ACITRETIN - ORAL (Soriatane) side effects, medical uses, and drug interactions.

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GENERIC NAME: ACITRETIN - ORAL (a-seh-TRET-in)

BRAND NAME(S): Soriatane

WARNING: Do not use this medication if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant within 3 years of stopping this drug because it has caused serious birth defects. Use 2 effective birth control methods starting 1 month before taking this medication and at least 3 years after treatment has stopped. Do not use "minipills" (non-estrogen-containing pills) for birth control because they may not work as well with this drug. Females who are able to have children must not use this medication unless the following requirements are met: test negative on 2 pregnancy tests (they should be taken 1 week before starting this drug or at least 11 days after the last act of unprotected sexual intercourse); start therapy on the second or third day of the next normal menstrual period; present severe psoriasis and other treatments cannot be used; receive oral and written information on using 2 methods of birth control while taking this drug and for 3 years after stopping it; aware of the dangers of birth control failure and use during pregnancy; understand and correctly follow all birth control requirements and instructions. Do not drink alcohol while using acitretin and for 2 months after stopping it because alcohol causes this drug to stay in the body longer. It is not known if traces of this drug found in semen of male patients pose a risk to the fetus during use or after treatment has stopped. Acitretin has been rarely linked to serious (sometimes fatal) liver problems (hepatitis) and increased fluid pressure on the brain (pseudotumor cerebri). Notify your doctor immediately if you develop any of these symptoms: yellowing eyes or skin, dark urine, stomach pain, unusual fatigue, headache, nausea and vomiting, or vision changes. Your doctor will decide whether to continue using acitretin. Acitretin has also been linked to pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). Notify your doctor immediately if you develop persistent, lower abdominal pain.