Weight loss while on Accutane

Chaidell

Hi all,
I was just wondering from any users who have been on accutane before, is it possible to still lose weight while on the medicine? My dermatologist told me that because I'm active, I will likely have a lot of joint pain while working out. He also mentioned that the medicine needs to be taken with a large meal that is full of fats (at least 50% daily recommended value and he said aim for about 800-1000 calories for my meal) because that allows for better absorption of the medicine.

I'm freaking out because of this! I hardly eat 800 calories in a DAY, I have no idea how I'll eat that many at once! And all that fat at once is going to make me feel soooooo sick. I feel like I'm totally going to begin gaining weight from it. And plus it'll be much harder to be active because of the joint pain. What gives!

I'm only 10 pounds away from my goal and I'll be devastated if I have to redo my hard work because I'm on this medicine.

So I guess what I'm asking is, is it really necessary to eat an 800 calorie meal with a lot of fat when taking the medicine? Will it still work if I don't? And if I do have to, how can I continue to lose weight seeing as how it will be difficult to exercise?

queenliz99

Listen to your doctor and you need to eat more than 800 calories a day. Don't be afraid of eating fat.

amiwills

Oh my goodness I was going to post about accutane yesterday but I didn't think anybody else would have heard of it!

I've been on accutane since Feb, the same month I started my weight loss journey. I was 68kg when I started, and was on 40mg per day until 3 weeks ago when my derm upped my dosage to 50mg per day. Since March I have been excercising 6-7 days a week, pushing myself very hard, and have had NO problems with my joints. I have also done strength training but not a lot.

Accutane is better absorbed with a fatty meal but a 800-1000 cals meal obviously isn't going to be achievable when you're trying to restrict your calories. I've never heard of having to take it with that many calories, many people take theirs with a glass of milk, or after their fattiest meal of the day. I have been taking mine after dinner which is usually pretty small and I've been just fine.

I've been on 1200-1500 calories since starting my journey. I have lost 13kg and I am now 55kg! Accutane has not affected my weight loss at all.

You will probably feel very nauseous for the first week or so, as I did, but that is normal wether you are eating at a caloric deficit or not. Everybody is different and handles this medication differently, listen to your body if something doesn't feel right! Your derm may lower your dosage if your gut doesn't cope well.

By the way, my skin cleared completely by 6 weeks, and I had bad acne! I am still on the medication because, as you will know, you have to complete the course regardless of when your skin clears. It is a controversial drug but it really saved me, I felt so ashamed of my appearance for 4 years and now I feel so confident and happy. I can't remember the last time I felt so good about myself! Which I believe is a combination of losing weight and having my clear skin back after all of these years. Best of luck on your accutane journey and losing those last 10lbs, I've got just under 10lbs to go too!

JuicerLab

I've been taking accutane for about 4 months now and this is my second round through. My first round of it, i actually gained weight, and I knew that was a normal side effect from what i had read. But this time, I've actually lost weight. I did for a short time go on a diet and lost about 7 or 8 pounds doing that, but since then, i've lost 5 pounds in 3 weeks, and i really haven't been eating healthy.

RodaRose

Call the doctor's office or call the pharmacy or call the drug company for better details
http://www.acne.org/accutane.html

Because isotretinoin as a molecule dissolves best in fat, it is essential that you take it with a meal that contains an adequate amount of dietary fat. According to drug labeling information submitted to the U.S. National Library of Medicine by the makers of Accutane, "Both peak plasma concentration (Cmax) and the total exposure (AUC) of isotretinoin were more than doubled following a standardized high-fat meal when compared with Accutane given under fasted conditions. Therefore, Accutane capsules should always be taken with food. Failure to take Accutane with food will significantly decrease absorption."1 This failure to take Accutane with meals may account for some of the relapse that we see post-Accutane.

Mini_Medic

Not sure about the fat meal and timing, just popping in to say accutane saved my skin when I was 14-15. Literally I had huge cystic acne all over my face and it was a constant gross, painful, unsitely mess. My skin was beautiful after accutane and the only side effect I had and only while on it was dry cracked lips, so wear Chapstick all the time! Once it starts cracking open you won't be able to apply enough Chapstick so start now keeping them moist. I took two rounds and now I hardly see even the scarcest pimple 10 years later! Wonderful!!!

paymentm

I was on accutane in my early teens and I always just took it with eggs during breakfast with no side effects. However, accutance made me severely depressed and as an emotional eater this made me over eat. Make sure to monitor your moods while on it. That being said the medicine was a life changer to get rid of my acne!

caroldavison332

You are damaging your health by eating 800 calories a day. You are teaching your body to retain weight because it thinks that you are in a famine. Go into mfp and determine the healthy amount of calories you need to eat to loose weight. I'm 62", eat about 1540 if I don't exercise and it's falling off because I do lots of exercise.