Accutane - Anyone else dealing with awful long term side effects?
Question posted by Dann2 on 16 April 2023
Last updated on 31 August 2025 (2 weeks ago) by L300
Hello, I’m new to this group. Twenty years after taking Roaccutane for acne, I am still experiencing awful side effects, namely: chronic headache, brain numbness, vision problems (glare, visual snow), cognitive problems, tinnitus, emotional problems, depression, dry eyes, increased sweating, fatigue, and nausea… I’m at a complete dead end dealing with these long-term symptoms. they have made me very desperate and are severely impacting my life.
Is anyone else in this group in the same position, and has anyone discovered any tests or treatment that has helped with these awful things?
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Answers
L3
L300
31 Aug 2025
Hello, I was a happy, vibrant young lady when I was offered accutane for moderate acne. I have never been the same person. I suffered severe depression, and anxiety in the eighties, and this was something you did not talk about back then or you were labeled crazy. I am better now but this drug destroyed 20 years of my life, lost my marriage, and the opportunity to live a fulfilling life in my younger years. Yoga, regular exercise and trying to stay positive is all that has helped me, but the twenty years after were the worst.
Votes: +0
EG
egbert1000
16 April 2023
In 1980 I was one of the first patients my Dermatologist tried Accutane on. I had severe cystic acne and while the medication helped, the toll it took on mentally was very high. I believe that even today the effects of the drug contribute to my depression.
