Roaccutane for Acne

Sometimes, the acne affliction becomes so severe that the sufferer is willing to exhaust all possible alternatives, however drastic, in the effort to obtain some relief.  Isotretinoin, most commonly marketed today as Roaccutane, is exactly that sort of last-ditch measure that those dealing with acne turn to when all other treatments prove ineffective.  Originally used as a form of chemotherapy to treat various forms of cancer, isotretinoin is an oral medication that can also be used to treat the most advanced and debilitating acne outbreaks.  Because of its potency, however, it is only made available by prescription to regulate its usage to those who really have no other viable option.

Isotretinoin is a derivative of vitamin A, found in negligible amounts in a person’s body.  Essentially, the treatment consists of a vitamin A overdose, which, while found to be effective in reducing the symptoms of the worst forms of acne, can cause a large number of various side effects, some of which could cause more discomfort and hazard to one’s health than the original acne affliction.  The treatment stimulates the production of skin cells dramatically, increasing cell turnover and allowing old cells to be purged and expelled.  This has the effect of unclogging the skin pores and follicles that result in acne, which allows the formed lesions and blemishes to subside gradually. 

The side effects of isotretinoin are many, the most common of which involve skin dryness, flaking and peeling, pain in various parts of the body, increased sensitivity and nosebleeds.  More severe side effects include pancreatitis, hepatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and certain psychological disorders, such as depression and psychosis.  Worse still, it can cause birth defects if taken by a pregnant woman, so isotretinoin is not prescribed for expecting mothers, and those under dosage are warned not to get pregnant while taking the medication.

Depression is a particularly pressing concern, as research appears to reveal links between the drug and the emergence of the condition.  Though suicide rates among isotretinoin takers is not high enough to raise any alarms, and advocates of the treatment say it is the severe acne that causes the depression, not the drug, patients are still advised to be wary of depression as a possible side effect for which one must be prepared.

Isotretinoin treatment is also considered only as a last resort because it is much more expensive than conventional acne treatment alternatives, not only due to the cost of the drug, but also because of the maintenance required to help one through therapy after one begins partaking of the dosage.  Isotretinoin is disruptive enough to a person’s physical and mental state that the individual will require constant assistance and monitoring for the duration of the treatment, and afterwards until the person’s condition has stabilized.

Considering all of these drawbacks associated with isotretinoin, one would expect it to be the be-all, end-all of acne cures, but the truth is that not all patients respond positively to the treatment.  The success rate of isotretinoin is a little over 50 percent, which means a person could be paying a large sum of money and undertaking quite a bit of suffering for nothing.  Still, if one is desperate to see the end of acne, isotretinoin appears in this case to be the slightly lesser of two evils. 

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