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Dermatology (Expert Forum)
accutane victim
Answered by
Alan Rockoff, MD - dermatology, Child Skin Problems
The Rockoff Dermatology Center
Brookline - MA
This forum is for questions regarding Dermatology issues, such as: skin rashes, acne, birthmarks, skin infections, rosacea, and general skin care.
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accutane victim
by lyter, Dec 24, 2005 12:00AM
hello doctor,
about 1.5 year ago after doing some reading i went to doctor for accutane. i was 22, 60 kg with moderate acne. i was expecting a 120-150 mg/kg cumulitive accutane dosage. i ended up taking 40 mg/day for the first 2 months. 80 mg/day for another 2 months, and 120 mg/day for the last month (180 mg/kg the cumulitive final dosage). this was against my will but the doctor pushed me for it. he convinced me that since my liver, eyes and brain were fine i should push it. now i have been off accutane for a year. for the past 6 months i have felt like a old women. every single joint in my body makes "popping" sound and they all hurt. i am left handed and have not been able to use it for any thing but typing or simple things because my shoulder blade hurts and burns. my mouth is so dry that when i wake up my tongue is stuck to the top of my mouth. i never had any joint/mouth problem before accutane and it started mildly towards the end of accutane treatment. i am so afraid of my future that i cant do anything but sleeping. i feel like i have permamntly maimed my perfectly healthy body. i was so mad couple of weeks ago that i thought i should send the doctor a personal letter telling him about my condition because i felt that for someone with moderate acne that was cleared up after the second month the dosage perscribed was simply outragous. do you think is there any chance my body would recover from this?
about 1.5 year ago after doing some reading i went to doctor for accutane. i was 22, 60 kg with moderate acne. i was expecting a 120-150 mg/kg cumulitive accutane dosage. i ended up taking 40 mg/day for the first 2 months. 80 mg/day for another 2 months, and 120 mg/day for the last month (180 mg/kg the cumulitive final dosage). this was against my will but the doctor pushed me for it. he convinced me that since my liver, eyes and brain were fine i should push it. now i have been off accutane for a year. for the past 6 months i have felt like a old women. every single joint in my body makes "popping" sound and they all hurt. i am left handed and have not been able to use it for any thing but typing or simple things because my shoulder blade hurts and burns. my mouth is so dry that when i wake up my tongue is stuck to the top of my mouth. i never had any joint/mouth problem before accutane and it started mildly towards the end of accutane treatment. i am so afraid of my future that i cant do anything but sleeping. i feel like i have permamntly maimed my perfectly healthy body. i was so mad couple of weeks ago that i thought i should send the doctor a personal letter telling him about my condition because i felt that for someone with moderate acne that was cleared up after the second month the dosage perscribed was simply outragous. do you think is there any chance my body would recover from this?
Doctor's Answer
by Alan Rockoff, MD, Dec 25, 2005 12:00AM
, Dec 25, 2005 12:00AM
The doses your doctor used were in the range generally recommended--1/2 to 2 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. I am puzzled by your continued symptoms of pain and so forth, because I haven't seen them in my patients. Even those few people with significant aches see them go away when the drug is stopped; it's out of your system in 2-4 weeks. I really doubt that you have "permanently maimed" yourself. You need to ask your doctor--or another doctor if you wish--to asses what's going on, and whether it's related to Accutane.
Take care.
Dr. Rockoff
Take care.
Dr. Rockoff
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Accutane is actually isotretinoin, it is modifier of Retinoid which is used as topical med. as I know.
Happy holiday