Accutane Drug Defects

Accutane is an acne medication that has been shown to cause serious health risks.  It was officially pulled off the market in June 2009 as a result of many consumers experiencing horrible side effects from the drug.  The drug continues to be accessible as a generic drug sold under the names Claravis, Sotret, and Amnesteem.  There are more than 1,000 pending Accutane lawsuits across the United States, and almost all of them include allegations that the manufacturer did not properly advise users of the potential dangerous side effects.  The drug has been linked to conditions similar to Vitamin A toxicity and part of its danger could be related to the dosage.

Some of the many health risks linked to Accutane include:

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) – a serious skin reaction which occurs as a side effect to numerous medications.  It is highly debilitating and causes the particular skin affected to burn from the inside out, produces blisters and serious rashes, and sometimes the skin can begin to separate from that part of the body which is called Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN).  This is a very serious condition and can be fatal.
• Ulcerative Colitis – is a disease that impacts the particular inner lining regarding the colon and rectum causing them to become inflamed.  There is no cure for this disease.  Medication and/or surgery is often used to treat this disease.
• Birth defects if taken while pregnant
• Crohn’s Disease – this disease impacts almost all of the layers of the small and large intestinal tract.  It can also cause parts of the tract to narrow, leading to abnormal tunnels among the digestive organs and fissures within the particular anal skin.  There is no cure for this disease.  Medication and/or surgery can be used to treat this disorder.
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Colon Removal
• Rectal Bleeding
• Many other gastrointestinal issues.

The FDA required the manufacturer to issue a warning label on the medication, but in most instances this was not enough.  If you took Accutane or a generic version and experienced any of these side effects then give us a call for a free consultation at (205) 201-1789.

Fosamax Lawsuits

Fosamax is the most popular osteoporosis drug on the market and recent studies uncovered a defect in the medication.  The FDA sent out a warning in October of 2010 about bisphosphonates, which is the class of drug that includes Fosamax and are used in the treatment of osteoporosis.   The drug was supposed to strengthen bones in women over 40, but strong evidence has shown that long term use of Fosamax has the opposite effect.  Some women that have taken the drug for five years or more have experienced atypical femur fractures during normal activities that have no apparent cause.   The femur bone is the one of the largest bones in the body.  A patient taking the doctor’s orders and taking Fosamax is unaware that side effects may occur such as the thighbones eventually becoming brittle and fracturing easily.  The drug actually became so popular that doctors were even prescribing it to women that had not experienced osteoporosis but were simply at risk of it.

Bisphosphonates are strongly recommended for menopausal women, but there si insufficient research about how long they should be taking it.  Although they can prevent hip fractures in these women, extended use of Fosamax in some women may actually affect their ability to regenerate new bone and develop increased risk of fractures, including unusual femur fractures.  In 2010 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began working with experts from the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research Subtrochanteric Femoral Fracture Task Force, to look into the serious risks associated with this drug.  As a result, the FDA recommendations about these possible risks are now available for healthcare professionals.  In 2008, the FDA pressured Merck, the manufacturer of Fosamax, about constant reports of femur fractures.  After more than a year, Merck finally added femur fractures to the list of possible side effects of the drug, but did not fully disclose to the public or healthcare professionals who prescribe the drug these important concerns.

Other dangers and side effects of the drug are:

• Femur Fractures
• Severe Musculoskeletal Pain
• Atrial Fibrillation
• Osteonecrosis of the Jaw
• Esophageal Cancer

As more patients learn about the risks of these femur fractures and other dangers from extended use of this drug, the number of Fosamax lawsuits likely will continue to increase.

Dangers of Actos

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning that Actos has been linked to bladder cancer for patients that have been using the medication for more than a year.  Actos is a drug that is used to treat Type 2 diabetes patients.  Some health concerns closely related to Actos include: heart attack, heart disease, congestive heart failure, and it has been linked to numerous cases of bladder cancer,  kidney damage, and liver damage.

The FDA has announced that it is reviewing Actos as a possible bladder cancer risk.  An investigation has reported that 22, 512 people have encountered side effects from the drug, with 22% of those having bladder cancer.  Those with cancer report they were using Actos for 2-5 years.   Actos is often prescribed as an alternative to Avandia and it was at one time believed that it was safer.  However, a 2010 study found that both drugs carry the same risk of heart problems and death.  Shortly after the findings were published by the FDA, they announced tight restrictions only on Avandia.

If you or a loved one have been injured as a result of taking this drug, then give us a call for a free consultation at (205) 201-1789.