Accutane and constipation

Rayana wrote:

I have been taking Accutane for 1 week only and already have the dry lips and dry skin but I have been constipated since day one, and reading all the comments it looks like it's a side effect, I knew it was, it's comforting to know other people might be experiencing the same..have to take better care now and start with the prunes :)

Me too, i've been taking it for a week. Not sure when this article is dated and/or if you'll reply. BUT, what helped you?

Drake wrote:

I feel bad about bringing a very old topic back but I am wondering if Jeff or Joey are still around. I also had to discontinue accutane because of distension, constipation, cramps, and extremely loud digestion. I'm writing this 8 months after I stopped accutane and there has been no improvement with my IBS but I'm currently faced with recurring acne and the desire to get back on it regardless of the effects. I'd like to talk to either one of you about this so hopefully you have subscribed to the thread via email.

I just newly discovered this article; and I just started accutane around a week and a half ago and I am pretty constipated but no cramps. Nothing helped you?

Kayla wrote:

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I just newly discovered this article; and I just started accutane around a week and a half ago and I am pretty constipated but no cramps. Nothing helped you?

Nope and I'm gluten free and dairy free. Meat, fruit, vegetables, rice, oatmeal, and water only. I take multivitamins every day along with gas x and I have had no improvement since its onset and stopping accutane which was 8 months ago. Its been like an 8 month stomach ache and I have vibrations in my colon all the time that rattle my insides. I can handle stomach pains and bloating but the spasms are so annoying. I now have joint problems that started months ago turning into pain. They are undoubtedly related to the drug as I have talked to many with the same issue. It starts with clicking joints. I would watch out for that. I still have hope that both these problems can go away although some people suffer for a long time if not permanently.

If I were you, I would carefully evaluate the severity of my acne. If they aren't all over your face and back, bloody, or painful I would stay away from this stuff. The risk is relatively small and I chose to take it because my acne was so bad. You probably won't have problems but make sure your acne is worth that risk.

Nicole wrote:

I have been on accutane for exactly 2wks now and have the usual side effects- dry skin, chapped lips, nose bleeds and Im breaking out. I was prepared for all of this though. I hadnt heard any mention of being constipated though and I am having a really hard time with it!! Will my body adjust?? Is anyone else having this problem?

Get off of accutane as soon as possible!! I was on accutane for just one week and experienced constipation. I stopped taking after two weeks... and have been constipated for months! my stomache hasn't been the same. i've been to gastro enterology and had operations done, and it's been almost 8 months now, and i'm still fighting it.

start taking probiotics immediately and get off of that stuff. it's awful for you, and if not now, will be later!

Drake wrote:

I feel bad about bringing a very old topic back but I am wondering if Jeff or Joey are still around. I also had to discontinue accutane because of distension, constipation, cramps, and extremely loud digestion. I'm writing this 8 months after I stopped accutane and there has been no improvement with my IBS but I'm currently faced with recurring acne and the desire to get back on it regardless of the effects. I'd like to talk to either one of you about this so hopefully you have subscribed to the thread via email.

Email me at JoeyHendrickson@hotmail.com! The constipation is continuous, but probiotics seems to help out a bit.

(Side note: Did you notice you can drink a *lot* more alcohol and not get a buzz? If so, you're intestines slowed your normal absorbing rate and you need to get a colonoscopy.. or use your powers to win some bar bets.)

Jeff wrote:

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Joey--I'm my 50's--took accutane in late twenties--in good physical shape--but plagued by chronic constipation--similar experience to yours--nothing seems to work long term---pursue new approachs constantly--how can we assist each other in searching for the constipation cure?

Emali me at JoeyHendrickson@hotmail.com

High doses of probiotics seem to help, and I've switched over to organic foods and even adopted a vegetarian lifestyle for a couple months. Doesn't seem like an easy fix, but it's a good alternative to pain, inabilities, public urgencies, etc..

I took Accutane from usa online pharmacy http://isotretinoin-us.info when I was 18. I had suffered with extremely severe acne since I was 11. Accutane was a miracle. It completely cleared my skin within 4 months with minimal side affects. I did have dry skin and pretty chapped lips for 4 months but for clear skin, it was a price I was willing to pay. Think carefully before taking this medicine due to the severe side effects that some people experience, but for me it was 100% worth it. I am now 21 and have had clear skin ever since. I can remember reading about Accutane before taking it and hoping it would be the solution I had been praying for. To this day, I am very grateful for the impact it has had on my life. I would give it a chance!

I have the same problem. the medicine drys out everyyyyyything, not just you skin. It only makes sense that this is a probable side effect. Eat lots of greek yogurt and drink a cup of coffe a day. These things are natural laxative and should help :)

Cut Dairy out of your diet and you wont ever have to take accutane!! I have suffered from the same accutane side effects as Joey and Drake since 2003. I also had to stop taking the horrid drug early, but like drake was still plagued with acne. Eventually, I got smart and realized it was dairy that was causing the acne. I Cut dairy out of my diet and a month later my acne was gone! Unfortunately i still have the digestive side effects from accutane.

I've had chronic dry lips and constipation for over a decade,(and it also seems like my body just doesn't "hang on to" water as well as it should). I've tried increasing my water intake, increasing my fiber intake, eliminating dairy from my diet, eliminating gluten... nothing has helped, not even prune juice or stool softeners. I asked myself what could have caused this, and I realized that the only significant thing I remember happening in my life around the time this all started was that I was on Accutane. That was 13 years ago. After Googling "accutane" and "constipation", I'm convinced that Accutane (permanently?) altered my body chemistry.

I wish I didn't have the aforementioned issues, but knowing what I know now, would I take back having used Accutane? I think my answer would actually have to be no. I had cystic acne, which not only looks awful and leaves a person scarred inside and out, but physically it was also very painful. Accutane did indeed wipe out my acne, and for that I am grateful. Constipation, on the other hand, is a problem that others don't see; it's a lot easier to hide than acne. I'm also fortunate in that my constipation isn't usually painful, unlike a lot of other people experiencing this whose comments I've read here and elsewhere.

When I need to move my bowels, I use a larger-sized (maybe about 1-1.5 cup capacity) Fleet enema with warm tap water. It can be inconvenient, but it also greatly reduces the need to strain. So for those who aren't too squeamish about the idea of using them, I would recommend it.

I've read about a drug for chronic constipation called A3309 which sounds promising, but it's still currently in the human testing phase, and I have no idea when or if it will eventually be available.

I can recommend a reputable pharmacy (Accutane)- canada-express-mall.com/products/accutane.htm... I received the order and it was on time and the pills work great.

"vitamin c and magnesium work but they werent sure you can take those vitamins while on accutane. Do you know anything about it?"
Those vitamins should be fine to take while on 'tane.
The only thing you need to avoid is pills with Vitamin A since Accutane is derived from Vitamin A and you don't want to overdose on it.
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Paul Michaels
Gainesville, FL
www.AcneTreatmentJournal.com