Additional Treatments

Chapped lips, dry skin and itching, dryness of nose, nosebleed, irritation of eyes, joint and muscle pains, hair thinning, rash, rectal /vaginal dryness, headache, increased sensitivity to the sun, depression and delayed wound healing.

The most damaging side effect of Accutane is serious birth defects if taken during pregnancy. Therefore, it is extremely important for women not to take Accutane while pregnant, and not to become pregnant while using it. Women who are of child bearing ability must use two effective methods of birth control (pills, IUD, etc).

Accutane may also temporarily increase blood fats to risky levels. Occasionally it may temporarily raise liver enzymes. These both normalize with lowering of the dose or stopping the medication altogether. This is why a baseline blood chemistry test is established before patients start taking Accutane and is repeated after one monthly during treatment. of medication.These blood tests must be done after you have fasted for 12 hours (no breakfast), so that the blood fat determinations are reliable.

Georgia Skin & Cancer Clinic will prescribe Accutane when other acne treatments have failed, in very severe cases of acne, or when someone is not responsive to traditional therapy. Either full dose or low dose Accutane can be prescribed. Full dose has the potential to cure acne whereas low dose will control acne but cannot cure it. Low dose Accutane can be taken for a longer period of time. Because of the serious side effects associated with Accutane, different countries have their own restrictions on the dispensing of isotretinoin. In the U.S. isotretinoin prescriptions are controlled by the iPLEDGE website. Dermatologists must register patients with this site before prescribing Accutane and pharmacists must check the site before providing Accutane. A patient cannot be prescribed more than a 30-day supply of Accutane at one time. After an Accutane prescription has been written, the patient has 7 days to pick-up the medication. If this 7 day window is missed, the patient must start the process over.

Accutane decreases the amount of oil produced by the skin’s sebaceous (oil) glands. It may be as long as two months before you see improvement in your skin. In fact, sometimes acne gets worse during the first month or so of treatment. There is a medicine we can temporarily add to control this if needed.

Your skin may stay clear for months, even years, after Accutane is stopped. If your acne returns, it may be necessary to prescribe oral antibiotics, Accutane again, or just topical acne therapy, if the acne is mild.

Because Isotretinoin is itself a form of Vitamin A, no multivitamins containing Vitamin A should be ingested during the course of Isotretinoin treatment or in the six months immediately following treatment. (Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is stored in the body, so consuming high levels of the vitamin will magnify the possible side effects). Avoid foods rich in Vitamin A, especially orange or red fruits and vegetables (carrots, oranges, tomatoes, etc.) and green vegetables (broccoli, spinach, etc.). Liver (including pate) is also very rich in vitamin A and should be avoided. Pale fruits and vegetables (pears, apples, iceberg lettuce, etc.) may be eaten.