Can accutane cause birth defects if I stop taking it before I conceive?
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I have bad acne and a dermatologist has recommended Accutane. Accutane has been known to cause birth defects if you get pregnant while taking this medication, but are there lingering effects that may affect a fetus even if I stop taking the meds before I conceive?
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.
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! :]