First Zits, then Accutane, then IBD, then Kidney Stones?

March 12th, 2010. By AbiK

Remember that  book, “Because a Little Bug went Ka-CHOO!”–the one where there’s this tiny little sneeze that leads to a chain reaction that winds up with a huge circus marching through town? Yeah, that one. Well, this article from over at HealthDayNews this week kind of reminds me of that book, only not in a warm ‘n fuzzy kind of way.

The article is about Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)—which has been linked to the anti-acne prescription medication Accutane. And it seems IBD can affect more (actual quote is “much more”) than just your digestive system.

The National Women’s Health Information Center states that IBD can actually contribute to the following health problems:

• Arthritis and pain in the joints
• Fractures and weakening of the bones
• Problems with the eye, including inflammation
• An inflamed liver
• Kidney stones or gallstones
• Skin ulcers or a red, bumpy rash
• Problems with growth and delayed onset of puberty in children and teens
• Problems with the lungs (though such cases are rare)

The article just helps to highlight that IBD is a serious disease that can not only wreak havoc on the intestines, but also a number of other areas. And, as such, careful consideration should be taken when considering anti-acne treatments that use the drug, isotretinoin—Accutane, Amnesteem, Claravis or Sotret. And, as we previously posted, parents should be aware that a number of these drugs are available online, sans prescription.

Tags: Accutane, IBD, Isotretinoin

This was posted on Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 10:23 am and is filed under Drugs/Medical . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.