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What is Roaccutane (Accutane for our American readers)?

Roaccutane is a powerful drug used to treat severe acne. Roaccutane contains the active ingredient Isotretinoin – Isotretinoin is one of a group of medicines known as retinoids which are normally used to treat skin problems.

What is Roaccutane used for?

Roaccutane is used to treat severe acne, especially in patients whose acne has not responded to other treatments. Roaccutane is not used on pre puberty patients.

Where can I get my hands on Roaccutane?

Visit you local GP and ask to be referred to a dermatologist. The use of Roaccutane must be supervised by a dermatologist.

What is a dermatologist?

A doctor who specialises in the treatment of skin problems.

When must Roaccutane not be used? 

  
• If you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant.
• If you have liver or kidney disease.
• If you are breast-feeding.
• If you are taking certain antibiotics called tetracyclines.
• If you are allergic to Roaccutane or any of the ingredients it contains.
• If you take high-dose vitamins A supplements or have high levels of cholesterol or triglycerides (a fat like substance) in your blood.
• If you donate bloo

Why can I not take Roaccutane if I am pregnant, or think I may be pregnant?

Roaccutane will damage an unborn baby. Contact your dermatologist immediately if you do become pregnant or think you may be pregnant during treatment or in the first month after treatment ends.

How should Roaccutane be taken?

Everyone’s acne is different so always remember to take the capsules as your doctor tells you. You maybe advised to take the capsules once or twice a day. Generally it is recommended that you take the capsules with a meal or glass of milk. Swallow the capsules whole, do not suck or chew them.

How should Roaccutane be stored?

Do not store your medicine above 25 degrees.

Will my acne get worse at anytime during the treatment?

Unless your one of the lucky ones I’m afraid the answer is yes. Your acne will probably get worse during the first 7-10 days of treatment but your acne should improve with continued treatment.

What do I do if Roaccutane does not completely clear my acne?

Roaccutane stays in you system for a while after your last capsule – so if your acne has not completely cleared after finishing treatment you can expect it to continue to improve over the next few months. In rare cases your dermatologist may recommend a second course of treatment.

What happens if I take too many capsules or someone else accidentally takes my medicine?

Contact your doctor, pharmacist or nearest hospital straight away.

If you still have any questions or are not sure about anything, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Have you been on Roaccutane/Accutane? If yes, have I missed anything?

This entry was posted on Monday, January 8th, 2007 at 10:17 pm and is filed under Acne. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.