What do you think of the suggestion that Roaccutane should no longer be prescribed?

[Wonkybanana]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-47952076

Although I've never had good skin, it hasn't been bad enough for Roaccutane - but for many people I know it's been a life changer.

Do the risks outweigh the benefits?

I don't know. You can't be sure who is going to react badly to the drug when it's prescribed but if it affects a handful badly enough that they take their own lives, is it worth the risk?

A know someone who used it and it did change her life - for the better. Bad skin now it’s beautifully clear. It’s a tough call.

It changed my life. It would be a terrible shame for people like me if they withdrew it. Maybe increase the monitoring to even more so bad reactions are picked up rapidly instead. I don’t know what it’s like now but I was watched very carefully when I was on it nearly 20 years ago.

I’ve had it, my son has had it and I’m so glad we did. He was so unhappy after 2-3 years of terrible skin. This changed everything for both of us!

I’d be interested to know more about the sex split of extreme negative reactions. I had a male family member who had terrible side effects: fortunately temporary, but I’ve only ever heard of them in boys/men.

It’s a very tough call. Yes the side effects can be bad, but the results good. Is it worth the risk prescribing something which may cause death by suicide?

For some teenagers, having acne bad enough to qualify for Roaccutane, is ruining their lives anyhow. They are suicidal BECAUSE of their acne.

Other teenagers develop suicidal thoughts and depression without Roaccutane.

How can Roaccutane be proven to have caused depression in people who may already be predisposed to those tendencies?

The child in the article clearly blames Roaccutane for his ED and depression, and if that alone is to blame, then perhaps it should not be prescribed in future. But at what cost to those acne sufferers?

I write this as someone who has taken Roaccutane, suffered (desperately and unrelatedly) with depression, and have other side effects which I believe have been caused by Roaccutane. I’d take it again if I had the choice.

It changed my life and that of my two daughters. I would be gutted if it was stopped.

It’s just quite sad that acne suffers have to decide what is the worser evil between potentially helping their physical problems (acne) vs potentially harming their mental health with this product. Ideally with modern medicine this shouldn’t be a concern.

It’s numbers, isn’t it. Lots of drugs have terrible side effects; and if the prevalence of those reaches a certain threshold, the drugs gets withdrawn. I don’t know what the protocol is but it already exists.

I think greater monitoring of at risk groups might be a better middle ground... terrible as it is for those who have lost people.

Another person who’s life was changed for the better by Roaccutane. I’m not totally sure I wouldn’t have ended up suicidal without it, I was in a pretty bad place. I vividly remember the consultant asking if I could be pregnant and bursting into tears saying ‘do you think anyone would go near me looking like this?!’. I agree that there should be very careful monitoring but not stopping it totally.

A handful of cases inside millions of users does not a statistically significant risk make. I had roaccutaine and it made a HUGE difference. My older sister and brother both have cratered faces, while mine and my younger sister both have smooth skin and hardly had acne during teenage years (I took it back in the late 90’s).

But just as my experience in isolation isn’t an argument nor is the suicide or ED of others in isolation an argument. That’s why you need some proper quantitative and qualitative research. If something comes back and says roaccutaine causes suicidal ideation in 10% of users, then yes obviously it’s no good. But if it’s a 1:100,000 cases then arguably the benefits do outweigh the disbenefits. People just need to know the risks before taking it.

I agree that research needs to be done so people can weigh up the risks.

It's not as easy as just increasing monitoring because someone who is experiencing psychosis and/ or suicidal thoughts isn't likely to engage with GP may be likely to disengage if acutely unwell and not attend routine appointments.

I used it twice.

Still it didnt work for me.
I didnt suffer a lot of side effects except extremely dry skin and lips.

But the side effects on some people can be life threatening. Literally. So I would say dermatologists should proceed with caution when prescribing it.

DrWhy's comment could have been me! I remember crying because I couldn't wee for the pregnancy test one time and the nurse was quite insistent, I shouted at her that other 15 year olds were the ones getting pregnant, I obviously wasn't having sex with anyone because I had a face like a pizza...
Agree with pps that depression can come from the acne, not the roaccutane...although I do also think it caused me some long term side effects, it was worth not suffering with such bad acne any longer