I been Accutane on February 2006 and finished on October 2006, I started out with the uncommon side effects which were gastrointestinal like nausea (primary), bloatings, abdominal cramps, heartburn etc. They occured during the beginning of treatment and in the middle when my dose was increased. My derm said it's uncommon to experience this but it's ok as long as it ain't severe.
Anyways, 3 weeks after beginning accutane I started getting weird throat symptoms that would last 1-2 weeks and then pass and then recur. And this went on for a few months and they passed. I thought it might be accutane related but it didn't mention it to my derm and I couldn't find anything online.
At the last month of my treatment the throat problem came back and this time wouldn't go away. After 3 months I went to an ENT and I had a very red and swollen larynx. He said I have acid reflux although I had no stomach symptoms or heartburn whatsoever. But I discovered I had laryngopharyngeol reflux where 80% of people have no heartburn at all but only throat symptoms. And I been on daily meds since then. And they only help like 50-60% but not more. And I been to numerous docs and tests and I can't resolve my symptoms. I been so depressed as f***.
Anyways I don't want to blame accutane. I read about accutane and there was never a case like this alone nobody ever developed any reflux disease. I still don't believe people that have gotten hurt by accutane. Surely, they may have gotten some bad diseases during or after the course but I think it was just coincidence like me. But what do you guys say? My mom keeps blaming the accutane. I'm 21 years old, male, great health otherwise and good shape and alcohol, cigarretes and drug free and acne free not to mention.
It is possible that the accutane could have caused the symptoms. The type of reflux you have is most common at night from what I read, when the person is lying prone and natural gravity action has less effect on the stomach contents so they decide to creep upwards to the throat.
Are you taking Carafate, Prilosec, Prevacid, Reglan (I strongly do not recommend taking Reglan due to its side effect of tardive dyskinesia!!!), Nexium or some such medication? I am guessing that the MD has provided you with many different things to trial.
I guess your next step may be to speak with a registered dietitian who can help you determine foods that are less likely to cause you to have reflux. Stay away from spicy foods, caffeine, smoking, etc as you know. Seriously, milk helps. Yogurt sometimes soothes as well. Stay away from high fat meats as well as they do tend to increase reflux. Don't eat just before bed time. Use a few pillows under your back and head to keep a bit more upright. Some people actually sleep in a recliner and find that helps them a bit. Can't think of anything else offhand right now.
Actually laryngopharyngeol reflux a.k.a LPR or silent reflux mostly does its damage during daytime unlike the classical GERD which gives heartburn etc. I been on Nexium, Prevacid and now I'm on Zegerid. And I'm always on a double dose too that's how bad it is and I can't get full relief only half. Believe me I'm on all restrictions and eat ok and take meds and still problems.
I been to 2 of them and they said the same shit. Take your meds and avoid that stuff. And since I have the silent reflux it's very hard to figure out what is bad for me. But every doc don't even seem to care about the diet part since they see I'm in good shape and take high doses of PPIs I just can't have anymore acid. They are baffled too and so am I.
On top I been to ENTs, GIs, dieticians and an allergist. And numerous tests like endoscopy, 24ph (I couldn't do that one), cat scans etc.
I haven't any further suggestions then. But it is most certainly within the realm of possibility that Accutane could have caused the problem. There are reports of colitis developing from Accutane. So reflux isn't such a stretch.
Did you always take your Accutane with a full glass of water? One big reason to take it with a full glass of water is to prevent the coating from wearing away before the medication reaches your stomach; that can erode the esophagus and cause some horrible problems such as you experience; it's not at all related to reflux but an esophagitis due to chemical irritation. Obviously that's not what you have, but it could have initiated the cascade of events. Possibly.
I just started having this problem, at the beginning of my 4th month after being bumped up to 160mg/day from 120mg/day. Did some google-ing and this is what a found, in several variations:
Possible side effects of accutane:
Abdomen (stomach area) problems. Certain symptoms may mean that your internal organs are being damaged. These organs include the liver, pancreas, bowel (intestines), and esophagus (connection between mouth and stomach). If your organs are damaged, they may not get better even after you stop taking Accutane. Stop taking Accutane and call your prescriber if you get severe stomach, chest or bowel pain, trouble swallowing or painful swallowing, new or worsening heartburn, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, yellowing of your skin or eyes, or dark urine.
Seems like every time I eat lately I get bloated, gassy, stomach ache, heartburn, etc. I haven't changed my diet at all...except that I'm not eating as often so I can avoid the uncomfortable side effects!
I Took Accutane YEARS Ago [[ i'm 22 ,, but i took it from the time i was 15 until i was 17 ]] && When I Took It ,, It Caused Me To Gain A Lot Of Weight. I Use To Weigh [[ maybe ]] 100 lbs. Before I Started Taking It [[ i might have weighed 105 ]] && When I Was Done ,, I Weighed 160 lbs. !! It Made Me Want To Eat All The Time .... But ,, I Didn't Care Because My Sever Acne Was FINALLY Gone. But Now ,, After 5 Years Of NOT Having Acne [[ i honestly didn't have on blackhead or zit or ANYTHING for 5 years ]] ,, All Of My Acne Is Returning. && I Was Diagnosed With GERD [[ gastroesophageal reflux disease ]] In October Of 2008.
I Went To Three Different Hospitals Numerous Times To Try && Figure Out What Was Wrong With My Stomach. You See ,, My Husband && I Didn't Know What Was Wrong With Me Because I Went Years && Never Had Any Kind Of Stomach Pain Like I Had When My Doctor [[ or should i say ,, my numerous doctors ]] Tested Me For Ulcers && Reflux Disease. All My Doctors Would Tell Me [[ before i had the test done ]] Was That I Shouldn't Eat So Much Spicy Food [[ i live in texas ,, its kinda hard to NOT eat spicy food ]]. So ,, I Cut Out ANYTHING That Had Spice From My Diet. But ,, Even After I Changed My Diet ,, I Was Still Having Stomach Pains && This Horrid Feeling In The Back Of My Throat [[ i always felt like i needed to vomit ,, but nothing ever happened ]]. I Kept Going Back && Telling Them That Nothing They Gave Me Helped [[ reglan ,, protonix ,, nexium ,, you name it .. i took it ]] && They Sent Me To Have My Gall Bladder Tested To See If That Was The Trouble. && Of Couse ,, It Wasn't. So ,, I Went To My Doctor && Told Him To either Find The Problem Or Give Me My Chart Because I KNEW Something Was Wrong && It Seemed Like Everything HE Tried Didn't Work. So ,, He Sent Me To A GI Specialist && I Had An Upper GI // Barium Swallow Test Done. After 6 Months Of Trials The Doctors Put Me Through ,, I FINALLY Figured Out That I Had GERD. But ,, None Of Them Told Me That It Was Accutane Related [[ which i found out about a month after i was diagnosed. ]].
I Really Don't Know What To Say About Accutane Because ,, For Me ,, It WAS A Miracle. && Now People Are Coming Out With Lawsuits Against The People That Created Accutane Because They Have Having Gastrointestinal Problems ,, Which Accutane Is Linked To. I'm Also 28 Weeks Pregnant && Its Kind Of Got Me Worried That If It Can Cause Gastrointestinal Problems So Late After Taking It ,, What Kind Of OTHER Problems Could Have Happened .......... I've Talked To My OB/GYN About It ,, But He Says That As Long As I'm Not Taking It WHILE Pregnant The Baby Will Be Fine. But ,, I Still Worry [[ i'm a first time mom ]].
[[ i just wanted to share my story with you as well. never know when some random person's story might be able to help you .... ]]
Seems like every time I eat lately I get bloated, gassy, stomach ache, heartburn, etc. I haven't changed my diet at all...except that I'm not eating as often so I can avoid the uncomfortable side effects!
Same here, as of the last week. Figures this would happen as I enter the 4th of 6 months. My stomach is killing me, my neck and shoulders really hurt too. 
I bought Pepcid to take before meals, but it's making my whole body ache terribly.
I am going to go get a prescription for OMEPRAZOLE which reduces acid production in your stomach. I get stomahc issues even without Accutane in the picture so I think I will switch back to omeprazole which really helps. Once off Accutane maybe I won't need it, but to finish my course properly I think it's safe to say that I do.
I'm experiencing the same problem. I was diagnosed with acid reflux many years ago but I've kept it under control with low doses of prilosec or prevacid. Since increasing my accutane dose from 10mg to 20mg/day, suddenly my reflux got worse. I'm now on 40mg/day of nexium which is stronger than otc prilosec, but it's only slightly effective.
So did accutane cause it? It seems awfully coincidental!
I been Accutane on February 2006 and finished on October 2006, I started out with the uncommon side effects which were gastrointestinal like nausea (primary), bloatings, abdominal cramps, heartburn etc. They occured during the beginning of treatment and in the middle when my dose was increased. My derm said it's uncommon to experience this but it's ok as long as it ain't severe.
Anyways, 3 weeks after beginning accutane I started getting weird throat symptoms that would last 1-2 weeks and then pass and then recur. And this went on for a few months and they passed. I thought it might be accutane related but it didn't mention it to my derm and I couldn't find anything online.
At the last month of my treatment the throat problem came back and this time wouldn't go away. After 3 months I went to an ENT and I had a very red and swollen larynx. He said I have acid reflux although I had no stomach symptoms or heartburn whatsoever. But I discovered I had laryngopharyngeol reflux where 80% of people have no heartburn at all but only throat symptoms. And I been on daily meds since then. And they only help like 50-60% but not more. And I been to numerous docs and tests and I can't resolve my symptoms. I been so depressed as f***.
Anyways I don't want to blame accutane. I read about accutane and there was never a case like this alone nobody ever developed any reflux disease. I still don't believe people that have gotten hurt by accutane. Surely, they may have gotten some bad diseases during or after the course but I think it was just coincidence like me. But what do you guys say? My mom keeps blaming the accutane. I'm 21 years old, male, great health otherwise and good shape and alcohol, cigarretes and drug free and acne free not to mention.
Wow, that is weird. See my topic titled ' 5 years on '. I had a problem with constant nausea and a retching problem, the same symptoms as an acid reflux. I tried the prescription medication for acid reflux, and it didn't work. I was unable to leave the house for months, I couldn't exercise or even walk without feeling nauseas and retching.
My GP looked at every possible problem I could have, after a while I was prescribed Amitriptyline, which is an old antidepressant, but it has an effect which blocks the reflux problem.
Please note although it is an antidepressant, I was not prescribed this for depression but a low dose of this improved my condition by 99%. It has been amazing for me.
Accutane definitely has psychological effects. It also effects the stomach. It also effects the way your hair grows in many ways.
More and more I am learning that Accutane really does cause just about anything. And so do many other medications.
Thanks for posting what you did to remedy the issues that arose with your stomach/anxiety though. 
Omeprazole is helping my stomach a crap-ton!!!
I took accutane about 5 years ago, but I had to stop after 3 weeks becuz it felt like I was "full" (just ate a HUGE meal) but i DIDN'T EAT ANYTHING. it felt like it was moving up my throat more everyday. I freaked and stopped taking it, cuz my Derm said it would get worse, and NOT to report it to the IPledge. I have really bad reflux (my whole life) and now I'm going to try again in 2 weeks and I'm afraid thats going to happen again. I really need accutane, nothing else works and I'm turning 40 in less than 6 months and acne is pretty embarrassing at this age! I already take ACIPHEX twice a day for reflux, but going to GI guy Wed to see if theres anything stronger to take.
I find this topic very interesting because i have been on accutane twice, when i was 15 and again when i was 27. I have had some serious stomach problems that are just getting worse as years go on. My doctor have put me on PrevPac 3 times and it worked for a lil while then put me on Nexium once in the morning and two zantacs at night AND I STILL CANT eat but once a day without feeling full and stomach hurting. My mom said she heard that Accutane could of caused my issues but i dunno since i never talked to my doctor about it but I will soon be getting a test done where they sadate me and stick a tube down my throat to get tissue from my stomach so they can send it for testing. Sure wish I knew for sure what caused all this
Yes, accutane can cause Ibd and chron's it also states in the Roche and generics lit that it can cause other gastric problems, it also states in some that it can cause esophagus problems. Thoose that already have problems are just setting themseleves up for worse problems.
I always had a sensitive stomach and Accutane has caused some issues but I have been eating differently lately and I feel great:
-rarely have gluten
-have only small small amounts of dairy
-eat healthy, drink lots of water
-protein shakes when I don't feel up to eating or after the gym
Even at a university cafeteria meal plan I am always able to eat the substitute with more easily digestable proteins (soy, tofu, etc.) so I am still getting all the protein I need.
I am not on a STRICT non-gluten/dairy diet or anything, because the point here isn't to cause MORE stress and frustration or suffering. But I do try to keep my eating in check.
Don't worry, they will sort you out. The test you're getting will help them determine what's going on.
I am also taking OMEPRAZOLE now which reduces stomach acid production and it's been GREAT!
Chin up!
I've taken accutane a few times. I'm 25, and have insane GERD. Just had a endoscopy a week ago, I had 3 gastric erosions, duodenitis, a hiatal hernia, and of course the GERD secondary to. I had GI issues before accutane, but I felt they definitely were made worse by it, even after discontinuing it.
Yeah, I have very similar problems. I began having serious throat and breathing problems after taking accutane for 3 months at the end of 2007. It felt like I had a lump in my throat and speed bumps when I breathed. I've had all sorts of tests and it turns out I do have bad reflux. Medicine and diet help, but don't fix the problem totally. Has anyone here also felt as though the reflux causes breathing problems or noisy breathing? That's probably been the worst for me. The only advice I can add here is that speech therapy is something to look into. It probably helped me the most with the sensation in my throat and problems breathing.
Wow, am I thankful for this post. I'm only in my first week of Claravis and already experiencing excessive gas and heartburn. I told my derm and he said I was the first patient to complain of this and he cut my dose in half (40 mg to 20 mg). He also said if it continues I should try Prilosec OTC, 1 pill every morning. We'll see how it goes. I used to take Tetracycline and it caused an esophageal ulcer, so maybe there's scar tissue left or something. (I stopped taking Tetracycline four years ago.) I'm going to be so upset if I can't finish my course! 
Join the club! I have a similar problem that started in my last month of Accutane. Problems taking a deep breath, can't yawn, and when I try to cough, I make a strange noise from my throat/larynx. What is this all about? I don't have any burns or pains but the feeling of not being able to fill your lungs 100% with air is annoying.
Have you checked hiatal hernia? My problems started after carrying some very heavy objects and it is known that the pills affect the way organs and body works. (and hiatal hernia can be caused by lifting heavy things, and it produces reflux by the way).
In 2001 I did a treatment of Accutane. My face cleared up and stayed that way for about a two years, but my acne started coming back. My dermatologist told me that since my acne was so sever I would probably have to take two treatments of accutane. Around 2004 I decided to do it again. Since then my face had stayed clear up until about a two to three years ago. The breakouts are minimal though and fairly well controlled.
Today my mother told me over the phone that she had seen a commercial a few times in the last week about severe medical problems linked to taking Accutane. Naturally I jump online and hit Google. About a year or two ago I started having problems with acid reflux, indigestion, and heartburn. As time has passed it's continued to get worse. I've tried avoiding spicy and acidic foods. At first this helped but in the past several months this hasn't helped in preventing it. I've been trying different medications that are to prevent these, but they have only managed to help make it a minimal discomfort. Unfortunately money has been tight lately so I can't just run to the doctor every time I have a problem because I don't have insurance. Earlier this year I started having severe abdominal pain. It was so terrible that I couldn't stand or move without being in some of the most pain I've ever been in. Despite my financial situation I was rushed to the hospital in fear it might be my appendix. The doctors told me it was probably either my appendix or a kidney stone. After several hours of testing and waiting they say that it isn't either of those so they released me from care. About a month ago I started having abdominal pain, though nowhere near as severe. Since it was just a slight discomfort I didn't go to the doctor, because I can't afford it. It's been a few weeks since I've had abdominal pain, and now I've learned of problems people have been having, who had taken Accutane.
I'm not saying that the manufacturers of Accutane are necessarily to blame for these health issues, though if they are, some sort of financial assistance to help me seek medical attention would be useful. At this point I just want to figure out why I'm now starting to have all these health issues when before, worst case scenario I might get a cold once every year or two. Anyone that can help point me in the right direction to find out more on this Accutane ordeal, it would be much appreciated. I'm not a greedy bum looking for a quick buck. I just don't want to continue day to day in pain, or later have more problems because I haven't been able to prevent them due to my lack of finances.
I'm in month 3 of treatment & am having the same problems. Terrible hearburn, reflux attacks. Woke up yesterday with pain in my stomach. I take 60mg a day. I was on accutane once before, 10 years ago with none of these issues??? I really was hoping to finish the 4 months but I don't know if I'll make it. Need to call the doctor today about it. Thanks for this post, it REALLy helped alot. goood luck to you all.
In 2001 I did a treatment of Accutane. My face cleared up and stayed that way for about a two years, but my acne started coming back. My dermatologist told me that since my acne was so sever I would probably have to take two treatments of accutane. Around 2004 I decided to do it again. Since then my face had stayed clear up until about a two to three years ago. The breakouts are minimal though and fairly well controlled.
Today my mother told me over the phone that she had seen a commercial a few times in the last week about severe medical problems linked to taking Accutane. Naturally I jump online and hit Google. About a year or two ago I started having problems with acid reflux, indigestion, and heartburn. As time has passed it's continued to get worse. I've tried avoiding spicy and acidic foods. At first this helped but in the past several months this hasn't helped in preventing it. I've been trying different medications that are to prevent these, but they have only managed to help make it a minimal discomfort. Unfortunately money has been tight lately so I can't just run to the doctor every time I have a problem because I don't have insurance. Earlier this year I started having severe abdominal pain. It was so terrible that I couldn't stand or move without being in some of the most pain I've ever been in. Despite my financial situation I was rushed to the hospital in fear it might be my appendix. The doctors told me it was probably either my appendix or a kidney stone. After several hours of testing and waiting they say that it isn't either of those so they released me from care. About a month ago I started having abdominal pain, though nowhere near as severe. Since it was just a slight discomfort I didn't go to the doctor, because I can't afford it. It's been a few weeks since I've had abdominal pain, and now I've learned of problems people have been having, who had taken Accutane.
I'm not saying that the manufacturers of Accutane are necessarily to blame for these health issues, though if they are, some sort of financial assistance to help me seek medical attention would be useful. At this point I just want to figure out why I'm now starting to have all these health issues when before, worst case scenario I might get a cold once every year or two. Anyone that can help point me in the right direction to find out more on this Accutane ordeal, it would be much appreciated. I'm not a greedy bum looking for a quick buck. I just don't want to continue day to day in pain, or later have more problems because I haven't been able to prevent them due to my lack of finances.
I know this is an old post but I know why it happens. Accutane affects all the fast dividing cells. Unfortunely they are not only in your skin. They are also in various other parts of your body, such as the lining of your digestive system. Usually what happens in a scenerio like this, is that, the lining of you digestive tract also dries out. That is what cause the pain, the inflamation, and also the various bowel problems like irritable bowel syndrome and crohn's disease.