Three Benicar lawsuits were filed in a span of three days earlier this month claiming that Benicar side effects caused the plaintiffs to be repeatedly hospitalized and that the drug manufacturer failed to adequately research and warn about the side effects.

Two of the Benicar lawsuits were filed on Dec. 5 by two Ohio residents. One plaintiff, Annette J., alleged the blood pressure medication caused her to develop chronic diarrhea, acute kidney failure, anemia, weakness, nausea, and weight loss. Plaintiff Pamela B. claimed she experienced similar Benicar side effects.

Both women had to be hospitalized multiple times due to the severity of the alleged Benicar side effects, according to their Benicar lawsuits.

The third Benicar lawsuit was filed by an Oregon resident on Dec. 8. Plaintiff James M. claimed Benicar caused him to develop sprue-like enteropathy. He also claimed the severe diarrhea caused other medical problems, and like the other plaintiffs, he said he was hospitalized multiple times to manage his condition.

Benicar Side Effects

Sprue-like enteropathy has been a common Benicar side effect listed in Benicar lawsuits. Symptoms of sprue-like enteropathy include severe and/or chronic diarrhea, substantial weight loss, and electrolyte imbalance. It can cause extreme, unhealthy weight loss in patients. It is a life-threatening condition.

Benicar side effects have also been said to resemble the symptoms of celiac disease. While the Benicar diarrhea may go away after use of the drug has stopped, villous atrophy, commonly linked to celiac disease, may remain.

Villous atrophy is permanent intestinal damage that causes the decay of the villa in the intestinal tract. This prevents the body from absorbing nutrients properly and a series of other problems. It is believed that doctors have misdiagnosed Benicar-caused villous atrophy as celiac disease because they are unaware of Benicar side effects.

Misdiagnosed celiac disease means that individuals may have had to undergo steroid treatments and start a gluten-free diet.

One Mayo Clinic report  published in 2012 found that Benicar users who experienced celiac disease symptoms found a decrease in symptoms after they stopped using Benicar.

Benicar Warnings

These Benicar side effects were not officially linked to Benicar until June 2013. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) then required Daiichi Sankyo to change the Benicar warning labels to include risks of sprue-like enteropathy and villous atrophy.

Benicar side effects may develop months or even years after use has begun.

Following the Benicar label change, many Benicar lawsuits were filed. Plaintiffs claimed that the hypertension medication caused them to experience pain, suffering, life-altering injuries, and/or a mountain of medical bills.

Many of the Benicar lawsuits were filed in New Jersey state court, where Daiichi Sankyo U.S. is based. As the number of Benicar lawsuits continues to quickly grow, it has been suggested that the many cases will be consolidated into a Benicar MDL (multidistrict litigation) in order to smooth the legal process.