Wondering if anyone has info or has taken Acutane with Thomsen's Disease. Thanks for any posts and comments in advance.

Best.

I can't see any contraindications that would make me think it would make MC worse. It's basically a very powerful form of vitamin A (retinoid) but does have some side effects in teens that need to be considered including depression, psychosis and suicidal thoughts.

Before resorting to that I would highly recommend trying some more natural and less toxic treatments. 3% hydrogen peroxide from the drugstore is very effective at keeping down bacterial growth...you just pour a little on a cotton ball and wash the face, neck and chest every day. That can be followed by a natural moisturizer that won't clog the pores. I like the Alba Botanical brand that is unscented.

Eating a diet lower in saturated fats and higher in Omega 3 fatty acids like fish and flax oil helps. Fish oil capsules can be a bit obnoxious but a nurse practitioner told my husband to try freezing the capsules and sure enough, no fish burps :-) These higher chain fatty acids help keep down inflammation that aggravates acne.

Vitamin A is useful because it helps the skin regenerate and shed more efficiently which is probably how Accutane primarily works. I drink a glass of carrot juice a day and it really helps with an inherited collagen defect that I have so I know from experience it does help skin health.

Acne in teens is usually the result of increased androgen production. There is a supplement called saw palmetto that has been shown to help lower androgen levels. Also a form of calcium called Calcium-D-Glucarate can help but calcium supplements can increase myotonia if you don't have enough sodium in your diet (not usually a problem for teenagers!).

The last suggestion I would have is to use UV therapy. SummerTan.com has a specially developed acne therapy lamp. I believe these are safe and very effective if used according to directions.

Jan

Hi Jan,
Do you know of any connection between the use of Acutane and Bipolar Disorder? My son used Acutane in his early 20's and his personality changed. I did see depression in him at that time, followed by periods of euphoria. When he was in his 30's, he was diagnosed with severe classic Bipolar Disorder. I suspected a connection with Acutane use in his 20's.
Mary

Mary,

There is definitely a correlation with schizophrenia and retinoid metabolism and it wouldn't surprise me if something similar turns up related to bipolar disorder.

If you do a search you'll find many questions and comments by parents who feel that bipolar disorder was triggered by their teens' use of Accutane. It may take a latent gene defect for this to occur, but it looks like the treatment can induce the symptoms in susceptible children and adults.

Jan

Thanks for the kind response and info. My MC son won't be taking it. Good day to all.

My son's doctor (neurologist)said that no way, no how would he ever allow or agree for our son to take Acutane. He said it is bad for any person but especially bad for Myotonia related patients. Pretty much it is keep the pimples and the girls will come flocking with them or when you are without them.

Hello,
I have no experience of Acutane but have heard similar thoughts and info on side effects that have been stated in earlier posts. I have however had severe acne in my thirties which was treated by TCM, Traditional Chinese Medcine. I boiled herbs and drank quite strong (sometimes disgusting) 'herbwater'. It was complicated and took much more time than a white pill (I was suggested to go on a 6 months antibiotic treatment...!) but it left me with very few scars. I think adult acne is different to youth acne but this is the thing with TCM - it treats underlying problems not symptoms. Thats why you can't just get a teabag with herbs for all problems - the medicin can differ between individuals for the same ailment, and has to be changed quite often. One because the underlying causes changes and two, your body gets used to the medicin and needs to change accordingly. Again quite different to western medicin. My TCM doctor was an English white male, one year older than me and this was when I was living in London, UK. Important is also that he considered the treatment complementary rather than alternative.

Unfortunately I haven't found a TCM practitioner here in Stockholm, Sweden. Although I don't need the same treatment anymore!, It would be good to have such a GP I think.

There are many alternative treatments and therapies out there and I would advise to go on experience from someone you know before consulting a therapist.

/stefan

I thought I would recommend Pro Active. My doctor said that I should use Acutane and after seeing the side effects I wanted to try other things first Yes it is that stuff from the tv commercials but it completely cleared up my skin. Myself and many of my friends of used that and had great results with out the terrible side effects.