Soriatane (Acitretin) for Psoriasis

What Members Say Top Tips Side Effects FAQs

Soriatane (acitretin) is a prescription medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat adults with severe psoriasis.

What Members Say

MHT logo These insights are based on 120 comments about Soriatane from MyPsoriasisTeam members. These are the experiences of a small number of people and are not meant to be medical advice.

Benefits:

Psoriasis plaques, scaling, and itching often improve, sometimes dramatically.
Symptoms affecting the hands and feet can become more manageable.
Lower doses or every-other-day dosing can help balance benefits and tolerability.

Considerations:

Hair loss, including loss of eyebrows or eyelashes, can be distressing.
Improvement can take weeks or months, and early flares can happen.
Lab monitoring for liver function and cholesterol or triglycerides is important.

How Soriatane Works and How It’s Taken

Soriatane is a retinoid, a medicine related to vitamin A. The exact way it works is not known. In severe psoriasis, it helps reduce abnormal skin cell activity and supports a more normal pattern of skin growth.

Doctors prescribe Soriatane when severe psoriasis has not improved with standard psoriasis treatments or when a person cannot tolerate them.

Soriatane comes as a capsule taken by mouth. It is usually taken once a day with a meal or after a meal.

Typical Dosing for Psoriasis

The recommended starting dose of Soriatane is 25 milligrams to 50 milligrams once a day with the main meal. The usual maintenance dose is 25 milligrams to 50 milligrams a day, depending on how well the medicine works and how well the person tolerates it.

Treatment should usually stop when the skin lesions have improved enough. A doctor may lower the dose to reduce side effects.

This information is based on prescribing information, but your healthcare provider may tailor your treatment plan. Always follow their guidance.

Top Advice From Members on Soriatane

MHT logo These insights are based on 120 comments about Soriatane from MyPsoriasisTeam members.

Members who use Soriatane often say it can help, but results and side effects vary considerably. Many emphasize staying in close contact with a dermatologist, allowing the medication time to work when appropriate, and finding the right psoriasis treatment. They also recommend paying attention to side effects, skin dryness, and lab work.

1

Be patient because improvement can take time.
“In spite of it being s-l-o-w, I am seeing improvement.”
2

Tell your doctor about side effects that are hard to manage.
“I’m on Soriatane right now, but the side effects are starting to really get to me. I started feeling exhausted and tired, with lower back pain and a dripping sound in my ear, and I’m seeing my PCP to discuss.”
3

Use moisturizers and lip care to help with dryness and peeling.
“I still take Acitretin three times a week and use CeraVe products to moisturize. I also use healing ointments, Eucerin and Aquaphor, which are greasy but keep the skin hydrated.”

Connect with others who understand life with psoriasis. Join MyPsoriasisTeam for free.

Soriatane Side Effects

In clinical studies of Soriatane for severe psoriasis in adults, the most common side effects included:

Cheilitis (dry, chapped lips)
Dry or peeling skin
Skin atrophy (skin thinning)
Pruritus (itching) or erythema (redness or discoloration)
Alopecia (hair loss)
Xerophthalmia (dry eyes)
Dry mouth
Rhinitis (runny or irritated nose)
Arthralgia (joint pain)
Hyperesthesia (increased skin sensitivity)
Nail disorder (nail changes)
A sticky feeling on the skin

Serious Side Effects and Warnings

Soriatane can cause serious side effects that may require immediate medical attention. These include:

Embryo-fetal toxicity — Soriatane is highly teratogenic and can cause severe birth defects, so it must not be used during pregnancy or by people who could become pregnant unless they follow strict pregnancy-prevention measures.
Serious liver injury — Hepatitis, jaundice, and, rarely, liver-related death can occur.
Pancreatitis — Inflammation of the pancreas can be life-threatening.
Mood, behavior, or psychiatric changes — Irritability, depression, aggression, psychotic disorder, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and suicide can occur.
Benign intracranial hypertension — Increased pressure around the brain, also called pseudotumor cerebri, can cause severe headaches and vision changes.
Serious skin reactions — Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis have been reported with other retinoids and may also occur with Soriatane.
Anaphylaxis — This life-threatening allergic reaction can occur.
Symptoms similar to inflammatory bowel disease — Severe diarrhea, abdominal pain, or rectal bleeding have been associated with other retinoids.
Vision problems — Decreased night vision and blurred vision can occur.
Hearing problems — Tinnitus or hearing impairment can occur.

Get medical help right away if you think you are having a serious reaction.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or by using the online chat.

What To Know Before Taking Soriatane

Before starting Soriatane, your doctor will check your fasting cholesterol, triglycerides, and liver function.

Tell your doctor if you are allergic to acitretin, other retinoids, vitamin A or its metabolites, or any ingredient in Soriatane.

Tell your doctor about all medicines you take, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Be sure to mention:

Vitamin A or other retinoids
Methotrexate
Tetracyclines
Phenytoin
Glyburide
St. John’s wort
Low-dose progesterone-only birth control pills

Female patients who can become pregnant must not drink alcohol during treatment or for two months afterward. Male patients are advised to avoid or limit alcohol during treatment and for two months afterward.

Do not take Soriatane if you:

Have severe liver or kidney disease
Have chronically high blood lipid levels
Take tetracyclines or methotrexate
Have high vitamin A levels
Are allergic to acitretin, other retinoids, vitamin A or its metabolites, or any ingredient in Soriatane
Are pregnant or breastfeeding

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses at once or double the dose the next day.

Soriatane must not be used during pregnancy. Female patients who can become pregnant must use two effective forms of birth control for at least one month before treatment, during treatment, and for at least three years after stopping. They must also have two negative pregnancy tests before starting treatment.

If you become pregnant during treatment, stop taking Soriatane immediately and contact your doctor.

Do not breastfeed during treatment or for at least three years after stopping Soriatane.

Community FAQs

These answers are fact-checked by our editorial staff.

How effective is Soriatane for psoriasis?

In clinical studies, Soriatane reduced scaling, redness or discoloration, skin thickness, and inflammation in people with psoriasis. The prescribing information does not give one exact percentage of people who improve or say exactly how long skin clearing takes. Psoriasis returns in most people after they stop treatment, and later courses may work similarly.

How long does Soriatane take to work for psoriasis?

Doctors may review how well Soriatane is working during early treatment. The usual starting dose is 25 milligrams to 50 milligrams once a day with the main meal, and a doctor may adjust it based on response and side effects.

Some people may have a temporary worsening of psoriasis when treatment first starts. This usually does not require a dose change.

Can Soriatane cause hair loss during psoriasis treatment?

Yes. Alopecia (hair loss) is a very common side effect and occurred in more than 10 percent of people in psoriasis clinical trials.

Changes in hair texture are also common. Loss of eyelashes or eyebrows has also been reported.