Is 50mg a day too much for just starting accurate? I weigh around 115 Ibs.

Question

I weigh around 115 Ibs and my dermatologist put me on a dosage of 50 mg a day for accutane. I take one 20 mg pill in the morning and one 30mg pill at night. I just started the medication less than a week ago and have not experienced any side affects yet but I’m worried it’s too high of a dosage. I’ve seen people are usually started with 20-30 mg a day. Should I ask my dermatologist if I can just go down to 30mg a day?

Amy Y. Paul, DO, FAAD · Answer

You should do very well on 50mg daily if that is what your dermatologist suggested.  I start all my patients on 40-80mg daily (the 40mg tablets tend to be cheaper than the 20 or 30mg ones), and if they are very severe, we try the 80mg right away.  Over the years, several studies have concluded that a higher dose sooner, and an overall higher dose, if well tolerated, is more effective in the long run than going too slow and risking having to repeat the entire course.  You definitely can ask your dermatologist about decreasing the dose if you like, but I would encourage you to try and stick with the 50mg.  Hope you love your results and hang in there!

Is 50mg a day too much for just starting accurate? I weigh around 115 Ibs.

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