http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... teaccutane

Accutane does not cause depression and is not the cause of suicide. I went through two rounds of it, and failed. You can't go for a third because the FDA won't allow it (too harsh on the kidney's and liver).

Self-Esteem and Self-Worth, and lack there of, are causes of/for depression as well as suicide, I went through two rounds of that as well, and failed (the FDA didn't care of course)

This poor guy is spending all of his money trying to put a finger on somethign that just isn't there. I'm not sure which is more sad, his quest for an answer (something or someone to blame) for his son's suicide, or the fact that no one is educating him enough about suicide and depression as to save him his life savings. Spending it is not only not going to bring his son back, but it's casting blame in the wrong direction.

Accutane is in a vitamin A base - the most it does is make your joints hurt as symtomatically as Vitamin A toxicity would.... and there is a 20% failure rate with accutane (that it won't clear up the acne). Men respond to it significantly better than women, who have to also take birth control pills while on it to avoid pregnancy because of the birth defect it can cause (big giant head, non correctable for an infant).

Very sad, this man's quest for answers, so misguided.

c-

If you think Accutane doesn't have MAJOR psychological side effects, you've never been more wrong in your life. It's well known to cause depression, anxiety, etc.
Just because you personally didn't experience it does not mean that it doesn't occur for thousands of people, including someone that I'm very close to.

Please present your data that disproves what the warnings FDA has on their website
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/a ... nguide.htm
Or maybe from some medical sites
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/isotret_ad.htm
http://www.medicinenet.com/isotretinoin/article.htm

I will read this stuff, but I still fail to see how it could possible, given the chemical make up of it. Thanks for the links. I also don't see how, if the FDA is warning about it, how this guy spending all his savings is going to change anything. But I guess if it makes him feel like he's doing something useful, more power to him? It just seems to be a waste to me, and I feel badly for him.

i understand he's trying to do something in Ireland, where FDA has no jurisdiction, if i'm not mistaken. i wish him luck. his story reminded me of a really moving film called Lorenzo's Oil. it tells the story of parents struggling to discover a cure for the condition their son had, and how their effort ended up helping hundreds of people around the world.

I think it's pretty clear that the man isn't doing this to "bring his son back," he's trying to make sure that the same thing doesn't happen to any other father. It's very admirable in my opinion. And what if he's right? God knows that companies have mislead consumers, or even blatantly lied, about the effects of their products in the past.

I honestly don't understand your attitude toward this guy. No offense intended but if anyone's attitude seems misguided here....

It just seemed to be to be a waste, that's all.

I was checking out the links, and I'm still not convinced that the medicaiton itself can induce any sort of psychotic fit or trigger depression to the point of suicide. I think, like most things, that it is much more complicated than the medication being the cause. I believe that it is a number of factors not the least of which is the self-esteme and insecurity one feels when they have chronic acne for which they have to even go as far as to use accutane to treat. That combined with the physical side effects of taking accutane, namely, that the vitamin A base causes vitamin a toxisity which causes severe joint pain, severe drying of the skin to the point of one's lips cracking and bleeding, major headaches, etc., all of which can cause someone to become depressed, need to be factored in.

I just feel badly for this man for the loss of his son, and I don't see that spending his life's savings toward getting this medication banned is the answer.

Anyway, for anyone who doesn't have severe chronic acne, and for those for whom accutane has helped (80% effective in women, higher percentage of effectivenss in men), the medication is worth the effort in that it helps minimize and eliminate the depression and the stigma associated with having to constantly hide one's face.

I'm not saying its worth dying for, that would be completely superficial and shallow, all I'm saying is that this man shouldn't have to be doing this, and that his son's suicide was probably much more complicated than simply "he took the medication and it caused depression and/or the suicide".

I guess I'm not being very clear, I must sound very shallow and cold. That was not my intent, not in the least.

Considering the demographic it would most likely be used on (Teenagers/young adults), wouldn't that have a correlation already with those kids haveing a tendancy to be suicidal anyway? Especially if they're suffering from bad skin, which as a kid can lead to all kinds of social problems.

Secondly - was depression etc listed in the possible side effects when they were prescribed the medicine? If so, the man has NO CASE, even if it DID cause his kid's suicide.
He might as well sue Tylenol PM
All drugs have side effects - and they all affect people differently. So it's possible, but suicide is ultimatly a CHOICE - it's not a rash or vomiting. And no one just wakes up one morning ready to kill themself. Perhaps this guy is feeling guilty for ignoring signs that must now be obvious, in hindsight.

I had a good friend commit suicide on June 2nd, of 2004. He was on the drug Accutane. He was also having financial problems and had a lil drug problem as well. He took his life, and was on this perscription drug. I'm not saying it's the only cause of what he did, but Police speculated it may have been a factor in pushing him over the edge.

man, sorry to hear that. IMO, it doesn't matter if the person has some other problems. if the Accutane can "push someone over the edge", it's ground for responsibilization of the manufacturer, if there was no information about the side-effects, and the doctor who prescribed it, if there was information about them and it was disregarded.

this drug should be banned

That was my point, that a person would most likely be experiencing other issues relative to their mental health, and that theoretically the physical discomfort accutane can cause might exasserbate the situation especially if one is already heading down that slippery slope (as I have done).

One usually goes through a 4 to 6 month cycle of taking it; its not a long term thing. Perhaps they should do a psych evaluation prior to prescribing it, or prescribe it in tandom with a mild anti-depressent that can be taken for that short period of time. Accutane itself I'm not convinced is the primary issue, but its certainly easy to jump on the bandwagon about it if other factors are not obvious.

I am sorry for your loss dea.

My brother has anxiety problems as a result of accutane.