Acne Drug Linked To Depression
Welsh teenager David Tebby was a bright student, preparing for his high school graduation exams, when he committed suicide last February.
His behavior changed, his parents said, once David started taking the acne drug Roaccutane - known in the United States as Accutane.
Pat Tebby, David's mother, didn't suspect any unusually moody behavior in her son initially.
"People need to be made much, much more aware, because I mean teenagers are moody anyway," she told CBS News Correspondent Vicki Mabrey.
David's father, Michael Tebby pointed out that there was just one sentence written inside the box of Roaccutane that said to watch out for mood changes.
The coroner investigating David's suicide says there is a possibility the drug played a roll in his death. Two months ago, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning about Accutane, after a dozen people who committed suicide were found to have taken the medication.
The drug's manufacturer, Roche, denies there's a definite link between Accutane and suicide, but the company has updated its warnings to doctors and patients, saying Accutane "may cause depression, psychotic symptoms and rarely suicide attempts and suicide."
The new labeling is welcome news to counselors at a British acne hotline. They said if patients are aware what the possible side effects are of the drug, they can make an informed choice.
But doctors, counselors, and the company all warn that acne itself often causes depression, and say teenagers with acne, whether taking Accutane or not, should be watched closely for mood changes.
When Chris Till's son took the drug four years ago, Accutane already came with some alarming cautions.
"The first thing it says in there is that it may cause severe depression, and I don't think any parent of a teenager looks at 'severe depression' and doesn't think suicide," Chris Till said.
CBS News Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson asked Till why any parent want to put their kids on a drug when there's even a potential risk.
"Because it works. And because the danger is in the acceptable realm," Till said.
Her son Tommy suffered no severe depression, and got dramatic results. Till said she noticed a change in her son's skin within five or six days.
Accutane is heavily promoted to teens desperate to get rid of the stigma of acne. More than four million Americans have taken it since it came out in 1982. And dermatologists worry that kids who don't have truly severe acne will demand it despite the risks.
"The physician really needs to be asking the questions about whether or not there's a risk for depression. Now I think it's also helpful that the patient knows about this, because there are a lot of risks," said Dr. Maral Skelsey, a dermotologist.
Everyone agrees it's a potent drug, and because of the risk of severe side effects, even the manufacturer told CBS News Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson tha Accutane should be used only as a last resort.