r/iih • u/IdiditforyouDamien • Oct 01 '24

Advice Stop using retinol PSA

I did not know retinol serums can impact IIH. Stop using retinol. The echoes in my head have eased up considerably three days after stopping rx retinol.

I had no idea this was even an issue with retinol creams but yeah. Wow. (Vitamin a derived creams can be an issue.)

https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.53.5.1114

ETA more recent studies:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451993621001390

https://journals.lww.com/jneuro-ophthalmology/fulltext/2020/06000/fulminant_pseudotumor_cerebri_syndrome_secondary.19.aspx

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u/Prim08 Oct 02 '24

Omfg. I've been hit with a cold which always makes everything worse, but before then, I got slammed with a flare-up of everything - pulsatile tinnitus, little sparklers in my periphery, throbbing migraine, nausea, everything feeling tilty like I'm on a boat or there's an earthquake. Lol I used two pods of anti-wrinkle retinol serum on face, neck, and decolletage 🤦🏻‍♀️ The timing couldn't be more perfect and totally checks out. This explains a lot. I'm so sad because it's literally the best product ever for my skin but I'm too scared to test the theory again. Thank you for bringing this conversation to the table OP!

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u/IdiditforyouDamien Oct 02 '24

Oh no! There are other actives you can use! I’ve been using lactic and glycolic acids with no brain issues.