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Vitamin A depletion - 4 week update (Took accutane 8 years ago)
Hey all -
My names Jason, I took accutane around 8 years ago. After taking accutane my side effects weren't too bad. I had slightly dry skin and painful heels but that was about it. My skin was clear and i felt great and confident.
Over the course of the next few years my skin became more and more dry and eventually scaly and damaged (I now have fine lines 10-15 years beyond my age) and i've developed anxiety and extremely poor sleep quality. I've tried all sorts to get the moisture back into my skin, but to no avail.
After speaking to someone on the acne.org forum I was referred to Grants and Dr. Smith's work and 4 weeks ago I began depleting vitamin A from my diet.
After 4 weeks I've not noticed much improvement of my symptoms except for the fact that it appears as though my hands are becoming a little less dry, like the barrier is slowly repairing itself. It's hard to tell what progress is just in my head and what is actually physically going on, but it does appear as though that's the case.
During the first week my skin got more dry, I had severe headaches and my heels became painful again like they were on accutane, but those have subsided since and I've had no pain in my head or heels since that first week.
My main aim is to lessen my anxiety and get some moisture back into my skin. I am constantly tense, which is affecting my sleep and my skin is painfully dry.
Oh, one thing to also note is, during this 4th week, i've been getting acne breakouts around my mouth which I haven't had in years. I think that goes to show something is going on internally. I'm 31 though so this is knocking my confidence even more.
Just wondering if anyone else on here is carrying out the protocol due to taking accutane years ago and what level of success has been had in recovering? Especially from skin related symptoms.
Thanks for reading.
Hi Jason,
Four weeks is still very early into this diet. But, the re-bound effect you are reporting, where conditions first get worse, it being reported by others too. Oddly, not by everyone though.
I’ve found a reference to it is this study (but in the context of large infections). What’s reported is that the post-infection rebound in serum retinol levels might be higher than pre-infection ones.
See: Infection-induced depression of serum retinol—a component of
the acute phase response or a consequence?
Of considerable importance is the observation by Mitra et al (1) that at the time of hospital discharge and before any postillness administration of vitamin A, serum retinol concentrations had rebounded to or above serum retinol concentrations at the time of admission. In most patients, this previously unrecognized rebound occurred in a matter of only several days. Marked improvements in serum retinol values were also observed in each of the sickest patients, who had yet to recover from their acute phase responses to infection. Serum retinol binding and transthyretin values also showed a similar rebound in early convalescence
The only suggestion I can offer is that supplemental vitamin C, and possibly ginger too, might off-set that.
Something else to watch out for are some of the more common prescription drugs. Firstly, the SSRIs. They are documented to block the metabolism of retinoic acid.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00702-015-1407-3
Although these drugs are claimed to help lift depression, they often do just the opposite. Learning that they can block the metabolism of retinoic acid sure could explain why, and also explain why there’s now over 25,000 suicides attributed to Prozac alone. I guess, many people get their mood lifted up so much that they decide to kill themselves?
Secondly are the Statins.
The commonly reported so called “side-effects” of the statins are like a perfect match for those of vitamin A toxicity. But, once you learn that another very common “complication” of these drugs is liver damage, then there’s a rather clear causal mechanism here too.
Then there’s this study reporting that Simvastatin potentiates Retinoic Acid too: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3590479/
I hope this helps,
Grant
Hi Jason,
I have also taking accutane a long time ago (about 20 years ago) and I have also experienced sever dryness and sever IBS, just to name few of the accutane side effects .
I still have more or less some of these symptoms today, I have always had a low Vit A diet, not completely depleted tho, I personally find that it actually helped me when I stay in low Vit A diet.
What I have been using maybe differently, is my intake of fat, and Vitamin C ; I use average of 3 litres of nice olive oil, loads of avocados, and loads of Vit C, in the last two years I have been taking liposomal vitamin C instead of the acid ascorbic, I take about 2 g a day.
Thank you for the replies, both of you.
Grant - I can see that being the case, it does make sense. My body isn't getting anywhere near as high of an intake of Vitamin A so it will look for it elsewhere in the body, meaning it will release whats stored in there into the system.
I have been supplementing vitamin C daily (ascorbic acid) -
Although i've mentioned the anxiety, accutane taught me to stay away from prescription drugs, so I haven't even entertained the prospect of SSRI's, which you have just confirmed is the right attitude to have. I've lost all trust in so called medical professionals over here and since accutane I completely buy into the conspiracy around prescription drugs and money.
Guest - Thank you for the support. Whilst it's good to hear that a low vitamin A diet does help you, it's a bit concerning that you still have your symptoms and side effects today. For years after accutane I thought I was avoiding vitamin A, but now that I have begun this protocol a month ago, I realize just how much vitamin A i was still taking into my body back then. It's in absolutely everything. I ate a bag of tortilla chips the other day, afterwards I wondered what nutrients were in Maize, and low and behold it contains carotenoids.
I've switched to having olive oil on toast in a morning, however, I now avoid avocados because of the vitamin A content.
Quote from ggenereux on January 8, 2019, 9:50 amSomething else to watch out for are some of the more common prescription drugs. Firstly, the SSRIs. They are documented to block the metabolism of retinoic acid.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00702-015-1407-3
Although these drugs are claimed to help lift depression, they often do just the opposite. Learning that they can block the metabolism of retinoic acid sure could explain why, and also explain why there’s now over 25,000 suicides attributed to Prozac alone. I guess, many people get their mood lifted up so much that they decide to kill themselves?
I hope this helps,
Grant
Hey @ggenereux2014 - do you think SSRIs will permanently damage someone's ability to get rid of vitamin A? I was on SSRIs for several years before getting sick. Actually, my health downfall took place when I was taking SSRIs and had recently started taking cod liver oil.
RE: do you think SSRIs will permanently damage someone's ability to get rid of vitamin A?
Sorry, I don't know.
Hi Jason,
I took accutane about 20 years ago. I have anxiety too and my main skin problem is a severe rosacea . The progress on the diet is slow, but before the diet my condition was worsening every year.
Hey mate,
Also took Accutane close to 8 years ago. Have been on the diet for nearly 6 months now however I'm still learning and fighting impulses every day.
I expect to be doing this for the next 5 or so years to get back to baseline.
Quote from empirebuilder31 on August 5, 2019, 3:28 pmQuote from ggenereux on January 8, 2019, 9:50 amSomething else to watch out for are some of the more common prescription drugs. Firstly, the SSRIs. They are documented to block the metabolism of retinoic acid.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00702-015-1407-3
Although these drugs are claimed to help lift depression, they often do just the opposite. Learning that they can block the metabolism of retinoic acid sure could explain why, and also explain why there’s now over 25,000 suicides attributed to Prozac alone. I guess, many people get their mood lifted up so much that they decide to kill themselves?
I hope this helps,
Grant
Hey @ggenereux2014 - do you think SSRIs will permanently damage someone's ability to get rid of vitamin A? I was on SSRIs for several years before getting sick. Actually, my health downfall took place when I was taking SSRIs and had recently started taking cod liver oil.
I took SSRI’s for @10 years and stopped taking them in 2009. I seems like my body’s ability to get rid of A is about the same as everyone else’s (on this site).
Serotonin interferes with thyroid.