Story Anti-acne drug Isotretinoin linked to depression & suicide in teens & young adults

[Depressed Cat]

The anti-acne drug Isotretinoin (sold under the brand names Accutane, Roaccutane, Absorica, Amnesteem, Claravis, Myorisan among others) is prescribed for severe cystic acne. It has a host of common and rare physical side effects, but is also known to have mental side effects, including depression, psychosis, self-harm and in some cases, can drive people to commit suicide.

This states that, while on the drug, 'some people have had thoughts about hurting themselves or ending their own lives, have tried to end their own lives, or have ended their lives. These people may not appear to be depressed.'

'I decided to take Roaccutane to try to get rid of them, but I suffered from extreme mood swings.

'I would go from fine one minute to severely depressed the next. It was putting me in such a bad state of mental health.

'It got to the point that I decided I'd rather have a spotty face than be in the mental state I was in.'

Expert calls for stricter rules on prescribing Roaccutane to teens

Annabel Wright had been on Roaccutane for six months and shortly before she died had had her dose increased. She was found dead in her bedroom in May 2019.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Parents who lost sons warn of acne drug fears | ITV News

Two parents whose sons took their own lives after taking an acne drug have voiced their concerns. | ITV News Anglia

www.itv.com

Two bereaved mothers share a shattering warning after an acne drug

Annabel Wright, 15, who had no history of depression, killed herself in her family home near Ripon, North Yorkshire on May 1 last year- six months after she began taking Roaccutane.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Love Island's Tyne-Lexy Clarson says acne left her severely depressed

Tyne-Lexy Clarson, 23, from Cannock, Staffordshire, who appeared on the ITV reality show in 2017, said she feared she could end up suicidal after taking Roaccutane.

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[TheNorthernSilence]

I'm still taking it small amounts regularly for my extremely oily skin (I get eye infections otherwise), and in the past I've also taken it for acne so I already was on it when I wasn't suicidal.

 

[TooConscious]

I bought some once and it was ridiculously expensive. Because the UK is a sadistic place for health care national horror serving.
After two weeks of acne getting even worse it worked really well for 7 months then I couldn't afford any more, and my acne came back. Even now at 30.

Anyway I've always had a theory after reading these 'studies' and thought, don't they ever consider that people with something like extreme acne tend to be more depressed than other people?
Just seems common sense to me.

 

[Hollowman]

I took it decades ago and it made me severely suicidal. I wish I would've ended it then. My life's been pretty much shit since.

 

[Snake of Eden]

I have been on this drug for 9 years and I dont understand how i am still alive. Now i stopped it 10 years ago and settled for my autoimmune skin condition flareups than to keep on taking that medication. It should only be given for extreme cases of acne for short time

 

[Hollowman]

I have been on this drug for 9 years and I dont understand how i am still alive. Now i stopped it 10 years ago and settled for my autoimmune skin condition flareups than to keep on taking that medication. It should only be given for extreme cases of acne for short time

9 years? Wow I wasn't on it for long but it altered my personality. I was an extrovert been pretty introverted after I took it.

 

[Snake of Eden]

9 years? Wow I wasn't on it for long but it altered my personality. I was an extrovert been pretty introverted after I took it.

It changed me to the worst too but I have a very aggressive form of folliculitis cyctic acne thats incurable and that was my only medication to help with it. I ultimately opted for the condition itself instead. What else can I do?

 

[Ta555]

This is quite well-known. Actually a lot of drugs have psychological side-effects but doctors will just brush you off as being a hypochondriac. For example, hormonal contraception while easing depression in some can cause severe depression and anxiety in others. Most women who have experienced this have been told they're just anxious and it's all in their heads. PPIs were for decades thought to be extremely safe and people were left on them for years, now in literally the last two years studies have come out showing it can cause or be a big contributor to depression, anxiety and dementia. Some antihistamines have also been shown to cause depression in some people.
I don't understand why it's so hard for the medical professionals to admit that many drugs can cause psychological side effects. I mean in some ways the body is a delicately balanced machine so if you throw stuff in to alter it's functioning why is it so hard to believe it can mess people up? I don't know.
When they do clinical trials on medications they always do them on healthy volunteers. But the people who take the drugs will have health issues so why is it so hard to believe that they can have adverse effects on those that are already not in good health?

 

[Hollowman]

It changed me to the worst too but I have a very aggressive form of folliculitis cyctic acne thats incurable and that was my only medication to help with it. I ultimately opted for the condition itself instead. What else can I do?

If I knew it was a chemo drug I doubt I ever would've tried it. I just trusted my Dr. HUGE mistake!

 

[Snake of Eden]

If I knew it was a chemo drug I doubt I ever would've tried it. I just trusted my Dr. HUGE mistake!

For me i knew it was damaging but i could not have skipped it. The pain and mental side effects were too hard to manage without the drug when the disease started in the begining. My life turned to utter hell once it hit me.

 

[Hollowman]

For me i knew it was damaging but i could not have skipped it. The pain and mental side effects were too hard to manage without the drug when the disease started in the begining. My life turned to utter hell once it hit me

I understand, my life turned to hell after I took it and my acne blew up way worse. My Dr warned my that would happen but I had

I understand, my life turned to hell after I took it and my acne blew up way worse. My Dr warned my that would happen but I had

Whoops..know idea how severe it'd be. I ended up with a lot of scars but it could've been worse. Pro Active was the only thing that finally worked.

 

[L-L]

I took this drug for a short while after developing pretty severe acne on by back.

I'd been suicidal in the past, but the year I took roaccutane it definitely got worse and ultimately bought me to this site for the first time. In hindsight I would definitely say it had a negative impact on my mental health. I was more emotional and more aggressive. I had awfully dry skin and even worse explosive diarrhea.

Since I quit taking the isotretinoin and changed other medications, I've had other long-term effects such as dry skin, sensitive to sun, reduced endurance in my knees.

My brother said he was going to start taking it and my heart fell. I'd advise anyone who is considering using it for acne against it, even though it has somewhat treated my acne. I've read studies linking it to suicide, as other readers said, but also studies linking it to long term bowel problems such as IBS.

 

[PerpetualPain]

This is a horrific medication that has ruined many lives. I am here solely because I took Finasteride for hair loss and it has destroyed my life. Both Finasteride and Accutane can lead to similar post drug conditions. Once you become a victim, you are typically gaslit by doctors, family and friends don't believe you and there are no effective treatments. The damage done by these poisons won't show up on traditional testing because it is being done at a epigenetic, cellular level. Perfect crime for Big Pharma to continue to peddle these poisons to healthy young people. Huge industries make big money off these medications and do not give a shit about your health. If you are an unlucky one you just become collateral damage of the corrupt system. I wish finasteride would have just killed me. I will end up as a suicide but I was murdered by Merck Pharmaceuticals with help from the FDA and the clueless prescribing doctor.

 

[Journeytoletgo]

This stuff is poison stay away guys with skin issues at least it ruined me in way more emotional and aggressive