Can accutane cause birth defects if I stop taking it before I conceive?
I hаνе bаd acne аnd a dermatologist hаѕ recommended Accutane. Accutane hаѕ bееn known tο cause birth defects іf уου gеt pregnant whіlе taking thіѕ medication, bυt аrе thеrе lingering effects thаt mау affect a fetus even іf I ѕtοр taking thе meds before I conceive?
I know I had this concern as well when my doctor recommended Accutane. I’m not planning to have kids anytime soon, but I certainly didn’t want there to be any issues when I finally did.
According to my dermatologist, the medications stays in your system for up to 3 months after your last pill. Thus, it would make sense that you should not plan to get pregnant until that time. My dermatologist assured me that there would be no lingering effects of the drug that would cause pregnancy complications. My guess is that because the Accutane dries up your oil and mucus glands, it probably also dries up the uterine lining, which in turn causes the birth defects…although that’s just my speculation.
Your dermatologist would definitely be the best reference for any Accutane questions you might have…you’re paying them enough, so make sure to ask away until you feel comfortable with their recommendations.
Good luck! :]
possibly -before conceiving, discuss this with your gyn. use condoms.
The manufacturers package insert states that a female of child-bearing age must be on some type of birth control one month before, during, and one month after being on Accutane. So to be safe, you should wait at least a month after stopping Accutane and the longer the better.