Side Effects of This Medicine

Although some side effects are more common than others, the actual number of people who experience side effects is small. A drug like Accutane cannot stay on the market for twenty-five years if it causes major problems. Thus, the vast majority of people will never experience any side effects or, if they do, the effects will be minor and pass quickly. You only need to worry if your symptoms are more serious and seem to be lasting longer than you expect or want. As a general warning, this drug is derived from vitamin A so do not take any additional vitamin A in its full form or mixed in a vitamin supplement. The more vitamin A in your system, the higher the risk of side effects.

Because the use of Accutane can affect your blood sugar levels, tell your physician if you find yourself very thirsty or you begin to urinate a lot. Similarly, the levels of cholesterol and lipids may be affected so if your weight changes unexpectedly, you should also seek advice. Finally, if you find yourself feeling weak and faint, or have problems breathing, you should have a blood test to identify the problem.

The more common and less severe effects are: an increase in the amount of facial hair pain in the joints or bones as you move; dry eye problems including redness, itchiness and inflammation — this may make it difficult to wear contact lenses; reduction in or loss of night vision; increasing scaliness or redness around the mouth and lips; and skin infections.

The less common but more serious effects are: severe or continuing headache, blurred vision and dizziness; seizures; severe pain in the stomach or abdomen; nausea, vomiting and diarrhea; rectal bleeding, blood in your stools or dark-colored urine; that your skin or eyes turn yellow; depression or thoughts of suicide; or any symptoms suggesting a severe allergic response.