If you are like many, you’ve had or have a bout with acne and know how depressing it is to wake up each morning to find yet another pimple surface overnight. Acne, especially cystic or nodular acne, can really take its toll on a person’s self esteem and many times social activities. For decades, doctors and patients have searched for the ideal acne medication to heal acne lesions and prevent scarring. Unfortunately, many acne treatment products come with a long list of side effects and can further alter your life.
Accutane to the Rescue or Not
According to data from SDI Health LLC and IMS Health Inc., 17 million prescriptions were filled last year to fight acne. One of those drugs prescribed was Isotertinoin, commonly known as Accutane. Even though the makers of Accuntane have quit manufacturing this potent drug, there are still many generic brands available for purchase. When Accutane was first introduced, it seemed to be the perfect acne treatment, but it wasn’t long before that claim became disputed due to its many side effects.
Accutane has the power to treat nodular acne, cystic acne and prevent acne scars; however, the adverse effects can range from mild to severe, seriously outweighing the benefits. For this reason, Accutane is only prescibed to severe acne sufferers where conventional options have run out. In addition, close medical monitoring is done through out the treatment for the safety of the patient.
The most common side effects can involve extreme skin dryness including lips, eyes and nose along with severe itching, fragile skin, peeling skin and photo-sensitivity. If the drug is used during pregnancy, it has been known to cause brain damage to fetuses. While on an Accutane treatment, pregnancy tests will be given monthly, the use of two different types of birth control are required and a waiver needs to be signed before treatment begins.
Researchers at the University of Baths and the University of Texas in Austin elude that Accutane can also interfere with the body’s production of serotonin, a mood hormone, and can lead to depression.
Accutane – The Depression Link
There is a lot of controversy of whether Accutane can cause depression or not. People who have severe cases of acne usually have some degree of depression and low self-esteem, but the extraordinary numbers of people who have been diagnosed with depression, suicide and suicide attempts while using or after an Accutane treatment seem to raise some questions. According to the FDA, between 1982 and 2000, there were 394 reported cases of depression and 37 suicides of people who were taking, or had taken, isotretinoin. Thirteen of these suicides occurred within three months after the patient had stopped using Accutane.
Although the link of depression and Accutane has never been proven, scientists have gathered evidence that mice experience depressive behavior after it’s use. Roche Laboratories, the manufacturer of Accutane, even advises physicians that “Accutane may cause depression, psychosis and, rarely, suicidal idealization, suicide attempts and suicide. Discontinuation of Accutane therapy may be insufficient, further evaluation may be necessary.”
What’s the Solution?
Believe it or not, there are natural skin care products that can eliminate severe acne with the help of special ingredients from Mother Nature. These biological ingredients provide enzymes that are able to restore the skin’s balance and molecules that act to enhance cellular communication. These natural acne treatments supply fatty acids, leaving the skin feeling moisturized and refreshed. The best reason to go natural is the lack of side effects. Because the ingredients work with the immune system and your body’s natural process, your won’t encounter the typical side effects of dryness, redness, sensitivity, pain or, most importantly, depression.
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