Testosterone Lawsuit Alleges AndroGel Caused Blood Clots

Chicago, ILMany a testosterone lawsuit has alleged heart attack and stroke amongst the testosterone side effects stemming from the so-called “Low-T” phenomenon currently sweeping the nation.

Well now there appears to be a new wrinkle: blood clots. This, according to a testosterone lawsuit filed in February by a plaintiff alleging that use of testosterone gel triggered blood clots fostering grievous health issues.

The plaintiffs in the case are Angela Gibby and Roger Gibby. Defendants are AbbVie Inc. and Abbott Laboratories Inc. Gibby et al v. AbbVie Inc. et al, Case No. 1:2014cv00917, was filed February 10, 2014 at United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and assigned to the Honorable Thomas M. Durkin.

According to court documents, co-plaintiff Roger Gibby was 61 years of age and recently retired from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois when he started using AndroGel as a direct result of the defendant’s intensive advertising. According to the lawsuit, Gibby used AndroGel without incident until September 2013, when he developed multiple blood clots in his legs and lungs.

Gibby was hospitalized and prescribed blood thinners. The plaintiff alleges to have incurred significant costs for his treatment and is expected to face future medical bills for health care and treatment. The blood clots, according to court records, will also adversely impact Gibby’s potential for earning future income.

Gibby had no history of blood clots prior to starting on AndroGel. In his lawsuit, Gibby asserts that had he known about the potential for health problems as the result of using AndroGel, he would have avoided the product altogether. The seven-count testosterone lawsuit alleges fraud, misrepresentation and negligence, and seeks unspecified damages.

Testosterone supplementation has experienced a meteoric growth in recent years, due in part to the progression of the Baby Boomers into their retirement years, together with men in their middle years increasingly aware of their health and vitality, or lack thereof. While serious testosterone deficiency is a serious concern, for which testosterone supplementation has been used as a bonefide medical treatment for several decades, manufacturers appear to have seized upon the tendency for men to seek a response to symptoms of low energy and other natural symptoms of aging. Testosterone supplementation in response to perceived “Low-T” has exploded in popularity, thanks in part to aggressive marketing on the part of the manufacturers.

An ongoing debate revolves around various testosterone side effects stemming from either testosterone levels that are dangerously low, v. adverse reactions such as testosterone stroke and testosterone heart attack that are possible when testosterone levels are too high.

Regardless of which camp debaters fall into, most agree that testosterone supplementation borne from faux symptoms of low energy, or motivated by advertising rather than sound medical need, is both unnecessary and unwise.