Accutane Risks

-InjuryBoard

03/13/2009 - Do you take Accutane to treat severe acne? If you do, hopefully your doctor has already warned you about all of the possible risks. If you are thinking about using Accutane, then there are some serious side effects that you need to be aware of.

Some common reactions to Accutane include:

Pain and swelling of lips

Severe itching

Alopecia (hair-thinning/hair-loss/baldness)

Fragile and weaker skin

Vision problems

Decreased night vision (onset may be sudden)

Conjunctivitis (pink eye)

Contact lens intolerance

Dry mucous membranes (dry nose, lungs, bladder, anus)

Peeling skin on palms/soles

Nail changes

Nosebleeds

Photosensitivity (sensitivity to light)

Elevated triglycerides in the blood

Elevated liver enzymes (indicating liver damage)

Tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in ears)

Joint pain and muscle pain

Back pain

Depression

Some SERIOUS reaction to Accutane include:

Severe depresseion

Erectile dysfunction (difficulty in maintaining erection)

Violent behavior/ aggression

Psychosis (seeing or hearing things that are not real)

Suicidal ideation (rare)

Suicide attempts

Hearing impairment

Pseudotumor cerebri (swelling pressure in the brain)

Osteopenia/osteoperosis (loss in bone mass and strength/weak and fragile bones)

Hepatotoxicity (liver damage)

Anaphylaxis (rapid and deadly allergic reaction)

Allergic vasculitis (inflammation and damage to blood vessels)

Major birth defects

Cataracts/corneal opacities (can cause a decrease in vision and lead to eventual blindness)

Premature epiphyseal closure (short stature)

Neutropenia (low white blood cell count, which makes the body vulnerable to bacterial and fungal infections)

Agranulocytosis (a serious condition in which the white blood cells decrease in number or disappear altogether) (rare)

Rhabdomyolysis (potentially fata disease that destroys skeletal muscle)(rare)

Inflammatory bowel disease (inflammation of the intestine and resulting in abdominal cramping and persistent diarrhea)

Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas, on organ important in digestion)

Vascular thromosis (heart attack)

Stroke

Seizures

So do the benefits outweigh the risks? Accutane is the first drug in history of medicine for which a woman has to sign a consent to read the warnings, and the FDA had to issue a black box warning because of the serious and life threatening side effects.

If you are taking acne and start to develop severe side effects, contact your doctor immediately!

 

If you or a loved one have experienced Accutane side effects such as Accutane birth defects you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the Accutane attorneys of Ennis & Ennis today for a free confidential case evaluation. Our on staff nurse and lawyers are standing by to answer any questions you may have regarding Accutane side effects, a possible Accutane class action lawsuit, or any other type of Accutane litigation.