What happens if you miss a dose of Aminolevulinic acid?

Aminolevulinic acid is not a daily medicine you dose at home, so a missed dose almost always means a missed appointment or a missed pre-surgery timing window rather than a skipped pill.

The topical forms, Levulan Kerastick and Ameluz, are applied by a clinician for actinic keratosis and then activated with a light source at the same visit or a set number of hours later, so skipping either step means the treatment has to be rescheduled from the start. Gleolan oral solution is a single dose taken about 3 hours before anesthesia for brain tumor surgery, and if that timing slips the surgical team needs to know so they can decide whether to adjust or postpone. There is no catch-up dose and no reason to double anything, since a second dose adds light sensitivity without adding benefit. If you already received a dose, keep your skin and eyes out of bright sunlight and strong indoor light for about 40 hours, because ordinary sunscreen does not block the visible light that triggers the reaction. Put the light-activation visit in your calendar with a reminder, since that appointment is the part people most often lose track of.