r/AccutaneDamage

I am only 1 week post accutane after stopping the course just shy of 5 months. I never expected to have this sort of side effect and its strongly impacting my ability to work and do day to day functions. I went to the ER, urgent care, and my doctor. All tests show that I'm healthy... I'm at a loss on what to do. Are there any over the counter meds/supplements that helped? I'm in the US and links would be great (Amazon). I'm getting really scared and worried. I feel so out of it. Like I'm high on drugs. Please, someone help. I can do this for a few more days but if this lasts any longer, I'm going to lose it.

For reference I’ve recently turned 19y/o and I’ve been on 40mg Accutane since December with a brief stint on 60mg for about a month. I’ve noticed that my short sightedness has got slightly worse over the last 6-9 months and I’m wondering if it’s because of the drier eyes caused by Accutane.

I finish my treatment in about 30 days and I was wondering if people saw improvement in eyesight after finishing their treatment.

If so, what should I say to the doctor? Obviously they won’t prescribe it to me if I only say “I have post accutane syndrome)

Hey everyone,

I started Accutane at 30 mg in March. I experienced the usual side effects, along with recurring cold-like symptoms, but from June onward I felt relatively normal.

At the beginning of July, my dose was increased to 60 mg. By the end of July, I began experiencing severe back pain along with episodes of shortness of breath. Initially, I assumed the pain was caused by working out, particularly leg and hip exercises but my symptoms have continued to worsen over the past two weeks.

This past week, the symptoms became so intense that I thought I might be having a heart attack or stroke. I went to urgent care, where they performed an EKG, but everything appeared normal. I saw my doctor the following day, and they prescribed pain medication.

I’m still having episodes where I suddenly feel short of breath, lightheaded, and as though there is slight pressure in my head (not a headache though). It sometimes feels like I’m fighting to keep myself from passing out. I’ve never experienced anything like this before. I recently felt as though I might black out at the gym, which was especially alarming.

These symptoms are affecting my ability to work, and I’ve become afraid to drive because I’m worried I could pass out behind the wheel. I have stopped taking Accutane as of Thursday, notified my dermatologist through Clear Health, and requested another medical evaluation from my doctor.

Has anyone experienced similar symptoms while taking Accutane, particularly after increasing their dose? If so, did stopping or lowering the dose help, and did your doctor determine what was causing it?

I should also mention that I’m currently under a lot of stress and usually get no more than six hours of sleep, so I’m wondering whether those factors could be contributing.

ive dealt with this absolute bs for like 8 months now :// school starts in less than a month and i already dropped out previously so i can’t postpone my studies any further.
I DID TAKE ACCUTANE FOR 3 weeks (20mg and i think it was a culprit or trigger to some extent but this is js a hypothesis…)
- i have ETD probably from the tmjd because i have seen an ENT even done some weird ear pressure test and everything seems fine.. but i feel shit after flying so
- i hav ehorrible neck/ upper shoulder pain and tension and stiffness like it hurts to look directly down and i feel nauseaus, i got kinesiology tapes which lowk helped quite a bit, i only feel stable sort of when im leaning against something like a sofa or have that airplane neck pillow on when sitting
- i have had a splint since the end of march its mid august rn and it got rid of my 24/7 head pressure that made me go insane but i still have some headaches now and again idk like once every 2 weeks but they are usually mild and go away eg overnight
- i still havw loads of jaw stiffness and pain/ tenderness and the neck pain js makes me so nauseaus and tired all the time
- ive seen x3 physios ans the most recent one has helped the most
- i’ve had a CT scan x2 and MRI so a lot has excluded
- i have no idea how on earth im gonna focus on a levels back again :// like do i get a neck collar or smth idk what its callled but u guys might have an idea of what i’m on abt
- i didnt have any other health issues before january 1st ish cus it flared up suddenly not necessarily triggered by anything tbh.. apart from pcos
- i am quite hypermobile bur ir has never caused any issues tbh (pls dont scare me with the hEDS etc..)
- i am considering botox but botox + hypermobility sounds risky so idk what to do next
-i’m taking anxiety meds but i feel like i need to up my dosage or switch to smth else (Buspirone 10mg a day)
Any suggestions..:(( i feel #hopeless

I cannot believe it was such a simple fix but after years of struggle I started taking 5-MTHF (8500 mcg) and B complex.

Why I think this works- I believe taking accutane severely inhibited my ability to methylate. Taking the 5-mthf is a proven supplement to counter this. Losing my ability to methylate was causing serious gut motility issues which led to all sorts of problems. I had gastritis, acid reflux, sibo, anxiety etc etc. after being on these supplements I feel amazing and my normal self!! I wanted to share this in hopes that others try this. It may not be your issue but it has changed my life already.

*I also take vitamin c, zinc, magnesium glycinate, b12, probiotic. But didn’t notice real changes until taking the 5-mthf and b complex.

While on accutane I experienced severe flushing. Was told it would go away. 7 months later it didn’t it’s getting worse. I was diagnosed with rosacea by my derm but it’s def not rosacea it’s not even close. My derm deserves to die and this drug is hell if you are considering taking it don’t all derms are incompetent money grubbing morons who use this drug as an easy way to solve acne and it will ruin your life.

**TL;DR:** 21M, took Accutane for 7 months, developed brain fog + ED/low libido that never went away (1.5 years post-course). Pre-Accutane total T was ~700, post-Accutane it dropped to ~550. Started enclomiphene 6 weeks ago, T is back up (800+ total, 200+ free) but symptoms have only mildly improved. Tried a huge amount of nootropics/peptides already. Looking for people who've been through this - what actually worked for you?

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## The "before" me

I've always been the sharp, quick-thinking one. Then I did a 7-month course of Accutane and somewhere around month 2-3, the fog rolled in. Doctors said "don't worry, it's temporary." Cool, except it's been a year and a half and I'm still standing in the fog waiting for it to lift.

## The elimination round

Before I even knew "Post Accutane Syndrome" was a thing, I tried to pin the blame on literally everything else:

- Dehydration → drank more water → nothing
- Bad sleep → started tracking it → sleep's actually fine
- Vitamin deficiency → full bloodwork → all perfect
- Too much screen time → cut it down → no change
- Long COVID → chased this theory hard → dead end
- DPDR → still not 100% ruled out, but unlikely
- Late-onset ADHD → doesn't fit, I can still focus fine

Basically a whole detective board with red string and nothing connecting.

## The plot twist

Got with a partner for the first time since before Accutane and... nothing worked right. Low sex drive, trouble getting and keeping it up. I'm 21. I ended up needing a tadalafil script just to function. That's when I finally went back and looked hard at Accutane as the cause, and found the PAS community talking about the exact same brain fog + sexual dysfunction combo.

The timeline lines up perfectly. The only variable that changed in my life when this all started was Accutane.

## The receipts

- Total T before Accutane: ~700
- Total T after Accutane: ~550
- Started 12.5mg enclomiphene
- One week later: total T 800+, free T 200+

Huge jump on paper. In practice though, only mild improvements so far:

- Slight libido increase
- Easier (but not effortless) erections - still using tadalafil
- A little more irritable, nothing crazy

6 weeks in now, waiting on new labs.

## The "things I've thrown at the wall" list

Semax (nasal + subQ), Selank, NAD+, BPC-157, CJC-1295/Ipamorelin, retatrutide, methylene blue, nicotine patches (back in my Long COVID era), and now enclomiphene.

## What's next on the list (maybe)

- Lithium carbonate (short cycle) - keeps coming up as THE go-to for PAS in this community, just not sure how to get a doctor on board with prescribing it for something most of them have never heard of
- Bromantane
- Modafinil - fully aware this is a band-aid, not a fix, but at this point I'll take a band-aid

## The current working theory

From what I've read, the leading suspects for what Accutane actually did are:

- Androgen receptor changes
- Dopamine receptor changes
- GSK3B
- Beta-catenin

## So, Reddit... has anyone actually beaten this?

Not looking for "just give it more time" - I've given it a year and a half. I want to know:

1. Did anything actually move the needle for your brain fog?
2. Anyone have real success (or horror stories) with lithium for PAS?
3. Bromantane vs Semax - worth stacking or redundant?
4. Anyone recover fully, or is this just "manage it forever" territory?

Appreciate anyone who's made it this far. This community is honestly the only place that's made me feel less insane about all this.

ive been dating this guy for a year; and he’s 2yrs post accutane (he was taking 40mg) says he’s emotionally numb…. says he knows what “love is, as he experienced it before accutane” but some days he’s great - other days …. not so much (it’s very flip floppy)

he says it’s from taking accutane, and I’m just wondering if anyone else has advice on how to navigate a relationship post accutane?

I 21f 50kg have been taking roaccutane ( a very low dose ) 10mg for about 2 months now and ever since I started I have been getting horrible horrible intrusive thoughts and panic attacks ! I always have been a worrier but these thoughts are different tney are dark thoughts that I don’t want to have has anyone else experienced this ? I want to continue taking the medicine because I know I need my skin to be better but did anyone else get this horrible anxiety and worry from taking accutane and scared of being by yourself ? Thank you

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I’m taking isotretinoin 10 mg without a prescription because my acne keeps coming back every 2–3 months. I’m considering taking it for just one month, twice a year.

Is this safe, or could it cause problems? I’d really appreciate advice from someone medically knowledgeable, especially a dermatologist.

So, i’m 20, and i had severe acne on my face and my chest when i was 12-13 then i had to take an accutane for a year and a half, for a couple of my months my dosage was 2 per day then, it was one and then my acne was gone, fast forward to now i’m 20 and like 6 years off of it i’m super oily.
it is such a problem.

i don’t get pimples on my face, jaws anymore bcus of the accutane, i cant speak for everybody, but yeah i dont get pimples on my face anymore and jaws that was my main problem before but i feel like my body finds an oily spot and creates a space for my acne in that spot for example? my chest again and my ear area. especially my LOBES. this is why i cant get pierced on my lobes or anywhere near my ear area especially. it is super heavily oily in there. and it makes me so frustrated bcus i wanted to get pierced but everytime i think about the healing it just slows down because of my oily lobes. i had a 2nd lobe pierced and it took about 9 months for it to heal because it would constantly have oil build ups no matter how much i clean it and as to that it would give me bumps. it has made me so insecure.

i really wanna take it again because after 30 minutes of applying my skincare i get oily and its an obnoxious type of oilyness. it makes me look like i have so much cortisol going on my face but its just the built up oil on my face. but i don’t know since i’m six years off it im scared of the side effects if i take it again, but i doubt my parents will let me take it again because i’ve been convincing them and everytime i bring it up they immediately shut me off about it talkin about some it will affect my kidney and liver or my organs and such. i mean i dont blame them because i had a kidney problem when i was in elementary but its all good now. but if i do ever take it again is there like some more side effects on it. like another long term one? or like a heavy effect on me besides the mental health thing, i can prepare myself for it and i have had long term effects cus of it, my mental health dryness on every part of my hand/palm and lips. but i’m taking about like more on my physical health and etc? please dont be rude. thank you !