Acne Medication May Raise Risk of Eye Infections Large study
found teens taking Accutane were more likely to get pink eye,
styes. THURSDAY, May 31, 2012 (HealthDay News) — Teens who take
the acne medication commonly known as Accutane (isotretinoin)
appear to face twice the risk of eye infections, including
conjunctivitis (pink eye) and styes, a new study says.
Researchers in Israel collected data on nearly 15,000 teens and
young adults taking isotretinoin to treat acne and compared
their rates of eye infections to an age- and gender-matched
group that had acne but was not taking the drugs and to a third
group that didn't take the drugs and didn't have acne.
Isotretinoin is also sold under the brand names Roaccutane,
Amnesteem, Claravis, Myorisan and Sotret. Within a year of
starting the medication, nearly 14 percent of those in the acne
medication group developed an eye infection or dry eyes,
compared with almost 10 percent in the group that had acne but
did not take the medications and about 7 percent in the