If you have severe acne, you likely have deep cysts and lots of inflammation accompanied by skin damage and scars. Although several different medications can effectively treat this type of severe acne, isotretinoin, known as Isoface in some countries in Latin America and as Accutane in the United States, likely can clear it faster than other medications. However, you also may experience some serious side effects with isotretinoin use.
Types
Common acne includes whiteheads, blackheads and smaller pimples, known as papules, which are red bumps without a white head, and pustules, which include a white head. Severe acne, meanwhile, can include large, painful spots called cysts and nodules. Nodules feel like hard bumps below your skin, and often flare repeatedly. Cysts, meanwhile, are filled with pus, although they're just as large. Dermatologists most commonly use isotretinoin to treat these types of severe acne.
Features
Four factors cause severe acne: clogged pores, oily skin, bacterial infection and severe inflammation, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Isotretinoin, a man-made derivative of vitamin A, affects all four of these, making it the most effective acne medication. Isotretinoin often can curb acne that hasn't responded to any other medication or medication combinations.
Time Frame
If your dermatologist prescribes isotretinoin for your acne, you'll most likely take the pills once or twice every day for between 16 and 20 weeks. Many patients see their acne begin to resolve within a few weeks of beginning isotretinoin, and most only need one course of therapy to clear their skin almost completely, according to the AAD. Many patients achieve acne remission from isotretinoin that lasts for months, years or even permanently.
Considerations
If you are pregnant or could become pregnant, you shouldn't take isotretinoin because it can cause severe birth defects in your unborn child. In addition, you should avoid taking isotretinoin at the same time as the antibiotic tetracycline. Some people who took both medications at the same time experienced visual disturbances with headache and nausea, indicating swelling of the optic nerve.
Warning
In very rare cases, isotretinoin may cause depression or thoughts of suicide. Between 1982 and 2000, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration received 431 reports of depression and suicide in patients taking isotretinoin, and several medical studies have indicated a link between severe mood changes and the medication, although others have not. If you experience mood changes or begin to think about suicide while taking isotretinoin, you should talk to your doctor immediately. You may need assistance from a mental health professional.
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