6 replies to this topic

[jokerj]

while watching a news interview on culture in china (on NBC, and due to the olympic games this summer), i saw a segment on accupuncture treatments. i googled it a bit, and found a site combining ancient chinese medicinal practices with current dermatalogical ones. intruiged, i searched remedies for acne. as i read through the current cures section, i came across a paragraph breifly mentioning topical isotretinoin. i was confused. at least in the americas, there is no such thing as topically applied accutane, or at least nothing of the sort that i had ever heard of. i researched this further, and found the two easiest-to-read-while-still-relatively-medical reports to be:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9522243
http://www.acnetreatmentlab.com/medicine-p...sotretinoin.htm

i'm so excited! of course, my excitement wont last too long if the topical accutane turns out to be just as destructive as the oral kind. i understand that dryness, peeling, and redness may still occur, and that using it while pregnant is still not a good idea, but what about the possible blurry vision and hearing loss, muscle pain, hair loss, issues with the liver, brain, and bones, and depression? and does topical accutane sport the same long-term treatment as the oral kind does? does the redness and peeling, as well as the hypersensitivity and erythema, subside eventually like it does when taken orally? also, does applying accutane externally really blast the pores, possibly exposing them to a whole new set of problems?

ANY INFO on this would be VERY MUCH APPRECIATED
thanks guys

[temp123]

I think it's similar to the other topical retinoids, it's not nearly as good as oral accutane, and AFAIK topicals don't give the long-lived clearance that accutane does because they don't deliver enough of a dose.

The side-effect profile of topicals is much, much more favourable though.

[antidiaoz]

Tetrnoin includes retin a etc....
isotretinoin(topical)- includes isotrex

anyone tried isotrex before? how was it?

[xquis3t]

ranger42: Accutane differs from tretinoin. Accutane is isotretinoin.

Tretinoin is All-Trans Retinoic Acid, while Isotretinoin is 13-Cis-Retinoic Acid. There is a difference between these two compounds, they have different functions in the body where they both naturally occur to some degree. Both compounds seem to be derived in to body from Retinoic Acid, which is manufactured from Retinaldehyde in the skin, the source of which is Retinol or Beta-Carotene (in the skin).

All-Trans-Retinoic-Acid differs from 13-Cis-Retinoic Acid. Pharmaceutically, the difference is called: 1) All-Trans Retinoic Acid = Tretinoin and 2) 13-Cis-Retinoic-Acid = Isotretinoin.

[john1234]

don't want to disappoint but false hope ain't good either. Topical accutane is not more effective than retin-a, and possibly more irritating. It is prescribed in Canada and Europe but it's not miracle. Just another retinoid with greater potential irritant levels.