Accutane questions

I was recently prescribed 10 mg of accutane once a day to treat my acne.  I also just started work on a film.  Does it always make your skin look worse initially?  Will the side effects be less dramatic on such a low dose?  Should I discontinue use of the product until filming is over?  Most importantly, is it going to make my skin look really bad first?  Are there any antibiotics you can take with it? Thanks.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Usually, Accutane does not cause worsening at first, certainly not on such a low dose.  If you get too dry, you can always stop and resume after the filming.  The larger question is why your doctor is using such a low dose--the risk of recurrence of acne after low dose therapy is higher.  Maybe you should wait till after the filming and take a higher dose.  It's worth discussing with your doctor.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff