Benicar Lawsuits Filed Alleging Illness and Weight Loss

Benicar Lawsuit Benicar lawsuits have reportedly been filed, alleging patients suffered serious Benicar side effects linked to their use of the drug. Among the side effects reportedly linked to Benicar is sprue-like enteropathy.

Benicar (known generically as olmesartan) is a hypertension drug used to lower high blood pressure. It is made by Daiichi Sankyo and marketed by Forest Laboratories. It is in a class of drugs known as angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB). According to the FDA, sprue-like enteropathy has not been linked with other ARB medications.

Other drugs that contain olmesartan, include Benicar HCT, Azor, Tribenzor and generics.

Benicar has been linked to a condition called sprue-like enteropathy. Patients with sprue-like enteropathy experience chronic diarrhea, weight loss, and other gastrointestinal problems including colitis. Symptoms can reportedly take months to years to develop and may require hospitalization. Some patients may have developed sprue-like enteropathy while using Benicar but been diagnosed with celiac disease.

A 2012 study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings examined the link between olmesartan and sprue-like enteropathy. Researchers studied 22 patients who were seen at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota from August 1, 2008 to August 1, 2011. They found that symptoms improved in 18 patients who discontinued medication and concluded that olmesartan may be linked to a severe form of sprue-like enteropathy.

On July 3, 2013, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning that olmesartan can cause intestinal problems known as sprue-like enteropathy. The FDA noted that sprue-like enteropathy symptoms include severe, chronic diarrhea with substantial weight loss.

When the FDA issued its warning it said it was continuing to evaluate the safety of products that contain olmesartan. The FDA made its announcement after it evaluated data from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System and other sources and discovered "clear evidence of an association between olmesartan and sprue-like enteropathy." As result of its evaluation, the FDA announced that olmesartan drugs would update their label to include the risk of sprue-like enteropathy.

Patients who develop gastrointestinal problems while taking Benicar are advised to speak with their doctor to discuss their options. Patients should not discontinue medicine without speaking to a doctor.

Benicar Legal Help

If you or a loved one has suffered injury from using Benicar, please click the link below to send your complaint to a lawyer specializing in Drug related lawsutis to evaluate your claim at no cost or obligation.

Last updated on Oct-24-14