Daiichi Sankyo is facing a new Benicar HCT side effects lawsuit filed by a 67-year old woman from Mississippi who alleges that side effects of Benicar caused her to suffer severe, chronic intestinal complications.

Plaintiff Barbara B. filed the Benicar HCT side effects lawsuit, joining thousands of others in multidistrict litigation alleging that the blood pressure drug Benicar causes gastrointestinal and colonic injuries, villous atrophy, sprue-like enteropathy, colitis, kidney failure, chronic diarrhea, and severe abdominal pain.

Specifically, Barbara’s Benicar HCT side effects lawsuit alleges that shortly after she began taking Benicar in 2003 to treat her high blood pressure, she began experiencing these serious gastrointestinal side effects of Benicar.

By filing this Benicar lawsuit, she is seeking to hold Daiichi Sanyko and its partner, Forrest Laboratories, responsible for failing to warn Benicar users of these dangerous and serious side effects.

Benicar Side Effects

Benicar (olmesartan) and Benicar HCT (olmesartan and medoxomilare) are prescription medications that belong to a class of drugs known as Angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers. These medications are commonly used to lower high blood pressure.

Patients taking Benicar may experience serious side effects that can require hospitalization. These side effects include:

• Acute kidney disease
• Muscle damage
• Bloody urine
• Dangerously low blood pressure
• High levels of fats and uric acid in the blood
• Giant hives
• Joint pain
• High cholesterol
• Kidney failure

Additionally, the FDA has released information pertaining to several cases of severe Benicar side effects that were listed in its Adverse Event Reports System (FAERS).

In some of these cases, villous atrophy was reported. Villous atrophy occurs when villi in the lining of the small intestines erodes and no longer works. Without properly functioning villi, individuals are at risk for nutritional deficiencies, severe malnutrition, chronic diarrhea, dehydration and lymphoma.

They are also at risk for developing sprue-like enteropathy, a condition that is similar to celiac disease. Celiac disease occurs when an individual’s immune system attacks a protein called “gluten,” which in turn causes the immune system to attack the individual’s intestinal tract.

Much like celiac disease, sprue-like enteropathy can also cause inflammation of the intestinal lining and atrophy of intestinal villi. Signs that you may be suffering from Benicar side effects such as sprue-like enteropathy include:

• Severe, chronic diarrhea
• Weight loss
• Inflammation of the lining of the stomach
• Nausea
• Stomach cramps
• Hair loss
• Chest pain
• Weakness
• Rapid heartbeat

The link between Benicar and sprue-like enteropathy was first discovered in 2012 when researchers from the Mayo Clinic found that, over a three year period, 22 patients taking Benicar displayed symptoms similar to celiac disease.

According to the FDA, sprue-like enteropathy can develop months or even years after taking the drug. In severe cases, patients suffering from the disease may require extensive hospitalization.

Filing a Benicar HCT Side Effects Lawsuit

In 2013, the FDA issued a warning about intestinal problems associated with Benicar.  It is thought that Benicar side effects are responsible for more than 20 percent of all cases of sprue-like enteropathy.

If you or someone you love has experienced gastrointestinal issues while taking this dangerous drug, a Benicar lawsuit lawyer can help determine if you are eligible to file a Benicar HCT side effects lawsuit against Daiichi Sankyo, the drug’s manufacturer.

By filing a Benicar HCT side effects lawsuit, you may be entitled to recover compensation for medical expenses related to the treatment of your disorder, lost wages, as well as damages for your pain and suffering.

Barbara’s Benicar HCT side effects lawsuit is filed within the larger Benicar MDL In Re:  Benicar (Olmesartan) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2606, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Camden Vicinage.