werner@aecom.UUCP (Craig Werner) (08/22/85)
> A much more reprehensible result of modern research priorities is the total > lack of a cure for ACNE. Bill the Cat died of this horrible disease, which IS > bacterial in origin! Who's next? Actually there are several effective treatments for acne. Topical antibiotics work for some, not for all. Also a good one is Accutane (Isotrenoine or cis-retinoic acid), which is a kinked analogue of Vitamin A. Given for a short time, it works in a large percentage of cases, and its effects are permanent -- i.e. just like a cure. During the administration, the side effects are just slightly worse than taking high doses of Vitamin A alone (but Vitamin A is toxic in high doses -- not as high as are given here though by a safe margin) The side effects are dry skin, cracked lips, nose bleeds -- this stuff really dries you out. Also are blurred vision and headaches. Oh, for the first few weeks, the acne gets worse. There is also something concerning serum cholesterol, which has to be monitored. Also for women: it is very important that you not be pregnant since Accutane causes birth defects (just as Vitamin A overdoses do) in early fetuses. Thus, most dermatologists will not start women on this drug until after menses, to insure they are not pregnant, and advise them in no uncertain terms not to get pregnant while on the drug. From personal experience, I was on it several years ago for 3 months. (just when it became available for secondary trials.) I had every side effect, even ones I didn't find out about until later. Some of these went away with a slightly lowered dose. About two months after I went off it, my acne was gone (and the acne on my back was so bad it kept me from sleeping sometimes beforehand). Except for a small facial blemish here and there, it has never recurred. It was hell for three months, but it has generally been worth it. [Besides, I thought Bill the Cat crashed his sports car? ] :-) -- Craig Werner !philabs!aecom!werner "The world is just a straight man for you sometimes"
peter@baylor.UUCP (Peter da Silva) (08/28/85)
> [Besides, I thought Bill the Cat crashed his sports car? ] :-)
I don't know what he may have done recently, but Oliver Wendell Jones cloned
him for the presidential race after he died of acne.
--
Peter (Made in Australia) da Silva
UUCP: ...!shell!neuro1!{hyd-ptd,baylor,datafac}!peter
MCI: PDASILVA; CIS: 70216,1076tomczak@harvard.ARPA (Bill Tomczak) (09/09/85)
peter@baylor.UUCP (Peter da Silva): >I don't know what he may have done recently, but Oliver Wendell Jones cloned >him for the presidential race after he died of acne. No No No No!!!! I have "Penguin Dreams and Stranger Things" right here on my lap. Bill the Cat was doing heavy drugs at a party at Mary Worth's house. He ran into a cactus driving home and all that was left was his tongue. Milo was too depressed to deal with all this so he gave the tongue to Oliver Wendell who then cloned Bill. Flames from anyone who hasn't read "Penguin Dreams..." will not impress me. BTW -- I was on vacation when Opus returned. Where did they find him?? Bill Tomczak -- Harvard U.