Accutane

Accutane is used for:

Treating severe acne in patients who do not respond to other medicines. It may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.

Accutane is a retinoid. It works by reducing skin oil production, changing the characteristics of the skin oil, and preventing abnormal hardening of the skin.

Do NOT use Accutane if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Accutane
• you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or become pregnant while taking Accutane
• you are breast-feeding
• you do not understand the possible risks of Accutane or you are not able to follow all of the instructions in the medication guide
• you are taking tetracycline antibiotics or vitamin A-type medicines (eg, etretinate, vitamin A)

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Before using Accutane :

Some medical conditions may interact with Accutane . Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:

• if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
• if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
• if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
• if you are woman and unable to use 2 effective forms of birth control or avoid sexual intercourse
• if you have diabetes, a family history of diabetes, high blood cholesterol or triglyceride levels, psychiatric disorders, suicidal thoughts, liver disease, pancreatitis, a bone loss condition (eg, osteoporosis), decreased bone density, an eating disorder, severe diarrhea, rectal bleeding, hearing problems, ringing in the ears, or stomach pain

Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Accutane . Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:

• Tetracyclines because the risk of increased pressure in the brain may be increased
• St. John's wort because an increased risk of failure of hormonal contraceptives (eg, birth control pills) may occur
• Vitamin A-type medicines (eg, etretinate, vitamin A) because they may increase the risk of Accutane 's side effects
• Corticosteroids (eg, prednisone) or phenytoin because the risk of their side effects may be increased by Accutane
• Progestin-only birth control (eg, "mini-pill") because its effectiveness may be decreased by Accutane

This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Accutane may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.