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Is It Safe To Take Accutane For Acne?
Question: My son has a problem with acne. We have tried antibiotics and multiple topical creams, with little luck. We have also tried homemade medicines as well, such as vinegar and water. The last Doctor I wrote to on this website suggested Accutane, when I looked it up the side effects or possible side effects are far too risky. Would you have any recommendations? Thank you!
Brief Answer:
Treatment choices for acne are varied and include oral and topical forms
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Thank you for writing to us
I welcome you back to the discussion which we shared wherein I suggested had Isotretinoin/Accutane for your son's difficult to control acne. Isotretinoin is a very safe drug even though it has a long list of side effects. Dryness and cheilitis are the most common side effects in 100% of parients and usually the only one which a patient complains. Other side effects like headache/ psuedotumor cerebri, hepatitoxicity, pancreatitis, adverse psychiatric effects are rare though patient needs to be aware of these side effects.
Isotretinoin is US FDA approved for severe and diffivult to control acne.
Moreover, Isotretinoin is the only drug which offers a cure for acne i.e 60-70% of patients may never have acne after a full course of isotretinoin. Though some patients (30-40%) may require repeated courses of isotretinoin specially those who have severe and truncal acne.
Other than isotretinoin, treatment of acne mainly revolves around oral antibiotics like doxycycline, minocycline, lymecycline, azithromycin, cephalexin, trimethoprim+sulphamethoxazole (bactrim) etc.
Topical treatment options include benzoyl peroxide (creams, gels, face washes), clindamycin (gel, solution), nadifloxacin (gel, cream) for inflammatory acne. They may be used once or twice daily for inflammatory acne i.e acne that is red, papular, pustular or nodular.
Topical retinoids e.g adapalene or tretinoin is also an important part of topical acne treatment. Topical retinoids are comedolytic as well as antiinflammatory. Topical retinoids are for once daily night time application.
Besides oral and topical treatment patients with acne also benefit immensely from sessions of Salicylic acid chemical peeling. A session is usually done once in every 2 weeks.
A dermatologist will usually choose the best plan of action out of these listed remedies.
Treatment of acne is long and may sometimes stretch for years or decades. Medications may have to be modified depending on response to treatment and severity of acne, therefore the need for regular follow up.
Regatds
Treatment choices for acne are varied and include oral and topical forms
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Thank you for writing to us
I welcome you back to the discussion which we shared wherein I suggested had Isotretinoin/Accutane for your son's difficult to control acne. Isotretinoin is a very safe drug even though it has a long list of side effects. Dryness and cheilitis are the most common side effects in 100% of parients and usually the only one which a patient complains. Other side effects like headache/ psuedotumor cerebri, hepatitoxicity, pancreatitis, adverse psychiatric effects are rare though patient needs to be aware of these side effects.
Isotretinoin is US FDA approved for severe and diffivult to control acne.
Moreover, Isotretinoin is the only drug which offers a cure for acne i.e 60-70% of patients may never have acne after a full course of isotretinoin. Though some patients (30-40%) may require repeated courses of isotretinoin specially those who have severe and truncal acne.
Other than isotretinoin, treatment of acne mainly revolves around oral antibiotics like doxycycline, minocycline, lymecycline, azithromycin, cephalexin, trimethoprim+sulphamethoxazole (bactrim) etc.
Topical treatment options include benzoyl peroxide (creams, gels, face washes), clindamycin (gel, solution), nadifloxacin (gel, cream) for inflammatory acne. They may be used once or twice daily for inflammatory acne i.e acne that is red, papular, pustular or nodular.
Topical retinoids e.g adapalene or tretinoin is also an important part of topical acne treatment. Topical retinoids are comedolytic as well as antiinflammatory. Topical retinoids are for once daily night time application.
Besides oral and topical treatment patients with acne also benefit immensely from sessions of Salicylic acid chemical peeling. A session is usually done once in every 2 weeks.
A dermatologist will usually choose the best plan of action out of these listed remedies.
Treatment of acne is long and may sometimes stretch for years or decades. Medications may have to be modified depending on response to treatment and severity of acne, therefore the need for regular follow up.
Regatds
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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