It is a prescription acne medication.

Arthritis is one of the possible side effects of this drug. Bone density loss, rhuematoid arthritis, bone abnormalities,
muscoskelatal pain...

Don't take it!

I have taken Accutane for four separate 4-mth sessions for chronic acne. About a year after finishing the last treatment, I started to develope arthritis in my knees, then hips. Now I seem to be developing RA in all joints almost immediately in the last 6mths but can't get a diagnosis, as I still test NEG for RA factor. Now it has almost been 3yrs since last treatment. They were all spread out by a year to several years. I have wondered if this had any effect on my current condition.

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Steph

You are not alone in developing this condition while on and after taking Accutane.
Read the May 2000 pharmaceutical insert.
Make sure it is the updated insert. You can ask your pharmacist for a copy. Also a copy of the newly required Medguide on Accutane.
I'm sorry you have been one of the unfortunate ones.
Also, you can request copies of case reports from the FDA/Medwatch system of reporting of adverse events. Request this under The Freedom of Information Act,IH-35. Request that the fee be waived for copies.

There is a medical abstract/letter about suspecting Accutane in muscoskelatal pain in past users of Accutane.
Please post your e-mail and I will contact you with more info. if you wish to know.

I was able to find the medical letter(not abstract) that I was talking about.
Please go to http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.80/entrez/qiery.fcgi?

Dermatology 1999;198(4)406-7
Leucher, Ceyac D

Letter PMID: 10449946 UI99379961

The above reference is titled:
Acute Arthritis after isotretinoin(Accutane)

There is another abstract about muscoskelatal pain.

tell your lawyer about these posts!!!
http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/cool.gif

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<<oOo>>

There were a number of letters written in 1990 by people, who had been on Accutane, to a particular woman about arthritis/joint pain/back pain/gastro pain. This woman sent the letters to me. One young womans letter was very sad. She said that she was only twenty and felt like an eighty year-old woman. Her joints and spine hurt so much.
She said that she didn't know if she could go on with life feeling this way.

I finally found this site again and read your posts. I couldn't link to the site, however. Do you know of any others?

another medical abstract

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2000, Sept.-Oct;18(5):616-8
Isotretinoin induced Still's Disease in 21 year old.

Overall the abstract stated that Accutane has been associated with various rheumatologic conditions such as arthralgia,
myalgia,vasculitis,arthritis. It is suspected of causing an alteration of the cytokine balance.

Please read the abstract in full.

evolution of skelatal hyperotosis caused by 13 cis retinoic acid.---AJR, AM J Roentgenol 1998 NOV: 151(5):967-73
(Accutane is a 13 cis retinoic acid.)
This study followed seven patients over a period of 4-6 years. The results were not good to say the least. "The spine was involved earlier and was more pronounced...
The cervical and thoracic spine were the areas primarily involved in the spine."

Please read the entire abstract. Talks about calcifications and ossifications in both the axial and appendicular skeletons.

My 18 year-old son took one course with complete success. Three months now acne free post-meds. Best wishes.

If you are interested in learning more or updates then visit Rep. Bart Stupak's web page.

[This message has been edited by kat27 (edited 09-24-2001).]