The acne drug Accutane, produced by Swiss company Roche, was pulled from the U.S. market after juries awarded over $30 million dollars to plaintiffs who filed lawsuits claiming a connection to using the drug with bowel disease, according to Bloomberg News.
The controversy surrounding Accutane and its side effects isn’t new. The drug posed birth-defect issues since it was introduced to the U.S. market in the 80s. Another major side effect is depression. Debbie Banner of Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) suffered both.
She blames Accutane for a period of severe depression she endured and the birth defects of her son, who incurred serious brain damage.
“I was devastated that I played a role in my own son being deformed,” said Banner, according to MSNBC.
Accutane is a chemical derivative of Vitamin A and was originally intended for individuals with severe, cystic acne. However, the product grew in popularity and was prescribed to people with less severe acne.
The side effects, in combination with the aforementioned depression, bowel disease, and birth defects, includes hair loss, heart problems, liver problems, muscle breakdown, joint pain, sensitivity to the sun, rashes, dry mouth, etc.
Here is a video describing one of the many Accutane side effects…
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