Posted on 05/02/2003 9:04:41 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative
Edited on 04/13/2004 2:09:43 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Although Accutane causes birth defects, many acne sufferers love the way the miracle complexion pill makes them look, and so do their doctors. That's why it has become the most widely prescribed birth-defect-causing medicine in the United States.
Many women might be reluctant to reveal their vanities, but Brenda McCoy boldly admits that she's always been concerned about her looks. "I take really good care of myself," says the svelte Orange County mother of four and part-time nurse who's finishing work toward her bachelor's degree at California State University. Despite her hectic schedule, the 40-year-old maintains her figure by running, biking, and power walking.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Read post #9. No, I don't agree that only males should be allowed to be treated with accutane.
The cysts she had previously has left her permanently scarred and there isn't much that can be done about it. Laser surgery is simply not enough. At least there won't be further damage to her skin at this point.
Up to three months. That's not years. I can't see why a responsible girl should be denied effective treatment when she does not intend to get pregnant till several years later. Quite a few girls in high school or college intend to wait till they have graduated and have married before getting pregnant.
Accutane is a lot cheaper than a psychiatrist.
So do 50% of people who don't take accutane. The reporter must mean something different than "less than average," she must mean much less than average.
Excellent point.
I bet that 75% of parents think their children are "above average".
And acne scars? Who are you to want to take this away from these people "for the children?"
Then a local specialist on birth defects arranged for McCoy to meet the adoptive mother of a retarded child with facial anomalies caused by Accutane exposure. Their discussion clinched her decision to end the pregnancy. Painful as it was, she told her husband: "We can't do this to our family."
After McCoy's abortion, the couple decided never to revisit the idea of expanding their family. And McCoy is back on Accutane. "My skin glows when I'm using it," she says. "I would die if they took it off the market."
It isn't acne that is scarring this woman's soul. She did not even know for sure that the child she killed did in fact have the mentioned defect.
IUD! A barbaric birth-control method almost never used nowadays except in the Third World.
Of course, the answer to this problem is to instruct doctors: Never prescribe Accutane for sexually-active females of childbearing age. Period. Females seeking treatment for severe acne must be clearly informed that Accutane causes fetal abnormalities, that no birth control pill or device is 100 percent effective, and that therefore if they wish to use Accutane, they MUST abstain entirely from sexual intercourse until the course of treatment is completed.
The major problem is this: An entire industry -- indeed, also a huge social movement complete with powerful political lobbies -- has dedicated itself to eradicating the America people through contraception, abortion and sterilization. This movement has succeeded in convincing American women that artificial birth control is safe and effective. It is not and can never be. Except abstinence and surgical sterilization, every birth control method has a failure rate, whether that rate is 2 percent or 20 percent. The failure rate means that, for every 100 women using that method, X number will become pregnant in the course of a year of use. Thus, the use of contraception -- and the false belief in its effectiveness -- automatically creates clients for the abortionists.
Whenever I try to explain this, invariably some woman will say, "Nonsense. I've used the Pill for years and never gotten pregnant." To which the reply must be: "Probably because you are sterile. You could quit the Pill tomorrow and still never get pregnant." Shocking, but true. You see, the Contraceptive Myth, as we may call it, invariably leads to a rise in promiscuity. The 25-year-old woman who boasts that she's been on the Pill since her teens and never gotten pregnant has almost certainly had at least a half-dozen sexual partners, and each of those partners has probably had an equal number of partners of his own, creating an exponential scale of risk for sexually transmitted diseases. There are several different STDs -- gonorhea and HPV among them -- which can destroy a woman's ability to bear children. HPV causes cervical cancer, while th most common STD, chlamydia, can scar the fallopian tubes, lead to pelvic inflammatory disorder, and cause ectopic pregnancy.
Because these diseases often go undetected or untreated -- and can severely damage a woman's reproductive organs in just a few weeks -- a number of sexually active females become infertile before they even reach their 20s. They mistakenly think that the effectiveness of birth control explains why they don't become pregnant. But then later, at 25 or 30 or 35, they marry and decide they want children, so they quit the Pill and ... nothing happens. Six months. A year. Still no pregnancy. They get worried. They go to the doctor. The doctor examines them and says, "Well, I've got some bad news ...." But ... but ... what about those miracle fertility treatments you hear about on TV? Sorry. All the fertility drugs in the world won't do any good if your fallopian tubes are so damaged that the egg can't get from the ovary to the uterus. And there's not much point in trying to get pregnant, if HPV has damaged your cervix so bad you could never carry a baby to term anyway.
The Contraceptive Myth is one of the great misery-makers of our age, and the birth of deformed children due to Accutane is just part and parcel of that misery.
• Stop taking isotretinoin and seek emergency medical attention or contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following serious side effects:WebMD.com and other websites have excellent detailed information about the benefits and side effects of various drugs. I nowadays always check out online information about any drugs my physicians prescribe.· an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives);• Other, less serious side effects are more likely to occur. Continue to take isotretinoin and talk to your doctor if you experience
· changes in vision, blurred vision, or decreased vision (especially at night);
· painful or constant dryness of the eyes;
· depression including feelings of sadness, crying spells, irritability, changes in sleep patterns, unusual tiredness, trouble concentrating, loss of appetite, and / or suicidal thoughts or other mental problems;
· stomach, chest, or bowel pain;
· rectal bleeding, or severe or bloody diarrhea;
· difficulty or pain when swallowing;
· new or worsening heartburn;
· yellowing of the skin or eyes or persistently dark urine;
· severe headache or dizziness;
· seizures;
· nausea and vomiting;
· joint or muscle pain or bone problems;
· hearing problems or hearing loss;
· trouble breathing;
· fainting;
· increased thirst or urination;
· slurred speech or problems moving;
· leg swelling;
· increased levels of cholesterol or triglyceride (types of fat) in your blood (detected by blood tests).
Continue to take isotretinoin and talk to your doctor if you experience• Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.
· inflammation, dryness, or cracking of the lips;
· dry skin, dry mouth, dry or bleeding nose, dryness of the eyes and / or difficulty wearing contact lenses;
· itching; or
· increased sensitivity of the skin to the sun.
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