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#15479 - 04/24/08 01:39 PM
Re: Acitretin - How young should they start
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Member
Registered: 01/16/04
Posts: 1449
Loc: Richmond, VA, USA
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I've never taken or given my kids any type of steroid, but just from reading around here, it appears that the internal steroids either have one major effect - making the skin too raw - right away, or else they have very long term effects with bone density/osteoporosis issues and an increased likelihood of birth defects. It's been 4 years since I've seen Keith, but I recall that he was on Accutane from age 16ish. He's the same age as me and was in need of hip replacement surgery 4 years ago - I think he was about 30 at that time, and he had stopped using the medicine years before that.
Personally, I would NOT be giving any child that sort of medication because they are still growing and I would be concerned about what effects it would have on permanent bone growth. My husband uses Tazorac, which is topical and on a limited area, but even that we won't use on our 2 and 5 year old. My husband used to take Retin-A as a teen, but it made him too raw, so he stopped it after a short trial.
------------------ Reticular Ichthyosiform Erythroderma with white spots. Husband, Nathan - 5, Elliot - 2, all affected. I also have an unaffected daughter and am pregnant, due Oct 12, 2008
_________________________
Jennifer Ichthyosis-en-Confetti Type 2 Husband, Nathan - 10, Elliot - 7, Oliver - 4, all affected. I also have an unaffected daughter, age 8.
email: jennifer at confettiskin dot com facebook - find me on "ichthyosis mommy spot" or "friends of ichthyosis"
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#15480 - 04/24/08 03:17 PM
Re: Acitretin - How young should they start
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Member
Registered: 04/12/07
Posts: 209
Loc: SJ, CA USA
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Hi there,
My son Dane turned three in December and is still not diagnosed. The ich. specialists are very puzzled by his condition, as he has characteristics of diff. forms of ich, but doesn't fit any one diagnosis. With that said, in our desperation, we did give Acitetin a try over a year ago (I know, many of you may gasp with that one, but as I said, we were desperate). Although his skin improved slightly, he began to complain when I would pick him up from under his arm pits (joint pain). He got a little achy. Another side effect that no one usually mentions is that it dries you out everywhere...including saliva production. Dane wound up with a lot of dental caries, and had 6 extractions...all in the front of his mouth. My husband is an orthodontist, so that was obviously not from poor care. Lack of saliva means less chance for food debris to escape the teeth. We took him off of it and have never gone back. This was just our experience, but I thought it worth noting. I'd just see if he ever complains or whimpers when you pick him up.
Good luck to you. We're all just searching how to best help our little ones. Take care.
-Suzanne
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#15481 - 04/24/08 06:10 PM
Re: Acitretin - How young should they start
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Member
Registered: 04/19/08
Posts: 24
Loc: Littlehampton, W Sussex, UK
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hi people, just did a quick google, can we get our terminologies correct
Web definitions for steroid A type of drug used to relieve swelling and inflammation
Web definitions for retinoid - which our acitetin Vitamin A or a vitamin A-like compound
not sure about the USA, but here in the UK, we are hearing reports of questioning over vitimin supplements in particular vits A and D, that they perhaps can lead to some illness, whatever they be. I'm more a beleiver in taking my vitamins in a natural form
vitamin D = sunshine, fish, cheesse, egg, vitamin A = butter, cheese, fish, milk, egg yolk, chicken but get plenty of omegas 3,6 and 9 and plenty of fruit and veg for antioxidents
So with the problems that i have experienced, painfull joints, extreme tiredness and nausia, headaches that last all day etc, i tend to agree, i don't feel 100% and i have been taking acetretin for 15 years at 50mgs daily, in that time the acitretin cleared my skin by maybe as much as 60% in the summer, but i still had ich and now this winter i may have become imune to it, if thats possible, it just hasn't worked.
as i have said in previous postings its all trial and error, some drugs/medication/lotions will work better than others but you can guarantee what works on you may not work on the next person, but i would definately promote the usege of more natural soups and lotions before ingesting any drug. there are side effects as we all read from other postings, the question is acetretin may be working now but where will you be in 15 years, in pain.
yesterday i saw my GP who like me was pleased to see the result on my skin but supprised to know how long hydroxy lotion (lactic acid) has been about in the US, there is nothing in our NHS's arsenal in the UK, well some very small traces but it is not used in the same way as dermal therapy AHa lotion.
now that my skin is cleared up i can use more readily available skin care products as they can now be absorbed into the skin, whereas previously the scaling prevented this and just sat on the surface as a gunk/mess and almost as uncomfortable as the skin condition itself. the dead skin has to be washed away and the AHa lotion will increase the exfoliation of dead skin, try it.
i have some other postings under general discussion, vulgaris and x-linked, suffering at the hands of NHS (UK's national health service) contact me direct petemackean@sky.com but read everything people, there is so much good help and advice here
best of luck everyone
_________________________
pete mackean
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#15483 - 04/24/08 10:48 PM
Re: Acitretin - How young should they start
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Member
Registered: 04/12/07
Posts: 209
Loc: SJ, CA USA
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Yes, I could see where that could be the case with some. However, Dane had never complained before the medication, and after stopping the acitretin, he didn't complain again. His joint pain due to the medication became overwhelmingly obvious. Also, I'm noticing that as time passes, his skin is getting less fragile and a bit tougher/stronger without medication. He's still very erythrodermic and still has a fine, white scale, but he seems to do be doing better as he ages. I think the infant/toddler stage is definitely the most difficult!!! Originally posted by Sarah Helen: I have been on Soriatane/Acitretin since I was 17 yrs old. My father would not allow me to start any earlier than that for fear that it would affect my growth plates (he's an orthopod). Since starting it I have leveled out to 30 mg a day with some variation during season changes. I've been very pleased with the results, however, everyone seems to have different levels of results and side effects. I also used to cry and whine when someone picked me up under the arms. For me, it wasn't joint pain but skin pain. The problem with the little ones is that they may not be able to identify what is hurting for you... I'd be very careful.
Good Luck!
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