Increased Pressure in the Brain (Pseudotumor Cerebri)
Fewer than 1% of Accutane® users develop this. Symptoms include headaches, blurred vision and/or nausea and/or vomiting. This problem goes away if detected early and the medication is stopped. If such symptoms are ignored and not reported to your doctor, the condition can slowly worsen and potentially be life-threatening.
To minimize the chance of developing this already rare complication, be sure to review with your doctor any prescription and over-the counter medications you are taking before starting Accutane®. Avoid taking any antibiotics in the tetracycline family (tetracycline, doxycycline, minocycline) and avoid any vitamin A supplementation, including vitamin A in multivitamins. If you want to continue or start a multivitamin, take ebA* (*everything but “A”®) Multivitamin Supplement® , the only multivitamin that is free of vitamin A.
If you experience headaches, nausea/vomiting and or blurred vision that seem out of the ordinary or do not go away within a day or two, report them immediately to your doctor. Your doctor can check for this complication by looking at the back of your eyes with an ophthalmoscope or referring you to a neurologist or eye doctor for further evaluation.
Rarely, an MRI scan is necessary for further evaluation.