Accutane is a prescription oral medication used to treat severe cases of acne, sometimes referred to as recalcitrant cystic nodular acne. Accutane is a synthetic derivative of Vitamin A and falls into the drug class retinoids. Accutane was approved by the FDA for use in 1982 and was typically prescribed after a course antibiotics had failed to diminish the acne breakouts. Accutane worked by shrinking the skin’s oil glands and diminishing their oil output. The drug appeared effective, as 80 percent of users saw long term reduction of their acne symptoms. Unfortunately, many individuals incurred serious side effects from taking the drug.
Patients reported serious side effects such as
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)/Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Accutane induced Crohn’s Disease
- Accutane induced Ulcerative Colitis
- Colon removal
- Skin reactions
- Stevens-Johnson Syndrome
- Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis
- Birth defects
- Deformed fetus
- Facial deformities
- Mental retardation
- Brain disorders
- Central nervous system malformation
- Heart defects
- Hearing impairment
- Missing earlobes
- Severe depression, psychosis or suicidal tendencies
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Seizure
- Lowered blood cell count
The manufacturer, Hoffman-LaRoche, came under fire and pulled the brand name drug from the market in 2009. Generic brands of the medication such as Amnesteen, Claravis and Storet, are still available.