Is there any link to depression with tretinoin cream use?

Question

I've recently started using airol retin a 0.5. I've read nothing but great things about th tretinoin cream to the point I questioned if sounds too good to be true. After some research I read that after certain time of using retin a some individuals have found they felt depressed or had suicidal thoughts. It has really put me off using the cream. I was very shocked by these findings and was wondering if their is much truth in any of it?

Sheryl D. Clark, MD, FAAD · Answer

I am not surprised that some people become depressed while using Retin A. They probably were also running, or eating broccoli, or break-dancing, or living in Cobleskill. This does not mean that Retin A, running, eating broccoli, or living in Cobleskill cause depression.  Many times things happen coincidentally without cause and effect.  Please continue your Retin A and do not be comcerned!

F. Victor Rueckl, MD (in memoriam) · Answer

Pretty much any medication has "depression" listed as a possible side effect, and this is even more true when one of the main reasons we use Retin A is to treat acne. Quite simply, people with acne are depressed and tend to feel bad about themselves. Does this mean Retin A causes it? Nope. It doesn't have any ability to be mood-altering. It simply goes into the skin layers and not the brain. So you can't get depression from Retin A use. Ever. "This answer has been solicited without seeing this patient and 
cannot be held as true medical advice, but only opinion. Seek in-person 
treatment with a trained medical professional for appropriate care."

Is there any link to depression with tretinoin cream use?

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Is there any link to depression with tretinoin cream use?

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Everything you need to know about Retin-A

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.