Accutane is a prescription acne treatment pill derived from Vitamin A. Aside from Accutane is available in either Oral or Topical forms, marketed under several other trade names including: Isotane, Sotret, Amnesteem, Claravix, Decutan, and Roaccutane.
Despite a long history of use scientists still have been unable to isolate the precise mechanism that combats acne and is responsible for the success of Accutane. Until Isotretinoin’s release in 1982, high doses of Vitamin A were the treatment of choice for Acne. Not only was the release of Isotretinoin a breakthrough, because it was shown to be as effective as Vitamin A, but its side-effects were less severe than Vitamin A.
Now despite Isotretinoin’s better safety than Vitamin A, there are still quite a few possible side-effects associated with Accutane. Some of the more common side effects include: discomfort with contact lenses; joint pain, back pain; feeling dizzy, drowsy, or nervous; dryness of the lips, mouth, nose, or skin; or cracking or peeling skin, itching, rash, changes in your fingernails or toenails. Due to the possible severity of side-effects Accutane and similar products are usually prescribed after all other types of treatment have failed.
While Accutane has a long history of success, it has some definite safety issues. Please do not take Accutane without a doctor’s prescription as it can result in serious side-effects.