Accutane Q&A
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When to Quit Accutane?
asked 2 years ago by anon
Latest answer by Arnold R. Oppenheim, MD
Question viewed 3,836 times
Tags: face, acne
I've heard you're not supposed to stay on Accutane or Roaccutane for longer than about 6 months. I've been on it for about a year and my acne still isn't entirely gone, so my doctor is still prescribing it.
My question is, should I keep going on the Accutane until my acne is completely clear? After my acne is gone, how long should I stay on it to make sure the acne doesn't come back?
4 answers to When to Quit Accutane?
+3
When to quit accutane.
I would agree with Dr. Lupo. For a full course of Accutane, I generally do not have patients on the medication for longer than 6 months. The duration of the course should depend largely on the cumulative dose. It is standard to aim for a target dose of 120-150 mg/kg body weight for the full course of the medication.
Good luck.
Bryan K. Chen, MD
San Diego Dermatologist
San Diego Dermatologist
+3
Get a second opinion
Being on Accutane for over 6 months in one stretch is highly unusual. In over 25 years of prescribing, I have never done that and know of no dermatologist who does this. Please seek a new opinion for your care.
+2
Too Long
The training most of us have received and pretty much adhere to is to use Accutane 4-6 months and then give a rest period of two months before resuming if necessary. Rarely, I too, like Dr. Ting, might use it for eight months. However, over a year on this drug seems way to much. I would especially be concerned about bone changes. Also, in a female, each month means another possiblity of pregnancy.
Arnold R. Oppenheim, MD
Virginia Beach Dermatologist
Virginia Beach Dermatologist
+2
How long to stay on Accutane
Ideally, Accutane should be administered for at least 5 months and there should not be much of any active acne cyst during the last month of administration and on some occasions, I have extended for a couple additional months, but never beyond 8 months. If you continue to have eruptions after being on Accutane for a year, one should consider other diagnosis such as recurrent MRSA (drug-resistant) skin infection. In addition, I would consider additional adjunctive therapy such as topical...
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