Acne medication may have contributed to suicide

A 17 year old boy prescribed Accutane® for cystic acne committed suicide that left his parents questioning the involvement of side effects of the acne drug. His parents described him as a driven and caring child, who had a successful career in front of him and much support, and suggestions that his suicide was completely unplanned. His private physician also denied being informed of any suicidal thoughts or plans by the boy. Some of the listed psychological side effects of Accutane® include psychosis, violent change in behaviour, suicide and depression. The drug company that markets the medication argues that children on the acne treatment are generally depressed and suicidal before therapy. Other serious side effects are liver damage and birth defects, so liver function tests are conducted frequently during treatment and pregnancy is prohibited. Acne is a condition influenced by hormones that involves infection and inflammation of oil glands in hair follicles in the skin of the face, neck and upper back, which can result in scarring when severe.

Source: summary of medical news story as reported by Linton Daily Citizen

Related Disease Topics:

• Cystic acne
• Acne
• Suicide
• Depression
• Psychosis
• Liver damage
• Birth defects
• Pregnancy
• Infection
• Inflammation

Related Symptom Topics:

• Violent change in behavior
• Depressed
• Suicidal
• Scarring

Article Source Details

About: Acne medication may have contributed to suicide

Date: 27 September 2005

Source: Linton Daily Citizen

Author: Andrea McCann

URL: http://www.dailycitizen.com/articles/2005/09/27/news/afamily.txt

Related Medical Topics

This summary article refers to the following medical categories:

• Cause of side effects
• Cause of suicide
• Cause of death
• Cause of violent change in behavior
• Cause of depressed
• Cause of suicidal thoughts
• Cause of scarring
• Cause of cystic acne
• Cause of acne
• Cause of suicide
• Cause of depression
• Cause of psychosis
• Cause of liver damage
• Cause of birth defects
• Cause of skin infection
• Cause of skin inflammation
• Risk and cystic acne
• Risk and acne
• Risk and suicide
• Risk and depression
• Risk and psychosis
• Risk and liver damage
• Risk and birth defects
• Risk and pregnancy
• Risk and skin infection
• Risk and skin inflammation
• Side effects
• Death from Accutane
• Death from side effects
• Death from suicide
• Death from depression
• Side effects
• Side effects and Accutane
• Side effects and acne treatment
• Side effects and acne drug
• Side effects and acne medication
• Side effects and acne therapy
• Side effects and violent change in behavior
• Side effects and depressed
• Side effects and suicidal thoughts
• Side effects and scarring
• Side effects and cystic acne
• Side effects and acne
• Side effects and suicide
• Side effects and depression
• Side effects and psychosis
• Side effects and liver damage
• Side effects and birth defects
• Side effects and pregnancy
• Side effects and skin infection
• Side effects and skin inflammation
• Medication
• Medication and Accutane
• Medication and acne treatment
• Medication and acne drug
• Medication and acne medication
• Medication and acne therapy
• Medication and side effects
• Medication and teenagers