AllyCatPregnancy and Roaccutane Warning
July 28th 2008 03:18
It is absolutely imperative that you DO NOT get pregnant while taking the drug roaccutane. I did and it was a very scary time for me. I got pregnant while on one form of contraception, the pill about two weeks after I had my last pill earlier this year in fact around the time I started this blog. After much stress and concern over birth defects, I called my dermatologist who originally prescribed roaccutane to me and he told me (after doing a bit more research and discussions with other dermatologists) that technically it should be safe 11 days after taking my last pill as the drugs main ingredient does leave the system fairly quickly. Well looking back on my dates we kind of figured that I had conceived possibly 10 days after my last pill. Geez, that was cutting it close and I started to panic. My doctor referred me for an ultrasound scan at the 8 week mark to see where my pregnancy was at. I was prepared for a termination although I wasn’t very happy about that and wished, hoped, prayed for a natural so I wouldn’t have to make that awful decision.
So for two weeks while waiting for the scan I did nothing but research on the net the effects of roaccutane and pregnancy and was quite horrified to find out the severity of deformities this drug can cause on a fetus. My only hope was that I got my dates wrong and that I conceived at a much later date.
Although there was plenty of information on the effects, studies and research done on pregnancy and roaccutane, I could not find any personal experiences anybody has gone through. I was more and more convinced a termination was inevitable. This drug is so powerful, you must sign a declaration in the US that you agree to a termination should you fall pregnant. In fact if you don’t sign one, you cannot receive treatment. Powerful stuff.
Well the long wait was finally over and I went to my scan a bundle of nerves. At the scan they couldn’t see anything in my uterus. There was no sign of a tubal pregnancy either, although these don’t always show up on scan apparently. I was finally diagnosed as an unsighted ectopic. My hcg levels were rather high (around 6000) with no pregnancy in sight which the doctors described as an unusual case (great!) After many blood checks on my levels, which was slowly falling but staying stagnant around the 4500 mark, it was determined I needed a methotextrate injection to move things along as they were worried about a rupture. One week after the methotextrate, my levels dropped to almost half which the doctors were pleased about. This whole thing is not over yet, I go back to the hospital in two days time for another hcg level check and will have to keep going until my levels reaches zero.
Moral of the story is DO NOT GET PREGNANT while taking roaccutane, keep an accurate track on your menstrual cycle dates to double check should anything happen and most importantly, don’t think one form of contraception is enough no matter how hard you think it takes you to get pregnant. I never conceived easy, always taking between 6 to 12 months after stopping the pill to fall pregnant. Never before I have fallen pregnant while on the pill so never thought it could happen.
At the end of it, I am relieved I am miscarrying naturally. I would have hated to make an alternate decision and am so glad and thankful I didn’t have to.
So for two weeks while waiting for the scan I did nothing but research on the net the effects of roaccutane and pregnancy and was quite horrified to find out the severity of deformities this drug can cause on a fetus. My only hope was that I got my dates wrong and that I conceived at a much later date.
Although there was plenty of information on the effects, studies and research done on pregnancy and roaccutane, I could not find any personal experiences anybody has gone through. I was more and more convinced a termination was inevitable. This drug is so powerful, you must sign a declaration in the US that you agree to a termination should you fall pregnant. In fact if you don’t sign one, you cannot receive treatment. Powerful stuff.
Well the long wait was finally over and I went to my scan a bundle of nerves. At the scan they couldn’t see anything in my uterus. There was no sign of a tubal pregnancy either, although these don’t always show up on scan apparently. I was finally diagnosed as an unsighted ectopic. My hcg levels were rather high (around 6000) with no pregnancy in sight which the doctors described as an unusual case (great!) After many blood checks on my levels, which was slowly falling but staying stagnant around the 4500 mark, it was determined I needed a methotextrate injection to move things along as they were worried about a rupture. One week after the methotextrate, my levels dropped to almost half which the doctors were pleased about. This whole thing is not over yet, I go back to the hospital in two days time for another hcg level check and will have to keep going until my levels reaches zero.
Moral of the story is DO NOT GET PREGNANT while taking roaccutane, keep an accurate track on your menstrual cycle dates to double check should anything happen and most importantly, don’t think one form of contraception is enough no matter how hard you think it takes you to get pregnant. I never conceived easy, always taking between 6 to 12 months after stopping the pill to fall pregnant. Never before I have fallen pregnant while on the pill so never thought it could happen.
At the end of it, I am relieved I am miscarrying naturally. I would have hated to make an alternate decision and am so glad and thankful I didn’t have to.
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Comment by Nurten
Comment by AllyCat
Healing Rosacea
The pill will not affect her baby. Many women have fallen pregnant (and continued until they've found out they were pregnant) and have normal healthy babies. The pill does not cause birth defects, she has nothing to worry about the pills affecting the baby.
As for antibiotics, I cant tell you, some can be harmful, a lot are completely safe. It all depends on what type she was taking. Even the harmful ones can still have only a small risk associated with. Also the danger time for toxins to affect fetus' is between 18 to 60 days. If your sister took the antibiotics during this time, I would be a bit more concerned but if taken before I wouldn't worry as much.
It is awful to think that something horrible might happen to an unborn baby but I think in your sisters case, the risk is extremely, extremely low, if zero, and I wouldn't abort. My doctors here in Australia tried to assure me everything would be fine and I got pregnant on the pill, plus taking roaccutane two weeks earlier. Just check the antibiotics she was taking.
Comment by Nurten
I did some more research and most of them said it is low risk... bur as I said she made her choice didnt even listen to me...
Thanks a lot for your comment and the research you supply to me!
Comment by Anonymous
Can any body out there give us some correct time on before we can start trying to get pregnat after takeing the Roaccutane Drug.
We Live in Johanneburg South Africa.
Please can you send your answers to me on this email address kerichops@iburst.co.za
Comment by AllyCat
Healing Rosacea
I would agree with your doctor...that 1 to 3 months after stopping the pills, it will be safe to become pregnant. The main ingredient doesnt stay in the body for very long. I would personally wait to start trying for a baby at 6 months after stopping... Why..because I know the feeling of wondering if all is good or not and its not a nice feeling At 3 months, you are generally safe though. At 6 months, all doubt of the roaccutane affecting the baby will be gone.