Took accutane I obtained from online (i know.. stupid)

a yr ago i ordered tane online w/o really realizing any of the conseq. I ordered it from two sites and when the generic tane arrived they were indeed sealed in blister packs so I thought they cant be that bad b/c they were indeed all sealed. Anyway, I know the dangers of taking accutane w/o the supervision of a doctor. So what im trying to say is ive had liver func. done and plenty of other blood tests (white blood cell count, cbc, etc). IM NOT concerned that this atane (from india) did anything in terms of normal accutane side effects. I am mainly convinced now that I took poison. Not that i have had any side effects, but just because IM reading all these things online about not to do it. I was very young at the time (20) and I did not think about the conseqs. In all I took maybe about 5-6 blister packs of 10 mg. I do not think the pills where marked, they were little red pills but again they were sealed. In sum, i cannot get this out of my head that somehow i took poison and im going to die earlyer than i would because I took these pills. What RLLY could these people in india put in these pills, i mean I DNT CARE if the pills wernt tane and i wsted my money i just want to know i didnt put some type of VERY harmful chemicles in my body and ruined my life over nothing. When i try to rationilize the situa i think that these people wouldnt want to kill their customer but who knows, they might just want a buck. Would you say this is around the same danger level as taking an extacy pill without knowing what is in it? Granted i took multiple of these sealed pills but im just trying to get a feel of how dangerous this activity really was. The one website i remember is called westcoastdrugs.net. If i were going to see symptoms of some kind of poison or harmful chemicle would i most likely have already seen it since its been a year? Can i stop worrying about this and move on w/ my life since it has been a yr. w/o incident or do i need to get some tests to save my sanity.

[Jasmina Jankicevic, MD, MSc, CCRP]

You seem aware of your actions and their possible consequences now. That is a very good start.

The fact, that you have been screened for liver damage multiple times and results came back negative, is great news.

Until chemical analysis of a pill is performed, it is unknown what ingredients it contains, and how those could affect a human organism (for example: kidneys, brain, etc.).  

It has been a year and you feel healthy. That is the best reassurance you can get in this situation.

However, if you ever start experiencing any symptoms, share that experience with your physician first. Be observing about your health, but not anxious.

Acne have significant psychological impact. Please, consider joining a local support group moderated by medical professionals.  

Yours in optimal health,
Dr. Jasmina Jankicevic

[ykwak]

Accutane, as you have probably read online, is a Vitamin A derivative. It operates on a biochemical pathway similar to vitamin A toxicity.

Being one of the 4 lipid soluble vitamins (A D E and K), your primary concern would be to keep your liver enzyme levels monitored.

To find out what you have taken, you will need to take the pill and packaging, if you can obtain any others, to a local retail pharmacy and ask for consulting.

Also, you can request the services of local labs to help you determine the chemical makeup of the active ingredient.

Find a good MD or DO (not a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant) to counsel you on this matter, and to run a full physical with labs.

As for a "feel" about how dangerous this was? -Federal Regulation by the FDA on pharmaceuticals, and the strict controls on obtaining medications by the DEA have been established for very good reasons-

Would you eat rotten meat? Probably not. What if someone simply "cleaned" the meat and repackaged it? How could you know?

Good luck.

[jake123abc]

Well, thank you for the feedback, this makes me even more uneasy about the situation. Lets say i order more pills just for my peace of mind, who knows if they would send me the same ones as i originally took. Thats deff a problem.

As for my liver enzymes they are absolutely fine Ive had numerous tests on those since this incident and again, i went back on wal-greens (good) accutane and was monitored by a doctor after this.

So basically, its been a year. Im fine in general. (dont feel sick). Im just wondering if i can put this past me. Yes i might (keyword might) have ate raw meat re-packaged as you stated, but thankfully i didnt get sick (or go blind) from it. Im just wondering the implications 5 years down the road from some type of chemicle i POSSIBLY keyword possibly might have been in these pills. Im a very anxious and paranoid person to begin with and only the power of how bad my acne was compelled me to do such a stupid stupid thing. At this point, i rather have acne then keep worrying about what i MIGHT have accidentally taken.

[jake123abc]

is a toxicologist a good person to start with as well?

[jake123abc]

please doctor just give me some re-assurance im not going to wake up blind one day from this because its already been a year.

[ykwak]

To be honest, I feel that there may be some underlying issues in which you are trying to escape - thus, seeking the reassurance of medical professionals.

To maintain a level of professionalism, it would not be wise for anyone to give you permission to put things behind you, and never think of them again. That is not my place.

A toxicologist would be valuable to consult with if you are 1) willing to pay for the consultation and for additional labs, and 2) if you are able to obtain an additional sample of the original medication to provide to the toxicologist.

But, if you are feeling well, and do not notice any abnormalities of any sort, please...


Jake123abc,

Continue to live life to the fullest. The experiences that we accumulate as we walk through life should be remembered, and utilized to help make the best of the moments to come. Be mindful of your body, mind, and spirit. If you feel that you are getting ill, then seek out a physician as you normally would.