Before I start: I used the search function of this forum but found mixed answers, so I ask this question again and hope the mods are fine with this 
Hello,
I am a 19 year old young man.
When I was 16 (just about to turn 17) my dermatologist prescribed me accutane (10mg daily).
i took it for about 3 months and my acne cleared up. After that, I stopped taking accutane for a few months because I thought i was "healed". Not having taken the drug for several months, my acne started to come back worse than ever. Then I started to take accutane again for a few months until it cleared up and came back even worse... To sum it up, I took accutane on and off for about 2 years (Approximately 1 year of active accutane intake).
I stopped taking accutane at the beginning of this year.
During my accutane regimen, I didn't experience any side effects except dry skin/eyes/lips. However, after I stopped taking accutane, I experienced side effects like depression (combined with heavy mood swings), hair thinning on the sides, extreme back pain (especially in the shoulder blades) and bad vision.
I know, you are supposed get blood tests done every month but my dermatologist didn't care a lot about this and told me (after having done one blood test in the beginning of the regimen) that I will be fine, because my blood levels were good and also because of the fairly low dose, I think.
Sometimes, I drank alcohol while my accutane regimen but I felt like that hasn't had any impact at all.
Today, I really regret having taken the drug for so long. Even though I don't know whether the post-regimen side effects come from accutane or not.
The worst thing about all this stuff is, that I didn't know that accutane can cause pre-mature epiphysial closure. I talked with my dermatologist about this possible side effect and he told me that this side effect only occurred in patients that took extremely high doses of accutane, about 60-80 mg daily (can anyone even confirm this?), and that I shouldn't be worried at all. In fact, he told me that he has been actively prescribing accutane to even younger patients for more than 20 years now and nothing bad has happened.
Maybe he is right... Well, I assume he is. I mean, this drug wouldn't be legal where I live (Germany) if it had such severe side effects like growth stunting right?
I feel really desperate and hope that someone here reads this wall of text and can deliver a qualified answer...
About my body:
I am 5'8, my dad is 5'5 and my mom is 5'4. I know I reached a good height but still... I constantly ask myself whether I could have been a bit taller if I didn't start taking accutane or not...
Thanks in advance for your answers
Accutane is known to causeepiphyseal closure and other bone problems. Even as far back as when thedrug first rolled on to the market. To actually know whether or not Accutane stunted your growth you would've had tohave an x-rayto see if your plate closed or not,whether that is a before and after or after your course. I personally suffered bone loss and in return loss of height!
bone and muscle problems. Accutane may affect bones, muscles, and ligaments and cause pain in your joints or muscles. Tell your doctor if you plan hard physical activity during treatment with Accutane. Tell your doctor if you get: back pain joint pain broken bone. Tell all healthcare providers that you take Accutane if you break a bone.
Stop Accutane and call your doctor right away if you have muscle weakness. Muscle weakness with or without pain can be a sign of serious muscle damage. Accutane may stop long bone growth in teenagers who are still growing
This is from Roche themselves!
But why would doctors ever prescribe accutane to anyone whose bones aren't fully developed yet?
the website I linked states the same my doctor said about accutane, which is that growth can only be stunted at very high doses (and I only took 10mg daily)
I've had x-rays of my pelvis taken at the beginning of this year and the outcome was that my growth plates are already closed.
my mom told me that I naturally stopped growing at age 15 (I started to take accutane at the end of age 16) but I haven't had x-rays before I started to take accutane so I don't know whether my growth plates were closed before the course or not...
this is so depressing
I am no doctor, but was married to one. I posted to you the direct information that is stated in side effects by the Roche themselves the Pharma company. There's many studies regarding this. Usually high dose or long term. Even if you took for 10mg off and on for 2yrs it could of had effect, but again without the x-ray once your course finished there really is no definite answer.Some have taken 20mg for 4 months and had hair loss that was permanent, everybody reacts differently
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9689293
It has been known for years that Accutane effects the bones in many different ways.
Thanks for the answer.
i took accutane on and off around the winter days because that's when my acne was the worst. I didn't take it regularly during the 2 years.
If this drug really has such great impact on the bone development of children I cannot for the love of god understand why it is being prescribed to such young kids. (Like why is it even legal?!)
I really feel like a fool for having taken this toxic drug not knowing of all this side defects. I mean I was young and didn't think much about the consequences.
My doctor praised accutane like it was a miracle drug without any severe side effects...
another question: do the effects on the bone development occur unexceptionally or is it possible that it could have had no impact for me?
Thanks in advance
Trying to find a topic on accutane making you grow taller. I found this and I'm so surprised. My son is almost 15 he just started high school. He started accutane 3 months ago for severe acne, and he has grown 2 inches!!! I thought he was just having a growth spurt but now I'm wondering if it's the accutane making him grow taller. All the vitamin a. Surprised to hear what your experiencing as my son seems to have the opposite. Or maybe you just stopped growing and my son is continuing to grow. He's only 15. Maybe accutane isn't the cause. Anybody grow taller?
Did you have a bone density scan? Did they tell you whether it was caused by osteopenia or osteoporosis? As for your height it can cause epiphyseal closure in those who are still growing, but to know if Accutane stunted your growth you would have to have a x-ray before then after.