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1500 Negative Posts About Accutane

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4
(@moisturer)

Posted : 08/23/2014 1:42 pm

 

Hi, i'm one of those that's debating taking accutane, and im currently doing my research on it. I'm aware that there's all these crazy "rare" stories that keeps coming up and scares people from taking it, but recently i found a cluster of it. I found 1500 posts where 95% of them were all negative. They involved things like severe joint/back/chest/stomach - pain, aswell as headaches and even cancer. What i don't understand is that on acne.org, the ratings on accutane is on 8/10. Most people rate this drug 10/10.

But on this forum, 95% of the posts were all negative. So what can you possibly believe?

I'm aware that most of the people that come back and write feedback are unsatisfied customers, but it doesn't explain the 1500+ posts.

 

Take a look: http://www.medschat.com/Discuss/accutane-long-term-side-effects-191307_p1.htm

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0
(@bigjudy)

Posted : 08/23/2014 3:35 pm

Wow I was actually doing my research today to decided whether to use accutane or not.

I was more towards using accutane until I checked out the link :s

Is stunted growth something common?

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31
(@like-moonlight)

Posted : 08/23/2014 4:49 pm

Wow I was actually doing my research today to decided whether to use accutane or not.

I was more towards using accutane until I checked out the link :s

Is stunted growth something common?

Stunted growth is an issue if you are young and taking the medication. If you are still going through puberty and are not finished growing, I would hold off on the Accutane.

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4
(@moisturer)

Posted : 08/23/2014 8:23 pm

Wow I was actually doing my research today to decided whether to use accutane or not.

I was more towards using accutane until I checked out the link :s

Is stunted growth something common?

Yes this site frightened me too. I was actually hoping not to come across a site like this, because i wanted to take the accutane so bad without worrying about permanent side effects.

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0
(@bigjudy)

Posted : 08/24/2014 2:42 am

Wow I was actually doing my research today to decided whether to use accutane or not.

I was more towards using accutane until I checked out the link :s

Is stunted growth something common?

Stunted growth is an issue if you are young and taking the medication. If you are still going through puberty and are not finished growing, I would hold off on the Accutane.

So If I'm going to be 16 in 4 months and am 5'6 should i take accutane?

If not then when should I take it?

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20
(@francopld)

Posted : 08/24/2014 7:56 am

Sorry,but for me,researching on internet about starting or not Accutane,was useless. I'm not saying that all horror stories are lies,but yeah,most of them are over exaggerated. It's so easy to blame every -post treatment- problem on accutane. Of course,there is people that did gain some kind of problem from Accutane. There is a post here on the forums that talks about "Repairing side effects from accutane".

Try to find people in real life that took it. 10 friends of mine did a 6 (or around that) month course. They are now perfectly healthy.

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31
(@like-moonlight)

Posted : 08/24/2014 12:25 pm

Wow I was actually doing my research today to decided whether to use accutane or not.

I was more towards using accutane until I checked out the link :s

Is stunted growth something common?

Stunted growth is an issue if you are young and taking the medication. If you are still going through puberty and are not finished growing, I would hold off on the Accutane.

So If I'm going to be 16 in 4 months and am 5'6 should i take accutane?

If not then when should I take it?

If your 16 I wouldn't take the medication until your 18 years old. Probably not what you want to hear I know, but your acne is probably due to your hormones, because your going through puberty. After you are 18 most times your hormones as a male are evening out by that point. You will probably have finished growing by that point as well. That photo you posted in your other topic doesn't even warrant Accutane. I googled a image that I'll include in this post of the type of acne Accutane is meant to treat. The risks of Accutane for the type of acne you are currently suffering from are NOT worth it. If you have severe acne on the other hand I'd support going on Accutane.post-208968-0-06502400-1408901108.jpg

Do you have a dermatologist that is willing to prescribe you Accutane? Or is it something you have just considered?

oli girl liked
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0
(@bigjudy)

Posted : 08/24/2014 3:30 pm

Wow I was actually doing my research today to decided whether to use accutane or not.

I was more towards using accutane until I checked out the link :s

Is stunted growth something common?

Stunted growth is an issue if you are young and taking the medication. If you are still going through puberty and are not finished growing, I would hold off on the Accutane.

So If I'm going to be 16 in 4 months and am 5'6 should i take accutane?

If not then when should I take it?

If your 16 I wouldn't take the medication until your 18 years old. Probably not what you want to hear I know, but your acne is probably due to your hormones, because your going through puberty. After you are 18 most times your hormones as a male are evening out by that point. You will probably have finished growing by that point as well. That photo you posted in your other topic doesn't even warrant Accutane. I googled a image that I'll include in this post of the type of acne Accutane is meant to treat. The risks of Accutane for the type of acne you are currently suffering from are NOT worth it. If you have severe acne on the other hand I'd support going on Accutane.image.jpg

Do you have a dermatologist that is willing to prescribe you Accutane? Or is it something you have just considered?

Thank you for your response.

Well actually my dermatologist RECOMMENDED ME to take accutane O.o

She was like "this is a good time to start, it will cause scarring if u don't take care of it etc."

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31
(@like-moonlight)

Posted : 08/24/2014 8:10 pm

Some dermatologists really like to push Accutane. Not sure why. It's not smart.

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26
(@quetzlcoatl)

Posted : 08/27/2014 10:18 am

People post about the side effects because they still have problems that they need to find a solution to. People who fix their acne without any problems don't have a reason to post. What you're seeing is a very strong bias. It works for the vast majority that take it; for a select few, it doesn't. This is a risk you should consider, but realize that it's a much smaller risk than internet forums make it out to be.

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4
(@moisturer)

Posted : 08/27/2014 11:32 am

People post about the side effects because they still have problems that they need to find a solution to. People who fix their acne without any problems don't have a reason to post. What you're seeing is a very strong bias. It works for the vast majority that take it; for a select few, it doesn't. This is a risk you should consider, but realize that it's a much smaller risk than internet forums make it out to be.

I wonder what the chance of getting no permanent side effect at all is, because there are so many of them. I am aware that it is biased, but there's still something in it. You simply cannot ignore 1500 negative posts on one site.

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20
(@francopld)

Posted : 08/27/2014 11:38 am

People post about the side effects because they still have problems that they need to find a solution to. People who fix their acne without any problems don't have a reason to post. What you're seeing is a very strong bias. It works for the vast majority that take it; for a select few, it doesn't. This is a risk you should consider, but realize that it's a much smaller risk than in

I wonder what the chance of getting no permanent side effect at all is, because there are so many of them. I am aware that it is biased, but there's still something in it. You simply cannot ignore 1500 negative posts on one site.

>1%

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4
(@moisturer)

Posted : 08/27/2014 11:58 am

People post about the side effects because they still have problems that they need to find a solution to. People who fix their acne without any problems don't have a reason to post. What you're seeing is a very strong bias. It works for the vast majority that take it; for a select few, it doesn't. This is a risk you should consider, but realize that it's a much smaller risk than in

I wonder what the chance of getting no permanent side effect at all is, because there are so many of them. I am aware that it is biased, but there's still something in it. You simply cannot ignore 1500 negative posts on one site.

>1%

That's wrong. The chance may be >1% for severe head ache + >1% for severe stomach pain + >1% for nose bleeds +

>1% for muscle pain + >1% for joint pain + >1% for memory loss + >1% for nausea..

Now let's round the " >1%" to 1% each and add them together.. that will be 7% chance of getting any of the above.

There's no particular permanent side effect im afraid of, im afraid of them all.

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26
(@quetzlcoatl)

Posted : 08/27/2014 1:01 pm

Side effects arise and become permanent for a few reasons. If you have a pre-existing autoimmune condition or a family history of such, your risk is probably much higher. If you have mutations in the pathway that metabolizes the drug, your risk is much higher. If you have poor nutrition, your risk is much higher.

 

Preexisting conditions and family history are easy to decipher. Nutrition is a bit harder, but it can be improved and then excluded as a risk factor. Genetics are the most difficult to deal with, but are also the rarest.

 

It's important to not that the incidence of side effects is not cumulative. Certain people are at risk for many side effects, whole others are at risk for very few. You need to with that risk for yourself; for most people, it works out, and most people don't give a single damn about recognizing any of the things I listed.

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(@moisturer)

Posted : 08/27/2014 3:46 pm

Side effects arise and become permanent for a few reasons. If you have a pre-existing autoimmune condition or a family history of such, your risk is probably much higher. If you have mutations in the pathway that metabolizes the drug, your risk is much higher. If you have poor nutrition, your risk is much higher.

Preexisting conditions and family history are easy to decipher. Nutrition is a bit harder, but it can be improved and then excluded as a risk factor. Genetics are the most difficult to deal with, but are also the rarest.

It's important to not that the incidence of side effects is not cumulative. Certain people are at risk for many side effects, whole others are at risk for very few. You need to with that risk for yourself; for most people, it works out, and most people don't give a single damn about recognizing any of the things I listed.

I recently read about people having sucess taking a low dose of accutane. The chance of getting a permanent side effect will decrease significant. I might try this honestly.

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20
(@francopld)

Posted : 08/27/2014 7:48 pm

That's wrong. The chance may be >1% for severe head ache + >1% for severe stomach pain + >1% for nose bleeds +

>1% for muscle pain + >1% for joint pain + >1% for memory loss + >1% for nausea..

Now let's round the " >1%" to 1% each and add them together.. that will be 7% chance of getting any of the above.

There's no particular permanent side effect im afraid of, im afraid of them all.

I'm talking about long term ~ permanent ~ side effects.

Gaining a permanent side effect after ending a Accutane course,statistically,the odds are below 1%. It is extremely weird. As Quetzcoatl said,it also varies from person to person,and it also depends of what you do during the treatment. If u don't take care of yourself,or have any genetic predisposition to a certain disease that may be worsened because of accutane,the chances slightly increase.

The percentages you wrote,are the chances of suffering "x" side effect DURING a Accutane course. Muscle/Joint pain,Nose bleeds,those are kinda common.

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148
(@oli-girl)

Posted : 08/27/2014 10:04 pm

I have to agree with mod Moonlight, if your acne is not that bad and your young then I would try other options. It can have a severe effect on the bones and that has been known since the drug first came out and Roche has always stated that. Yes, It can cause epiphyseal closure which would stunt your growth, is this going to happen no one knows. If it is related to hormones well then Accutane may work temporarily and remember it is not a 100% guarantee to cure any acne permanently.

I have no family hx of type 1 diabetes or other autoimmune in my family and I took Accutane at 32 and well the side effect listed at the time was "may cause sugar alterations" recently it now states may cause diabetes. I am a type 1 diabetic now due to Accutane.

It's Russian Roulette and If your really wanting to take it then I would do a extremely low dose!

Good Luck

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54
(@kim28)

Posted : 08/27/2014 11:40 pm

However, the known stats on side effects only reflect what is KNOWN. For example, I have permanent night vision loss as a result of Accutane. But, the acne bothered me way more than having to wait a minute more for my eyes to adjust at night, so I have never reported this and never will. I would be willing to bet there are others out there like me who DO have side effects, but find them more manageable than acne, so they just don't say anything. Just a thought since we are getting into stats.

Yet, as I said, I would take it again if I had to because life isn't perfect and sometimes you take the good with the bad a little. I also agree that the issues on this site and many others are greatly overstated because most people who have positive experiences aren't posting in these forums. Even with the side effect I have, I am incredibly pro-Accutane. But you need to be in a place where the risk is worth the reward to you, and if your acne isn't that bad then maybe it isn't, but if it deeply affects your life on a daily basis like it did for me, then maybe it is.

Best of luck.

:)

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39
(@londoncat8)

Posted : 09/03/2014 8:53 pm

I am type 1 diabetic and I took accutane. It cleared me wonderfully while I was taking the drug but, 1 month after I finished the course my acne returned to be just as before. Also I lost what felt like half of my hair (it took 2 years to grow it back). In my family, 3 people took accutane in 80s and it helped them a lot without any side effects. With me, because I was type 1 diabetic, accutane did not give lasting effects. I am clear now only through using regimen. Another thing, I was on a low dosage for 6 months. (20 mg day and 30mg for 1 month). It is best, if your acne is not severe, not to gamble with accutane but look for other solutions.

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33
(@ihateaccutane)

Posted : 09/08/2014 1:21 pm

Side effects are not known by many users.

Think about it; you take a f.cking acne drug and you get permanent erectile dysfunction. This is so simple.

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