PSA Accutane & Suicidal Behaviors linked...

[Pliablemoose]

CNN just ran a piece on the air suggesting a link between Accutane & suicide.

Only links I can find are to lawyers web sites that are gearing up for the mass torts. They should have the piece up on CNN later today.

 

[dabuddha]

What's accutane used for?

 

[yobarman]

that sucks... but you knew something was bound to happen with at least one of the drugs that the companies are stuffing down our throughts. Good thing I don't have any ailments that require me to take a pill.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Severe acne.

It's been controversial for some time because of studies suggesting cardiac effects.

 

[Kibbo]

Jesus,

I was on Accutane in High School, and I went through a severe depression then. In retrospect, I just thought it was a bad case of existential angst, of the sort that tends to happen to virgins. Huh.

Considering my family's bigtime history of mood disorders and substance abuse, I probably shouldn't have been on the stuff.

I remember that a study recently showed a correlation between acne and suicide among teenagers, I wonder of this drug could be a confouding variable in that study. Or vice-versa, I guess, if the control group for the drug study didn't also have severe acne.

Gotta also say that the drug worked well, cleared my face up, I got laid finally, and I still have great complexion. Only get zits if I don't shower for a couple of days and don't shave (usually only happens on benders, god bless substance abuse).

 

[rh71]

I've found that Doxycycline dries up your face (thus less oil) in much the same way, but at a lesser rate... and no depression-like symptoms of course. I think it would work well for acne... and it's dirt cheap - $8 for 50 tablets with no insurance. Doxycycline is an antibiotic, used a lot during the anthrax scares. If you know anyone that wants accutane, ask the doc about Doxycycline.

 

[Kibbo]

Originally posted by: rh71
I've found that Doxycycline dries up your face (thus less oil) in much the same way, but at a lesser rate... and no depression-like symptoms of course. I think it would work well for acne... and it's dirt cheap - $8 for 50 tablets with no insurance. Doxycycline is an antibiotic, used a lot during the anthrax scares. If you know anyone that wants accutane, ask the doc about Doxycycline.

My Doc only put me on Accutane after I had already tried massive doses of Tetracycline, judging by the name probably a similar drug. Considering that I'm allergic to most antibiotics (and quite possibly have developped a resistance to that one), I probably shouldn't have taken that stuff for so long either.

Hmm. . .Trade-Off:

Take two drugs which risk my life, one immediately, and one in the long-term or risk being a virgin untill my 20s. Very tough call.

 

[Amused]

So you take a teen. Give him BAD acne. Then you blame the depression on an acne drug?

Sounds like a possible case of misplaced blame.

They need to put some well adjusted, acne free adults on it and see if depression arises.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: Amused
So you take a teen. Give him BAD acne. Then you blame the depression on an acne drug?

Sounds like a possible case of misplaced blame.

They need to put some well adjusted, acne free adults on it and see if depression arises.

This isn't the first study on it. There've been many cases of people with a noticeable difference in terms of depression once they start on the drug. Many cases of suicide including one kid who flew a small plane into a Pirelli building in Italy (?) a couple years back. It's been "linked" for years. I don't see any medical proof yet though.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: rh71

Originally posted by: Amused
So you take a teen. Give him BAD acne. Then you blame the depression on an acne drug?

Sounds like a possible case of misplaced blame.

They need to put some well adjusted, acne free adults on it and see if depression arises.

This isn't the first study on it. There've been many cases of people with a noticeable difference in terms of depression once they start on the drug. Many cases of suicide including one kid who flew a small plane into a Pirelli building in Italy (?) a couple years back. It's been "linked" for years. I don't see any medical proof yet though.

Like I said, correlation does not prove causation. Taking a teen with BAD acne and "linking" depression to a drug is a real reach. The drug needs to be tested in well adjusted adults.

 

[gururu]

I've heard of the link too. The active in accutane is isoretinoin. It blocks sebum production in the skin and may interfere with other glands, altering production of other hormones which can have effects on mental stability, such as seratonin. It is a logical link way before the numbers of suicides came into play.

 

[Pliablemoose]

My concern is that when this drug was introduced & obtained FDA approval, the methods used by drug companies to get the drugs approved by regulators wasn't exactly an example of ethical.

They would (& still do) perform multiple tests around the world, only publishing the tests that would lead to approval. The tests that were failures were/are trashed in favor of ones that support thier application for approval.

 

[gururu]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
My concern is that when this drug was introduced & obtained FDA approval, the methods used by drug companies to get the drugs approved by regulators wasn't exactly an example of ethical.

They would (& still do) perform multiple tests around the world, only publishing the tests that would lead to approval. The tests that were failures were/are trashed in favor of ones that support thier application for approval.

I agree, having worked in R&D at a pharmaceutical company. BUT I think this drug does an immense amount of good. The drug should be available, its just that there needs to be some counseling while the drug is taken.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: rh71

Originally posted by: Amused
So you take a teen. Give him BAD acne. Then you blame the depression on an acne drug?

Sounds like a possible case of misplaced blame.

They need to put some well adjusted, acne free adults on it and see if depression arises.

This isn't the first study on it. There've been many cases of people with a noticeable difference in terms of depression once they start on the drug. Many cases of suicide including one kid who flew a small plane into a Pirelli building in Italy (?) a couple years back. It's been "linked" for years. I don't see any medical proof yet though.

Like I said, correlation does not prove causation. Taking a teen with BAD acne and "linking" depression to a drug is a real reach. The drug needs to be tested in well adjusted adults.

That's kinda like saying drivers with cell phones don't directly affect the accident rate unless you put a GOOD driver to the test. You don't think there will still be accidents because of the distraction ?

We won't know unless it is a proven scientific fact the ingredient(s) have no negative effect on the human brain. Testing stable adults was probably step 1 they've accomplished years ago.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Originally posted by: gururu
I agree, having worked in R&D at a pharmaceutical company. BUT I think this drug does an immense amount of good. The drug should be available, its just that there needs to be some counseling while the drug is taken.

100% agree, some drugs are truly miracles, but users requite monitoring to ensure no adverse reactions or side effect occur.

 

[scorp00]

Accutane is a great drug and got rid of 99% of my acne. I had been on other prescription drugs for years before it with limited success. The only side effect I had was the extreme drying out of my skin.

 

[moshquerade]

i am sick of the FDA approving sh*t and then saying, "uh-oh, we goofed."

 

[Descartes]

I witnessed an older (only say older so you know it wasn't a teen) friend of many years completely about-face over a period of about 12 months. She was exceptionally emotional, depressed, and confrontational. I stopped talking to her for a while, because I couldn't deal with her anymore. Anyway, after a few months she told me she was on Accutane, and her psychologist had taken her off of it. She returned to normal within a month or so.

Not a quantitative scientific experiment by any means, but it seems the above experience is echoed by many who take it.

 

[rahvin]

Originally posted by: moshquerade
i am sick of the FDA approving sh*t and then saying, "uh-oh, we goofed."

I'm sick and tired of people thinking the government is thier fvcking nanny. The FDA has an approval process that is probably the most complicated and comprehensive in the world. If you are an adult you should assume responsibility for yourself and read the fvcking PDA for any drug you are taking and note side effects and do followups with your doctor.

Accutane has been on the market for a VERY long time, hell I took it over 15 years ago and it does have side effects and they are noted and warned about on the label. The drug companies nor the FDA can predict every possible side effect, VIOXX was a WONDERFUL drug that in long term use increased the risk of hemotological problems. That in and of itself is not reason to pull the drug as they could be successfully mitigated by proper medical monitoring. It's people like YOU that think everyone else has to be your fvcking nanny and tell you what to do that cause lawyers to target these drug companies and result in the removal from the market of valuable drugs.