If you’ve suffered from acne more than once throughout your life, you may have heard of an oral medication called Accutane. This prescription medication, derived from Vitamin A has often been scrutinized by the media for triggering unfavorable symptoms in some patients. At the worst, the medication can cause depression. However, those who have been battling acne for years on end are more or less depressed. The dermatology depression takes this medicine very seriously, and physicians are instructed to prescribe it only when the acne has been stubborn to other medications. Those who do take Accutane are monitored very closely, and have their blood drawn regularly to ensure their liver is operating properly.

Accutane treats the one source of acne which other medications leave alone – sebum. Isotretinoin, as it is known by its generic name, stops oil gland activity. When the body no longer produces sebum, p. acnes bacteria starve. Any effective acne medication causes breakouts initially, and in the case of this drug, they can last up to six weeks are more. The beautiful thing about this medication is that it can be a permanent cure. Some never have to pick up another medication in their entire lives. In most cases, however, topical medications are often required to sustain the results.

This medication has some bothersome symptoms patients should be aware of. Dry skin and lips should be expected. Liberal use of moisturizer as well as chap stick should help mitigate these problems. Some report muscle soreness while on the medication. Those that participate in athletic activities should carefully weigh their options.

As mentioned earlier, there are some hurdles you will have to overcome to get this medication prescribed to you. Unless you have a serve case of acne, you will have to experiment with at least one or two combinations of topicals and antibiotics before your physician prescribes isotretinoin. Your blood assessment should also yield good results.

If you acne has become un-manageable in recent months, you need to take action. You will probably not get this medication right away, however, your acne may respond quite nicely to other treatments. If you have to hold off on the doctor’s visit, stop popping your pimples and treat your skin gently. The faster you can get to the doctor, the better.

Get the details about acne bacteria and the types of acne pimples from our site.