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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by sweetmarie on September 4, 2001, at 17:26:58
Does anyone know of any anti-d medication that causes acne?
I have developed acne (not on my face, thankfully) recently and this ties in with starting on Zispin (Remeron) and Efexor. If anything, it will be the Zispin, as I was on Efexor before with no skin problems.
It could just be a coincidence, or it could be an anxiety-related thing. I could just have developed it for no particular reason - I just thought I`d ask.
Anna.
Posted by SalArmy4me on September 4, 2001, at 17:54:32
In reply to Acne and Anti-Depressant Medication, posted by sweetmarie on September 4, 2001, at 17:26:58
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Volume 40(5) May 2001 pp 505-506 IMPROVEMENT OF ACNE IN DEPRESSED PATIENTS TREATED WITH PAROXETINE:
To the Editor:
When prescribing the antidepressant agent paroxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), to patients with depression, I have observed a profound improvement in the facial acne of a number of adolescents and adults.
I first observed the positive effect of paroxetine on acne in 1994, when I treated a white woman in her late 30s for severe depression. The woman also had facial acne, which disappeared after she took paroxetine 20 mg daily for about 1 month.
Another case involved a 27-year-old woman from a Caribbean island whose depression and social anxiety prohibited her from performing the duties of her job in marketing, so she accepted a position as a file clerk at a bank. The woman also had a serious case of facial acne. She responded very well to paroxetine 20 mg daily, and her face became blemish-free. Consequently, her confidence and self-esteem levels increased dramatically and her depression eventually disappeared; she felt more comfortable with her appearance and resumed her career in marketing.
From these two incidental situations, I decided to target paroxetine to the adolescent population and discovered promising results.
One of my first adolescent cases involved a 17-year-old male patient with depression. He had poor socialization skills and inadequate academic performance, and he was absent from school once or twice a week. He also had a severe case of acne. This patient’s depression responded remarkably well to treatment with paroxetine, and he demonstrated an increase in social involvement and an improvement in school attendance and academic performance. After his facial acne disappeared, he developed a positive self-image and expressed contentment with his treatment.
Another case involved a 14-year-old African-American female patient. Approximately 1 year before this report on her case, she was discharged from a hospital and prescribed an SSRI (fluoxetine 10 mg daily) for depression. I began treating her shortly after her discharge and immediately noticed that she was painfully shy, reclusive, and socially uncomfortable. During the initial evaluation, she attempted to conceal her face from me. Because this patient exhibited less than an optimal response to the initial SSRI and reported severe headaches, I discontinued the medication and prescribed paroxetine 10 mg daily. Within 6 to 8 weeks, the changes in her depression and facial acne were remarkable. Her self-confidence improved dramatically, and she now perceives herself as physically beautiful.
I am currently treating three adolescents who have exhibited positive effects of treatment with paroxetine. The first patient is a 13-year-old girl with facial acne. She had reported extremely poor peer relationships; she was frequently derided by her peers because of her appearance. She has responded very well to paroxetine 10 mg daily for the past 6 months, as evidenced by an alleviation of depression, an improvement in self-esteem, and the disappearance of her facial acne. She now takes pride in her appearance and has made new friends. During our last interaction, she disclosed that she is involved in a boyfriend–girlfriend relationship.
The other case involves two African-American siblings whom I have been treating for depression and anxieties over the past several years. Within the past couple of months, the brother and sister (aged 16 and 14 years, respectively) complained about facial acne. Until this point, they had been taking sertraline, another SSRI agent, for more than a year. I switched their medication to paroxetine 10 mg daily and, in my most recent consultation with them, witnessed two acne-free complexions. The siblings and their grandmother, who is their caretaker, expressed extreme delight with the overall improvements.
I have found that paroxetine is the only effective SSRI that improves facial acne while treating depression. Studies show that certain skin diseases may lead to depression and even suicidal ideation (Gupta and Gupta, 1998).
In the cases described in this study, the depressed adolescents were compliant with treatment, especially upon learning that paroxetine reduces breakouts of facial acne. For the most part, the acne improved without the assistance of other medications. I hypothesize that the chemical properties of paroxetine may affect certain agents or receptors that can improve the condition of facial acne.
Hamid Moussavian, M.D.
Posted by Jackster on September 5, 2001, at 3:36:52
In reply to Acne and Anti-Depressant Medication, posted by sweetmarie on September 4, 2001, at 17:26:58
> Does anyone know of any anti-d medication that causes acne?
>
> I have developed acne (not on my face, thankfully) recently and this ties in with starting on Zispin (Remeron) and Efexor. If anything, it will be the Zispin, as I was on Efexor before with no skin problems.
>
> It could just be a coincidence, or it could be an anxiety-related thing. I could just have developed it for no particular reason - I just thought I`d ask.
>
> Anna.I got acne while on Zoloft - but after a few weeks it went away. Paxil actually seemed to make my face clearer - as Sal's post states.
Jackie
Posted by JahL on September 5, 2001, at 9:54:46
In reply to Acne and Anti-Depressant Medication, posted by sweetmarie on September 4, 2001, at 17:26:58
> Does anyone know of any anti-d medication that causes acne?
>
> I have developed acne (not on my face, thankfully) recently and this ties in with starting on Zispin (Remeron) and Efexor. If anything, it will be the Zispin, as I was on Efexor before with no skin problems.
>
> It could just be a coincidence, or it could be an anxiety-related thing. I could just have developed it for no particular reason - I just thought I`d ask.Hi Anna.
Perhaps not coincidence.Started Wellbutrin 2 weeks ago & within 2 days my skin began to flare up; normally it's pretty good (but sensitive). Stopping it now for this reason.
Previous drugs have seen slight reactions but not prolonged like this.
J.
Posted by JahL on September 5, 2001, at 10:11:17
In reply to Re: Acne and Anti-Depressant Medication, posted by Jackster on September 5, 2001, at 3:36:52
>Paxil actually seemed to make my face clearer - as Sal's post states.
I can second that. My skin was unblemished on Paroxetine & Prozac.
J.
Posted by Kathleen6674 on September 5, 2001, at 19:25:54
In reply to Acne and Anti-Depressant Medication, posted by sweetmarie on September 4, 2001, at 17:26:58
I hardly ever got zits when I was on Prozac.
Come to think of it, my skin has been pretty acne-free on Celexa, too.
My psoraisis has flared up a bit on Celexa, but at least that's not on my face.
I think these meds CAN have effects on skin, good or bad, although it's hard to tell if it's the med or other stuff, as you said. They do tend to effect all systems of the body, intentionally or not, so it makes sense to me that they could do stuff to skin.
Posted by MB on September 6, 2001, at 18:45:51
In reply to Acne and Anti-Depressant Medication, posted by sweetmarie on September 4, 2001, at 17:26:58
The first time I tried Effexor, there was no problem. The second time, acne that I had not seen for 7 years returned. It was awful, but it subsided.
Posted by kregpark@yahoo.com on September 9, 2001, at 5:07:16
In reply to Acne and Anti-Depressant Medication, posted by sweetmarie on September 4, 2001, at 17:26:58
No way to know for sure but...
Remeron increases male hormones primarily
noradrenaline. Personally I think it's more
likely to help men than women in most cases.
I'm not surprised if it did cause acne.I'm a male who get acne if I take too much
dopaminergic + noradrenergic medication, but
then again at those doses I'd be up all night.
Also gives me hair loss.Is your depression effecively treated? If so
then maybe you could just treat the acne with
antiobiotic or maybe accutatne.> Does anyone know of any anti-d medication that causes acne?
>
> I have developed acne (not on my face, thankfully) recently and this ties in with starting on Zispin (Remeron) and Efexor. If anything, it will be the Zispin, as I was on Efexor before with no skin problems.
>
> It could just be a coincidence, or it could be an anxiety-related thing. I could just have developed it for no particular reason - I just thought I`d ask.
>
> Anna.
This is the end of the thread.
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