Miracle drug? Devil's Medicine? 10 Truths About the Acne Treatment Roaccutane

Miracle drug? Devil's Medicine? 10 Truths About the Acne Treatment Roaccutane

Dec 18, 2024Ehotyshamull Joy

 

The acne drug Roaccutane is an effective medicine used for severe acne.There are many miraculous testimonials that after taking Roaccutane for 1-2 weeks, the acne that has been bothering them all the time has been cured. But behind the dramatic effects, there are also a lot of side effectsThere are also many reviews of side effects, such as drying out the skin after eating it and suffering from hair loss. However, there are many people who say that if they stop taking Roaccutane, their acne will recur and they have no choice but to continue taking Roaccutane. So, how should you take Roaccutane? Let's answer your questions about Roaccutane through 10 questions.

 

If you have increased dryness after eating Roaccutane

 

This is a common phenomenon. Roaccutane90% of patients who are prescribed dry eyes and dry mucous membranes in the nose and mouth experience side effects, and 80% experience skin peeling or mouth and cheilitis.


The ingredient in roaccutane is isotretinoin. Isotretinoin is a synthetic substance derived from fat-soluble vitamin A, which suppresses the secretion of sebum by the sebaceous glands and kills acne bacteria. However, the action of isotretinoin is not limited to the sebaceous glands. Because of that, it has the side effect of causing skin, eye and dry mouth. It's the same problem that most oral medications have.


If you experience dryness from taking Roaccutane, it is recommended to drink plenty of water, apply lotion to dry areas, and put artificial tears in your eyes. If you stop Roaccutane, the dryness will immediately improve and you will return to your original state, so there is no big problem.

 

The biggest side effects of Roaccutane

 

The most lethal side effect is teratogenicity. Roaccutane acts on the fetus and affects the formation of organs, causing them to become malformed. For this reason, Roaccutane is prohibited for pregnant women or women who are trying to become pregnant, and it is forbidden to donate blood for at least one month after taking it.


It stays in your body for 4 weeks, so even if you stop taking it, you will need to use contraception for the next 4 weeks. However, if your body concentration returns to normal about a month from the date you stop taking it, and you postpone pregnancy by a month after taking it, you don't have to worry about birth defects. Men have nothing to do with pregnancy, so they don't have to be reluctant to take the drug because of teratogenicity.

 

Roaccutane has severe side effects, so shouldn't you take it?

You should watch out for side effects, but you don't have to be afraid of them by exaggerating them. All drugs have side effects, and Roaccutane is no different. Even though there are a lot of side effects of aspirin, we take the drug easily. Therefore, avoiding side effects is not the answer.


If you take medication out of necessity, it's important to be aware of the side effects and take it well. Roaccutane is a dose-controlled medicine, so the dosage can vary from person to person. It is important to discuss your condition with your doctor and take it safely.

 

If you take Roaccutane according to the "weight-proportional dosage method", will acne not recur?

 

The weight-proportional total dosage method is also mentioned in the Roaccutan instruction manual and is clinically validated. The weight-proportional method is to take 0.5 to 1 mg per kilogram of body weight per day. If you're 60 kg, you can think of it as about 3-4 Roaccutane pills a day. The total amount of Roaccutane taken in this way is x.12 (~15) pills of one's own body weight. If you are 60 kg, the total dose in proportion to your body weight is about 720 pills. You can take about 4 pills a day until you reach 720 pills, which is about 6 months.


If you are under a lot of stress due to severe acne or frequent recurrences, we recommend taking it in proportion to your weight. When taken in this way, the chances of acne recurrence are reduced. Of course, the weight-proportional dosage method should not be taken arbitrarily, and should be decided after consultation with a specialist.

 

Is it effective to take a high dose?

 

It has been proven in several overseas papers that the method of filling the dose with a high dose of roaccutane is effective. According to a study published in the International Journal of Dermatology in 2012, patients who took Roaccutane at a high dose for about 6 months were more effective in treating acne.


Acne sufferers who took 1.6 mg per kilogram for 178 days found it safe and effective in treating acne. In addition, a study published in JAMA by Dr. Blasiak et al. in 2013 showed that taking high doses of roaccutane lowered the risk of acne recurrence. The recurrence rate of acne after one year (26.96%) in patients who took a cumulative dose of 220 mg or more was significantly lower than that of patients who took a cumulative dose of less than 220 mg (47.4 percent).

 

If I don't take the total dose of Roaccutane, will I relapse?

 

You don't have to stick to the total dose. It is true that there have been reports that when taken 3-5 pills a day, for more than 6 months, the sebum completely atrophies, and acne does not recur for a long time. However, if you take more than 3 pills a day for a month, there is a high risk of developing a side effect called 'dryness'. If the dryness is severe, it is recommended to take the right amount to control the acne condition. 1-2 tablets per day can help control sebum.

 

When to take Roaccutan

 

Roaccutane is better taken after meals. This is because Roaccutane is fat-soluble, so when taken with fatty foods, absorption is more than twice as good as on an empty stomach.

 

The price of Roaccutan

 

305 won per pill is the price, so there may be a difference from the actual purchase price. If the pharmacist's dispensing fee is included, the price will be different. In addition, the price difference between non-reimbursed prescription drugs purchased by a doctor at each pharmacy is larger than that of over-the-counter drugs. Roaccutane is a non-reimbursable prescription drug that is purchased with a doctor's prescription.


Currently, there is a fixed price for prescription drugs that are prescribed by a doctor and covered by insurance. On the other hand, the price of some non-reimbursed or over-the-counter drugs is set by pharmacies at their own discretion. For this reason, the price of Roaccutan varies greatly from one pharmacy to another.

 

Is there a copy of Roaccutan?

When Roaccutane's patent expired in 2009, many counterfeit drugs such as Accunetan, Isotina, and Isotinone came out. Since the ingredients of the copy pill are the same, the effect is the same as that of Roaccutane. Usually medicines are cheaper than counterpills. However, since the price of Roaccutan has dropped a lot these days, there is not much difference in price with copy pills. The price of Roaccutan is 305 won per pill, and the same goes for Accunetan and Isotina at 305 won per pill. The price of isotinone is 270 won per pill, so the difference is not much.

 

Should people with hepatitis B not take roaccutane?

There's no reason why you can't. This is because Roaccutane is not a very hepatotoxic drug. However, due to the risk of liver damage, it is not recommended to eat it if you are a hepatitis B carrier or if you have high liver levels.


This is not limited to acne medications, even aspirin, which we think is easy, should be taken carefully after consulting with a physician when hepatitis B carriers take medication. Since all drugs are metabolized and pass through the liver, people living with hepatitis B should not forget the possibility that any drug can further damage the damaged liver.


When Roaccutane's patent expired in 2009, many counterfeit drugs such as Accunetan, Isotina, and Isotinone came out. Since the ingredients of the copy pill are the same, the effect is the same as that of Roaccutane. Usually medicines are cheaper than counterpills. However, since the price of Roaccutan has dropped a lot these days, there is not much difference in price with copy pills. The price of Roaccutan is 305 won per pill, and the same goes for Accunetan and Isotina at 305 won per pill. The price of isotinone is 270 won per pill, so the difference is not much.

 

 



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