Link found between link between acne drug Isotretinoin and the development of ulcerative colitis

Don’t you hate it when you try to treat one of your health problems and then because of that treatment another one pops up?  It is discouraging and not altogether uncommon.  Our body is made up of such intricate physiological pathways that health issues are bound to cross one another.  Then, when you begin various drug therapies, those medications can definitely have an impact on your health.  In this vein, a new study adds to the suggestion that taking the acne drug Isotretinoin, used in the manufacture of the once popular Accutane, may lead to a person developing bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis.  In fact, the study found that users of this drug were four times more likely to develop colitis than those who didn’t take the medication. You may remember that we previously discussed the link between Accutane and inflammatory bowel disease, but now we have a new medication to be weary of.

According to Reuters, researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill examined information gleaned from eighty-seven health insurance plans in the United States.  They compared roughly 8,000 people who had a form of irritable bowel disease with individuals who did not have the health problem.  The researchers found that of the 8,000 people, twenty-four had used the acne drug Isotretinoin, and they had done so prior to being diagnosed with the bowel disease.  In the group with no symptoms of bowel disease, approximately 22,000 people, thirty-six individuals used the drug.  The researchers concluded that users of Isotretinoin were four times as likely to develop ulcerative colitis.  Reuters also reports that the researchers also found that the risk increases depending on the dosage of Isotretinoin.  The researchers are quick to note that the overall relative risk of developing colitis after taking the drug is relatively small.

Although this study appears to indicate a link between Isotretinoin and ulcerative colitis, researchers are still uncertain as to why an association would exist.  They believe that the drug may somehow damage the immune system of the intestines, but there is no definitive research to support this theory.  A bright spot in this study is that the researchers found that although the medication increased the chances of developing colitis, it had no impact on the onset of crohn’s disease.  This is likely because the diseases are so different and have different immune system responses.

Your risk for developing colitis due to the taking of isotretinoin is pretty small.  However, if you are planning to undergo a drug regimen that includes this drug for acne treatment, you should discuss this possible outcome with your doctor.  There may be other factors in your medical history that could predispose you to the bowel disease, and as such, the risk of taking the acne medication would far outweigh any benefit.  While acne is difficult to live with, it usually eventually disappears over time.  Colitis, on the other hand, does not, and is such a chronic, damaging disease that the Social Security Administration even recognizes it as a disability.