Help! i am concerned about my skin medication

My dermatologist has prescribed me Isotretinoin (Accutane) around 20 mg. However i feel uneasy and very worried because i had read the following medical research papers where it tells the harmful side effects Isotretinoin has such as teratogenic and more importantly the cause of eye disorders, like impaired night vision, cataracts, optic neuritis, corneal opacities and dry eye.

I had check in PubMed about this and i encountered the following
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10746459. (Persistent corneal opacity after oral isotretinoin therapy for acne). and, http://www.jmedicalcasereports.com/content/3/1/58 (retinal vein occlusion).
Ocular side effects of accutane therapy, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1301795,
Irreversible cataract as a possible side effect of isotretinoin http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8051901

After reading all of this, makes me feel very afraid of taking accutane. What should i do?.
My medical record includes, photocoagulation and Lasik surgery in both eyes in 2005 as i had high myopia 7.75 diopter.  I really dont want to get affected by taking this medication or screw up the surgery done on my eyes.
At the moment i am taking Relestat/ epilastine for my allergic conjunctivitis.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Discuss with your dermatologist. If you don't want to accept the possiblity of those side effects then don't take the medications. All medications have side effects. Each year several thousand people bleed to death from aspirin.  One person's cure is another person's side effect.

The only people that would have you believe that if a side effect occurs the doctor or the pharmaceutical company did something wrong are trial lawyers.

JCH MD

[maple854]

I dont want to be disrespectful, but what kind of reply is that?. I mean, it seems pretty obvious i can refrain to take the medication thus all the fears will be gone.

But there is more than that. Which side should i believe?, The clinical cases stated above from people in Switzerland and other places reported having issues with the isotretinoin or the words from my dermatologist?. I think that's my concern, and sorry, but i dont think passing the ball to trial lawyers will repair any damage caused by the medication afterall.

Optical neuritis and corneal opacity, seems pretty irreversible to me.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[lost_in_despair]

Listen, dont take this pill.

I took accutane for my acne. 5 years later, I am in worse pain of my life. I am a medical school now, back then I was a college students when I took accutane. Is my life any better as a med student? No. You want to know why?

Because I have severe floaters in my eyes. I have lattice degeneration which I attribute to accutane, but no doctor or medical journal will accept that. Yet to this day I am suffering due to floaters.

Please save your eyes, and dont take accutane unless you are dying from your dermatological condition.

[maple854]

Well at least somebody understood the point, more helpful than just writing an equal sign.

I have taken the decision to do not take this medicine. However people should be warned more about the issues with isotretinoin. I do not trust my dermatologist. Many doctors these days aren't so reliable when you point at their pockets and the $$$ are in exchange from endorsing specific brands.

But beyond than that, it is more important to read what others encountered.
It is very unfortunate what happened to the fellow above, but even doctors will tell floaters aren't a big issue.  
By the way, did anybody told you about the side effects from Accutane?

[lost_in_despair]

Maple, I was a science student in college so I knew drugs can have deleterious effect, but my mind was still not broadened as to evaluating how bad my visual side effects could be.

My dermatologist told me that my liver enzymes could go up and I'd have extreme dryness Those are the two side effects I was explained. She said she'd keep track of my liver enzymes by blood tests, and as for dryness, I could try to keep myself hydrated and use creams for my dry lips etc. She never told me that I would get decreased night vision, or flashing lights when I'd turn off my room's lights, which would continue for 10ish minutes. I was told nothing about these things.

But I did read up on net and was aware that since accutane is vit A derivative, and it might cause effects on my vision. But I did not take this possibility seriously, and thought it would be reversible anyways!

Needless to say I was taken off accutane after 2 months because of severe head aches. I actually got CT scan done. Most tormenting days of my life. I believed that I had brain tumor till I waited for results. This delusional belief was precipitated by the fact that accutane causes depression. Thankfully I did not have brain tumor.

Today when I should be loving medical school, I am hating my life. I see floaters in my vision everywhere I go. Hospitals have white walls and white floors and my floaters are most obvious in such situations. All in all my life is hell right now.

Please treat your acne, if you have it, by topical antibiotics. It will be temporary relief but much more safer than taking accutane. And 2 weeks after stopping accutane, my acne was back.

Regarding floaters, Dr. Hagan III, as much as I respect him, is strictly against vitrectomies for floaters. But the paradigm is changing and more progressive eye specialists are agreeing to help patients whose life has been robbed by floaters.

Best of luck.

[lost_in_despair]

And of course consult with your doctor before using any topical antibiotic. I am not a medical doctor and cannot give you definite prescriptions. I can only share my experience.