An Ohio man is suing Daiichi Sankyo and Forest Laboratories, makers of the popular blood pressure medication Benicar (olmesartan), blaming the drug for causing him severe intestinal problems, including the debilitating disease known as sprue-like enteropathy.

Leo B. is one of a growing number of Benicar patients who have filed Benicar lawsuits that allege Daiichi Sankyo and Forest Laboratories failed to adequately research the high blood pressure medication’s side effects and failed to sufficiently warn patients and doctors about the risk of developing gastrointestinal issues. Most Benicar side effects lawsuits specifically allege the blood pressure treatment caused them to develop sprue-like enteropathy, a disease that closely mirrors celiac disease, which is an intolerance to gluten.

Many Benicar plaintiffs were first diagnosed with celiac disease before figuring out Benicar was the culprit. Common sprue-like enteropathy symptoms include severe and/or chronic diarrhea, substantial weight loss, and an electrolyte imbalance.

Leo’s Benicar lawsuit states that he was prescribed Benicar by his local clinic in Lorain, Ohio. He further claims he used the medication as directed. During the course of taking Benicar, Leo developed severe intestinal issues, such as: sprue-like enteropathy, lymphocytic colitis, microscopic colitis, collagenous colitis, and intestinal malabsorption.

As a result of those conditions, Leo reportedly suffered chronic diarrhea, rapid weight loss, nausea, vomiting, malnutrition, dehydration, and acute renal failure and has required hospitalization on multiple occasions. He will continue to need monitoring, screening, and testing for conditions related to the medical issues purportedly caused by Benicar, he says in his Benicar lawsuit.

“[Leo] has suffered unavoidable, serious and life threatening physical injuries, severe emotional distress, and mental injuries in coping with his physical injuries, and has incurred and expended significant amounts for the medical care, hospitalizations, and medications, required to treat and care for olmesartan-related disease, pain, and suffering and will continue to do so long into the future,” according to his Benicar lawsuit.

Benicar Sprue-Like Enteropathy Litigation

Plaintiffs suing the Benicar manufacturers maintain that if they had known about the increased risk of sprue-like enteropathy, they could have avoided unnecessary pain and suffering, as well as permanent and severe intestinal damage and colonic injuries, by opting not to take the blood pressure drug.

In 2013, the FDA ordered Daiichi Sankyo to add a warning label about sprue-like enteropathy, which was characterized as “life-threatening” in a Benicar study. This same research found that more than half of the patients stricken with this Benicar side effect required hospitalization for extreme weight loss caused by the Benicar diarrhea.

Since receiving FDA approval in 2002, Benicar has become the most widely prescribed blood pressure medication in the United States. More than 11 million prescriptions are written for this prescription drug each year.

Earlier this month, A federal judicial panel approved a multidistrict litigation, assigning all federal Benicar lawsuits to U.S. District Judge Robert Kugler in the District of New Jersey. Centralizing the proceedings is done for the convenience of the various parties and witnesses and helps to reduce repetitive discovery and avoid conflicting rulings from different judges.

It is anticipated that thousands of more Benicar lawsuits will be filed in the near future.