Medical Minute: Is the Acne Drug Accutane Dangerous?

Light Snow

Temp: 14.0 F (-10.0 C)

More Weather

Wausau Downtown Airport, WI

Back to HomePage
Updated: 3:30 PM Oct 13, 2005 Medical Minute: Is the Acne Drug Accutane Dangerous? An extremely powerful drug used to treat acne may have one less side effect than previously thought. Posted: 4:40 PM Jun 29, 2005 Reporter: Paige Lambrecht Medical Minute: Is the Acne Drug Accutane Dangerous?

Font Size:

Accutane is a strong and effective drug used to treat severe acne, but it's also become controversial thanks to recent reports that it causes depression.

Now, new research is disputing that.

The debate arose after a handful of parents in the U.S. blamed Accutane for their child's depression, and in some cases, suicide, but a new study, published in the recent issue of The Archives of Dermatology, found no link.

Dr. Katrina Smith of Aspirus Dermatology says, "Accutane can be a very effective and safe medication if appropriately monitored. I think these studies are reinforcing the fact that depression is probably not linked to Accutane."

The drug is a vitamin a derivative and most people are on it for about five months. Even though no link to depression can be found, there can be other serious side effects from the drug.

Dr. Smith says, "We have to watch very carefully in women of child-bearing age that they don't become pregnant on the medication because birth defects are very severe."

Dr. Smith says she feels comfortable prescribing Accutane to a patient as long as they're closely monitored, and it should be made clear Accutane is only for severe cases of acne, often after other treatments have failed.