Accutane
Accutane, the brand name for isotretinoin, is a prescription drug used to treat acne. Unfortunately, in recent years, numerous clinical studies have indicated a wide range of serious health effects that can be caused by this medication. In fact, the considerable number of lawsuits that were brought against the makers of Accutane because of negative side effects experienced by many patients led the drug’s original manufacture to stop selling the product in the U.S., although other forms of isotretinoin are still available for use.
This site is intended to provide an overview of the different medical effects that may be caused by the use of Accutane and other isotretinoin medications, as well as any other information which may be relevant to individuals who have taken this prescription drug, including information on:
- Accutane and Birth Defects
- Digestive Complications
- History of Hoffman-LaRoche and Accutane
- How Accutane Works
- Cystic Acne
Awareness of the issues that can be caused by Accutane use can help reduce the risk that an innocent individual will have their life permanently affected by this medication.
Birth Defects and Accutane
One of the first problems that the use of Accutane was noted to cause was the increased rate of birth defects in the children of pregnant women who had taken the medication. In fact, some studies showed that as many as 30% of all children born to women taking Accutane suffered from a birth defect. For this reason, the FDA has instituted various regulations in an attempt to ensure that pregnant women do not take the medication and that women taking the medication do not become pregnant.
Unfortunately, women taking Accutane before these regulations came into effect, or women who become pregnant while taking Accutane or other isotretinoin medications, are at an increased risk of having children with birth defects. Some of the most common types of birth defects reported by Accutane users include:
- Hearing problems
- Visual defects
- Mental retardation
- Facial malformations
- Heart defects
In some cases, birth defects caused by Accutane use in pregnant women can be severe, or even life-threatening.
Health Effects of Accutane
Aside from the extremely high potential for birth defects that Accutane use may cause, a significant number of different medical conditions may also occur among individuals who take this type of prescription medication. In the majority of cases, these conditions are only temporary, though they can still have significant negative consequences for the affected individual. However, some of these conditions may become permanent, significantly affecting the individual’s qualify of life.
The number of temporary health consequences that a patient may suffer is considerable, ranging in seriousness from relatively mild to severe. Some of the most common of these include anemia, eye irritation, rashes, back pain, epistaxis, and depression. Permanent conditions that may be caused by the use of Accutane include:
- Bone degeneration
- Hyperostosis
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Dry skin
- Dry eyes
- Ulcerative colitis
- Crohn’s disease
In
addition, teenagers who take Accutane may experience permanently stunted
growth. Furthermore, the problem of depression in Accutane users has proven to
be extremely serious, with some individuals who took this medication even
reporting thoughts of suicide. In cases like that, an Accutane lawsuit is sometimes called for.
