Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)/ Crohn's Disease / Ulcerative Colitis
The FDA has now required that the manufacturer of Accutane update its warning label to include Inflammatory Bowel Disease also known as IBD as a side effect of Accutane use. This includes Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, which are both forms of IBD.
The most recent Accutane label states, in part:
"Inflammatory bowel disease: Accutane has been associated with inflammatory bowel disease (including regional ileitis) in patients without a prior history of intestinal disorders. In some instances, symptoms have been reported to persist after Accutane treatment has been stopped. Patients experiencing abdominal pain, rectal bleeding or severe diarrhea should discontinue Accutane immediately."
Inflammatory Bowel Disease /IBD
28-year-old Adam Mason is unable to return to work since losing most of his colon to inflammatory bowel disease caused by Accutane. Mason was quoted in USA Today as saying, "I'm angry about what I have to go through every day of my life because someone didn't do their research properly."
IBD is a very serious condition. IBD describes a group of intestinal disorders, including Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis that affect the functioning of the intestinal tract in various degrees. The inflammation is chronic and recurring and there is no cure. Studies show that people with inflammatory bowel disease have a much greater chance of developing colon cancer than the general population. Untreated in time, IBD can require a colostomy, which means removal of the lower portion of the rectum, requiring the patient to evacuate feces into a bag that is connected to their intestines, surely one of the most dramatic and horrifying results of taking Accutane, especially for a teenager or young adult.
Symptoms
The symptoms of IBD include abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhea, fever, rectal bleeding, open and/or oozing sores around the rectal area, vomiting, and weight loss. Often the symptoms mimic those of an intestinal virus, however, if you are taking or have taken Accutane, it is very important to have any of these symptoms checked out immediately! A colonoscopy (examination of the entire intestines), a sigmoidoscopy (examination of the lower portion of the intestines), or barium x-rays can help a doctor determine a diagnosis.
Treatment
There is no cure for IBD and the symptoms recur periodically. For severe symptoms, hospitalization may be required along with strong immunosuppressant medications. Sometimes a surgical colostomy (removal of the colon) is required. This is especially traumatic for young victims of Accutane as it requires feces to be eliminated into a bag through an opening in the abdominal wall. Less serious cases can be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs and/or steroids to reduce inflammation and swelling.
Chron's Disease & Ulcerative Colitis
Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are similar conditions, making it sometimes difficult to diagnosis one from the other. Both are the result of chronic inflammation of the intestinal tract; however, there are differences between the two.
Ulcerative Colitis is an inflammatory disease of the innermost lining of the large intestine (the colon). The medical term for inflammation of the colon is colitis. If only the lower colon is affected, the disease is labeled ulcerative proctitis. If only one side is affected, the diagnosis will be limited or distal colitis. When the entire colon is ulcerated, doctors will refer to that as pancolitis.
With Ulcerative Colitis (as opposed to Crohn's Disease) the inflammation shows up in a continuous, unbroken line, usually from the rectum, up through the colon.
Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis include loose and usually bloody stool (diarrhea), abdominal cramping, and an urgent need to move the bowels.
Crohn's Disease, also known as Regional Ilieitis or Regional Enteritis, affects any area of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, most commonly the small intestine, known as the ileum, and the beginning portion of the large intestine -- as opposed to ulcerative colitis which affects only the large intestine or colon.
Unlike ulcerative colitis, which affects the entire rectum and extends up the colon, isolated areas can be affected and there can be areas of normal tissue.
Whereas ulcerative colitis affects the innermost lining of only the colon, can affect the entire thickness of the bowel wall.
If just the ileum (small intestine) is affected, the condition may be diagnosed as ileitis or regional ilieitis.
Common symptoms include loose, watery, or frequent bowel movements, abdominal cramps and rectal bleeding. Sometimes these symptoms are accompanied by fever, joint pain, fatigue and loss of appetite. Tears in the area surrounding the rectum are not uncommon and appear in two forms:
- A fissure, which is a crack or tear in the tissue of the anus, and will often cause rectal bleeding. A fissure has been compared to the kind of crack or tear that develops in the winter from severely chapped lips.
- A fistula, which is a deeper tear, and is sometimes referred to as a tunneling or burrowing or channel effect. This usually involves seeping of mucus or pus or feces from the opening. e a fistula to develop. This is a tunnel that leads from a loop of intestine to the bladder, vagina, or skin. Fistulas occur most commonly around the anal area. If this complication occurs, you may notice drainage of mucous, pus, or stool from this opening.
Because there is no cure for IBD, Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis, they are lifelong conditions that patients must learn to live with and that will have periods of remission and periods of active symptoms throughout the lifetime.
For more information, please visit our IBD Resources page.
If you or a loved one has suffered from Inflammatory Bowel Disease or other health complications from taking Accutane, please call or e-mail today and we will evaluate your Accutane claim for free.