A study published in the October edition of the Journal of Clinical Pathology looking at the popular blood pressure drug Benicar (olmesartan) found that up to 50 percent of patients suffered severe gastrointestinal symptoms (known as sprue-like enteropathy) compared with about 20 percent of patients who used other blood-pressure lowering medications.

Symptoms of sprue-like enteropathy closely mirror celiac disease, which is an intolerance to gluten. Common symptoms include severe and/or chronic diarrhea, substantial weight loss and an electrolyte imbalance.

In 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered that a warning label about the risk of severe sprue-like enteropathy be placed on Benicar, Benicar HCT, Azor, Tribenzor, and generic versions of the drugs.

The warning came a year after a Mayo Clinic study published an article linking Benicar to the gastrointestinal condition. Shortly after results of the Mayo Clinic study, researchers from the American College of Gastroenterology reported 40 additional cases of olmesartan-related sprue-like enteropathy.

The Benicar side effects were characterized as “life-threatening” in that more than half of the patients required hospitalization for extreme weight loss caused by the side effects of Benicar and diarrhea.

People reported suffering late-onset diarrhea and significant weight loss, and in some cases, intestinal villous atrophy — decaying in a part of the intestinal tract, making it difficult for the body to absorb nutrients, resulting in chronic dehydration, malnutrition and a weakened immune system.

Benicar’s other side effects include eye pain and vision problems, chest pain, shortness of breath, fever, swelling, sudden weight gain, decrease in urination, jaundice, dry mouth, drowsiness, confusion and seizures.

Benicar manufacturer Daiichi Sankyo Inc., its parent company Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd., and Forest Laboratories Inc. have been named defendants in a number of Benicar lawsuits, including some seeking class action status.

The plaintiffs accuse the companies of failing to adequately research potential Benicar side effects and failing to provide sufficient warnings to patients and healthcare providers. Had the patients known of the risk of developing chronic diarrhea and other symptoms of sprue-like enteropathy, they could have opted not to take the drug and suffer unnecessary pain and suffering as well as permanent intestinal damage.

More than 11 million prescriptions are written each year for the hypertension medication, which received FDA approval in April 2002. It is the most widely prescribed blood pressure medication in the country.

The drug is the subject of numerous Benicar lawsuits around the country. Many of the Benicar plaintiffs were initially diagnosed with celiac disease before figuring out Benicar was the culprit. They are seeking compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and in some cases permanent injuries to the intestines.