Accutane Side Effects

by admin on October 18th, 2010

Severe skin dryness, fatigue, hair loss, conjunctivitis, joint pain—it sounds like symptoms of a disease, but in fact, these are just some of the Accutane side effects. Accutane is a prescription medicine that was used to treat severe forms of acne. This type of acne, called cystic or nodular, was unresponsive to traditional treatments, and Accutane was effective in clearing it up.

Accutane is a Retinoid, which means it is related to vitamin A. It works on the cellular level and reduces oil production in the skin. For people who dealt with the painful and scarring effects of severe acne, Accutane was a welcomed medication.
Unfortunately, Accutane also had numerous side effects years later.

Accutane Side Effects-Mild

Accutane was typically taken orally as a pill, and, since it entered the bloodstream, effects from it could be felt throughout the body, not just on the skin.

Because of the drying effect of the medication, some people who took Accutane experienced severely dry and chapped lips, skin and dry eyes. Others developed conjunctivitis or “pink eye.” Bleeding of the gums, thinning hair or, conversely, abnormal hair growth were also reported. Accutane users also experienced fatigue, headache, sun sensitivity, sleeplessness, respiratory tract infection and temporary worsening of acne.

These common side effects typically ended once the course of medicine was over.

Accutane Side Effects- Severe

Accutane increases the risk of birth defects, and for that reason, women who are pregnant or who are planning to get pregnant were not allowed to use Accutane. Other women who were of childbearing age were warned that Accutane could cause life-threatening birth defects including hydrocephaly, microcephaly, mental retardation and heart defects. Miscarriages and premature births could also occur. As a result, these women were instructed that they had to use two forms of birth control when using Accutane, to ensure contraception.

Accutane also increases the risk of depression and suicidal thoughts. People who have a personal or family history of depression were advised not to use the drug. Although Accutane does not affect everyone the same way, a number of families have attributed the depression and suicides of their loved ones to the use of Accutane.

The manufacturers of Accutane issued warnings to doctors and patients about the potential risks of birth defects and depression, but one side effect did not get as much publicity.

An increasing number of Accutane users began to develop problems with their digestive system. They developed Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis—the two conditions that make up Inflammatory Bowel Disease. In this chronic, incurable disease, repeated inflammations and infections in the gastrointestinal tract cause long-term pain and discomfort. More than 20% of people with IBD have some or all of their intestines removed due to irreparable damage from the infections.

What has been especially troubling is that many users were not aware of the Accutane side effects long term, debilitating effects that Accutane could have on the gastrointestinal tract. A number of patients have filed lawsuits, charging that the manufacturer did not issue a proper warning to doctors and patients about this Accutane side effect.

If you have taken Accutane and have been diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease, you too may have reason to pursue a legal remedy. Contact us for a free consultation so we may discuss your individual circumstances and determine your legal options including filing an Accutane lawsuit.