Hi Indigo.

One of the other forum members at ATM mentioned he tried getting into contact with Jesse's father through you and you wouldn't help for some reason.

If he requested that you didn't give out any of his contact details, then it is understandable and everyone can respect that.

Otherwise, you should know that we are trying our best to gain media exposure to shed light on the horrible conditions this drug can cause and gain legitimate scientific interest into our problems. The ultimate goal is finding a solution to Ro/Accutane's side effects. It would be of nothing but benefit to you to help in any way possible.

Again, thanks for speaking out!

Alright I'm re-posting this. Any advice will be highly appreciated!

"I had taken roaccutane 20mgs 3 years back for once every week. I live in a 3rd world country where you can easily get prescription drugs with the money. I didn't have proper acne just a face similar to fry pan. My face would get really oily after 2-3 hours i wash it. The only reason i took this drug was to eradicate the oil off my face and i believe that would cure my mild acne as well. Symptoms started after a few days i took the first pill, but i ignored it and continued it. I might have eaten 8+ pills total in a span of 2 months. I'm 21 now and i suffer from a multiple symptoms.

• Hunger - whenever i eat, whatever i eat i just seem to feel hungry again after 15-20mins and after passing a stool i get those hunger pains, as if im starving for 2-3 days.
• Thirst/Urination - its like a never ending cycle, i urinate, i get thirsty, i drink, again i urinate.. and it goes on.. I'm never fully satisfied, my thirst is never quenched and my urge to urinate is never stopped. I often get white foamy urine.
• Fatique - generally im tired the whole day, but after eating a meal i am so sleepy that i get all dizzy, let it be breakfast or a small meal, im bound to feel sleepy after it.
• Muscle loss -i feel like i'm gradually losing muscle mass all over my body and instead gaining fat, i can see my waist gain a 2-3 inches of fat layer over this period of 3 years.
• Dandruff - No matter what anti-dandruff shampoo i use, theres just noway this dandruff is going away. I can literally spot flakes of dandruff in my hair.
• Backpain- I can't stand for long or walk too much. My back starts to main along with my legs. Generally i have become so fragile and weak.
• Acne- I had gotten the worst acne after one year of roaccutane, and nothing would help it, i tried everything, the only thing that worked for me, and i'm continuing it is milk of magnesia, i have to put it daily in the morning on my face before going out.
• Eye strain & Photo sensitivity
• Memory loss - i was one of the smartest kid in high school and now i struggle hard to concentrate and i find it hard to remember even the basic things.
• Ear Hair - i have these tiny hair growing on my ear, maybe the roaccutane has messed up with my DNA. Im just aging very fast.
• Also i get a lot mood of swings, im easily scarred now, easily i get upset, i easily get bored of things and unfortunately people too and i easily get irritated.

I got tested for basic diseases like Diabetes and Celiac Disease also got checked my thyroid levels and all reports were normal.

I know i might never be able to fully recover but atleast i want to manage my symptoms, i have visited a lot of doctors and they all seem confused and nobody exactly knows whats wrong with me. I hope you guys can help me out diagnose my problem and atleast i can manage my symptoms. Changing diet is quite difficult for me, I stay at a dorm, and unless i get a proper recommendation from a doctor i wont be able to request for special food. I can get tests done quite easily, if anyone of you can suggest what tests should i get done so i would have a better understanding of my problem."

Alright I'm re-posting this. Any advice will be highly appreciated!

 

"I had taken roaccutane 20mgs 3 years back for once every week. I live in a 3rd world country where you can easily get prescription drugs with the money. I didn't have proper acne just a face similar to fry pan. My face would get really oily after 2-3 hours i wash it. The only reason i took this drug was to eradicate the oil off my face and i believe that would cure my mild acne as well. Symptoms started after a few days i took the first pill, but i ignored it and continued it. I might have eaten 8+ pills total in a span of 2 months. I'm 21 now and i suffer from a multiple symptoms.

• Hunger - whenever i eat, whatever i eat i just seem to feel hungry again after 15-20mins and after passing a stool i get those hunger pains, as if im starving for 2-3 days.
• Thirst/Urination - its like a never ending cycle, i urinate, i get thirsty, i drink, again i urinate.. and it goes on.. I'm never fully satisfied, my thirst is never quenched and my urge to urinate is never stopped. I often get white foamy urine.
• Fatique - generally im tired the whole day, but after eating a meal i am so sleepy that i get all dizzy, let it be breakfast or a small meal, im bound to feel sleepy after it.
• Muscle loss -i feel like i'm gradually losing muscle mass all over my body and instead gaining fat, i can see my waist gain a 2-3 inches of fat layer over this period of 3 years.
• Dandruff - No matter what anti-dandruff shampoo i use, theres just noway this dandruff is going away. I can literally spot flakes of dandruff in my hair.
• Backpain- I can't stand for long or walk too much. My back starts to main along with my legs. Generally i have become so fragile and weak.
• Acne- I had gotten the worst acne after one year of roaccutane, and nothing would help it, i tried everything, the only thing that worked for me, and i'm continuing it is milk of magnesia, i have to put it daily in the morning on my face before going out.
• Eye strain & Photo sensitivity
• Memory loss - i was one of the smartest kid in high school and now i struggle hard to concentrate and i find it hard to remember even the basic things.
• Ear Hair - i have these tiny hair growing on my ear, maybe the roaccutane has messed up with my DNA. Im just aging very fast.
• Also i get a lot mood of swings, im easily scarred now, easily i get upset, i easily get bored of things and unfortunately people too and i easily get irritated.

 

I got tested for basic diseases like Diabetes and Celiac Disease also got checked my thyroid levels and all reports were normal.

 

I know i might never be able to fully recover but atleast i want to manage my symptoms, i have visited a lot of doctors and they all seem confused and nobody exactly knows whats wrong with me. I hope you guys can help me out diagnose my problem and atleast i can manage my symptoms. Changing diet is quite difficult for me, I stay at a dorm, and unless i get a proper recommendation from a doctor i wont be able to request for special food. I can get tests done quite easily, if anyone of you can suggest what tests should i get done so i would have a better understanding of my problem."

 

Whilst I'm no Doc, I'm going to say you have adrenal fatigue and possible Hypothyroidism. Many, if not all, post-accutane sufferers seems to.

In the future, people will comment on the unreliability and inaccuracy of the medical tests for thyroid disorders.

There are other ways to test, mainly using a thermometer in the morning (Under your armpit for five minutes). If it's under a certain temperature (I believe 98.2 degrees F) you have a thyroid problem.

I can't give advice for many of your problems.

I think I have the ear hairs too. Trust me, unless you're growing thick, dark hairs it doesn't matter. Nobody cares. More to the point, you can't do much about it, can you? So the sooner you accept this minor flaw, the better.

Diet is very important.

Many would disagree, but my advice is to eat good quality fat and protein with every meal.

If you are feeling dizzy and unwell after meals, it's very likely you have adrenal fatigue (and possibly hypothyroidism) and therefore your blood-sugar levels are all over the place. Protein and fat are slowly digested. Anything that's straight sugar/too many carbs is going to have a negative effect for you.

I have eggs and toast (with REAL butter) for breakfast and suggest you try to do the same.

I don't think you have memory loss. I expect you can remember things, but it takes a lot longer for things to 'click'. Again, this could be down to the problems I've mentioned. I know exactly how it feels, so I understand your frustration.

Let me just say I'm really sorry that you're going through this shit, but you're not alone and we'll all pull together and make it through.

For now, my advice to you personally is:

1) Get to sleep as early as you feel you can. Your body will do it's best healing if you are asleep at 10pm. You don't have to be perfect, but late nights (after Midnight) will not serve you well.

2) Take it easy. Listen to your body. I know it's ridiculous to get up, feel tired and have breakfast and then want to sleep again. I'm not saying you should go back to bed, because that's crazy. But, accept that your body isn't well right now. Going to the gym, or anything that requires a lot of energy, isn't possible at the moment. You need to concentrate on healing and using the energy you do have wisely.

3) Practice meditation. The point of this is to confront your mind. Rather than distract yourself, just sit there and let any thoughts come and go. Concentrate on breathing slowly and when you want to get up (because it's boring, what-not) continue to sit/lay there. Start off doing it for 5 or 10 minutes at a time. It'll be very hard at first. You can also repeat a phrase in your mind like 'I'm letting go' or 'Everything will be okay'... Something calming. You feel very anxious at the moment and it'll be beneficial to your mind and body if you learn to slow down and do nothing.

4) Protein with every meal. Already mentioned. It's important, I hear to eat within the first 30-60 minutes of being awake, in order to support your metabolism. Also, going without food for more than a few hours might be bad for blood-sugar levels, so a small snack can help between meals.

That's probably all I can say for now. Just know you're not a freak and this isn't who you are. Your body just needs some help in getting well again, and I believe with persistence you can improve. Most important thing is rest (not just physically, but mentally). I also know what it's like to feel bored of everything. This comes on with depression. Try to ask yourself 'What do I want to do right now?' and do it. If you can't think of anything, just lay there until you feel motivated to get up and take action,

Hope it helps.

I have to agree with Indigo! I am totally suprised that your labs came back all normal, Most of thoose issues I had both with my thyroid and then it was for sure symptoms I had about 1yr befoe I got dx with type 1 diabetes! Most have subsided since taking insulin. Try a high protien, low carb, (kinda like a paleo diet), like I said I totatlly agree with what Indigo suggested. I have had sucess with supplements, yet I was defcient in a few so they have worked for me, but for some people they don't.

I have to agree with Indigo! I am totally suprised that your labs came back all normal, Most of thoose issues I had both with my thyroid and then it was for sure symptoms I had about 1yr befoe I got dx with type 1 diabetes! Most have subsided since taking insulin. Try a high protien, low carb, (kinda like a paleo diet), like I said I totatlly agree with what Indigo suggested. I have had sucess with supplements, yet I was defcient in a few so they have worked for me, but for some people they don't.

 

What supplements you take? and what lab tests have you done?

An update on my progress; and some of you may find this interesting especially since accutane adversely affects adrenal and thyroid function: I recently got a hair mineral analysis results back and have recently started on a nutritional balancing program. I actually got this idea from IndigoRush who mentioned a 6-year propecia sufferer recovering using this program.

Background: My side effects are listed to the left here and I want to note that I've had blood tests as well basic hormone tests this past year and the numbers reveal that everything is 'in range'. On the surface, I appear to be a normal healthy, energetic young man and for this reason it's been difficult to get doctors to take me seriously. A urologist simply shrugged his shoulders at me and I've been prescribed Viagra as well as SSRI's (politely declined).

However, the hair mineral analysis is the first test to reveal that something is definitely not right with me.

Here's what the hair analysis results revealed (paraphrased):

-I am a slow oxidizer; meaning I metabolize food at a rate slower than required for the production of optimal energy. In slow oxidation the activity of both the adrenal and thyroid glands is less than optimal. (note this was strange as I usually have a lot of energy throughout the day and rarely feel tired).

-Low Sodium/Potassium Ratio - indicates a reduced vitality and impaired electrical balance within the cells. A low ratio is often associated with adrenal exhaustion;

-impaired sugar and carbohydrate tolerance,

-impaired protein synthesis

-impaired digestion. (found this to be strange, because I currently have no digestion problems...?)

-trend for liver and kidney stress which could contribute to impaired toxic metal elimination, impaired immune system, and carbohydrate tolerance.

-decreased cell permeability - empairs the entrance of hormones (BINGO!), glucose and other substances into the cells (note: this reflects my theory on why many post-taners with low libido show in-range hormone tests, testosterone, etc. but yet have virtually lost sex drive).

-low sodium retention due to impaired adrenal gland activity.

-low chromium level which may contribute to blood sugar imbalances as well as cravings for sweets or starches (true)

-low selenium level may contribute to impaired detoxification and thyroid gland activity.

-low phosphorus which indicates excessive protein catabolism or tissue breakdown. This may be due to improper diet with low protein intake, inadequate protein quality, impaired digestion, imbalanced intestinal flora or infections such as candida albicans or parasites.

-elevated aluminum which may contribute to memory loss, dementia, fatigue, behavior difficulties and skin rashes.

-hidden copper toxicity - my test didn't reveal abnormal copper reading but my nutritionalist says this is because copper is buried deep within my tissues.

In order to balance my body chemistry, I've been prescribed a diet of higher amounts of low-fat protein foods, moderate amounts of carbohydrates (no wheat), and plenty of vegetables. I am to limit my fruit intake. I was also prescribed the following supplements from Analytical Research Labs 1) Megapan 2) Endo-Dren, 3) Limcomin 4) Betaine HCL and Pepsin, 5) GB-3 6) P5P and 7) Zinc

Will this nutritional balancing program work and restore my libido? I have no idea. I was told it could take 1-2 years to correct my adrenals. I've been on this program for about 3 weeks now. There's tons of folks on Curezone currently doing NB and discussing their progress (or lack of) as well as some recovery stories.

Here's where I am today:

ED/Low libido - on a scale of 1-10, (1 being low, 10 being high) right now I am a 1. Before accutane, I was a 10.

Anxiety/Depression - For the most part this is under control though I still have some bad days. I believe anxiety and depression was mostly attributed to the fact that immediately after this happened to me, I scoured the Internet and educated myself on the horrors of accutane, don't need to say anymore.

Hair Loss - Also appears to be under control. For awhile I suffered from extremely itchy scalp and hair falling out. Was afraid I was going bald, but this has slowed down considerably and I still have my full head of thick hair.Not sure if this is related to accutane-use but other post-taners have reported similar occurrances.

Anyone reading this who has tried this approach or has any questions or feedback, I would love to hear from you.

 

I have to agree with Indigo! I am totally suprised that your labs came back all normal, Most of thoose issues I had both with my thyroid and then it was for sure symptoms I had about 1yr befoe I got dx with type 1 diabetes! Most have subsided since taking insulin. Try a high protien, low carb, (kinda like a paleo diet), like I said I totatlly agree with what Indigo suggested. I have had sucess with supplements, yet I was defcient in a few so they have worked for me, but for some people they don't.

 

 

 

What supplements you take? and what lab tests have you done?

 

Well I had crazy things happen right before my course ended and after. In short verison I was dx w/ Graves autoimmune thyroid right after, sjrogren's 2yrs after and then at 35 type 1 autoimmune diabetes ( about 3-4 yrs after accutane)...As for labs and testing numerous and some were fine and others were not after my course. I was found to only have 3% iron in my body but not anemic (you can die btw w/low iron), deficient in b12, borderline low in bioton, Vit D, and few others. I do take daily no matter what even eating healthy...bioton, Vit D, Iron and sublingual b12,B6 and a few other B vitamins, I don't take a b complex as I can't have nician being diabetic. However, I had a lot of your symptoms and though my sugar levels were wonderful all thoose yrs shortly getting the dx and taking insulin many went away odd!

I do agree with Indigo on what he suggested! I do all that in conjuction w/ other things. Hang in there!

I have the exact same issues 10 years after a rough course of accutane. I read through most of the posts in this thread and I'm still wondering if anyone has found anything that actually works. There's got to be something.

I have the exact same issues 10 years after a rough course of accutane. I read through most of the posts in this thread and I'm still wondering if anyone has found anything that actually works. There's got to be something.

There's got to be something, yeah, but no one knows anything consistent that works for others.

Treatments that supposedly work are clearly either random or very personal solutions so far: drinking water, playing sports, juice and water fasting, eating scallops.

You could try the juice/water/fruit fasting. A couple people report that works. If you do that keep in mind that those people who follow that tend to look like crap after a few years on it.

I've been at this for 20 years and have mostly given up.

It's strange to look back now at when I almost killed myself years ago and realize I made the wrong decision by not doing so. That's not what our idiotic cheerleader society says, but fuck them anyway. They're the ones who can't grasp accutane side effects to save their lives, never mind anyone else's.

Are there any other discussions on this topic on other websites? I've tried just about every supplement with no luck.

For me it started with a bad course of accutane. A couple weeks before my regular course of the stuff was supposed to end I developed severe liver pain, jaundice, and rediculous depression. The worst of those symptoms went away after about two weeks since I stopped taking the stuff. Since then (9 years ago) I've had chronic liver pain, irregular thirst for water, hair loss, diminshed vision, muscle/ bone cramps, brain fog, insomnia, constant fatigue, and red, flaky, dry skin.

In the past few years, I became a vegetarian and watched my health fanatically. The thirst issue is a little better and the hairloss and diminshed eye sight has not gotten worse. On the other hand, since then, I've developed heartburn/ acid reflux that came out of nowhere and has gotten so bad (no matter what I eat) that I can't sleep at night. My doctor can't figure it out or get it under control. My skin is still red and sand papery and I have constant red eyes (likely from the dry skin). Same fatigue, insomnia, achiness, brain fog, and lessened emotions (which i guess is a step above depression).

I'd like to know more, from a medical point of view, how accutane could have caused all this. This isn't something my doctor would be able to figure out so I'm hoping to come up with a solution. I'm not going to give up because I feel that despite all this my body is still healthy and can reverse this somehow.

Yeah I think the most important thing is to get to a Rheumatologist to get autoimmune/diabetes etc tests done.

However, I mentioned before there was something that cured my skin dryness/peeling etc almost overnight. Well, that thing was a heavy-duty antibiotic to treat a sinus infection I had gotten. I only took the antibiotic for about a week or so but as long as I was taking it my skin was healthy and wonderful. Now it may still be an autoimmune issue but it could also be an infection in the gut. Either way, long term treatment with antibiotics (maybe up to a year or more) have shown ability to effectively treat some autoimmune conditions and obviously bacterial infections as well with shorter treatment times than a year.

I'm going to discuss all of this with my Rheum. but I have to wait forever to get an appointment -_- I will try and keep everyone updated.

I think many of you will be able to relate to this video.

I believe the reason some people can suffer from Accutane side effects for years and years is: They don't give themselves a chance to get better.

Before taking the drug I already a bit of a worrier and mummies boy, so it might be easier for some to let go.

But really, how can you expect to heal when all you think about is your health... Some of you here are likely still Googling their problems and hoping to find something. If that's the case, I assure you that you're wasting your time and there are no miracle quick-fixes out there.

Diet, Exercise and all the things we know are good for us are important, but they won't matter if you're attitude stays the same.

I've spoken to both Connor and Sergio before and I know that both have a positive outlook, and not just because they'd had reason to believe they were getting better.

Sure, eating a raw food diet is probably the best thing - from a nutritional point of view - that you can do for your health, but if you are forcing yourself to stick to it, it's not going to be very beneficial. If you're reluctant and don't want to be eating that way, you'll feel trapped.

So, my advice is to give up fighting.

Don't check forum's, like this, several times a day (like I used to at one point, hoping someone would post that Miracle paragraph that'd tell me what to do).

If you're waiting for that, you're guaranteeing you will have no life. Not until you let go of having to be in control.

I honestly don't know if my physical problems will go, but I do know that I've wasted so much time and money trying to get rid of them. I know I could continue don't that route and continue to feel disappointed and helpless. Most of these problems really have become mental. Again, you're body and mind are completely connected and if you attack one constantly (your mind) your body won't get better. For me, depression and anxiety are my biggest issues. I don't really care about my sexual dysfunction. I can still get an erection and there are worse things to be dealt.

It's up to you if you decide to pay attention to what I'm saying.

But, I know that some of you here (hate to name people specifically, but jmsil for example) are still hiding away from the World and waiting to be better before you live again. You feel so helpless because you feel so out of options and are just hoping the World will fix things for you. If anyone feels defensive at these words, it's because you know it's true.

So, to conclude:

1) Accept you're a mess at the moment. Not a freak - Anyone with these problems would react the same, initially.

2) Forget getting better with supplements or diet (alone). You need to work at letting go because your mind has become your prison.

3) Visit this blog: http://anxietynomore.co.uk/blog. You will find out there are a lot of people with the same problems as us... Things like suicidal thoughts and scary thoughts (such as wanting to hurt people) which happen because your mind is just so tired and starts to act in strange ways. Your nerves are sensitised and over-react. You probably startle easily. This then makes you think 'What the fuck is wrong with me? Why am I so jumpy all the time? Fucking freak. Kill me now'. Once you understand that this isn't you, it's just anxiety and a build up of too much adrenaline, you can relax without having to figure everything out.

4) Live a normal life. I don't believe the hype behind the law of attraction. It's bollocks really. But ... If it WERE true, hiding in your room begging for a cure, praying to a God you probably don't believe in, is sending out the message 'I'm scared and weak'. If you go out and start living a normal life again - Keeping yourself busy, and not alone with your thoughts - you will widen your comfort zone and adapt... Becoming normal again.

I only found out this stuff several days ago, so I've got to do this too.

For some, you're not ready to hear that and will still want to wish for an easier way out.

For something like social anxiety (which I suffer from - for now, at least) you can easily come to the conclusion that everything is to be avoided, and that you should get better before going out there, but if you've done any searching you'll know the only way people recover is from facing their fear. The anxiety will be there - because, as explained, your body and mind have taken a beating from too much stress and adrenaline - but you have to do it anyway, and replace the old thought that 'It's not safe' with 'I don't need to fear'. Most people will find themselves in a testing situation and take the easy option and walk away asap. But, with anxiety, if you stay aware and don't get caught up in those thoughts, but instead let them float by, you'll find that there's a point where all that adrenaline falls away and you realise the truth: You don't have anything to be afraid about.

Another way to deal with this, but probably a much bigger step, is to do the thing you fear.

Again, with social anxiety, you may fear people seeing you make a fool of yourself.

But, if you were to CHOOSE to allow this to happen, it wouldn't be so much of a problem.

If you decided to trip over, you'd do the thing you fear most: Draw attention to yourself.

Just some things to think about,

Stefan

Low Dose Naltrexone is very helpfull for treating almost any kind of autoimmune diseases, acu utane has changed our bodies power to fight with

diseases like a person suffering from HIV.

google ldn this drug may cure you from all the problems.

no side effects

http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org/

Yeah I think the most important thing is to get to a Rheumatologist to get autoimmune/diabetes etc tests done.

 

However, I mentioned before there was something that cured my skin dryness/peeling etc almost overnight. Well, that thing was a heavy-duty antibiotic to treat a sinus infection I had gotten. I only took the antibiotic for about a week or so but as long as I was taking it my skin was healthy and wonderful. Now it may still be an autoimmune issue but it could also be an infection in the gut. Either way, long term treatment with antibiotics (maybe up to a year or more) have shown ability to effectively treat some autoimmune conditions and obviously bacterial infections as well with shorter treatment times than a year.

 

I'm going to discuss all of this with my Rheum. but I have to wait forever to get an appointment -_- I will try and keep everyone updated.

Curious as to what antibotic you took! I know a few suffers who acutally had to live on antibotics, with no side effects, gut issues or canidiasis. I know I took Doxy for a short time and it helped with my joint pain and my flushing subsided alot.

Do we have ANY remedies that actually are effective for dried out skin with no elasticity, severe dryness of both hair & skin & hairloss?

Ive tried everything over the last 25 months and everything sems to be only getting worse and worse everyday..I am so desperate to reverse this damage pls help guys..

Fret not fellas. I've got a 145 IQ, zen pain tolerance, the resilience of a cockroach, the survival instincts of a rat. I'll win; it's what I do. And then I'll help all of you, forgetting no one; I swear.

I cleared all the food additives. Added in Superzymes and Glutagenics powder. With that, I do pretty well. Maintaining the circadian and not overeating is easy, without external stress. If not, I go down. But I'm not even using UDCA right now; my supply ran out and I'll re-up in a couple of weeks.

Hi guys. I read alot of your posts.

First of all, I'm Bobby, i'm 24, I'm from Romania, a small european country. Europeans from this forum may know about it from Dracula stories/movies:)

My story :

1 year ago i took accutane in a very small dose (20mg/day) for 3 months. I stopped it cause my vision became kinda blurry. My skin became very dry, my acne disappeared, my face became lighter. Nice! I have to tell u guys that i tried many many things for my acne, including very very severe diets, i've payed lots and lots of dermatologists. For nothing.

My face was incredibly oily up to the point people thought like i washed my face with tons of oil. And my pimples were huge and so many, guys! Believe me, my face looked like a monster, my skin of face was looking like it was mutilated.

After stoping the accutane, after about 1 month, my face became as oily as before and acne came back. My hair was oily and thick, as usuall. Very thick hair, guys!

Then, after another 2 months, my face became again dry. Some days used to become oily again. I lost my sleep at that period. Also experienced alot of sweating at night, for no reason. Starting to loose hair gradually...also hair started to get dry and thin.

Now my hair its so thin. From black, now its brown, and pretty transparent.

I also saw that the hair from my testicules became incredibly dry, like dead hair...also loosing some hair from that area. I also lost my spontaneous erections. >>> E.D.

Since firstly the testicular hair "died" in the first place, its more likely to be a hormonal disturbance.....but what to do about it??

Another interesting thing i saw its that my penile lost its "sexual, hormonal, strong smell"...i think u know what i;m talking about. Did u guys experience the same thing?? The sperm doesnt smell as strong and nasty as it used to...now its smell is so light and non-specific..... same with u guys??

I did hormonal checks in the lab, the test came back good....testosteron level is good also.

I tried multivitamins, for nothing. I'm also eating healthy. Hmmm, 2 weeks ago i started a colon detoxification using a very powerful argyle. Since taking it, my face became a bit oily again, and acne started to reappear. But the hair is still very dry and loosing alot of it.

so....i got :

severe E.D.

severe hair loss (lost a big part of it in just few months)

severe eyebrows loss (lost more than 50% in just few months)

eyelids, eyelashes loss

back pain

eyes irritation (even when i cry, it seems as my tears irritates my eyes.......its so strange!!!)

brain problems (memory problems, thinking diminuished capacity, lack of focusing, judging difficulties...)

acne

a skin eczema on my face

depression (dark thoughts, and crying alot for silly reasons)

For E.D., i heard about a natural way...... i'm talking about some pills named Horny Goat Weed....has anyone tried this? does it really work??

Is there anybody who can help me with this hair loss which is making me wanna die????? the rest maybe i can deal with...but this severe hair loss its mutilating me!!!

Hi guys. I read alot of your posts.

First of all, I'm Bobby, i'm 24, I'm from Romania, a small european country. Europeans from this forum may know about it from Dracula stories/movies:)

My story :

1 year ago i took accutane in a very small dose (20mg/day) for 3 months. I stopped it cause my vision became kinda blurry. My skin became very dry, my acne disappeared, my face became lighter. Nice! I have to tell u guys that i tried many many things for my acne, including very very severe diets, i've payed lots and lots of dermatologists. For nothing.

My face was incredibly oily up to the point people thought like i washed my face with tons of oil. And my pimples were huge and so many, guys! Believe me, my face looked like a monster, my skin of face was looking like it was mutilated.

After stoping the accutane, after about 1 month, my face became as oily as before and acne came back. My hair was oily and thick, as usuall. Very thick hair, guys!

Then, after another 2 months, my face became again dry. Some days used to become oily again. I lost my sleep at that period. Also experienced alot of sweating at night, for no reason. Starting to loose hair gradually...also hair started to get dry and thin.

Now my hair its so thin. From black, now its brown, and pretty transparent.

I also saw that the hair from my testicules became incredibly dry, like dead hair...also loosing some hair from that area. I also lost my spontaneous erections. >>> E.D.

Since firstly the testicular hair "died" in the first place, its more likely to be a hormonal disturbance.....but what to do about it??

Another interesting thing i saw its that my penile lost its "sexual, hormonal, strong smell"...i think u know what i;m talking about. Did u guys experience the same thing?? The sperm doesnt smell as strong and nasty as it used to...now its smell is so light and non-specific..... same with u guys??

I did hormonal checks in the lab, the test came back good....testosteron level is good also.

I tried multivitamins, for nothing. I'm also eating healthy. Hmmm, 2 weeks ago i started a colon detoxification using a very powerful argyle. Since taking it, my face became a bit oily again, and acne started to reappear. But the hair is still very dry and loosing alot of it.

so....i got :

severe E.D.

severe hair loss (lost a big part of it in just few months)

severe eyebrows loss (lost more than 50% in just few months)

eyelids, eyelashes loss

back pain

eyes irritation (even when i cry, it seems as my tears irritates my eyes.......its so strange!!!)

brain problems (memory problems, thinking diminuished capacity, lack of focusing, judging difficulties...)

acne

a skin eczema on my face

depression (dark thoughts, and crying alot for silly reasons)

For E.D., i heard about a natural way...... i'm talking about some pills named Horny Goat Weed....has anyone tried this? does it really work??

Is there anybody who can help me with this hair loss which is making me wanna die????? the rest maybe i can deal with...but this severe hair loss its mutilating me!!!

Hey, forgive me for the inappropriate reply earlier.

I was joking about the bandanna around your face, but it's probably to do with being Romanian?

I'm a bit stupid at times.

Anyway, I'd like to offer some help - well, as much as I can.

First of all, you are NOT alone. Some of the things you've said look strange written down but I can agree and say they are factors.

For instance, it's been noted that ejaculate is weak and more watery in people suffering these side effects.

Why is that? No idea at all. For a long time I tried to figure out individual side effects and constantly became frustrated at there being no answers.

I want to assure you that you should avoid following my mistakes.

Clearly you want to find a supplement or something like that which can fix all of this.

We'd all love that, and you can likely see where I'm headed - Nobody in this forum can give you the answers, because it's all guesswork and none of us know enough about what's happened to our bodies.

Horny Goat Weed and supplements like that aren't going to work - Not that I tried that one myself.

BUT, I did try A LOT of different vitamins, herbs etc.

None ever worked. At least, I never noticed any benefits.

This probably sounds quite disheartening, but I believe it is true.

There is no cure for these side effects, in terms of a fast 'must take this pill to correct this damage' fix.

The closest answer I can come up with, as to why we have these various symptoms is:

- Accutane is a powerful drug and damages the body, throwing it out of balance.

I stand by saying this drug has likely caused Hypothyroidism and Adrenal Fatigue in you and anyone else here.

The eyebrow thinning is at the sides of your brows, I'd assume?

I know the hairs can be pulled out easily anywhere, but is it most noticable at the sides?

This is a symptom of Hypothyroidism.

But, it could be down to another factor.

I think you're right in saying we have hormonal issues, and the thyroid/adrenals are largely responsible for these.

I want to offer you a few words of comfort: I worried about my hair falling out a lot, but things haven't really got any worse.

Things also haven't got better, mind you, but at least you don't have to worry about ALL of your hair coming out.

It could vary from person to person though.

So, after 7 years of this hell, what can I say to you?

From my experience, you will only waste money and time trying different pills.

Pills are not the answer, as Accutane may have taught you.

The most important thing for you is acceptance.

What do I mean by this?

I mean you have to accept that you cannot change the past. I don't mean you have to like what's now your present reality.

But, the sooner you accept you have no power to change things overnight, or within a couple of weeks, the better.

It can be so soul-destroying, reading so many positive reviews for a supplement and once again, it does nothing for you.

On to the next one... more money wasted... more frustration.

By the end of my purchasing of supplements, it was just habit.

I'd buy 6 supplements at once because I assumed they probably wouldn't work.

But there was a shred of doubt... What if one was the answer?

It never was.

So, what do I suggest? Just accepting your life is shit until you die?

No. Of course not. If we knew that, we'd probably all kill ourselves.

But, while we are alive, we have hope.

It's horrible losing your health at such a young age.

But bad shit happens, to good people. Bad people too.

Life's no easy ride so don't think that someone's made an enemy out of you. It's nothing personal.

Nobody can say if you'll get better over time. Some sufferers have got better. I know, because I get a lot of messages on YouTube and such.

One person told me there side effects just went away after 10 years of having them.

Another says they've had the side effects for 25 years.

Why would that be? Just cruel fate for the unlucky? I don't believe in coincidences.

I don't believe we were born to take a drug and become depressed for the rest of our days.

Sometimes I get so down... I'm not going to sugar coat it. I often, to this day, break down and cry out of so much tiredness and depression.

I shout that I want to die. I worry for my future and can see no way out.

However, I'm still here.

I think things can get better because I have realised a lot.

Diet, exercise and good sleep are important, but don't become obsessed.

If you become a perfectionist about all of it, you will beat yourself up for having a bit of chocolate.

You could eat as well as Gandhi (did he eat well? I have no idea...) but if you are constantly feeling stressed out and angry, you will not get better?

Again, why is that?

Because your body is in a fight-or-flight response and healing is the last thing it will think about.

I think we could remain in this trap for 50 years if we don't let go.

If we allow this to take over and control our everyday life, our life becomes very isolated.

This becomes us.

But we were people before this drug, and we need to ask what we'd do if we got better.. and do it now, with the obstacles.

If we're going to be like this for a while yet, we will lose a lot of years of living... That's IF we decide to let it stop us living.

For sure, we will get down a lot, because we have many reasons to feel bad about ourselves.

BUT, nobody is going to help us.

I figured that out a while ago...

Doctors, Counsellors, Therapists.. Whatever (God, too, if you believe in religion)... They can't take this away.

It's up to us to make the most of what we still have.

I want to re-iterate that if you continue to focus of getting better now, you'll only get stressed out... continuing to keep natural healing at bay.

You can diagnose yourself and try to work out what health problem(s) you have, but you'll be confused afterwards.

Certain things are out of your hands.

Things that are worth incorporating into your life:

• Good food (without the expectation that it will heal you quickly - Just knowing it supports your body)
• Exercise. I get so angry sometimes. I want to scream. No surprise. I have anxiety and depression and need a way to let everything out. I've felt worse during the Winter because I like sunlight and being warm and outside. Rather than have adrenaline overflowing to the point of wanting to punch anyone who irritates me (For the record, I've not hit anyone haha) it's good to get away from technology and just walk in nature. Without needing to rush.
• Meditation. I need to do more of it. A lot of your problems become mental. You need to focus on letting go of anxious thoughts... and not being CONTROLLED by those thoughts. They're half the battle.
• Giving up on Google, Forums, Miracles, etc. If there was an answer, someone here would know. Therefore, don't waste energy trying to fix everything. The only way we'll get better is if we leave our bodies/minds to heal. It could take a while, so patience is key. (I'm working of this one... It's hard to accept feeling so terrible sometimes)
• Hobbies. Just find something to keep you occupied. It'll keep you trapped if you do nothing and don't get out and live.

All that money I wasted. Thousands. That could have been spent on travelling, or going out and having fun. BUT, at least I learned a lesson from it.

Hope you hear this message and listen to it.

I'm not saying it'll be easy, but find peace in letting go of responsibility.

Choose faith instead of fear.

Stefan

(P.S... Fuck I can go on, can't I? HAHA)

That bandana on my face is not about my country, we are Christians, like you i suppose. Its just that a wanted to play the role of a terrorist or something. Just something childish, i'm not a weird guy or something. I always dreamed to be an actor

The eyebrows fall from everywhere, not only from edges, also from "near the nose area", alot!

What should i do about this? its a big problem mate...

I read lots of your posts. Your problems are not so big i think. Your hair still seem to look good, eyebrows look very good, skin looks very good. Your biggest problem may be the depression, but maybe u can fix it with 5HTP...did u try it mate?

U know? I went to many dermatologists before, ... they all recommended me accutane. I asked them about the side effects. U know what they told me?

They told me like "nah, those side effects wrote there usually happen to 1 in a million people. your lips will get dry, skin dry,,,,and the worst thing that could happen is for the acne to come back"..... I said what the hell.......they are doctors.........they know better........

I also have few friends who took accutane, they are soooooooooooo fine, they are healthy, no hair loss, nothing bad!!!!!!!!!!

Why the hell did this happen to me????? I dont drink, i dont smoke, i'm good to people, always trying to help others as i can......those stupid drunkers are so fine, they have hair and everything. And me?????!!!!!!! What did i do to deserve this???

My girlfriend left me because of the sides i got from accutane. She got scared seeing i loose tons of hairs. Maybe she thought i'm a freak or something...

I could freaking accept all the sides.......but i dont want to loose my hair, cause this will make me look like a freak!!! OHHHH!!!!

I wish i could do something to stop the hair loss mate!!!!! anything!!! I wont give up finding solutions, and i believe God wont let me down and something good will happen !!! I wont give up anyways! I believe the faith in God is the final solution. When i will finish my exams, i will start praying alot, and fasting. God can perform a miracle, i'm sure of it! This is our only solution guys...

On 1/26/2013 at 8:26 PM, Robert1000 said:

That bandana on my face is not about my country, we are Christians, like you i suppose. Its just that a wanted to play the role of a terrorist or something. Just something childish, i'm not a weird guy or something. I always dreamed to be an actor [Edited out image]

The eyebrows fall from everywhere, not only from edges, also from "near the nose area", alot!

What should i do about this? its a big problem mate...

I read lots of your posts. Your problems are not so big i think. Your hair still seem to look good, eyebrows look very good, skin looks very good. Your biggest problem may be the depression, but maybe u can fix it with 5HTP...did u try it mate?

U know? I went to many dermatologists before, ... they all recommended me accutane. I asked them about the side effects. U know what they told me?

They told me like "nah, those side effects wrote there usually happen to 1 in a million people. your lips will get dry, skin dry,,,,and the worst thing that could happen is for the acne to come back"..... I said what the hell.......they are doctors.........they know better........

I also have few friends who took accutane, they are soooooooooooo fine, they are healthy, no hair loss, nothing bad!!!!!!!!!!

Why the hell did this happen to me????? I dont drink, i dont smoke, i'm good to people, always trying to help others as i can......those stupid drunkers are so fine, they have hair and everything. And me?????!!!!!!! What did i do to deserve this???

My girlfriend left me because of the sides i got from accutane. She got scared seeing i loose tons of hairs. Maybe she thought i'm a freak or something...

I could freaking accept all the sides.......but i dont want to loose my hair, cause this will make me look like a freak!!! OHHHH!!!!

I wish i could do something to stop the hair loss mate!!!!! anything!!! I wont give up finding solutions, and i believe God wont let me down and something good will happen !!! I wont give up anyways! I believe the faith in God is the final solution. When i will finish my exams, i will start praying alot, and fasting. God can perform a miracle, i'm sure of it! This is our only solution guys...

I wish I shared your enthusiasm for God's magical powers, but I don't buy into that stuff.

Forget topicals or hair-loss pills. Your hair loss isn't down to balding, it's because Accutane can make a healthy body unhealthy.

Therefore, they won't work.

I have mixed thoughts on extreme solutions, like not eating, but some report it being useful.

You ignored everything I said though.

You're still hoping for a quick fix.

Everyone here has hoped for the same. Doesn't matter if you're a good person, or if you pray..

Based on your picture, I could say you have good hair too.

But my hair has been affected. And it does get to me, just like it would to anyone.

I've tried 5-HTP. I've tried a lot of shit.

This is so deep-rooted now, though.

I've lost so much and tried everything I could think of.

I wish there was an easy way out of this, but there's not.

I've also got some things that have helped me in my recovery. I used to come here and tout the benefits of taurine, but guess what... it stopped working. I wonder if the taurine was actually doing its job, or if I just hit the beginning of the growth phase. I wonder if I am just going to go through cycles of hair shedding and hair growth forever. At least it's not constant shedding anymore.

Sometimes I get upset. It's not fair. My mom and sister each went on two rounds of Accutane and came off it completely fine, whereas just three months on Accutane was enough to screw me up. Plus, since they were totally fine, they don't believe it was the Accutane that did this to me. As do my friends. I feel like no one takes me seriously.

I've done all this research. I've taken all these supplements; some of which have probably hurt more than they've helped. (Including ginkgo biloba, which I took to fix my estrogen levels and level of energy, which actually raised my acetylcholine levels and turned me into a hypersensitive emo kid who took everything personally!) I'm trying to steer myself away from the research mentality since it only leads to me getting even more obsessed about my health.

So... here are some things that have helped me in my journey to recovery:

-- Magnesium and Evening Primrose Oil. After all the things Accutane did to me, there is one thing it didn't do... clear up my acne! I only got acne in one place-- my chin, and research revealed that it was hormonal. Magnesium and evening primrose oil really help to balance out my hormones... I'm clear now. My skin and hair are less dry. I even apply evening primrose oil topically as moisturizer. Also, it really helps to stabilize my mood. There's a reason why eating chocolate makes you feel good-- it's chock full of magnesium. Both of these have helped to keep my emotions from taking over my whole life.

-- Wearing my hair up. When I wear my hair down, I am constantly playing with it, scrutinizing it, fixating over it... not to mention picking the hair I shed off of all my shirts, jackets, pillows, furniture... It's incredibly disheartening to physically see everything that is coming out of my head. Wearing my hair in a ponytail gets it out of my face-- and off my mind. When I have my hair up, it's held back in a ponytail and it doesn't fall out everywhere.

-- Exercise. I try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. I feel so good after I'm done-- sweaty, exhausted, but at the same time full of energy. It doesn't have to be intense. I like to get on the treadmill for 30 minutes and walk to the pace of whatever song I have playing on my iPod. It really helps to get your mind off things...

-- Diet. I'm trying to be 80/20 paleo. (It's hard to find stuff to eat on a college meal plan...) Lots of protein, lots of veggies, not too many grains. Grains just put me in the cycle of blood sugar crashes. Working out after eating carbs makes me feel tired. Working out after eating protein makes me feel energized.

-- Water. Drink tons of it. Every time I get a headache, I drink a ton of the stuff and feel a lot better.

-- Music. I used to listen to sad, angry, emotional stuff. But now I've changed to smooth jazz. It's like Valium in the form of sound waves. And the incredibly cheesy happy stuff that used to make me cringe is some of my favorite stuff now. It really helps to change your outlook.

-- Don't talk about your problems to others. It can be hard, but not talking about them helps you to not think about them.

-- Keep busy. If you've got a ton of things to do, you don't have that much time to worry about how your health is. If you've got a lot of free time, pick up a book. It'll at least give you a worry-free couple of hours.

Hopefully these things help. Stay strong, you guys! Maybe we won't be able to beat this, but we'll at least be able to put things in perspective. We won't let this take over our lives.

That bandana on my face is not about my country, we are Christians, like you i suppose. Its just that a wanted to play the role of a terrorist or something. Just something childish, i'm not a weird guy or something. I always dreamed to be an actor

The eyebrows fall from everywhere, not only from edges, also from "near the nose area", alot!

What should i do about this? its a big problem mate...

I read lots of your posts. Your problems are not so big i think. Your hair still seem to look good, eyebrows look very good, skin looks very good. Your biggest problem may be the depression, but maybe u can fix it with 5HTP...did u try it mate?

U know? I went to many dermatologists before, ... they all recommended me accutane. I asked them about the side effects. U know what they told me?

They told me like "nah, those side effects wrote there usually happen to 1 in a million people. your lips will get dry, skin dry,,,,and the worst thing that could happen is for the acne to come back"..... I said what the hell.......they are doctors.........they know better........

I also have few friends who took accutane, they are soooooooooooo fine, they are healthy, no hair loss, nothing bad!!!!!!!!!!

Why the hell did this happen to me????? I dont drink, i dont smoke, i'm good to people, always trying to help others as i can......those stupid drunkers are so fine, they have hair and everything. And me?????!!!!!!! What did i do to deserve this???

My girlfriend left me because of the sides i got from accutane. She got scared seeing i loose tons of hairs. Maybe she thought i'm a freak or something...

I could freaking accept all the sides.......but i dont want to loose my hair, cause this will make me look like a freak!!! OHHHH!!!!

I wish i could do something to stop the hair loss mate!!!!! anything!!! I wont give up finding solutions, and i believe God wont let me down and something good will happen !!! I wont give up anyways! I believe the faith in God is the final solution. When i will finish my exams, i will start praying alot, and fasting. God can perform a miracle, i'm sure of it! This is our only solution guys...

Reading your post brings back memory's of my side effects in particular the hair loss , i've been using Saw Palmetto for about 2 weeks now and it really does re -grow hair on the top of my head , I took it last year for about 2 months and was shocked at the re growth , the new hair I got remaines to this day , that was the bonus part , so this year I decided to use it again . One big point her is you have to take a lot of it like 6 capsule per day , that is actually recommended on the bottle I buy , 460 mg per capsule

but it does work it is quite amazing seeing my hair grow back after so many years.

As far as some people on the internet saying that Saw Palmetto kills sex drive and makes peopIe impotent I have found it to be the opposite , I think it enhanced mine though I never had a problem in that

department lucky I guess , I will take saw palmetto for a couple of months and then stop for a while , I am impressed with the results . It's important to buy

only organic Saw Palmetto and one that does not have other additives the one I use is called Naturally Organic Nova Scotia brand , I am sold on the product.

Saw Palmetto is usually used to shrink the prostate in men and increase urinary flow something which it does very well but I didn't take it for that lol... also another side effect of Saw Palmetto is that it makes me more hungry than usual , my appetite has always been good but it enhances that effect .

Isotretinoin plays with our serotonin levels basically depleting them , so to counteract this I have been taking lithium orotate , a natural form of lithium I take one

tablet per day and it really does make a difference in my mood , ( I buy my litium orotate online as I can't get it at my local health food store ) so in conclusion some herbs and or supplements REALLY DO help you just have to find the right ones. (=

Well, a while back I wrote about UDCA/Ursofalk helping me significantly, but I ran out and have not had the time to see the doctor again. Also, I wanted to try and test a few other supplements and I don't like using multiple supps at a time, because it makes it hard for me what actually works and what not. What I tried before and after UDCA was high dose artichoke extract, peppermint oil and milk thistle in combination, it helped noticably and I would do it again, but UDCA was better. Next was Froximun, which for me is on the same level as UDCA.

Now I am trying taking Epsom salts internally. I take about 5-7 grams before I go to bed at night. I considered taking Epsom salts after talking to the doc who recommended Froximun. I told him that the only thing that has ever worked for me 100% had been liver flsuhing and that I assume that it worked because of the Epsom salts (Magnesiumsulfate). I also told him that I have read that taking Epsom salts daily would be harsh on the kidneys, he told me that was BS and recommended trying it at a low dose. He said the effects of Epsom salts and Froximun on the liver and gallbladder are very similar. A site note: he recommended Froximun to me only after I told him the story about Epsom salts and liver flushing. I have now been taking Epsom salts for a week and they work, better skin, less inflammation, more stress resiliant, improved sleep. I started taking the salts after I took a 10-day break from supplements, that is Froximun, to let my body rebalance. I feel that I won't feel the full effect and benefits from taking Epsom salts until in a few weeks.

What do the supplements I mentioned above have in common? They all target the liver and gallbladder and help the body detoxify. After testing these supps I am confident that this is where my health problems are rooted.

I would consider Epsom salts to be on the same level as Froximun and UDCA as well.

By the way the red/pink eyes I used to get almost daily have improved 80%-90%.

Something I came across watching the hodgetwins, which may help you guys suffering from ED, I don't need it:

 

 

I've also got some things that have helped me in my recovery. I used to come here and tout the benefits of taurine, but guess what... it stopped working. I wonder if the taurine was actually doing its job, or if I just hit the beginning of the growth phase. I wonder if I am just going to go through cycles of hair shedding and hair growth forever. At least it's not constant shedding anymore.

 

Sometimes I get upset. It's not fair. My mom and sister each went on two rounds of Accutane and came off it completely fine, whereas just three months on Accutane was enough to screw me up. Plus, since they were totally fine, they don't believe it was the Accutane that did this to me. As do my friends. I feel like no one takes me seriously.

 

I've done all this research. I've taken all these supplements; some of which have probably hurt more than they've helped. (Including ginkgo biloba, which I took to fix my estrogen levels and level of energy, which actually raised my acetylcholine levels and turned me into a hypersensitive emo kid who took everything personally!) I'm trying to steer myself away from the research mentality since it only leads to me getting even more obsessed about my health.

 

So... here are some things that have helped me in my journey to recovery:

 

-- Magnesium and Evening Primrose Oil. After all the things Accutane did to me, there is one thing it didn't do... clear up my acne! I only got acne in one place-- my chin, and research revealed that it was hormonal. Magnesium and evening primrose oil really help to balance out my hormones... I'm clear now. My skin and hair are less dry. I even apply evening primrose oil topically as moisturizer. Also, it really helps to stabilize my mood. There's a reason why eating chocolate makes you feel good-- it's chock full of magnesium. Both of these have helped to keep my emotions from taking over my whole life.

 

-- Wearing my hair up. When I wear my hair down, I am constantly playing with it, scrutinizing it, fixating over it... not to mention picking the hair I shed off of all my shirts, jackets, pillows, furniture... It's incredibly disheartening to physically see everything that is coming out of my head. Wearing my hair in a ponytail gets it out of my face-- and off my mind. When I have my hair up, it's held back in a ponytail and it doesn't fall out everywhere.

 

-- Exercise. I try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. I feel so good after I'm done-- sweaty, exhausted, but at the same time full of energy. It doesn't have to be intense. I like to get on the treadmill for 30 minutes and walk to the pace of whatever song I have playing on my iPod. It really helps to get your mind off things...

 

-- Diet. I'm trying to be 80/20 paleo. (It's hard to find stuff to eat on a college meal plan...) Lots of protein, lots of veggies, not too many grains. Grains just put me in the cycle of blood sugar crashes. Working out after eating carbs makes me feel tired. Working out after eating protein makes me feel energized.

 

-- Water. Drink tons of it. Every time I get a headache, I drink a ton of the stuff and feel a lot better.

 

-- Music. I used to listen to sad, angry, emotional stuff. But now I've changed to smooth jazz. It's like Valium in the form of sound waves. And the incredibly cheesy happy stuff that used to make me cringe is some of my favorite stuff now. It really helps to change your outlook.

 

-- Don't talk about your problems to others. It can be hard, but not talking about them helps you to not think about them.

 

-- Keep busy. If you've got a ton of things to do, you don't have that much time to worry about how your health is. If you've got a lot of free time, pick up a book. It'll at least give you a worry-free couple of hours.

 

Hopefully these things help. Stay strong, you guys! Maybe we won't be able to beat this, but we'll at least be able to put things in perspective. We won't let this take over our lives.

You talk good sense.

A good idea, I think, is to create a music playlist of uplifting songs... or songs that make you feel like you're not alone.

'You're not alone' by Saosin is actually a good track.

Exercise is one of the most important tools for us to deal with stress. It's great that we can do it for free too!

For those that watched my video about overcoming anxiety/depression...

A little update.

Had some really down days again, because although it helps to understand why you feel the way you do and that you're not a freak, you still have a natural instinct to fight for a better feeling. Realising there is no quick fix can save you lots of money and time searching, but you still can't accept just feeling like shit.

So I started reading a book I bought a few months back.

It's called 'Feeling good - the new mood therapy' and is the number 1 seller under the 'mood disorders' category on Amazon.com.

Just because it's number one, doesn't mean it's going to be good of course, but it is.

I once did a 6-week CBT group and found it unhelpful.

I felt completely different to everyone else and their problems seemed so insignificant to mine.

I basically ignored all the information I was taught because I thought it was a waste of time.

Why will analysing my thoughts make me feel any better? I'm unhappy because of my health right?

Well... Partly that is true, yes.

But just like some people aren't bothered by the rain, some people would react differently to my situation and could deal with it better.

Your mind can stop from achieving success.

Anyway, the book had great reviews and that's why I bought it at the time.

CBT is supposedly the best thing at our disposal for depression and other mood disorders.

I skipped the introduction chapters and got straight on with what I could do to help my issues.

It starts with self-esteem, and I'd agree that's the most important thing to deal with because if you feel shit about yourself you will forever under-achieve and stop yourself from getting out of this rut.

Though I've not read much of the book, I can recommend it.

I write in my diary occasionally, but have never tracked my thoughts before.

The idea behind CBT is to rationalise your thoughts... To look at what you're saying to yourself and find out if it's true.

Normally it's not.

I'll give you guys an example of what I wrote...

Automatic Negative thought(s): I've fucked up my life for good.

Cognitive Distortion (explained in the book): 1) All or nothing thinking, 2) Catastrophizing, 3) Fortune-telling

Rational Response: I've hardly fucked my life up. Some people are addicted to heroin; others are in jail. I'm just going through a tough patch. It's possible for me to fix this. Just because my health isn't great, doesn't mean I can't have fun in life. Also, I can't tell what will happen in the future.

You get the idea. You're supposed to carry a pad around with you and jot down thoughts as they come up. Later, at home, you can then write why the statement is incorrect. It's pretty calming and can take you out of the vicious circle of thinking negative (and often irrational) thoughts and feeling sorry for yourself.

I recommend it.

Hi guys. I read alot of your posts.

First of all, I'm Bobby, i'm 24, I'm from Romania, a small european country. Europeans from this forum may know about it from Dracula stories/movies:)

My story :

1 year ago i took accutane in a very small dose (20mg/day) for 3 months. I stopped it cause my vision became kinda blurry. My skin became very dry, my acne disappeared, my face became lighter. Nice! I have to tell u guys that i tried many many things for my acne, including very very severe diets, i've payed lots and lots of dermatologists. For nothing.

My face was incredibly oily up to the point people thought like i washed my face with tons of oil. And my pimples were huge and so many, guys! Believe me, my face looked like a monster, my skin of face was looking like it was mutilated.

After stoping the accutane, after about 1 month, my face became as oily as before and acne came back. My hair was oily and thick, as usuall. Very thick hair, guys!

Then, after another 2 months, my face became again dry. Some days used to become oily again. I lost my sleep at that period. Also experienced alot of sweating at night, for no reason. Starting to loose hair gradually...also hair started to get dry and thin.

Now my hair its so thin. From black, now its brown, and pretty transparent.

I also saw that the hair from my testicules became incredibly dry, like dead hair...also loosing some hair from that area. I also lost my spontaneous erections. >>> E.D.

Since firstly the testicular hair "died" in the first place, its more likely to be a hormonal disturbance.....but what to do about it??

Another interesting thing i saw its that my penile lost its "sexual, hormonal, strong smell"...i think u know what i;m talking about. Did u guys experience the same thing?? The sperm doesnt smell as strong and nasty as it used to...now its smell is so light and non-specific..... same with u guys??

I did hormonal checks in the lab, the test came back good....testosteron level is good also.

I tried multivitamins, for nothing. I'm also eating healthy. Hmmm, 2 weeks ago i started a colon detoxification using a very powerful argyle. Since taking it, my face became a bit oily again, and acne started to reappear. But the hair is still very dry and loosing alot of it.

so....i got :

severe E.D.

severe hair loss (lost a big part of it in just few months)

severe eyebrows loss (lost more than 50% in just few months)

eyelids, eyelashes loss

back pain

eyes irritation (even when i cry, it seems as my tears irritates my eyes.......its so strange!!!)

brain problems (memory problems, thinking diminuished capacity, lack of focusing, judging difficulties...)

acne

a skin eczema on my face

depression (dark thoughts, and crying alot for silly reasons)

For E.D., i heard about a natural way...... i'm talking about some pills named Horny Goat Weed....has anyone tried this? does it really work??

Is there anybody who can help me with this hair loss which is making me wanna die????? the rest maybe i can deal with...but this severe hair loss its mutilating me!!!

Hi

I used to take accutane 10 mg (I took 20 mg before, but I can't bear the side effects) daily for almost a month. Then, one day, I noticed that my eyes were dry and there were no tears from both eyes. I panicked and I visited my ophthalmologist. So, ophthalmologist prescribed me with artificial tears (refresh plus) and it fixed my dry eyes. It's been 10 months since I quit accutane and my eyes are somewhat still dry (i'm still using refresh daily to manage dry eyes). I recommend you to try artificial tears. It's OTC product, no prescription needed.

For your acne treatment, I think I can not say anything. It looks like you have tried every thing. I can't really recommend, since I'm using prescription products from my derm. have you ever tried lactoferrin or selenium or ALA or zinc? for me, it's worth to try after i no longer take accutane. those supplements help manage my breakout.