tretinoin (accutane) was a cancer drug?! What are your thoughts (long)

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>Hello cc,</p>

<p>It has been countless years of different washes/antibiotic regimens and my skin is still ****. My back looks like an asteroid field from all the acne scars and my face gets severe nodular acne (the ones under skin that you cant pop) once a month and then scars and fades until it restarts the next month. My derm put me on tretinoin (clavaris) and I have taken about 5 pills and my face is relatively less oily and my fingertips are dry. I didnt research it thinking it wasnt that bad (despite the blood tests and multitude of warnings).</p>

<p>after researching I have found out that:</p>

<p>It was previously marketed as a cancer drug but the side effects were dry skin (cleared acne).</p>

<p>
[quote]
Dr. Werner Bollag first studied the chemical compound, 13-cis retinoic acid at Roche laboratories in Switzerland during the 1960s. Bollag tested the compound as a treatment for skin cancer, and in 1971, discovered the drug’s ability to cure acne[...] ** When it proved ineffective as a cancer therapy he abandoned the project.**

[/quote]

Thoughts</a> on Accutane:</p>

<p>The mechanism of action for tretinoin is 'unknown' today

[quote]
today, most people that are scientifically savvy about Accutane know that it decreases cell proliferation (in the bone, skin, gut, mucous membranes, and areas of the brain), which is why it’s used in chemotherapy, but up until now, nobody knows exactly how it does this. All throughout the history of Accutane, Hoffman-La Roche has always used the lame excuse in the Physician’s Desk Reference that “the exact mechanism of action is unknown.”

[/quote]
</p>

<p>
[quote]
"Retinoic acid (active form of Accutane) induces differentiation and reduces proliferation of stem and progenitor cells. It works on acne by inducing similar events in basal sebocytes. These same actions also lead to 13-cis-retinoic's (Accutane’s) side effects, and these are directed towards proliferating cells in the adult such as in the skin, gut and bone."

[/quote]
</p>

<p>
[quote]
Crandall is hinting at Accutane’s mechanism of action but he doesn’t specifically say the actual mechanism because I don’t think he knows about the telomere (pronounced TEE-LA-MEER) research that I have discovered. Recently, I’ve discovered research that shows that all-trans retinoic acid (abbreviated ATRA which is the final biologically active metabolite that Accutane turns into) down-regulates the telomerase enzyme (pronounced TEE-LA-MER-AZE) and induces telomere shortening and cell death. This I believe is the mechanism of action. Accutane causes telomere shortening leading to permanently arrested cell division / proliferation.

[/quote]
basically hayflick's limit where cells stop dividing. This can mean serious long term implications and scares the living **** out of me.</p>

<p>^^ got all this from here Accutane's</a> mechanism of action explained - Topix</p>

<p>all these people's hair is falling out months after the treatment. I already have male pattern baldness, dont want to contribute to this bull**** anymore
hair</a> loss - Topix</p>

<p>So all this info is out there and the makers still say the 'mechanism is unknown', so I am taking poisonous doses of retinoic acid (vit A derivative) and receiving the side effects of vitamin A toxicity which is breaking down my body...</p>

<p>There is a huge list of side effects, including depression, suicide, joint and bone problems, muscle pains, liver damage etc etc etc</p>

<p>Ive only taken it for 8 days, should I get off of this ****? I searched the forums and a lot of people have taken it and seen the results but they do not understand that they are messing with their body on the cellular level which has ruined many lives. Any one on this or taken it previously, can you please tell me your experiences? What did I get myself into :'(</p>

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<p>I’m on this right now and I definitely have not seen any of these side effects. The worst I’ve gotten a yeast infection in a very uncomfortable area, but I just used an antifungal cream and it’s fine.</p>

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<p>Accutane is heavily regulated. I had to take 6 pregnancy tests, sign waivers and read a bunch of literature. It was because a Senator/Congressmen’s son was on it when he committed suicide.</p>

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<p>doesn’t surprise me. alot of drugs and stuff have been tested against cancer.</p>

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<p>I was almost certain that it was taken off the market. I remember in Pharm Tech class our teacher said this rather excitedly to us one afternoon…</p>

<p>Anyways, my close friend was on Accutane. The worst she experienced was having very pink cheeks for some reason. And yes, there is very heavy regulation because it causes severe birth defects. We were shown pictures of the babies - not pretty!</p>

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<p>If you are on Accutane, it should be HEAVILY regulated. Women on Accutane have to take a gazillion pregnancy tests and be on two forms of birth control, and everyone gets blood drawn every month. If you are on a low dosage (10 mg a day, etc), I wouldn’t think your side effects would be too bad (other than the obvious dryness). You would have more side effects on a higher dosage, but I wouldn’t worry since you are being so closely monitored.</p>

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<p>Accutane is really harsh on your skin, when I was in cosmetology school we weren’t allowed to give facials to people using Accutane or Proactiv because it thins the skin out so much and alters your chemical composition. I also noticed that it usually makes it your skin oilier, which doesn’t help acne at all. If I were you I would stop using(not sure if you should wean yourself off? I would follow their directions) because I’ve heard a lot more horror stories with Accutane than successful ones. A product I would recommend is called Glimpse, you can order it online for oily or dry skin types(I assume your oily) and I would only order the cleanser and moisturizer. It doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals and it’s kept my skin clear for 2+ years now that it’s no big deal if I fall asleep with makeup on even.</p>

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<p>My D has taken Accutane in the past, but her new dermatologist prescribed Differen. This cream is the best treatment she has tried so far.</p>

<p>Take a look at their website - you can search for it using your favorite search engine. It might not work for you, but is worth a try if you are concerned about Accutane. There have been ads in the local newspaper for former users of Accutane to join a class action lawsuit.</p>

<p>If you do have scarring you may want to look into dermabrasion once you are an adult. One of my friends had severe acne as a teenager and underwent this procedure. Keep in mind this is for the future - it’s not something you want to do right now.</p>

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<p>Hello all thanks for the replies,</p>

<p>some updates since their seems to be some confusion:</p>

<p>accutane was discontinued because the makers (rosche) were getting too many lawsuits and their patent for it expired, so other companies started to produce the active ingredient (tretinoin) and market it under other names. I am taking clavaris which is the same thing as a discontinued accutane.</p>

<p>I am a guy and on 40mg, once a day for a month so the pregnancy stuff never phased me. I have taken all different types of creams and antibiotics and, quite frankly, they are like putting a bandage on a gunshot wound. It clears up the big inflammed pimples but many more break out and its a big cat and mouse game that I always end up losing.</p>

<p>I would appreciate it if anyone who is currently on tretinoin or knows anyone to share their experiences. I want to go into this informed and what I am reading online scares me and my dermatologist makes it seem like its not a big deal (it is).</p>

<p>long term health >>> acne - any day. </p>

<p><strong><em>The reason I am posting this on these boards is because I want some unbiased advice from college students/parents. If I posted on an acne board, all the people who received the side effects are biased and tend to derail the thread.</em></strong></p>

<hr>

<p>@tiff, what was your dosage, how long did you take it, and what was your overall experience</p>

<p>@tmann, how long have you been on it? how’s the progress in terms of acne</p>

<p>@chai, i’ll check out the product, thanks for the input</p>

<p>@singers, thanks for the info. I have tried things similar to differen, it works for a month then my body gets immune to a degree and I break out even worse. Also it’s very hard to apply to my back and shoulders along with my face. I will definitely look into dermabrasion in the future. It really hurts my confidence to take my shirt off in public (beaches etc) with all these scars. thanks.</p>

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<p>I’ve struggled with moderate to severe acne for over five years, and I would never go on Accutane. Knowing the sketchiness of the pharmaceutical industry, I just don’t trust it even though my doctor has recommended it multiple times. I tend to look to the next layer of truth with everything. I’ve head that Accutane works great and clears your skin permanently. I don’t doubt this. I just feel like it hasn’t been on the market long enough for there to be a clear consensus of its long term effects. </p>

<p>I use Tazorac, and it works great. You can almost look at it as the topical form of Accutane. I don’t know the exact science of it, but its a Vitamin A derivative just like Accutane. It makes your skin peel like crazy at first, and you have an initial breakout, but after that it kept my skin very under control. It apparently speed up the cell cycle, shrinks your pores, and controls oil. Just like Accutane, it has some history in cancer research. I read something the other day that said it lowers your risk of skin cancer.</p>

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<p>I’ve been on it off an on for about 3 months or so. The acne has cleared up a really good amount, it’s just a certain part of the chest and upper back that are bad.</p>

<p>I’m actually on the same exact thing; Clavaris 40mg a day.</p>

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<p>You might also take a look at acne.org - message boards, advice, etc. Lots of people who have the same issues you have.</p>

<p>As far as the dermabrasion goes - my friend had hers done after graduating college (some 30+ years ago) after she was able to save up the money to have it done. Her skin looked practically perfect and still does today - she had the cystic acne with scarring and would pile on the makeup to cover it up. Keep in mind there are a lot more options today - lasers are also used to treat scars although I don’t know if they are used on acne scars.</p>

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<p>I was on accutane and my acne is pretty much clear except for the occasional pimple or two from the extremely blotchy gross face I had 2 years ago. I wouldn’t take it unless NOTHING else works though because putting drugs INSIDE your body always has side effects. I feel less bad about putting things on my skin than inside of me because the skin is actually an amazing natural barrier (obviously). However, when I took accutane I was a bit naive lol but I’m not regretting it (yet).</p>

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<p>@singers, thanks again I will definitely look into that after my acne clears up (crosses fingers)</p>

<p>@rainbow, if you read my initial post I am pretty much at the last resort. I’ve been a human guinea pig with all the antibiotics and topical gels I’ve put on over the years and am still suffering. The trust the derm’s decision to put me on tretinoin. You even said yourself that you are clear now so are you suggesting I continue my course or are you trying to dissuade me? Did you receive any major side effects aswell over your course of treatment? thanks</p>

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<p><strong><em>FEEL FREE TO PM ME, if you dont want to share your personal experiences here I understand that this can be a touchy subject to some</em></strong>**</p>

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<p>I took it for ~6 months and finished a little over a year ago and the only negative side effects I noticed was dry skin.</p>

<p>I haven’t had any trouble with acne since then.</p>

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<p>^ congrats, any hairloss or anything out of the ordinary??</p>

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<p>I took it for six months against very severe Acne. I had extremely dry skin and would get sunburns from walking outside for 2 hours in February. I had some hair-loss and some muscle pain but nothing to severe. I wouldn’t go on it again. Now two years later I use two creams prescribed by my dermatologist and I think that’s the better way to go. But my skin hasn’t gotten nearly as bad as three years ago.</p>

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<p>have any of you guys tried MINOCYCLINE (minocin, dynacin, etc. etc.)? the traditional antibiotic acne treatment, in the days before Accutane…</p>

<p>i’m on it for two months already (100mg/day), and i no longer have those nasty under the skin pimples, though they were very slow in getting off my back. tiny pimples, however, seem to be mostly unaffected by it; there’s been a whole swarm of them lately too. good thing they respond to topicals.</p>

<p>and is DIFFERIN over the counter? how much is it? i’m in another country right now, so maybe i should stock up before crossing the border…</p>

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<p>I’ve tried every cream and wash that claims to help acne, and nothing helped. So, frustrated and not wanting to be the pizza face in college, I took Accutane for about 6 months. I had HORRIBLY dry lips, to where they peeled and wouldn’t heal for 3 weeks. When I finished, my face was so clear, it was unbelievable. Because of this though, I got really lax about washing my face and taking makeup off, so now my pimples are back (although not nearly as bad). I’m trying to find a good astringent facewash to keep them at bay.</p>