A prospective study of 90 patients taking Accutane found a highly-significant decrease of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D levels after 6 months treatment.
Results
Among the 90 patients who participated in the study, 51 (56.7%) were female, and 39 (43.3%) were male, with an age range of 16 to 50 years (mean ± standard deviation) age, (23.55±5.58 years). Lesions appeared only on the face in 53 (58.8%) patients, on both the face and the back in 27 (30%) patients, and only on the back in 10 (11.1%) patients. Eight patients dropped out of the study asthey showed treatment incompatibility. The patients’ (mean ± standard deviation) 25’(OH) vit D3level was 18.28±9.92 before treatment and 13.28±7.78 at the sixth month of treatment (p<0.001). Normal valueof 25’(OH) vit D3is 20-30 ng/mL according to our laboratory. Our group was normally distributed by gender (p=0,347) and abnormally distributed by age
Musculoskeletal effects are touched-upon, as well as many other adverse effects:
The most common side effect of isotretinoin on the skeletal muscle system is myalgia. Low back pain, arthralgia, osteoporosis and osteophyte formation are rarely reported.
In this study, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25’(OH) vit D3] levels in patients who used isotretinoin for acne vulgaris diagnosis was investigated. We examined the effects of isotretinoin on vitamin D metabolism.