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Accutane Side Effects

September 28, 2007


Accutane is a powerful drug that is used to combat serious acne, primarily in teens. Because of its serious and lengthy list of side effects, accutane is generally used as a last resort only when nothing else has worked to cure the acne.

The most serious of the accutane side effects is that it can cause birth defects that are severe, such as malformed babies and mental retardation. Other common side effects of accutane are conjunctivitis, better known as pink eye; skin that becomes fragile and dry, cracked or dry lips, dry mouth, pain in your joints, a dry nose, excessive itching, and nosebleeds.

Other accutane side effects that are less common but very annoying are pain in the bowels and even some inflammation; chest pain, inability to tolerate your contact lenses, a decrease in your night vision, wounds that heal more slowly, fatigue, depression, nausea and vomiting, headaches, a rash, stomach or intestinal upset, skin that is sensitive to sunburn, peeling on the palms of your hands or the soles of your feet, thinning of your hair, and urinary discomfort.

Your acne could actually get worse before it gets better when you first start accutane treatment.

It is extremely important that you do not get pregnant when you are taking accutane. Your baby will have a high risk of having birth defects if you do so. No doctor will prescribe accutane to a woman who does not sign a statement that she has been on effective birth control for at least a month and will stay on it for at least a month after the accutane treatment ends. So serious are the problems and the side effects for the baby that a woman must have a negative pregnancy test within two weeks of starting accutane treatment and will begin the regimen on the second or third day of her menstrual period.

Blood sugar may be hard to regulate while you are on accutane. Some of the accutane side effects may be exacerbated if you’re taking tetracycline at the same time.

You cannot donate blood while you are on accutane and for one month after you end the treatment.

Written by AcneCure · Filed Under Acne Treatment 

Comments

One Response to “Accutane Side Effects”

  1. helen65 on July 1st, 2008 12:39 am

    It is proved that accutane causes birth defects such as mental retardation and physical deformities to the child born to the woman who uses accutane during pregnancy. If women accidentally get pregnant while taking accutane, they should immediately consult their doctor.

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Teens

Teen Acne

Acne is one of the great misfortunes of teenagers. It is a common, chronic skin disorder that is caused by the inflammation of oil-producing sebaceous glands. Acne usually occurs on the face, neck, back and chest and usually begins between the ages of ten and thirteen and then continues for five to ten years.

Teenagers, both men and women, obtain acne in equal numbers and there are numerous causes. It is worth noting that younger males are generally more prone to acute and long-term acne, while many younger women suffer from hormonal acne, due to the hormonal changes that are associated to their menstrual cycle. To some degree, acne causes personal anguish for most teenagers. It can definitely lower the person’s self esteem. So, if you (or a loved one) are currently feeling depressed and embarrassed because of unsightly acne, don’t despair. Several acne treatments for teenagers are out there.

Acne treatments for teens generally vary according to the method of application and their purpose. Most of these acne treatments have promised to help prevent acne formation, but some of them failed to fulfill such promise. Below are a few of the acne treatments typically used for teenage acne.

Over-the-Counter Products

A number of non-prescription acne treatments are now available in most local drug stores. The typical treatments of this form include various acne cleansers, astringents, moisturizers, as well as pimple creams. Some of them help to unplug the whiteheads and blackheads, while the others help skin shedding. It terms of the application of these acne treatments for teenagers, some experts typically suggest giving such over-the-counter products around six to eight weeks to work before expecting huge results. However, if there is no improvement in the condition during that time, there are some other options for treating teenage acne that should be considered.

Oral and Topical Antibiotics

Most of the oral and topical antibiotics are samples of “prescription only” treatments for acne. The topical antibiotics, in particular, are deemed effective acne treatments for teenagers since they can help fight acne by killing off the bacteria that infect the pores. On the other hand, oral antibiotics are acne treatments that affect the entire body, therefore they can cause serious and unfavorable side effects. Both of these forms of acne treatments for teens are now commonly recommended, even taking into account some of the side effects.

Vitamin A Derivatives

Vitamin A derivatives are great teen acne treatments since they prevent skin cells from clumping together and encourage the skin to shed. These acne treatments for teenagers are usually applied once a day, but just like some of the other acne treatments for teens mentioned earlier, they too have certain side effects such as dryness, redness, and irritation, even birth defects.

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