld vital data during its investigation.

 

As we revealed last year, the MHRA has had 2,084 suspected adverse reactions reported. The drug is being linked to 13 deaths, psychotic episodes, convulsions and suicidal thoughts.

 

Of the 2,084 reactions there were 219 reports of nervous system disorders. And of the 435 different side-effects reported to the MHRA, just 41 were included on the information leaflets with the drug."

 

Full story: http://www.dailystar...cts-of-Tamiflu/

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MemberMember
3
(@keiko1)

Posted : 01/16/2012 4:53 pm

You guys make it sound like 80-90% of Accutane users are survivors..

 

I guess I was a lucky one..

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MemberMember
21
(@aharon)

Posted : 01/16/2012 8:23 pm

jmsil, thanks for posting. What is up with Roche (roaches).

 

Does anyone have a list of the CEOs and research scientists who have created and okayed these drugs over the last thirty years?

 

Who exactly is responsible for this?

 

Who specifically is responsible for suppressing the test results? The drug's makers aren't "Roche" - the drug's makers are specific people, just as it is specific people who are not revealing the side effects. Who are they?

 

The surface similarity of the side effects of accutane and tamiflu made me think they are contaminating some of their drugs with something.

 

It's more likely there is some kind of similar chemistry to some of their drugs, but that contamination idea was my first thought.

 

_______________

 

Indigo,

 

When I was younger for many years my white blood cell count was low, specifically neutrophils.

 

That no longer seems to be off in recent tests.

 

I suspect it's the body trying to adjust to the bomb that went off inside.

 

________________

 

Boris, thanks for posting. I'm always struck by how similar the symptoms are.

 

There is definitely a pattern.

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