Accutane Side Effects: Should Depression Be A Concern?

Medical professionals and acne-pestered adolescents have no doubts about the effectiveness of the severe acne drug isotretinoin. It's the looming possibility of side effects such as depression and fetal damage that makes people uneasy when considering using this medication.

Accutane (isotretinoin) is one of Hoffman-LaRoche's most popular and controversial pharmaceuticals. This week, a study published in the Archives of Dermatology vindicated isotretinoin from causing depression. In this report, Christina Y. Chia, MD, from Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center, St. Louis, and colleagues examined whether patients with moderate to severe acne treated with isotretinoin experienced an increase in depressive symptoms compared with patients treated with a topical antibiotic, topical retinoid, and an oral antibiotic.

Dr. Chia found that "The use of isotretinoin in the treatment of moderate-severe acne in adolescents did not increase depressive symptoms. On the contrary, our study shows that treatment of acne improves depressive symptoms".

Five years earlier, in 2000, the isotretinoin-depression link still appeared misleading. That time, the Archives of Dermatology posted study, headed by Dr. Susan S. Jick, from the Boston University School of Medicine, which found no evidence that isotretinoin increases the risk for depression, suicide, or other psychiatric disorders.

Even though isotretinoin finds ample support among dermatologists and psychiatrists, a host of parents, politicians and medical professionals hail isotretinoin as a medical misfortune. For instance, Dr. David J. Graham, the Associate Director for Science and Medicine in FDA's Office of Drug Safety, recently warned that Accutane should be taken off the market.

And while there are few studies with any negative observations about isotretinoin, Dr. Douglas Bremner's research at of the Emory University School of Medicine has linked isotretinoin treatment with changes in brain function. At the conclusion of this study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, Dr. Bremner concurred with Dr. Graham's view that isotretinoin proves too dangerous for human use.

Dr. Bremner explains that to invoke depression, isotretinoin must influence the brain. During the investigation, brain function of the subjects was measured using positron emission tomography (PET) before and after four months of treatment with isotretinoin. Isotretinoin treatment was associated with decreased brain metabolism in the orbitofrontal cortex- the area of the brain known to mediate symptoms of depression. Yet, there were no differences in severity of depressive symptoms between the isotretinoin and antibiotic treatment groups before or after treatment.

The pessimistic effects of isotretinoin also caught the attention of Diane K. Wysowski PhD. Dr. Wysowski noted that in June 2000, isotretinoin ranked among the top 10 drugs linked to depression and suicide attempts in the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System database. In 2001, Dr. Wysowski examined isotretinoin's depression inducing potential and posted her findings in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Dr. Wysowski concluded that more studies of isotretinoin are needed. She also advised patients and their parents to immediately report mood swings and symptoms that are suggestive of depression such as sadness, crying, loss of appetite, unusual fatigue, withdrawal, and inability to concentrate to their prescribing physician. These protective measures can avoid more serious side effects and permit appropriate treatment, including consideration of drug discontinuation and referral for psychiatric care.

While dissension among researchers still exists about whether or not isotretinoin causes depression, one idea most of them can agree on is that more research on the side effects of isotretinoin are desirable. If you are not in the mood for being an isotretinoin guinea pig, Geoffrey Redmond MD, author of The Good News about Women's Hormones, suggests using hormone therapy and/or using Retin-A if isotretinoin seems too chancy for you.

Health author and Stanford University graduate Naweko San-Joyz lovingly writes from her home in San Diego. Her works include "Acne Messages: Crack the code of your zits and say goodbye to acne" (ISBN: 0974912204) and the upcoming work "Skinny Fat Chicks, Why we're still not getting this dieting thing" (ISBN: 0974912212) for release in June of 2005. For useful acne self-help articles visit http://www.Noixia.com

---

What You Should Know About Acne

There are many different types of acne and with that... Read More

Help! I Need Acne Skin Care Products!

If you suffer from acne, you may need acne skin... Read More

Stop, That Little White Bump May Not Be A Zit After All

White bumps bugging you? Just because you have little white... Read More

Acne Program ? Step 11 Herbal Mixtures To Drink

Herbal combinations are a powerful way to reduce or eliminate... Read More

Are You Tired Of Looking For The Acne Cure?

When it comes to zits and finding the acne cure... Read More

Shopping for Sensitive Skin: A Guide for the Acne and Rosacea Conscious

Acne and rosacea patients take note- you must know about... Read More

Acne Adoloscent Style ? How To Deal With It?

Adolescent acne is referred to by many names, teen acne,... Read More

More Ways to Deal With Acne

The "cures" for acne vary dependant on the type and... Read More

Acne Program ? An Introduction

Acne is the most common skin disorder. Over 10% of... Read More

Battle Blemishes

Every individual has different skin needs. But what doesn't differ... Read More

Acne Skin Savers Your Mom Never Told You About

Undoubtedly your mom told you about the straw that broke... Read More

How Mental Attitude and Digestion Affect Acne

Mental attitudeAcne is an expression of toxins in the body... Read More

Whats The Real Cause Of Acne?

Most acne medications only mask the symptoms of acne and... Read More

Is There A Solution For Acne?

Are there acne solutions that really work? If you are... Read More

Accutane Side Effects: Should Depression Be A Concern?

Medical professionals and acne-pestered adolescents have no doubts about the... Read More

Back to School With Clear Skin

Backpack? Check. Notebooks? Check. Ink-pens? Check. Clear Skin? Mommmm!If you... Read More

An Acne Herbal Hand and Footbath

In a book I read by William L. Fischer called... Read More

Acne Scar Removal Cream

If you have acne scars you may be interested in... Read More

Acne and Green Tea

Green tea is used by the Chinese as a traditional... Read More

Acne Prevention Tips

Preventing acne is an extremely difficult thing to do. There... Read More

Calming Teenage Acne: How to Smooth Troubled Skin with a Holistic Approach... 7 Key Steps

To calm teenage acne the skin must be balanced both... Read More

Acne Cure, How to Cure Acne

Acne is a common skin condition that is not restricted... Read More

Hormones and Adult Acne

Are you experiencing problems with hormones and adult acne? Hormones... Read More

Deep Peels for Acne: What it feels like to get burned

There I was. I had paid just under $400 dollars... Read More

What Causes Adult Acne?

For many people the question of "what causes adult acne"... Read More

Acne Solutions ? Do You Need One?

Acne solutions occupy the minds of our teenagers. With acne... Read More

Don?t Blame Bacteria for Causing Acne

All life forms strategize to survive and procreate. Weeds, worms,... Read More

What is Milia - Whiteheads-Acne

MILIA (whiteheads)Milia are deep seeded white bumps that form when... Read More

Acne Scars ? Getting Rid of Bad Memories!

Acne scars can often be the final reminder of a... Read More

Are You Sure Your Diet Doesnt Affect Your Acne?

For those of you who have met me, you know... Read More

How to Brush Your Skin to Relieve Acne

Brushing your skin with a brush or cloth is an... Read More

The Hows and Whys of Acne

A few simple steps occur that cause skin blemishes. First,... Read More

Acne Treatment: 7 Things You Must Know!

Let me ask you this...Are you suffering from acne?Do you... Read More