Painful Bleeding Acne. Prescribed With Isotorin. Will The Medication Affect Conception?

Posted on Sat, 31 Mar 2012

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 Answered on

Fri, 5 Oct 2012 Last reviewed on

Question : hii
I am XXXXXXX from India....i am 27 years old,mother of a 3 years old daughter.....n i have acne problem because my t-zone is oily n i get pimples on my t- zone area.These are a bit painful on first day and fill with puss and sometimes it bleeds also but these get over in a span of 1 week....and these leave red scars on my face ....the area around my nose is also red...i visited one of the dermatologist and he suggested me to take ISOTROIN 10 capsules for 1 month .... i was surfing Google about this medicines and i am not sure to use it or not as i'll be planning a baby after 6 months and i also use contact lenses....i am already suffering from hair loss ......i mean i just don't want to get another trouble to solve one....Please suggest me whether i should go with this medicine or not

Answered by Dr. Gaurang Krishna (2 hours later)

Hello,

Thanks for writing in.

If you are planning a baby within 6 months then it is best not to take isotretinoin.

It is usually given for 3-4 months. Leaving it early fails its purpose.

It has to be stopped 3 months prior to conceiving, so we do not have a safe period there (as you are planning baby within 6 months).

However, you may use retinoid creams like adapelene 0.1% gel daily at night.

Use clindamycin gel twice daily on active acne.

You may also discuss the option of salicylic peels with your dermatologist.

I would also recommend you to upload a pic of your acne so that I may suggest you better.

Thanks

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar