Accutane – What is it?

There are varying opinions on the use of Accutane as a treatment for severe acne. While being very strong and having an effectiveness of approximately 50% there are many side-effects that must be acknowledged. In the US, the iPledge brochure and agreement ensures that all users are fully informed of all effects of the drug. Most other countries have similar legislation or at the very least require a prescription from certified professionals

In any case, I strongly recommend learning as much as possible about Accutane and its effects before considering it as an option.

So what is Accutane?

The active ingredient in Accutane is isotretinoin. Isotretinoin is is a type of Vitamin A that is found in small amounts within the body. One of its key responsibilities in the body is to moderate sebum production. In larger amounts it can noticably reduce the production of sebum and the size of the sebaceous glands in general (which are responsible for the production of sebum).

Since the active ingredient of Accutane is a vitamin A, the effects of the drug are much like taking large amounts of vitamin A. This, however, is the issue. Vitamin A can cause many different kinds of damage to the body when taken in excessive amounts. This is more evident if you look at multi-vitamin bottles or general vitamin supplements containing vitamin A. You will always notice the advice on the labels always specifically warns about taking no more than the maximum daily dosage of vitamin A (depending on your age).

For this reason, side-effects of Accutane are similar to that of an overdose of vitamin A (or vitamin A toxicity). I will go over these side-effects in a later post.
NOTE: Isotretinoin is also the active ingredient in, and sold under the names of, Amnesteem, Clavaris, Sotret, Roaccutane, Isotrex and Isotrexin.

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