Is it safe to take accutane if you have crohns disease?

Answer 1

Accutane does not cause Crohn's disease. There is no known cause or cure for Crohns disease. Isotretinoin (Accutane) is a powerful drug used in the treatment of acne. This drug may exacerbate symptoms of a Crohn's disease patient, but you can be assured that you already had Crohns disease long before you ever started using the drug for your pimples.

Accutane, developed in 1996, is used for treatment of severe recalcitrant nodular acne that has not responded to other therapies. Isotretinoin, the active ingredient in Accutane is available in generic formulations by a number of other manufacturers, not just Hoffman-La Roche.

In all 5,000 cases so far launched, the empirical proof that Accutane actually caused the bowel disease is still none existent. The suspicion that Isotretinoin may have exacerbated the already present disease is still being investigated.

The Florida court of appeals overturned the judgment where an amount slightly over 7 million was awarded. The plaintiff in that case, Adam Mason, was initially awarded 7 million dollars. The three-judge panel overturned the decision because the argument that use of Accutane was temporarily associated with the cause of his diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease wasn't strong enough. The court of appeals also ruled that Mason did not sufficiently prove that Accutane's lack of a warning label contributed to his illness.

In the other large award case involving bowel disease in 2008, a jury awarded Kamie Kendall over 10 million dollars in compensatory damages after it was alleged that Accutane was the cause of her inflammatory bowel disease. The plaintiff began taking Accutane when she was 12 years old, and two years later was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. It stands to reason that with 5 million Americans using the drug for what it was intended for, bad acne, some will develop serious diseases unrelated to a specific use of a certain drug.

According to the Wall Street Journal, while Kendall was originally awarded damages of over 10 million dollars, appeals courts also ruled that there was never enough evidence to support awarding these damages.

One thing is clear, these lawsuits have not held up in appeals and have no proof that this drug causes bowel disease. It does prove, that in a litigious society such as the United States, the mere suggestion that "someone" is responsible for a disease that is suspected to have been around for thousands of years and identified by Dr. Buril Crohn in 1930 is just cause for lawyers to make money and profit from the misery of others.

Answer 2

NO, there seems to be a link between onset symptoms and the use of Accutane (Isotretinoin). While researchers are still working on that link, it is probably better for you not to use the product. More so if there is any history of the disease in your family. Scientists are reasonably certain Accutane does not actually cause Crohns disease, they suspect the drug exacerbates or accelerates the symptoms of those not yet diagnosed. There are many other treatments for severe acne, consult you dermatologist for optional treatments.