Common Side Effects of Accutane

Accutane is a drug used regularly for the treatment of moderate to severe acne. It has had many years of success in changing the lives of those suffering from acne that fails to respond to other medications. The drug often clears the skin in as little as four months of treatment. Unfortunately, Accutane’s success rate is clouded by concerns regarding its side effects.
Accutane is actually a form of Vitamin A that occurs naturally in the body. This natural quality means that large amounts of the drug affect the body similarly to excessive amounts of Vitamin A. It also means that the body expels it fully in around nine days. This keeps the drug from causing long term damage. However, there are negative reactions to Accutane experienced during the treatment process.
Side effects of Accutane most commonly occur with higher doses. Low amounts of the drug only affect the acne it is targeting. The larger amounts result in additional drying of the oil glands. This leads to the most common side effects, which are dry itchy skin, chapped lips, and nosebleeds caused from drying of the nostril linings. About 80% of those complaining of adverse reactions of Accutane report suffering mainly from the over-drying of the skin. The lesser reported side effects of the drug are joint and muscle pain, thinning hair, rash, and headaches. As little as 5% of complaints include issues with intestinal and urinary systems and increased sensitivity to sunlight.
The two most significant side effects of Accutane are birth defects and liver damage. These are easily managed by diligent birth control and scheduled blood tests. Patients using Accutane are warned of the increased risk to an unborn child. It is recommended that two forms of birth control, such as a condom and birth control pills, be used while taking the drug. The medication also increases the fat levels in the bloodstream which could adversely affect the liver. This is monitored by regular blood tests.
The use of Accutane has been historically successful. As with any medication, its benefits are countered by negative side effects. However, all of the side effects occur only during treatment. The body fully clears itself of the drug in a short period and leaves no long term damage. The side effects that are the most harmful are easily managed by the responsibility of the patient and doctor.

Damages Awarded in Accutane Lawsuits

There have been quite a few lawsuits brought against the makers of Accutane from people that have stated they had side effects such as Crohn’s Disease and other bowel complications from using the acne treatment medication. Accutane is used to treat severe nodular acne when other medications fail to respond, but the side effects have gotten the product manufacturers to stop making it. The makers of Accutane state it is because of the various generic brands that are coming out which has led to a loss in profit for the drug maker, but the lawsuits seem to be speaking a different language, altogether.

There have been over 1000 reported lawsuits over Accutane, and juries have awarded upwards of $30 million for people suffering these life changing side effects. The FDA responded by adding a warning label to the medication that stated there are reports that the drug could cause severe bowel distress and birth defects. Although they made an effort to warn people, the makers of Accutane seemed unchanged in their decision to keep producing. There are even some people that believe the drug makers knew well in advance that there were chances that these side effects could hurt people and change their lives forever. Most believe that the $1.2 billion annual profit on the acne medication was more important to the pharmaceutical company than the health of the people taking it.

There are many debates on whether or not the makers of Accutane knew of the side effect possibilities before they went into production. What IS clear is that the lawsuits show there was some kind of neglect on the part of the makers of Accutane. This can be seen in the multi-million dollar lawsuits won by people that were unfortunate enough to use Accutane.

If you, or anyone you know, has suffered a medical condition that you suspect Accutane played a part in, you should contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to see if there is anything they can do for you.
Even though it was pulled in 2009, there are still lawsuits pending.

Accutane Stopped

A major drug in the treatment of acute nodular acne was taken off the markets in late June 2009 due to the release of multiple generic drugs that cut the market share too low for the makers of Accutane to recover from. This is, of course, only one side of the story as to why the acne medication was taken off the market. Many other people believe it had more to do with the severe and adverse side effects that were reported with patients using Accutane, and not so much the amount of profit it acquired.

With profits up to $1.2 billion annually for the makers of the acne medication, seeing a dip in the share price doesn’t seem to register the end of the medication on a grand scale. The severe side effects, however, do. When Accutane first appeared in 1982, it was touted as being the last try medication to fight nodular acne, and it seemed to be working considerably well seeing as it had an 85% success rate with its users.  There were 20% of users that reported the acne returned once they had stopped treatment, but this is to be expected with all medications on a large scale.

While almost all medications available to date have some kind of side effects reported with use, Accutane’s side effects are considerably severe. Lawsuits came into effect once people started to report IBD or Inflammatory Bowel Disease. IBD can cause severe abdominal pain and bouts of chronic diarrhea, weight loss, loss of appetite, and even Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. Juries have awarded over $33 million to people seeking lawsuits that have reported these serious conditions after taking the medication for the prescribed amount of time, usually 4 to 5 months.

Accutane is also extremely dangerous to take if you are pregnant and, as such, the makers came up with the iPLEDGE program that required women to have multiple birth control pills and signed contracts stating they would not get pregnant. On top of this, these women needed to have a pregnancy test before, during, and after their treatment.

Aspects to Know About Accutane

Accutane has been used in the treatment of acute nodular acne. This kind of acne is severe and can cause disfigurement, if not treated. Because of the severity of the medical issue, nodular acne doesn’t always respond well to other medications. Accutane is suggested as a last chance medication. All other medications and treatments should be used first before moving on to something as serious as Accutane. You will also have to register for the iPLEDGE program before you are able to take this medication. The iPLEDGE program states that you will not attempt to get pregnant while on this medication.

Women will also have to sign a contract that has them taking two kinds of birth control to ensure that you aren’t going to get pregnant, even by accident. Accutane has been known to cause severe birth defects with women that have taken it while pregnant. With birth defects as serious as these, it is the reason that you have to take the iPLEDGE contract and the birth control regimen while on Accutane. In fact, your doctor will more than likely not even let you take this medication until he or she is sure that you aren’t going to get pregnant.

Side effects are always an issue with medications. Accutane has some very serious side effects that everyone should know about before deciding to take it. There is a possibility that you can contract Crohn’s Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and even Ulcerative Colitis. These are serious health issues that should not be taken lightly. You should consult with your doctor about any issues that you might have regarding any of the side effects, serious or mild. Your doctor will be able to help you with any questions you have, and give you the information that you require to make an informed decision on whether or not you should take Accutane.

When it comes to serious conditions like nodular acne, there are medications that can help you. But, as with any medication, there are possibilities that can cause even more serious reactions. This happens with such strong medications and you should careful.

Accutane Created Bowel Issues

Accutane is a treatment for nodular acne that was pulled from the market in late June of 2009 due to the low price of shares since a number of generic drugs became available that claimed to do the same thing. Millions of people had been using Accutane since its first release in 1982, and gave the makers an estimated $1.2 billion in profit on an annual basis for all of those years. The main reason it was so profitable is the fact that there is a recorded 85 percent success rate with users of Accutane ending their nodular acne episodes.

Eighty five percent success is a very high instance considering how dangerous the drug was to take. The FDA and makers of Accutane got together to create the iPLEDGE program that required constant pregnancy tests for women that were prescribed Accutane due to the high risk of birth defects and fetal death that could occur. Due to the severity of the birth defects issue, women that were prescribed Accutane were also required to take two birth control medications to guarantee that there would be no issues, along with a signed contract stating they would not be getting pregnant while on Accutane.

Years after Accutane had become a success for treating nodular acne, severe side effects such as Crohn’s Disease, IBD, and Ulcerative Colitis were reported. This prompted thousands of lawsuits towards the makers of Accutane. Most of these lawsuits stated that the makers of Accutane knew well in advance that these issues could become common with people using the medication and failed to report it to the FDA. The FDA, in turn, forced warning labels on all prescriptions of Accutane warning of the possibility of these severe side effects.

Since Accutane has been pulled from the market, over $30 million in damages have been awarded in lawsuits for people that received the short end of the stick because of severe side-effects. Many of these lawsuits are still pending and more are coming to light as the side effects might not show up for years after you have stopped taking the medication.

A Brief History of Accutane

Accutane was originally approved by the FDA in 1982 for people with severe nodular acne that wouldn’t respond to other medications and treatments. Since 1982, there have been over 13 million people prescribed this medication as a treatment for their severe acne. However, as the years passed, there were severe side effects being reported. Most of these severe side effects included Ulcerative Colitis, IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease), and Crohn’s Disease. There were also reported incidents of depression, birth defects, liver damage, and even suicidal thoughts evolving from the continued use of Accutane.

All of these reports made the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) put together the iPLEDGE program to help restrict the use of Isotretinoin, the active ingredient in Accutane. The program’s initial reason for being was to eliminate exposure to any fetus due to the severe case of birth defects that were starting to come out after the use of Accutane. Everyone involved in the prescription and use of Accutane, from doctors and physicians to patients and, even wholesalers, were required to register with the iPLEDGE program in order to use or, even supply, the drug.

Women that were taking Accutane were required to use two forms of birth control and had to submit to pregnancy tests before being allowed to even get a prescription, and also as they were taking the medication for the prescribed time. Because of the high risks and severe side effects reported, lawsuits started to be the norm for Accutane users. A New Jersey jury handed $13 million to three users that stated Accutane gave them IBD. There was a woman that developed ulcerative colitis from the use of Accutane who received $10.5 million, and 2 other users were awarded up to $9 million for their severe reactions.

While the manufacturers of Accutane are still facing multiple lawsuits over the extreme occurrences of the side effects, the makers have effectively pulled it from the market as of June 2009. Most, if not all, of the users that have filed lawsuits claim that the makers of Accutane did not warn people about certain side-effects.

Accutane Side Effects – Risks to have acne free skin

Accutane History  Isotretinoin is a medication used for the treatment of severe acne. It was first developed as a chemotherapy drug for treating brain and pancreatic cancer. It is still used in treating these cancers because of its ability to kill rapidly dividing cells. Now it is marketed as the main ingredient in Accutane.

Besides Isotretinoin, Accutane is also made of vitamin A, which has been used as acne treatment since 1930. Before Accutane, oral anitbiotcs were used to treat acne. These drugs worked for some patients, but were only effective against one type of bacteria that causes acne. Isotretinoin was used in patients with skin cell disorders, and through accidental research, it was discovered that it also worked to eliminate severe acne. It was considered a major step toward acne treatment at the time, since it worked better than Vitamin A alone, with less side effects.

Hoffman-LaRoche registered isotretinoin in 1979 and it was released in the United States as Accutane in 1982. It was released in Europe in 1985 as Roaccutane. It is also known as Sotret, Amnesteem, Claravix and Decutan. Other pharmaceutical companies capitalized on Accutane’s expired patents in February 2002, allowing them to sell less expensive versions of the drug.

Accutane has sold more than any other acne treatment. It has treated about 12 million people worldwide, with five million of those in the United States. 85% of users experience no sign of acne after one course of treatment, although some severe cases require a second course.

Accutane works by drying out all the oils in the skin, thus eliminating acne. Although it works for most users, it may make acne worse in some cases or not work at all. It is recommended that acne sufferers use other medications and treatments first and use Accutane as a last resort.

Accutane is a highly potent drug with many side effects. It was pulled off the market in June 2009 because of many users claiming it caused them severe cases of inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease and ulcerate colitis.

Acne sufferers should discuss the pros and cons with their doctor so that if they choose Accutane, they take it properly and know what to expect. Although it can be bought online without a prescription, it definitely should not be used without doctor recommendation and supervision.