Use adapalene topical exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these
directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.
Wash your hands before and after applying this medication.
Clean and dry the area to which you will apply adapalene topical. Apply the medication to
the affected area.
When applying adapalene topical, avoid your eyes, the inside of your nose and
mouth, your lips, and areas where the skin is broken to prevent excessive irritation. If you get
medication in any of these areas, rinse it off with water.
Do not cover the affected area after applying adapalene topical. Doing so could cause
too much medicine to be absorbed by your body and could be harmful.
Adapalene topical is usually applied once daily at bedtime.
It may take 8 to 12 weeks or more to see the effects of this drug. Do not stop using
adapalene topical if you do not see results immediately. During the early weeks of therapy, your
acné may appear worse as previously unseen lesions begin to erupt. This is a temporary effect.
If you experience excessive burning, dryness, or irritation ask your doctor about using
adapalene every other day or only a few days a week.
If you have dark skin and you notice a change in your skin color, contact your doctor.
Store adapalene topical at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
Serious side effects are not likely to occur. Stop using adapalene topical and seek
emergency medical attention if you experience an allergic reaction (shortness of breath; closing
of your throat; swelling of your lips, face, or tongue; or hives).
You may experience some burning, warmth, stinging, tingling, itching, redness, dryness,
peeling, or irritation while you are using adapalene topical. If these side effects are excessive, ask
your doctor about using adapalene every other day or only several days a week. These side
effects should decrease after the first few weeks of treatment.
If you notice a change in your skin color, contact your doctor.
Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any
side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.
Do not use other topical prescription or over-the-counter preparations unless directed to
do so by your doctor. They may interfere with your treatment or increase irritation to your skin.
Avoid using harsh, abrasive, or irritating cleansers, perfumes, or cosmetics on the area
you are treating.
Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with adapalene topical. Talk to your
doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines.
Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight. Adapalene topical may increase the sensitivity
of your skin to sunlight. Use a sunscreen and wear protective clothing when sun exposure is
unavoidable.
Do not use adapalene topical on sunburned, windburned, dry, chapped, or irritated
skin or on open wounds.
Avoid using other topical products on the same area at the same time unless directed to do
so by your doctor. They may interfere with the effects or absorption of adapalene topical.
Do not cover the area after applying adapalene topical. Doing so could cause too
much medicine to be absorbed by your body and could be harmful.
Avoid using harsh, abrasive, or irritating cleansers, perfumes, or cosmetics on the area
you are treating.
An overdose of adapalene topical is unlikely to occur. If you do suspect an overdose, or if
adapalene topical has been ingested, call a poison control center or emergency room for advice.
Apply the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your
next regularly scheduled dose, skip the dose you missed and apply only your next regularly
scheduled dose.
Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight. Adapalene topical may increase the sensitivity
of your skin to sunlight. Use a sunscreen and wear protective clothing when sun exposure is
unavoidable.
Do not use adapalene on sunburned, windburned, dry, chapped, or irritated skin or on
open wounds.
Avoid abrasive, harsh, or drying soaps and cleansers while using adapalene topical.
Do not use adapalene topical on sunburned, windburned, dry, chapped, or irritated
skin. It could make these conditions much worse. Also avoid using adapalene topical on wounds
or on areas of eczema. Wait until these conditions have healed before using this medication.
Adapalene topical is the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it is not known
whether adapalene topical will harm an unborn baby. Do not use this medication without first
talking to your doctor if you are pregnant.
It is not known whether adapalene topical passes into breast milk. Do not use
adapalene topical without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Adapalene topical is available with a prescription under the brand name Differin in a
0.1% gel formulation. Other brand or generic formulations may also be available. Ask your
pharmacist any questions you have about this medication, especially if it is new to you.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share
your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ("Multum") is accurate,
up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. In addition, the drug information contained herein may be time sensitive.
Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and end-users in the United States. Cerner Multum does not warrant
that uses outside of the United States are appropriate. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy.
Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or
to serve end-users viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare
practitioners. Healthcare practitioners should use their professional judgment in using the information provided. The absence of a warning for a
given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for
any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides.
The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions,
or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2007 Cerner Multum, Inc. All rights reserved.
Your use of the content provided in this service indicates that you have read, understood and agree to the End-User License Agreement,
which can be accessed by clicking on this link.
