Accutane Lawsuits | Unsafe Drugs

What You Need to Know About Accutane Lawsuits

When Accutane first arrived on the public scene, it was harolded as a potent and effective anti-acne drug. It was renowned for clearing up even the most significant acne in a matter of months.

Accutane lived up to it's own hype. There were many verifiable cases of Accutane's effectiveness, and plenty of stunning before and after photographs of joyful recipients of the drug.

Unfortunately, many of the potential side effects of the drug were underplayed or not understood. Since it's introduction, Accutane has been monitored closely and has now been linked to a wide range of effects, ranging from subtle skin peeling to suicidal tendencies.

Side Effect Findings

DrugEnquirer.com has released a reliable list of side effects from the drug's use. Some of the more common reactions are as follows:

Pain and swelling of the lips
Severe itching
Alopecia (hair-thinning/hair-loss/baldness)
Fragile and weaker skin
Vision problems
Peeling skin on palms/soles
Nail changes
Nosebleeds
Photosensitivity (sensitivity to light)
Elevated triglycerides in the blood
Elevated liver enzymes (indicating liver damage)
Joint pain and muscle pain
Back pain
Depression

Some of the more severe reactions are as follows:

Depression
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
Hepatotoxicity (liver damage)
Major birth defects
Stroke
Seizures

Regarding Birth Defects

"On March 1, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began requiring patients and doctors to register their use of the drug, a program intended to stop birth defects.
Advertise | AdChoices

Isotretinoin can cause brain and heart defects in infants if a woman takes it during or immediately before pregnancy. More than 71,000 patients have registered in the FDA’s registry. Women who take it must have pregnancy tests and use birth control or abstain from sex." - Associated Press Report

Regarding Cholesterol and Liver Damage

"Most dermatologists already knew the drug also could increase levels of cholesterol, liver enzymes and blood fats called triglycerides that can raise the risk of heart disease. But the new study found higher than expected percentages of patients developing these abnormal lab results.

Among patients with normal lab tests before they started taking the drug, 44 percent developed high levels of triglycerides. The package insert, by contrast, cites high triglycerides in 25 percent of patients.

Thirty-one percent of healthy patients in the study developed high cholesterol levels and 11 percent developed abnormal liver tests." - Associated Press Report

The Current State of Accutane Lawsuits

According toUSA Today, there have been 66 suicides and 1,373 incidents of severe psychiatric disturbances as of December 2000. There have been 6 major lawsuits brought against Accutane which have resulted in over $56 million paid out to victims.

There are many other lawsuits being created or are currently in action in order to get further compensation for a wide variety of Accutane-related problems.

What You Should Do

If you think you may have suffered emotional or physical damage as a result of Accutane, there are people that can help you. Lawsuits with highly competent lawyers are in place to represent victims.

The key is finding the right lawsuit for you and presenting your best case. We can connect you with the proper channels at no cost to you.