Accutane (generic name: Isotretinoin) has been prescribed to treat severe acne in over 5 million people in the United States since its release in 1982 by manufacturer and distributor Hoffman-LaRoche.Accutane is a synthetic derivative of Vitamin A and works by reducing the amount of oil released by the oil glands in skin, which helps skin renew itself at a quicker rate. Although Accutane, along with its generic equivalents, has proved to be an efficient treatment of acne, experts have linked the use of the drug with the development or aggravation of very severe gastrointestinal side effects such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, which occursin conjunction with Ulcerative Colitis and/orCrohns Disease.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease & Accutane
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, refers to a group of disorders that cause chronic inflammation in the digestive tract. The two major types of IBD areCrohns disease, which involves any part of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus, and ulcerative colitis, which results inflammation of the colon or large intestine. Symptoms of IBD generally depend on what part of the intestinal tract is involved and can range from mild to severe. They include:
- Rectal bleeding
- Blood in feces
- Persistent diarrhea
- Bowel pain
- Pain/difficulty with swallowing
- Persistent heartburn
- Yellowing of skin or eyes (Jaundice)
- Dark urine
- Pain/cramping in stomach, chest or abdomen
- Loss of appetite
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Iron deficiency anemia due to blood loss
Inflammatory bowel disease can also lead to a number of serious complications in the intestines, including:
- Perforation, or rupture of the bowel
- Profuse intestinal bleeding from the ulcers
- Fistulae, or abnormal passages
- Perianal disease, which is disease in the tissue around the anus
- Toxic megacolon, which is an extreme dilation of the colon that can be fatal
On top of these debilitating and rather humiliating symptoms, inflammatory bowel disease can involve organs other than the intestines, including conditions such as arthritis, liver and kidney disorders, inflammation of the eye, skin conditions or bone loss. Further, IBD also increases the risk of colon cancer in the individual.
Lawsuits against Accutane
From the years 1997 to 2002, the Food and Drug Administration received almost 100 reports of inflammatory bowel disease that were believed to have been associated with the use of Accutane. The makers of Accutane pulled the drug off of the market in 2009, blaming market pressure and increasing costs of mounting litigation as the reasons for discontinuing the sale of the medication. Although Accutane was pulled off of the market, generic versions of Isotretinoin (i.e. Amnesteem, Claravis, Sotret, Istane, Ratane, Raccutane) are still available to consumers.
In February 2011, the scientific journal Nature published results of a study from the University of Chicagos Digestive Disease Research Core Center that indicated thatthe consumption of Accutaneis directly related tointestinal inflammation. As a result of these findings, thousands of lawsuits have been filed by former Accutane users who currently suffer from IBD against the drugs manufacturer for failing to properly warn the public of the possible side effects associated with taking the Accutane. If you or someone you know has suffered from these devastating side effects after taking Accutane, you may have a lawsuit on your hands.
