Royersford, PAPenny was diagnosed with inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS) in 2010 and believes that Accutane is the cause. She is just one Accutane victim of more than 1,150 people who have associated Accutane with IBS, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Crohn’s Disease. Just this August alone, 12 more people filed Accutane claims—now totaling nearly 8,000 Accutane lawsuits—and joined a mass tort underway in New Jersey Superior Court.
Penny (not her real name) took Accutane back in 1999 to clear up a severe case of acne. Nowhere did she read anything about Accutane being associated with gastrointestinal problems. “I took two treatments of Accutane—I think 14 weeks each time,” says Penny. “I had no prior testing for gastro issues. The only thing I had to do was go on a birth control pill and have a blood test to prove I wasn’t pregnant. They were the only requirements at that time.”
Penny had never heard or thought of Accutane side effects. As a typical teen, she was just concerned about getting her skin cleared up. “I did read the labeling and these Accutane side effects I am suffering from were never mentioned,” she adds.
“In the past few years I have made more than 10 trips to the ER,” says Penny. “I would be doubled over in pain, with vomiting and severe diarrhea all night long. Needless to say, I’m on a first-name basis with doctors and the hospital staff now. I am always dehydrated so they hook me up to an IV—sometimes I have to stay four or five days and other times just overnight. And they give me pain meds—it is really severe.
"Having these symptoms didn’t make any sense; they started out of the blue. I ate healthily and I have always been in good shape--absolutely no health issues before I took Accutane.”
Penny says she is in remission now and isn’t working in a stressful environment, so she has IBS under control with the right meds. But she has to go back to work soon.
“There were so many times when I had to leave work early; I had to get so many tests such as colonoscopies, upper GI tests, barium enemas, you name it, I had it,” she explains. “It is difficult to diagnose these gastrointestinal problems. I really have to watch my diet now. It is miserable having to look for a restroom everywhere I go. Sometimes I have to carry pads or extra underwear especially if I am driving. It is physically exhausting. The more stressed, the worse it gets, and then I take Imodium and get constipated so then I take suppositories. It is just one thing after another, you just can’t win.”
Since she wasn’t diagnosed with IBS until 2010, Penny is hopeful that she has an Accutane claim and is still within the Statute of Limitations. “I saw an ad on TV some time ago about Accutane IBD claims but I have IBS. One attorney told me that I don’t have a case, but now I find that some attorneys are accepting IBS claims.”
Yes, some attorneys are accepting Accutane IBS claims.
Since Roche Pharmaceuticals knew the risks and neglected to tell Accutane users, many lawsuits filed by people harmed by Accutane have been won against the drug company. One of the risks not disclosed was that of developing severe gastrointestinal problems, including inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
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