Accutane Acne Treatment

Acne is a medical skin condition that affects 4 out of 5 people between 12 and 25. For severe acne studies have shown some positive results with Accutane acne treatments. But are the risks worth the benefits?

Accutane, or Isotretinoin, is used on severe nodular acne. However, cautious physicians limit the use of the medication to patients whose emotional and psychological stressors make the severe acne a severe emotional problem.

The use of Accutane acne treatment comes with many cautions and requirements. Accutane acne treatments are used in both men and women. The cautionary procedures for men are less than women because Accutane acne treatments are linked with severe birth defects, miscarriage, pre-mature birth and the death of the baby.

If a women is pregnant or thinks she may become pregnant or wants to become pregnant or is breast feeding she should NOT take Accutane acne treatment. The risk to the baby is so severe that the Federal Government developed an increased risk program especially for this drug.

Called the iPledge program for Accutane acne treatment it is designed to ensure that women who are taking Accutane do not get pregnant. The program began in December 2005 and has several stringent requirements for physicians, patients and pharmacists who are prescribing, taking and filling accutane prescriptions.

All patients must be informed of the risks and agree to carry out all of the instructions in the iPledge program using an informed consent signed form.
Women who can become pregnant must first agree to use 2 separate forms of effective birth control at the same time for 1 month prior to starting the prescription, during the use of the treatment and for 1 month after stopping the Accutane acne treatment. They must also have 2 negative pregnancy tests before receiving their first treatment and then a negative pregnancy test before each and every refill.

Women must also sign an additional information and consent form that has warnings about the risks of potential birth defects if a baby is exposed to Accutane acne treatment.

Other serious medical conditions that the iPledge program monitors are depression, psychosis, suicidal thoughts and actions or aggressive or violent behavior. Both men and women who use an Accutane acne treatment program should watch for and report:

- Sadness or crying spells
- Withdrawal from friends
- Thoughts of hurting themselves
- Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Hearing or seeing things that are not real
- Irritability
- Acting on dangerous impulses
- Trouble concentrating
- Feel like you are always tired or have no energy

Another serious medical condition that is caused by Accutane acne treatment programs is increased pressure in your brain that can lead to permanent loss of eyesight or even death. Signs of increased brain pressure that you should report immediately to your doctor are bad headaches, blurred vision, dizziness, nausea, seizures, increased sleepiness or vomiting.

More common side effects of Accutane acne treatments include dry skin, chapped lips, dry eyes, and dry nose that can lead to nose bleeds.

Before beginning an Accutane acne treatment program you should discuss your medical history with your doctor. If someone in your family has had problems with asthma, liver disease, diabetes, heart disease, mental illness, osteoporosis or eating disorders. Always mention the other medications that you may be taking such as over the counter drugs, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

When you are on an Accutane acne treatment program you should know that you should never give blood during the treatment or for one month after stopping treatment. Until you know if your night vision is affected you also shouldn’t drive at night. Avoid the sunlight or UV rays in tanning beds as much as possible. The Accutane acne treatment will affect the way your skin reacts to the sunlight.

Beside the serious side effects of this program you should be aware that once you start using Accutane it may require higher and higher doses to treat the acne. Then, once you stop the treatment process there is a risk of rebound acne called Accutane Breakout that is virtually untreatable and often worse than the original acne problem.

Accutane acne treatment programs were once thought of as the answer to all severe nodular acne. Currently, with knowledge of the serious medical side effects and potential for rebound acne Accutane acne treatment programs are becoming less popular and reserved only for those sufferers whose psychological stress is severe.