10 Things They don’t Want You to Know about Accutane

It was developed as a chemotherapy drug

Accutane has been used for decades in chemotherapy treatments because it decreases cellular proliferation in the entire body. Put simply, it prevents many types of cells from multiplying: skin, bone, digestive system, mucous membranes, brain, and cancer cells.

Skin dryness and acne reduction just happen to be two of their side effects.

As you can imagine, impeding the body’s ability to produce certain cells may harm the health of your organs.

Photo by Noelle Otto from Pexels

Officially the manufacturer doesn’t know how it works

The Physician’s Desk Reference of Hoffmann-La Roche’s Accutane states that “the exact mechanism of action is unknown”.

This means that the company that created the drug doesn’t understand how it works to reduce acne or how it causes its many side effects.

Whether they don’t know it or don’t want to disclose it, it is a bit concerning, isn’t it?

It is considered one of the most dangerous drugs ever approved

Some consider Accutane the most dangerous product on the market for the last 25 years.

It’s among the top four drugs that attract the most reported adverse drug reactions on the FDA’s database (the US Food and Drug Administration).

The list of side effects and warnings in the US Physician’s Desk Reference is 7-pages long.

In the US, since this drug was approved by the FDA in 1982, its warning label has been changed more than 50 times to modify the list of adverse reactions it can cause.

The list of warnings in Roche’s official Accutane Medication Guide is not for the faint-hearted. Here are some of them for you to consider:

“Certain symptoms may mean that your internal organs are being damaged. These organs include the liver, pancreas, bowel (intestines), and esophagus (connection between mouth and stomach). If your organs are damaged, they may not get better even after you stop taking Accutane.”

“Some people taking isotretinoin [the active ingredient included in Accutane] have developed hearing problems. It is possible that hearing loss can be permanent.”

“There are reports that some patients had stunted growth after taking Accutane for acne as directed.”

“Accutane can increase the pressure in your brain. This can lead to permanent loss of eyesight and, in rare cases, death.”

Sure, many drugs boast a long list of scary warnings, but this one is pretty impressive. Especially for a drug prescribed to children, who are still in the development phase of their lives

It causes vitamin A toxicity

Accutane is estimated to be 100 times more potent than vitamin A supplements, which is why the side effects of Accutane look like vitamin A intoxication.

A 1972 study showed that the ingestion of large amounts of vitamin A is known to cause depression and psychiatric illness.

Other symptoms of high dose vitamin A are anorexia, dry itchy skin, dry eyes, alopecia, swelling of the brain, fatigue, irritability and somnolence

It can cause birth defects and miscarriages

Don’t take my word for it. Again, read what Roche’s included in Accutane’s list of contraindications:

“Accutane must not be used by female patients who are or may become pregnant. There is an extremely high risk that severe birth defects will result if pregnancy occurs while taking Accutane in any amount, even for short periods of time. Potentially any fetus exposed during pregnancy can be affected. There are no accurate means of determining whether an exposed fetus has been affected.”

“Birth defects that have been documented following Accutane exposure include abnormalities of the face, eyes, ears, skull, central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and thymus and parathyroid glands. Cases of IQ scores less than 85 with or without other abnormalities have been reported. There is an increased risk of spontaneous abortion, and premature births have been reported.”

It speeds up the aging process by prematurely drying out the entire body

Take a look around: how many people in their 50s, 60s or 70s do you see with oily skin or acne? Close to none, I’d say. That’s because, as the body ages, the skin gradually and inevitably dries out. This means that oily and pimply skin is a clear sign of youth!

Now it’s understandable that teenagers don’t want to hear about unpopular shiny foreheads and red cheeks. And they definitely don’t think about the long-term consequences when the prospect of clear skin is on the line.

However, the effect of extreme dryness happens (in varying degrees) to everybody while taking Accutane – a common testimonial given by young people is that they feel like an 80-year-old in an 18-year-old body.

And sometimes, these effects stay with people for their entire life, even if they’ve taken the drug for a short period.

It has been linked to depression and suicide

There is plenty of evidence to support the link between Accutane and depression as well as suicide.

Andrew Neel on Unsplash

Suicidal tendencies have been recorded even in patients with no prior history of psychiatric symptoms or suicide attempts.

“Stacy and Mike Baumann of Mundelein Illinois lost their son Daniel to suicide in December 1999. Daniel began Accutane treatment in July 1999. He suffered many adverse effects; chapped lips, dry skin and itching, joint and muscle pain, headaches, nausea, loss of appetite, mood swings, and insomnia. The physician thought his depression was school-related and never mentioned the FDA warning.”

It can permanently affect libido and sexual pleasure

From Kevin Pezzi, M.D. The Science of Sex:

“While there are many drugs that interfere with one or more aspects of sexuality while the user is taking them, with one exception all of these problems resolve once the drug is discontinued. The only drug that can permanently affect libido and sexual pleasure in some people is Accutane.”

One reason for wanting to get rid of acne is to become more attractive to the eyes of a potential partner. But what’s the point if the treatment has a high risk of damaging a couple’s sexual life for years to come?

It has generated many “survivor” support groups

Roche itself has admitted several years ago that there are over 40,000 Accutane adverse drug reaction reports on the database at their headquarters in Basel, Switzerland

It is not surprising that teens look for answers and help where they spend most of their time: online. Over the years, many groups have been created on social media to offer support to people struggling with the infamous Accutane’s side effects. Their names speak for themselves: “Girls Helping Girls with Accutane”, “Accutane Long Term Side Effects” and “Accutane Survivors, Roaccutane, Isotretinoin Injuries & Side Effects” to name a few. Pretty telling, isn’t it?

Severe side effects can appear months or even years later

People often don’t associate problems with Accutane because of their latency. Some acne patients had the worst side effects appear months after finishing the treatment. Many others talk about having side effects up to five years down the track, while some had to deal with the aftermath 10 to 15 years later.

Roche states that Accutane’s side effects immediately disappear after cessation of treatment. The reality is that some of the people who took the drug when it first became available in 1982 were still suffering from side effects 20 years later.

Even more concerning is the fact that, as of today, there doesn’t seem to be an antidote or a medical treatment to counteract all the permanent negative effects caused by this drug