PA Accutane Side Effects Lawyers

Accutane Side Effects

Acne is a skin condition that not only affects teenagers, but many adults as well who cope with skin pain, potential scarring, and the common feeling of insecurity posed by acne. While there are many different types of treatment for acne, prescription oral medications may be a patient’s last resort. Accutane is a brand name of the prescription drug Isotretinoin, which also comes in the form of Amnesteem, Claravis, and Sotret. Accutane and these other medications are used to treat severe recalcitrant nodular acne as well as to relieve the symptoms of various other skin conditions and even some cancers. However, there are several potentially dangerous and incurable health risks associated with Accutane, including inflammatory bowel disease, the most common forms being Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease

As a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ulcerative colitis has been linked to Accutane and affects the large intestine (colon) and rectum. Once a patient is diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, their risk of colon cancer increases with each decade. The only potential cure of ulcerative colitis is to have the large intestine completely removed. Accutane has also been linked to causing Crohn’s disease, a type of IBD that cannot be cured and can range in affecting both the small and large intestine, only the small intestine, or only the large intestine; the latter presenting challenges in distinguishing the disease from ulcerative colitis. Some common symptoms of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis include frequent diarrhea, malnutrition, weight loss, bloody stool, fatigue, and abdominal pain.

Other Accutane Side Effects

In addition to these risks of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, Accutane presents other dangers. In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) introduced a program called iPLEDGE to ensure that pregnant woman do not take Accutane and that women do not become pregnant while taking the drug due to Accutane being linked to birth defects, miscarriage, premature births, and death in babies for women who take the drug while pregnant. Since its inception, protocols and standards of the risk management program have been strengthened.

A 2005 FDA Accutane warning stated that Accutane may cause serious headaches, blurred vision, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, seizures, stroke, diarrhea, and muscle weakness. Some of the more serious side effects caused by Accutane include severe mental health problems, such as depression and suicide. While patients who take Accutane are supposed to be monitored for or report feelings or symptoms of aggression, fluctuations in weight or appetite, insomnia or excessive sleep, loss of interest or joy in social or sports activities, sad moods, irritability, psychosis, and other significant mood changes, patients have still endured injury or death because of Accutane side effects.

Drug manufacturers are responsible for designing and creating pharmaceutical products that are safe and will not pose any harm to patients or lead to new health problems. Pharmaceutical companies also have the important duty of providing accurate and thorough warning labels for potential side effects and risks. Drug makers who fail to uphold these responsibilities do a huge disservice to trusting consumers, putting their lives in danger and increasing the chances that medical conditions will worsen or that new ailments will develop.

Contacting a Philadelphia Accutane Lawyer

Patients who have developed Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or suffered other side effects from taking Accutane do not have to go through this difficult time alone. The Philadelphia product liability attorneys at Cherry Injury Law have years of experience in pharmaceutical litigation and can help you hold negligent parties liable for your injury or loss. Our attorneys have the legal knowledge and resources necessary to build a strong drug injury case on your behalf if you or a loved one has suffered serious Accutane side effects. For a free consultation, please call our Pennsylvania drug injury attorneys today at 610-565-0300.

Contact Us Today! WE CAN HELP YOU!

If you have been seriously injured in the state of Pennsylvania by the negligence of another and if you have questions or concerns about your legal rights, please don’t hesitate to call. Our Pennsylvania injury attorneys are available 24 hours a day to speak with you, and we welcome all calls at no charge. Contact us today at 610-565-0300.