Most of the time when you’re looking for a medication’s side effects in your body, you’re thinking about the here and now. You’re wondering how that medication is going to affect you, and you pay attention to how you react right after you take it. If you know you have trouble with certain types of medication, you probably pay even more attention just to be sure you catch the side effects before they get too bad.
You may never, though, think about watching for side effects from a medication months or even years after you’ve stopped taking it! In fact, when most people have taken a medication in the long term and are still on it, they stop watching for side effects because they already know how they react to that medication, if they react to it at all. Most people never dream of looking for side effects in ten years from a medication they took for two weeks.
However, one medication in particular can cause long term side effects months or years after a patient has ceased using it. That medication is Accutane, a drug manufactured originally to treat cancer but one that eventually treated cystic acne. Because of all the long term consequences of this drug, it has been taken off the market. However, many people are still coming forward who have been negatively affected by this drug.
What Are the Side Effects?
Accutane has several minor side effects that normally crop up as a patient is using the medication and go away shortly thereafter. For instance, the medication shrinks the oil glands in the skin, making for less sebum. As a result, dry, itchy skin is often a side effect of this medication. However, this drug also has long-term consequences that can stick around for life.
In particular, these consequences include inflammation of the bowels. Bowel inflammation has many technical names, depending on where the inflammation actually is. It could be Irritable Bowel Syndrome, ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, or Crohn’s disease. These are basically all potential Accutane side effects that affect the digestive system in dramatic ways.
If you have ever taken Accutane, it can be a good idea to look for side effects like these within your own body. That way, you can catch them early. Bowel diseases can have side effects such as sudden weight loss, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and fever. If you’re experiencing a combination of these symptoms and suspect inflamed bowels are the problem, you should consult a doctor immediately.
Many of those who have experienced Accutane long-term side effects are experiencing them still. Once the bowels are inflamed past a certain point, there is nothing that can reverse the problem totally. Medications, along with dietary and lifestyle changes, can suppress some of the symptoms of the problem, though. Those who are fighting these issues do so for the rest of their lives.
Many of those who are fighting IBS and other Accutane related diseases have taken the manufacturer of the drug to court. Some of these cases have resulted in settlements for the plaintiffs that include enough money to cover related medical expenses and then some.
Author Resource:
George Williams is the author of this article on Accutane Lawsuit 2011 .
Find more information about Accutane Lawsuit here.
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