Many Texas teenagers struggle with acne and are desperate to find ways to fight it. It is not that they just want clear skin - they also want to be able to go to school without the shame, pain and taunting from peers the uncomfortable skin condition can cause.

What many Texas teens do not know is that one once-popular remedy, Accutane, is associated with causing a higher risk of suicide among its users. The drug has been identified as the culprit in many wrongful death cases.

A family in Menasha, Wisconsin, now has to live without their 16-year-old thanks at least in part to Accutane. The boy was using the medication to fight acne, but his family says it led him to commit suicide. They said the boy was a baseball player, wrestler and football player with a 4.0 GPA and that his young life came to an end too quickly.

Accutane is a retinoid, meaning it is derived from Vitamin A. Although it was initially developed as a chemotherapy drug, it used to be prescribed to patients with severe acne because its ability to kill cells was a drastic way of ridding one's skin of acne.

By now, the medical community has uncovered evidence that it may increase depression, as well as lead to potential birth defects, inflammatory bowel disease and a dangerous spike in liver enzymes.

If you or a loved one has taken Accutane and you believe negative health consequences may have stemmed for that use of the drug, it might help to speak with an attorney who has handled Accutane cases in the past. He or she can at least give you some information, which will help you get started on deciding whether you want to file a lawsuit.

Source: The Appleton Post-Crescent, "Suicide walk unites surviving family members," Maureen Wallenfang, Sept. 10, 2011