Parents terrified about thought of using Accutane

[liverpool_fc]

Hi, my parents are deathly afraid of me using accutane as i am thinking about asking my dermatologist if i am a candidate for it..after seeing a dateline special on the side effects of accutane and it's possible suicidal thoughts and psychosis, my parents are freaked out and refuse to let me take it as my acne is now has worsened and painful after finishing my prescribed minocin 100mg.

Are these side effects true about possible suicidal thoughts, depression, hallucinations and all that? I know where my parents are comming from as they are concerned from the things they have been hearing as am I but can someone enlighten me on this as the thought of having undetected and random suicidal thoughts scares me and has made me think about taking this drug for my acne. BTW im not depressed or emotionally distraught

[tiredpoet]

Hi there.  You don't say how old you are, but if you under the age of 18, it might help to gather some good research on accutane to show your parents.  Shows like Dateline tend to go for the "tabloid" factor and embellish the risks or benefits of things.  There is excellent medical research available on both the benefits of accutane and the possible side effects and risks.
I am 33 years old and have used accutane twice in the past, both times at the highest dose allowed, both for 8 months at a time.  I never had any side effects at all, and definitely no issues with depression or psychosis.  In fact, I was probably more depressed when my skin was breaking out all the time!  Accutane truly changed my life.  It didn't end my acne completely, but it ended the cystic, inflamed breakouts and I no longer broke out on almost every inch of my face and back.  Instead I got a pimple here and there.  And I still do, and as I said, I'm 33.  
There are certainly potential risks to taking accutane, as there are potential risks to taking a lot of medications.  Arming yourself with a lot of knowledge first is key.  Pehaps you could sit with your parents and review some information and really decide if it's for you.  Or have your dermatologist explain the risks and benefits to all of you.  Chances are hearing it from a doctor will make you feel more comfortable.

[loiloi]

No causal link between accutane and depression has been proven. Rarely, accutane patients have reported depression, and very rarely patients have reported that their existing depression has worsened.
It is almost impossible to prove a causal link since i) Many accutane patients are adolesence males, a group with a higher than average rate of depression and suicide.
ii)To warrant accutane the patient must have severe acne, a condition which in itself can cause depression.
Tell your parents how unhappy your acne is making you and take them to your dermatology appointment so they can talk over the benefits and side effects with a doctor.
If you are a minor and your parents refuse to allow you to take accutane, will they help pay for an alternative like laser therapy? Loiloi xx

[liverpool_fc]

i think they would pay for laser therapy, the thing is now my acne is fairly under control..but not completely, im wondering if the dermatologist will not prescribe me acne but the thing is that what i am using now which is proactive is the only thing maintaining it from the horrible break outs but its not actually getting rid of anything. My face is so oily and i still get big fat red pimples that cause so much pain for me especially when im at school but now that proactive is maintaining it to a certain extent, will the doctor help me with taking accutane or refuse me?

and laser therapy gets rid of acne?
thanks for the replies.

[loiloi]

Some dermatologists are more sympathetic than others. But, in general, the criteria for prescribing accutane is as follows:
That the patient has severe acne which has not responded to an adequate course of oral antibiotics, or the acne has returned after an adequate course of antibiotics.
The acne is causing the patient physical scarring or psychological problems.
The patient has no contra-indications including liver or kidney problems, arthritis, eczema.
Although no causal link has been established, prescribers are also alerted to the rare possibility of psychological change. This must be considered if the patient has a history of depression or mental illnesses such as anorexia.
Advances in laser therapies mean they can treat active acne and any acne scarring. Book a consultation and skin analysis with a reputable clinic and see what they say.
Accutane is the treatment which is statistically most likely to result in a long term remission from acne. But if you parents won't give their consent you will have to wait till you're older before considering this. In the meantime look at alternative ways to manage your acne. Could you take a further course of oral antibiotics? Have you tried prescription topical gels like Duac or Differin? Loiloi xx

[liverpool_fc]

i took oral antibiotics (minocin100mg) a while back in the previous topic u replied to, and the result i had was my skin turning out to be extremely oily and darker than i have ever been before as i am East Indian. After taking that, i have had the worst skin along with the solugel that they put me on and to this day my face is totally discoloured with blotches of acne that looks like its about to break out at any moment.

i really want this to go away, i have to admit the minocin helped reduce the acne not significantly but enough to relieve some pain but brought the worst side effect for me of having disgusting oily skin, even if i touch my face or nose at any time i can feel the thick layer of oil that came off of it and its embaressing enough when a friend or my own mother touches my face and end up with oily fingers...

the proactive is just maintaining it from breaking out, i can still see tiny pimples ready to break out but they arnt because of the proactive...i cant stand living like this relying on all these creams and such that i have spent so much money on as well as my parents and ZERO result from any of them im just hoping that the accutane will fix this problem but will that also effect my skin colour like minocin did?

[loiloi]

I did have increased pigmentation when I took both Accutane and Dianette but this was a temporary affect in both cases and the discoloration faded completely in the following months.
I know how you feel, I have spent thousands on tablets, creams and make-up. I'm now in my 30's and have accepted that caring for my skin is always going to part of my day.
Loiloi xx

[bumbum]

I took Accutane when I was about 14 years old (10+ years ago).  Looking back, I MAY have been experienced a little depression, but I could blame it on just being a young adolescent or the fact that I had acne to begin with.  

Doctors KNOW the side effects.  Before going on Accutane they should take blood tests and all that sort of stuff to make sure it is safe for you.  If you get a green light after that, and you end up going on it they keep close watch on you to make sure you are taking to the medication well.  As long as your doctor is good and will keep close tabs on you while you're on it, you should be fine.  If you react to it negatively, they'll just take you off it.