Accutane and vitamin A

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Luigi48

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Hi Mike: Here's what I take every day (and I break it into 2 - one with breakfast and one with dinner):
Milk Thistle - 1000 mg. - 2
Zinc - 50 mg. - 1
Magnesium - 250 mg. - 1
Vitamin E - 400 IU - 1
Green Tea - 600 mg. - 2
Vitamin C - 1000 mg. - 1
Niacinamide - 1000 mg. - 1
BetaCarotene - 25,000 IU - 10 or 12
LiverRite - 2
Centrum Multi - 1
Borage Oil - 500 mg. - 2
Vitamin A&D Corabo - 3 or 4
Cod Liver Oil - 7 or 8
Vitamin A - 8000 IU - 4
Biotin - 1
Evening Primrose - 1
MultiCarotene*(Puritan's Pride Brand) - 2

I know that's a lot but I do break it up and taking pills is no problem for me at all - by the handful...Some of the above I have gone either up or down in amount (as I indicated by 10 or 12, etc.) but in general have kept it around the same. Today is Day 49. I get NO symptoms other than dry lips (a little) and dryer skin. It has taken all this time to achieve some success and I'm going to 230 Days so I have a ways to go. If you decide to do this - you MUST be informed about each and every pill on the list and do it at your own risk...if you're not used to vitamins - you may get upset stomach at the very least. Be sure to eat with the pills or you WILL get nauseaus.
Good Luck, L.
 
Yeah I read up on this stuff for awhile. I'm still researching though and I found this site. I have really oily skin. I found I should take milk thistle and calcium and vitamin D when taking the vitamin A. Also, I don't think it affects guys genetically like it does girls.

So does this decrease actual sebum production and shrink pores? And do you take the milk thistle daily or only when you have symptoms like headaches?
 
Thanks for the reply,

Sorry, but how much total vitamin A do you take daily? It's says four 8,000iu tablets which comes out to 32,000ius and then it says four A&D tablets and seven codliver.

What is your total amount of natural vitamin A that your taking daily without beta-carotene? Because ill probably just take it all from one source, instead of from cod liver and A&D tablets, etc...
 
Hi. I'll give you my exact vitamin dosages (But later on today b/c I'm going to work right now) - but I have no side-effects at all. I just take a lot of vitamins every day. The total is @ 50. I take 29 in the morning and 19 at night. But I've always taken SOME vitamins so I am able to take them by the handfull (with food of course). I'm an exercise instructor so if there is any muscle soreness connected with this dose - it's gone under the radar for me - I don't feel any different than I ever do...I'll get back to you later. But I'll say that so far I'm loving this...I look at the Accutane blogs that are posted around and I've gotten the same results such as the Initial Breakout in the first month (which was bad), the excessive dryness, especially around the eyes and dry lips. But now I use Genteal Eye ointment and lip balm. Use gentle cleansers too - no scrubs. Learned that the hard way. Talk to you later.
 
I, too, have just started trying high dose of vitamin a as a substitute for accutane results. However, after researching a bit, I formulated a plan for daily consumption of vitamin a derivatives in a corabination which I spread out over the day (actually 2 1/2 courses)...My total dose is 287,000 IU. This I take in the forms of Cod Liver Oil (yuk!), Cod Liver softgels, beta carotene, and only a small portion from regular Vitamin A&D tablet. I also take other things with it such as Milk Thistle (for the liver/stomach), borage oil softgel, magnesium, zinc, copper, also a multi-vitamin (and whatever the Vitamin A dosage is included in that), green tea softgel and some more stuff. Yes, there are a lot of pills to take and I MUST take with food. This alternative came about b/c I pass out from blood tests!
Anyway, it is the end of day 7. Effects are currently the same as my nephew experienced while on Accutane. Dryness (very), some redness (I am blonde and fair anyway), lips are not so dry but I do have cracks on the sides of my mouth and my eyeliRAB feel heavy (dry?). I have been moisturizing constantly. I use Cetaphil to wash and have added Tea Tree oil to the pump bottle. I also have Xiana from my doctor for topical application. All eruptions have been stabilized and are currently shrinking. Only one very large new one and I think that is due to the increase in white blood cell activity that is stimulated by the vitamin a which pushes out toxins (they have to go somehow I guess), skin is definitely changing - I can feel it. We'll see. My nephew was on Accutane for 6 months and is totally clear.
I always drink a lot of water anyway so that's been no problem. And surprisingly I found out that I should cut back on bread, and not surprising, sugar and chocolate and milk.
Will post more results in future.
 
will I break out bad if my skin is clear to begin with? But just really oily with blackheaRAB on my nose?
 
It comes out to @ 350,000 IU (including 250,000 being beta carotene). That is really too much for the liver to handle. That is why I break it up into different sources. I know the Centrum has 3,500IU of Vitamin A and the A&D has 5,000. The straight Vitamin A has 8000IU. The Cod Liver Oil pills have 1250 each. Multi-Carotene has 25,000IU each.
 
Hi. I just don't know...usually Accutane is prescribed for people who haven't responded to regular treatment from their dermatologists...see what the doctor has to say first...and/or maybe try Vitamin at a much lower level. (But higher than the 'recommended dosage'. Make sure to take liver precautions too). You know oil is actually a blessing - it keeps you from aging as fast. If you're not breaking out too badly - I would try conventional stuff first.
 
Ah alright. Well, I'm gonna try this in like a week or so. Hopefully, this works good for me like it has for you. Keep me posted every 2-4 weeks on your progress so that way I can compare to yours and know what to expect. Thanks.
 
Hi Luigi,

Thanks for the reply. Well, the only reason my skin is clear right now is because I'm taking antibiotics. Without the antibiotics, I would have bad acne. The problem with antibiotics is that it can only be taken for a maximum of six months. After that, it becomes a health issue with side effects. Unfortunately, I only have about a week left. So that's why I'm trying to find an alternative that is just as effective if not better.

So I think vitamin A would be the best alternative. It's just as effective and will give me long-term results. Also, it'll control my excess skin oil problem unlike the antibiotics, which just killed bacteria.

And, I would rather have dry skin than oily skin. I could just put lotion on everyday and that would have the same effect as skin oil.

What is the current amount of vitamin A you take daily? One post I read said to take 100,000 ius a day for six months. Would you say that is an effective dose? And, do you only take Milk Thistle when you have symptoms, or every day? And what other things should I know?

Thanks,
~Mike
 
Good luck with it...I will say that the first 2-3 weeks were not good. I checked the regular Accutane blogs and this was consistent with what was being reported. It's referred to as 'Initial Breakout'. Some people had more than 1 IB. I am only now seeing significant improvements and today is Day 53. I'm going to the full 230 days so I'm less than 1/4 thru. I've also read that Vitamin A stimulates the production of Accutane in the body. Accutane is a naturally occuring chemical in the body. Most people will stay on Accutane (brand) medication the full course under the supervision of a doctor but most do NOT stay on the Vitamin A course. I guess they do not believe their own instincts. I intend to finish the course. I am 48 and have had acne since I'm 13 in varying degrees but have never had clear skin. So, I'm going to give this a try - I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I have to buy a lot of vitamins - so what.
 
Hi. It's going VERY well. I have less than 90 days left. I am totally clear except for one and I do have menopause hormone issues right now so who knows if it's not from that...but great results and now I'm going to start my daughter on a vitamin plan. She is 19 and gets little breakouts. I feel like there is no need for that but I will put her on a MUCH lesser dose than mine. (I'm older and I've had acne all my life). I'm going to put her on 150,000 IU (in different forms) as well as the LiverRite and Milk Thistle. She will do it for 170 days instead of my 230 days. So, we'll see - but my results are excellent - better than I've ever had in my life - better than all those antibiotics and topical creams.
Oh, I did buy a pure Retinyl Acetate powder that I mix in with my moisturizing cream. (That's a form of Vit.A)
 
Hi. So far I'm getting the same results that I would if I were on Accutane. Actually I found out that vitamin A causes accutane to be made in the body. So the drug Accutane is named for that. I DO take liver flushing pills (LiverRite is one of them) as well as Milk Thistle for the stomach among other things. I have no side effects and it is Day 44 today. My skin is clearing up - actually looks far better than it ever has but I still have to complete the course which for me will be 230 days. I will keep you posted. If you decide to do this - you should research for yourself as much as you can before starting. That is my disclaimer - and keep in mind, that I'm 48 years old and already have children so if you're young(er) and/or have no children yet - I would want to know whether or not I was damaging my genetic material.
 
lpf19:

Do not even think about doing this on a weak liver. The vitamin toxicity coupled with alcohol consumption will slowly but surely cause diminished liver function and eventually liver failure.

I would suggest taking milk thistle and liverite for at least 4-6 months to get your liver healthy, and then start taking the vitamin A. You should also abstain from alcohol. Seriously, 8 months isn't that hard.
 
Luigi: The vitamin A still working good for you without problems? Your skin clear?
 
YES! I'm almost totally clear at this time. It is Day 126 - day 115 was half-way thru. I really am happy with the results. Keep in mind that I'm a hard case -- I'm 48 yrs. old and have had acne all of my life -- and now I don't. I wish I had known how to do this when I was in my thirties, twenties, teens even. I've never had soft, smooth and clear skin like this before - I guess I must have when I was pre-pubescent but cannot remeraber it.
 
Hi, I am going to begin taking vitamin a for my acne. I am 17 years old and was previously taking Claravis (isotretinoin, same as accutane). I was taking at most 80 mg a day. However, my liver enzymes (not from the pills, from alcohol) were high on several tests so they lowered the dosage and I eventually just quit.
My acne has returned and I'm assuming it is because I never finished my course.
I have been reading your log, but the amount of IUs you take seems a little high. I would have to be taking over 25 pills a day to reach that much. Was this your case too? (I have vitamin A as fish liver oil, 10,000 IUs). I just wanted to confirm that this is correct for you before I begin downing the pills.
Any advice would be appreciated.
 
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