Accutane

[jed]

accutane

so, does anyone know much about this drug? it may have in some cases caused CD or UC.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accutane

on another forum i visit, someone has mentioned they were diagnosed with crohns 3-4 years ago, and his doctor has recently put him on accutane for acne.

would you take this after already been diagnosed with crohns?

if there is any risk in this drug causing CD or UC, why do you think a doc would prescribe this to someone that has the disease already?

not making much sense i know, just trying to figure this out??

hmmmmmmm

 

[GregD]

I was on it about 8 years before I was diagnosed. It is a really strong drug.

I know there are some class-action lawsuits being filed right now, trying to l link Accutane and CD. I remember reading a study a while back that showed a slight correlation between Accutane use and CD, but they were far from proving that it caused it.

Personally, I would stay away from non-life essential drug that could make my CD worse.

 

[Isla]

I have never taken it

 

[Guest]

i was on antibiotics for 6 months as a teenager, for acne. i think i am lucky i wasn't given this drug as an alternative, as my Crohns was active, but as yet, undiagnosed.

i would hope that, given the knowledge that there 'may' be some real link to Crohns & Colitis from the use of this drug, doctors prescribing it would warn patients, at the very least!

 

[Guest]

Pen we better get our stalker coats on and check this out. this is serious!!!

 

[jed]

lol, i promise there is no funny business going on in the other forums. pen and ding are my only online affairs!

i'll probably be banned from another forum again today so thats one less i have to visit..... waaaaaaahhhhhh.

 

[Guest]

lol, i promise there is no funny business going on in the other forums. pen and ding are my only online affairs!

i feel better now

 

[drew_wymore]

Funny you bring this up Jed, I was considering asking my doc for Accutan since the pred destroyed my back and even 2 month worth of Doxy didn't work.

 

[BWS1982]

My dermatologist wanted me on it, and my brother, who has IBS symptoms (not full blown it seems, but it crops up sometimes) swears up and down Accutane likely gave it to him. I thought if I'm genetically similar to him, and it gave him what he even THINKS is IBS, I say no, my other ointments and Doxycycline cleaned me up well enough. I heard the correlations that Jed mentions as well. I'd say stay away from it for the simple fact there's suspicion alone, with accusations as well....not worth it, even as much as I hate acne and the issues I had with it (bad), Crohns and what I go/went through is far worse.

 

[soupdragon69]

A couple of years back a dermatology registrar I saw wanted to put me on Accutane (or as it is known in the UK as Roaccutane). In between the two times I saw her I was being investigated for Crohns.

When I saw her the second time she totally lost interest in me and backed off saying if I had Crohns there was nothing she could do for me on the skin front because she wouldnt give me the Accutane for the reasons it could impact on Crohns Disease.

I read up on it and realised about the possible links to Inflammatory bowel disease - in particular Crohns and thought I would just have to manage.

Then Dan Bergy suggested to me at one point I could have something called Hidradenitis Suppurativa. I rebooked to see a dermatology doctor via an open appointment the reg had given me for 12mths in case I came up negative for Crohns. When I spoke to the derms nurse and explained what had happened previously and how uncomfortable I had been with the reg and her comments and also her attitude (when I started the second consultation with her there was one person sitting in the same room -when I got up to go 3 more had come in and were listening the whole time and she never stopped them so I had an audience and I wondered why she started to get smug with me) the nurse said I was to see my consultant only and she would fill her in!

I saw my cons who was very good and told me she would deal with the reg. Spent time going over the Accutane aspects. She said she might put me on it if nothing else worked but gave me an antibiotic lotion to try first and other med options including the "pill" (I have an implant in my arm as then dont have to worry about absorption issues) as the implant may impact on my skin problems due to different hormones.

She said if none of these worked with the Hidradenitis, acne and other skin problems then she would talk to my gastro cons and only prescribe it in strict agreement and conditions set down by both of them and it would mean extra intensive monitoring for me with more scopes and blood tests regularly.

Thankfully I have managed to avoid it with the combination I am on and also the Infliximab has helped my skin to dramatically improve. Think I am lucky for once!

 

[BWS1982]

yeah, over here they have a program that they wanted me to be on if I did go on Accutane, when I looked it over, it looked like it was more of a "cover our arses program" for the backlash it's been getting. It had all these stipulations and criteria that HAVE to be met to go on Accutane.

 

[soupdragon69]

I know Benson. I had to have a pregnancy test and blood tests and all sorts pre seeing the reg the second time!

These conditions though were over and above that already set and would be decided between my derms and gastro consultants.

Am glad I havent had to go down that route!