Before Taking Acne Medicine, Review This Important Information

Severe acne can be an embarrassing and stressful condition to have to deal with and many people are willing to take any product on the market to get rid of it. Accutane has been a popular prescription drug for treating severe acne, but new information shows that it may not be safe for all people. Before starting a regimen of Accutane, be sure to get all of the important information and discuss the options carefully with a doctor. There are many risks associated with taking Accutane and the FDA has recently required the manufacturer of the drug to make them known to the public. These risks include decreased night vision, serious birth defects, musculoskeletal issues, high triglycerides, kidney damage and, most notably, psychiatric disorders. As a result of these serious side effects, Accutane should only be used for the most severe, scar forming acne cases. The warning on the Accutane packaging clearly states that the drug can lead to depression as well as suicide attempts. It also says that there is currently no way of fixing these issues and that discontinuing use of the drug may not help. The FDA required the makers of Accutane to include this warning as a result of many reports from patients who experiences the negative side effects. Another issue that the FDA had with the makers of Accutane is that they promoted the drug using information that was both false and misleading. One of the most serious and inaccurate claims was that it could treat psychosocial trauma associated with severe acne. This was not true and resulted in many disturbing instances, including a fifteen year old boy flying a small plane into a Florida building while taking it. In an attempt to avoid these situations, the FDA posted information on their website about recognizing psychiatric problems in adolescents taking Accutane. Accutane is particularly dangerous for women who are of childbearing age because it can cause severe birth defects if taken while pregnant. Women are advised not to take this medicine if they are pregnant or planning on getting pregnant, and they should not try to get pregnant for one month after discontinuing use of the drug. Young women who do choose to use the drug are required to use two reliable birth control methods and to take a pregnancy test every month. If a patient or anyone in their family has a history of mental illness such as depression or psychosis, this can be a dangerous medication for them. Anyone taking it should ask family members to keep an eye open for behavioral changes such as sadness, hopelessness, feelings of guilt, hallucinations or changing sleep patterns. This may indicate a negative psychological side effect from the Accutane treatment. If any of these symptoms become evident in a patient, their doctor should be notified immediately. It is also important to discuss any existing conditions with a doctor before beginning Accutane treatment. If someone experiences thoughts of suicide or any other side effect from this medicine, they may be entitled to compensation and may want to consider filing an Accutane Lawsuit like the many others that are being filed across the country. These side effects may or may not be an issue for anyone who takes Accutane. To make sure that this medicine is safe for use by a particular patient, it is important to talk to a doctor before starting any treatment. Even if a doctor says that it is safe, patients should still be aware of possible side effects and contact a doctor immediately if they begin to show any symptoms. Ezine Articles by Gerald_McConway

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Posted by Health Care , Published at 11:03 PM and have 1 comments