Accutane® Side Effects: Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Accutane® (isotretinoin) is a chemical derivative of vitamin A used to treat severe nodular acne. The drug usually is given for between 15 and 25 weeks. It works by:
- Reducing the size of the oil glands which lead to acne when they become clogged (It reduces them by 25 to 55 percent in size)
- Reducing the amount of oil produced by the skin by about 80%
- Reducing the bacteria that appear in the oil
- Keeping the pores from becoming clogged
- Producing an anti-inflammatory response
In 2009, the drug was withdrawn from the market because the company said it was losing the market share to generic brands. The company also has been besieged by lawsuits claiming the drug has severely harmed patients.
Persons taking Accutane® have been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in large numbers. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the two main forms of IBD.
Accutane® (isotretinoin) and IBD
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are serious inflammatory diseases of the intestines and intestinal tract. They both can cause extreme pain and suffering. Their symptoms can overlap and it often is difficult to tell one disease from the other. Accutane® has been linked to both.
Generalizations that differentiate each of the conditions can be made, however.
- Location of the inflammation. Persons with Crohn's disease can have inflammation of their digestive tract occur anywhere from the mouth to the anus. In cases of ulcerative colitis, only the large intestine or colon is infected, although some people with ulcerative colitis have inflammation of the ileum or end of the small intestine also.
- Symptoms are often the same, but some slight differences exist. Ulcerative colitis patients tend (but not always) to have pain in the lower left portion of the abdomen. Patients with Crohn's disease usually (but not always) feel pain in the lower right part of the abdomen. Rectal bleeding is common in patients with ulcerative colitis and much less common in patients with Crohn's disease.
- Progression of inflammation. In patients with ulcerative colitis, the disease often begins in the rectum and spreads upward through the colon. Patients with Crohn's disease have patches of inflamed tissue here and there, with healthy tissue in between. A colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy reveals this difference in pattern of inflammation.
- Drugs are used to treat both conditions . The same drugs often are used in either case. However, certain cases of either disease respond only to one type of drug.
- Both diseases may be treated by surgery. Ulcerative colitis usually involves removing the entire colon and the person can be considered cured. Only the affected portions of the bowel are removed in patients with Crohn's disease, and at some future point the condition usually recurs.
Accutane® Inflammatory Bowel Disease Lawsuit
The number of lawsuits against the drug maker continues to grow for victims of inflammatory bowel disease. The painful distressing conditions, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, are still being linked to Accutane®. As time passes, even though the drug was removed from the market, more people continue to have symptoms of the disease and they go on to file more lawsuits. If you have taken Accutane® and suffered from inflammatory bowel disease, you should consult an attorney to see if you have grounds to file a lawsuit.
You should contact a lawyer right away. There are time limits on filing these types of lawsuits. Contact our Accutane® side effects lawyers today to schedule a free evaluation of your case.