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My best friend suffered from horrible disfiguring acne for years. Finally, after trying everything else--systemic antibiotics, Differin, etc--he decided to give the Accutane a try. His skin got a little worse at first, but within a month or so it cleared up. He only really suffered from dry skin as a side effect, which was easily taken care of with some Cetaphil. His only complaint about the whole experience was that he constantly had to go into the doctor, but I think even that was worth it in the end.
He still has horrible scarring from the acne he had before the Accutane--I'm talking thick, ropy scars on his chest and back. He won't go shirtless because he's paranoid of someone making fun of them (that and he's damn skinny). But it's clear the Accutane made a decided difference, and for someone with disfiguring acne, the side effects of the acne itself can be just as depressing or hurtful as the side effects of the Accutane itself.
Certainly, it's a gamble, but after seeing the difference it has made on some of my friends' lives, I can't say it should be banned. Yes, it should be highly regulated. Like some of the articles I read regarding this said, it's a shame that a few doctors could spoil it for the many who were already following the regulations put in place by the drug companies. The FDA is in the right to step up here and oversee doctors in this way--some of them have already proved too negligent to prescribe Accutane in an effective and safe manner. But trying this kind of oversight will hopefully prevent an outright banning, something I think would be detrimental to the health of many an American.
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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau
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