Tuesday, July 25, 2023, 5:18 p.m.
Acne is a very common disease in adolescence, since it affects 85% of young people to a greater or lesser extent. In some cases the symptoms are mild or sporadic but there are also more severe acne situations that may require treatment. In these cases in which antibiotic creams or pills do not work, one of the most common options is isotretinoin, a drug marketed as Roacután, among other names.
It is an effective and useful alternative to avoid complications such as scars, but it is a drug that requires a prescription due to its composition and possible adverse effects of variable severity. For this reason, it is only advisable to take it after evaluating the risks and benefits by a professional and not to abuse the drug on your own.
Isotretinoin regulates the different pathophysiological processes that occur in acne, decreasing sebaceous secretion and inflammation of the lesions, but the personal characteristics of the patient must be taken into account, since it is eliminated through the liver, so it can cause inflammation, as well as raise cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
In addition, Roacután can cause certain side effects. The most common are dry skin, lips, nasal mucosa, and eyes. Some patients may also experience slight muscle discomfort in the back at the start of treatment and a temporary worsening of the acne that resolves within a few weeks. But undoubtedly the most important and serious side effect is teratogenicity: if the woman taking the drug becomes pregnant, it can cause serious malformations in the baby.
There are other possible side effects of varying severity, but they are very rare. In any case, a specialist should be informed of any unusual symptoms such as the following, according to the leaflet of the European Medicines Agency:
– Gram positive bacterial infection (mucocutaneous)
– Anemia
– Increased rate of blood sedimentation.
– Thrombocytopenia.
– Neutropenia.
– Lymphadenopathy.
– Allergic skin reaction.
– Anaphylactic reactions.
– Hypersensitivity.
– Mellitus diabetes.
– Hyperuricemia.
– Depression.
– Behavioral changes.
– Psychotic disorders.
– Headache.
– Benign intracranial hypertension.
– Seizures.
– Drowsiness.
– Conjunctivitis.
– Dry eyes.
– Eye irritation.
– Blurry vision.
– Waterfalls.
– Color blindness.
– Keratitis.
– Auditory alterations.
– Vasculitis.
– Epistaxis.
– Nasopharyngitis.
– Bronchospasm.
– Hoarseness.
– Pharyngeal dryness.
– Digestive bleeding.
– Hemorrhagic diarrhea.
– Inflammatory bowel disease.
– Nausea.
– Pancreatitis.
– Increased transaminases.
– Hepatitis.
– Dermatitis.
– Localized desquamation.
– Alopecia.
– Facial erythema.
– Capillary alterations.
– Increased sweating.
– Myalgias.
– Arthritis.
– Calcinosis.
– Decreased bone density.
– Tendonitis.
– Granulation tissue.
– Discomfort.
– Increased blood glucose.
– Hematuria.
– Proteinuria.
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