A Benicar lawsuit was added to the growing multidistrict litigation against manufacturers Daiichi Sankyo and Forest Pharmaceuticals centralized in New Jersey.

Plaintiff Pateese E. of Colorado filed the Benicar lawsuit over allegations that she suffered personal injuries and economic loss as a direct result of using the blood pressure medication.

According to the Benicar lawsuit, Pateese began taking the pharmaceutical drug in 2010 and then started experiencing the painful side effects of Benicar.

The plaintiff claims to have suffered from nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, abnormal weight loss, and diarrhea after taking Benicar (Olmesartan). Her Benicar lawsuit alleges manufacturers are liable for failure to warn, design defect, fraudulent concealment and unjust enrichment.

The Benicar Chronic Diarrhea Lawsuit is In re: Benicar (Olmesartan) Products Liability Litigation, Case 1:15-cv-07364-RBK-JS and MDL No. 2606, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Camden Vicinage.

Benicar Complications Overview

Benicar was FDA approved to treat high blood pressure in 2002. Benicar is considered an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) and it is an effective treatment of hypertension as it widens the blood vessels within the body and prevents vessel constriction. 

Benicar is one of the most widely prescribed blood pressure medications on the U.S. market. However, since its release it has been named in numerous FDA adverse event reports as the cause of gastrointestinal complications including sprue-like enteropathy, which is the medical term for chronic diarrhea.

Patients who develop Benicar chronic diarrhea claim that it can take anywhere from a few months to a few years to occur. This does not always make the condition easy to link to Benicar. Often times, patients with sprue-like enteropathy continue to take Benicar because they are misdiagnosed with celiac disease. But patients report that once they stop taking the medication, the symptoms cease.

Benicar Side Effects

Benicar has numerous side effects but sprue-like enteropathy and villous atrophy are some of the most severe. Villous atrophy occurs when the intestinal lining is damaged and often requires hospitalization.

The FDA required Benicar manufacturers to include a warning for sprue-like enteropathy on the drug label in 2013. Benicar is one of eight ARB medications, but according to the FDA its the only one linked to gastrointestinal complications including chronic diarrhea.

Other common Benicar side effects include:

• Nutrient malabsorption
• Significant weight loss
• Severe abdominal pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Rash and hair loss
• Arthritis
• Irregular heart beat
• Chest pain
• Swelling of the skin (angioedema)
• Liver or kidney impairment

Benicar Lawsuits

Plaintiffs all across the U.S. continue to join the Benicar multidistrict litigation with similar gastrointestinal complaints. In general, plaintiffs allege that the manufacturers failed to warn of the severe side effects of chronic diarrhea. Often times, spouses will join a Benicar lawsuit and sue for loss of consortium which typically results in a higher award amount.

Filing a Benicar lawsuit helps consumers recover from the high medical costs of treating sprue-like enteropathy. If you suffered from Benicar side effects contact a Benicar attorney to find out if you have legal claim.