Historically Accutane came about after scientists looked at the power of vitamin A in the treatment of severe nodular acne.  Accutane is the brand name product from the drug manufacturer Hoffmann – La Roche.    

 

Accutane is derived and is a form of vitamin A and has been shown to reduce the amount of oil that is released from the glands in your skin.

 

Accutane can also have “off label” uses as well, but is not the focus of this article.

 

Accutane is a highly regulated drug under what’s known as the iPLEDGE program, and people considering taking this drug should take time to fully read and understand the problems that are associated with this product.

 

Accutane Side Effects.

 

There are many known common side effects possible from the use of Accutane. The first and most clear warning is for women who are pregnant or who may become pregnant. Accutane has been shown to create severe birth defects if the drug is taken during pregnancy.  Do not for any reason take Accutane if you are pregnant.

 

Accutane linked to Crohn's Disease.

 

Secondary warnings for Accutane side effects are for different chronic bowl related diseases or IBD. Included in this is an illness called Crohn's Disease, first identified from Dr. Burrill B. Crohn in 1932, in a clinical publication.  Some of the common symptoms of Crohn’s disease are cramping, fever, watery stool, the feeling of fullness and or gas.

 

Accutane Ulcerative colitis.

 

There may also be a correlation between the continued use of Accutane and a condition called Ulcerative colitis. This is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that can affect the large intestine and rectum.

 

As with any drug, please ask your medical professional before starting any regime.

 

It was found through research on Accutane that the manufacturer Roche has decided to remove this drug from the marketplace. They have notified the FDA of this important decision.

Accutane ulcerative colitis

NEWS: November 09, 2009.

 

Current Reviews posted online for Pacific Law Center. Many sites have been doing reviews for Pacific Law Center; here we have listed a few reviews for the San Diego law firm.

 

Yelp Reviews: 4 Star reviews:

 

I watch a lot of Padre games and I would always see these Pacific Law Center adds on TV. I never thought that I would actually have to use them. Until one day I lost my job and the bills starting piling up. I thought I had enough money saved but credit card bills started piling up along with mortgage payments.

 

Next thing you know I'm considering filing for bankruptcy as this seemed like the only option. I decided to call Pacific Law to see if they could help me out. First things first I told them that I didn't have much money but we came to an agreement that was fit to my needs.

 

My attorney was very courteous and very helpful in guiding me through this process. He made every very clear and easy to understand. He answered all of my questions and would work around my hours.

 

Pacific Law Center helped me get my life back on track.

Thank you - D. S.

 

 

I'm certainly not going to post on Yelp the actual legal problem I was facing, but needed representation without breaking my dwindling bank account.

 

So what to do - what to do?

 

The biggest issue for me was trying to find a lawyer in San Diego that didn't want a huge upfront fee; this in fact is rather hard to find in the San Diego legal community.

 

I called, I searched through the phone books, and I saw the TV ads (Pacific Law Center does run many).

 

Not really trusting ANYTHING that I hear or read (including yelp reviews) could really help get the straight facts. So I decided to call and visit them at their main office on Noble drive near the Mormon Missile Launcher (NOT the address found for this listing in Yelp).

 

Anytime you have to face legal problems, it's hard enough to simply deal with that issue at hand, it's also the stress of actually finding a decent lawyer to help the situation.

 

I went there and was first able to speak with some sort of legal assistant, who was really there just to gather some basic facts.

 

That's cool; I knew I wasn't going to actually SEE a lawyer during what I call a "feeling out process". Simply it's someone getting the facts about the situation, than presenting them to the actual lawyer. Some mentioned "strong arm tactics", perhaps, but I didn't see this at all.

 

The process was fine, and when I was able to speak to the lawyer, it now made sense that they have I guess a pre-screening, as the lawyer already knew something about my case.

 

Well ends up that I had a whole lot of rights that I didn't know about - so that made me feel better. Ended up going to court and was very pleased with the outcome.

 

So fellow Yelpers and other readers simply get the facts on your own, don't trust EVERYTHING you read online. Pacific Law Center did in fact help me....and it wasn't a bad experience, it actually allowed me to get some sleep at night now.

 

Thank You Pacific Law Center – H.G.

 

 

I can't think of a worse way to spend my money than on lawyers. Unless I need one. And I did a while back. I had a problem that got me into financial and criminal trouble and even though I 'd like to blame everyone else, it was all my fault. I put myself and my family at huge risk just because I was irresponsible.

 

I went to a couple of law firms and they wanted a lot of money (which I don't have) up front and I didn't really feel comfortable. I noticed the Kerry Steigerwalt Pacific Law Center ads on television and went to the web site and noticed Steigerwalt had just won a double-acquittal in a big murder case. That impressed me so I made an appointment, went in and was pleasantly surprised.

 

Everyone was very professional, they did my case for a lot less money and with a LOT less dough up front than the other firms I talked to and my case was resolved very quickly (the other lawyers predicted things would drag out -- which means they would get to charge more) and better than I thought it would. The Pacific Law Center lawyers are apparently very well-connected with prosecutors and judges which seems to be very important.

 

They also worked out a deal with me to help me clean up the financial mess I was in because of the trouble I got into. Again, their staff was very well connected with lenders and I was surprised at how fast things went.

 

On the down side, I had to pay out money I really didn't want to spend and I'm in a bit of a hole right now. But that's because I was dumb and liked the wrong things too much. It will take me a while to get back in the black but I'm determined to get my life back in order by cleaning up.

 

Thanks - Will C.

Pacific Law Center Reviews

Mesothelioma is a rare and incurable cancer disease that affects the lungs and the surrounding tissue called the pleura. Other areas of the body that may be affected include the lower abdomen, and the pericardium (a sac that encompasses the heart).

There is only one known cause of mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos.

Over the years people who have worked in different industries may have unknowingly been exposed to deadly asbestos fibers in their workplace.

The type of industries that have been known to have asbestos include shipyards, cement factories, textile shops, car brake work or shops, oil refineries, power plants, and construction sites.

People may also be exposed to asbestos from building demolition, if precautions are not taken to insure that any asbestos is cleared out before the actual demolition occurs. There are strict federal and state level guidelines for the removal of asbestos.

The danger happens when the actual asbestos fibers reach the air and then are breathed in. Once the fibers reach the lung tissue is it trapped and can’t be discharged.

When viewing asbestos fibers under the microscope, you can see the spines and crystal makeup of the fibers. The medical community has generally agreed that the amount of expose needed to cause mesothelioma is anywhere from 5 to 1,200 fiber-year/mL.

The onset of mesothelioma can take up to 15-20 years to show up, this is why the courts throughout the US has been doing what’s called a “Fast-Track” of these cases, as the people who suffer from mesothelioma don’t have very long to live.

As a personal note on this topic, my grandfather died back in the late 1970’s, his death was attributed to what the doctors called “black-lung”.

He worked his entire life in the Texas shipping port town Galveston. It’s now understood that he died from mesothelioma –yet the doctors didn’t know what the cause of his disease was at that time.

During the research for this article it was made clear that the legal community has taken notice of this rare disease, and has been actively seeking victims of this terrible lung disease, this is evident by the large number of litigation type websites that talk about mesothelioma.

 

 

Mesothelioma Attorney

Modern medicine has become remarkably adept at treating a variety of shoulder, knee and hip injuries through arthroscopic surgery that repairs injuries that used to keep people, particularly athletes, on the shelf for months or years.

Now, it’s not uncommon to see a professional athlete recover in a matter of weeks from these injuries and such operations are becoming more and more commonplace even down to high school athletes.

However, there is still no getting around the pain the follows such surgery and heavy doses of serious narcotics such as codeine and morphine may be necessary during the recovery process.

While these drugs can be taken orally, another medical advance, the shoulder pain pump, is frequently used to pump pain medication directly into the shoulder through a catheter and provide more direct and effective relief.

Finely-tuned athletes, of course, recover faster than the rest of us who may undergo such surgery for arthritis, tears or other injuries. But for all of us there is no escape from the painful recovery and these pumps can be a godsend.

Be aware, however, that there can be a serious downside with the use of these pumps. Cartilage damage – with the tongue-twisting medical tag of Postarthroscopic Glenohumeral Chondrolysis  -- can occur.

An American Journal of Sports Medicine published study found that for some patients the result can be long-lasting and even permanent damage that is extremely painful and can cause a debilitating restriction of the shoulder even worse than the original injury.

This can take several weeks to show up through symptoms such as shoulder weakness, grinding or popping noises, an inability to completely use the shoulder again or pain that won’t go away.

There also have been questions raised about the whether the devices have been thoroughly reviewed and whether the dangers outweigh the gains. Numerous lawsuits have been filed and legal Web sites are advertising for victims and class-action suits discussed.

It appears that while the shoulder pain pumps can be effective for many patients who undergo arthroscopic surgery others can be seriously affected in a negative way.

 

 

Pain Pump Class Action

Many of us suffer from type 2 diabetes. In fact there are about 14 million people in the United States who are in this situation and a good number are being treated with Avandia, a medicine designed to increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin. The drug was first marketed in 1999 by GlaxoSmithKline and it became so popular among physicians that more than 60 million prescriptions have been written.

 

Avandia, also know as rosiglitazone,  is an oral anti-diabetic agent that also improves glycemic control and reduces circulating insulin levels for those who have Type 2 diabetes and are not insulin-dependent. Avandia is sometimes prescribed with other medicines but is not used for the treatment of Type 1 diabetes.

Diabetes sufferers should know the signs of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and how to recognize them, including hunger, headache, confusion, irritability, drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, tremors, sweating, fast heartbeat, seizure (convulsions), fainting, or coma (severe hypoglycemia can be fatal). Always keep a source of sugar available in case you have symptoms of low blood sugar.

GlaxoSmithKline reported that annual sales of the drug climbed as high as $2.5 billion in 2006. The drug's patent expires in 2012. The drug appears to be quite versatile as researchers have suggested that it could also help treat some form of Alzheimer’s disease, ulcerative colitis and even malaria.

However, there is also a history of concerns about Avandia, including questions that it might lead to an increased risk of heart attacks.  One scientific study concluded that there was nearly a 40 percent higher chance of a heart attack among Avandia users than those not on the medicine. The company itself has acknowledged there could other side effects, including peripheral edema, or problems in the extremities caused by fluid retention and swelling. Another risk is macular edema, in which there is swelling and protein buildup in the eye.

There have been numerous lawsuits filed over the effects of Avandia and it is easy to find notices about these on the Internet. If you track these over the last few years you will notice a growing number of warnings about the drug and offers by law firms to represent victims.

GlaxoSmithKline is well aware of the problem. The company notified physicians in December, 2006 of the dangerous side effects. However, the problem goes back much farther than that. If you do some research on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration web site you will find that on June 28, 2001, the FDA issued a warning to GlaxoSmithKline. The FDA told the manufacturer it was not being completely forthright in its promotional materials about the risks of the drug.

 

Then, in April of 2002, The FDA issued another letter about the dangers of Avandia. This one warned healthcare professionals about a change in the warning label on Avandia  in connection with the possibility of excess fluid retention and congestive heart failure in patients taking Avandia.

That was followed in December, 2002, with a letter the FDA sent to GlaxoSmithKline to include another warning paragraph on the Avandia label:

"In postmarketing experience, there have been rare reports of unusually rapid increases in weight and increases in excess of that generally observed in clinical trials. Patients who experience such increases should be assessed for fluid accumulation and volume-related events such as excessive edema and congestive heart failure."

 

 

With a history like that those of us taking Avandia should wonder just what we should do. The FDA says that it is conducting a complete investigation but for those who exhibit the symptoms of serious side effects that the FDA warns about will the results of that investigation come in time?

That there are serious, unresolved risks with the use of Avandia goes without question. On its web site the FDA lists the following organizations that are in agreement with this:

• American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
• American College of Cardiology
• American Diabetes Association
• American Heart Association
• Endocrine Society

“FDA agrees with these organizations and is conducting a thorough investigation,” the government says on its web site.

What will be interesting is whether the government and its investigators or the legal community and its resources get to the bottom of this first.

In 2006, a "prescribing information" paper issued for Avandia from FDA's MedWatch talks about the increasing evidence of risk of cardiovascular events. This is found on page 13 of the document and highlighted in yellow by MedWatch. MedWatch is the FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

The longer Avandia and Actos have been on the market, the more evidence of adverse cardiac events, fluid retention and congestive heart failure. All of this culminated this week with the newest study on Avandia which linked it to a risk of heart attacks and death from cardiovascular events.

Avandia Heart Attack