Acne...using Roaccutane

[cuddlepop]

My daughter suffers from acne and its so bad dermitoligist has recomended Roacctune has anyone any experience of this drug or knows someone who has used it?
As she has Aspergers and depression is a common occurence in adolesence,i am afraid to agree for her to go on this drug as one of the side effects is this amongst others.If you read the leaflets you'd wonder who on earth would agree to go on this drug:eek:
If I dont say yes then she could end up being scared for life.She is already self concious about her cardiac scar.
I feel torn.It has to be my decision as thinking through consequences is difficult for her.:confused

[Victoria]

My boyfriend used this when he was a teenager and I have just read your post out to him.

He says that he was depressed anyway from the acne so didnt really notice any untoward symptoms himself BUT...

and I really dont mean to scaremonger but he says that he has heard of a few cases of people committing suicide after being on this medication....

...but again....please do not take my word for it as we have no information on any specific cases and this could just be hearsay.

I think the best thing for you to do is talk to your daughters doctor and get his opinion.

I wish your daughter well as I know how awful these kind of this can be (I suffer from Psoriasis myself)

Victoria x

[j4bberw0ck]

If you read the leaflets you'd wonder who on earth would agree to go on this drug:eek:

If you read the leaflets you'd never take any drug. They're there as a CYA to avoid legal liability and so have every possible side effect known to man included in them, no matter how improbable.

Unless there's a doctor on the forum, would it not make more sense to discuss your concerns with the one who prescribed the drug in the first place? Or ask for a second opinion from another doctor in the same practice? Or another doctor from another practice? Or do you trust a bunch of natterers like us more than the doctor?

I wouldn't.............! Good luck anyway.

[j4bberw0ck]

and I really dont mean to scaremonger but he says that he has heard of a few cases of people committing suicide after being on this medication....

...but again....please do not take my word for it as we have no information on any specific cases and this could just be hearsay.

You know, I don't want to scaremonger, but a friend of mine says that he's heard of a few cases of people being killed by driving cars each day.

...but again.... please don't take my word for it as we have no information on any specific cases and it could just be hearsay.

Oh lordy. Help like this you really need........... :roll::roll:

[Cinders392]

You know, I don't want to scaremonger, but a friend of mine says that he's heard of a few cases of people being killed by driving cars each day.

...but again.... please don't take my word for it as we have no information on any specific cases and it could just be hearsay.

Oh lordy. Help like this you really need...........

:lol: We all do live with too much caution these days. My gran mother used live in a house without a fridge and eat food that was moulded, make cakes with sour milk but now a days she throws things out as soon as it gets near its used by date! When I visit her she comes through with jars of pickles asking 'I cant find the date on the jar, is it out of fashion yet?'

All drugs have side effects and will affect everyone differently as our chemical make-up differs so much between people(unless you are an identical twin!). As long as the benefits out weigh the side effects thats what important.

[cuddlepop]

I did know about the cases of suicide on this drug and that's what scares me.Its not only a possible side effect when on the medication but a possibility afterwards for a period they dont specifi:eek:
Too be honest when it was offered to me years ago I declined.The difference here is that I've to make a decision for a 16 year old as the person responsible for her welfare and not just her mother.I've got to get my head round the "adult" responsibility here:confused
The consultant seemed overly keen to prescribe this treatment after only seeing him twice in three months.English was not his first lanuage and found communication with him difficult.It was like having a three way conversation and i was the interpreter for them both.
Thanks for your help and unless the Gp is all for it,the decision is no.

[Angela]

The consultant seemed overly keen to prescribe this treatment after only seeing him twice in three months.English was not his first lanuage and found communication with him difficult.It was like having a three way conversation and i was the interpreter for them both.
Thanks for your help and unless the Gp is all for it,the decision is no.

Hopefully your GP will be able to offer you a balanced view, cuddlepop, and advise you accordingly. Consultants sometimes see things only from the viewpoint of what they specialise in, rather than considering the whole person.

I don't expect your GP will be "all for it" because he or she will be aware of the risks you mention and won't be able to say "go ahead, there's really no risk at all".

Quite often it has to come down to assessing the risk factor and deciding if it's acceptable or not, and everything in life does involve some risk, however small -but I can see it's a very tough decision for you to make. :(

All the best....Angela :)

[horseman]

Cuddlepop, please do something for your youngster,do not be scared off by "could be's" I know the kind of hole you are in , but doing nothing is not the best move.

[orkneylass]

The interesting thing about depression and suicide is that people are often unable to organise a suicide attempt when they are at their lowest - so suicide sometimes comes shortly after medicaton to improve the situation ie people get to the point where they feel a bit better but not yet fully well, and have a terrible dread of hitting rock bottom again. Anyone that works in mental health wil be able to tell you that. The main thing is that we all listen to eachother and are not afraid to ask people how bad they are feeling or even openly ask if they are having suicidal thoughts. And then we need to be prepared to listen to how people are feeling, even if that is scary and dark, and NOT try to jolly them along, jump in with our solutions (not theirs), change the subject etc. People at risk of suicide usually give out clues that are cries for help, perhaps saying things like "I can't go on like this" or even "everything will be OK soon". I am a trainer in an international suicide intervention programme called ASIST which is aimed at anyone aged over 16. It recognises that family, friends, teachers, youth workers etc are much more likely to spot people at risk than so called professionals. If people in Caithness want to be able to go on this training, contact your local health Board as all HB's in Scotland are now running these wonderful courses.

[cuddlepop]

It seems like a wonderful training course Orkneylass unfortunatly with asperger's the individual finds it difficult to identifi how they feel and then give it a "Lable".You tend to get unacceptable behaviour when they're upset and then its a process of elimination to find out what's wrong,whilst trying to prevent a meltdown.:eek:
We're on depression/suicide watch as it is without adding a medication that could accelerate the process.
I know doing nothing is not an option but somehow we have to find a happy medium.:confused

[orkneylass]

Good luck, not an easy situation. It would certainly be the case that a person with aspergers would not express their thoughts and feelings in the same way.

[Lolabelle]

I don't know anything about the drug you have mentioned, but i do know that "Proactiv" face cleansing system works really well. Have you tried it. www.proactiv.com (http://www.proactiv.com)
It may be a better alternative before you try any medications that could cause drama's with depression etc. all the best with it all.

[cuddlepop]

I don't know anything about the drug you have mentioned, but i do know that "Proactiv" face cleansing system works really well. Have you tried it. www.proactiv.com (http://www.proactiv.com)
It may be a better alternative before you try any medications that could cause drama's with depression etc. all the best with it all.
Thank you for this link.
I think the acne is too severe now and would require evasive treatment.Just wish there was another product available that wasn't mood altering.:confused

[Alice in Blunderland]

Hi CP as with all drugs before prescribing them the consultant will have been aware of all possible side effects. The dermatologist is far more trained in the use of this drug than the gp. The dermatoligist will be using this drug on a regular basis whereas the gp will only be seeing it now and again.

Consultants are trained more specifically in one area but have also undergone many years of general medical / surgical training also, they do see the patient as a whole and are aware of everything about the patients medical history and this is all taken into consideration when recommending treatment.

Yes it is hard when making decisions which have a major impact on someone else but try to concentrate on the positives rather than the negatives.

Do talk this over more with the doctors concerned and phone the dermatologist to talk about the treatment I am sure he/she will be able to rest your mind and help to make this important decision. :)

[baggie boy]

Hi Cuddlepop,

A few years ago my brother ,who suffered bad acne, was prescriped Roaccutane. Although my brother was depressed when taking the drug he did take an overdose using many parectemol. Luckily they managed to save him, at the hospital in birmingham they said that it was the drug that helped him to overdose and they try to tell people not to take this drug if the one taking it is suffering from deression as it pushes them over the edge.

Im sorry if it is not what you want to hear, but i think you should know that this drug is dangerous. I dont want you to go through the same feelings and anxiety that me and my family went through.

[cuddlepop]

I had my suspicions before and you've confirmed them Baggie boy.:(
Alice,I know the consultant knows more than the Gp but I felt for a second visit he was too keen to prescripe this last resort.Our Gp has been my daughters from the minute she was born a nd knows the "whole person".

[Victoria]

You know, I don't want to scaremonger, but a friend of mine says that he's heard of a few cases of people being killed by driving cars each day.

...but again.... please don't take my word for it as we have no information on any specific cases and it could just be hearsay.

Oh lordy. Help like this you really need........... :roll::roll:

What was the point of that J4bberw0ck?

If you can't say anything constructive then don't bother saying anything at all.

[Alice in Blunderland]

Side effects
Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with roaccutane because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

Dry skin
Dryness of the mucous membranes, eg lips, eyes , nose and throat .
Headache
Increased liver enzymes
Disturbances in the composition of the blood
Pain in the muscles and joints
Mood changes, strange or abnormal thoughts, anxiety ,depression,suicidal feelings
Hair loss
Visual disturbances
Inflammation of the surface of the eye
Breathing difficulties due to a narrowing of the airways
Nausea
Inflammatory bowel disease
Inflammation of the pancreas
Abnormal reaction of the skin to light, usually a rash
Bone disorders

Yes this does make very unsettling reading and most people should think long and hard before taking this drug.Ther are many people out there who can give both good and bad accounts of their own personal use of this drug....

As with every drug for some people it works for others it doesnt. CP I would talk over your fears with your gp he will help you with your fears and worries as he knows both you and your daughter best.If you are unconvinced ask for a second oppinion..I would if it was my child and I was unsure if it was right for them.
For every success story you will also be able to find a failure.
I hope all goes well for your daughter that is the main thing.:)

[Liz]

Have you tried Ketsugo as I have heard that this is very effective and natural. You can get it on a 30 day trial from QVC.
Also Alpha H (again from QVC) gets good reviews.

Hope you manage to get something which you would be happy with as I know how depressing having acne can be.:(

[Liz]

If you put 'acne treatment' in the search box on Ebay there are a lot of treatments which look good and many offer money back guarantees! They range from topical treatments to a herbal remedy.

Could be worth a try? The good thing is as well that you could contact some of the people who bought these products to see what they think of them.

Good luck!

[cuddlepop]

I still suffer from flare ups and its been decided my acne is brought on by stress.
i think the acne in my daughters case is exasperated by stress and as she will be sitting her standard grade's next month,stress levels are off the scale.
I'm sure we'll find something that works:)

[Angela]

I still suffer from flare ups and its been decided my acne is brought on by stress.
i think the acne in my daughters case is exasperated by stress and as she will be sitting her standard grade's next month,stress levels are off the scale.
I'm sure we'll find something that works:)

Hope so, cuddlepop! :) Maybe it would be best to wait until after your daughter's finished her exams before starting any sort of new treatment?

[cuddlepop]

We've decided to give the treatment she's on another three months to see if there's an improvement and then perhapse consider this Roc drug.:)
This way exams are finished and the holidays have begun.

[Rocco]

Hi, I was prescribed Roaccutane for acne and also had the same fears as you after reading the leaflets I was given, however after consulting various people who knew more about it than me soon realised that this more a way of covering themselves against anything and everything incase anything happens. So I agreed to go on it and It has cleared my acne, although i do have some scarring left which I was told I would. I suffered no ill side effects other than dry lips. I am aware not ever case is as successful as mine but It has helped me no end and personally I would reccommend trying it.

Good Luck and hope this helps!

[cuddlepop]

Hi, I was prescribed Roaccutane for acne and also had the same fears as you after reading the leaflets I was given, however after consulting various people who knew more about it than me soon realised that this more a way of covering themselves against anything and everything incase anything happens. So I agreed to go on it and It has cleared my acne, although i do have some scarring left which I was told I would. I suffered no ill side effects other than dry lips. I am aware not ever case is as successful as mine but It has helped me no end and personally I would reccommend trying it.

Good Luck and hope this helps!
Thanks for that Rocco its good to know you didn't suffer any adverse side effects.Depression is a big worry for us and the fact that my daughter isn't happy in herself the best of times its a big worry.
It does look as though its going to be our last option though.