Accutane how many weeks

Whilst all dermatologists will be familiar with the conventional Isotretinoin doses, Dr Rajpar is a Dermatologist with a specialist interest in all aspects of acne management. Because of this, patients are offered highly bespoke treatment regimes and combinations of therapy. Isotretinoin is a prescription medication used for acne. It can only be prescribed by doctors who are experienced in using this drug, usually a Consultant Dermatologist. Roaccutane is the brand name for the drug Isotretinoin in tablet form.

Roaccutane is made by Roche and has been available in the UK since Many other companies make Isotretinoin in capsules using exactly the same recipe as for Roaccutane.

This is called a generic version of the medication and is identical in every way to the branded versions of Roaccutane and Accutane. Isotretinoin is also available as a cream and gel. This article does not include further information on the cream or gel version of Isotretinoin. Isotretinoin is the most effective treatment available for acne. Isotretinoin is very good for:. Isotretinoin works by reducing grease sebum production in the skin by shrinking the sebaceous glands.

This is why dry skin is the main side effect. Grease in the hair follicles causes overgrowth of Cutibacterium acnes bacteria formerly known as Propionibacterium acnes. This leads to inflammation and acne spots. Isotretinoin also stops the hair follicle cells from being so sticky.

This means it stops hair follicles from getting clogged up by skin cells. Because cells are slightly less sticky, they are also prone to shearing with trauma. Many people will find their skin is more fragile on Isotretinoin for this reason. This is also why waxing and threading must be avoided, as it could pull off the skin as well as hair. Isotretinoin also probably directly reduces inflammation in the skin too and helps control acne this way. What does this actually mean? Well, someone who has 20 inflamed raised and red spots on their face at the beginning of treatment may expect to have 1 or 2 inflamed spots at the end of 5 months of treatment.

Or someone who gets 20 new spots per week can expect to get 1 or 2 new spots per week after 5 months of treatment. While some people will get complete control of their spots, many people will still develop occasional spots while on Isotretinoin — but these are far fewer in number and usually much smaller and shorter-lived.

Most dermatologists agree that Isotretinoin is one of the few medications that can give prolonged control of acne even after the treatment course for many years, and in some instances, it is a permanent cure. It is hard to have an exact figure as to how many people are cured as the very long term studies to show this are lacking. As a very general rule of thumb, in the long term, after a course of Isotretinoin in adults over the age of 18 our experience shows:.

Isotretinoin is able to damage sebaceous gland cells. In fact, it can severely shrink sebaceous glands and damage the stem cells so that it takes many months or years to recover sebaceous gland activity. This is thought to be the main mechanism of how Isotretinoin produces long term relief from acne. A standard course of Isotretinoin will last between 5 to 7 months.

We usually start on a low dose to get your body used to the medication. The dose is increased every 4 weeks until the maximum dose you can manage for your body weight is reached.

If you are able to reach a dose of 1mg of Isotretinoin per kg of body weight per day so if you weigh 60kgs, then a dose of 60mg of Isotretinoin per day by the 12th week, then the course will last about 5 to 7 months. The course can last longer than 7 months if:. There is a suggestion that reaching a total dose of Isotretinoin of at least mg per kg of body weight by the end of the course will reduce the chance of the acne reoccurring. This broadly described the standard course which is one that is licensed and officially advocated by the health care regulators in the UK and in Europe.

While a standard course is very effective the downside is that there can be more side effects compared to a low dose course. Many studies have shown that lower doses of Isotretinoin per day can bring acne under good control as well. Personal experience has shown that low dose Isotretinoin also causes fewer Isotretinoin induced flares and possibly less hypertrophic scarring especially in nodulocystic acne and acne with many macrocomedones.

The big attraction for lower dose Isotretinoin is that there are fewer side effects. Low dose Isotretinoin courses need to be longer in order to achieve enough sebaceous gland shrinkage that the chance of recurrence after stopping are reduced. Piquero et al showed that 0.

Our Dermatologists are extremely experienced with Isotretinoin and understand the needs of patients who require improvement in their skin while balancing side effects.

We prefer to offer a flexible dosing approach for each patient based on their personal goals, other conditions they may have such as eczema, and their proneness to develop side effects. The aim is to control the acne as best as possible whilst keeping the side effects to their lowest levels possible. For some, this will mean a dose of 10mg three times per week, and for others, this will mean more conventional dosing, with many variations in between.

When using low dose Isotretinoin treatment is continued until the acne has become controlled, and is extended to 3 or 4 months beyond that. A flexible dosed course may last anywhere from 4 months to 18 months. It is important to note that low dose and personalised dosing is not in the product licence for Isotretinoin and so it is provided for on a case by case basis after consultation with a doctor. It is also not routinely provided for in the NHS.

These are the costs to consider when embarking on a course of Isotretinoin. The following can provide a rough idea of the costings:. Blood tests can be done at the Clinic or at home by pinprick.

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Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Decreased night vision. If you have any vision problems, you should stop taking isotretinoin and talk to your doctor right away.

A few people have even more serious side effects. If they aren't treated, the problem could last forever. If you have any of the side effects listed below, stop taking isotretinoin and check with your doctor right away:. Your skin might go on getting better even after you stop taking isotretinoin. Most of the side effects of isotretinoin go away in a few days or weeks after you stop taking isotretinoin. If your side effects last more than a few weeks after you stop taking isotretinoin, talk to your doctor.

Some patients have to take isotretinoin more than one time. If you need to take isotretinoin again, you can start taking it again 8 to 10 weeks after your first treatment is over. Do not give blood for at least one month after you stop taking isotretinoin.

You must not take isotretinoin if you are pregnant or if there is any chance you might get pregnant while taking this medicine!

Isotretinoin causes severe birth defects, including malformation of the head and face, mental retardation and severe internal defects of the brain, heart, glands and nervous system. It can also cause miscarriage, premature birth and death of the fetus. You must use two forms of birth control at the same time for at least one month before you start taking isotretinoin and for all the time you are taking this medicine.

Keep using two kinds of birth control for one month after you stop taking isotretinoin. If you are using Depo-Provera as your form of birth control, you may not need to use two forms of birth control.

Check this with your doctor. Your doctor will make sure you are not pregnant before starting isotretinoin and check again every month while you are taking it.

You will be asked to read and sign a consent form to show that you understand the dangers of birth defects and agree to use birth control. If your period is late, stop taking isotretinoin and call your doctor right away. If you get pregnant while you are taking isotretinoin, talk with your doctor about going on with the pregnancy.

Already a member or subscriber? Log in. Interested in AAFP membership? Learn more. This handout is provided to you by your family doctor and the American Academy of Family Physicians. This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject.