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GENERAL ACCUTANE FAQ

1. What is Accutane?  Accutane, known generically as isotretinoin, is a prescription medication used to treat severe nodular and cystic acne that has not responded to other treatments such as topical creams or antibiotics.
    
2. What are the side effects of Accutane?  Side effects of Accutane range from minor: chapped lips, dry skin, dry nasal glands, muscle & joint pain – to severe: nosebleeds, temporary hair thinning, headache, sensitivity to sun, decreased night vision – to potentially life-threatening: depression, suicidal thoughts, birth defects.
    
3. Has Accutane been linked to depression?  Yes. In February of 1998, the manufacturer of Accutane, Roche Laboratories, issued a letter to physicians wherein they added the following to the WARNINGS section of Prescribing Information for Accutane:
   
   "Psychiatric disorders: Accutane may cause depression, psychosis and, rarely, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and suicide. Discontinuation of Accutane therapy may be insufficient; further evaluation may be necessary. No mechanism of action has been established for these events."
    
4. Should I discontinue Accutane if I’ve had suicidal notions or feel depressed?  Yes, immediately. Accutane has been increasingly linked to suicidal depression. The FDA has received approximately 100 reports of suicides linked to the use of Accutane and over 1,000 reports of various psychological problems among those who use the drug.
    
5. I am currently taking Accutane and want to get pregnant. Is this a problem?  The most damaging side effect of Accutane is serious birth defects (fetal malformations) if taken during pregnancy. It is critically important for women not to take Accutane while pregnant, and not to become pregnant while under treatment.
    
6. What type of birth defects are associated with Accutane?  Birth defects associated with Accutane include:
   • Hydrocephaly - enlargement of the fluid-filled spaces in the brain
   • Microcephaly – abnormally small head
   • Mental Retardation
   • Ear and Eye Abnormalities
   • Cleft Lip and Palate
   • Facial Abnormalities
   • Heart Defects
      
7. My 17-year old friend takes Accutane and her skin looks great. She offered to let me borrow her pills. Is that ok?  NO. The negative health risks of sharing medication can include overdose, allergic reactions, and interactions with other prescriptions and side effects. With Accutane, the acne drug, severe birth defects can result if a teen that is pregnant takes even one dose.
   
   Additionally, according to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in seven boys and one in five girls have shared or borrowed a prescription drug.
    
8. I took Accutane and have since stopped. I do not enjoy the pleasures of the bedroom anymore. Why is this happening to me?  Accutane can permanently affect your sex life, reducing libido and sexual sensation. In some cases, it may also induce sexual dysesthesias in which sexual sensations feel like "pins and needles" instead of being normally pleasant.

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