Accutane & Ulcerative Colitis - Side Effect Information

Accutane has been linked to several chronic conditions involving damage to the gastrointestinal tract, including ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease associated with chronic inflammation of the digestive tract in addition to ulcers on the lining of the large intestine and rectum. Some Accutane users report an immediate onset of symptoms, while others have developed symptoms of ulcerative colitis months or even years after Accutane treatment ended. Treatment is available for the condition, though there is no known cure.

Ulcerative Colitis Litigation

There have been almost 5,000 personal injury claims against the manufacturer of Accutane, concerning the medication's ability to result in permanent and debilitating gastrointestinal problems including ulcerative colitis.

In April 2008, a woman from New Jersey was awarded $10.5 million from a case against Roche Pharmaceuticals, citing the company's failure to properly warn patients of the risk of chronic and debilitating conditions. The woman developed ulcerative colitis at age 14 after beginning Accutane treatment and later had to have her colon removed, which has resulted in chronic and debilitating diarrhea.

In February 2010, a computer technician from Birmingham, Alabama, received $25.16 million in settlement damages from Roche. The 38-year-old man began taking Accutane for his acne in 1995 and soon developed inflammatory bowel disease, requiring five surgeries and a removal of his colon. The jury found that Roche failed to warn users of the risk of bowel disease associated with the medication.

Locating Support

If you or a loved one were prescribed Accutane and experienced adverse side effects, including ulcerative colitis or other gastrointestinal problems, you may wish to seek compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering. Please call 1-800-439-8180 for additional information about Accutane-related litigation and support, or fill out the form located on this page.

Complications Associated with Ulcerative Colitis

Severe forms of ulcerative colitis can lead to shock, severe bleeding (hemorrhage), colon rupture and even death if the condition spreads to the entire colon. Repeated attacks of inflammation may lead to a thickening of the wall of the intestine and rectum with scar tissue. Chronic and severe diarrhea may be experienced in many patients with ulcerative colitis, and attacks are often debilitating and very painful.

Most advanced forms of ulcerative colitis require extended hospitalization and expensive surgeries, including a colectomy, or the removal of the entire colon and the rectum. Afterward, patients may need an ileoostomy, or a procedure that creates a surgical opening on the abdomen wall to allow the bowels to empty into an external bag, called an ostomy pouch, to collect intestinal waste.

Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis

Early symptoms of ulcerative colitis include:

• Abdominal pain
• Abdominal sounds (gurgling or splashing in the intestinal area)
• Feeling of urgency or an inability to move the bowels despite an urge to do so
• Fever
• Rectal bleeding
• Rectal pain
• Severe diarrhea that may be bloody or filled with mucus
• Stomach cramping on the left side of the body
• Unintended weight loss
• Vomiting

Treatment with Accutane should be immediately stopped if any of these symptoms are present, as they can be early signs of ulcerative colitis or other forms of inflammatory bowel disease.