Dangerous Drugs in the News
A number of "dangerous drugs" have been in the news recently.
These reports started to surface when Congress was having
hearings about the painkiller, Vioxx. A Food and Drug
Administration staff member testified in front of Congress that
there are safety concerns about several medications. These
medications are Accutane, Arava, Celebrex, Crestor, Lotronex,
Meridia, and Serevent. When you put the problems in
perspective, the number of problems related to these medications
is incredibly small compared to the number of people who took
the drugs. If five million people have taken the medication and
one has had a serious side effect, that's one in a five million,
or 0.00002%. The chances are not that great, but the chance is
there. The following is a quick summary of what the FDA
believes are some of the concerns with these medications.
Accutane
This medication is very effective for severe acne. It is also
well-known that Accutane causes serious birth defects. Because
of this, the manufacturer has set guidelines for its dispensing.
If the patient is female, she must have a negative pregnancy
test EVERY month before the doctor writes the prescription. It
then must be filled within seven days. The patient must also go
back to the doctor every month for a new prescription. Women who
take Accutane and are sexually active should two forms of birth
control and not become pregnant for at least a month after
stopping the medication.
The problems arise when women take Accutane from a friend or get
it from another country. They are then not being monitored by a
doctor and may not know the dangers of pregnancy.
Another topic surrounding Accutane is the reported increase in
suicide rates. It has been stated that Accutane makes some
patients feel depressed or irritable. This is where friends and
family can step in and discuss these problems with the patient.
If someone is feeling depressed or has thoughts of suicide while
on Accutane, please tell them to let their doctor know right
away.
Arava
Arava is used for treating severe rheumatoid arthritis. During
the last several years, reports of serious lung or liver
problems have arisen in patients taking this medication.
Patients on Arava are required to get frequent liver function
tests to detect any problems before they get serious. Virtually
every time, liver failure occurs gradually over a long period of
time. By testing frequently, these problems can be detected
early and can be fixed. The signs of liver problems include:
nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue, dark urine, pale stools, and
yellowish eyes or skin.
The signs of lung problems include fever above 101