Accutane Q&A
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Am I Now Dependent on Accutane?
asked 3 years ago by maria ruxandra in bucharest,romania
Latest answer by William Ting, MD
Question viewed 6,346 times
I took Accutane for 4 years, with very low dose in the past 3 years. My face was not perfect, but much better. I stopped the treatment 5 months ago, and now I experience severe acne breakout on my face, neck, and chest, with very oily skin and scalp. What should I do now? Does this mean I'm now dependent on Accutane?
4 answers to Am I Now Dependent on Accutane?
+4
Accutane dependence
People generally do not become dependent on Accutane. Frequently when patients discontinue Accutane, after 5-6 months, they will begin to develop some acne. I have never seen the acne return to the degree of severity it was prior to the course of Accutane. Approximately 1/3 of patients who are placed on a full course of Accutane, benefit from a second course, and of those who take a second course, 1/3 of them benefit from a third course.
I would suggest you undergo a second course of...
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Bryan K. Chen, MD
San Diego Dermatologist
San Diego Dermatologist
+3
I don't believe so
Thank you for your question. While low dose accutane does have beneficial effects and minimizes the side effect profile, it is not the optimal way for long term acne treatment. If possible, it would be best to do a solid six months of traditional therapy and see what results you get. Of course, doing six months of traditional therapy and higher therapeutic doses is dependent on your labs, personal history, etc. that must be reviewed by your physician prior to initiation. While you might...
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Don Mehrabi, MD
Beverly Hills Dermatologist
Beverly Hills Dermatologist
+2
Photodynamic therapy may speed up efficacy of Accutane
Low-dose isotretinoin or Accutane is more of an European approach. This is not practical in most scenario in USA because of the bureacratic Ipledgeprogram. You will be less likely to be 'dependent' on Accutane if you were to undergo higher dose regimen, accompanied by low-dose prednisone and possibly supplemented by photodynamic therapy.
