Taking Accutane is always a hotly contested topic, but as I’ve stated again, and again, and again, I think that when prescribed by appropriately trained physicians, and when patients comply with the regimen, it is a safe medication and the only cure for acne. According to Dermatology Times, the news from prior years that Accutane (isotretinoin) was linked to IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) was also incorrect and grossly overstated.
In a release today, they state that in a research project done by the University of British Columbia, “Isotretinoin does not appear to be linked to an increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease.” In the study, the researchers analyzed health records of a population of U.S. women, of whom 2,159 had IBD and 43,180 did not. Only 10 women with IBD had ever used isotretinoin (0.46 percent). These findings were also published in JAMA Dermatology in February. This research supports and clarifies once again that Accutane and IBD do not have a link.