Wondering how many courses of Accutane (oral isotretinoin) a person can tolerate with breaks in between. In my 50's and finishing my third course of oral isotretinoin for sebaceous hyperplasia. It works well but sebaceous hyperplasia always comes back in a few months. I don't mind the side effects of isotretinoin, it's much better than the hundreds of dark dots filling enlarged nose pores. I've tried lots of other treatments, at great expense, from topical to lasers and nothing else works on these malfunctioning sebaceous glands. I'd use it the rest of my life if that is possible.
I'm not sure about how many courses one can undergo in their life but maybe you could look into a long term SUPER low dose of accutane? I think there is a few people on the board that do this and it seems to be working for them
I don't know...something to look into anyways!
Thank you HeftyMug and 13yearsofAcne for your valuable input. I've been searching for a dermatologist that will consider the long term low dose approach but so far no luck. I live in a small town and just to even get prescribed isotretinoin I had to drive over a hundred miles to a more metropolitan area. Local docs are scared to death of being sued and wouldn't even consider Accutane for sebaceous hyperplasia for a 50 year old even though I tolerated the drug well in the past and with good results. The out of town doc I have now won't consider long term low dose, just wants to finish a course and "see how we do." I already know the routine, sebaceous hyperplasia just comes back in a couple months. So, I guess it comes down to searching and searching for a doc who is willing to prescribe the long term low dose. Honestly, I think to the docs it seems frivolous for a 50 year old guy to be worried about sebaceous hyperplasia, but it really effects my self esteem and causes me to step back from people lest they notice the hundreds of dark brown clogged pores on my nose. I can deal with using chap stick and sun screen, but the sebaceous hyperplasia really bothers me. Thanks again!