Isotretinoin (brand name Accutane) is a synthetic derivative of Vitamin A prescribed for acne. It was approved by the FDA in 1982 for severe nodular acne. However, by 1999, only 8% of patients receiving the drug actually had severe acne—the majority had mild to moderate acne. The drug generated over one billion dollars in sales for its manufacturer, Hoffmann-La Roche, before being withdrawn from the U.S. market in 2009. Generic versions continue to be prescribed today.
21% Reduction in Frontal Lobe Activity
A 2005 study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry using PET brain imaging found that four months of Accutane treatment caused a 21% decrease in brain metabolism in the orbitofrontal cortex. This region controls:
This is not a temporary chemical imbalance. This is measurable, structural reduction in brain function—comparable to the effects of a chemical lobotomy.
Mechanisms of Brain Damage:
Accutane works by shrinking sebaceous glands throughout the body by up to 90%. These glands exist not just in the skin but throughout the body, including:
Studies show that 30-80% reduction in sebaceous gland activity persists for 80+ weeks after stopping treatment. The drug damages the stem cells responsible for gland regeneration, which is why recovery takes months to years—if it happens at all.
Meibomian Gland Atrophy
The meibomian glands in the eyelids produce the oil layer that prevents tears from evaporating. Accutane causes:
Approximately 27% of patients experience eye discomfort. Unlike skin dryness, meibomian gland damage may be irreversible once the glands atrophy.
Mucous Membrane Destruction
Accutane damages the mucous-producing cells throughout the digestive tract, leading to:
The likelihood of developing ulcerative colitis is 4.4 times higher in Accutane users compared to controls. The average latency period for symptoms is approximately three years—meaning damage may not become apparent until long after treatment ends.
Impaired Fat Digestion
Many patients report inability to digest fats after treatment, with the fat passing directly into stool—indicating the drug has damaged the body's ability to produce digestive enzymes and bile.
Post-Retinoid Sexual Dysfunction (PRSD) is now recognized as a distinct condition. The European Medicines Agency recommended adding erectile dysfunction to isotretinoin product information in 2017.
Symptoms include:
These effects can persist permanently after stopping the drug.
The FDA has received reports of over 2,224 psychiatric events including:
Isotretinoin ranks in the top 5 drugs worldwide most frequently associated with reports of depression and in the top 10 for suicide attempts in the FDA's database.
Case reports link Accutane to:
The drug's main metabolite (ATRA) can epigenetically reprogram immune cells, potentially triggering autoimmune responses.
Accutane causes such severe birth defects that it requires:
Documented birth defects include malformations of the face, eyes, ears, skull, central nervous system, cardiovascular system, thymus, and parathyroid glands. IQ scores below 85 have been reported in children exposed in utero.
If a drug is this dangerous to a developing fetus, why would we assume it's safe for a developing adolescent brain?
This informal diagnosis describes the constellation of symptoms that persist after stopping isotretinoin:
The medical establishment largely dismisses this syndrome, telling patients their symptoms are "unrelated" or "psychosomatic"—despite the documented mechanisms of damage.
Over 7,000 lawsuits were filed against Hoffmann-La Roche. The company won the first six trials, with verdicts totaling $56 million. However:
Roche withdrew the brand name Accutane in 2009, citing litigation costs—not safety concerns. Generic versions continue to be sold and prescribed.
"This drug is poison. Please care for yourself. Accutane ruined my life. I took 80 mg of Accutane for 9 months at 18 years old. I had cystic acne on my back and face. Side effects: dry skin all over, chapped lips, eczema, brittle nails. Vision problems, waking up in the morning with my eyes sealed shut with pus, and dry eyes. Lips were a huge scab. Six months: body aches that made it difficult to sleep, poor digestion, hemorrhoids, bloody stools, and sad. Months 7-9: my hair fell out! I lost 80% of my hair, in pain and depressed. Nine months: finished treatment, I was 'cured' of my acne. I was bald, poor vision, and in pain mentally and physically. Three months later, my acne came back worse. My dermatologist said to do round 2 of Accutane, and I told her never to recommend it to anyone. It is so toxic for your body. Please do not take this drug."
— Drugs.com review
"My son was on accutane (generic) for 6 months. The month after he was finished he committed suicide. He was a fun, hilarious, and loving person. Very close to his friends and family... we never saw it coming. I don't understand. I'm left with no answers."
— Parent, Acne.org forum
"Accutane cleared-up my acne but totally destroyed my ability to feel pleasure and happiness... permanently; along with many other atrocious effects. I would like nothing more than to have this drug banned completely."
— Acne.org forum
"Accutane successfully destroyed the lining of my bladder and left me with a disease called 'Interstitial cystitis'/'Painful Bladder syndrome', which is a very PAINFUL disease, basically... when certain foods or liquids hit your bladder, the lining is destroyed and it feels like BATTERY ACID is being poured on an open sore! AND I have to go to the bathroom 25-40 times a day! Thanks to Accutane, I am now a Chronic Pain Patient with uncurable, not well understood by the medical community DISEASES!"
— Acne.org forum
"Took Accutane when I was 14. Pretty sure it stunted my growth by closing my growth plates as I stopped growing during my treatment. I still have permanent dry eyes and brain fog and severe depression now 8 years later. It's not worth the gamble, I didn't even have the choice, I was just a kid that followed doctor's orders. Please ask yourself why you would want to give yourself or your loved one an extreme retinoid overdose. It causes widespread damage to the body that is permanent."
— Drugs.com review
"Like many others before me and after, I took Accutane in my mid-thirties for acne and after a high level of joint pain a few years later, I was tested positive for RA and now take an expensive biologic to keep my immune system from attacking my joints. Accutane is highly misleading, toward total health and contributes to future diseases, of which I have been diagnosed with two (2) auto-immune diseases. Every day struggle of pain and juggling work and life schedules to stay healthy and productive."
— AboutLawsuits.com
"I took Accutane for 9 months while in college for severe acne. While it cleared my skin, I have been suffering from depression, anxiety, have stomach problems, interstitial cystitis (painful bladder syndrome), Arthritis and degenerative disc disease. My urologist believes that the toxins in Accutane destroyed the protective lining on my bladder. My regular dr believes the degenerative disc disease and arthritis in my back, hips and hands were caused by Accutane. All of these health issues have changed my life and caused me even more depression and anxiety. I am up 5-8 times during the night to pee. I can't walk or stand for more than an hour without extreme pain."
— AboutLawsuits.com
"My son developed seizures – 2 major tonic-clonic episodes while on accutane. Also severe abdominal pain, headaches. Now off the meds and on epilim. I think this meds should be banned – especially since it is often given to teens who are still developing."
— AboutLawsuits.com
"I think you are a shill, or you are extremely naive. Doctors DON'T TELL YOU SHIT! My ex husband doctor told him it was 'vitamin A', now he has Crohn's disease. My son took it too and his doctor didn't tell him nothing, my son's personality changed for the worse and he became angry, aggressive and alcoholic. Accutane is CRAP and is ruining people's life."
— The Love Vitamin
"I don't recall the 'this is a cancer drug' statement when I signed my future away from taking Accutane at 20 yrs old. Little did I know I would end up sterile from multiple dermoid teratomas on each of my ovaries. I've been in surgery induced menopause since I turned 32. I can't be a mother because I was too worried about appearance."
— The Love Vitamin
"I've started taking isotretinoin a few months ago, and I had moderate acne. It cured my acne completely. I have to admit, though, the side effects are terrible. It does dry your lips to the point that you can't smile or talk, but that wasn't it. Since I started the medication, I've been suffering from severe depression and suicidal thoughts. I'd spend hours crying my heart out once I'm on the pill. And also, I'd have the feelings of hopelessness and helplessness to the point where the only possible thing to do is actually kill myself. I'm still on isotretinoin, though, because I haven't finished my course. My depression is just getting worse."
— Drugs.com review
In a documented case series analyzing video testimonials:
"Six interviewees stopped taking isotretinoin before the end of their treatment course due to various side effects, most commonly psychiatric symptoms. For all interviewees, symptoms that led to medication termination were reported to persist after stopping isotretinoin. Every interviewee also reported at least one novel symptom which began only after stopping the medication, including joint pain, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and visual disturbances."
— Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Accutane is a drug that:
The medical establishment continues to prescribe it while dismissing victims as "anecdotal." The legal system has largely protected the manufacturer. The drug remains on the market under generic names.
This is not medicine. This is institutional violence dressed in a white coat.
Report compiled from peer-reviewed research, FDA adverse event reports, and patient testimonials.