ClerVitaRx® Acne Cream Patient and Healthcare Professional Information Please read this entire leaflet before using this medication.
If you require any further information, please ask your doctor or pharmacist. This medication has been prescribed
specifically for you. Do not give this medication to anyone else as it may not be appropriate for him/her even if he/she
shows the same symptoms as you do. Keep this leaflet as you may need to read it again.
Medicine Classification: Prescription medicine Why should I not use this medication? ClerVitaRx® should not be used by anyone allergic to any of the ingredients. Use of the product should be discontinued if hypersensitivity to any of the ingredients is noted. This Composition 0.05% Tretinoin in a water soluble cream base
cream is not recommended as mono-therapy in cases of severe pustular
and deep cystic nodular varieties of acne (acne conglobata).
Pharmacotherapeutic class: Topical retinoid Will There Be Adverse Effects? Topical use may induce severe local What is ClerVitaRx® Cream and when should it be used?
inflammation and peeling at the site of application resulting in dry, red,
ClerVitaRx® contains tretinoin which is used for the treatment of acne
scaly skin. The skin of certain sensitive individuals may become
vulgaris, primary grades I-III. Tretinoin is a derivative of Vitamin A
excessively red, blistered, or crusted. Tretinoin has been reported to
and is the treatment of choice for comedonal acne, or whiteheads and
cause severe irritation on eczematous skin and should be used with
blackheads (pimples). Tretinoin is also the only topical medication that
utmost caution in patients with eczema. During the early weeks of
therapy, an apparent increase in inflammatory acne lesions may occur. This is due to the action of the medication in deep, previously unseen
Chemical Name and Structure Chemically, tretinoin is all- trans -
lesions and should not be considered a reason to discontinue therapy.
retinoic acid, also known as (all- E)-3,7-dimethyl-9-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-
Inflammation of the skin can result in a short term increase or decrease in
cyclohexen-1-yl)-2,4,6,8-nonatetraenoic acid. It is a member of the
pigmentation. True contact allergy to topical tretinoin is rarely
retinoid family of compounds and tissue active metabolite of naturally
encountered. Some individuals have been reported to have heightened
occurring Vitamin A. It has therefore been designated ‘partial Vitamin
susceptibility to sunlight while under treatment with tretinoin. The effect
A’. Tretinoin has a molecular weight of 300.44. Tretinoin has the
of increased skin cell turnover can be irritation and flaking. For this
reason, many people stop using tretinoin after a couple of days to weeks, then think that it didn't work. It is important to realize that ClerVitaRx® cream is very effective for whiteheads and blackheads, but it may take 6-
9 weeks to see a noticeable difference. It takes at least 6 months to see a noticeable difference in wrinkles. The best benefit is seen if
ClerVitaRx® is used for at least a year. If the degree of local irritation is
severe, your doctor may advise you to use the medication less frequently,
discontinue use temporarily, or discontinue use altogether. All adverse
effects of tretinoin are reversible when therapy is discontinued
How do I use this medication? Unless otherwise directed by your Can I use this medication when pregnant or breastfeeding?
doctor, apply ClerVitaRx® Cream very lightly to your skin once a day,
Reproduction studies performed in rats and rabbits at dermal doses up to
at bedtime, to the area where acne lesions (pimples) appear, using
50 times the human dose (assuming the human dose to be 1000 mg of
enough to cover the entire affected area. A small amount goes a long
cream per day) have revealed no evidence of impaired fertility or harm to
way. In the morning wash your face with a mild facial scrub or rough
the foetus due to tretinoin. However, there are no adequate and well-
wash cloth. This will help reduce the noticeable flaking. After washing,
controlled studies in pregnant women and so this drug should not be used
apply a good water-based moisturizer. The moisturizer will make the
by pregnant women or those planning to become pregnant during
drying effect of the medicine more tolerable. If flaking occurs during the
treatment. It is not known whether this drug is excreted in human milk.
day use a wash cloth to remove it and apply more moisturizer, or just
Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be
apply moisturizer. When you first start using ClerVitaRx®, apply it
exercised when ClerVitaRx® is used by a nursing mother.
every other night or every 3rd night. The flaking and irritation side effects are usually the worst in the first 2 weeks of application. As your
Overdosage: ClerVitaRx® is indicated for topical use only. If used
skin adjusts to the medicine, you can apply it more frequently. If you
excessively, no more rapid or better results will be obtained and marked
notice an increase in the irritation or flaking, it's ok to take a break for a
redness, peeling or discomfort may occur. Oral ingestion of the drug may
couple of days. Just don't stop completely without consulting your
lead to the same side effects as those associated with excessive oral
How does it work? The exact mechanism is unknown but it is Storage Conditions: All ClerVitaRx® topical preparations should be
recognized that tretinoin reduces the production and stickiness of
blackheads to the hair follicle. It encourages collagen production, and inhibits melanin production, and there is minimal absorption through the skin.
Package Quantities: Cream 0.05%, 20g
How well does it work? It works slowly to prevent new pimples and Manufactured By: LaGray Chemical Company Ltd., Nsawam, Ghana
will also have an anti-inflammatory effect. Signs of improvement may be noticed after two to three weeks, but more than six weeks of therapy is required before definite beneficial effects are seen. Once the acne
Manufactured for: LaGray Chemical Company, Inc., Chicago, Illinois,
lesions have responded satisfactorily, it may be possible to maintain the
improvement with less frequent applications. Benefits in repairing the
effects of sun damage, including wrinkles, are much slower and can often take six to twelve months. You may notice a reduction of fine lines and blotchy pigmentation.
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