In Reply to: Re: Accutane posted by Walt Stoll on September 25, 1997 at 12:12:54:
It was recommended that I start using accutane to treat moderate acne. What is all the fuss about taking this medication? Thanks for your time.
In Reply to: Re: Accutane posted by Walt Stoll on September 25, 1997 at 12:12:54:
My problem is that I have taken Accutane twice already and I
do not see results. One of my friends that took it also, it took it for 180 days. And what I was wondering is that the
my problem it could be becuase I only took it only for 90 days because that was the time that my doctor told me so.Thats why I would like to know if you can help somehow.
In Reply to: Re: Accutane posted by Michael on October 16, 1997 at 23:32:45:
Dear Michael,
First of all NO ONE SHOULD EVER TAKE A PRESCRIPTION DRUG WITHOUT FIRST READING THE PACKAGE INSERT. Pharmacists are now required to give that to you if you ask.
You will answer your own questions if you follow that simple rule.
Besides, no one would dare to suggest that acne is an Accutane deficiency disease. (grin) At best it is a temporary treatment.
Why not get rid of it? There are much better solutions IF you are willing to put some effort into learning & doing some lifestyle changes.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Accutane posted by Walt Stoll on September 25, 1997 at 12:12:54:
I have been prescribed Accutane, but I am concerned about a drug that comes with an entire booklet listing side effects and interactions. In all of this literature, there aren't any warnings about alcohol consumption. I asked 3 medical professionals their opinions about mixing alcohol and Accutane. A nurse and a pharmacist said that I should not take alcohol. Another pharmacist, who looked up the drug for me, said that there should be no problem. What is your opinion?
In Reply to: Re: Accutane posted by Walt Stoll on September 25, 1997 at 12:12:54:
My doctor has mentioned starting me on Accutane for my acne.
I have polycystic ovarian disease and also high cholestorol.
I am presently taking Tetrocyclimin and Lipitor and I am very allegic to Retin-A cream. What information can you give me about the risks of Accutane and/or other treatments to try?
In Reply to: Re: Accutane posted by Walt Stoll on September 25, 1997 at 12:12:54:
Have done first treatment.Help some but not completely.I
still get boils under arms and places that I sweat.Advice on what to do........
In Reply to: Re: Accutane posted by Walt Stoll on October 28, 1997 at 10:27:09:
What are the other options if you are willing to put in the time and effort? It is my understanding that nutrition(sugar, fats etc.) have no effect on acne severity or cause. I would appreciate any input you could render.
In Reply to: Accutane and alcohol posted by Julie on November 04, 1997 at 10:34:59:
Dear Julie,
I would trust the package insert since the manufacturer is liable to put the least important things in there. I know of no contraindication to mixing alcohol & Accutane.
Your professionals who recommended no alcohol have no research to back them up. If you want to challenge them, they will probably just get mad. Disease professionals do not like to be reminded that they don't know everything there is to know.
If you see anything to the contrary, I would appreciate your sharing it with us here on the BB.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Accutane posted by Shannon on November 04, 1997 at 21:44:48:
Dear Shannon,
With this combination of conditions, you definitely have an advanced case of Candida-Related Syndrome as a complication of leaky gut syndrome.
If you don't know what those things are, you need a copy of my book (link below). Then, when you have digested that, you need to learn about C-RS. Read anything by Dr Wiliam Crook, MD or John Trowbridge, MD and come back here with any of your questions so we can find someone close to you who would competently see these as the interrelated conditions they are.
As you get well, I hope you will take the time to share your experiences with the BB participants so others might benefit from your example.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Accutane posted by Jim Brownridge on November 05, 1997 at 21:11:18:
Dear Jim,
First treatment (of what) for what?
What you are describing is a relative deficiency of essential oils (see my note on the home page (link on this page)--not Acne.
Also, the ones under your arms can be seriously aggravated by antiperspirant substances.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Accutane posted by k sutton on November 05, 1997 at 23:19:01:
Dear k,
Healthy people do not have Acne. This has been known for nearly 100 years.
In the back of my book is an entire section (with references) of the 3 main things recommended by ALL health oriented practitioners all ver the world. This section explains exactly how to do them. I have seen no one who does these things for 6 months who has any acne left. Of course, the positive side effects of getting healthy frequently lead people to say that they appreciate having had their acne since it finally got them to do what was necessary to get healthy. Without the aggravation of the acne they probably would not have done the work needed to get healthy--a marvelous experience.
As you get well, please share youe experiences with the rest of us here on the BB. You could help someone else not have to go through what you have.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Accutane posted by Walt Stoll on September 25, 1997 at 12:12:54:
hello,
I recently started to take 40 mg of Accutane everyday and I have asked my doctor and pharmacist, if it was okay that I am taking Accutane with Dilantine 400mg every day. Well, they said there is no any subject to this matter, however I wanted to make sure about this....
Is there any conflict between Accutane and Dilantine?
Thank you for your time,
P.S. you said that healthy people do not have acne, I personally think that I am a healthy person. Is that mean I am not healthy enough?
In Reply to: Re: Accutane and alcohol posted by Walt Stoll on November 06, 1997 at 12:26:21:
im in my second month of taking accutane 80mg/day. the info that i received with the perscription noted that drinking too much alcohol while taking accutane may increase the chance of unwanted effects on the heart and blood vessels. it is best that you do not drink alcoholic beverages or that you at least reduce the amount you usually drink. im a social drinker so i thought i could get away with it. when i spoke with the doctor about the results of my second lab test he asked if i had been drinking. his reaction scared me so much that i will not even think about a beer. my triglycerided were extremely high. its either the medicine or the alcohol. so in my unprofessional opinion DONT DO IT. after reading some of the side effects its not worth it. hope this was useful and everything is going good otherwise.
In Reply to: Accutane + Dilantine posted by Shin on November 09, 1997 at 18:07:52:
Dear Shin,
As I have said so many times, here on the BB: NO ONE SHOULD TAKE ANY PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION WITHOUT FIRST READING THE PACKAGE INSERT. If your pharmacist has not provided you with one, you should take your bottle back & ask them for a copy. You need your bottle to prove that you got your prescription there.
THEN, once you have digested that, if you still have questions, write again.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Accutane and alcohol posted by chris snyder on November 10, 1997 at 00:07:29:
Thanks, Chris.
I hope your story helps others prevent damage caused by combining these 2 substances.
Of course, you know that there is a "bell curve" about this as well. Those with less liver metabolism reserves would be the ones who got into the kind of trouble you noted. The warning lables are designed to ignore the extremes of the bell curve & only focus on the average in the middle.
If it were me, I would look at this as a warning that your liver reserves were low and learn something about raising them.
We MDs make our money treating each symptom as though it was not related to the rest of your body at all. So long as the public lets us get away with that approach, the present disease-care crisis will only get worse. A great example is Accutane for Acne.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Accutane posted by Walt Stoll on November 10, 1997 at 11:27:11:
I am a student Athlete at SWT. I was wondering if my knee problems could be related to Accutane. Someone told me that it also dried your joints as well as your lips and skin. Is there any truth to this statement.
In Reply to: Re: Accutane posted by Jonathan on November 11, 1997 at 01:42:07:
Dear Jonathan,
I had not heard that & would be very surprised if it were so, If you can produce any literature showing that, I would greatly appreciate your sharing it with us here on the BB.
In the meantime, I would suggest to you that many of the same causes of acne are also causes of arthritic inflammation. Perhaps they both happen at the same time because of those causes & it has nothing to do with the Accutane.
When you get interested in the connections between LGS & arthritis & acne, etc., get a copy of my book (link below) & write again when you have more questions.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Accutane posted by Caris Martinez on October 24, 1997 at 15:03:54:
I have been using Accuatne for two months but my dr. stopped treatment for a month because my white blood cell count is very low. Is there anything I can do to help to help this problem? Also, will this delay in treatment cause my acne to worsen again -- it has already improved trememdously?
robyn Williams
In Reply to: Re: Accutane posted by Walt Stoll on September 25, 1997 at 12:12:54:
I am concerned about the subject of accutane and hair loss;
I mean after the treatment was stopped and there was no
thinning during the treatment. I asked my doctor and he
said that there was no risk of hair falling out after the
treatemnt. But, I read someone say that after five years
his hair was falling out? Please tell me the truth!!!!
In Reply to: Re: Accutane posted by John on November 16, 1997 at 11:11:40:
Dear John,
I have never prescribed Accutane. However, you should never take any prescription drug without first reading the package insert (which is supposed to come with the drug) --ask your pharmacist. If hair loss has EVER been reported with the use of this substance, it would be mentioned there.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Accutane posted by Walt Stoll on November 16, 1997 at 13:52:53:
The insert mentions that it is possible for hair thinning during the
treatment, in rare cases this thinning persisted after the
treatment was stopped. What if there is no hair loss during
the treatment? Is it possible to happen in a few years because of
the drug? My dermatologist says no...but I read on the net
someone say that after 5 years his hair started falling out.
Which is the truth?
In Reply to: Re: Accutane - A Modest Proposal for Walt Stoll posted by David Brockmeier on November 16, 1997 at 19:19:00:
Hi David,
Your post reminds me of one I wrote in response to a get-rich-quick scheme mail solicitation I got many years ago. They had a system for beating the lottery. I proposed that they send me the package free, and I'd split my profits with them - and I never heard back from them (what a surprise).
That said, this is a very different situation. First of all, you don't have to buy my dad's book to learn the "amazing secret of the three lifestyle changes". They are all described in articles on this website. The book is to help convince you that the lifestyle changes will work, details on how to do them correctly, and to provide references to help you make the changes as effectively and painlessly as possible. Not bad for $13.
The lifestyle changes are remarkably effective, but for many people they are a lot harder than walking over hot coals. Walking over the coals takes a few seconds, but these changes have to be implemented for at least six months - that's quite a catch. They are #1 practic e a skilled relaxation technique for 20 minutes twice a day, #2 regular program of aerobics for 20 minutes three times a week, and #3 whole foods diet. Appendix D of the book has thirteen pages describing these changes in some detail. It is immediately followed by 13 references to books that will further detail the lifestyle changes, 36 references to books on related subjects, and 88 references to organizations, publications, and schools that are resources on this path.
In closing, let me add that my dad has priced this book to break even. This book is 170 pages not counting the index, testimonials, Foreword, etc. I admit to some bias, but the book is not fluff - it is very meaty stuff. Still, people who are looking for a quick and easy pill to take to solve their problems will not be very happy. The book is about taking responsibility for your own life.
Thanks for posting!
Bill
In Reply to: Re: Accutane posted by John on November 16, 1997 at 14:17:32:
Dear John,
Perhaps no one knows yet. This is probably a good example of the "whoops factor" that is so common with so many of the drugs pronounced safe by the FDA & found later to have unexpected consequences (whoops). Phen Fen is but one of many examples.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Accutane - A Modest Proposal for Walt Stoll posted by David Brockmeier on November 16, 1997 at 19:19:00:
Dear david,
I appreciate your "modest proposal". It means that you are thinking.
However, I have already tried doing that in many conditions. The problem is monitoring the individual to see that s/he actually does the aerobics correctly & regularly, doesn't cheat on their diet (or even bother to learn how to do it right) & practice effective skilled relaxation 20 minutes twice a day (or even bother to follow instructions as to how to be sure that they have learned an effective form of skilled relaxation.
Several insurance companies (each with the fifty million in backing needed to form a new insurance company) have already run up agains this problem. They offer dramatically reduced rates for those who practice the same things I have mentioned. They even have the participant sign a contract that, if they fail to continue with their health program the insurance company can refund their premiums instead of pay for the illnesses that happen because they didn't hold up their end of the bargain.
Howeve r they all found that it was too hard to prove that people didn't do what they had agreed to do. It is a lot easier to find someone who saw you smoking & thus deny coverage for your heart attack--or even deny coverage because you had lied on your application about "previously existing conditions".
Monitoring lifestyle changes is patently impossible. There is no reason to "kill the messenger" when the individual decides s/he wants their money back for not following instructions.
For those who decide to continue with the failed conventional medical approach for acne, I say more power to them. I have practiced conventionaql medicine alone for 10 years, taught it in the medical school for 3 more & finally learned what advanced physicians all around the world were doing to resolve these chronically "incurable" conditions. I had to give up 3/4ths of my income to offer my patients these options since they involve education which takes a lot more time & commitment than simply writing a prescription & movin g on to the next victim (the present standard of conventional practice).
The last 17+ years of my practice I saw my patients get over things like this that I NEVER saw the first 13 years of my practice. I KNOW what works & what doesn't.
I make NO money from my book. I will be very lucky to break even if they are all sold. The amount of WORK needed for the individual to resolve this problem is many, many, many times the cost of the book.
We would all like there to be a magic pill to resolve these conditions (of which acne is one of the mildest--I am sure that any arthritic, heart attack or stroke victim, etc., would trade in a minute). That is why the AMA has gotten away with their monopoly for so many years. HOWEVER, that approach has not worked.
It is now up to those who have suffered enough to decide that they are willing to learn something new & apply the discipline needed to accomplish it.
I appreciate the thought you have put into this. However, I have been thinking about it & practic ing it for more than 20 years (after 20 more years of training & practicing conventional medicine). I KNOW of what I speak.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Accutane posted by Walt Stoll on November 07, 1997 at 09:36:13:
-Healthy people do not have Acne. This has been known for nearly 100 years.
Really? Last I looked I was pretty healthy. I workout, I eat right, avoid fatty foods, etc. Guess what? I have acne of the cystic sort. Have since I was 13. It wasn't a question of health then, and it isn't now. I consider your statement an insult to the intelligence of anybody who reads it.
- n the back of my book is an entire section (with references) of the 3 main things
recommended by ALL health oriented practitioners all ver the world. This section
explains exactly how to do them. I have seen no one who does these things for 6 months
Let me guess: Eat right, get regular aerobic exercise, make sure you get all your vitamins, that sort of thing? Well in this case it's produced a healthy individual with acne.
I have taken accutane twice in the last 7 years. The first time it was miraculous. In the space of 4 weeks my complexion went from volcanic to normal. And then it stayed that way for 2 years, until a
relapse. second dose killed it until I decided to ensure I had all my vitamins recently, and now I'm suffering again. So guess what? I'll take a 3rd dose thank you very much. And in case you're wondering, yes, I had tried everything else before, the (s)creams, the antibiotics, anything over-the-counter. Only one thing worked, and I swear by it. Reading your remarks about acne does nothing more than make me shake with fury. It's obvious you haven't suffered from it yourself to any great extent.