Posts Tagged ‘ Depression ’

Chewing Gum Lawsuit Seeks $100k for Depression

October 10th, 2011. By AbiK

Rare it is indeed that a lawsuit comes along that can generate that kind of headline. But, as fate would have it, a lawsuit has been filed up in the Great White North (channeling Geddy Lee here) about chewing gum that allegedly caused depression thereby warranting the damages sought for $100,000.

Let me throw some light on this for you.

Seems that Elsie C. Pawlow is a denture wearer (hopefully not a power Fixodent user as well). And, she elected to chew some Stride gum. You know the one—with the big curvy sweepy “S”on the package. Quick background tip: it’s made by Cadbury Adams which is involved in that price fixing lawsuit we mentioned last week.

Now, why Pawlow didn’t choose Freedent is a question that remains unanswered—given that it’s marketed as the gum that “won’t stick to most dental work”. But she didn’t. She chose Stride and that’s when things apparently went downhill.

According to the lawsuit which was filed in Edmonton, Canada, when Pawlow chewed the Stride gum, it started to fall apart into little pieces after she’d been chewing it for about five minutes. Then, the little pieces allegedly stuck to her dentures.

Now, it’s a bit of misfortune that could happen to anyone, right? Kind of like chomping into an apple when you have braces and all that pulp crap gets stuck in the wiring—if you’ve been there, you know. And it’s bummer to have to pick and floss it all out—but, hey, comes with the territory.

Pawlow, however, must not be so breezy peasy about such things.

No, according to the complaint, Pawlow suffered approximately ten minutes of depression while she was digging the pieces of gum out of her dentures.

No joke. Pawlow is claiming she suffered ten minutes of depression.

I’m thinking—and hoping—that the makers of Prozac or Zoloft are reading this and brainstorming a new market for “Prozac Lite” or something—for when you have that ten minutes of circumstantial darkness and just need to get over the hump.

Ten minutes of depression? Please. Ten minutes of aggravation? Yea, gummed up dentures could hit that proverbial last nerve. But I challenge Pawlow to share her definition of “depression” with any true sufferer of depression and see how her version stacks up.

Was she unable to function? Was she feeling hopeless and purposeless for all of ten minutes? And is “flash depression” grounds for a lawsuit? Think about it—I’m guessing you probably experience 600 seconds of depression on a daily basis. Get to the root of it and maybe you can have a lawsuit, too.

I jest, of course. And I do feel badly for Elsie Pawlow.

But here’s a newsflash, Elsie: Gum sticks to things. And when a pack of gum costs a couple of dollars and maybe a few minutes of aggravation, somehow $100,000 seems a bit…much.

Tags: Cadbury Adams, Chewing Gum lawsuit, Dentures, Depression, Edmonton Canada, Elsie Pawlow, Stride Gum, Stride Gum Lawsuit
Posted in Emerging Issues, lawsuits, Personal Injury | 1 Comment »

Prescription Hell: When Curing Your Ill Causes More Ills

August 4th, 2011. By AbiK

True Story: I saw a comment from a reader here at LawyersandSettlements.com who had gone to the doctor to get some help for his acne. While there, the doctor noticed that this guy’s hair was starting to thin. Long story short, the guy walked out of the doctor’s office with a prescription for Propecia. He now claims he suffers sexual side effects (like erectile dysfunction and impotence). Oh, and btw, he still had his acne.

It got me thinking…

I’m not a glass-half-empty type, but it’s easy to see how, with prescription drugs, one can envision a worst-case-scenario downward spiral of things—especially given the potential side effects with some drugs that are on the market.

So then I started thinking, what if…

What if a guy goes to the doctor for acne. What could happen based on which drugs he’s been prescribed and what the side effects of those drugs could be? The graphic above depicts “The Snake Pit” (classic movie if you haven’t seen it) version of taking prescription upon prescription. A modern day Dante’s “Inferno”. Only in this little vignette, no one emerges from hell in their attempt to mitigate (via new prescriptions) the snowball effect of increasingly negative side effects.

Here’s how this plays out.

(Note, yes, it’s hypothetical, assumes various doctors/specialists involved, and yes, assumes worst case and/or rare scenarios…but still, it could happen. And before you get on me for Accutane being off the market, the drug isotretinoin is still alive and kicking…)

A guy goes to the doctor for acne. He’s given Accutane (isotretinoin). A possible side effect of Accutane is Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). To treat the IBD, he’s given Cipro (antibiotic) and Prednisone (corticosteroid). Cipro has been linked to tendon rupture. Reported, though rare, side effects of Prednisone can include high blood pressure and osteoporosis. Assuming his luck is nil, he experiences these side effects and is given Lisinopril (ACE inhibitor) to combat the high blood pressure, and Fosamax to help combat the osteoporosis.

As we know, Lisinopril has been linked to liver damage (or worse, liver failure). And Fosamax has been under fire for femur fractures. Which, outside of pain meds—which have their own set of side effects—requires another form of medical intervention (surgery). So we come to a “STOP” on that path.

But between the Accutane and the Lisinopril, he begins to experience some hair loss as well—a rare side effect of both drugs, and he’s Mr. Unlucky. So next up, Propecia. Propecia side effects include sexual dyfunction. And he finds himself having some “issues” on the love-making front. Well, there’s a drug for that—Viagra! But let’s face it, between hair loss, sexual dysfunction, a broken thigh bone, a ruptured tendon, high blood pressure and some bowel problems, is it any wonder this guy’s now depressed? So, it’s time for some SSRI’s—like Prozac. And Prozac’s been linked to suicidal behavior.

And, with that, I guess it’s another “STOP”.

Tags: Accutane, Cipro, Depression, femur fracture, Fosamax, Hair Loss, IBD, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Isotretinoin, Lisinopril, Osteoporosis, Prednisone, Propecia, Prozac, Sexual Dysfunction, SSRI, Tendon Rupture, Viagra
Posted in Drugs/Medical | 1 Comment »