A Minnesota Benicar lawsuit may be an option for patients who have suffered severe side effects after taking the blood pressure medication. Some patients who have been prescribed the blood pressure medication Benicar claim that they experienced severe gastrointestinal side effects and other complications, including chronic diarrhea, and that the side effects have become serious issues, even requiring hospitalization. Affected patients may be eligible to file a Minnesota Benicar lawsuit to seek compensation for their injuries.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Minnesota. Our consultations are free, confidential and without any obligation on your part. We can help answer your questions, and if you choose to pursue a claim we can connect you with an affiliated Minnesota Benicar lawsuit attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
What is Hypertension?
When a patient is diagnosed with high blood pressure, action must be taken in order to reduce stress on the heart. There are several things that may cause blood pressure to rise, including:
- Too much alcohol or salt in the diet
- Sedentary lifestyle and excess weight
- Constant stress
- Use of tobacco
Certain medications and health conditions can also contribute to an elevated blood pressure, making it important to determine whether or not aspects of a patient’s life can be changed to naturally prevent or decrease hypertension. While there are many factors that can affect blood pressure, a family history of the disease can make it difficult to control and necessitate medical intervention.
How Does Benicar Work?
Prescribed under the brand name Benicar, the drug is generically known as olmesartan medoxomil, according to the product’s official website. While there are many outside factors that can contribute to high blood pressure, the medication focuses on the resulting internal processes that physically cause the elevated pressure. For unknown reasons, the above-mentioned lifestyle and inherited factors may trigger the body to release a chemical that constricts blood vessels, causing the heart to pump harder and blood pressure to be increased. Benicar has been shown to effectively block this chemical and allow the vessels to relax.
Benicar Side Effects
While many common side effects occur, including dizziness, joint pain and rashes, there are also more serious complications that may be associated with the medicine. In 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated warnings for the drug after multiple cases of sprue-like enteropathy were noted. It was reported that some patients taking Benicar developed the condition several years after starting it or in some cases, just after a few months. The condition reportedly leads to weight loss, diarrhea and intestinal damage. Furthermore, it was found that all of the patients had lessened or resolved symptoms once the medication was discontinued.
Before the connection between gastrointestinal issues and Benicar use was discovered, many patients were misdiagnosed as having celiac disease. This caused some patients to struggle to regain their health as they were told to stop eating foods with gluten in it, but the change of diet did not help. As a result of the delay, many suffered damage to their intestines, diarrhea and daily pain.
Benicar Lawsuit Claims
Some patients injured when taking Benicar have opted to file lawsuits claiming the manufacturer, Daiichi Sankyo, was negligent in not disclosing all potential side effects of the drug. This lack of disclosure prevented both patients as well as the medical community from making informed decisions regarding whether the benefit of the drug would be worth the associated risk.
In one of these cases, two patients claim that they developed personal injuries, such as sprue-like enteropathy, lymphocytic colitis, villous atrophy, collagenous colitis and intestinal malabsorption from taking Benicar. Both plaintiffs involved in this case allege that the medication caused rapid weight loss, acute renal failure, chronic diarrhea and dehydration and that they require continual medical monitoring as a result.
How a Minnesota Benicar Lawsuit Attorney Can Help
Drug makers have a duty to provide safe products. If there are risks of harm associated with their products, they also must provide adequate warnings. If a drug maker fails to fulfill this duty, it could be held liable in lawsuits for injuries that may result.
People injured by Benicar may be eligible to recover money for:
- Medical Expenses
- Lost Wages
- Pain and Suffering
The families of those who have died may be eligible to recover money for funeral expenses and the pain that comes with losing a loved one.
The Time You Have to File a Claim is Limited. Contact Us Today.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Minnesota. You can fill out the form on this page or contact us by phone or email.
After you contact us, an attorney will follow up to answer questions that you might have. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim or file a lawsuit for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
