What Works — Retinoids: Acitretin & Isotretinoin


From the Editor

One of the many frustrating aspects associated with pityriasis rubra pilaris is reflected in the following mantra:

What works for one doesn’t work for all.

Over the past few years, however, I have taken the opportunity its to amend the Treatment Mantra to reflect a more positive reality:

What works for one doesn’t work for all,
but if it works for ONE,
then there is hope for YOU.”

When a PRP patient – or the parent of a PRP child – has a question about the efficacy of specific medication, they have ONE option – to post their question to the 2,200-plus members of the PRP Facebook Support Group and hope for lots of comments.

The odds are pretty good that a comparable question has been asked many times before. Unfortunately the responses to those earlier, medication-specific posts have never been retained by Facebook in a manner that supports retrieval at a later date. In other words, the insights and shared experiences regarding a specific medication reflected by multiple posts over an extended period of time are not easily retrieved.


It’s time to build a better mousetrap. WHAT WORKS is that new mousetrap.

Your insights and observations will make it easier for other PRP patients and caregivers to learn more about specific medications.

While the focus is on WHAT WORKS, experiences that are less positive should also be shared. Please use “Leave a Reply” to share those insights.


3 thoughts on “What Works — Retinoids: Acitretin & Isotretinoin”

  1. Are you suggesting adding NeedyMeds as a resource in PRP 101? Can you provide ANY info that they are legit?

  2. Just confirmed that NeedytMeds.org
    is legit.”It’s a non-profit organization that maintains an extensive database of information about patient assistance programs, state assistance, drug discount programs, and free or low-cost medical care. You can search their database for free on their web site.” I will fin a place for it.

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