Though Roche -- maker of the acne medication Accutane -- insists there is no cause-and-effect relationship between the drug and psychiatric events, one man who lost his son to suicide is bound and determined to prove them wrong.
The grieving father, Liam Grant, said he should have noticed the potential warning signs: Previously outgoing and energetic about plans, his son increasingly spent time alone in his bedroom and asked family members to say he was unavailable if friends called. Grant is so certain Accutane is responsible for his son's death that he has:
Spent roughly $1 million of his retirement savings on scientific research studying the effects of Accutane and aimed at securing government grants for additional Accutane research.
Helped organize a Web site focused on restricting use of the drug and investigating what the manufacturer knows about its safety. The site features contributions by individuals and families who state they have suffered serious side effects from taking the drug.
Rejected a settlement offer from Roche and other co-defendants that could likely replace some of the money he has spent funding studies.
One of the studies Grant funded showed that the active component of Accutane reduced cell creation in the brains of mice that had received clinical doses. The other study, which is undergoing scientific peer review, found that patients taking Accutane experienced decreased activity in the area of the brain thought to be involved with regulating mood.
Roche's Defense
In response to Grant's accusations, Roche declares the drug is safe when prescribed and used appropriately. The company also argued against the studies' findings, stating: It is widely known that studies on animals are not predictive of human behavior as it relates to human depression and suicide; and there is no scientific agreement that the area of the brain analyzed definitely provokes depression.
However, despite Roche's arguments, previous findings have placed a few strikes against Accutane's supposed safety:
The drug has been linked to birth defects among children of pregnant women who have taken the drug.
FDA researcher Dr. David Graham has told the Senate that the drug should be studied for potential withdrawal from the market.
Accutane's label has warned of adverse reactions linked with use such as depression, psychosis and, rarely, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and suicide.
If Grant is successful in his quest against Accutane, Roche could be forced to release internal documents that demonstrate Accutane's susceptibility for causing depression or suicide, which would aid plaintiffs in 70 U.S. court cases.
USA Today January 27, 2005
With acne affecting about 85 percent of us at some time in our lives, it is the most common skin disease addressed by dermatologists. It is something that I suffered with for most of my life. I sure wish I would have understood insulin physiology when I was younger as it would have spared me enormous grief. Yes, simply eliminating grains and sugars and keeping your insulin level in ideal range is probably the single most important step anyone with acne can take to reverse this scourge and potentially disfiguring disease.
However, when it comes time to make a recommendation, conventional physicians typically advise drug therapies to treat acne, such as Accutane, instead of what truly controls it: An optimized diet.
It is important to understand that there are powerful economic influences directing physicians to prescribe a drug based approach as opposed to one based on diet. Fortunately, the only person who will get rich from a healthy diet recommendation is you -- from all the money you will save from not buying expensive medications.
Dermatologists will more typically prescribe long-term antibiotic treatments for acne. This can be especially problematic since every time you take an antibiotic, you kill beneficial bacteria along with the problematic bacteria. This can lead to many secondary conditions, such as yeast overgrowth and conditions like Candidiasis.
Authentic Acne Answer
As I mentioned above, the primary solution to controlling acne is by optimizing your insulin levels. And the best way to do that is to avoid sugar and grains.
Eating refined carbohydrates and sugar leads to a surge of insulin and an insulin-like growth factor called IGF-1 in your body. This can lead to an excess of male hormones, which cause pores in the skin to secrete sebum, a greasy substance that attracts acne-promoting bacteria. Additionally, IGF-1 causes skin cells known as keratinocytes to multiply, a process that is associated with acne.
Moreover, stress has the ability to worsen just about every disease we encounter, and this includes acne. That's why it is so important to have an effective tool to help you with your stress before it contributes to an impairment of your systems that will further decrease your ability to resolve the problem.
There are a variety of ways that you can do this -- yoga, meditation or making sure you get enough quality sleep are a few examples. Find a method that works best for you.
My favorite tool for relieving stress is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) energy psychology tool. EFT is a psychological acupressure technique that can help you to effectively address your stress-related thoughts and leave you feeling calmer and more able to face your challenges. You can use my free EFT manual to learn this technique now. Many also find EFT useful for maintaining their compliance with the optimal eating plan.
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