Accutane and joint pain

[Dytasolo]

I have been on 40mg/day of Accutane for six weeks. Of course, I've had the usual side effects (dryness, depression, lethargy.) My main problem now is severe joint pain. I lift weights 5x per week. I don't want to stop working out, but my right elbow and both shoulders are killing me! Has anyone had experience with this and can you recommend medicine or treatment for the joint pain? I employ high intensity training (low reps, hight weight) but can change my lifting to lighter weight, with higher weights. But I can not stop lifting. Any advice will be appreciated.

[elleephraim]

I have been suffering for the past year (6 months being on accutane and 6 months post).  I used to be an active person, but now, at age 21 I feel trapped in a dying 99 year old's body.  I am crippled with immobilizing pain.  I read many many people's testimony's and only yours offered hope.  I have no hope besides my Christian faith (may God show mercy on this pain I'm in) and in the thing I CAN change: my diet.  Thank you for your long response that I reread twice and saved!  In it I found a glint of hope that I CAN get better.  Bless you!

[Maddifaith]

My 15yr old daughter has severe back pain! She slowly started getting it when she started acutane.  Of course her dermo says its a very minimal side affect, but tell my honor roll student who has missed 5 days of school bc she can not get out of  bed! She has been off for 3days, and no relief. Help.....any advice?

[bdevera523]

how are you doing now after accutane? did your back pain go away?

[bdevera523]

I'm experiencing the same back pain. I'm on my third month of treatment. I stopped at the end of two months. I also have so many rashes (they're red and some bumpy). My dermatologist ordered skin biopsy to see what's going on. I'll see him in a week. I hope the results aren't serious!

[bdevera523]

27 years old, male, 130 lbs. First month, I started 20mg/day. Second month, 40mg/day. I'm starting my third month with 60mg/day now. Last night, I felt noticeable pain on my right ankle. The pain is still bearable. Rashes on my arms are more pronounced. I plan to continue my 60mg/day. I want my face to clear up and I'm going to hold out as long as I can.

I'm crossing my fingers that I don't get any permanent joint pains like many have expressed here. How is everyone else doing? Are there Accutane users that didn't have permanent joint pains? Maybe for some people, they were really temporary?

[Accutane_user]

I, too, strongly advise against accutane. I was a healthy twenty five year old man with persistent acne. I started dating a wonderful girl and wanted to eliminate acne once and for all. I have read all the side effects of accutane before starting treatment but I was determined to get "perfect skin" so I ignored it all. When I started getting back pain, my dermatologist assured me that it was temporary. Well, it is not. Two years later (and I am now single so how about that!) and the pain keeps getting worse. I've tried everything to alleviate the pain: complementary and alternative medicine, relaxation, and anything that I read online or heard from natural practitioners... But nothing works. I am now taking NSAID medication because my doctor "thinks" it may be fibromayalgia. The doctors don't know what's wrong, only when it's too late. I can't walk for long distances without getting back pain. If i continue to walk, i get swellings in my back and e pain forces me to stay in bed for a few days until the swelling and pain goes down. Now my cartilages are highly susceptible to injury and I have already torn the labrum of my right acetabulum and medial meniscus of my knee. These injuries did not occur because of playing sports, but just from normal everyday activities. I was desparate when I started accutane because I thought to myself that I would do anything to have perfect skin. I was very wrong. I now have acne again, and added tothat is severe  joint pain. Please, if you are reading this and contemplating taking accutane, I beg you not to. Living with back pain and torn cartilages is a lot worse than living with acne. I have an appointment to see an orthopedic surgeon in one week regarding the torn labrum of acetabulum. I heard scary things about surgery, so I'm not planning on taking the risk. I took a risk with my health once, and that will haunt me for the rest of my life. I am now depressed because I feel alone and hopeless.