According to a number of studies, including a report released by the Mayo Clinic, Benicar users can experience serious gastrointestinal side effects after talking the prescription hypertension drug.

Many of these Benicar side effects have been mistakenly misdiagnosed as celiac disease, because the GI side effects of Benicar are so similar to symptoms of this autoimmune disease.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition in which the enzymes found in the small intestines react violently in the presence of gluten proteins, which causes an inflammatory reaction in the celiac individual. Because celiac disease usually begins during a person’s infancy, childhood or late adolescence, it is unusual that an adult will go for decades without a celiac diagnosis.

However, because Benicar side effects can produce similar symptoms to celiac disease, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and electrolyte abnormalities, many adult Benicar consumers have been mistakenly diagnosed with celiac disease and been prescribed a life-long gluten-free diet to manage the celiac-like symptoms. However, once an individual ceases to use Benicar, their celiac-like symptoms tend to disappear, although serious and/or permanent intestinal damage may remain.

The Mayo Clinic researchers who discovered this alleged link between Benicar use and GI problems hope that awareness of the Benicar side effects will allow doctors to properly diagnose an individual when they present celiac symptoms that may be caused by the hypertension medicine instead of the genetically inherited autoimmune disease.

Background on Benicar

The popular hypertension medication Olmesartan (more commonly known by the brand name Benicar) is a angiotensin II receptor antagonist drug designed, manufactured, and sold by Daiichi Sankyo, a Japanese based pharmaceutical company. Since its introduction into the North American market in 1995, Benicar has been prescribed to over 11 million patients suffering from high blood pressure each and every year.

However, in recent years it was discovered that there are several health risks and harmful Benicar side effects associated with the drug. In 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a public health notice warning Benicar consumers of various medical and consumer reports alleging that Benicar users experienced sprue-like enteropathy, a condition that can cause severe GI problems.

In early August, the Mayo Clinic published a journal article with a Benicar study, in which it reported that 22 individuals from 17 states who used Benicar to treat their blood pressure conditions were allegedly found to exhibit celiac symptoms despite the absence of a genetic predisposition to the autoimmune disease.

Benicar Side Effects

The product warning labels and Benicar marketing materials only warn consumers of the possibility of kidney problems associated with the Daiichi drug. These warnings do not mention the various GI problems allegedly experienced by Benicar uses.

Some other Benicar side effects reported by consumers include:

• Chronic diarrhea
• Sudden and severe weight loss
• Electrolyte imbalance
• Sprue-like enteropathy
• Villous atrophy
• Other GI problems regularly misdiagnosed as celiac symptoms

Benicar users who were prescribed and consumed the Daiichi blood pressure medication for at least four months and were then hospitalized for severe gastrointestinal problems may qualify to file or join a Benicar lawsuit or Benicar class action lawsuit.