https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT2cgy89D/
Dear Doctor,
I understand your reliance on evidence-based medicine and your criticism of anecdotal claims, like the example you gave of someone applying potatoes to their skin. However, I think it’s important to differentiate between isolated, unverified personal remedies and what thousands of people are reporting in consistent, long-term patterns following the use of Accutane.
You’re absolutely right to be skeptical of anecdotes—but when thousands of individuals from around the world describe nearly identical debilitating side effects that persist long after stopping the medication, this isn’t just random noise—it’s a signal worth investigating.
Let me draw a clear line between two types of “anecdotes”:
Type 1 (Potatoes): An isolated case, often unsupported by any scientific rationale or follow-up, easily attributable to placebo or coincidence.
Type 2 (Post-Accutane Syndrome): Thousands of individuals across forums, support groups, and patient communities, many of whom had no idea others were experiencing the same things, reporting persistent symptoms such as sexual dysfunction, extreme dryness, mood disorders, autonomic issues, and more. These reports have consistency, pattern, and physiological plausibility—they’re not one-offs.
Furthermore, what makes the dismissal of these accounts frustrating is the documented history of conflict of interest in dermatology and the pharmaceutical industry. Many of the original studies on Accutane were funded by parties with financial incentives to underreport long-term risks. The regulatory boards that approved the drug have members who’ve had ties to industry. And let’s not forget that legal cases have already been won in court, proving that Accutane caused inflammatory bowel disease and other damages.
This isn’t conspiracy—it’s history.
And while the known side effects are listed on the label, what’s not fully acknowledged is the chronic nature of these effects in some individuals, even years later. These aren’t just listed side effects—they’re life-altering syndromes that persist well beyond the drug’s use and are dismissed without investigation.
So when critics liken these long-term reports to someone smearing potatoes on their skin, it does more than just mischaracterize—it invalidates real suffering and protects a flawed system. No one is saying every anecdote should be accepted as truth—but when patterns emerge on a massive scale, real science listens. It doesn’t laugh.