Talk:Isotretinoin
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[edit] Statistics on effectiveness
Are there any statistics on how often it helps its patients etc? I once heard 80% of people who use accutane are cured of most acne or whatever.
[edit] Listing in google
I have a feeling the drug box is negatively affecting this pages rank in google. I think google is denying it a description because of it. I'm going to move it below the opening paragraph in order to try and remedy this.--Jaguar2k 10:43, 4 Mar 2005 (UTC)
[edit] Fact Check
I think the history needs some more referencing and fact checking as some of it doesn't seem to add up and is very general.
A well sourced article: http://leda.law.harvard.edu/leda/data/472/Green.html
It may be worth appropriating some of the information there to this article or looking up those sources.
Also, some of the content seems to repeat itself too (I think the same info about birth defects is mentioned twice).
"Death" as a possible side effect..? that is totally ridiculous. Absolutely false.
REPLY: I completely agree. Just stating "death" as a side effect simply won't do. You need to at least say what causes the "death". If this is in regards to the possible links to depression and suicide, then it's completely unnecessary. In fact, this should only remain in the article if the person who entered it can cite evidence of a case where somebody has died from taking Isotretinoin and it has been PROVEN that the drug is the cause. As it is, I think it's only going to serve as a needless scare for those who may be about to begin a dose of the drug.
[edit] Personal Experience
I am currently on the Drug and of all the symptoms listed I have experiance dry lips (constantly). Also my skin is becoming more brown, I have not noticed any of the other side effects.
My specialist has told me that birth defects are only apparent for preganant women. In Australia women are not prescribed the drug without being on the pill.
I was also curious about the psycological effects. I have been informed that there has been no proven link with depression and suicide allthough there have been some studies to suggest that it is so.
Dry lips is a very common side-effect (almost universal, from what I know). Most of the side-effects, however, are potential ones, afaik.
I've been on it for like a week, and I've been getting hit with these very short bursts of depression, where I'll just feel totally dejected and lackadaisacal for 10 minutes or so, so I just distract myself by reading, then it goes away. Really very bizarre, can't see it driving me to suicide though, fortunately ;)
- "My specialist has told me that birth defects are only apparent for preganant women." Huh? Alex Dodge 06:23, 29 September 2006 (UTC)
I have 2 days left of a 6 month treatment and for all but the last week all I expirienced was dry lips and the joy of being able to face myself in the mirror. I wish I would have committed to the drug sooner. As of the last week I've noticed a lack of energy and more general dry skin, but that could be due to the colder weather. The only thing I worry about after taking the drug is my acne will return, but asfar as I can see the drug was a blessing
^I was on acutane myself a few years ago. It works great I really wish I would have gone on it sooner. I myself never experienced depression, but like you said, dry lips are a constant. My friend recently started taking it a few weeks ago and he always bitches about his dry lips, but he says it's totally worth it because it's already doing wonders for his skin.
[edit] Another case
It was revealed that Martin Bryant (Port Arthur Massacre) was also on Roaccutane at the time of his massacre/suicide, leading to depression/suicide, and in his case, stockpiling of weapons. Another interesting link is the reported but apparently not confirmed tendency for people using Roaccutane to hoard sugary sweets, due to the body trying to regulate the natural substance...
- Are there reliable sources for this information and do you have concrete evidence that Bryant's killing spree had something to do with the psychological effects of isotretinoin? I think the evidence for the suicide/depression thesis sofar is very flimsy. Karl Stas 21:11, 11 February 2006 (UTC)
After trying all other available solutions to cure my wife's stubborn acne, she resorted to Accutane. It was extremely effective with no lingering side effects. She experienced some dry skin while on the treatment and had some slight hair thinning and hair texture change. But those problems disappeared shortly after the treatment concluded. After more than twenty (yes, 20) years, no problems have surfaced. We are the parents of two healthy, beautiful girls. Our older girl was conceived I think around seven years after the treatment, and we had no trouble conceiving. My wife is now 46 and people often remark that she looks much younger than her age. In her case, the drug produced no premature aging, which one might think could happen. The reason I am resarching Accutane now is that it appears that our older daughter is going to need it, and I am trying to research case studies just for safety's sake. I'm amazed, though, that the lawyers appear to have seized hold of the information flow about this useful drug. Yes, it is a powerful drug and, yes, birth defects are a known side effect, but the psychological "problems" I think may be blown way out of proportion. Consider this: When someone is considering Accutane, they usually have severe, disfiguring (i.e., scarring) acne. When they go through a course of treatment the acne is cured, but the scars remain. When that fact sinks in, I think it is then that the patient can possibly become suicidal. Those with over-active glands--who are acne treatment candidates--would seem likely to be predisposed to psychological issues as well, I would think. And also consider this: We are having to jump through hoops at the moment and are faced with extremely large costs (I suspect largely due to excessive litigation) to be able to get Accutante treatment for my daughter. Meanwhile, she runs the risk of scarring if we can't get treatment started in time. When my wife took it, it was a) reasonably priced and b) there was no waiting period. One last comment...it would be great if there was a place that shared really useful information on patients' experiences rather than focusing on these so-called psychological problems.
- I didn't have any sort of mental problems prior to taking Accutane 6 years ago. During the course of the treatment I had pretty much every single symptom that Roche likes to claim doesn't happen very often. I spent 6 months on the couch sleeping, getting up only to take my pills and eat a small ammount of food before going back to bed. I'm glad that your wife didn't have any problem with it, but some people do, and not just people who are 'predisposed' to mental problems. I didn't have 'disfiguring' acne, I had pretty managable normal acne for a 18 year old, but for some reason the doctor that I went to decided that Accutane would be the best course of action, without trying anything else. The way he made it sound, it was the best stuff ever. I should have taken the hint when my lips started to crack uncontrollably without a thick layer of carmex daily. I should have taken in the hint when I started to not be able to drink liquid on an empty stomach without feeling like I was being stabbed. And I should have also taken the hint when I felt like everything I was doing was completely meaningless, because the drug made me feel that way.
- Just because you know someone who didn't have a problem with it, doesn't give you the right to downplay all the expirences of people who HAVE had problems with it. I wish I had never taken it, since I still have some residual physical problems from it -greg.schoen@gmail{nospam}.com - 21:54 - 2 September 2006
I can only speak authoritatively on what I have seen firsthand. As I mentioned, my wife had excellent success with no lingering side effects. And now my daughter has finally been authorized to receive the drug. She has been on it 20 days as of this writing (9/6/06). The oiliness of her skin has reduced noticeably. The inflamation has gone way down. Those who haven't seen her in the last month can notice the improvement right away. As a result, she actually likes looking at the mirror now, rather than shunning it. The only side effect she has noticed is her lips are dry. She carries a $1 stick of lip balm around with her. I asked her, and she has stated firmly, that she can sense no change in her mood, other than the mood lift she is getting from her much improved complexion.
Re your own situation, it is well known that Accutane is a treatment of last resort. It's a powerful drug that should not be used for a "pretty managable (sic) normal acne". To do so is foolishly naive. And certainly there may very well be a relatively small percentage of cases that have had severe, adverse reactions. But what I am seeing is that the lawyers are attempting to crucify the drug. FYI, the bill for my gaughter's first month's supply of pills was $372. Add to that the costs of the monthly pregnancy checks, the blood work, the doctors visits, and it's now unnecessarily expensive--largely due I think to frivolous lawsuits. We should hit our deductible soon, but until we do, this is money out of my pocket. When my wife went through the treatment, the costs were very minor. I only hope that when and if my younger daughter needs to get on it, the drug hasn't been discontinued because of this litigation insanity that's going on. Imagine having to go through life with a severely scarred face, which could be prevented. It's very easy to claim that the drug makes you "feel" bad, but nothing that a little cash can't cure, right? -A Tampa Dad.
[edit] Depression
My best friend was perscribed Roaccutane 7 years ago. He was perfectly normal until he started taking this stuff, I'm not talking about just being sad because his Acne was giving him self-esteem issues, he had all out paranoia. We would be walking the the park, and he would be like "That guy is starting at me!" "That little girl is staring at me!" and when driving around he put the headrests back on the passenger seat because "Everyone is staring at me". He was only on it for a couple of months, but still to this day he is mildly paranoid (He is on medication) and gets the munchies/very moody if he stays up late.
The cases claiming depression arn't frivolous, this is very real. I wish there was some articles that I could source, because as rare as depression from Roaccutane is, it is still a very serious side-effect that should be considered before taking it. Don't complain that it costs $372 because suffering depression is nothing to do with money. --220.239.221.186 05:32, 15 October 2006 (UTC)
OH! CUT THE CRAP! Accutane has been a life saver for me. Every person that has felt first hand (as in directly not "a friend, relative etc") knows that THIS DRUG IS A MIRACLE. Just think about it: Wouldn't a person with digusting, hideous wounds on his/her face be more freaking likely to enter depression than a normal one? It is logical that all Isotretinoin users should have severe acne; so please take your crap somewhere else. If anything, this drug has stopped thousands of people from commiting suicide and from ending their sad, pathetic lives. PS:And let's say for a minute that it does cause severe depressions... Why would you want to live with a disfigured face anyway? and with a disgusting skin disease that has no other cure and will harm you till you are 40?22:21, 25 January 2007 (UTC)
So true. Accutane is a miracle. I only wish I had taken it sooner. I never had depression from it, I was always cheerful as I watched the effects on my face and body.
[edit] Pointless secondary effects list
No matter how long or short the secondary effects list on the right or the article is, there is two large problems with it: 1.- Nowhere in the article are they mentioned, save Teratogenia and Possible Depression, and they are pointed out in the box as the serious secondary effects. Else than that... 2.- ...Nowhere in the article or the box is mentioned the frequency of these secondary effects (not even a hint like "rare" or "common").
The number of different secondary effects put into the box can be strongly misleading, it can make the reader think that those secondary effects may be common (I thought that, before reading the article, and several others elsewhere, and drawing my own conclusions). I recommend to at least put a tag in the box pointing out those secondary effects are rare, and to number the common ones in a particular section of the box.
- At the bottom, it says that the congressman's kid was on accutane and shot himself to death. Is it really necessary to say "with his father's loaded and unlocked handgun?"
- hope his dad doesn't read that.
[edit] Update
I have made the site current with information about the iPLEDGE website. Philiphughesmd 04:01, 12 April 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Infobox
I have updated this article to use the new infobox. I have similar questions about the secondary effects list -- are they truly needed? None are wikilinked, and I haven't seen any other drug articles with a similar list. I am going to post on Wikipedia:WikiProject Drugs and see if anyone there has an opinion. -- Irixman (t) (m) 14:51, 9 June 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Cleanup
This article needs a cleanup. Things that need to be focused on:
- General conciseness and readability.
- Available forms (instead of a unnecessary list of brand names maybe?)
- Using the reference system instead of external links would ne nice
- Layout - is there any need for picture of a bag of pure isotretinoin and the accutane logo?
- Prescribing information - In the UK (and other countries?) the course must be started by a dermatologist.
- Side effects - maybe a list of the most common ones would be more helpful
Maybe a reworking of the sections would help. Your input would be appreciated! (feel free to edit my list). Who wants to do what?
Dakoman 18:08, 9 June 2006 (UTC)
- I've done a cleanup and I think I've addressed most (if not all) of your points. The page could probably be improved further, but I think it's enough to remove the cleanup tag -Techelf 11:40, 10 June 2006 (UTC)
- You've done a great job, thanks - Dakoman 21:11, 10 June 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Statistics ?
Are any statistics available on the use of Accutane ? We know 431 cases of depression have been signaled since 1982, but on how many treatments ? It can be interesting to know how widespread the use of accutane is, I can't find this information on the net.
[edit] Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension
Does anyone else see how questionable it is to state that taking Roaccutane increases the risk of an idiopathic disease?I elliot 08:29, 21 September 2006 (UTC)
[edit] anti-cancer
I have read somewhere that Isotretinoin being researched as an anti-cancer drug. if possible, someone do a research and add it to article.
[edit] 30 DAY THEORY IS INCORRECT!!!
Remove it, it's false. I was a patient on Roaccutane for 1 year and my medication was prescribed to me in doses of 90 and more. Get your damn facts right if you are going to put them on here.
Keep it, it's true!!! I don't really know why I wasn't able to get more than 30 days and you got 90, but as of start of the iPledge system I couldn't get more than 30 days worth of accutane... I missed a few days because I was on vacation when my 30 days allotment ended and getting more was a big pain.
- What... What's going on here? Alex Dodge 09:22, 15 November 2006 (UTC)
-
- The first person is an idiot. iPledge allows only 30 days worth of medication per perscription, be that 30, 60 or some other amount of pills. You must wait 30 days between prescriptions. Jutm543 21:30, 29 November 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Chemical Structure: all trans retinoic acid vs. 13-cis retinoic acid
The picture in the "box" is all trans retinoic acid. The 13,14 double bond in isotretinoin (the one closest to the acid on the far right) should be "cis" ("Z"). —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 129.64.72.23 (talk)
- Fixed. Fvasconcellos 16:38, 28 November 2006 (UTC)
[edit] ANOTHER PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
Whilst using isotretinoin i did have the usual side effects, blood nose, flaking skin, peeling lips. The drug first made my acne worse for the first few weeks then cleared up amazingly. After using isotretinoin, about 3 months later, my acne started to come back gradually. I was under the impression that this drug was only used for a course or two, then not needed again. If so, does anyone know of a reason that the acne came back.
Reply: Your dermatologist may have you on a second course of the treatment. You should make an appointment with your derma soon.. She/He can answer all your questions
