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Accutane And High Triglycerides

MemberMember
12
(@goodz19)

Posted : 08/23/2013 9:10 am

Long story short, Im 38 years old and have battling this disease for over 20 years. Ive been on almost every prescription med, topcial and oral, with results that dont last. Ive had moments of clarity, but lately Ive been getting progressively worse again.

About 3 years I was prescribed Accutane, however I was only able to take it for 2 months because of high triglyceride levels and my derm pulled me off.

I went thru a terrible IB and the accutane really purged my skin so that my pores were finally clean. I was able to maintain 95% clarity for 3 years using Acanya and Differin because of this.

I am no longer getting the same results from these meds. Im also on Bactrim now to control the cysts I was getting, and while it has worked to a degree, I know this is not a permanent fix. I fear coming off Bactrim and having the cystic acne return. I have present scarring that I cannot have get worse.

Have any of you been prescribed another medication, like a statin, to help control your triglyceride levels while taking accutane? Im fearful the only option I have left is Accutane but the derm will not prescribe it to me w/ the levels I was reaching. I would consider seeking out another derm if I know its a possibility to be prescribed a triglyceride controlling medication while being prescribed Accutane.

Any and all opinions/comments welcome.

Thanx

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MemberMember
82
(@mrsrobinson)

Posted : 08/23/2013 10:09 am

like you I had to come off accutane, I was on for over 7 months and could never get to the full dose due to side effects - not triglycerides though

since accutane didn't work (by the way the IB lasted all 7 months- horrible much worse than before I got on the drug) I thought I was out of options

not true, just the options that were left were all very hard...I completely cut out gluten and dairy, completely and that solved most of my problem with the cysts, not 100% but so much better....I eat better, no processed foods but I can honestly say it is possible to clear with out the wonder drug....just much harder

good luck to you with your quest

and if Bactrim works for you, that is sulfa based, so how about MSM internally?...just trying to give you some options

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MemberMember
12
(@goodz19)

Posted : 08/23/2013 12:55 pm

like you I had to come off accutane, I was on for over 7 months and could never get to the full dose due to side effects - not triglycerides though

since accutane didn't work (by the way the IB lasted all 7 months- horrible much worse than before I got on the drug) I thought I was out of options

not true, just the options that were left were all very hard...I completely cut out gluten and dairy, completely and that solved most of my problem with the cysts, not 100% but so much better....I eat better, no processed foods but I can honestly say it is possible to clear with out the wonder drug....just much harder

good luck to you with your quest

and if Bactrim works for you, that is sulfa based, so how about MSM internally?...just trying to give you some options

Thanx for your reply. Im actually considering seeing and paying for a food allergy test to be done to see if this has anything to do w/ it.

I wasnt aware of MSM until I looked it up. To be honest, I dont think the sulpha family is doing me much help. I was on Bactrim for years quite a while ago and I think it lost its effectiveness. I was also on a sulfa wash and Klaron, which all worked miraculously for quite some time, but then, like everything else, just stopped.

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MemberMember
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(@mrsrobinson)

Posted : 08/23/2013 1:00 pm

I did the Alcat, it is expensive no doubt about it, but it did help me find the trigger of wheat....it didn't indicate dairy, but when I stopped that as well as the wheat it really made a big difference

There are mixed reviews on the Alcat, but it helped me identify trigger foods that I avoid now

Good luck, this can be SO frustrating and SO expensive to diagnose....and I felt the derms didn't want to talk about diet AT ALL, just give me antibiotics, so we are on our own my friend, but you seem very intelligent and articulate, put those to work to find your own path.

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MemberMember
12
(@goodz19)

Posted : 08/23/2013 1:30 pm

I did the Alcat, it is expensive no doubt about it, but it did help me find the trigger of wheat....it didn't indicate dairy, but when I stopped that as well as the wheat it really made a big difference

There are mixed reviews on the Alcat, but it helped me identify trigger foods that I avoid now

Good luck, this can be SO frustrating and SO expensive to diagnose....and I felt the derms didn't want to talk about diet AT ALL, just give me antibiotics, so we are on our own my friend, but you seem very intelligent and articulate, put those to work to find your own path.

Thanx for the advise, and the compliment :)

Anyone else taken off because of triglycerides?

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MemberMember
13
(@biggs881)

Posted : 08/23/2013 5:04 pm

 

Other than Accutane causing the elevations, it could have tested high due to failure to fast properly before the test, or consuming alcohol within 72 hours of the test.

 

There's some factors you might want to discuss. First, the side effects are usually related to daily dosage - you might ask if you could try a month at 1/2 what your'e taking now, and if it moderates the condition, keep at that dose for a longer time to reach the cumulative dosage target.

 

Second, it has been proven pretty clearly that these side effects simply go away when the med is ended. Therfore, unless the elevations are critical, it will be short lived and only for a couple of months (depending on how long you'll be on accutane).

 

Finally, some doctors are willing to treat temporarily with a cholesterol lowring drug. I had similar problem and took a low dose statin drug and it lowered my cholesterol and triglycerides to excellent levels within a month. Problem here is that both accutane and statins can stress the liver. Your liver functins might go up a little - but like most blood work, a slight elevation is not cause for panic, you might have to tweek the accutane and the statin to a dose that will keep the liver and blood lipids acceptable for a few months until you finish your course. Then when you're done, you could fully expect normal blood work within a month or so without the cholesterol med.

 

Anyway, it depends on your doctor's judgement. It's never bad to be conservative, but you might at least broach these things with him/her.

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MemberMember
31
(@like-moonlight)

Posted : 08/23/2013 10:15 pm

While I was on accutane I had a conversation with my dermatologist about this exact post. I was terrified that my level would get high and they would need to pull me off the medication and I would be out of luck. She told me that if that was to happen she would prescribe medications to lower my levels rather than stopping the medication. Lucky for me my levels never got out of wack so I never needed to actually take my derm up on her offer,

 

So my guess is many dermatologists would be willing to prescribe you something to lower those triglyceride levels. Even more so if the dermatologist knows your past with acne and that accutane truly is a last opition.

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MemberMember
12
(@goodz19)

Posted : 08/26/2013 8:11 am

While I was on accutane I had a conversation with my dermatologist about this exact post. I was terrified that my level would get high and they would need to pull me off the medication and I would be out of luck. She told me that if that was to happen she would prescribe medications to lower my levels rather than stopping the medication. Lucky for me my levels never got out of wack so I never needed to actually take my derm up on her offer,

So my guess is many dermatologists would be willing to prescribe you something to lower those triglyceride levels. Even more so if the dermatologist knows your past with acne and that accutane truly is a last opition.

Thank you for this post! At least I know its an option out there that some doctors will consider, even if mine wont.

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2481
(@wishclean)

Posted : 09/05/2013 4:49 pm

Here's a thought. Could it be that all these meds and harsh topicals are hurting you more than they are helping you in the long run? Think of how you are impacting your health in trying to "fix" your acne. Unfortunately, sometimes we get so desperate, we'll try anything, but have you ever tried other routes to deal with your acne? Like you, I used to take whatever crap dermatologists prescribed until I started doing my own research and weighing the pros and cons. Herbs and diet helped me come off all the acne meds, and then I had to keep finding things that work (vitamins, low stress, exercise, etc) because it's a hard battle to fight. Like mrsrobinson suggested, a food allergy test might point you in the right direction (unless you have sensitivities not allergies, which are harder to figure out), or a vitamin/mineral deficiency test, or a comprehensive check up with your physician for underlying medical issues. Approach it holistically - look at your health as a whole and address other issues not just the acne. I think that could help you. I am trying to balance my hormones and at the same time anemia and vitamin D deficiency, and by accident I discovered that the folic acid I'm taking for anemia is also helping my skin. So you never know, maybe your body is just lacking in particular nutrients or maybe you have a health issue that needs to be addressed.

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MemberMember
12
(@goodz19)

Posted : 09/06/2013 7:31 am

Here's a thought. Could it be that all these meds and harsh topicals are hurting you more than they are helping you in the long run? Think of how you are impacting your health in trying to "fix" your acne. Unfortunately, sometimes we get so desperate, we'll try anything, but have you ever tried other routes to deal with your acne? Like you, I used to take whatever crap dermatologists prescribed until I started doing my own research and weighing the pros and cons. Herbs and diet helped me come off all the acne meds, and then I had to keep finding things that work (vitamins, low stress, exercise, etc) because it's a hard battle to fight. Like mrsrobinson suggested, a food allergy test might point you in the right direction (unless you have sensitivities not allergies, which are harder to figure out), or a vitamin/mineral deficiency test, or a comprehensive check up with your physician for underlying medical issues. Approach it holistically - look at your health as a whole and address other issues not just the acne. I think that could help you. I am trying to balance my hormones and at the same time anemia and vitamin D deficiency, and by accident I discovered that the folic acid I'm taking for anemia is also helping my skin. So you never know, maybe your body is just lacking in particular nutrients or maybe you have a health issue that needs to be addressed.

Thank you for the reply. Ive passed on the food allergy test because i didnt know it really couldnt identify sensitivities, which may (or may not) be the cause. I know for a fact that Im not allergic to any foods, although I could certainly be sensitive to possibly anything. Tough route to go thru trying to find the diet, if thats what it is.

Been doing a lot of research on vitamins the last few days. Seems Vit D deficiency is a hot topic. Had a appt yesterday w/ my reg doc and am being sent for a bloodtest to see if I am Vit B or D deficient. Maybe thats something, i dunno.

Stress!! Yes, a whole other story. When I have acne, I stress, which equals more acne, which equals more stress. Neverending cycle. When I was clear, I have zero stress in my life; everything kinda just rolls off my back. Now that Im back dealing w/ breakouts, stress is an every day occurance, morning til night. I truly must work on finding a way to not let this get to me so much and relax. Staying away from acne research and this site may be a starting point since I spend a lot of my free time trolling around here because acne is on my mind 24/7.

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2481
(@wishclean)

Posted : 09/06/2013 12:31 pm

I hope the tests will help you figure out if you have vitamin deficiencies...correcting a deficiency can be a slow process, but ultimately very rewarding because you are helping your body and giving it what it needs.

The stress and acne connection is definitely a vicious cycle. I find that exercise and relaxation help me a lot, and so does going out and enjoying the things I like to do. As for acne research, yeah I agree, it can become an obsession but at the same time it can be very informative. Before joining this forum, I wasn't fully aware of the diet and skin connection, and how deficiencies can affect acne. But I feel that we need to be informed about the various side effects of acne medications before seeing a so-called specialist. I always go to doctors with my own research and questions, and I find that doctors sometimes have no idea how to answer my questions because they don't have personal experience in dealing with acne (including its psychological dimensions). So, it's good to be knowledgeable and to know what tests to ask for because you are much more invested in your health than any doctor is.

I think that approaching at your issue from a different perspective might help you in so many more ways than just the acne. Keep us posted on your progress, and don't get discouraged if you don't see results right away. It takes time, and it's a harder battle to fight without strong medication but think about what you are doing for your overall health in the longrun.

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