A new lawsuit has been filed by a New York woman who claims to have suffered severe intestinal complications caused by the side effects of the the blood pressure drug Benicar.

Plaintiff Susan C. was prescribed Benicar in June 2013 and allegedly suffered serious gastrointestinal injuries including villous atrophy, sprue-like enteropathy and other related symptoms.

Her lawsuit joins thousands of other Benicar patients in multidistrict litigation claiming that Benicar and gastrointestinal injuries are linked.

Benicar (marketed as Benicar, Benicar HCT, Tribenzor or Azor) is a medication that was approved by the FDA in 2002 to treat high blood pressure.  Known generically as olmesartan, the drug is made and sold by Forest Laboratories and Daiichi Sankyo.

Benicar is designed to block angiotensin II, allowing a patient’s blood vessels to expand. This can reduce blood pressure.

Benicar and Gastrointestinal Injuries

The connection between Benicar and gastrointestinal injuries is substantial. Studies conducted by the Mayo Clinic, researchers from the University of Paris and the French National Health Insurance Fund have warned that the popular blood pressure drug can cause some users to suffer from sprue-like enteropathy or villous atrophy.

Sprue-like Enteropathy

Sprue-like enteropathy is a gastrointestinal condition that causes the following symptoms: extreme weight loss, vomiting, severe diarrhea and electrolyte imbalance

The link between sprue-like enteropathy and Benicar was first noticed in June 2012 by researchers from the Mayo Clinic who documented 22 cases of Benicar patients who were experiencing symptoms similar to those with celiac disease between 2008 and 2010.

When blood tests did not support a diagnosis of celiac disease, these patients’ gastrointestinal problems were attributed to Benicar-induced sprue-like enteropathy.

In October of that same year, researchers from the American College of Gastroenterology identified 40 more cases where patients using olmesartan were diagnosed with sprue-like enteropathy.

Based on these studies, the FDA launched an investigation into 23 cases documented in the agency’s Adverse Event Reporting System where patients using Benicar reported suffering from late-onset diarrhea and excessive weight loss.

In all cases studied, patients said their gastrointestinal side effects stopped when they stopped taking Benicar, leading the FDA to draw a positive link between Benicar and gastrointestinal injuries like sprue-like enteropathy.

Villous Atrophy

Many Benicar patients have developed digestion issues, and one of the main digestive conditions is villous atrophy. This is a condition that severely reduces the surface area of the small intestines making it difficult for patients to absorb nutrients and water from digested food.

The symptoms include rapid weight loss since no nutrients are absorbed from food, chronic diarrhea, malnutrition and chronic dehydration.

Celiac disease is the best-known cause of villous atrophy.  However, in some patients, taking Benicar leads to villous atrophy combined with diarrhea and weight loss.

Other report symptoms relating to Benicar and gastrointestinal injuries may include:

• severe, chronic diarrhea
• substantial weight loss
• malnutrition
• dehydration
• microscopic colitis
• lymphocytic colitis
• collagenous colitis
• nausea
• vomiting

Benicar Lawsuits

Attorneys are currently investigating the link between the use of the popular blood pressure medication, Benicar, and gastrointestinal injuries.

If you or a loved one has experienced villous atrophy, sprue-like enteropathy, colitis, kidney failure and other gastrointestinal (GI) side effects while taking the high blood pressure medication Benicar, contact an experienced Benicar attorney today for a free consultation.

Susan’s Benicar Lawsuit is filed within In Re:  Benicar (Olmesartan) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2606, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Camden Vicinage.