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Accutane & Diet

Acne is a large part of life for most teenagers, and a fair number of adults. For cases of acne that are so extreme as to be untreatable with common medications, Accutane can provide an answer. Accutane is a powerful acne-fighting medication--so powerful, in fact, that you must modify your diet while taking Accutane to avoid the development of unwanted side effects.

  1. Accutane

    • Accutane is a prescription-only acne treatment that is available through your dermatologist. Prior to receiving Accutane, you must enroll in a special program known as iPLEDGE, stating that you fully understand the potential dangers of taking the medication and that you promise to use birth control, as Accutane can cause serious and life-threatening birth defects to a fetus. Agreeing to regular pregnancy testing is part of the requirements of iPLEDGE.

    Accutane Effects

    • Although especially dangerous to unborn children, Accutane is nothing more than a derivative of vitamin A. Accutane acts by decreasing the oil content of your skin, naturally resolving your acne at its source. Common side effects of Accutane include localized pain in the joints and back, anxiety, dizziness, excessive drying of the skin, and changes to both finger and toenails.

    Accutane and Diet

    • As Accutane is essentially a large dose of vitamin A, you must modify your diet to eliminate other sources of vitamin A where practicable to avoid an incidental overdose. According to vitamins-supplements.org, vitamin A in high doses is toxic, and even doses which fail to meet the designated level for toxicity can cause harmful side effects such as brittle bones and vomiting.

    Vitamin A Foods

    • Foods that are especially rich in vitamin A include carrots, liver, sweet potatoes, spinach, squash, turnip greens, red peppers and kale. While it is perfectly acceptable to consume some vitamin A foods while on Accutane, you will want to strictly monitor your intake so you do not exceed the daily recommendation of 0.7mg for men and 0.6mg for women.

    Considerations

    • In addition to limiting consumption of vitamin A foods, you will want to avoid consuming vitamin A through alternative sources, such as a daily multivitamin. Check to see how much vitamin A is present in your multivitamin and change brands if necessary (or purchase stand-alone vitamins instead of an all-encompassing multivitamin). Be sure to consult your doctor if you have any other specific questions about pairing Accutane with a proper diet.

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