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On 2/11/2012 at 3:23 AM, IndigoRush said:But James, and I'm not having a go, you seem to constantly look at the worst case scenario with this.
It's up to you what you choose to believe, but you always promote negativity.
You pull out the news that Roche are in trouble, the day the story hits the paper.
While it's good that they're getting bad press, I really think you need to find something to enjoy.
On 2/11/2012 at 3:23 AM, IndigoRush said:Anyway, I'm sorry if I sound like a dick by saying that you need to lighten up, but you do.
I, probably like all of you, check this site pretty frequently.
I can't help feeling a sense of dread each time I see you (Jmsil) have posted a new comment.
I read it, and normally feel a sense of despair afterwards.
Indigo - Thanks for those lovely comments! I don't know if you're having a go at me, or giving me advice! Anyway, I'm sorry if some of the things I said haven't gone down well with you. As Luke said, I am just trying to be realistic for my situation, which may not apply to you. I'm just trying to look for answers.
On 2/11/2012 at 12:25 PM, JosephBuchignani said:Jmsil, I believe you are suffering from chronic malnutrition due to your vegetarianism and impaired digestion.
I've been tested and I'm only deficient in B6 and magnesium. All the other vitamins/minerals are fine.
On 2/14/2012 at 5:57 AM, Chico Esposito said:Thats an explanation but it's not an answer, i don't know how to go about healing the liver, i've tried and failed.... the liver cant remove anything unless it's in the bloodstream, otherwise it's a waste of time and money. But pushing it back into the bloodstream has it's own problems if the liver is not capable of detoxifying it, so there in lies the problem.
On 2/14/2012 at 10:16 AM, Nick Ryan said:What I am concerned about is just what you said, Chico- we have our explanation but we still need an answer. So far our leads are zinc and bile, hopefully we can do something with that.
This is all I was really saying in my few posts, that I've also tried the liver/bile tinctures extensively and they don't seem to work, and that the theory still needs answers to find a solution. I'm just saying I'm not going to get carried away (with anything) until something has been proven to work.
On 2/13/2012 at 11:11 AM, TheKnowing said:using phrases out of context (eg its a chemo drug) and distorting the truth will stop a lot of people getting treatment
It is a cancer/chemotherapy drug. Some of you may have already seen this on another forum, but the link below shows Accutane - listed on a chemotherapy website!
http://www.chemocare...IO/accutane.asp
I'm sorry if this has been mentioned before, but I've found out that a new, special (and expensive) blood test has become available in the last few months (in the UK at least) which tells you if you have telomere shortening. From what I've read, it gives you a detailed analysis, tells you if your telomere length is critically short (or however short it is) and tells you your biological age very accurately. Here's the link:
[Edited link out]
This would surely once and for all confirm if we have had our telomere length's critically shortened since taking Accutane, and giving us some proper answers, or ruling it out.
Quit with the steamed meat and white rice talk haha.
It's ridiculous.
Interesting about the telomere-related blood test, but surely Nathan would have used this by now, if it's been around for months?
It'd be good to cross that off as a possibility.
You going to get the test, James?
Fuckin' hell.
That's all I can afford to say tonight.
BUSY AS.
Bye.
It is a cancer/chemotherapy drug. Some of you may have already seen this on another forum, but the link below shows Accutane - listed on a chemotherapy website!surely once and for all confirm if we have had our telomere length's critically shortened since taking Accutane, and giving us some proper answers, or ruling it out.
I know but this doesn't make it dangereous, viagra is thought to help cancer patients - it is not any more/less harmful since this revelation, the fact that accutane was developed to treat cancer doesn't make the slightest difference.
On 2/15/2012 at 12:45 PM, Davis Rachel said:
[Edited video out]
Ok, we seriously need to cut out the posts that don't relate specifically to healing those who have been hurt by this drug. I personally try to limit my posts because we could be losing really smart ppl who could help us out but don't want to read through 40 pages of errant fights, or comments from those who think taking chemo for acne is a good or sane thing, etc... for fuck sakes.
By the way Davis, you might want to consider taking great care of your body and read through our posts and learn how to heal yourself even though all you are currently feeling is dry skin as some of the side effects are latent.
So guys, is there a way to get some additional moderation or perhaps we should move the discussion elsewhere that is public yet moderated?
I don't understand why multiple people have come on this thread to try and convince us accutane is not a harmful drug. It's very frustrating and insulting. Those people can't even imagine what the side/direct effects of accutane do to you physically and mentally.
Please shut up. I don't care if you think this drug isn't bad. If thats what you think I don't want to hear it. So many things have happened to me that were never supposed to!
Unless you're contributing to our recovery get out.
Does anyone know of anything that helps brain fog or memory?
Mine is pretty bad. I'll do things and almost immediately forget it.
Today I did an infrared sauna treatment. It felt wonderful. I can't really say that it's helped me physically because I've only done it once, but I do feel better mentally. I found myself smiling more today. It was kinda strange. I also felt very zen during the treatment.
For the past few days I didn't eat bread, sugar or sugar containing fruits/veggies.
Not sure if that puts you in ketosis...
I hope everyone is surviving and sorry Oligirl 
I send my wishes of good health your way.
On 2/14/2012 at 10:46 AM, andrewharv said:I'm sorry to hear that [Edited image out]
I seem to have a lot of reactive hypoglycemia since taking Accutane (not sure if it's the cause or not but that's when it started) and I finally identified it as such with my doctor this past fall. I'm eating strategically now so that I feel better. Luckily the doctor said that there are no signs to indicate I'm heading towards having diabetes though.
It's quite heritable is it not? Does anyone else in your family have it?
Nope nobody in the my family has type 1 diabetes. Even went soo far back to a few generations (my family are good historians). I am sure it's the Accutane I am not the first one who been dx after taking it at such a age it is not commonly seen. I am sure being that Accutane caused sjrogren's and autoimmune thyroid that it was only time..... Yeah keep good care of the hypoglycemia and if you read your insert of Accutane it does state it can alter blood sugar, but many docs don't add glucouse for thier monthly labs.
On 2/14/2012 at 9:11 PM, Chico Esposito said:I'm sorry to hear that Oilgirl my mother is also type 1 diabetic, she got it at 26. I've heard good things about the paleo / primal blueprint diets in relation to diabetes. Your blood sugar levels are kept more stable by all accounts, but diabetics do need to eat a certain amount of carbs per day so their sugar levels don't get too low. I know if it was me i'd try a paleo or primal blueprint style approach and moniter my blood sugar levels daily, if they were too low i'd up my carb intake until the blood sugar was in normal range. The insulin plays a part in all this too, taking insulin will drop blood sugar levels.....i've heard of people that have lowered their insulin dose over time because they control their blood sugar levels with their diet, not suggesting they ever came off insulin but they did lower their required dose. Good luck Oilgirl i really wish you all of the luck in the world on this.
Thanks Chico I did get a book on the Paleo Diet. My diet wasn't horrible to begin with and I was thin too, but I have lost muscle and alot weight from this. My eyes are still dry from the sjorgren's, but much better since starting the insulin. I am still taking Vitamins that they say are good for type 2 diabetics though I am type 1 etc....
How are you doing?
Jsmil- You better be supplementing with a good B6 & Magnesium my friend. being defiecent in B6 can cause a host of issues.
Jsmil- You better be supplementing with a good B6 & Magnesium my friend. being defiecent in B6 can cause a host of issues.
*sigh*... I'm sure it can... The thing is, I take Dr Schulze's SuperFood Plus every day, and the B6 per serving is 12.20 mg, which is 610% of the RDA! Don't know how else to fix this.
Interesting about the telomere-related blood test, but surely Nathan would have used this by now, if it's been around for months?
It'd be good to cross that off as a possibility.
You going to get the test, James?
Yeah, I would like it done. That link/article was from May last year, and said it would be available by the end of the year (2011), so I just need to make sure there weren't any delays. I also need to find out how/where I can get this specific blood test taken.
I don't know about Nathan. Maybe he doesn't know about it? the article said the blood is sent to labs in Spain, whereby it accepts blood from some other European countries for this new testing. You'd think the US would be up to speed also, but who knows. Maybe someone here from America can find out if the test is possible.You'd like to think if Nathan had the test done, he would of posted the results either way. Then again, I don't know if Nathan posts his progress online.
I'm struggling to find out much info about this online so I've emailed the company behind the test just now, and hopefully they will get back.
Grrrr.
Never had any problem with customs fee's through iHerb before.
Normally, when I buy stuff using the $4 shipping, it goes straight through Royal Mail without problems.
Today though, I got one of three parcels through the post.
Actually, no I didn't.
I got a slip saying I need to pay 14.58 in order to have my order delivered.
The items only came to 35!
Takes the piss.
8 of the fee is 'handling'.
What - you mean touching the fucking box and putting it in a van.
C*nts.
Sorry.
Just felt like a rant.
Fingers crossed the other two orders don't get picked up by the money-grabbing government.
However, I'm generally not a lucky person.
While I'm at it, I am sick of people commenting on here and my Accutane videos saying I'm 'taking things out of context' or whatever.
Seriously, fuck off you ignorant ass-holes.
That's all kids!
While I'm at it, I am sick of people commenting on here and my Accutane videos saying I'm 'taking things out of context' or whatever.
Seriously, fuck off you ignorant ass-holes.
That's all kids!
So you only want to get better if its on YOUR own terms. The government is bad, all healthcare practitioners are bad, and now anyone who disagrees with you is.
This thread only brings me down when I come to check it, and nobody will listen to my advice about what has healed me up almost entirely. I'll even post a checklist of questions and nobody will take the time to go through it. Anyways, you guys all seem intent on finding your own answers and doing it all on your own terms. I won't be participating in it anymore.
Best of luck to you all!
This thread only brings me down when I come to check it, and nobody will listen to my advice about what has healed me up almost entirely. I'll even post a checklist of questions and nobody will take the time to go through it. Anyways, you guys all seem intent on finding your own answers and doing it all on your own terms. I won't be participating in it anymore.
So what problems did you suffer from? a detailed description of the side effects and the course of action you undertook to alleviate them. Also have they gone entirely?
I know you talked about hypoglycemia which is low blood sugar, what kind of diet have you been put on. Also what "energy work" have you used and what did it alleviate specifically?
Your getting angry that no-one listens to your advice but you've only implied certain things, without stating anything concrete. Can you explain explicitly what helped you in detail, as it may help other's in a similar situation. A backstory might be beneficial as well in relation to how long you've had side effects and what things have you tried in the past that have failed. Cheers Andrew.
P.s i answered your questions if you look back a page or two.
Acutally, There is a lab that does the telemore testing and Nathan or Morgan posted it I think on topix and rag fourm. Also, it really isn't going to any good for any of you to have the testing done. Someone would have to check it before Accutane & then after Accutane. I believe there are a few that have had this test, but they were already damaged by Accutane.
Jsmil- I have 250 mcg of B6 that I just started and I read for anyone who comes on this thread and has fibro or nerve issues that Vit B 1 (thiamine) in benfotiamine form use to be used to treat neuropathy and nerve issues that is until they came out with lyrica.
Anyway I just started both b6 & B1 in that form and will let you guys know. Jsmil obviously you need to take a little more, maybe a seperate pill.
Does anyone know of anything that helps brain fog or memory?
Personally, I've found that certain foods induce brain fog. For me its typically, eggs, dairy, and debatably tomatoes and pineapple. I did a ELISA (allergy test) a few months ago and found out I was allergic to tomatoes but strangely not to eggs or pineapple, I'm also not lactose intolerant (I avoid dairy anyway).
I'm a pretty firm believer that brain fog is an immune reaction, i.e., when I eat foods that typically give me brain fog they do so immediately after I eat them, not hours later when they're being digested or absorbed. This, however, leads to the argument that brain fog is actually a psychological disorder of some sorts, but I disagree.
Really, I can't give you any definite answers or recommendations. Still, I can tell you what I've been trying and some of the connections I've made.
Foremost, you should keep a food journal and really narrow down which foods cause the worst or at all or any.
Secondly, immune reactions likely stem from some long-term internal exposure, caused by leaky gut (or its hereditary, or you've been predisposed by hereditary attributes, or it could be a number of different things, here's where it gets gray). Regardless, its pretty commonly assumed that if you suffer from brain fog you also have leaky gut and thus curing the leaky gut should in turn improve your symptom of brain fog. Here's a link to some symptoms, really I just googled it so feel free to do the same I have no relation to this website:
http://www.leakygutcure.com/blog/leaky-gut-syndrome-symptoms/
Anyway, products that I can recommend for leaky gut are basically the same products I recommend in an earlier post, Standard Process Dermatrophin, any strong probiotic (remember the more strains the better), also you can try IntestiNEW (an L-glutamine supplement, personally I don't take it because it makes me breakout so be careful), really there isn't a shortage of supplement suggestions for leaky gut have a look around acne.org.
When you're actually suffering from brain fog there are very few things I've found that help
1) exercise (best thing I can suggest, 20-30, get your heart rate up)
2) drink water (maybe this is just placebo but hell it can't hurt)
3) sleep it off
I have to go now but I've also been thinking about circulation as exercise helps so Niacin, cayan pepper may also help idk. Also, Neurotrophin PMG another Standard Process product may help, I haven't experienced any major improvement whilst taking it tho.
Best of Luck
Regarding some posts discouraging what some of us are saying about Accutane - we are entitled to our opinions just as much as anyone else. We will say what we want. People considering Accutane would have to go out of their way and do research to find this thread, and if anything said here is enough to prevent just one young person going through chronic, life-long health problems then good. Acne pales in comparison.
Thanks for the info Oli Girl - 250 mcg is an insane amount of B6 when you think it is over 6000% of the RDA!
I've found a UK website also selling B6 at 250 mcg so I'll order some and give it a go too. I definitely feel I have nerve issues and this may explain it.
Nathan has said he takes a product called Miracle Mineral Solution MMS that has "given me my life back" and "can live a normal life and not be constantly distracted by the side effects". I'm sure others here would of heard about this product by Nathan, and if anyone here has tried it, it would be good to know if it has helped at all?
Also, something I mentioned few weeks back, I did an IgG Food Allergy Test (blood test) earlier this week, costing 250, which I think is the same Chico did. I remember reading about ELISA but can't remember how it differs, or if it's actually the same thing. Anyway, I'll get the results in a week, and I'll post them here when I do.
Regarding some posts discouraging what some of us are saying about Accutane - we are entitled to our opinions just as much as anyone else. We will say what we want. People considering Accutane would have to go out of their way and do research to find this thread, and if anything said here is enough to prevent just one young person going through chronic, life-long health problems then good. Acne pales in comparison.
Thanks for the info Oli Girl - 250 mcg is an insane amount of B6 when you think it is over 6000% of the RDA!
I've found a UK website also selling B6 at 250 mcg so I'll order some and give it a go too. I definitely feel I have nerve issues and this may explain it.
Nathan has said he takes a product called Miracle Mineral Solution MMS that has "given me my life back" and "can live a normal life and not be constantly distracted by the side effects". I'm sure others here would of heard about this product by Nathan, and if anyone here has tried it, it would be good to know if it has helped at all?
Also, something I mentioned few weeks back, I did an IgG Food Allergy Test (blood test) earlier this week, costing 250, which I think is the same Chico did. I remember reading about ELISA but can't remember how it differs, or if it's actually the same thing. Anyway, I'll get the results in a week, and I'll post them here when I do.
Did you eat all the foods they tell you to? they told me to eat all the foods on the list over 2 weeks before taking the test, anyway i hope it tells you a few things about your food allergys. That IgG test was the best thing i did i'm terms of money spent to help make sense of these side effects. It'll be really interesting to see your results James. I know it's expensive, and i gasped when i paid it years ago but i can honestly say that york test was spot on 100% correct in terms of every food. I'd be really surprised if you didn't come back with an intolerance to cow's milk, eggs and dairy in general.
Regarding some posts discouraging what some of us are saying about Accutane - we are entitled to our opinions just as much as anyone else. We will say what we want. People considering Accutane would have to go out of their way and do research to find this thread, and if anything said here is enough to prevent just one young person going through chronic, life-long health problems then good. Acne pales in comparison.
Thanks for the info Oli Girl - 250 mcg is an insane amount of B6 when you think it is over 6000% of the RDA!
I've found a UK website also selling B6 at 250 mcg so I'll order some and give it a go too. I definitely feel I have nerve issues and this may explain it.
Nathan has said he takes a product called Miracle Mineral Solution MMS that has "given me my life back" and "can live a normal life and not be constantly distracted by the side effects". I'm sure others here would of heard about this product by Nathan, and if anyone here has tried it, it would be good to know if it has helped at all?
Also, something I mentioned few weeks back, I did an IgG Food Allergy Test (blood test) earlier this week, costing 250, which I think is the same Chico did. I remember reading about ELISA but can't remember how it differs, or if it's actually the same thing. Anyway, I'll get the results in a week, and I'll post them here when I do.
Just start with 1 b6 pill every other day and see how it goes. Just don't take an excess of it as 500mg or over can cause sensory neuropathy. Let us know about the blood test. I meet a woman at the bookstore and she said she had horrible joint pain for years no explaination, then she had the allergy test and it showed she was allergic to eggs, so she stopped eating eggs and she is better.
Hey all, just checking in:
I started on the Dermatrophin PMG and I believe I can already see some good results in my skin.
I also started on the Critical Care 50 billion probiotic and it has done wonders for my stomach pains.
I was thinking the other day, and I got prescribed a heavy-duty antibiotic that was mixed with something to help ensure it killed off a sinus infection I had a while back, and I noticed that while I was taking it..
My dry skin and the peeling on my face and on my scalp COMPLETELY went away. Of course, when I stopped it, it came right back.. But I was wondering if anyone could explain this? Maybe there's something there?
I got the IgG Allergy results back. To be honest - I'm a bit dissapointed with the results. I thought I'd learn more and get more back from them. Instead, it says I'm not allergic to much, so there's little I can improve on.
Reactions were Cows Milk, Sunflower Seeds, Beef, Brazil, Gluten, Plaice, Wheat and Yeast. Corn, Lentils and Millet were borderline.
Thing is I know there are foods that I do not tolerate well, but do not show on the test. I didn't know about eating all the foods for 2 weeks prior to the test. Maybe this is why. I know I can't tolerate Garlic, Ginger and Chilli Peppers. The Hair Analysis did confirm 2 of those last year.
I can't rmember all the Hair Analysis results from the top of my head, but I know there was a red (strong) sensitivity to lettuce on that, yet here is no reaction.I also had a reaction to banana but none here.
The only positive (if you can call it that) is a lot of those results are grains, and we know that some Accutane sufferers (including me) don't react well to them. I was sure I had intolerance to Gluten, so that's came back correct, as I'm sure it did also for the Hair Analysis. Seeing as it's been confirmed from studies last year that Accutane can cause Celiac Disease, this is more proof that I probably have it.
I mentioned in a prev message about Nathan suggesting Miracle Mineral Solution MMS, well I have since been reading many websites, including the FDA, FSA etc, saying it is extremely dangerous and compared to consuming bleach. Yet Nathan has had amazing results he has said. Who the hell do you trust? Anyway, anyone who's come across this Miracle Mineral Solution for the first time, just do your research first.
I got the IgG Allergy results back. To be honest - I'm a bit dissapointed with the results. I thought I'd learn more and get more back from them. Instead, it says I'm not allergic to much, so there's little I can improve on.
Reactions were Cows Milk, Sunflower Seeds, Beef, Brazil, Gluten, Plaice, Wheat and Yeast. Corn, Lentils and Millet were borderline.
Thing is I know there are foods that I do not tolerate well, but do not show on the test. I didn't know about eating all the foods for 2 weeks prior to the test. Maybe this is why. I know I can't tolerate Garlic, Ginger and Chilli Peppers. The Hair Analysis did confirm 2 of those last year.
I can't rmember all the Hair Analysis results from the top of my head, but I know there was a red (strong) sensitivity to lettuce on that, yet here is no reaction.I also had a reaction to banana but none here.
The only positive (if you can call it that) is a lot of those results are grains, and we know that some Accutane sufferers (including me) don't react well to them. I was sure I had intolerance to Gluten, so that's came back correct, as I'm sure it did also for the Hair Analysis. Seeing as it's been confirmed from studies last year that Accutane can cause Celiac Disease, this is more proof that I probably have it.
I mentioned in a prev message about Nathan suggesting Miracle Mineral Solution MMS, well I have since been reading many websites, including the FDA, FSA etc, saying it is extremely dangerous and compared to consuming bleach. Yet Nathan has had amazing results he has said. Who the hell do you trust? Anyway, anyone who's come across this Miracle Mineral Solution for the first time, just do your research first.
Thats quite unusual actually, i thought you'd come back with positives on spicy herbs and retinol foods like cows milk, egg etc. The cows milk is there as are the wheat and gluten. Were you aware that you had to eat the foods before the test or not? because if not you could have grounds to ask for another one to be done if they didn't make that clear to you. The sunflower seeds and brazil nuts are fats, the plaice and cows milk are retinol containing foods....and the grains well i don't understand that one at all.
On that MMS i saw a topic on the "one" show about that being very dangerous and that there were alot of complaints about it, kinda reminds me of the adya clarity swindle that happened recently.
Has anyone found anything that helps the skin proliferation?
For whatever reason, my condition has gotten even worse lately, and I just can't go another day watching my 22 year old skin age and look more and more like an old man's skin.
I just feel awful, and I look awful too. I feel like I've lost my youth between the wrinkles and my body weight instability.. All I do is take vitamins and supplements to try to be healthy, and all I see day after day is my skin peeling and wrinkling. And then when I stop the supplements, I'm even worse. Not able to build muscle, but having my stomach appear fat. I tried a couple new things recently and had hope, but once again I've been burned and feel hopeless.
@Chico: And what if this telomere theory is true, even in part? Not only has the quality of our lives been affected, but our actual lifespan has been diminished. I've been doing some research and keep running into things like, "research that shows that all-trans retinoic acid (abbreviated ATRA which is the final biologically active metabolite that Accutane turns into) down-regulates the telomerase enzyme (pronounced TEE-LA-MER-AZE) and induces telomere shortening and cell death. Accutane causes telomere shortening leading to permanently arrested cell division / proliferation."
"To sum all of this up, the evidence we currently have is that long term treatment with ATRA (all-trans retinoic acid), which is almost chemically identical to Accutane, causes telomere shortening, growth arrest, and cell death."
I hate to say how do you respond to this, because you've already talked at length about what you think of this. But there is just SO much of this going around that it's hard to ignore.
If this is true, is there anything we can do to repair this damage, or are we screwed? I haven't found anything that can make a telomere the proper length again... The only thing I've found that seems to help some people is a diet that completely removes gluten and consists of only meat and vegetables with some gluten free grains.
At this time, I'm looking into telomere-lengthening drugs. I've run into TA-65 (although it seems the key ingredient can be bought if found at the right concentrations for MUCH less) and Product B (which seems like nothing more than a multivitamin). I will continue my research and update you guys. Feel free to comment or add any info you may already have about these.
*UPDATE*
Lengthening telomeres appears to be highly controversial at this time. The disclaimer appears to be to only use these products that increase the telomere length for very short periods of time and to allow a long cycle-off period so that normal cells can die and potential cancer cells don't have their telomere lengthened to evade apoptosis; if you have any underlying tumor cells or cancer or anything of the like including a dysfunction caused by telomeres that are already too short, you can essentially create genetic instabilities that breed cancer or for pre-existing cancers you make them more resistant and pervasive as well as dangerous. Continuing research.
Hello, dear strugglers.
I've been following a few of these forums over the past four years, with mixed emotions of course. On the one hand it's great to know you're not alone, on the other hand it is an unfortunate situation that we seem to be in.
Maybe if doctors could acknowledge our suffering, help us in our struggle to combat the long list of long-term side effects, or at least tell us what the hell this drug does to us, maybe this road would be a slight bit easier to tred.
Alright, it seems that some people end up with the only side effect of dryer skin and loss of acne, while others end up with a multitude of side effects. In my case I don't even know what is a side effect from accutane, as opposed to the side effects from the stress of thinking and obsessing over this might have caused...
My story is that i was prescribed accutane, as a last resort back in 2002. The acne returned so i took the medication 3 more times, rather low dose 30-40mg/day or so... I always ended up with side effects during the treatment, but nothing major except extreme dry skin and sporadic and weird rashes. Finally i took a fourth round in 2007 of 20mg/day for a month, this time it was not Roche but the generic cipla isotroin, which i bought online.
This was a big mistake.
I dont know whether it was the potentially impure version of accutane that did this , or
whether it was the fourth time around and that my body got allergic (ie my telemores were run down by previous rounds? 
or
that my lifestyle also incorporated smoking and drinking during this period of my life.
Nevertheless i ended up with more or less everything on the list of sideeffects, and many of them lingered for a few years, and some even persist today.,, this is all very annoying.
Most disturbing have been the headaches, the fatigue, the brain-fog, the receding gums, minor loss of sex drive, back-pain, but most of all the bumps on my skull (most likely caused by extra bone growth) ....
I have tried some things, LDN, which after a month gave me a violent headache so i quit, various supplements, which i have found not making any real difference.
Nowadays I try to eat well and take a daily multi-vitamin (without A).
Im doing alright but still end up spending a lot of time dealing with what i've gone through and ruminating, as well as searching for potential answers (mostly online like here)
I would like to get in touch with iRyRy who at the beginning of this discussion mentioned the side effect: thickening of the skull and cranial pressure.... Anyone know him/her?
Also I wish everyone all the best with their health, I think although most of us have debilitating sie effects, at least people can't see them, like with the acne... : ) But, yeah, i know I would rather have the acne back any day of the week,..... i think.... hmmm. Sooner or later people will understand that accutane is pure poison, and sooner or later there will be some sort of treatment, just keep spreading the word. And don't give, even though this might take years.
One more thing, hey I developed a rash on my hand/finger after my first treatment. This always subsided after a year or two, simultaneously as the acne came back. Does anyone recgnice this?
yo
@Chico: And what if this telomere theory is true, even in part? Not only has the quality of our lives been affected, but our actual lifespan has been diminished. I've been doing some research and keep running into things like, "research that shows that all-trans retinoic acid (abbreviated ATRA which is the final biologically active metabolite that Accutane turns into) down-regulates the telomerase enzyme (pronounced TEE-LA-MER-AZE) and induces telomere shortening and cell death. Accutane causes telomere shortening leading to permanently arrested cell division / proliferation."
@Nick Ryan i'm not disputing what you say, i presume the skin proliferation is just on your face and scalp......if it was a telomer thing it would be over your whole body. In my opinion and this is just from my experience...the retinoic acid is still in your body and the areas in which you have increased skin cell turnover are the areas where the retinoic acid is stored. Retinoic acid binds to the vitamin A receptors (when it's stored in the fat cells) and causes the increase in skin cell growth...so instead of the body taking 28 days for new skin cells to be made, the skin cells are being created much quicker. It looks like peeling / dry skin to a dermatogist or untrained professional, sometimes they diagnose it as sebborheic dermatitis, psoriasis etc....it's essentially the same thing, just different dermatologists diagnose it differently.
Heres something that may explain my point, when someone develops hypervitaminosis A from eating chicken liver every single day lets say. The liver gets filled up with more and more retinol everytime that person eats chicken liver. Let's say they're also supplementing with a few tablespoons of cod liver oil as well. Eventually the liver won't be able to hold all the retinol anymore, it'll reach it's limit. So after this point the body will store the retinol coming in from the cod liver oil and the chicken liver in the body fat. The person will start to develop dry peeling skin on their face and scalp. The more chicken liver / cod liver oil they eat, the worse the skin peeling will become. Whats interesting is they won't develop the dry peeling skin until the liver is unable to store the retinol anymore. What this proves is retinol stored in the liver doesn't cause the skin shedding until it's stored in the fat cells, thats when the increased skin cell division / skin peeling takes place.
Now accutane is not stored in the liver so you can bypass the whole story about retinol storing itself in the liver, excess accutane is either removed from the body or stored in the fat.....there is no other way, the body cant store it in the liver to protect itself....so when accutane is stored in the fat cells it causes all these hypervitaminosis style effects. Thats why so many people on this board cant eat retinol containing foods. Hope that makes sense from my stand point and how i see it.
Dear God, I just want answers to all of this!
First of all, welcome to batman2. I very much enjoyed your performance in The Dark Knight.
It seems pretty common that people get premature aging from this drug, whether that's frown lines or grey-hairs.
I, too, get puzzled over whether this is down to constant stress or something else.
I don't think the telomere theory is anything more than a theory.
Look at what we do know before we jump to erratic conclusions.
And what do we know?
Accutane decreases sebum production. This is going to be problematic in itself.
I have slight frown lines on my head, though I do get an oily t-zone (just not to the pre-accutane extent).
We also know that this drug poisons the entire body.
For whatever reason, our livers appear fine in blood tests.
However, and I'm speaking for myself here, our livers are definitely compromised.
I haven't drunk in over a year, but when I did, I felt terrible afterwards.
A damaged liver can cause premature aging.
So, just because we have lines on our faces before our time, it doesn't mean our telomere's are short.
It's very hard to put up with this anymore.
I'm really struggling to find reasons to stay alive.
I feel like I'm in Hell, and life doesn't seem to be giving me any mercy.
I feel so depressed at work.
My body and mind are in no state to work full-time.
I have adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism.
I'm not ever going to recover from those while I remain in my very stressful office job.
I really do feel like it's a matter of time before I'm fired for being too slow, or making too many mistakes.
I cannot concentrate for 8 hours a day on computer work, especially with dry eyes.
My girlfriend will read this, but hey - it's best she knows.
I'm getting to the point where I'm thinking 'I need to be single. I don't have time for a girlfriend anymore'.
I really hate technology sometimes.
I sit on a computer all day at work, and then my girlfriend will want to talk to me straight away.
She has her own problems, and every day asks me if I'm cheating on her.
No matter how much I reassure her, she'll ask the following day.
You can probably imagine why I lose my rag with her.
As I type right now, I feel so stressed out.
I could scream.
So when I ask for my g/f to come round 30 mins later (so I can have some extra time to cram in some of my hobbies, i.e. this) and I get a text saying:
'Are you seeing another girl?' (for the millionth time)
I want to blow my brains out.
It's a good job they don't sell guns here in England, because I'd probably not be writing this right now.
It feels good to get this out, but I need these releases so often these days.
I feel like screaming every day.
I've even prayed the last few days.
I need to feel like someone is looking out for me, even if I don't believe there is.
I was reading the book 'Get some headspace', which I believe I mentioned.
It's about meditation/mindfulness.
I'm finding it impossible to use this technique to my advantage, if at all.
Which is depressing, because it's meant to be good for things like anxiety.
You're supposed to focus on the present moment, and allow your thoughts to do what they will without getting involved in them.
What about when the present moment sucks?
What about when you're stuck in a job you hate, while your boss glares at you for making a little mistake, or just asking a question?
I really need a miracle.
I think a miracle will be the only thing to help me.
I've given 100%.
I've tried so hard not to let this bear down on me, and I've read countless books on how to be happy/ how to escape depression etc.
Nothing works.
I can't quit my job, but I can't bear to keep going there.
I've been looking for other jobs and there is nothing about!
I feel like I should sell all my belongings and start a new life.
It's scary to know that I could easily leave my family and friends.
I could easily just move away and forget them.
I feel I have very little connection to people now.
Everything is a rush. There's no time for relaxation and enjoyment.
I honestly think I could deal with knowing there's five years of putting up with this now.
I can't bear to believe this is the rest of my life.
If something doesn't change, I'll end up dead (on my own terms, or by some kind of health problem).
I, too, have signs of receding gums.
I asked my dentist and she said I'd been brushing my teeth too hard.
I hadn't.
It's just fucking Accutane again.
I mean, really, what's next on the agenda?
Cancer or something?
It's no wonder I haven't developed something like that already.
My immune system is down and I'm stressed 80-90% of the time.
I'm the perfect target.
I'd go down without a fight.
What the fuck is life about?
Bloody hell. There's my current feelings poured into a page.
Does anyone remember when I said my digestion was fixed?
That lasted 5 days.
It was around Christmas.
I was actually doing normal 'stools' (nice way of putting it).
I felt so much better because of it, and then it went back to being (pardon the pun) shit again.
The only thing that might have been the cause for my improvement is 'The Healing Code'.
I thought it could of been my diet change at the time.
I was eating chocolate and whatever I wanted for the first time in a while.
But, I eat stuff like that on several days at present, and it doesn't make a difference.
I doubt it was that.
I also started taking a (cheap) probiotic supplement.
I doubt it was that too.
I don't know what to believe about life anymore.
Is it just a load of old crap?
Or is there meaning to all of this?
Anway, I'm going to do the healing code a few times a day, just because it can't harm me.
You basically relax in a quiet room, focus on healing and hold your hands in certain positions.
Might be a hoax, and the Authors might be con-artists, but what if it was the thing that helped my digestion?
Sometimes answers aren't what you'd expect.
I'm not expecting this to be the whole answer, and to fix every problem, but what the hell right?
I wrote in my diary the other day.
A kind of 'note to self' thing.
I've decided that I'm going to give up on supplements.
I'll still take a few, but my room is full of them and I swear they don't make a difference.
I can tell they're legit. You can't fake garlic right?
But is garlic really going to help my immune system? Doubtful.
I'll just take things to support my thyroid and adrenals.
It's clear that my liver doesn't need liver supplements. Tried enough of them.
Wasted so much money.
Instead, I'll spend my money on things like back massages, sports clubs (though Badminton is only 10 for 10 weeks anyway) and things that'll make me feel good.
I definitely need to de-clutter my room, so I MUST stop buying ANY material objects, like DVDs and Games.
I don't have time for them anyway.
I want to start getting good at Guitar and Singing, and have time for writing.
I find it hard to come home and do those things when I'm tired.
And when I'm not tired, I normally play Xbox or something.
Some of this is my own fault.
I need to be careful on what I spent my time/money on.
I also need to respect my own needs.
If I want time to myself, my girlfriend will have to accept that or this won't work.
I don't think she understands how bad a state I'm in.
And I don't feel like being close to people when this is all going on.
I can see why most ex-accutane guys aren't in a relationship.
I know I need to see my friends more.
I barely ever see them, and I miss having fun.
Sure, it won't be the same as when we were kids. But, other people are on this planet to be enjoyed, aren't they?
Well, some are just here to be total fucking assholes, but maybe that's to make you appreciate the good ones more.
Long-ass rant and it had to be done.
I still don't know why nobody wants to make YouTube videos to spread the word about this?
Nobody ever responded.
Surely you want to raise awareness about this?
Evil exists because good people do nothing.
We will potentially never live a 'real' life, and we're meant to just let Roche and the FDA get away with that?
Stefan
Sorry for any spelling mistakes. I don't have time to check.