PSSD Forum

Yep i took accutane when I was 17, 1.5 years before I took Paxil... I didn't notice anything whilst on it in terms of libido or anything. Still very high. But the SSRI's fucked me.

Yep. I did. Isotretinoin, duration of treatment was 2 months.
from a level of 1 to 4, 4 being the most severe cystic face you've seen, my acne was a 2.8 to 3. Perhaps 3.2 on its worst. Cystic.
Didn't notice any sexual symptoms while on the drug, except the typical lip dryness etc. None whatsoever when related to what came with PSSD.
For what it's worth, my acne is completely cleared up now.

I did not take any medication for acne. A couple years ago, which was some years in to my PSSD, my younger brother came home from the doctor with a prescription for accutane. I made him (somewhat reluctantly) throw it in the trash after showing some of the potential consequences of taking it to him and my mother. Thinking back I am extremely grateful that I was there and he hadn't filled the prescription and started taking it. It is possible that I am genetically vulnerable to both PSSD and PAS, and by extension my brother could be as well. The idea of him having to experience even a fraction of what I have makes me sick. He may just have dodged the biggest bullet of his life

addendum: i also took minocycline a couple of times. minocycline is an interesting topic for pssd aswell. has some interesting properties and is, quoting from memory, anti anhedonic, pro-dopaminergic, neurorestorative (hippocampus?). eh, cant recall. take it with a grain of salt. and i think it can also be responsible for derealization

has anyone else been taking this?

Its very interesting because in my family there were four people (father, brother and my two cousins) who took medication for acne. The only reason I did't take is that I took oral contraceptive pill instead.

I took roaccutane for a couple of months when I was 20. My acne was also extremely severe and cystic and all over my face.
I don't recall any sexual side effects at the time, but the roaccutane definitely caused terrible depression (a listed side effect), which led to my first period of taking an SSRI.
I sometimes wonder if the roaccutane made me more prone to PSSD. After coming off SSRI the first time, I think I had a milder form of PSSD without realising, and then fully recovered over time before eventually making the mistake of taking SSRI again...

Yeah, I took Doxycycline for acne a few months before I took Pristiq...

I took roaccutane years ago when I was 17 - cleared my face and back acne right up and it's never returned. Then I took it again for four months (to treat chronic folliculitus of the scalp) just before taking sertraline. I think I finished the second course around one month prior taking sertraline. I wonder if there's a connection and kind of suspect that there is.

Since taking it for the second time my folliculitus is still there, but it's much less severe. However, I took 25mg DHEA for about three or four days recently and had to stop because it seemed to be aggravating the folliculitus.

Also since taking roaccutane I've developed chronic angular cheilitis, which I manage with a steroid/anti-fungal ointment. The same thing happened the first time I took it, but cleared up after a year or so, maybe two.

For the record I suspect my my PSSD to be hormonal in nature. Sexual symptoms only, and they're relatively mild.

Took accutane somewhere between the age of 17-19, about 10 years before I developed PSSD from a few doses of venlafaxine, which was my first antidepressant.