- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Childhood Food Allergies on the Rise
- Keep Asthma, Allergies at Bay for the Holidays
- Folic Acid Might Offer Allergy Relief
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Eight Spiritual Universal Principles in the Art of Practice
- Hypnosis Cuts Hot Flashes for Breast Cancer Survivors
- Acupuncture May Trigger Natural Painkiller
- ANIMAL CARE
- Separation Anxiety, Canine-Style
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Safe Toys for Dogs
- BONES & JOINTS
- Weight Loss Might Not Curb Knee Arthritis
- Arthritis Hits More Than Half of Diabetics
- Scientists ID New Genes Tied to Crohn's Disease
- CANCER
- Quitting Smoking Doubles Survival in Early Stage Lung Cancer
- Ginger Can Ease Nausea From Chemotherapy Treatments
- Vitamin D May Improve Melanoma Survival
- CAREGIVING
- Coordination Has Led to Quicker Heart Treatment
- Robots May Come to Aging Boomers' Rescue
- Bariatric Surgery Centers Don't Deliver Better Outcomes
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Support Network May Play Role in Benefits of Drinking
- Obesity Linked to Heart Failure Risk
- Review Confirms Links Between Diet, Heart Health
- COSMETIC
- What to Do If You Have Unsightly Veins
- Gum Chewing May Cut Craving for Snacks
- Wrinkle Fillers Need Better Label Warnings: FDA Panel
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Gum Care Helps Control Type 2 Diabetes and Its Complications
- Gum Disease Treatment Doesn't Cut Preterm Birth Risk
- A Sweet Way to Shield Baby's Teeth
- DIABETES
- Abnormal Heart Rhythm Boosts Death Risk for Diabetics
- Americans Consuming More Sugary Beverages
- Red-Grape Compound May Improve Diabetes
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Fish Oil's Benefits Remain Elusive
- The Food Irradiation Story
- Mediterranean Diet May Help Prevent Depression
- DISABILITIES
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Small Doses of Carbon Monoxide Might Help Stroke Victims
- Accumulated Lead May Affect Older Women's Brains
- City Kids Find the Breathin' Is Easier Elsewhere
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Eye Disease, Cognitive Decline Linked in Study
- Contact Lens Cases Often Contaminated
- Unconscious Learning: In the Eye of the Beholder?
- FITNESS
- Tai Chi and Qigong Offer Many Health Benefits: Review
- Women Who Run May Benefit From Extra Folic Acid
- Will the Wii Keep You Fit?
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Gum Chewing May Speed Colon Surgery Recovery
- Peppermint Oil, Fiber Can Fight Irritable Bowel
- Soothing Imagery May Help Rid Some Kids of Stomach Pain
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Swine Flu Loves a Crowd
- New Options Offered for Sleep Apnea
- Food and Water Supply Poisoned by Perchlorate
- HEAD & NECK
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Magnet Therapy May Ease Hard-to-Treat Depression
- Save Your Aging Brain, Try Surfing The Web
- The Internet Is Becoming One-Stop Shopping for Health Help
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Whole Grains Lower Risk of Heart Failure
- Women Who Run May Benefit From Extra Folic Acid
- Dark Chocolate May Lower Stroke Risk
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Swine Flu Closes Three Schools in NYC
- Swine Flu Is Now a Pandemic Says W.H.O.
- Older Adults May Have Some Immunity to Swine Flu
- KID'S HEALTH
- Most Depressed Teens Don't Get Treatment
- Traffic Seems to Make Kids' Asthma Worse
- Boosting Kids' Stroke IQ May Save Lives
- MEN'S HEALTH
- The Dark Side of Vegetarianism
- Could Chinese Herb Be a Natural Viagra?
- Low Vitamin D Levels May Boost Men's Heart Attack Risk
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Positive Brain Changes Seen After Body-Mind Meditation
- Vitamin C Protects Some Elderly Men From Bone Loss
- Daily dose of beet juice promotes brain health in older adults
- PAIN
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- Alleviating Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Acupuncture, Real or Fake, Eases Back Pain
- PREGNANCY
- Heart Defects in Newborns Linked to Antidepressants
- Acupuncture May Relieve Acid Indigestation In Pregnancy
- Woman in America Are Delaying Motherhood, Study Says
- SENIORS
- Exercise Helps Reduce Falls in Young and Old
- Friends, Not Grandkids, Key to Happy Retirement
- Older People at Greater Risk of Swine Flu Death
The Acne Drug Accutane More Than Doubles Depression Risk
By eHolistic.com Published: 06/26/2008
More evidence has come in on the dangerous side effects of Accutane, the powerful acne drug, that is also known as Roaccutane in Europe. A Canadian study confirms that Accutane increases depression risk. The study found that Accutane more than doubles the risk of depression.
The study is the first controlled investigation to find a statistically substantiated link between isotretinoin (the active ingredient in Accutane) and depression, Dr. Anick Berard, from CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre in Montreal, and colleagues stated in a report in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
The researchers studied 30,496 people from Quebec who had at least one prescription of Accutane between 1984 and 2003. Among these people, 126 had a reported depression case. The researchers looked for Accutane use five months before the reported depression case (risk period) and compared it to a five-month control period. After adjusting for potential risk factors for depression, the study found that exposure to Accutane increases the risk of depression by 2.6 times.
The research report finishes by recommending that "current guidelines should possibly be modified to include psychiatric assessments of patients prior to and during isotretinoin therapy."
There are two known pathways Accutane can lead to depression: lower availability of serotonin and decreased brain activity in the areas that mediate depression.
Earlier research has shown that Accutane reduces the availability of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin is also known as the "feel good" hormone. Low levels of serotonin have been linked consistently to many psychiatric symptoms, such as aggression, anxiety disorders, and suicidal ideation. Naturalnews reported about the study here: Suicide Link to Acne Drug Officially Established.
Among other side effects, Accutane increases sensitivity to sunlight. And dermatologists advice patients to avoid sunlight while on Accutane treatment. Sunlight is known to increase serotonin levels, and avoiding sunlight may further increase the problem with serotonin levels.
Another study, published at the American Journal of Psychiatry in 2005, found that Accutane was associated with decreased brain metabolism in the orbitofrontal cortex. Orbiofrontal cortex is the brain area known to counter symptoms of depression. Once you understand the history of Accutane, these side effects shouldn't come as a surprise.
Chemotherapy drug for acne
Accutane is a cancer drug. Bet you didn't know that. Isotretinoin, the active ingredient in Accutane, was originally developed as a chemotherapy drug. During the chemotherapy trials doctors noticed patients' acne clearing.
What do we know of chemotherapy drugs? They are among the most dangerous poisons. Chemotherapy treatment often does serious damage to the body. And, if the patient is lucky, may have a little effect on cancer. In this context it's no wonder the list of Accutane's side effects looks truly frightening. Ranging from chapped lips to heart attacks, serious organ damage and suicides. Click here for a complete list of Accutane's side effects.
Do the benefits of Accutane warrant such risks?
The fact remains that only a small percentage of the patients treated with Accutane develop severe side effects. Still, just because you don't develop acute symptoms from Accutane doesn't mean Accutane is safe for you. It causes damage to everybody who takes it. But in many cases the body can handle it in a way that doesn't produce immediate symptoms.
Accutane is often dubbed as the "Miracle Drug" because it works where no other (allopathic) acne treatment does. It is said to work up to 85% of the cases. As dermatologists often argue, in the balance sheet of tragedy, Accutane has the least awful bottom line -- it saves more lives than it costs. This might be true, if Accutane had no effective alternatives and would permanently cure acne. If this were the case, many acne victims would agree to face the risk. Because acne, though not fatal, can have serious psychological effects and devastate a person's self-esteem and social life.
But there are alternatives. Acne, like being overweight, is a lifestyle problem. And it responds quickly to dietary and lifestyle changes. Dietary and lifestyle changes are the holy grail of acne treatments. They can give you the permanent freedom you are looking for. And in the process profoundly increase the quality of your life. Something that Accutane or other prescription drugs can never do.
And many acne victims find their new found, Accutane-given freedom much too temporary. Often acne returns as quickly as six months after the treatment.
In the end you are left with one question. How much are you willing to risk for temporary freedom?
-Seppo Puusa