Drug name: Retin-A

Active Ingredients:

• Tretinoin

Therapeutic effects of Retin-A: Tretinoin, the active ingredient of Retin-A, is a skin care cream which has the potential to renew and revitalize the skin.

Indications: Retin-A cream is used to treat acne, reduce the wrinkles (Renova brand), and also smooths the skin.

Precautions and Restrictions:

• Do not expose the applied area to sunlight or UV rays (artificial source). This is because Retin-A can make the skin increasingly sensitive to sunlight and my cause sun burns. It is best to use sunscreen or wear protective clothing.
• Keep this medicine from coming into contact with eyes, mouth, lips, or other sensitive areas. But if this cream gets into the eyes, mouth, etc. then wash or rinse the area with water. Apply Retin-A only on healthy skin.
• Users are advised to use this cream for the full course of the treatment period. It may take users weeks or even months to see any improvement, so don't get discouraged and persist with this cream for the full course of the treatment. While using this medicine for acne if you experience irritation or if you notice that the condition has not improved even after 8 to 12 weeks then contact your doctor at once.
• Retin-A is placed in Pregnancy Category C by FDA, so this medicine may be harmful for the fetus. Thus, if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the near future then talk to your doctor before taking this medicine.
• This medicine passes into mother's milk, so it is not advisable to use this medicine if you are a nursing mother. The best thing to do is to discuss this matter with a medical expert.

Side effects of Retin-A: If you are using this cream then you may experience certain side effects that are contrary to what is expected. It is not certain that these adverse reactions will affect every user of this cream.

If you experience any allergic reaction such as: hives, swelling of the face, mouth, lips, tongue, or throat; or breathing difficulty then stop using this cream and get medical help immediately.

Some of the less serious side effects of this cream are discoloring of skin, irritation, peeling of skin, dry skin, reddening, itching, tingling of skin, or warm or burning sensation of the skin. If your experience these side effects then you can continue using this cream but you have to inform your condition to the doctor.

The above mentioned side effects are by no means exhaustive, so for the complete list of adverse reactions and possible side effects please see the information provided by the drug manufacturer or consult a doctor or a pharmacist.

Interactions: Before using Retin-A it's very important to consult a doctor and apprise him of the treatment or medication (medicine without prescription or herbal medicine) you are currently under and also get a prescription from your doctor before starting any new drug. This is to make sure that the combination of the two drugs is safe.

Users may experience skin irritation when Retin-A is used with skin products made of salicylic acid, resorcinol, sulfur, or benzoyl peroxide. Do not use these substances or use it only if your doctor asks you to.

The following medicine could make your skin more sensitive, so use it only after consulting with a medical expert:

• Chlorpromazine (Thorazine), prochlorperazine (Compazine), fluphenazine (Permitil, Prolixin), promethazine (Phenergan, Promethegan), perphenazine (Trilafon), and others.
• Sulfa drugs such as Bactrim, Septra, Cotrim, and others
• Antibiotics such as lomefloxacin (Maxaquin), sparfloxacin (Zagam), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), ofloxacin (Floxin), and others
• Tetracycline (Sumycin, Panmycin, Robitet), minocycline (Minocin), doxycycline (Doryx, Vibramycin), demeclocycline (Declomycin), and others
• Medicines that promote the formation of urine (Diuretic) such as hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, HydroDiuril), chlorothiazide (Diuril), chlorthalidone (Hygroton, Thalitone), and others

Additional Information: Medicines should not be used without prior approval of a trained physician and don't share them with anybody else. Retin-A is made for specific conditions and it's not advisable to use it for other purposes. Keep medicinal drugs out of the reach of children.