Accutane and Drum Corps

[soccerguy315]

It's not that it's a complicated issue, but more that discontinuing a prescribed drug without speaking with the practitioner who prescribed it is never a good thing.

Additionally, just because they stop taking it, doesn't mean that the side effects will stop immediately...so getting the practitioner's counsel on what can be done to keep the member safe is also important.

sure, but DCP probably does not have very many doctors posting, so this seems like a weird place to deal with the issues you describe.

[CuriousMe]

sure, but DCP probably does not have very many doctors posting, so this seems like a weird place to deal with the issues you describe.

Agreed....hence the advice to call the person who wrote the script.

[Lance]

so to summarize

1. TALK TO YOUR DR. FIRST

2. THOSE OF US WHO HAVE TAKEN IT UNDERSTAND THAT SUN EXPOSURE CAN LEAD TO IMMENSE DISCOMFORT AT THE VERY LEAST.

yes?

[lindap]

My son just started an Accutane regimen and he texted me from weekend camp that he is not sure it is a good idea during drum corps season. He is really having trouble with chapped lips, dry mouth, and even skin pain. Does anyone have any experience with this and any advice? I'm thinking delaying this till season is over.

I had acne as a teen. My Mom was a nurse. She brought home phisoderm that I washed my face with. Sometimes I'd put a towel over my head over a pot of boiling water over the stove about 18 inches away to steam the oils away. I got acne again in my 50's and then it went away again. Wear sunscreen. I'm allergic to perfume so I wear a hat and long sleeves.

[BroncoTrooper]

so to summarize

1. TALK TO YOUR DR. FIRST

2. THOSE OF US WHO HAVE TAKEN IT UNDERSTAND THAT SUN EXPOSURE CAN LEAD TO IMMENSE DISCOMFORT AT THE VERY LEAST.

yes?

Word.

[CasualFan]

I just saw one of those ambulance-chaser attorney commercials on TV trolling that if you took Accutane and contracted crone's disease to call them. "Juries have awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in claims..." I can't imagine any kids acne being bad enough to risk contracting crone's. Had a good friend who died of it at 37. Nasty, nasty disease.

I don't know anything about the drug other than the attorneys are fishing for clients who took it. That's enough for me to keep my kids away from it.

Well, I hope that your kids don't have cystic acne like myself and most of the males in my family. I took an Accutane treatment as a teenager and the only side effect that I had was very dry skin (it was extremely painful to take a shower in our very hard water). The good news is that it helped with the acne and while I still get it occasionally (25 years later) it's not too bad. Unlike one of my cousins who, after having 3 treatments, still gets acne the size of quarters all over his body.

That being said, I don't understand doctors who prescribe it for mild cases of acne that usually go away after puberty.

[emtbill]

Accutane (Isotretinoin)

Some of the more severe/dangerous and common side effects:

suicide attempt, conjunctivitis (pink eye), epistaxis (bloody nose), cheilitis (chapped/cracked lips), dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, pruritis (itching), anemia, lower HDL (the so-called good kind), higher cholesterol, higher triglycerides, arthralgia (joint pain), back pain, muscle/bone pain which has higher incidents in adolescents, severe birth defects, photosensitivity (easier to sunburn). Taken from Davis' Drug Guide - my handy medication reference that I use in my nursing.

As a nurse, and even not knowing all the other medical history, I'm very comfortable saying that Accutane (Amnesteem, Claravis, or Sotret) during drum corps tour is a bad idea. Nobody needs to experience any of those side effects while under the stress of tour. And nobody needs to risk the potential hepatitis or pancreatitis that can come along with this drug, especially if it happened on tour. The more medication-free, the better.

One thing that is worth looking into is diet changes. Avoiding grains, legumes and dairy, while eating meats, eggs, natural fats does seem to produce some good results. Research paleo diets. Vegetarianism tends to produce more acne in my experience.

We need to kick the Drum Corps Medical Project into higher gear I think and get some others on here.

Hope this helps.

Bill S. RN, BSN, CEN

[FHdork]

<That being said, I don't understand doctors who prescribe it for mild cases of acne that usually go away after puberty. >

Oh, this is simple: you were a teenager once, right? That's your answer...NO ONE wants acne...not even 'mild' acne. Mild acne is defined as: a case less severe than your own.

To Bill S.: YES! This great activity has so many benefits for young people. But it also has risks. We as an activity have largely run blind to those risks, with each corps sending its injured and ill members home mid-tour. Far better to be aware in advance of who is at greatest risk for not making it through the grueling schedule of a drum corps summer. Most corps are doing a FAR better job of using the winter to train the bodies of their members. The next step is what you propose: un-medicating as much as possible, nutrition, and mind/body connections.

I hope you, as a medical professional, are part of that solution!

Edited May 27, 2011 by FHdork

[derekfaasse]

I took Accutane the summer before marching corps. Even without spending all my time in the sun I still managed to completely fry my skin. Couldn't touch water without extreme pain, even wearing clothes hurt most of the time. Nosebleeds (which I'm prone to anyway) an average of 3 times a day.

I would imagine that the threat of depression, night blindness, internal problems, digestive issues and the other host of bad side effects would be a little more scary than the dryness. I remember stepping out of work that summer and being able to only see points of light in the dark. Sudden night blindness hopping off a bus or heading out to a preshow warmup would scare the crap out of me.