Accutane to treat acne is not worth the devastating side effects.
“It is no secret that Accutane has serious side effects, side effects both doctors and the durg makers are aware of. Nonetheless, it continues to be prescribed,” said Charlie Donahue, a Manchester injury and medical malpractice lawyer with offices in Keene, New Hampshire. “This drug is the basis of thousands of lawsuits across the country, with one plaintiff recently receiving $25 million for his inflammatory bowel disease.”
Inflammatory bowel disease is one of the most severe side effects of taking Accutane, but it was not until 2009 that the drug maker, Hoffman-LaRoche, yanked it from the market. But it was too late. The company was inundated with lawsuits and up to its ears in litigation costs and payouts. Prescribing doctors and the drug company were named as defendants. For the physicians, they faced medical negligence suits for knowingly prescribing this horrific drug. For the drug company, they faced personal injury lawsuits for the damage their drug had done in the lives of many individuals.
This drug is responsible for causing Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, diseases that manifest themselves with inflammation, abdominal cramping, irritation of the gastrointestinal organs, bleeding ulcers, perianal disease, bowel cancer, fistulas, intestinal blockages and ruptured bowel. The pain and discomfort of these side effects is unbelievable. There is no cure for inflammatory bowel disease.
“We go to the doctor to treat acne and are given a prescription for a drug that could severely harm or kill us. The doctor knows about the side effects but writes a script for it anyhow. Medical negligence? Yes. Worth talking to a medical malpractice lawyer? Yes, emphatically so,” said Donahue. “Even the doctor is capable of reading warning labels, as ineffective as they may be. And if the patient does not want to sue their doctor, there may be a case for suing the drug maker.”
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warn Americans they should not buy Accutane or its generic companion, Isotretinoin, over the Internet. “While that is a nice touch, they should be warning them not to buy it – period,” Donahue said.
If you suspect you have an issue with a drug that was prescribed to you, don’t wait, thinking the symptoms may subside. Contact a lawyer and find out your rights.
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