A California couple has filed a testosterone product lawsuit against the makers of Depo-Testosterone,  alleging life-threatening testosterone side effects from the low-t medication.

According to the testosterone product lawsuit, plaintiff Gonzalo Mendez was prescribed Depo-Testosterone and used it as directed from May 2011 through August 2012. The testosterone lawsuit states that Mendez was healthy before taking the drug, and had a healthy lifestyle.

However, in early August 2012, Mendez experienced a series of heart attacks, caused by blood clots blocking the blood supply to the heart. The Depo-Testosterone lawsuit was jointly filed by Mendez and his wife, Kristie Mendez.

The personal injury lawsuit alleges that Depo-Testosterone not only set the stage for Mendez’s heart attack, but that the makers of the drug were aware of these risks and actively promoted their drugs in spite of these risks.

To back this assertion, the Depo-Testosterone lawsuit cites the fact that studies, some dating before Mendez’s series of heart attacks, suggest that testosterone-boosting drugs carry the risk for a number of serious health problems such as strokes, deep vein thromboses, pulmonary embolisms, and heart attacks.

What all of these problems have in common is that they are ultimately triggered by errant blood clots that form within the body, which later lodge in critical blood vessels, blocking the blood supply to critical organs such as the heart, brain and lungs.

All of these events are medical emergencies that require intensive medical care. Often, patients who suffer from such complications face a lifetime of medical surveillance to make sure the problems do not recur.

The testosterone products lawsuit also states that drug makers have embarked on a campaign to convince patients and physicians alike that “low-T” or gradually declining testosterone levels is a major medical problem that plagues millions of men and requires treatment with low-T drugs.

As males age, their bodies typically produce less testosterone. In some men, this produces clinical symptoms like declining libido, decreased energy, and decreased muscle mass. The various low-T campaigns have set out to push the idea that this is a medical condition that should be treated by supplementing with testosterone, according to testosterone product lawsuits.

Despite the concerns surrounding testosterone therapy, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association projected the testosterone replacement therapy market will top $5 billion in potential revenue for drug makers by 2017.

The low-t drug lawsuit joins thousands of others against Depo-Testosterone maker Pfizer Inc. and against makers of other testosterone drugs like AndroGel and Fortesta.

The Testosterone Product Lawsuit is Gonzalo Mendez, et al. v. Pfizer Inc., Case No. 2:14-cv-06026, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.