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The risks and benefits of Accutane
In the world of acne medication, Accutane may be appropriately considered the big gun since it is the treatment that doctors often prescribe when all other treatments, including antibiotics, have been unsuccessful.
Accutane, the brand name for isotretinoin, is manufactured in capsule form by Roche Pharmaceuticals. The product is manufactured in dosages ranging from 10 mg. to 40 mg., according to Roche. A typical course of treatment lasts 15 to 20 weeks and the drug has proven remarkably effective at clearing acne within that time frame.
Accutane is typically prescribed for the most severe types of acne, which can cause scarring or disfiguration among patients. Roche recommends the product be used to treat stubborn, recurring nodular acne, where several lesions of at least 5 mm. appear on the patient’s face and previous treatments have not been successful.
Accutane comes with a high level of risk, compared to other acne medications, but the severity of some patients’ acne makes the risks acceptable in certain circumstances.
Some of the more frightening side effects of Accutane are psychological. Roche points out that the product has been linked to depression, psychosis and, in rare cases, suicide. In fact, there are currently class-action law firms that are aggressively looking to recruit patients who suffered side effects from Accutane or the family members of those patients. One of those firms, Washington DC-based Ennis & Ennis, claims the drug has been linked to 142 suicides. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) drew considerable attention to the drug’s risks from 2001-2002 when he convened hearings on the risks after his son, an Accutane patient, committed suicide.
Accutane also has been linked to side effects ranging from bowel disorders to liver damage. Pregnant women also are advised not to take Accutane, as it can cause birth defects.
Put simply, Accutane is not for everyone. It is a very serious drug that is used to treat the most serious types of acne. The risks of Accutane become more medically acceptable when the potential damage caused by acne is significant, and when less risky methods of treatment have already been attempted. Even by the drug maker’s own recommendations, it should not be the first course of action in an acne treatment program. But when all else has failed, Accutane may be the answer.
Accutane, the brand name for isotretinoin, is manufactured in capsule form by Roche Pharmaceuticals. The product is manufactured in dosages ranging from 10 mg. to 40 mg., according to Roche. A typical course of treatment lasts 15 to 20 weeks and the drug has proven remarkably effective at clearing acne within that time frame.
Accutane is typically prescribed for the most severe types of acne, which can cause scarring or disfiguration among patients. Roche recommends the product be used to treat stubborn, recurring nodular acne, where several lesions of at least 5 mm. appear on the patient’s face and previous treatments have not been successful.
Accutane comes with a high level of risk, compared to other acne medications, but the severity of some patients’ acne makes the risks acceptable in certain circumstances.
Some of the more frightening side effects of Accutane are psychological. Roche points out that the product has been linked to depression, psychosis and, in rare cases, suicide. In fact, there are currently class-action law firms that are aggressively looking to recruit patients who suffered side effects from Accutane or the family members of those patients. One of those firms, Washington DC-based Ennis & Ennis, claims the drug has been linked to 142 suicides. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) drew considerable attention to the drug’s risks from 2001-2002 when he convened hearings on the risks after his son, an Accutane patient, committed suicide.
Accutane also has been linked to side effects ranging from bowel disorders to liver damage. Pregnant women also are advised not to take Accutane, as it can cause birth defects.
Put simply, Accutane is not for everyone. It is a very serious drug that is used to treat the most serious types of acne. The risks of Accutane become more medically acceptable when the potential damage caused by acne is significant, and when less risky methods of treatment have already been attempted. Even by the drug maker’s own recommendations, it should not be the first course of action in an acne treatment program. But when all else has failed, Accutane may be the answer.
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