Accutane (Isotretinoin) and/or alternatives

General Information On Accutane

Accutane is a medication used for treating severe cystic acne or nodular acne, which has not been relieved by other treatment methods. High amounts of sebum may lead to severe acne, and isotretinoin is a retinoid, which decreases the facial oil or sebum production. By decreasing the amount of oil produced by the sebaceous glands, Accutane enables your skin to become less prone to acne. You can buy Accutane in the form of capsules, but only after other antibiotics and acne medications have failed to give you the desired results.

Side Effects for Accutane

Dry mouth and lips, minor swelling on the lips or eyelids, nosebleeds, dizziness, crusty skin, an upset stomach, and hair loss are the common side effects of Accutane. You need to inform your doctor promptly if you notice mental or mood changes like depression, violent or aggressive behavior, suicidal thoughts, tingling on the skin, quick sunburn, back, muscle, or joint pain, pain while swallowing, signs of infection like persistent sore throat or fever, and peeling skin on the soles or palms. Accutane may also cause pancreatitis, which can be identified by persistent or severe nausea or vomiting and severe stomach pain. You should stop taking this drug and notify your doctor if you experience severe headache, ringing in the ears, vision changes, hearing loss, rectal bleeding, severe diarrhea, chest pain, and yellowing of the skin or eyes.

Precautions

Pregnant women should not use Accutane, and women using this medicine should not become pregnant, as it can lead to serious birth defects, premature births, and miscarriages. You should also tell your doctor if you are suffering from diabetes, asthma, liver disease, intestinal disorders like inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, or ulcerative colitis, eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, osteoporosis, or any other bone disorder, heart disease, or high triglycerides or cholesterol. You should also inform him/her if you have a family or personal history of mental illness or depression. As Accutane makes you dizzy, you should avoid doing any such activities that require complete alertness, like driving a vehicle or operating a machine.

Accutane Dosage

Accutane 0.5mg to 1.0mg per kg per day is the recommended dose and is divided into 2 doses taken for 15-20 weeks. If you have an acute form of acne, then your doctor may even prescribe Accutane 2.0mg per kg per day, divided into 2 doses. The capsules need to be taken with food, otherwise they won’t be absorbed well enough. They should not be crushed, chewed, broken or dissolved, as the effectiveness of the drug may get hampered. A common initial starting dose is Accutane 40mg per day for 2 to 4 weeks. After that initial starting dose a common maintenance dose is 40mg alternating with 80mg per day. Your doctor will determine the right dosage for you based on your weight, the severity of your acne, your response to the medication and the severity of any side effects that you may experience.

Interactions

You should inform your doctor about all the medicines you are taking at present, including prescription drugs, non-prescription medicines, herbal products, mineral and vitamin supplements, etc. Your doctor will not recommend you to buy Accutane if you are already taking steroids like prednisone, seizure medications like phenytoin, or tetracycline antibiotics like demeclocycline, doxycycline, minocycline, or tetracycline. As the drug causes dizziness, you should avoid taking other medicines that produce the same effect, including sleeping pills, sedatives, narcotic pain relievers, antidepressants, anti-seizure medicines, or anti-anxiety medicines.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: All medical content is supplied by a third party company who is independent from this web site. As such, this web site can not guarantee the reliability, accuracy, and /or medical efficacy of the information provided. In all circumstances, you should seek the advice of a health professional pertaining to drug, treatment and/or medical condition advice. Note that not all products are shipped by our contracted Canadian pharmacy. This website contracts with dispensaries around the world that ship products directly to our customers. Some of the jurisdiction include but are not limited to United Kingdom, Europe, Turkey, India, Canada, Vanuatu, Mauritius, and USA. The items within your order may be shipped from any one of these jurisdiction depending on the availability and cost of the products at the time you place your order. The products are sourced from these countries as well as others. Please note that the product appearance may vary from actual product received depending on availability.