Okay. I was on Accutane for two rounds (two years, separated by a year). I'm pretty damn familiar with the stuff, as are other people in my family that also took it multiple times; I had one of the most stubborn cases my dermatologist had seen.
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Originally Posted by kat
I've heard that Accutane has amazing amazing results but come with crazy side effects. Like depression, thoughts of suicide, shit like that. There was a kid in Florida who crashed a training plane he was working on because he was on Accutane.
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That is shit. The percentage of people that have had "suicidal" thoughts are close to nil. The only reason this 'side effect' is a major deal is because the son of some state Govenor committed suicide while he happened to be on Accutane. The connection has never been firmly established, and I know that
I never had any suicidal thoughts (or any other mental disturbances), nor have any of my friends or family that were on it. Individual physiology factors into it, but I think it's really a thin line connecting the two things.
There are irritating side effects -- and dangerous ones as well. It can raise your blood-fat levels, so you have to get those checked monthly; in women it causes
severe birth defects (I mean, really bad, nasty effects) for up to 6 months after you stop taking it.
When I was on it, I got the normal extremely dry skin and lips (eyes weren't quite as dry), but I also lost some of my hair (temporarily -- it came back after I stopped taking it). Another thing is it can potentially damage joints, and I do have some joint fatigue nowdays that may or may not be a result of taking Accutane.
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The way I heard that Accutane works is that it kills a layer of your skin that is the cause of acne so you don't produce oils anymore. So if you're to cut your face after doing Accutane, it doesn't clot as well or something.
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Accutane is basically OD'ing on Vitamin A. The way it works isn't exactly known/understood, but it does shut off oil production in the lower layers of your skin. And the clotting thing I
never heard of, nor did I experience it.
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But really after your teen years, acne does go away believe or not.
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Like hell. There's something called "Adult acne" that crops up late in life -- often around age 24-30 -- and it's just as frustrating as the teen crap. I certainly am not a stranger to it: it's hit me now, and I'm probably going to have to go back to the dermatologist. Again. >_<
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Originally Posted by JasonTerminator
Food has NOTHING to do with acne. Ask any dermatologist and they'll agree.
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They will say that -- but they will also say that if you notice an association, then avoid the food that you think causes it. My dad is in his mid-50s -- well past "acne age" -- and he only gets zits when he eats large amounts of chocolate. It's the only time. So it has something to do with it.
Sorry this is really long, but it's kind of a big deal to me. I recommend Accutane only as the absolute last resort for very acute cases, since it carries so many side-effects. Also, it's outrageously expensive, so unless you or your parents have very good insurance, you're looking at hundreds of dollars a month on acne meds.
Jam it back in, in the dark.
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