Taking Accutane with Ulcerative Colitis

[concerned mom]

My 17-year old daughter was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis late last year. She takes two Lialda every day and it put her in remission for 6 months.

Prior to receiving the UC diagnosis, she was battling a terrible case of teenage acne - which we tried everything to combat. She had so looked forward to starting Acutane but her doctors advised against it with the UC.

Now that the UC is under control, she was approved to begin the Acutane. Two months into it, her colitis has flared up. She still has three months to go.

I know it can't be good to have her on Lialda AND Acutane, but the Acutane is working SO well in addressing her acne. And it has given her a glimmer of happiness in this really tramatic health year.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Will the flare up eventually subside or do we need to get stronger meds? She doesn't want to go back to the UC doctor because she thinks he will make her stop the Acutane.

Any advise is appreciated. Thank you.

 

[David]

There are currently a LOT of lawsuits working their way through the courts that claim Accutane CAUSES IBD. Is it true? I don't know. Will it harm your daughter? I don't know. But a lot of lawyers are sure seeing big dollar signs which means there may be some validity.

You can see a lot of the lawfirms looking for clients here.

 

[seaofdreams]

Isotretinoin has so many horrible side effects, I know, I've worked in the skin care industry for a few years I have seem people suffer terribly from side effects like hair loss, depression and rashes. And this is in people who don't suffer from a chronic illness like UC.
Is the effects on your daughters acne really worth the UC flare?

 

[kicker]

Here's a link that you might want to read. I was on Accutane last year and so was my Daughter. My Daughter took it back in 2008 also. It did help her tremendously and as for me my second doctor couldn't believe that they had put me on it. I have had lots of health problems and I'm still being tested to find out what's going on with me. After all my health problems and after reading further in to it there's no way that I would take it again or advise anyone else to take it! I tried to post you some links but I'm not allowed to do so because I haven't made 15 or more comments. I'll try and do my best by copying and pasting. Here goes


chemocare.com uses generic names in all descriptions of drugs. Accutane is the trade name for Isotretinoin. 13-cis-Retinoic Acid is another name for Isotretinoin. In some cases, health care professionals may use the trade name Accutane or other name 13-cis-Retinoic Acid when referring to the generic drug name Isotretinoin.

Drug type: Accutane is an anti-cancer chemotherapy drug. This medication is classified as a retinoid

Accutane Side Effects
What are the serious side effects associated with Accutane?

Severe side effects of Accutane include:

* Ulcerative colitis
* Crohn’s Disease
* Inflammatory Bowel Disease
* Severe depression
* Suicidal thoughts
* Birth defects
* Liver damage, with symptoms of nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss, and jaundice (yellowing of the eyes or skin)
* Allergic reaction to isotretinoin, resulting in liver disease and other health complications


I just recently found this one and found it pretty interesting. This is just a few that I copied and pasted.


Accutane Side Effects Report #4768228-9
Consumer or non-health professional from UNITED STATES reported Accutane side effect on Aug 19, 2005. Male patient, 24 years of age, weighting 162.0 lb, was diagnosed with acne What is acne and was treated with Accutane. After drug was administered, patient experienced the following side effects: abdominal abscess, abdominal adhesions, abdominal distension, anal fistula, anal ulcer, anger, anorexia, arthralgia. Accutane dosage: 40 MG 2 PER DAY ORAL. Patient was hospitalized and became disabled. Patient recovered.



Accutane Side Effects Report #4847292-2
Consumer or non-health professional from UNITED STATES reported Accutane side effect on Nov 13, 2005. Female patient, 24 years of age, weighting 101.0 lb, was diagnosed with acne What is acne and was treated with Accutane. After drug was administered, patient experienced the following side effects: adhesion What is adhesion, akathisia, amenorrhoea, anaemia, ankylosing spondylitis What is ankylosing spondylitis, anxiety What is anxiety, arthralgia, arthropod bite, back pain What is back pain. Accutane dosage: 40 MG DAILY, ORAL. During the same period patient was treated with BACTRIM DS, DRYSOL. Patient was hospitalized and became disabled. Patient recovered.

Accutane Side Effects Report #5071556-3
Consumer or non-health professional from UNITED STATES reported Accutane side effect on Nov 02, 2004. Female patient, 20 years of age, was diagnosed with acne What is acne and was treated with Accutane. After drug was administered, patient experienced the following side effects: abscess intestinal, acne What is acne, acrochordon, adhesion What is adhesion, anal abscess, anal fistula, anorectal disorder, anorexia, arthralgia. Accutane dosage: unknown. During the same period patient was treated with BIRTH CONTROL S NOS. Patient was hospitalized and became disabled. Patient recovered.


Accutane Side Effects Report #5090100-8
Consumer or non-health professional from UNITED STATES reported Accutane side effect on Jan 13, 2006. Male patient, 24 years of age, was treated with Accutane. After drug was administered, patient experienced the following side effects: adhesion What is adhesion, asthma What is asthma, colitis, colitis ulcerative, crohn's disease What is crohn's disease, dehydration, depression What is depression, inflammatory bowel disease. Accutane dosage: unknown. Patient was hospitalized. Patient recovered.

 

[stefan]

I haven't looked in great depth in to the exact relationship between accutane and IBD, though I'm certain the evidence suggests there is something going on there.

The one thing virtually everyone seems to agree on is that accutane should be used as as a last resort only, it seems there are physicians out there who using it in cases where tetracycline antibiotics would probably have fixed the issues, and this is what I find most disturbing. (Though the irony here is that doxycycline may have been linked to IBD too, but there are other tetracyclines that have not been linked)

I am in perhaps a rare situation that my acne was so bad that I really had no other option but to take accutane. Now knowing that my acne was caused by another condition, even IF we were certain it had caused the IBD, I do not think we could have made any other choice.

So, I do think that accutane does still have its uses, but the patients and doctors need to be well aware of the risks, and alternatives, if any.

FWIW my uninformed/uneducated opinion is that accutane may likely trigger dormant and worsen existing IBD, but I am not convinced that it causes it per se. The little understanding I have of the issue is that accutane is effectively a massive dose of vitamin A, which can influence the lining of the bowel walls and other mucous membranes (eg think of them drying out like your eyes and lips often do on this medication)

 

[concerned mom]

Thank you all for taking time to comment. I appreciate each response.

@Stefan - do you mind me asking what condition caused the acne? Was it related to IBD?

 

[EarthAngel69]

Personally I'd rather live with the acne than to take my chances with Accutane & I did just see an ad about the lawsuits involved with this drug. Of course every drug on the market can have side effects & depends on the person taking them if they have the side effects. Like some being allergic to one drug when someone else isn't. If the drug isn't deemed safe for anyone, then definitely lawsuits should be filed & the drug pulled but not everyone will suffer side effects but if they do, then a suit is probably justified

 

[Crohn's 35]

Here's a link that you might want to read. I was on Accutane last year and so was my Daughter. My Daughter took it back in 2008 also. It did help her tremendously and as for me my second doctor couldn't believe that they had put me on it. I have had lots of health problems and I'm still being tested to find out what's going on with me. After all my health problems and after reading further in to it there's no way that I would take it again or advise anyone else to take it! I tried to post you some links but I'm not allowed to do so because I haven't made 15 or more comments. I'll try and do my best by copying and pasting. Here goes


chemocare.com uses generic names in all descriptions of drugs. Accutane is the trade name for Isotretinoin. 13-cis-Retinoic Acid is another name for Isotretinoin. In some cases, health care professionals may use the trade name Accutane or other name 13-cis-Retinoic Acid when referring to the generic drug name Isotretinoin.

Drug type: Accutane is an anti-cancer chemotherapy drug. This medication is classified as a retinoid

Accutane Side Effects
What are the serious side effects associated with Accutane?

Severe side effects of Accutane include:

* Ulcerative colitis
* Crohn’s Disease
* Inflammatory Bowel Disease
* Severe depression
* Suicidal thoughts
* Birth defects
* Liver damage, with symptoms of nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss, and jaundice (yellowing of the eyes or skin)
* Allergic reaction to isotretinoin, resulting in liver disease and other health complications


I just recently found this one and found it pretty interesting. This is just a few that I copied and pasted.


Accutane Side Effects Report #4768228-9
Consumer or non-health professional from UNITED STATES reported Accutane side effect on Aug 19, 2005. Male patient, 24 years of age, weighting 162.0 lb, was diagnosed with acne What is acne and was treated with Accutane. After drug was administered, patient experienced the following side effects: abdominal abscess, abdominal adhesions, abdominal distension, anal fistula, anal ulcer, anger, anorexia, arthralgia. Accutane dosage: 40 MG 2 PER DAY ORAL. Patient was hospitalized and became disabled. Patient recovered.



Accutane Side Effects Report #4847292-2
Consumer or non-health professional from UNITED STATES reported Accutane side effect on Nov 13, 2005. Female patient, 24 years of age, weighting 101.0 lb, was diagnosed with acne What is acne and was treated with Accutane. After drug was administered, patient experienced the following side effects: adhesion What is adhesion, akathisia, amenorrhoea, anaemia, ankylosing spondylitis What is ankylosing spondylitis, anxiety What is anxiety, arthralgia, arthropod bite, back pain What is back pain. Accutane dosage: 40 MG DAILY, ORAL. During the same period patient was treated with BACTRIM DS, DRYSOL. Patient was hospitalized and became disabled. Patient recovered.

Accutane Side Effects Report #5071556-3
Consumer or non-health professional from UNITED STATES reported Accutane side effect on Nov 02, 2004. Female patient, 20 years of age, was diagnosed with acne What is acne and was treated with Accutane. After drug was administered, patient experienced the following side effects: abscess intestinal, acne What is acne, acrochordon, adhesion What is adhesion, anal abscess, anal fistula, anorectal disorder, anorexia, arthralgia. Accutane dosage: unknown. During the same period patient was treated with BIRTH CONTROL S NOS. Patient was hospitalized and became disabled. Patient recovered.


Accutane Side Effects Report #5090100-8
Consumer or non-health professional from UNITED STATES reported Accutane side effect on Jan 13, 2006. Male patient, 24 years of age, was treated with Accutane. After drug was administered, patient experienced the following side effects: adhesion What is adhesion, asthma What is asthma, colitis, colitis ulcerative, crohn's disease What is crohn's disease, dehydration, depression What is depression, inflammatory bowel disease. Accutane dosage: unknown. Patient was hospitalized. Patient recovered.

Thank you so much for posting this. My young adult daughter has acne so bad, and I thought it was nerves going back to University and she says no that it is hormonal and mentions Accutane. She just had a class about Acne in University but I havent had an answer yet. Will post when I hear more.

 

[stefan]

@Stefan - do you mind me asking what condition caused the acne? Was it related to IBD?

It's unrelated to IBD, and funnily enough, IBD is actually a common "complication" of the condition (unsurprising as they're both considered to be autoimmune and autoinflammatory).

I have SAPHO Syndrome which is a rare orphan condition, where the A actually stands for acne which is often very severe and unresponsive to traditional treatments. As I said, not exactly a typical case

 

[Lydia]

I also have terrible acne. I have found proactiv works awesome. Accutane is a horrible drug. I would never let my daughter take it. Thats just me though.

 

[misterquin]

I've never taken accutane, but I did take benzaclin, another acne medication, and contracted c diff colitis because of it. Stay away from these types of acne medications!

 

[concerned mom]

Thank you Stefan ... and others. Be well.

 

[KaLa]

Please stay away from Accutane! I took two courses of it when I was much younger (about 20 years ago) and am certain that it caused my UC. I never had any stomach problems until after I took it. It is not worth risking her health for clear skin.

 

[Stancheski]

Stay away from accutane!

Stay away from any Isotretinoin! (Accutane is just a brand)

I'm 99.9% positive my LC/IDB is a lifetime side effect I get to enjoy for the rest of my life along with the acne that is still incurable.

Tell your daughter to try Fresh Farmacy from LUSH. It's a soap that works at keeping the breakouts minimal.

Hope this helps.

 

[Mountaingem]

Yes, somewhere on this forum there was a poll of how many thought Accutane caused their Crohn's-and there were ALOT of people! My sis-in-law used Accutane and when she had her little girl my niece's liver didn't work and she had a hole in her heart, which the doctor attributed to Accutane. She had been off the drug for 12+ years-not worth it.

Acne.org has excellent products that work great for me-I get the kit that also has AHA in it. I get epic-Biblical-plague acne,too.

 

[Mayflower537]

Acne.org has excellent products that work great for me-I get the kit that also has AHA in it. I get epic-Biblical-plague acne,too.

I've used the acne.org products in the past with great success but the benzoyl peroxide dried my skin badly, and then this past February, i just got to where i couldn't take it anymore and had a bad allergic reaction to the BP. Now I'm on a topical retinoid and take 50 mg of spironolactone a day which seems to finally be helping. I don't know if spiro is an option though, when you're on IBD meds...It is specifically for hormonal acne.