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)?
Singapore
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?) acne.org
What is your current age, height, weight?
27,160,41kg
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?
Accutane
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
20-30mg per week the first few week then 10mg every 2 weeks for 2+year(on and off took when i remember), stop for 1+year, then 10mg per week for 2 month
What condition was being treated with the drug?
Pimples
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
2+ years
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug?
22
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
26
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Cold turkey
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
1-2years
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Chronic cough
Sun rashes
Indentation scars on facial skin appear
Brain fog
Memory loss
Depression
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)
Indentation scars on skin
More hair growth on body
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
Tried tudca, taurine, zinc, vit d, all seem to do nothing.
Nac does help reduce the chronic cough.
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 was only having few pimples when i went to see the doctor and the dumb doctor gave me this medication which should only be given to patients with severe acne. Since it gave me clear skin and reduced oil i continue to take it at that time, thinking that i took at a low dose of 10mg once every week or every 2 week or sometime every 3 week should be harmless. I took it on and off during the first 2+years.
When symptoms like persistent coughing and sun rashes appear, i didn’t know it was cause by this poison meds until i read it in forum from accutane-users who have the same symptoms.
Indentation scar appear when i use exfoliation product even after 6 month of last dosage. Even after i drank alcohol too.
The very real problem come is after i took a green supplement(chlorella) for 1-2months. I took this supplement 6 months after my last dose of that 10mg per week for 2 month accutane course.
Of course I did not know how accutane work or how vit a work, thats why i stupidly took that green supplement that was high in vit a.
Now even gentle product that as long contain vit a will give me indentation scar, like rose hip oil or some sheet mask with vit a. Not just vit a product, any product that dry the skin like pimple cream and foundations, or any product contain the word "acid’ like hyaluronic acid, a moisturizing ingredient also gave me new indentations.
My skin is so scary nowadays. I don’t know how to step out of house anymore. Because i have a lot of pih i need foundations else my face look so dirty. But i couldn’t use them. How am i going to work? Im so stress about money issues cause im unemployed now. I have been isolating myself in the house. Sucidal thoughts always come when i see new indent scar appear when i only use gentle product. I don’t know how to continue my life with weird skin like this.
Theres no one who have this weird skin like me. Most accutane-users only suffered dry skin. Im the only dumb one that took a green supplement high in vit a after that.
But let say if i didn’t took accutane before, and i took this green supplement, i wouldn’t suffer this weird skin. Accutane to me is the cause of everything and changes my life completely, from someone who lead a normal life to someone isolating myself. And the weird thing is my body skin is not affected at all. I don’t know how accutane work that it only targets facial skin. So even though now my skin is full loaded with vit a, it seems like they are all loaded in facial skin only since taking accutane before.
I know whats best for me is i don’t use any topical products at all. Problem is how to step out of house without foundation to cover all the pih.
Its depressing to see that all products i can used before became off limits to me.
Its kinda sad that till now theres no cure on how to get rid of vit a out of body system fast.
Im scare that my skin will be like this permanently, indent scar so easily and make the texture of skin looking worse and worse which makes me wish im dead.
I can say 100% of the scars on my face are all cause by accutane. Before taking accutane, pimples don’t leave any indent scar at all. After accutane, all pimples will leave indent scars, which is what other accutane-users have experience from what i have read.
I hate that doctors are still able to earn money through giving out this poison and they don’t suffer any consequences at all. We are the ones suffering. When you go to doctor, they don’t want to believe your symptoms and only give excuses because they don’t have answers too. All they care is if they can earn your money.