Imagine taking a drug and being told 10 years later that you developed a life-threatening condition as a result of that drug. Imagine losing your loved one to PAH and finding out that he or she died as a result of a drug that was taken a decade ago—one that was supposed to help him or her lose weight and therefore ensure a longer life.
Since there can be a long time between stopping taking the drug and the development of symptoms of PAH, many patients do not realize at first what is causing their problems. After all, who would think that a drug they had not taken in over 10 years could be causing a serious condition to appear now? Furthermore, PAH is difficult to diagnose, meaning that patients who develop it often suffer for a long time before they get appropriate treatment. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for PAH.A number of serious allegations have been made against American Home Products (now called Wyeth). Those allegations include that the company understated or omitted serious health risks associated with fen-phen, that the company underreported the number of cases of PAH, and that the company created the false impression that Fen-phen was safe, when the company knew that it was not.
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Many lawsuits against Wyeth have been settled out of court, while others have resulted in large awards to the plaintiffs. The courts are repeatedly finding that Wyeth is responsible for plaintiffs developing PPH/PAH. Some plaintiffs have been awarded millions of dollars in their lawsuits against Wyeth.
If you experience any symptoms of PAH including dizziness, fainting, extreme fatigue, lightheadedness when standing and progressive shortness of breath when active, and you took fen-phen, contact a doctor to discuss your options. Even if you took Fen-phen over a decade ago, it is still possible that you are experiencing the first symptoms of PAH.