Too Long

Arnold R. Oppenheim, MD answers: When to quit Accutane?

I've heard you're not supposed to stay on Accutane or Roaccutane for longer than about 6 months. I've been on it for about a year and my acne still isn't entirely gone, so my doctor is still prescribing it.

My question is, should I keep going on the Accutane until my acne is completely clear? After my acne is gone, how long should I stay on it to make sure the acne doesn't come back?

Arnold R. Oppenheim, MD
6 months ago

The training most of us have received and pretty much adhere to is to use Accutane 4-6 months and then give a rest period of two months before resuming if necessary. Rarely, I too, like Dr. Ting, might use it for eight months. However, over a year on this drug seems way to much. I would especially be concerned about bone changes. Also, in a female, each month means another possiblity of pregnancy.

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