Accutane Warnings For Women
Accutane is an effective treatment for severe forms of acne. It is
derived from vitamin A, a natural and necessary nutrient, but it can be
extremely potent and thus can have adverse side effects for certain
people that are on an Accutane treatment. Accutane is the commercial
name for the drug Isotretinoin. In the US, it is manufactured by Roche
pharmaceutical company, however, it can be found throughout the world
under other trade names, manufactured by other pharmaceutical
companies.
Accutane requires a prescription from your doctor- usually
your dermatologist. Before Accutane treatment all patients must consult
with their physician to make sure that Accutane is right for their
situation. During this consultation, your doctor will discuss with you
common, infrequent and rare side effects that can occur while
treatment. In addition, because of specific side affects (that will be
discussed below), you must also register and complete a form with the
FDA to make sure you are aware of the side affects and use Accutane by
your doctors directions only.
Accutane is categorized as a teratogen, which means that it
can cause birth defects if taken during pregnancy. For the most part,
your doctor and the FDA will want you to make sure you use Accutane
responsibly so that you are not pregnant when prescribed the medication
and do not become pregnant while taking Accutane.
Over the 20+ year period that Accutane has been available,
hundreds of thousands of people have been treated with Accutane
(Isotretinoin), and about 2,000 people have become pregnant or were
pregnant when using Accutane. While most pregnancies ended either in
miscarriage or abortion, many pregnancies were carried to full term
resulting in over 100 babies born with birth defects. In 2005, the FDA
created a plan of action to increase awareness and reduce the amount of
pregnancies and ultimately children born with defects. The FDA plan is
called iPledge.
iPledge is a program to limit exposure of Isotretinoin in
fetuses. It requires a female of child bearing age to first take two
pregnancy tests with negative results before being prescribed Accutane
and take a pregnancy test each month when on the Accutane treatment. In
addition, a female of child bearing age must use two forms of
contraception one month before Accutane treatment begins, during
Accutane treatment and for at least one month after Accutane treatment
to further reduce the risk of becoming pregnant. There is also a
provision for those to pledge to abstain from sexual intercourse if
birth control is an issue. Besides these precautions, you must also
register with the FDA and complete an application. There are also
strict controls on obtaining Accutane that you should be aware of.
Accutane is extremely effective and if used responsibility can
improve a patients face and life, however since Accutane can be
dangerous in certain instances, precautions must be taken. Before
asking your dermatologist for a prescription to Accutane, it is
important to educate yourself on the drug, the FDA s iPledge program
and the possible adverse side effects of the drug. Your dermatologist
and pharmacist can advise you, as well as numerous government resources
on the web.