Isotretinoin is a medication that has seen use in the treatment of cancers and severe skin conditions. It has also been used as a "last resort" for acne treatments, when all other options have failed. Apart from its main use as a chemotherapy medication, it has also been tested as a treatment for harlequin-type ichthyosis - a skin deformation that causes patients to develop plate-like skin, similar to scales, and causes death shortly after birth.
Carrying the patent of one of the well-known drug manufacturers, Roche Pharmaceuticals, Accutane is largely associated with cancers and skin conditions, particularly acne. Obtained from the A vitamin, Accutane is taken orally than topically applied on the skin. Because vitamin A is often associated with healthy skin, this drug is said to be effective in battling acne. However, dangers often arise when taken in large and inappropriate dosages.
The drug is a non-selective medication. It means that its effects affects both healthy and malign cells. Therefore, administration and dosage should be under strict scrutiny. Because of its ability to kill rapidly dividing cells and slow down the growth of tumors, it became widely used for cancer treatments. It is a retinoid. It is naturally found in the human body in small quantities. However, its quantity within the human body is not enough to generate the effects needed for treatment. In the US, accutane has been placed under strict government regulation, along with pharmaceutical industry restrictions, making it hard to obtain. The reason for this is the drug's detrimental ability to cause birth defects.
Accutane is a known teratogen, a substance able to cause birth defects when taken during pregnancy. As a result, pregnant and breastfeeding women are strongly advised not to use the medication. Visual and hearing impairment, deformed earlobes, and mental retardation are few of the most common defects suffered because of this. Between 1982 and 2003, an estimated 2,000 American women took the drug while they are pregnant. 160 infants were born with defects. In 2005, Food and Drug Administration set programs and regulations that make sure that female patients do not receive the drug during pregnancy. Despite the lack of data that it can be excreted through seminal fluid, the programs were extended to male patients as well.
Accutane is typically taken in the form of soft gel capsules, which can vary in size from 10, 20 and 40 milligram doses. The amount taken by any individual patent can vary based on a number of factors, including height, weight, their general health, any allergies to medication they might have and the medical condition that is being treated. Physicians will generally ascertain what is the appropriate dose and patients are advised to stick with that. Accutane is easier to absorb with food, particularly a high-fat meal. However, like most medications, it also has a number of side effects. In small doses, there is a low chance of having side effects on average, but higher doses have been known to cause a drying of the oil glands and skin. In practice, it is best to adjust the dose to balance the efficacy of the medication and the risk of side effects.
Carrying the patent of one of the well-known drug manufacturers, Roche Pharmaceuticals, Accutane is largely associated with cancers and skin conditions, particularly acne. Obtained from the A vitamin, Accutane is taken orally than topically applied on the skin. Because vitamin A is often associated with healthy skin, this drug is said to be effective in battling acne. However, dangers often arise when taken in large and inappropriate dosages.
The drug is a non-selective medication. It means that its effects affects both healthy and malign cells. Therefore, administration and dosage should be under strict scrutiny. Because of its ability to kill rapidly dividing cells and slow down the growth of tumors, it became widely used for cancer treatments. It is a retinoid. It is naturally found in the human body in small quantities. However, its quantity within the human body is not enough to generate the effects needed for treatment. In the US, accutane has been placed under strict government regulation, along with pharmaceutical industry restrictions, making it hard to obtain. The reason for this is the drug's detrimental ability to cause birth defects.
Accutane is a known teratogen, a substance able to cause birth defects when taken during pregnancy. As a result, pregnant and breastfeeding women are strongly advised not to use the medication. Visual and hearing impairment, deformed earlobes, and mental retardation are few of the most common defects suffered because of this. Between 1982 and 2003, an estimated 2,000 American women took the drug while they are pregnant. 160 infants were born with defects. In 2005, Food and Drug Administration set programs and regulations that make sure that female patients do not receive the drug during pregnancy. Despite the lack of data that it can be excreted through seminal fluid, the programs were extended to male patients as well.
Accutane is typically taken in the form of soft gel capsules, which can vary in size from 10, 20 and 40 milligram doses. The amount taken by any individual patent can vary based on a number of factors, including height, weight, their general health, any allergies to medication they might have and the medical condition that is being treated. Physicians will generally ascertain what is the appropriate dose and patients are advised to stick with that. Accutane is easier to absorb with food, particularly a high-fat meal. However, like most medications, it also has a number of side effects. In small doses, there is a low chance of having side effects on average, but higher doses have been known to cause a drying of the oil glands and skin. In practice, it is best to adjust the dose to balance the efficacy of the medication and the risk of side effects.
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