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Accutane and Depression

by Cory Evans

Accutane is a member of the drug type known as retinoids, which have been demonstrated to affect the way the body reads genes. Use of the drug while expecting a child is known to harm fetuses and reduce the quantity of brain cells that they produce. This is why precautions are taken to ensure that female who are pregnant or who may become pregnant do not use the drug. Furthermore, recent studies suggest that brain-cell generation may be equally important in adolescents and adults. Scientists at the University of Baths and the University of Texas in Austin express Accutane might also interfere with the body's synthesis of the mood hormone serotonin.

While experience from the more than 13 million consumers of Accutane worldwide suggests that only 5 to 10 percent experience from side effects, retinoids have also been involved in connections to Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia, so specialists are eager to know how the drug works.

Depression Linked to Acne Treatment

Acne treatment with the medication isotretinoin (Accutane) has been involved in an increase in feelings of depression among adolescent users, and while the link has never been proven, scientists have gathered evidence through an animal study.

Although scientist Dr. Sarah Bailey noted that it is not possible to ask a mouse if it is depressed, its behaviour can be observed and modeled through two tests. The first involves causing the adolescent mice to experience stress by forcing it to swim, while the other one induces stress by hanging the mice by its tail.

Acne Cure Tested for Side Effects

Usually, a mouse will swim, climb and struggle, and only periodically stop in a period of resignation. A depressed mouse will stay in its resigned phase longer than one that is healthy. The mice given human-equivalent doses of Accutane tended to show increased depression-related behavior.

Accutane maker Roche says, "While no causal relationship has been established between Accutane and either depression or suicide, we are constantly monitoring all available safety databases on Accutane worldwide." However, the World Health Organization has reported 720 cases of mental complications associated to the use of Accutane, including 84 suicides and suicide attempts.

The argument that isotretinoin promoted depression and suicide has won a few lawsuits, and is in part responsible for the severe control of the drug, especially in the US. Several case reports of depression, suicidal tendencies, suicide attempt, and suicide in people treated with the acne skin care isotretinoin have been reported to the U.S. FDA Adverse Events Reporting System, with 431 cases documented between 1982 and May 2001 - of these 37 patients had committed suicide.

Idiosyncratic Effects From Acne Skin Care

Studies have shown that people with acne, the population group eligible to undergo isotretinoin therapy, have an elevated chance of clinical depression compared with the general population. Isotretinoin related depression is "an idiosyncratic side effect." Usually anxiety can bring on acne and depression, leading to more anxiety. Also, treatment of severe acne using isotretinoin has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression.

One experiment using positron emission tomography (PET) showed functional brain imaging variations in patients treated with isotretinoin, however the clinical significance of this finding is unclear.

Acne can now be safely removed thanks to a biological skin care solution that embodies one the best curing ingredients that Mother Nature can offer. The biological ingredients cure acne without side effects, and heal your skin in a smooth way.

Published March 6th, 2008

Filed in Health