Welcome to our community. Please fill in the following template as a way of introducing yourself, and helping others to understand your background and situation.
Where are you from (country)? US
How did you find this forum (Google search – if so, what search terms? Via link from a forum or website – if so, what page? Other?)
I was linked to this thread by octopusfrog on this thread.
What is your current age, height, weight? I am currently 16, 145 lbs, and 5’11"
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)? Isotretinoin.
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)? 30mg/day.
What condition was being treated with the drug? Acne was being treated.
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)? Approx. 1 month
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug? 16, ~August 15
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit? 16, ~September 20
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)? I attempted to quit once, for about 5 days, was directed to be put back on for about a week until I quit completely.
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects? Around 2 weeks.
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Check the boxes that apply. You can save your post first, then interactively check/uncheck the boxes by clicking on them. If your symptoms change, please update your list.
Sexual
[*] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[*] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[*] Loss of Morning Erections
[*] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[*] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[*] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[*] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[*] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[*] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[*] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[*] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[*] Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[ ] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[*] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[*] Muscle Wastage
[*] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[*] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[*] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[*] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[ ] Other (please explain)
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
I have attempted to improve my diet, taking probiotics, cod liver oil, and vitamin C as well as curbing sugary food intake. I have an endo appointment scheduled in a couple of weeks, and I am wondering if any benefits have been seen with L-Citrulline usage.
If you have pre or post-drug blood tests, what hormonal changes have you encountered since discontinuing the drug (please post your test results in the “Blood Tests” section and link to them in your post)?
Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience?
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
I had taken accutane for about 2 weeks, with the normal variety of side effects (dryness, muscle soreness, headaches), but around that 2 week mark, I began feeling extremely depressed, with inexplicable bouts of crying, and dramatically increased irritability. Around this point, I had began to feel a significant loss of libido, but I attributed this to my mental instability around this point. It was difficult to describe my symptoms around this point except for a severe feeling of being unwell. I could not pin down why this was occurring, but I began to realize that accutane may have been at fault. I asked my dermatologist whether the accutane could be causing these symptoms, and he answered no. I was surprised, I had never dealt with depression before and this was something completely new and to me, very attributable to the accutane. I told him this, but continued the medication for an additional week, in which my symptoms only worsened. My blood test result for liver function returned completely normal, and my dermatologist had never seen these negative side effects. I returned to the doctor, and explained that I was going to stop accutane, to which he was skeptical. I stopped usage, and expected my symptoms to dissipate as the accutane left my system, but they never did. I went to my primary doctor, concerned with the side effects and wondering whether this could simply be coincidence, but my doctor was utterly confused. He gave me a referral to an endocrinologist upon my request, and recommended that I see a psychiatrist. I am seeing this endocrinologist in about 3 weeks, and hope that something will have changed by that point but seriously doubt it. Thank you everyone for this resource.