Accutane Side Effects And Lawsuits
Accutane Side Effects
Accutane side effects – Accutane is a drug that was developed by Hoffman La Roche to treat serious forms of acne such as cystic acne (nodular acne). Coming as it was from such a reputed pharmaceutical company as Hoffman, the users were sure that there could not be a question of Accutane side effects.
Presence of acne has always created a problem of self esteem and self-confidence in youngsters. Thus, the arrival of this drug that promised to erase those embarrassing spots was received with much fanfare. So popular was this treatment that it was soon forgotten that Accutane was developed to fight only the resistant and very serious form of acne (in part because of the serious Accutane side effects that could occur in any other case); this wonder drug began to be prescribed even for milder acne forms.
However, the very route chosen by the drug manufacturer to fight the acne problem using Accutane proved its first undoing. It works by contracting the sebaceous glands in the skin to control acne formation; these glands keep the skin moist and taut. This contraction therefore leads to Accutane side effects like undesirable drying and chapping of skin (around eyes, lips, nose and other areas). The skin also becomes sensitive to sunlight.
Serious Accutane Side Effects
Worse still, it was gradually realized that Accutane side effects were perhaps worse than originally believed; in fact, the list is very long. Some of the major Accutane side effects are:
- Bowel Diseases – these are one of the most serious Accutane side effects; use of Accutane has resulted in many persons contracting grave complications like ulcerative colitis (ulcers form on the surface of the lining of the top most layer of the large intestine), Crohn’s disease (thickening of intestinal wall in the end portion of the small intestine and the beginning portion of the large intestine) and irritable bowel syndrome.
- Miscarriage and Birth Defects – use of Accutane is strictly prohibited for pregnant women as it can have undesirable effect on the developing fetus.
- Mental Health – Another frightening of the Accutane side effects it can lead to is depression and suicidal tendencies. Besides, complications like altered sleep patterns, irritability, and hallucinations are not uncommon.
- Heart Related – Use of Accutane has been found to be associated with increase in levels of triglycerides in the blood, thus signaling potentially heart related problem(s).
- Liver related activities – Long term use of this drug has been shown to adversely affect appetite, cause fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, and unexpected change in body weight. In severe cases, liver damage cannot be ruled out.
- Arthritis and other joint pains
Other Milder Accutane side effects
Other milder Accutane side effects that have been experienced during prolonged use are decreased night vision and tolerance to contact lenses and other vision problems, delay in healing of wound, headache, hair loss, vomiting, and fever.
Legal Redressal For Harmful Accutane Side Effects
Accutane side effects in the intestines have forced many patients to file lawsuits for damages as the product was administered without adequate warning. The FDA was then forced to issue an order that all the Accutane packages should print the “black box” warning; but, by then, much damage had already been done. Despite stopping the use of the drug, many cases of such Accutane side effects are now beginning to surface as the prolonged effect(s) of the drug become apparent with the passage of time.
In November of 2008, a New Jersey jury awarded $13 million in damages to three plaintiffs who had developed severe gastro-intestinal health problems including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as a result of using Accutane. The jury found that Roche had been negligent in advising physicians of the potential dangers associated with prescribing Accutane
If you, or any one you know, has suffered Accutane side effects, and feel that you need to check your eligibility for seeking compensation from the manufacturers of this drug, you are welcome to fill out our free compensation evaluation;
This evaluation will help you know if you can file an Accutane Lawsuit; fill in the details sought therein to know within 24 hours if you are eligible to compensation for Accutane side effects.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!