A powerful treatment for otherwise untreatable acne, Accutane is a vitamin A derivative that often eliminates serious acne after a single five- to six-week course of treatment. Unfortunately, Accutane has also been linked to severe side effects.

Prescribing Accutane

Accutane was developed to treat severe acne that does not respond to traditional treatments such as antibiotics and topical creams. However, due to its effectiveness, doctors began to prescribe it more often for less severe acne. This wider usage made side effects more common. Because the side effects can be so severe, a number of class action and pharmaceutical injury suits have been filed against the makers of Accutane.

Accutane Side Effects

The side effects of Accutane are similar to that of high vitamin A toxicity. The most severe of these affect unborn babies if their mothers use Accutane. Profound birth defects can result if Accutane is taken during pregnancy, including damage to the eyes, ears, face, and brain.

Other side effects linked to Accutane include:

• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Sensitivity to sunlight
• Depression, including suicidal thoughts

The occurrence and severity of side effects are directly related to the dosage frequency and amounts, so the larger the dosage, the more likely side effects are to occur, and the more severe they are likely to be.

An experienced pharmaceutical injury attorney in your area can give you additional information about Accutane or any other prescription medications. For answers to your questions about pharmaceutical litigation, please contact a pharmaceutical injury attorney today.