Question by Ami: Is it worth it taking Accutane?
I have a next appointment on Tuesday. My dermatologist is going to prescribe me Accutane because I have tried everything out there, but yet I still have cystic acne which are leaving me bad scaring. I was wondering, is it worth it? My boyfriend is really iffy about it, but he will support me with my decision. Appreciate it if past users or current users of Accutane will answer. Thank You.

Best answer:

Answer by Bupivac
Its pretty good provided you have tried all other treatment options. But do remember that it is teratogenic and you MUST NOT get pregnant during the course of treatment. Cheers

Answer by onlymatch4u
Accutane is a highly controversial drug yet incredibly remains the industry standard for severe acne. Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG, manufacturer of Accutane, has spent most of this century in court defending itself against lawsuits from people whose health has been irreparably damaged by this menacing drug.

Roche has lost six out of six lawsuits and was recently ordered to pay $ 25.16 million in damages to an Accutane user who developed inflammatory bowel disease as a result of the drug. Due to generic competition and the exorbitant cost of defending personal injury lawsuits, Roche stopped selling the drug in June 2009.

However, the generic form of Accutane (isotretinoin) is equally deadly and remains available in the marketplace under the names Claravis, Sotret and Amnesteem. More than two million people have taken Accutane, despite the fact that it is known to cause depression, suicide, inflammatory bowel disease, and 100 percent guarantee of birth defects if taken by a pregnant woman.

In 2004, brain scans showed that people taking Accutane suffer a 21 percent decrease in frontal brain activity, the part of the brain that plays a critical role in mood and social interaction. These brain changes may explain the depression, suicidal and aggressive behavior, and psychotic reactions reported by some Accutane users.

Even official regulation policy acknowledges the real danger of Accutane. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned physicians and consumers about reports of “depression, psychosis, and rarely suicidal thoughts and actions” related to the use of Accutane. Patients using Accutane reported to the FDA that these psychological symptoms improved after stopping Accutane therapy, but worsened with re-start of the drug.

In light of this evidence, the labeling of Accutane was changed to strengthen the warning about its risk for causing depression. Isotretinoin now has the strongest warning available for any drug category—and given a FDA Pregnancy Category X rating..

If you are taking isotretinoin and become pregnant, you are virtually guaranteed to be damaging your baby. Accutane is extremely teratogenic (causing damage to a fetus).

According to the Mayo Clinic: “Isotretinoin is associated with severe birth defects, so it can’t be taken by pregnant women or women who may become pregnant during the course of treatment or within several weeks of concluding treatment. In fact, the drug carries such serious potential side effects that women of reproductive age must participate in a Food and Drug Administration-approved monitoring program to receive a prescription for the drug.”

In addition to teratogenic and psychological adverse effects, Accutane (isotretinoin) users have reported the following negative effects:

Increased levels of triglycerides and cholesterol in your blood
Headaches and brain swelling
Damage to skin & mucous membrains
Premature epiphyseal closure
Development of inflammatory bowel disease
Pancreatitis
Increased liver enzyme levels and liver damage
Disturbance of your central nervous system
Hyperostosis (excessive bone growth) and demineralizaton
Damage to your eyes including cataracts
Heart attack & stroke
Erectile dysfunction
Siezures
Neutropenia, agranulocytosis, & rhabodomyolysis
Hearing impairment
Allergic vasculitis

If your doctor is prescribing this, he must either be a real HACK or have some other agenda for doing so. It is NOT a last resort. There are many root causes of acne you need to look at that can be very effective. Doctors “Treat symptoms” and do NOT practice real health, only “MAKE BELIEVE HEALTH” by prescribing drugs.

You can get rid of “Cystic acne” with a natural regimen in weeks without drugs. It hits the problem at it’s roots, not just “Treating the symptoms” like doctors are trained to do by prescribing drugs.

good luck to you

Alzheimer's Therapies: A Reasonably Gloomy Update
In Alzheimer's, as it stands now, we'd be looking at combining two or three drugs that have all struck out in the clinic, and maybe one or two that we don't even have yet, and hoping for the best. I don't see that as a realistic strategy until … Read more on Corante

Florida 'pill mill' database reality
The state's long-debated prescription drug database opened for business Thursday, but it will be another six weeks before pharmacists and others who dispense controlled substances can access that information. More than 100 drugs that … “I have always … Read more on Marco Island Sun Times

Wal-Mart's Dr. Agwunobi offers insights on healthcare opportunities (Updated)
He added that while a couple of drug store chains — Walgreen and CVS Caremark — have actively opened in-store clinics in the past two years, he isn't sure the ventures are profitable. … with 650 MinuteClinics in 25 states and Washington, D.C … Read more on The City Wire

More Drug Treatment Clinics Information…