About 16 million patients have taken Accutane in order to treat severe acne since 1982, when the drug was first introduced. However, Accutane was pulled from the market in 2009 after numerous lawsuits were filed by individuals who took the drug and then came down with an inflamatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. These are serious diseases to have considering the fact that they affect the intestinal system. For instance, some of the Crohn's symptoms that can occur while suffering from the disease include loss of appetite, severe diarrhea, ulcers, bloody stools and abdominal discomfort in the lower right quadrant. It is also known to cause arthritis, fever skin complications and stunted growth in children. Ulcerative colitis targets the large intestine and causes ulcers in the colon. Its main symptom is diarrhea mixed with blood. IBD should not be confused with IBS, which stands for irritable bowel syndrome, which is a less serious condition.
While Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are similar, the location and nature of the inflammatory changes are different. Crohn's disease affects the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the anus (with skip lesions). Mostly, the disease will start in the terminal ileum. On the other hand, ulcerative colitis usually only affects the colon and the rectum area.
Physicians who have patients who are suffering from these diseases and discovered the patient has taken Accutane were told to stop taking the drug immediately.
Roche Pharmaceuticals are the manufacturers of Accutane and since it has been discovered that there is a strong link between Accutane and IBD like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Thousands of lawsuits have been filed as a result and Roche has been heavily criticized for not issuing stronger warnings about its side effects. In one case from February 2010, a New Jersey jury awarded $25.16 million in damages to a man who experienced IBD after taking Accutane. The medical expenses resulting from IBD can be extremely high considering that surgery might be an only option for those who suffer from these diseases. This is certainly not what patients expected when they sought to treat their acne and now have to deal with severe IBD as a result of taking Accutane.
If you have taken Accutane and it has come back to hurt you in the form of an IBD like Crohn's disease,or ulcerative colitis, then you need to speak to the attorneys at Chandler, Mathis & Zivley about filing an Accutane lawsuit. They can fight for your rights against the makers of Accutane to obtain fair compensation for you or your family.
Accutane can cause a number of adverse side effects.
Some people took Accutane thinking it would help them relieve severe acne. However, it has turned out that some of the individuals that used Accutane ended up coming down with an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and are suffering from intense pain. There are a number of adverse Accutane side effects from IBD after taking the drug and all of them should be taken seriously.
First, ulcerative colitis is one type of IBD. It is a disease of the intestine, more specifically the colon or large intestine, and is characterized by ulcers (open sores) in the colon area. A gradual onset of diarrhea mixed with blood is a common symptom of ulcerative colitis. It is intermittent, with periods of time where there seem to be no symptoms, but medical treatment is usually required for long periods of time.
Out of every 100,000 people in the United States, about 35 to 100 come down with ulcerative colitis. Most consider having a colectomy, which involves the partial or total removal of the large bowel, as a cure for the disease. Patients who took Accutane in hopes of relieving acne issues were not expecting to have to go through this kind of surgery or suffer from the symptoms of ulcerative colitis.
Another side effect related to IBD is Crohn's disease. This is a disease of the intestines that affects any portion of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus. Some of the Crohn's symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and vomiting. Sometimes symptoms of Crohn's appear outside of the gastrointestinal tract in the form of skin rashes and arthritis. As of now, there is no known cure for Crohn's disease.
These side effects can cause intense physical pain, disruption of normal activities, medical expenses and stress. Many have now filed lawsuits against Roche Pharmaceutical, the manufacturers of Accutane, for not issuing a strong warning about the side effects of taking the drug. It has not been on the market in the U.S. since 2009.
If you have taken Accutane in the past and are now suffering from an IBD like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis then you need the services of Chandler, Mathis & Zivley. You can speak with an Accutane attorney who is experienced at battling pharmaceutical companies who show little or no sympathy toward victims of side effects related to the drugs they produce. Suffering from taking a drug that was supposed to help with acne is unacceptable and the personal injury lawyers Chandler, Mathis & Zivley will fight hard to net you proper compensation.
The FDA Issues Accutane Warning
One of the most serious warnings the U.S. Food and Drug Administration can issue is the Black Box Warning. Such a warning was issued for Accutane, an isotretinoin product, which is supposed to treat severe acne. However, it has apparently caused individuals who used the drug to develop an inflamatory bowel disease (IBD) like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. These diseases have caused major problems for people who took Accutane and they are now paying a heavy price in the form of physical pain and expensive medical bills. Not to mention, IBD can severely restrict a person from performing their daily activities, including working at a normal job.
In 2009, Accutane was pulled off the market as a result of many lawsuits being filed against Roche Pharmaceuticals, the makers of Accutane. Still, it is available in other countries and can be bought on the Internet. The FDA also issued a warning about purchasing Accutane via the Internet.
The symptoms of IBD like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis can leave a person in a disastrous state. Ulcerative colitis is a disease of the intestine (the large intestine or colon) and it causes open sores or ulcers to develop in the colon. It is usually identified by an onset of diarrhea and blood mixed in with stools. Although it is an intermittent disease, treatment is generally required in order for the symptoms to diminish altogether.
Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that affects all parts of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus resulting in abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss and vomiting. These Crohn's symptoms can severely affect how a person functions and with no known cure, their lives could be affected for a long time.
Several people have filed lawsuits against Roche Pharmaceutical and some rulings have resulted in millions of dollars being awarded to individuals suffering from IBD who took Accutane thinking they were receiving help for acne. The money covers medical expenses, loss of time from work, as well as the physical and mental suffering they had to endure.
If you are suffering from Accutane side effects, do not allow the guilty party to get away with it. You should not have to suffer as a result of taking a drug, which the manufacturers knew had severe side effects. Talk to the attorneys at Chandler, Mathis & Zivley now about getting compensation. Their experienced trial attorneys know how to maneuver through the legal maze of dealing with pharmaceutical companies that should pay when they produce a drug that hurts people instead of helping them.
