Accutane Side Effects Might Be Reduced With Lower Dose

Hamilton, New ZealandResearchers at a New Zealand clinic have discovered that Accutane side effects may be reduced with a smaller dose.

span itemprop="image" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject" style="display:block">Conducted at the Tristram Clinic, the study found that the harmful side effects of isotretinoin, the active ingredient in Accutane, could potentially be dose-specific, as patients who received smaller doses reported fewer adverse reactions than those who took more of the drug. The findings of the study were published in a recent issue of the Australian Journal of Dermatology.

Lead researcher Marius Rademaker and his colleagues reviewed the cases of 1,743 patients who were given isotretinoin to treat acne. This review revealed that patients who took less than 0.25 mg of the medication were far less likely to experience adverse side effects.

Specifically, the researchers discovered that 47 percent of those taking the lower dose of isotretinoin experienced cheilitis, a condition that inflames the lips, compared to 96 percent of those on higher dosages. Similar results were found for eczema and tiredness as well.

Introduced to the market in the 1980s, Accutane was recently pulled in part because of its harmful side effects, which include ulcerative colitis and inflammatory bowel disease.