Retinoids are synthetic drugs derived from vitamin A. There are two types of retinoids used in dermatology: isotretinoin (Accutane) and acitretin (Soriatane). Isotretinoin contains an ingredient related to vitamin A and is used mainly to treat acne. Acitretin is also related to vitamin A, but is prescribed by dermatologists to treat psoriasis. Another type of retinoid that is still in clinical research trials is oral tazarotene, which is the systemic form of topical tazarotene used occasionally for treating localized psoriasis.
Acitretin (Soriatane)
Before you take acitretin tell your doctor if you are:
- pregnant or planning a pregnancy
- taking vitamins or other supplements containing vitamin A
- sensitive to retinoids
- allergic to any food or drugs
- taking any other drugs
- taking an antibiotic (particularly tetracycline [Sumycin])
 |
| Vitamins For Psoriasis |
Acitretin is used to treat moderate to severe psoriasis that has failed to respond to topical therapies. It is particularly effective for erythrodermic, palmoplantar, and pustular psoriasis. When used to treat severe plaque-type psoriasis, patients might experience only a partial improvement, and it can take several months to see any improvement.
You might notice a temporary worsening of your condition in the first month of use. In this case, your dose of acitretin might be increased or used in combination with other treatments, such as topical corticosteroids, calcipotriol, or phototherapy.
How Does Acitretin Work?
In psoriasis, the skin cell turnover is accelerated from the normal twenty to thirty days for a cell to mature from the basal layer to be shed, to three to four days. Acitretin helps to slow that rapid growth and, as a result, it reduces the scaling, redness, and thickness seen in the skin of certain psoriasis patients.
How Do You Take Acitretin?
This medication is available in soft gelatin capsules (10 and 25 milligram strengths) and is usually taken once daily with food or just after a meal. For adults, a starting dose of 25-50 milligrams per day is usually prescribed. The dose may be increased after about four to eight weeks to 50-75 milligrams/day to improve the response. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as possible. Do not double your doses.
Before taking acitretin, read the prescription label carefully. Also be sure to take the exact amount of medicine prescribed by your doctor. Your dose depends on several factors, including the type of psoriasis you have. Your doctor may change your prescribed dose so it is important to check the label every time you fill your prescription.
Is Acitretin Right for You?
Before beginning treatment with acitretin, your doctor may ask you several questions, examine you, and discuss with you the different treatments available, side effects, and reasons that some patients should not take acitretin. Some tests will also be performed, including a pregnancy test (in fertile women), a complete blood cell count, and liver and kidney function tests. In addition, a blood lipid (fat) test will be done (you will not be able to eat for 12 hours prior to the test). Blood lipid tests include testing triglycerides and cholesterol levels.
 |
| Vitamins For Psoriasis |
Acitretin is well known to cause birth defects when given to pregnant women. Those who are fertile should use two effective forms of birth control for at least one month before starting acitretin, and a pregnancy test should be done one week prior to beginning treatment, which should be on day two or three of your menstrual period. In women of childbearing potential, alcohol should not be consumed during therapy or for two months after therapy is stopped. Also, it is very important that effective birth control is continued for at least two years after stopping acitretin. No one who is taking acitretin can donate blood - if a pregnant woman was to receive blood from a person on acitretin, the unborn fetus could be seriously harmed. To find out more, you can check out Vitamins For Psoriasis.