| People who suffer with acne are in pain. A constant | | | | You can safely bet that acne plays a role in this. To |
| pain I might add. Within the US context, this pain is so | | | | what extent, your guess is as good as mine. I am just |
| bad that The Centers for Disease Control and | | | | presenting the acne scourge from another |
| Prevention has highlighted pain as their primary focus in | | | | perspective. |
| their annual report card on US health. | | | | When doctors have to prescribe drugs like Isotretinoin |
| One in four Americans suffers some type of pain for | | | | for acne, we can understand why deaths from |
| at least 24 hours. The use of pharmaceutical drugs to | | | | adverse reaction can occur. The brand name for |
| treat pain is up significantly. When these drugs are | | | | Isotretinoin is Accutane. |
| taken, side effects come right along with them. | | | | When all other acne drugs have failed, Isotretinoin is |
| A 1999 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report on medical | | | | brought in. This is the bad boy of acne drug treatment. |
| errors, revealed a shocking truth. At least 44,000 and | | | | Before you even consider taking this heavyweight |
| as many as 98,000 Americans die each year from | | | | drug you are advised to speak with your doctor at |
| preventable medical errors committed in hospitals. | | | | length about all aspects of your acne condition. |
| These errors result from properly prescribed | | | | Before taking this powerhouse drug you will be asked |
| pharmaceutical drugs. | | | | to sign a form indicating that you fully understand the |
| After the number one and number two killers of | | | | serious side effects accompanying this super drug. |
| Americans, namely heart disease and cancer | | | | Signing that form indicates your move into the big |
| respectively, guess what the number three killer of | | | | leagues. |
| Americans is? | | | | Are you pregnant? Do not take this drug if you are. |
| And it has held down third position for well over ten | | | | Isotretinoin causes severe birth defects in an unborn |
| years. In other words, it has been a consistent killer. | | | | baby. It also can cause miscarriage, premature birth or |
| The number three killer is the adverse reaction to | | | | baby death. |
| properly prescribed pharmaceutical drugs. When all of | | | | If you are sexually active while taking Isotretinoin you |
| the disparate categories are combined, a grand total | | | | must protect yourself from getting pregnant. As a |
| of 225,000 deaths each year are accounted for. | | | | matter of fact this drug is so dangerous to an unborn |
| This is what a few doctors say about pharmaceutical | | | | child that you are advised to use two reliable forms of |
| drugs and disease: | | | | birth control at the same time. |
| Every educated physician knows that most diseases | | | | In addition, pregnancy tests must be performed every |
| are not appreciably helped bymedicine. | | | | month. If you do become pregnant you must inform |
| - Richard C. Cabot, M.D. (Mass. Gen. Hospital) | | | | your doctor immediately. That is crucial! |
| Medicine is only palliative, for back of disease lies the | | | | There are many more side effects that result from |
| cause, and this cause no drug can reach. | | | | taking this drug. Two chilling ones are depression and |
| - Wier Mitchel, M.D. | | | | suicide. Seeking a natural treatment for your acne is |
| The person who takes medicine must recover twice, | | | | worth investigating. Speak with your doctor about the |
| once from the disease and once from the medicine. | | | | natural treatments that may be good options for you. |
| - William Osler, M.D. | | | | |