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Just Started Accutane. Advice?

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(@kellerman)

Posted : 10/10/2013 5:37 pm

Hello.

I just started taking Myorisan (a generic for Accutane) on the 8th of October, two days ago. My doctor prescribed it to me because I've got a lot of acne scars. My acne isn't particularly severe, I've just got a ton of scars.

I've got some concerns regarding Accutane. I've talked to my doctor about them. But I'd like to talk to other people about them, too.

I haven't experienced many side effects yet. I think I'm breaking out slightly worse, though I've been told it's normal.

I am currently taking 20mg twice a day for a total of 40mg each day. Next month, assuming all goes well, I will be taking 40mg twice a day for a total of 80mg each day.

Anyway, here are my concerns:

-Pressure in the brain: The idea of it scares the hell out of me. I know it's rare, but it scares me regardless. I understand that signs of this are bad headaches and blurry vision and some others. But my vision was already bad before I started taking accutane. I also got headaches a lot even before taking accutane, as I have a bit of a caffeine addiction. I'm afraid I might mistake the side effects actually caused by pressure in the brain for the headaches I used to get, or vice versa. I'm also a little confused about the severity of the headache associated with pressure in the brain. I've read several places that it is a "Severe headache", and my doctor even described it as "the worst headache of your life", yet the booklet she gave me simply says "bad headache". I get headaches that I'd describe as "bad" all the time, even before starting accutane (and if you've had a caffeine problem you know what I'm talking about).

-Slowing of growth: I'm only 16 years old, 5 foot 4 inches, and 113 pounds (and I'm a guy if you're wondering). I'm short for my age. Certainly I'd hope to keep growing. But what I'd like to know, is the slowing/ stunting of growth permanent, or does it go away after treatment? My doctor pretty much said it's hard to tell. Anyone have any experience with this kind of thing?

-Blurry vision: It was my understanding that it was a side effect in many people taking accutane, yet I've been hearing that if you have blurry vision, it could be a sign of pressure in the brain. I've also heard that the blurry vision is usually associated with dry eyes

-Weightlifting: I lift weights. I love to do it. Does this put me at any greater risk for joint pain or stunted growth? My doctor said it shouldn't be a problem, though she did seem slightly concerned when I mentioned that we max out in my weightlifting class.

I don't expect you to know the answers to all of these. I'm just looking to talk to people about this. It's a comfort thing. I'm excited, but I'm also scared. So badly do I want this treatment to go well. I'm taking every bit of advice into consideration.

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(@ballen)

Posted : 10/10/2013 5:50 pm

Didn't read. But if you're interested in weight lifting, and you don't really want to spin your wheels, you should search for "No Bullshit Bodybuilding". Either on Facebook or Youtube. He will give you 100% correct information.

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(@baseball5)

Posted : 10/10/2013 8:05 pm

progress isn't achieved without pain my friend, Im starting soon and I'm the same age as you and nervous as well. Although I am alot taller. you'll be fine it's a miracle drug and you will be completely clear from those awful red bumps that everyone gets. These years of highschool are supposed to be the best years of your life and if you're embarrassed to go out with people sometimes than i would do it.

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(@sparks12)

Posted : 10/11/2013 11:44 am

I started accutane last month - Sept 2013. I took it for 22days on a 20mg a day- on Isotroin a generic for accutane. I experienced fatigue and dry face, eyes,lips . The fatigue didn't affect me at gym completely but yes felt more tired after work outs. The reason I stopped was the dry eyes and also because I have a back ache which started a week back , so now off it. The pain is still on my upper back. I don't think il go back on it . The collateral damage of this drug is too much to bear.

 

I am 22 and skinny built.

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(@sunshinetaradise)

Posted : 10/11/2013 12:49 pm

 

the swelling of the brain is supposed to be a very rare side effect according to my derm. I've been on Accutane(Myorisan) for 7 months and I got maybe one or two headaches when I started Accutane. My advice is to invest in some cortibalm and good moisturizer because your lips will be REALLY dry. I wear contacts and my eyes have been dry on and off and I actually ended up getting a corneal ulcer. I think it was a combination of me stupidly falling asleep in my contacts one night and my dry eyes. my eye dr. told me to use systane drops to help keep my eyes moisturized. As long as you're armed with the right tools I think you'll be fine.

 

 

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(@kellerman)

Posted : 10/12/2013 11:08 am

the swelling of the brain is supposed to be a very rare side effect according to my derm. I've been on Accutane(Myorisan) for 7 months and I got maybe one or two headaches when I started Accutane. My advice is to invest in some cortibalm and good moisturizer because your lips will be REALLY dry. I wear contacts and my eyes have been dry on and off and I actually ended up getting a corneal ulcer. I think it was a combination of me stupidly falling asleep in my contacts one night and my dry eyes. my eye dr. told me to use systane drops to help keep my eyes moisturized. As long as you're armed with the right tools I think you'll be fine.

I'm also 28 years old btw

How bad were the headaches? Yesterday I started getting a pretty bad headache and it still hasn't gone away. I took some ibuprofen for it and it only seemed to help just a little bit. I'm scared though. I'm freaked out that I might have pressure in my brain. Just the idea of it scares the living hell out of me.

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(@sparks12)

Posted : 10/12/2013 11:33 am

How bad were the headaches? Yesterday I started getting a pretty bad headache and it still hasn't gone away. I took some ibuprofen for it and it only seemed to help just a little bit. I'm scared though. I'm freaked out that I might have pressure in my brain. Just the idea of it scares the living hell out of me.

Where exactly is your headache? .. My pain is below the neck and also pains a bit on the lower back of my head. . My pain is there since the last 6 Days n I can't figure out if it's a muscle pain or what.It was really bad for the last two days n has shown slight improvements now. I stopped the pills immediately n won't go back on it. I too freaked out.

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(@kellerman)

Posted : 10/12/2013 11:56 am

How bad were the headaches? Yesterday I started getting a pretty bad headache and it still hasn't gone away. I took some ibuprofen for it and it only seemed to help just a little bit. I'm scared though. I'm freaked out that I might have pressure in my brain. Just the idea of it scares the living hell out of me.

Where exactly is your headache? .. My pain is below the neck and also pains a bit on the lower back of my head. . My pain is there since the last 6 Days n I can't figure out if it's a muscle pain or what.It was really bad for the last two days n has shown slight improvements now. I stopped the pills immediately n won't go back on it. I too freaked out.

It's hard for me to tell where exactly it is in my head.. And I've got some minor joint pains, but I'm told it's normal

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(@sarahlous)

Posted : 10/12/2013 1:45 pm

In regards to brain swelling, I was really worried about it as well. During my first month on Accutane (even at a low dose) I got pretty bad headaches.. They weren't the worst headaches in the world but they were bad. I also got dizzy sometimes and the dizziness made me throw up a few times. I was really worried but I heard that this happens sometimes when you first start because your body is adjusting to the medication. Anyways I had the headaches for 2 weeks and then they stopped. No dizziness or any other worrisome side effects have happened since then.

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(@mgs02)

Posted : 10/13/2013 1:05 am

Hi,

I just started Amnesteem, a generic for Accutane and just took my 9th pill today. I am on 20 mg once per day. Not sure how high my dermatologist is planning on going, but he did say I'll be taking this for at least 6 months. I am a 33 year old male.

I totally understand your concerns about the pressure in the brain. That is one of my concerns too. I have had neck surgery and constantly get headaches that come from the neck area, as well as tension headaches. I got a "weird" type of headache after my 2nd day, it felt a little different than my "normal" headaches, but that went away with some naproxen. After the 6th dose, I got a headache for almost 2 days. With that, my right eye felt a little weird. Yesterday was fine, and then today I have what feels like pressure in my sinuses (forehead, above and below and on the sides of my eyes) with an achy type headache. Not the worst pain I've ever felt by any means, but enough pain, discomfort, and anxiety to make me wonder if I should continue treatment.

I don't have a solution for you other than maybe you should tell your doctor about this, but I just wanted to let you know that you're not the only one. It's hard for me to tell what type of headache I am getting now, if I should be worried about it, but the sinus pressure is new. Again, not the worst pain in the world, but I notice it's there and the "new" type of headaches make me feel a bit weird. I'm sure all this is causing some anxiety for us too, as you constantly think about it which certainly doesn't help things. Best of luck to you. Any advice for my situation is very much appreciated!

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MemberMember
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(@kellerman)

Posted : 10/13/2013 8:03 am

In regards to brain swelling, I was really worried about it as well. During my first month on Accutane (even at a low dose) I got pretty bad headaches.. They weren't the worst headaches in the world but they were bad. I also got dizzy sometimes and the dizziness made me throw up a few times. I was really worried but I heard that this happens sometimes when you first start because your body is adjusting to the medication. Anyways I had the headaches for 2 weeks and then they stopped. No dizziness or any other worrisome side effects have happened since then.

Thank you. That makes me feel a bit better. I really hope that it's my body just getting used to the drug. I really NEED this treatment to go well.

Btw, were the headaches constant? I mean, would you fall asleep with a headache and wake up with it the next morning? Cause that's pretty much how it's been for me the past few days.

Hi,

I just started Amnesteem, a generic for Accutane and just took my 9th pill today. I am on 20 mg once per day. Not sure how high my dermatologist is planning on going, but he did say I'll be taking this for at least 6 months. I am a 33 year old male.

I totally understand your concerns about the pressure in the brain. That is one of my concerns too. I have had neck surgery and constantly get headaches that come from the neck area, as well as tension headaches. I got a "weird" type of headache after my 2nd day, it felt a little different than my "normal" headaches, but that went away with some naproxen. After the 6th dose, I got a headache for almost 2 days. With that, my right eye felt a little weird. Yesterday was fine, and then today I have what feels like pressure in my sinuses (forehead, above and below and on the sides of my eyes) with an achy type headache. Not the worst pain I've ever felt by any means, but enough pain, discomfort, and anxiety to make me wonder if I should continue treatment.

I don't have a solution for you other than maybe you should tell your doctor about this, but I just wanted to let you know that you're not the only one. It's hard for me to tell what type of headache I am getting now, if I should be worried about it, but the sinus pressure is new. Again, not the worst pain in the world, but I notice it's there and the "new" type of headaches make me feel a bit weird. I'm sure all this is causing some anxiety for us too, as you constantly think about it which certainly doesn't help things. Best of luck to you. Any advice for my situation is very much appreciated!

If your headache responded to naproxen that's probably a good sign. Supposedly the headaches caused by the brain swelling doesn't respond to pain killers.

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MemberMember
7
(@sarahlous)

Posted : 10/14/2013 5:09 pm

In regards to brain swelling, I was really worried about it as well. During my first month on Accutane (even at a low dose) I got pretty bad headaches.. They weren't the worst headaches in the world but they were bad. I also got dizzy sometimes and the dizziness made me throw up a few times. I was really worried but I heard that this happens sometimes when you first start because your body is adjusting to the medication. Anyways I had the headaches for 2 weeks and then they stopped. No dizziness or any other worrisome side effects have happened since then.

Thank you. That makes me feel a bit better. I really hope that it's my body just getting used to the drug. I really NEED this treatment to go well.

Btw, were the headaches constant? I mean, would you fall asleep with a headache and wake up with it the next morning? Cause that's pretty much how it's been for me the past few days.

Yup. I'd usually have a severe headache that would start at 7PM and last until the next day around 2PM. Sometime I'd be headache free for a few hours but then it would return. Plus, even when I didn't have a headache I could still feel something a bit strange going on. It's hard to explain. Just give it a bit of time, and if the headaches are still happening in 2-3 weeks you should definitely look into it further.

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MemberMember
1
(@kellerman)

Posted : 10/14/2013 5:14 pm

In regards to brain swelling, I was really worried about it as well. During my first month on Accutane (even at a low dose) I got pretty bad headaches.. They weren't the worst headaches in the world but they were bad. I also got dizzy sometimes and the dizziness made me throw up a few times. I was really worried but I heard that this happens sometimes when you first start because your body is adjusting to the medication. Anyways I had the headaches for 2 weeks and then they stopped. No dizziness or any other worrisome side effects have happened since then.

Thank you. That makes me feel a bit better. I really hope that it's my body just getting used to the drug. I really NEED this treatment to go well.

Btw, were the headaches constant? I mean, would you fall asleep with a headache and wake up with it the next morning? Cause that's pretty much how it's been for me the past few days.

Yup. I'd usually have a severe headache that would start at 7PM and last until the next day around 2PM. Sometime I'd be headache free for a few hours but then it would return. Plus, even when I didn't have a headache I could still feel something a bit strange going on. It's hard to explain. Just give it a bit of time, and if the headaches are still happening in 2-3 weeks you should definitely look into it further.

Yep that sounds like what I've got. Thank you. That helps a lot :). I've been drinking a lot more water and it seems to be helping a bit. Hope it goes away, haha

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(@sparks12)

Posted : 10/15/2013 2:55 pm

Okay. I finally went to my doc today. I told him about my neck, head and back pain. Since my skin was better he asked me to cut off isotroin completely( jus did a 20 days course). He said any joint pains or headaches or eye pain if happens , the pill should be discontinued. He gave me another milder tab and clindamycin.

 

So all I suggest is talk to your docs about your headaches n experiences before continuing the dosage.

 

Also, I feel like it has affected my nervous system as all my pains are linked from head to neck to shoulders to back. I also feel slight pain in hands and legs along with loss of sex drive. I don't even experience the orgasmic feeling on ejaculation, just feel like liquid coming , that's it. Hope I'm better soon.

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1
(@kellerman)

Posted : 10/17/2013 12:27 pm

Okay. I finally went to my doc today. I told him about my neck, head and back pain. Since my skin was better he asked me to cut off isotroin completely( jus did a 20 days course). He said any joint pains or headaches or eye pain if happens , the pill should be discontinued. He gave me another milder tab and clindamycin.

So all I suggest is talk to your docs about your headaches n experiences before continuing the dosage.

Also, I feel like it has affected my nervous system as all my pains are linked from head to neck to shoulders to back. I also feel slight pain in hands and legs along with loss of sex drive. I don't even experience the orgasmic feeling on ejaculation, just feel like liquid coming , that's it. Hope I'm better soon.

I hope you get better. Sorry to hear that the drug did not work out for you.

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1
(@davek)

Posted : 10/17/2013 7:36 pm

Some advice. Google "accutane sexual dysfunction". If your one of the unlucky ones, its permanent.

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