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Accutane and joint pain
I have been on 40mg/day of Accutane for six weeks. Of course, I've had the usual side effects (dryness, depression, lethargy.) My main problem now is severe joint pain. I lift weights 5x per week. I don't want to stop working out, but my right elbow and both shoulders are killing me! Has anyone had experience with this and can you recommend medicine or treatment for the joint pain? I employ high intensity training (low reps, hight weight) but can change my lifting to lighter weight, with higher weights. But I can not stop lifting. Any advice will be appreciated.
- Wow, I thought I was the only one who had all these same issues.. I took Accutane at Age 17-18 and almost died.. They told me I had severe liver damage, but would recover in time.. The following months I felt like I had the flu.. According to the Dr's, my liver had returned to normal.. However, I never did.. Since that time, I have struggled with joint pain, lower back pain, fatigue, headaches, lack of energy, and constant aches and pains, all which have been reviewed by Dr's and they say nothing is wrong.. I am now Age 40.. All conditions still exist.. I just thought this was all me.. I am so sorry for all who are experiencing these condtions.. I been living in my own world of hell for over 20 years and don't wish it on anyone. Nobody else understands what you are going through.. I thought fibromyalgia was about as close to what I have going on as a disorder, and I would guess that is what the Dr's are going to keep passing this on to... My advise is: If you are taking Accutane, think real hard about the consequences.. They were never explained to me.. Even at 17 it may have been hard to think about the negative effects, as acne make life suck more than anything.. The bottom line is my acne went away with age : my pain will stay with me forever...
Prior to taking isotretinoin I was a healthy 12.5st 6'2" <5% body fat kind of guy who played sport nearly every day, with moderate cystic acne. I was fortunate to be a very healthy and active person.
Like someone above, I took roughly the equivalent of 60mg/day for six months on the UK's NHS and began experiencing crippling knee pain during my treatment for which I saw various doctors, none of whom blamed the symptoms to isotretinoin in spite of my suggestion of it as a cause. So, having initially been advised the symptoms were nothing to do with isotretinoin by more than one doctor, my dermatologist did at least acknowledge that they might well be due to the isotretinoin, but that the pain would go away after treatment. The pain proceeded to worsen and over the course of this past year, despite me having stopped on the drug, all of my major joints have become affected and are getting gradually worse. Hips, shoulders and knees especially. Everything has dried up and my eyesight has deteriorated very noticeably. I have had plenty of blood work done and there are no inflammatory markers that suggest RA. I am also losing hair at a ridiculous rate and my scalp flakes horribly, something which astonishingly my GP denies is related to isotretinoin. This worsening physical health is in spite of quite stable mental health for the past few months(I became acutely depressed when the damage of isotretinoin began to show). My skin doesn't heal properly any more and scars easily from small scratches. I am 22 and can no longer enjoy physical exercise. I am constant mild pain and take painkillers most days. It is devastating.
Taking this drug will be the single greatest mistake of my inevitably shortened life. Like everyone I did some research before taking this drug and can say that the safety of this drug is remarkably exaggerated both by the drug companies on the labels and most dangerously of all by the dermatologists who prescribe it so willingly. The label (well, for the The Beacon pharmaceuticals generic, anyway) does nothing to emphasise that a great deal of the listed side effects of this drug can and often are permanent, and the dermatologists certainly never informed me of this. Interestingly, I noticed no substantial lasting effects after my first course, although my acne did return. I told my [new] dermatologist that I was scared about side effects when considering a second course and he responded by prescribing me half the standard dose but for twice the time – something that, if anything, probably worsened the lasting side effects I experience today. I do wonder how these people sleep at night – I suspect it's because they don't actually understand the biochemical basis of this drug – they don't have to. As a recent biology graduate, I have been able to understand quite a bit about this drug (except for the clinical/pharmacokinetics stuff – I'm no medic). It is a comically unselective and unsuitable pharmacological compound for use as anything other than a life saving drug (it's original use).
My dermatologist even had the cheek to console me that my joint pain would go away before prescribing me my last batch of this drug and later deny his consolation in writing after I complained. I really do wonder how men like him sleep at night.
This drug will one day be banned. Once we elucidate the trail of invisible (and hypothetically somewhat heritable) epigenetic and telomeric destruction it leaves behind, it will be banned. Once we see a generation of late middle-aged people dying young from impaired wound healing and crippled by rheumatic disorders and osteoarthritis, the medical profession will realise its mistakes. However, until then, the difficulties of statistically disproving the safety of a drug with such a variety of adverse effects, combined with the blasé attitudes of dermatologists who prescribe this wonder drug will continue mame young and otherwise healthy people.
(I've never written all of this down before.)
Bede
Like someone above, I took roughly the equivalent of 60mg/day for six months on the UK's NHS and began experiencing crippling knee pain during my treatment for which I saw various doctors, none of whom blamed the symptoms to isotretinoin in spite of my suggestion of it as a cause. So, having initially been advised the symptoms were nothing to do with isotretinoin by more than one doctor, my dermatologist did at least acknowledge that they might well be due to the isotretinoin, but that the pain would go away after treatment. The pain proceeded to worsen and over the course of this past year, despite me having stopped on the drug, all of my major joints have become affected and are getting gradually worse. Hips, shoulders and knees especially. Everything has dried up and my eyesight has deteriorated very noticeably. I have had plenty of blood work done and there are no inflammatory markers that suggest RA. I am also losing hair at a ridiculous rate and my scalp flakes horribly, something which astonishingly my GP denies is related to isotretinoin. This worsening physical health is in spite of quite stable mental health for the past few months(I became acutely depressed when the damage of isotretinoin began to show). My skin doesn't heal properly any more and scars easily from small scratches. I am 22 and can no longer enjoy physical exercise. I am constant mild pain and take painkillers most days. It is devastating.
Taking this drug will be the single greatest mistake of my inevitably shortened life. Like everyone I did some research before taking this drug and can say that the safety of this drug is remarkably exaggerated both by the drug companies on the labels and most dangerously of all by the dermatologists who prescribe it so willingly. The label (well, for the The Beacon pharmaceuticals generic, anyway) does nothing to emphasise that a great deal of the listed side effects of this drug can and often are permanent, and the dermatologists certainly never informed me of this. Interestingly, I noticed no substantial lasting effects after my first course, although my acne did return. I told my [new] dermatologist that I was scared about side effects when considering a second course and he responded by prescribing me half the standard dose but for twice the time – something that, if anything, probably worsened the lasting side effects I experience today. I do wonder how these people sleep at night – I suspect it's because they don't actually understand the biochemical basis of this drug – they don't have to. As a recent biology graduate, I have been able to understand quite a bit about this drug (except for the clinical/pharmacokinetics stuff – I'm no medic). It is a comically unselective and unsuitable pharmacological compound for use as anything other than a life saving drug (it's original use).
My dermatologist even had the cheek to console me that my joint pain would go away before prescribing me my last batch of this drug and later deny his consolation in writing after I complained. I really do wonder how men like him sleep at night.
This drug will one day be banned. Once we elucidate the trail of invisible (and hypothetically somewhat heritable) epigenetic and telomeric destruction it leaves behind, it will be banned. Once we see a generation of late middle-aged people dying young from impaired wound healing and crippled by rheumatic disorders and osteoarthritis, the medical profession will realise its mistakes. However, until then, the difficulties of statistically disproving the safety of a drug with such a variety of adverse effects, combined with the blasé attitudes of dermatologists who prescribe this wonder drug will continue mame young and otherwise healthy people.
(I've never written all of this down before.)
Bede
I'm so sorry....you are not crazy! Two weeks into this drug I started with severe back pains...now all of a sudden I have ankylosing spondylitis a genetic disease of the joints ...no one in my family has that!...I stopped accutane but it's not going away. I'm only 33.
I took it for 7 days 6 months ago and it has destroyed me. joint pain is severe all the time. test have come back negative for everything and i still have no diagnosis. Drs and Derms all say it could not have done this. Fighting every day to get someone to listen. Was diagnosed today with post tramatic stress and severe depression, but nothing on the joint and muscle pain. Can i ask if you have had any immaging of your joints and if there is any calsification? forgive they typos...fingers dont work and i also have the added symptom of blureed vision since my week of accutain, and have lost most of my hearing.
I think you need to consult with doctor. Joint pain is a common side effect to Accutane.
I started Accutane in 1988 around age 32, for four months. I remember first off my ankle joints were very painful and affected toes. I could hardly walk. I had to stop wearing contact lenses, because it caused excessive dryness. In general I felt painful all over, moody, began to gain weight, bowel problems. Sensitive to touch, anyone touching me and furniture choices. I wish I had listened to my husband's loving advice and protection to stop the Acccutane. I did the full course. Since then my feet are still painful, all my joints are dry and very arthritis, I have had to have two total kneeplacements. I my soft tissue through body around bones have tears. I was in cast to heal them. My thumb joints need to be replaced neck and lumbar needs 3-4 levels of fusion. I had a doctor look at me recently and said its like I am drying up from the inside out. I will be 57 years old in September 2013. There's so much more say that about my parts that are deterring. I healthy conscious with food and drink all my life. I do know that Accutane destroyed my quality of life. What to do? Is there a reversing medication for this? I know I signed all those papers. I keep eye drop by my bed, I tear my corneas when I blink my dry eyes. Is there genuinely any help out there that will help? Thanks for listening. I don't know really what this done for me, but for others do not the accutane drug.
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