Stimulants Accutane and meth (or anything else)

[jsnake]

I've recently started taking prescribed Isotretinoin (Accutane) as of last week. I'm 1 week into it, taking 1 20mg capsule and also an anti-inflammatory drug (Prednisolone) daily. I had a blood test on my first day to check my ESL cholesterol level and I'm due for another one in 7 weeks, when I get bumped up to a higher dosage. That's when I'll find out whether my liver's been damaged in any way.
Now I've heard mixed opinions on drinking while on it. What I've gathered is that it probably isn't in my best interests to down a slab every weekend, but having the odd drink or two isn't going to change much. However, I'm clueless about meth. I had some this weekend and I didn't notice anything. I guess I won't know for sure until I get this second blood test.
I'm aware that Accutane has some horrible side effects and can cause some serious problems in rare cases. My dad and my older sister have both been on it and other than the common side effects like dried out skin/lips and increased sensitivity to sunlight, had no long-term effects. At this point after a few Google searches and one night on it I have no reason to believe that there could be any kind of problems caused or increased by using meth while on Accutane. I'm not a regular user of ice, maybe once every couple of weekends. Beyond all the other risks involved with meth use, is there any reason I should completely lay off meth? Or any other drug for that matter? Somehow I can picture GHB not mixing well with accutane...
Experiences, input, resources?

 

[Captain.Heroin]

I flat out would not use isotretinoin.

 

[jsnake]

Why's that? Dunno about your acne, but mine's a bitch...
Obviously meth isn't helping it, but neither is accutane at this point.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

I'm assuming that Accutane is still prescribed in... "your momma" (lol, whatever country you live in)? In the US, it was pulled off the market due to very serious and frequent side effects and now is, I beiieve available again but is heavily restricted. I am assuming that is why Captain Heroin would not want to take it, because the possible risks and not worth the (possible) rewards. Both meth and isotretinoin affect the nervous system, the brain, the heart and the immune system, so I would say it's probably not a good idea to take them together. How long are you going to be on the isotretinoin for? Can you just avoid meth during that time?

 

[tricomb]

I flat out would not use isotretinoin.

This, FUCK isotretinoin, wtf I thought Accutane was banned?!?! Not the generics unfortunately but it's been linked to ALL sorts of damage to the gastroenterological system, like Crohns disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Inflammatory bowel diseases, it is a NASTY drug and is NOT even even that effective, the risk vs reward is absolutely incredible this drug should be ILLEGAL.

 

[jsnake]

I'm Australian, it's only available with a prescription from a dermatologist. Worked really well for my dad, not so well for my sister. Neither of them copped any noticable long term damage as far as I know. I'm pretty keen on continuing it at this point as I've already gone through getting it prescribed. I know I'm in for a rough couple months but if it fucks these connect-the-dots off my back then it's worth the risk. Any ideas on harm reduction?

 

[J.Tweezy]

ok in the sake of harm reduction im not condoning this but i will give my personal experience with accutane. First off i believe accutane is a miracle drug for those with acne. It cleared me up beyond belief within one month. And even four years later i rarely get a pimple. Anyways I drank, I smoked meth, i popped pills(opiates and benzos) the whole 6 months i was on it and didn't notice any negative effects. That being said accutane affects everyone differently and can be very dangerous to certain people. So be cautious and always play it safe. Just my two cents on the matter.

 

[jsnake]

That's the thing, every account I've read on the net is either "it's a miracle drug, got rid of all my acne and didn't harm a hair on my body". Or it's "Don't EVER take this stuff, 2 months in my asshole fell off, went to the doctors and now I'm shitting sludge the rest of of life. Wasn't on it long enough to get rid of my pimples even." I'm going by the assumption that a lot of those effects are hereditary and because no-one in my family copped anything too disasterous other than cracked and bleeding lips, odds are my body is somewhat similar and can deal with the presence of this shit in it. The major difference being I'm a drug user. I'm shitting bricks (while I still can) at every little cramp I get in my stomach, and if there's anything unusual I'm going straight to the doctor about it. What should I look out for?

 

[Metaphormidable]

I was on Accutane for a few months when I was 16- I had severe cystic acne. At the time I had some dry skin side effects but that was it. It can be a miracle drug- was for me. It totally cleared my acne, and to this day I rarely get pimples (I'm over 30). I also recall how closely I was monitored- it can be dangerous, and I really don't think this drug is fully understood. For the sake f harm reduction, no way would I risk some kind of interaction with that stuff. Just take a break while you're on it- not worth the risk.

 

[Missykins]

I'm assuming that Accutane is still prescribed in... "your momma" (lol, whatever country you live in)? In the US, it was pulled off the market due to very serious and frequent side effects and now is, I beiieve available again but is heavily restricted. I am assuming that is why Captain Heroin would not want to take it, because the possible risks and not worth the (possible) rewards. Both meth and isotretinoin affect the nervous system, the brain, the heart and the immune system, so I would say it's probably not a good idea to take them together. How long are you going to be on the isotretinoin for? Can you just avoid meth during that time?

To be clear, Accutane (the legend product) was not pulled from the market by the FDA; rather, in 2009, Roche (the manufacturer) made the decision to cease its production. It's an important distinction.

The medication can cause significant side effects (IBD being one of the most important), but scarring, painful, disfiguring cystic acne is also a real disease.

 

[tricomb]

While acne may be a real disease, If I could choose to go back in time and suffer social anxiety due to acne over living in a broken body for the rest of my life, what do you think I would choose?

I simply cannot express with words how terrible, not to mention ineffective this medication is and how it ruined my life. Whether it was pulled, banned, production ceased, does not mean jack shit to those who's lives are now a living hell as a result of this medication. It carries a black box warning for increased chances of suicide during treatment, and let me tell you, if your body is affected like mine, that suicidal idealization never goes away.

This is just my voice out of the many of human beings who's lives will never be the same. IBD and IBS, a significant side effect? That's still an understatement. I pray that none of you ever experience what I go through everyday as a result of isotretinoin, you might end up questioning whether it is worth it to continue living life in your broken body. My entire GI tract is destroyed and my old self died with it, goodbye social life, goodbye freedom, enjoy life chained to your bathroom, no treatment options, no corrective surgery just invasive diagnostics, colonoscopies, endoscopies, CT scans, fluroscopies, FODMAP diet and exercise producing negligible improvements.

They make you drink like a gallon of Polyethylene Glycol with laxatives prior for colonoscopy prep, imagine a healthy person drinking this every morning for the rest of your life. Chronic painful diarrhea, bloating, intestinal cramping and spasms, absolutely no appetite ever and watch your body wither away like Wasting Syndrome at end stage AIDS (after a few years, you just stop fighting a losing battle and give up trying to eat), unable to consume alcohol without severe consequences, and you'll have a rough idea of what I wake up to every morning. If not for cannabis extracts, I doubt I could provide my body with a fraction of the food and nutrients it needs to survive or I'd be doomed to a feeding tube.

Let's see, some social awkwardness during adolescence, vs long-term effects that make you question whether your life is worth living to you anymore. Oh and so you all know, there were absolutely zero signs or indicators that this was developing while I was on isotretinoin therapy.

And save me the "you should sue them" bullshit, there is no amount of money that could make things better.

 

[ErgicMergic]

Wow, tricomb, I didn't know what you were going through was because of a drug's side effects, that's bullshit. I have a classmate who has ulcerative colitis and IBS, he literally can't go out because he needs to be home around the bathroom, he can't eat anything except toast, and it has to be toasted at a perfect temperature, not too much, not too little. He's extremely underweight, and I recommended Hubby's Hash Oil chocolate bars for him since he likes to smoke weed, but he can't even eat a little 1x1" square of chocolate, which is a sixth of that edible.

My younger brother had some terrible facial acne, he had it a lot worse than me although mine flared up pretty badly around 13-14, I had it bad on my shoulders and upper back. I used antibiotics and topical rx creams throughout early adolescence, and it cleared up nicely. He wasn't that lucky, unfortunately, so his dermatologist recommended Accutane. It was heavily stigmatized in our school due to two prominent cases of mental instability and minimal acne improvement from classmates taking it, so he was very wary, and did tons of research. He was furious after learning about the side effects, and refused to see that dermatologist again if he was going to keep recommending the drug.

OP, my brother has acne scars and still has pretty bad facial acne at 20 years old, and guess what? He's totally fucking normal! He works out, so his body is in good shape, he is very socially confident, funny, creative, and witty, so he's had no problem attracting good looking women and has a very tight knit group of friends that truly care about him. Just say, "FUCK YOU ACNE!" and live your life, man. Getting caught up over bullshit is going to distract you from living life to the fullest; even if your acne goes away, there will be something else that you're insecure about. We have a limited amount of time in our lives, we can choose to merely exist in them, or we can LIVE in them.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

Wow tricomb, that's so terrible. Thanks so much for sharing your story. Personally I have had pretty bad acne but I would never take Accutane. The extreme risks are not worth the possibility of fixing something that is cosmetic. Western society seems to value looks above all else, sadly. Most acne (especially in teenagers) eventually goes away on its own and can be greatly helped by changes in diet and lifestyle.

I would definitely not use meth if I was trying to get rid of acne by the way, meth can cause or worsen acne.

 

[tokenname]

.Any ideas on harm reduction?

Read tricomb's post above...
It's got HR, among other things, written all over it.

~token

 

[tricomb]

Haven't read everyone's responses yet but the best HR tip is to not use isotretinoin at all. I would not wish what happened to me upon my worst enemies, the best way I can describe my daily life is Wasting Syndrome you see at end-stage cancer and AIDS. I am too weak and too tired to attempt to get any "justice" against Roche, and the sad thing is that the other generic forms are still widely available and still prescribed.

I still have a box of isotretinoin sitting on a shelf that I look at sometimes, I don't know what to do with it. I don't even want to touch it to throw it away. I am not the kind of person who thinks that my own personal experiences with a drug should be enough to have it banned, like how people rant and rave about how suboxone and methadone should be banned, but those drugs actually have benefits. Isotretinoin should be illegal. I am not the only victim of this drug. I am not alone, even though it feels that way.

I still have acne, but I now have too much pain to care. After my GI tract was destroyed, the major car accidents have took and continue to take their toll on my body, and of course, my sanity. I no longer have the energy to stress about my appearance anymore, nor do I have the patience to explain to people why my health is what it is, why my once youthful, healthy, strong male body now reflects someone with a terminal disease.
I'll come back to this post after I attempt to use the restroom, oh the joys of life. The bathroom is my hell on earth.

 

[GBM]

This, FUCK isotretinoin, wtf I thought Accutane was banned?!?! Not the generics unfortunately but it's been linked to ALL sorts of damage to the gastroenterological system, like Crohns disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Inflammatory bowel diseases, it is a NASTY drug and is NOT even even that effective, the risk vs reward is absolutely incredible this drug should be ILLEGAL.

Listen to this.

You would much rather have a pizza-face filled with acne then have one of these. Do you like food? Because you won't be able to eat damn near ANYTHING if you get one of these. I was diagnosed with Crohn's at the age of 16. If you like eating food, or you don't fancy the idea of CRAWLING (because the pain is so bad you can't physically stand up) to the bathroom at 2:30am only to have an eruption of what feels like painful glass shards and razor blades come shooting out of you, then I would also have to recommend you ask for a new treatment. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases are NOT worth a clean face, NOT EVEN CLOSE.

 

[tricomb]

^So true. Back from the bathroom, 35 minutes of agony later.

If you have acne, wash your face with a mild soap morning and night, fuck benzyl alcohol, fuck salicitic acid, doublefuck expensive facial creams. I would be very wary of using topical tretinoin (Retin-A).

All this shit does is dry out your skin, all over your body. Not only is it not worth it to suffer the rest of your life in pain and misery, for a drug you likely took to feel more socially confident, it's not worth the short-term side effects like having a mouth so dry your lips crack and bleed and your chances of cavities increasing exponentially due to the dryness.

I was diagnosed at age 16 as well, responded to no medications. I have no idea how I graduated highschool, I missed more than half of school and social events due to being chained to my bathroom. It really is just like prison. You spend most of your life in one area and hey there's a toilet right there, good, you'll be using it.

Heh, what I would give to deal with some mental social anxiety (you think you're self-conscious now? there are absolutely no words to describe just how redefined your definitions of social anxiety, pain, and isolation will be) instead of 24/7 physical and mental agony. Your physical abilities (or lack therof) aside, go ahead and kiss your sanity goodbye, you won't be needing it anyways, and will probably lose it as a self-defense mechanism.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

The things that help with my acne are actually pretty simple, washing it with plain water, not putting anything on my skin except maybe a very mild hypoallergenic unscented cleanser if necessary, getting lots of sun and fresh air, not touching it or picking at it, eating a very healthy diet, taking vitamins, drinking lots of water, and avoiding drugs and foods that cause/exacerbate acne. I know that takes more work then just taking a pill, but the only side effects from my method are healthiness.

Just because not everyone gets the severe side effects that tricomb and others did does not mean it's worth the gamble with your health and sanity.

 

[jsnake]

Thanks for your posts Tricomb. This sure as fuck isn't the kind of detail my dermatologist went into.
I've read about these cases of horrible reactions to Isotretinoin before. However, I know of 3 people close to me, two of them family members, who took it and didn't suffer anything like that. Yours is definitely a different story to theirs.
I'm copping the dryness already, in my mouth and lips noticably. I'm also starting to get mild cramps in my stomach, headaches, weird smelling piss. This is 8 days in on 20mg a day. I can't imagine myself living worse than this every day for another 6 months or more, let alone live next to a toilet for the rest of my life...
How did this actually happen for you Tricomb? When did you realize that something was wrong, how far in? Cos as much as I want to keep going now that I've gone to the trouble of getting a prescription, I'm not too keen now...
Also, other than washing my face and back regularly, eating healthy etc etc, is there anything else I can do to help my acne? Over it so bad...
And really sorry to hear both yours and GBM's experiences with Accutane. Wish you guys all the best...

 

[ErgicMergic]

Also, other than washing my face and back regularly, eating healthy etc etc, is there anything else I can do to help my acne? Over it so bad...

Yes, you can avoid binging too hard on methamphetamine, as amp binges make acne a lot worse. "Speed acne" can be minimized by doubling up on hygiene during your amp usage, as amps tend to cause your metabolic system to go into overdrive, making you get oily from body oils a lot faster than sober.

I had good results using Tazorac (tazorotene) topical gel extensively throughout the ages of 13-14; when used as directed, it doesn't even dry your the application areas significantly. I remember the first night using it before Winter formal in the 9th grade, though, I put on a bunch since I figured more is always better, big mistake! I felt my skin burning laying in bed, so I wiped a thin layer off but it was still too much, peeling face for the rest of the week, lol. My brother has had decent results with EpiDuo gel, recently, but I prefer Tazorac, it's actually a really good product. I guess it's a retinoid, though, but not "retin-A" like tricomb mentions?

Also, never pop pimples or pick at your acne. It just increases redness and swelling the next few days, making your acne look a lot worse than it really is. I've also heard of good results from 30-50mg Zinc daily, come to think of it a lot of my adult acne on my back has gone away after daily usage of Zinc.