Accutane is a powerful drug used in the treatment of acne. Four to five months of isotretinoin treatment usually leads to clearing of acne for one year or more after the medicine is stopped. Most other acne-controlling medicines are antibacterial agents, which are effective only if the medicine is used daily.
Isotretinoin may increase the level of blood fats, sometimes to risky levels. Occasionally it may affect the liver. That's why regular blood tests are necessary when you are taking isotretinoin; these tests must be done when you have fasted for 12 hours (no breakfast), so that the blood fat determinations are reliable. A baseline blood chemistry test is established before patients start isotretinoin.
How To Use Isotretinoin:
Take the medicine with food, you can take the entire daily dose with supper, this increases the absorption of the medicine.
Long-term Results:
Isotretinoin isn't a permanent cure for acne, although it often buys time until nature clears your skin. Your skin may stay clear for months, even years, after isotretinoin is stopped. In about one person in 10, acne comes back after one year. About one person in four has acne again after two years. If your acne returns, antibiotics may work, or you may be treated with isotretinoin again. The use of daily alpha hydroxyacids will help prevent small flare-ups after a course of Accutane.
CAUTION:
Female patients: Accutane has been proven to cause birth defects in developing fetuses. Due to this danger, it is absolutely prohibited to conceive during Roaccutane treatment and for at least three months thereafter. All female users of Accutane should use two birth control methods during this entire period.
All patients: All Accutane users should expect mild chapping of the lips, and occasionally peeling of the skin surrounding the fingernails. The chapping and / or peeling will disappear by the end of the treatment. Relief from dry skin is available in the form of creams which the doctor will provide. In rare cases, dryness of the nose, slight hair loss, or impaired night vision is experienced, all of which disappear by the end of treatment. In still rarer cases, a change in liver function, an increase in fat production, or mood changes can occur. Inform your doctor of any kidney or liver disorders, high fat content in the blood, or depression in your family or medical history. A blood count should be performed before starting treatment, as well as once a month during treatment. The doctor should also be informed of any inordinate physical exertion undergone by the patient during Accutane treatment. Avoid taking any vitamin supplements, as well as over-exposure to the sun, while taking Accutane.
