High blood pressure is a common condition in the U.S. Depending on your unique situation, a doctor might recommend that you take a blood pressure medication in an effort to get your numbers under control. When your doctor gives you any medication designed to address a current health concern, you’re trusting that the drug is safe. Sadly, as many recent news reports and studies have shown, some drugs are extremely dangerous and can cause patients to suffer devastating side effects. If you or someone you know has been injured by taking a medication for blood pressure, such as Lisinopril, you may have grounds for a drug pressure lawsuit.
Where Safety Fails and Prompts and Blood Pressure Drug Lawsuit
The companies who create medications may already know of the risks associated with the drug, but downplaying these risks or ignoring them altogether can put patients in harm’s way. Unfortunately, it is often only after many patients and doctors come forward to share their concerns that the FDA starts an investigation or recalls the drug. This means that in the interim, it’s the patient paying the price.
These situations should never happen to begin with. It should be the drug manufacturer’s responsibility to ensure that all medications on the market have been properly tested for patient safety. However, millions of dollars is often thrown into the research and development phase of any drug. Anxious to make some of that money back, a drug that carries major side effects may be rushed to market anyways. The company may not reveal everything they know about possible side effects or counter-indications until patients begin coming forward. It is often these patient reports in the form of major adverse events or deaths that will finally prompt action regarding a dangerous drug.
There are many different high blood pressure drugs on the market today. Before your doctor recommended one, he or she probably had some experience with it or believed that it was most appropriate to treat your symptoms. However, what happens if the symptoms associated with a dangerous drug are life-threatening? Far too many patients find themselves dealing with this situation when it’s too late.
For example, the drug Lisinopril has been linked to liver damage and liber failure. Research from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has also found a connection between several different high blood pressure medications and higher risk of the patient developing cancer.
For that particular study, the following drugs were identified as problematic:
- Micardis
- Blopress
- Diovan
- Atacand
- Cozaar
- Amias
Patients may experience up to eight percent higher risk of developing cancer after taking these drugs.
Benicar, another popularly-prescribed blood pressure medication, has been connected with multiple different intestinal issues that mimic the symptoms of Crohn’s disease.
What to Do If You Notice Strange Symptoms
After your doctor prescribes you a blood pressure medication, make sure to ask questions about what you can expect. Although there’s a good chance that you will have minimal or no symptoms with most drugs, it’s important to be informed especially given that a number of high blood pressure medicines have injured patients. Your doctor can tell you more about some of the common and mild side effects you might experience, but you should also ask questions about whether there are any other issues that should prompt you to contact your doctor immediately. Monitor your medical condition after starting a new blood pressure drug.
If you notice any symptoms out of the ordinary, take time to make notes about them, including:
- The type of symptom experienced
- How long the symptom lasted
- How long it had been since you took your last medicine
- Any other factors of the day (like exercise, diet, or other medical conditions) outside the ordinary
If you consistently notice these symptoms, set up a meeting your doctor. Although the side effects of drugs like Benicar and Lisinopril are listed above, other drugs may also carry a risk of serious side effects. This list is not all-inclusive. Anything that changes your overall medical condition seriously should prompt you to schedule a meeting with your doctor.
When to Take Legal Action
If you believe that a drug manufacturer did know or should have known about the serious side effects of a drug, you need to consult with an experienced blood pressure defective drug lawyer as soon as possible. Aside from recovering compensation for your condition, you may also send a message to the manufacturer about the dangers of these drugs. Typically, after enough drug reports are received by the FDA, an official investigation into dangerous high blood pressure medications will be started. Your report could help to prevent others from suffering a similar fate and may play a role in pulling a defective medication from the shelves. A high blood pressure lawsuit can help you put the pieces of your life back together after you have suffered dangerous side effects.
Notwithstanding claims relating to this product, the drug/medical device remains approved by the U.S. FDA.
