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Can Blood Tests For Accutane Detect If You're Taking Your Anti-Psychotics/depressants Or Birth Control?

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(@leebabyx3)

Posted : 04/06/2013 1:36 am

 

I'm new to this site and not sure if i'm doing this right but i have some questions about accutane.

I'm a 17 year old girl who's possibly about to go on accutane. It took a hell of a lot of work to get on it. I'm diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, GAD disorder, psychotic disorder,ect. I've been declined to go on accutane by 3 doctors which brings me to now. The doctor i have said as long as i go to my psychiatrist and i'm closely monitored he'll prescribe me accutane. The problem is i stopped taking all my anti-psychotics/depressants about a month ago. It made me gain weight and i'm the same as i was while on the medicine condition wise. I don't really believe or want to depend on medication for my disorders because i feel it doesn't do much. I also don't want to go on birth control because I'm scared of it messing up my hormones and worsening the acne as i've read many times. My question is, can they detect on the blood tests that i'm not taking my anti-psychotics/birth control? Thanks rolleyes.gif

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(@lostinthefog87)

Posted : 04/06/2013 1:54 am

You are certainly right about the medications for your emotional issues. They do far more harm then good. Dr Peter Breggin has a great book called Medication Madness I would recommend you read. As someone who has been in the psychiatric system before, I feel your frustration, but we need a safe and rational voice versus labeling and toxic drug dispensing. Breggin is the last psychiatrist on the planet who will tell it like it is.

As far as your question is concerned.... the blood tests they will ask for are designed to make sure you are taking birth control. Thousands of babies in the 1990s were killed and aborted by women taking the drug. It is law that doctors ensure this. So of course they will know. There is no way of getting around it. Detecting psych drugs? Not sure....i'd be surprised if they made that a condition of you taking Accutane. That seems pretty unlikely since only courts can do that sort of thing in regards to psychiatric medication.

But if you are about to take Accutane, birth control is the last thing you need to be worried about.

If you are someone who experiences depression, psychosis, anxiety, etc. I would very much question the doctor who is prescribing you a drug like Accutane. It has been proven to cause suicide, depression, and worsen/cause panic attacks. If that didn't scare you enough, the FDA has confirmed almost 200 cases of suicide that the direct cause was Accutane usage. These are just confirmed cases. It is very difficult for the FDA to find that a drug caused a death directly (it hurts their image too). So I would multiply that number exponentially to get a more accurate amount.

I know acne is hard. Believe me....I know. I have cystic acne and would not wish it on my worst enemy. However, there are SO many other treatments out there other than the poison Accutane. My advice to you would be to try anything and everything else and stay away from Accutane for life. Although I am not a fan of prescriptions, get on some antibiotics if you have not tried that before. Laser treatments, low GI diet, vitamins and supplements (zinc, niacinamide, etc.), are just a few of the many treatments becoming more recognized in the Dermatology field as significantly helpful to the management of acne. Please don't take this the wrong way, I know how bad acne is. But to risk death?

I mean, all you have to do is look at acne.orgs Accutane horror stories. Men who are 20 years old and can't get an erection. Women who went bald, permanently. Others who developed diabetes, irreversible depression, seizures, crying spells, permanent dry inner nose and lips that are impossible to treat, central nervous system disruption, tinnitus, etc. Hundreds of threads and thousands of posts, many by veteran members with no motive except to save others.

But, if you don't trust what people say online (sometimes I don't and I just need the facts), look up the lawsuits, court cases, and FDA reports written about Accutane. They are easy to find. The drug had to be pulled years ago because Roche lost every lawsuit that came their way. There were a group of DRs on the FDA (, yes the crooked FDA even) in the 1980's who tried very hard to get the FDA to pull it from the market completely due to its horrendous side effects. You will get some on this board who say "oh, that's just fear talking. These side effects are not common... I took Accutane and look at me, i'm fine". Although some of those people may be accurate, much of Accutane's side effects occur months or years after taking the drug and never make it to the warning insert on the box stating odds of side effects. These people dodged a bullet. Please look this up online: Dr. Joseph Mercola, who is a physician, has some excellent information about the side effects and how Accutane effects the central nervous system, brain, etc. His website is readily available through a google search.

It's just not worth it when there are other treatments out there. Hell, even if I had to deal with my severe acne the rest of my life and no treatment worked, I wouldn't take Accutane for a single day.....even if you paid me. If you suffer some permanent disability like so many others have, you will wish you could just have bad acne. Certainly, for someone who has a history of depression and mental health issues, Accutane is something you must stay away from. Even pro Accutane charlatans will agree, because the risks are too great with someone like you having a major psychiatric emergency. Thats my two cents. It is your body and you have a right to do with it what you will. Good luck.

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(@andrewbleah)

Posted : 04/06/2013 5:12 am

The blood test will show if your taking birth control pills,but it will not show if your taking anti-depressants.The blood test is mostly made for cholesterol levels.

Now I can't say : " go with accutane , it's good" or " don't go with accutane" because I don't know how much you've been strugguling with acne . if you want to put a stop to acne and you are prepared to take any risk/side effect of this medicine then defenetly go for it.

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(@lillyrose7)

Posted : 04/06/2013 2:20 pm

they can detect if you are taking the BCP because of levels of the hormones in your blood. They are different when you are not on BCP but i dont think they check for that. They check for the triglycerides and cholesterol and everything.

I know this may sound strange to you but I would actually get referred to an endocrinologist to see what your actual hormones are like, and to get to the root of the problem of what may be causing your mood disorders and acne, because it could very well be hormonal and you could be missing something.

When I was around 19-21 i was on a roller coaster between doctors, a psych wanting me to take anti depressants (useless in my opinion and make you fat), then a derm wanting me to take antibiotics etc for my skin - this could have all been solved if a doctor had looked into the deeper picture and found out all of my symptoms were because of a hormonal imbalance, not because of anything else.

you would be surprised.

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148
(@oli-girl)

Posted : 04/07/2013 12:10 am

I have to agree with the first responder and lillyrose! I would NOT under any circumstances take Accutane if you already suffer from mental illness or depression etc... It will only enhance the issue, people who have NO hx of depression have developed permanent life long mental illness or have committed suicide.

Light Therapy is another option along with diet, laser etc... I have to agree have some hormones checked it may be the root your acne & depression etc...

Just a fyi - took accutane at 31 and it killed my pancreas, type 1 diabetic, insulin dependent for life, oh and the few cysts I had that was nothing, as I now how hormonal issues from the diabetes and have acne! Not worth something that is no guarantees!

Good Luck!

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(@ughhhhh)

Posted : 04/08/2013 12:40 pm

The blood tests don't show either. You can see what they've checked off on the form, they don't test hormone levels and they don't test for drugs. All they test for is pregnancy (so looking for a specific hormone indicating pregnancy), cholesterol, liver enzymes and possibly a complete blood count.

That said, accutane should be your last resort, but do everything you can to get your acne under control.

Quote
MemberMember
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(@leebabyx3)

Posted : 04/11/2013 1:57 am

You are certainly right about the medications for your emotional issues. They do far more harm then good. Dr Peter Breggin has a great book called Medication Madness I would recommend you read. As someone who has been in the psychiatric system before, I feel your frustration, but we need a safe and rational voice versus labeling and toxic drug dispensing. Breggin is the last psychiatrist on the planet who will tell it like it is.

As far as your question is concerned.... the blood tests they will ask for are designed to make sure you are taking birth control. Thousands of babies in the 1990s were killed and aborted by women taking the drug. It is law that doctors ensure this. So of course they will know. There is no way of getting around it. Detecting psych drugs? Not sure....i'd be surprised if they made that a condition of you taking Accutane. That seems pretty unlikely since only courts can do that sort of thing in regards to psychiatric medication.

But if you are about to take Accutane, birth control is the last thing you need to be worried about.

If you are someone who experiences depression, psychosis, anxiety, etc. I would very much question the doctor who is prescribing you a drug like Accutane. It has been proven to cause suicide, depression, and worsen/cause panic attacks. If that didn't scare you enough, the FDA has confirmed almost 200 cases of suicide that the direct cause was Accutane usage. These are just confirmed cases. It is very difficult for the FDA to find that a drug caused a death directly (it hurts their image too). So I would multiply that number exponentially to get a more accurate amount.

I know acne is hard. Believe me....I know. I have cystic acne and would not wish it on my worst enemy. However, there are SO many other treatments out there other than the poison Accutane. My advice to you would be to try anything and everything else and stay away from Accutane for life. Although I am not a fan of prescriptions, get on some antibiotics if you have not tried that before. Laser treatments, low GI diet, vitamins and supplements (zinc, niacinamide, etc.), are just a few of the many treatments becoming more recognized in the Dermatology field as significantly helpful to the management of acne. Please don't take this the wrong way, I know how bad acne is. But to risk death?

I mean, all you have to do is look at acne.orgs Accutane horror stories. Men who are 20 years old and can't get an erection. Women who went bald, permanently. Others who developed diabetes, irreversible depression, seizures, crying spells, permanent dry inner nose and lips that are impossible to treat, central nervous system disruption, tinnitus, etc. Hundreds of threads and thousands of posts, many by veteran members with no motive except to save others.

But, if you don't trust what people say online (sometimes I don't and I just need the facts), look up the lawsuits, court cases, and FDA reports written about Accutane. They are easy to find. The drug had to be pulled years ago because Roche lost every lawsuit that came their way. There were a group of DRs on the FDA (, yes the crooked FDA even) in the 1980's who tried very hard to get the FDA to pull it from the market completely due to its horrendous side effects. You will get some on this board who say "oh, that's just fear talking. These side effects are not common... I took Accutane and look at me, i'm fine". Although some of those people may be accurate, much of Accutane's side effects occur months or years after taking the drug and never make it to the warning insert on the box stating odds of side effects. These people dodged a bullet. Please look this up online: Dr. Joseph Mercola, who is a physician, has some excellent information about the side effects and how Accutane effects the central nervous system, brain, etc. His website is readily available through a google search.

It's just not worth it when there are other treatments out there. Hell, even if I had to deal with my severe acne the rest of my life and no treatment worked, I wouldn't take Accutane for a single day.....even if you paid me. If you suffer some permanent disability like so many others have, you will wish you could just have bad acne. Certainly, for someone who has a history of depression and mental health issues, Accutane is something you must stay away from. Even pro Accutane charlatans will agree, because the risks are too great with someone like you having a major psychiatric emergency. Thats my two cents. It is your body and you have a right to do with it what you will. Good luck.

Thank you for the reply and for all the information you provided. I've heard alot of people getting depression and committing suicide because of accutane and I've actually been diagnosed with major depression also, because of acne. I know accutane has its risks, but doesn't everything in life? I'm ready to take the plunge because i know if accutane doesn't kill me i may eventually kill me. It may sound dumb but this is the only main reason i have depression. I can't look at the mirror without crying, can't look people in the face, don't wear sleeveless shirts and avoid parties because dresses will expose my bacne, among many other reasons. I've had acne since i was 9 and i'm now 17 in 2 weeks. I've been through hell and back with acne. It may not be as severe now but it always comes back and the scars and holes in my face are accumalating and I need to put a stop to it before it continues to worsen. There's been times where i couldn't even make facial expressions or wear bras because the cysts were so painful. I've tried everything. Cleaning out my diet, vitamins, topicals, drugstore products, dermatologist products, and many bizarre things that many would consider crazy. I've been on many drugs that have an increased suicide risk so Accutane doesn't seem to threatening to me because it's almost guaranteed to wipe out acne and i know after that i will feel SO much better about myself. I know my situation may not be ideal due to the fact that i have quite a few mental problems but acne for me is so mentally distressing i don't even have words for it. I'm not 100% but i'm pretty stable at this time in life. I know i'll never be 100% because my mental disabilities are lifelong and not cureable, only treatable. But acne CAN be cured. And i've dished out so much money and lost so much hope with everything i've tried and it shows no sign of stopping. If i start noticing weird reactions i will not hesitate to stop the medication but i want to believe it's gonna work and it will be fine.

The blood test will show if your taking birth control pills,but it will not show if your taking anti-depressants.The blood test is mostly made for cholesterol levels.

Now I can't say : " go with accutane , it's good" or " don't go with accutane" because I don't know how much you've been strugguling with acne . if you want to put a stop to acne and you are prepared to take any risk/side effect of this medicine then defenetly go for it.

Thank you rolleyes.gif

they can detect if you are taking the BCP because of levels of the hormones in your blood. They are different when you are not on BCP but i dont think they check for that. They check for the triglycerides and cholesterol and everything.

I know this may sound strange to you but I would actually get referred to an endocrinologist to see what your actual hormones are like, and to get to the root of the problem of what may be causing your mood disorders and acne, because it could very well be hormonal and you could be missing something.

When I was around 19-21 i was on a roller coaster between doctors, a psych wanting me to take anti depressants (useless in my opinion and make you fat), then a derm wanting me to take antibiotics etc for my skin - this could have all been solved if a doctor had looked into the deeper picture and found out all of my symptoms were because of a hormonal imbalance, not because of anything else.

you would be surprised.

My doctor requested i go to a gyno because of a possibility of me having pcos and i got my results back and the doctor only said i have high testosterone. She gave me birth control which i will sadly probably need if accutane happens for me and she also recommended i go to an endocrinologist. On the other hand, pretty positive my disorders aren't due to hormones. It's hereditary because my father was i think schizophrenic and due to past trauma.

I have to agree with the first responder and lillyrose! I would NOT under any circumstances take Accutane if you already suffer from mental illness or depression etc... It will only enhance the issue, people who have NO hx of depression have developed permanent life long mental illness or have committed suicide.

Light Therapy is another option along with diet, laser etc... I have to agree have some hormones checked it may be the root your acne & depression etc...

Just a fyi - took accutane at 31 and it killed my pancreas, type 1 diabetic, insulin dependent for life, oh and the few cysts I had that was nothing, as I now how hormonal issues from the diabetes and have acne! Not worth something that is no guarantees!

Good Luck!

Thank you! Like i said to the first responder depression for me is caused mainly because of acne. It's been a long road and i'm ready to take the risk because who knows, it may be the best thing to happen to me. Everything has it's complications but i really have hope this will work for me.

I haven't tried light therapy or any laser because i can't afford it and diet has not helped at all. When i eat junk i have acne. When i was on 10 bottles of water and no sugar i had acne. Hormones is probably the reason for my acne but the only thing for that is birth control and i don't want to depend on it and i've heard many horror stories of birth control too which makes me even not want to take it for accutane

I'm really sorry accutane messed you up, i wish i could say everything will go great for me but all i can really do is pray that it will be fine unsure.png

The blood tests don't show either. You can see what they've checked off on the form, they don't test hormone levels and they don't test for drugs. All they test for is pregnancy (so looking for a specific hormone indicating pregnancy), cholesterol, liver enzymes and possibly a complete blood count.

That said, accutane should be your last resort, but do everything you can to get your acne under control.

Thank you for the reply i will keep that in mind !

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(@lostinthefog87)

Posted : 04/12/2013 4:57 am

Stop comparing accutane to "everything else". Its a cancer drug and it kills people. I'm sorry but i'm just trying to warn you. I have horrible acne, I mean, really...really bad. But to risk having a psychotic break and killing myself? Having major surgery to remove organs? Growing bald permanently? Never being able to have sex again?

Its your choice and I wish you good luck, but spend some time reading about it. I think any doctor who prescribes someone like you Accutane should have their medical license revoked. You are at great risk for having a very harmful psychiatric side effect.

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173
(@green-gables)

Posted : 05/04/2013 1:45 pm

Hormones are some of the most powerful substances in the body. They can change everything about your health.

Many mood disorders are caused by hormonal imbalances in the first place. Google "low progesterone and anxiety" or "low progesterone and depression" or "low progesterone and acne" and do a lot of reading.

I have personally seen people clear up their acne and their mood disorder through bioidentical hormonal treatment when nothing else worked. You can use bioidentical hormones without a prescription.

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(@meowza)

Posted : 05/07/2013 1:45 am

My doc most definitely checks my hormone levels, all of them, every time. Twice before I even started actually. Accutane causes birth defects, why take the extra risk?

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(@nomo)

Posted : 05/07/2013 2:10 am

my doc has never checked hormone levels.

I react horribly to birth control (emotionally labile), so I have chosen abstinence during treatment. I'd rather go without sex than take hormones. To each their own!

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(@meowza)

Posted : 05/07/2013 8:39 am

my doc has never checked hormone levels.

I react horribly to birth control (emotionally labile), so I have chosen abstinence during treatment. I'd rather go without sex than take hormones. To each their own!

^ Definitely another good way to go!

For what its worth, I reacted really badly to a couple of different BC pills (Diane 35, Alesse, and Yasmin) -all made me very moody and nauseous and usually vomit about 5-8 hours after taking it. I tried Tricycline and BAM, no reaction.

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(@vituperative)

Posted : 05/07/2013 2:17 pm

I can safely say that taking birth control tablets and (Ro)accutane at the same time will not harm your skin. Accutane has a good way of balancing the pill out, so definitely don't worry about taking BC.

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(@leebabyx3)

Posted : 06/04/2013 11:38 pm

Thanks everyone! I chose absitinence as my form of birth control and my doctor approved me

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