hi. yeah idk if i'd call it bipolar, but I definitely had mental health issues while on accutane. I can't say for sure if accutane caused them DIRECTLY or if the bad initial breakout I had was the culprit. I tended to be depressed when I had acne. I do think it made me feel anxious though. But it's over a month now, and ever since the day I stopped, I've felt better. I was excited because it actually worked and I did years of research before finally giving in taking the plunge so I knew I wanted to be on that stuff for the least amount of time possible. But I still had increased levels of anxiety. By the time my lips were back to normal (2-3 weeks) I was feeling pretty good.

Don't know if its because of accutane but I think it has increased my depression. All I can think of is regrets and makes me wanna cry.

I believe every country states that Accutane can cause suicide, depression, behavioral changes! To stop Accutane and call your physician as even if you do stop Accutane those symptoms may or may not go away. People have developed anxiety, depression, rage, brain fog, some have psychotic episodes, manic and soo on!

do yourself a favor stop and call your doctor! If you suffer already from depression or mental illness it could only enhance or worsen it.

Just my two cents but before I was taking accutane I had been suffering from severe depression. The kind that had me want to take my life, actively plotting it, I had even ended up in hospital and on a cocktail of anti-depressants.

I was terrified about accutane. However, my depression has decreased by 80% and also my IBS has decreased by 90%. I no longer take any kind of SSri's and am much happier than I was.

Just my two cents but before I was taking accutane I had been suffering from severe depression. The kind that had me want to take my life, actively plotting it, I had even ended up in hospital and on a cocktail of anti-depressants.

I was terrified about accutane. However, my depression has decreased by 80% and also my IBS has decreased by 90%. I no longer take any kind of SSri's and am much happier than I was.

So at the moment your taking accutane , and are saying the drug has not affected or made ur depression worse? I too suffer from depression and im considering takin the pill.

But I am much more fearfull in knowing it can make my mental illness a lot much more worse then it is. Ur doctors were ok with you taking tane in spite of already knowing u have severe depression?

Yep I'm well into my course and it has dramatically improved my depression. My doctors were concerned but they realised my depression was mainly being caused by my skin and at the time I was doing things to try to counteract it like taking SSri's, counselling. The side effects are really not bad at all and i'm by no means healthy at . Before the med, I was suffering daily from excruitating stomach pain due to my IBS but since taking accutane and seeing the dramatic improvments in my skin it has made me so much happier and peaceful in myself both my IBS and depression have massively improved.

Wow im glad to hear your depression was not affected by it, ofcourse with the counseling helps which i am currently doing. May i ask what is your dosage on accutane? And did u have any a IB and if so how did u cope with that ? Sorry for the loads of questions lol i just wanna be able to feel prepared for this especially mentally so any advice or suggestions wuld be greatly usefull

I'm diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and ADHD, and also mood irregularities. However, I've been under the care of a psychiatrist since I was 10. I was incredibly surprised that my psychiatrist and dermatologist together agreed so fast that Accutane would be fine. Turns out, it was.

I had already been on medications, which was key, but I also feel like once my acne got better, a lot of my self-confidence came back as well.

You always hear the horror stories, and you're worried you'll get depressed/suicidal. In my opinion, overthinking it is unhealthy and can lead you to literally believe you're getting more depressed. That said, if you do feel depressed - even from thinking yourself depressed - get help.

Wow im glad to hear your depression was not affected by it, ofcourse with the counseling helps which i am currently doing. May i ask what is your dosage on accutane? And did u have any a IB and if so how did u cope with that ? Sorry for the loads of questions lol i just wanna be able to feel prepared for this especially mentally so any advice or suggestions wuld be greatly usefull

My dosage was 25mg for the first month then 50mg for the rest which is the maximum for my weight (I'm 54kg). I did have an IB of sorts. However it's really not so bad and it doesn't last at all long. You'll also see that with accutane your skin will feel a lot better too, very smooth and clean feeling so it makes you want to push through. One of the things I noticed with the IB is that unlike with normal acne you actually see the sebacious glands forcing out what's inside them and shrinking.

One of the key things that helped me take accutane was to talk to other users of the drug. Once you commit to taking it get as much support from other users of accutane as you can. I was convinced I'd burst into flames, grow an extra limb or be struck down by lightning by the side effects but it's really not bad at all!

I completely agree with the above poster.

I don't mind sending you some photos so you can see what it looks like too x

Why did you say bipolar? Do you have a family history of bipolar? I have bipolar disorder and my psychiatrist was happy for me to take it. He thinks the effects of accutane on mental health are overplayed. I've only been taking it three days so I'm afraid I can't be much help yet but I haven't noticed any change in my symptoms. I did read a paper where people with bipolar disorder got worse on accutane (I can't remember the figures) but I don't know about it being caused in people who weren't pre-disposed. Straight depression is more likely I think unless you have a tendancy or family history.

Thank you ladies, i was a lil hesisitant to start accutane just because i just started going to therapy which is helping and the fact that my depression just had gotten worse and the key factor in that was in fact due because how bad my acne has gotten. I was a lil concern of all the side of effects and mainly the possibility of all yhe stories of the drug in fact could mess with your head and sumone like myself already prone to depression... Well its really scary! BUT now hearing u guys and how ur doing while on drug has made me feel so much better. so im gunna go all for it! Wish me luck! and THANK YOU SOO MUCH For letting me know how it went for u guys. U have no idea how i feel a lil better knowing i was not the only one with similiar situation wen it comes to depression. And all the concerns i had with this drug. Soooo cant wair for clear skin!! and after that this darn depression could be gone too!!

I have definitely felt depression since taking it and am currently half way into month 4. When I first began the Accutane course, I would sleep for 4-5 hrs after taking my pills--in the middle of the day. Eventually I did adjust a bit, but have had fatigue ever since starting. I have realized lately that I have slipped into an awful "funk". I am trying to get more exercise and remind myself it is likely due to Accutane. It is tolerable considering I only have 2 more months of treatment, otherwise I would have to stop if it was a long term thing.

To be more clear...my symptoms are fatigue, lack of interest in things that used to be joyful, withdrawn from friends and social events, having a continuous feeling that I've ruined my life because I am not yet married, nor have children and am 32. Sounds ludicrous when I write that down, but it has been a persistent feeling for a few months now.

I'm sure it is Accutane and my plan is too wait until treatment is over and if I do not return to my normal self, I will then consider an antidepressant. However, I am sure it will go away.