Accutane was developed by Hoffman La Roche pharmaceutical company as a chemotherapy medication to treat several different types of cancers. The synthetic vitamin A drug found other uses when doctors noticed that their patients’ skin was dramatically clearer after using the medication. Accutane is a powerful medication, however, and was meant to be used as a last resort for patients that had attempted every other acne treatment available.
It works by inhibiting the oil glands in the body, as well as cell growth and reproduction. Unfortunately, a drug powerful enough to inhibit cell growth is also powerful enough to produce some serious side effects. Some of the side effects that are attributed to the use of Accutane are mild, such as headaches, dry eyes, dry skin, thinning hair, and nosebleeds. Patients that suffered the mild side effects generally noticed that these disappeared after they stopped taking the drug.
Other patients, however, experienced significant side effects that apparently led to disease and, in rare cases, death. Pregnant women that used Accutane suffered several problems, including miscarriage, birth defects, premature birth, and infant death. The drug also leads to several gastrointestinal issues, including esophagitis, ulcerative colitis, acute pancreatitis, liver damage, hepatitis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and Crohn’s disease. Accutane has even been linked to several cases of severe depression, sudden psychosis, and suicide ideation.
Mental Disorders with Accutane
The mental disorders that present upon the use of Accutane can also be significant. The onset of symptoms has been described as swift and unexpected, with severe depression affecting the patient approximately ninety days after beginning use of the drug. According to those that witnessed the occurrence, patients would develop sudden signs of depression, including unexplained irritability, fatigue, loss of appetite, and an inability to concentrate. Some patients would then attempt suicide only hours later. Others developed temporary psychosis that led to erratic and dangerous behavior.
Bowel Diseases and Disorders
The side effects with the longest reaching symptoms are the gastrointestinal disorders. Patients on Accutane have reported Crohn’s disease, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, esophagitis, hepatitis, and ulcerative colitis. These are seriously debilitating ailments that can cause severe abdominal pain, swelling, bloating, inflammation, open sores in the digestive system, bloody diarrhea, vomiting, elevated temperatures, and loss of appetite. Crohn’s disease can develop into cancer and, if left untreated, can cause death due to malnourishment.
Legal Recourse
Many patients have complained to the Food and Drug Administration, resulting in Accutane’s removal from the market. As of April 2010, no new patients can purchase Accutane under a regular prescription. Those that have been on the drug are cautioned to watch for signs of symptoms, and to contact their doctor if any should appear.
Author Resource:
Gary Jones is the author of this article on Accutane Class Action .
Find more information about Accutane Lawsuits here.
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