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Hey. I was wondering if you guys know anything about accutane. How long are people usually on it for? Are there any long term side effects? Is it okay to use if you only have mild acne?
Thanks so much!
It is highly toxic. Access to it is restricted in the us. Pharmacies and physicians must register and make certain written commitments in order to obtain or prescribe it. I would not recommend it’s use under any circumstances unless the acne was becoming significantly disfiguring and would impact the patients life in a strongly negative manner.
The reason pharmacies and physicians must register in order to obtain accutane is because it’s teratogenic (category x) and is strongly associated with miscarriage and birth defects. Therefore it should be avoided by women who are pregnant or may become pregnant.
In fact, any woman who takes it must use at least two forms of birth control until a fair while after the course of treatment.
It works very, very well. But you shouldn’t even think the word “pregnant” within ten feet of the manufacturer’s brochure.
Two people who are close to me used it. One (a boy) was helped after TWO complete cycles of treatment, the other,a girl, was not. The liver enzymes must be checked with frequent blood tests, because Accutane can damage the liver. Pregnancy, as was mentioned, would be a disaster, and though the girl is a frum and unmarried patient, the doctor would not start the treatment until she had a pregnancy test in the office, and signed a waiver that she would NOT get pregnant.
Heard a while back from a dermatologist that he wouldn’t give it to his worst enemy, it is so risky, although it may work well with severe acne. I agree with Mod-80 that in a case where the patient might be left with permanent and deep scarring, maybe one should look into it under the care of an expert dermatologist.
Some teenage acne comes and goes and even if it lasts many years, it doesn’t leave any permanent marks. If it is worse than this, then may need to look at more risky solutions.
I haven’t, but I’ve had a friend and relative who did. Both got good results after one course of treatment. Their acne went away, never to return. They didn’t experience any terrible side effects and used multiple birth control methods while they were on the medication.
You have received enough information about Accutane to know whether or not you want to go ahead and consult an experienced dermatologist. Further anecdotal and uninformed statements here will not be beneficial to you or the many other readers of these posts.
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