Just quit accutane: Mario

Member Stories
#1

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)? USA

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?)

What is your current age, height, weight? 26, 170cm, 70kg

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.)? 100mg/day

What condition was being treated with the drug? Acne

For how long did you take the drug 5 months first round, 2.5 months second round (weeks/months/years)?

How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug? 26, Oct 2021

How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit? 26, Dec 2021

How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)? Cold turkey

How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects? 2 months

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
[x] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[x] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[x] Loss of Morning Erections
[x] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] Reduced Ejaculate
[x] 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
[x] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[ ] Suicidal Thoughts

Physical
[x] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[x] Testicular Pain
[x] 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? None yet, going to try maca powder in next week

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)? I tested testosterone before using isotretinoin. Planning to test again soon

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 on a second round of isotretinoin for 2.5 months. I had done it before for 5 months so thought it would be ok. About 2 weeks ago I noticed a complete loss of libido and immediately quit the drug. Now searching for solutions.

#2

Hello!
Was your testosterone normal before isotretinoin treatment? If you’re going to have another blood test could you please tell us about the result? I’m going to have another test pretty soon toom it would be interesting to compare.
For me severe sides started on the 3rd round of isotretinoin. During the second round I experienced an episode of sexual dysfunction which resolved on its own in a week or two. So there’s a chance you could recover with time without any treatment.

#3

Thank you! I know a lot of people have been dealing with this for quite some time. Hope we can find a solution soon.

And yes, I don’t have the numbers off hand but the first test was normal. I plan to get another test next week and will update you all.

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#4

A quick update: my testosterone and free testosterone came back unchanged from before accutane.

I still have no sex drive but can now get and maintain an erection, just have no interest in sex.

I also feel full constantly and still get a mild allergic reaction with most foods though it’s much better now than before. Hair loss has also slowed.

My doctor suggested I take risaquad probiotic and im otherwise eating clean: no processed foods and sticking to a low-fodmap diet in case it is a gut bacteria issue. Both seem to have helped though only time will tell if I keep improving.

Seeing as I’m single, I don’t really mind the lack of sex drive and am actually finding it fascinating to see firsthand how much of my behavior is driven by sex drive vs other needs. I’m taking it a day at a time and just hope it resolves sooner or later.

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