The show was interesting as it raised some valid points and got me thinking about the impact that acne has on our lives. Certainly for me - a 28 year old long-term sufferer - it's had a drastic impact on the way I feel about myself and my overall confidence. If I'm having a good skin day then my confidence sky rockets, yet if I'm having a bad skin day (or we could just call it a normal day) then I'm constantly aware of it. I have to suck it up and get on with it, but that alone takes a level of confidence that I would imagine most people would struggle to find, especially those who are younger and haven't fully developed their maturity and self-esteem.
The first noteworthy thing about Roaccutane is the numbers in relation to severe side-effects. From what I can gather, most people who use it will experience some kind of side-effect such as dry lips or dry skin, but there are the occasional sufferers who will completely change once taking the pill and become consumed with depression. The worst part is, it seems a lot of these people who do unfortunately find themselves suffering from severe side-effects will obviously and sensibly stop taking the pill, yet the side-effects will remain. This is believed to be the case with Jesse and there were a couple more examples used in the show.
However, in the same way that a very small percentage of babies will allegedly develop autism from the MMR vaccine, yet millions of babies will be fine and protected from the diseases that the vaccination prevents, could the same argument be made for Roaccutane? This is a drug that has apparently revolutionised the treatment of acne, curing thousands of sufferers and giving them normal skin that no longer hurts, bleeds and cracks every time a spot becomes infected. Out of all these thousands, one or two of them might develop suicidal tendencies. Is it worth it? Without turning this into a giant essay, of course the argument could be made for the fact that vanity should never become more important than life itself, but many acne sufferers will acknowledge that life with severe, painful, spirit-crushing acne that stops you socialising and progressing with your plans isn't much of a life at all.
Dying for Clear Skin can be seen here.
I personally wouldn't consider taking it. I have history of depression & anti-depressants so I think I'd probably be at greater risk of suffering the more severe side affects. I agree acne itself can also cause depression though & I have no doubt my issues were also a contribution to this.
ReplyDeleteIronically depression can make acne worse too the same way stress can.
Thankfully I am going through a clear skin phase at the moment I'm hoping it stays like that!
That's exactly the reason I would avoid it as I was very prone to depression when I was younger and I don't think it would be wise to chance it. I think anything that causes hormonal fluctuations can have an adverse effect on your skin, especially if you're prone to skin problems. Really glad to hear yours is clear at the moment; long may it continue! xx
DeleteThanks to lithium, I had acne bad enough to make people stare in the street and then look away quickly. Which didn't do much for the major depression or my ability to leave the house. I was sufficiently ill at the time to be fairly closely supervised anyway, and I think there'd be a lot to be said for that kind of supervision by default when this level of side effect is involved. As it happened, despite my pre-existing illness I only got the thinned skin and bleeding lips and nose - grim but not life-threatening - and although I still have acne in my thirties (thanks, stress hormones!) and the scarring still shows pretty badly when I'm tired or dehydrated, I can leave the house without attracting ridicule.
ReplyDeleteAs an added bonus, the whole experience has done great things for my self-loathing-based fear that people are secretly laughing at my hideousness, because now I know that when people think you're hideous enough to stare at, they don't do it secretly. And I've got about a dozen spots currently, three of which are huge neon monsters, but compared to the post-lithium nightmare it doesn't seem that grim. Not even with wrinkles starting to show up in between them.
Incidentally, Beauty Brains linked a while back to a study that suggests that adult acne (aka It's Not Bloody Fair I'm OLD acne) can respond to a lower dose with fewer side effects. Early days, but possibly good news.
But yes, it's a drug of last resort. And if you do decide to risk it, a support network is a Very Good Thing.
Thanks so much for your comment and I'm so sorry to hear about what you've gone through; it sounds absolutely awful and certainly puts my skin problems into perspective!
DeleteThat's really good news about the low dosage but I still think it's a little too risky for me as I know what I'm like and I'd be terrified from the moment I started taking it. Ironically, that heightened sense of paranoia could kick things off and make them much worse than they might've been. I'm really funny about medication in general; I'll use pretty much anything on my skin but I'm reluctant to take even anti-biotics.
Thanks again for your comment and your excellent advice xx
I'm actually just grateful that the thing that made me look horrible was something that could be treated and made to go away.
DeleteI've noticed that acne is something teenagers are told will go away and is natural, part of growing up &c &c. It's not fair at all to dismiss it like that, especially as it's a time of life that combines serious self-consciousness with particularly cruel peer groups. I saw Rob Brydon say something to this effect: adults told him it was "not that bad" rather than suggesting he see a doctor and get it treated, and it didn't make him feel better, it just made him have to be spotty for longer than necessary.
And thanks for talking about this stuff. Just discussing things like this as though they're not shameful secrets is important.
Thanks so much for your reply and sorry for the delay in mine. I'm so in agreement about the attitude that acne is something teenagers should just accept; it's a skin infection and any other kind of infection would result in the suggestion that it needs medical assistance, but for some inexplicable reason Acne is something that we're all supposed to just tolerate, even though it's both physically and mentally scaring.
DeleteI really admire your attitude so thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on this xx
Thanks so much Steph, I'd be inclined to agree as it does seem a bit like Russian Roulette; especially as you can't tell what cards you'll be dealt until it's too late. I'm pleased that it's seriousness (for want of a better way of putting it) is getting the coverage it needs as I do hear a lot of people speak of it quite flippantly, which I definitely think is ill-advised xx
ReplyDeleteAs someone who suffers from severe depression anyway, I would never, ever take or recommend someone to take Roaccutane as I don't feel it's worth it. I am lucky enough to never have suffered from severe acne so I can't empathise from that perspective but having severe depression, I know the pain that causes. I also know several people who have taken roaccutane and more than one have suffered depressive symptoms which is significantly more than the 1 in thousands advertised. I don't think that anyone who has suffered from the pain of depression, the anxiety, the loss of self-worth or the sheer terror of what you're capable of when you sit there and plan how to end your life, could ever recommend that anyone take a drug where there is even the slightest possibility of developing depression.
ReplyDeleteIt's so interesting how so many people know of people who have suffered pretty extreme reactions to Roaccutane; I really wish there were some firmer figures to study as I'm sure if all these cases were given more attention, everyone would have a better chance of making an informed decision.
DeleteReally sorry to hear about your depression and I hope it's something you've managed to overcome xx
Hi Sascha,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post. I am so glad you weigh out the negatives and positives of the drug. I was really upset when I first saw an article in the Daily Mail, only focusing on the negatives that I wrote my own article. In the post its very obvious that I am pro Roaccutane however I do acknowledge and understand that it's not for everyone. I believe that life should be 'each to their own' because no one understands a person more than themselves.
http://susieskin.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/roaccutane-saviour-pill.html
Hi Susie,
DeleteThanks so much for your comment! I had read of your post and it made for really interesting reading; I'm so glad it worked for you but I'm still leaning towards finding the drug a little too risky due to it's unpredictability. xx