Accutane is a highly controversial drug yet incredibly remains the industry standard for severe acne. Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG, manufacturer of Accutane, has spent most of this century in court defending itself against lawsuits from people whose health has been irreparably damaged by this menacing drug.
Roche has lost six out of six lawsuits and was recently ordered to pay $25.16 million in damages to an Accutane user who developed inflammatory bowel disease as a result of the drug. Due to generic competition and the exorbitant cost of defending personal injury lawsuits, Roche stopped selling the drug in June 2009.
However, the generic form of Accutane (isotretinoin) is equally deadly and remains available in the marketplace under the names Claravis, Sotret, and Amnesteem. More than two million people have taken Accutane, despite the fact that it is known to cause depression, suicide, inflammatory bowel disease, and a 100 percent guarantee of birth defects if taken by a pregnant woman.
In 2004, brain scans showed that people taking Accutane suffer a 21 percent decrease in frontal brain activity, the part of the brain that plays a critical role in mood and social interaction. These brain changes may explain the depression, suicidal and aggressive behavior, and psychotic reactions reported by some Accutane users.

Is reducing your acne worth that?

Even official regulation policy acknowledges the real danger of Accutane. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned physicians and consumers about reports of “depression, psychosis, and rarely suicidal thoughts and actions” related to the use of Accutane. Patients using Accutane reported to the FDA that these psychological symptoms improved after stopping Accutane therapy, but worsened with a re-start of the drug.
In light of this evidence, the labeling of Accutane was changed to strengthen the warning about its risk for causing depression. Isotretinoin now has the strongest warning available for any drug category—and given an FDA Pregnancy Category X rating.
If you are taking isotretinoin and become pregnant, you are virtually guaranteed to be damaging your baby. Accutane is extremely teratogenic (causing damage to a fetus).

According to the Mayo Clinic:

“Isotretinoin is associated with severe birth defects, so it can’t be taken by pregnant women or women who may become pregnant during the course of treatment or within several weeks of concluding treatment. In fact, the drug carries such serious potential side effects that women of reproductive age must participate in a Food and Drug Administration-approved monitoring program to receive a prescription for the drug.”

In addition to teratogenic and psychological adverse effects, Accutane (isotretinoin) users have reported the following negative effects:

Increased levels of triglycerides and cholesterol in your blood. Increased liver enzyme levels and liver damage.
Erectile dysfunction. Headaches and brain swelling. Disturbances of your central nervous system. Seizures.
Damage to skin and mucous membranes. Premature epiphyseal closure. Hyperostosis (excessive bone growth) and bone demineralization.
Neutropenia, agranulocytosis, and rhabdomyolysis (blood disorders)
Development of inflammatory bowel disease. Damage to your eyes including cataracts. Hearing impairment.
Pancreatitis. Heart attack and stroke. Allergic vasculitis.