15yo with Raynaud's, ANA, Accutane

[TAnYL]

Hi! My 15-year-old son developed knee pains when he ran in the spring (he used to play soccer) and during the tests to figure out what the problem was, they found his ANA was positive. My husband's is, too, but doctors concluded that he didn't have anything (he developed ulcerative colitis a decade or so later). Doctors wound up thinking that my son also didn't have anything. They prescribed PT for his knees.  

My son has developed Raynaud's this winter. His older sister, who doesn't have positive ANA, has that, too, but wearing warm mittens is enough for her. It doesn't seem like it is enough for my son, though. His fingers and feet are still hurting. He started Accutane (20/every other day) in September. I am just trying to figure out if anything is connected and if we should be doing anything else. I don't figure we would give him any Raynaud's meds, even if they were offered by a doctor, but I would hate to not notice if he has some other illness.

[flipper336]

I would go see another doctor just to cover all of the bases and my next stop would be to see one in pediatric orthopedics. My youngest daughter has knee problems and she was the one that helped get her knee problems under control.

[TAnYL]

Interesting about Raynaud's showing up that much earlier than the primary disease. Huh. We did take him to a rheumatologist -- they were the ones who suggested PT for his knees. We might need to go to another, though. Thanks for writing!

[TAnYL]

Heated socks sounds like a good idea. Thanks for the suggestion!

[sunflower0962]

I don't know anything about Accutane, however, I do have Raynaud's.  The severity is different for everyone. I would suggest taking him to a Rheumatologist to have more bloodwork done. There are many connective tissue diseases that have Raynaud's showing as a first symptom.

And Raynaud's can show up at least 20 years before the Primary disease does. Your son may just have Raynaud's and needs to layer up more and be proactive when it is cold out. ( I live in NH and it's very cold now). But definitely at this young age, If it was my son, I'd be taking him to a Rheumy doctor. Best wishes. :-)

[Red_Star]

Accutane was pulled off the market in 2009.  I find it alarming that this drug is back on the market again.  Accutane side effects include Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) which include Accutane induced Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis; Having your colon removed; Severe depression or suicidal tendencies; Heart attack, stroke, seizure or lowered blood cell count.

And there are many other side effects of Accutane mentioned in many comments online and includes joint pain. While this drug may not be the problem, this is a suspect and even more so if symptoms showed up after taking the drug.

My reason for acne was hypothyroidism.  Thyroid hormone is needed to convert beta carotene to vitamin A.  Accutane is isotretinoin (closely related to vitamin A).

Primary Raynaud's phenomenon is not associated with other diseases. Secondary Raynaud's phenomenon is due to an underlying cause, especially connective tissues disorders.

[flipper336]

I don't think there is any correlation with ANA and Raynauds. I know the fun that everyone has with Raynauds and my oldest daughter is one of them. One day while she was sitting in class the cold are from the vent above her caused her to have a "flare up". The school nurse had to wrap her in a blanket and take her out side to sit in the sun to warm up and stop the pain it was causing. Our doctor did not mention giving her meds to help with the symptoms, he just advised for her to wear warmer clothes and to not move to any place that gets real cold.

Your son's condition just might be a little more sever than your daughter's and there fore needs to dress even warmer. Your doctor could recommend drugs to help in severe cases but I would try hand warmers and possibly heated socks before any drugs. You can keep looking into other possible illnesses but address his problem areas in the mean time.