Oral Isotretinoin is a drug principally used to treat Acne Vulgaris
-The main problem is the development of malformation should one get pregnant (To read more about acne, click HERE)
Dermatologists spend a lot of time explaining potential mood changes to patients:
-The media and a few strong voices have made a very good job in scaring the hell out of patients, parents…and some physicians (mostly psychiatrists and pediatricians) seem to be more influenced by articles on the internet and TV broadcasts than scientific data.
The presenter did a review of the literature…concerning *depression, suicidal ideation, mood swings, it can be summed up to this:
-data is limited to sporadic anecdotal reports
-many clinical research studies have been done and there was actually an improvement of *psychic parameters (see below)
1.Retrospective studies
-retrospective study from Sweden: increased risk of suicide 6 months after beginning after treatment although was already increasing linearly prior to treatment initiation; rate of second suicide attempt lower than the general population
-Cross-sectional study on 4000 individuals from Norway (analysis at one point of time): it showed that *psychic parameters were worse in the untreated group
2.Prospective studies
-depression, suicidal ideation, mood swings: none got worse and some got better
Our Take Home Message
-The risks of isotretinoin intake and mood changes are overrated
-Media and Powerful Voices makes more noise than Scientific Research
*psychic parameters: depression, suicidal ideation, mood swings
Bibliography: Tollefson MM – Use of isotretinoin for the treatment of acne. S014 – Acne Treatment Controversies. AAD 2016 – Washington DC, United States USA
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