It was recently discovered that the blood pressure medication Benicar could be the cause of symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, a potentially debilitating disorder.

IBS symptoms overlap with several related disorders, including sprue-like enteropathy, celiac disease, and lactose intolerance. Patients suffering from IBS symptoms may experience stomach cramping, bloating, and chronic diarrhea. To many people these IBS symptoms may sound like a mild inconvenience, but IBS symptoms can involve daily, constant severe stomach pain and chronic diarrhea can be a debilitating condition.

Many patients with IBS symptoms can find some degree of relief with careful medical diets, but a substantial subset have IBS symptoms that do not respond to changes in diet. However, the recent revelation that Benicar side effects may mimic IBS symptoms could help explain some patients’ apparent IBS symptoms.

In July 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that Benicar side effects could mimic IBS symptoms. Prior to that, many patients experienced what they thought were IBS symptoms that did not respond to treatment and did not know that discontinuing their medication — under a physician’s guidance — could potentially alleviate the symptoms. The FDA announcement used the term “sprue-like enteropathy,” a generic term for IBS symptoms, as well as celiac disease symptoms and similar symptoms seen in other intestinal maladies.

Even WebMD’s factsheet on potential Benicar side effects has been updated to include the risk of Benicar side effects that mimic IBS symptoms. The second on the health website’s list of severe side effects found in Benicar is “diarrhea due to intestinal malabsorption,” which could be mistaken for IBS symptoms.

However, prior to the FDA’s 2013 Drug Safety Communication, many patients may have taken the drug for years, suffering with what looked like IBS symptoms before realizing that their blood pressure medication may have been the real cause of their symptoms.

Benicar lawsuits have been filed against the drug’s makers. These lawsuits allege that the makers of Benicar were aware— or reasonably should have been aware — of the serious risks of Benicar side effects that mimic IBS symptoms. Drug makers are legally obligated to both thoroughly test their drugs and continue to monitor the market for signs that the drug is having unexpected side effects in the larger drug market. Benicar IBS lawsuits further allege that not only were drug makers aware of these risks, but that they downplayed Benicar side effects, causing patients to suffer what they believed were IBS side effects for years. Benciar lawsuits may seek to recoup the cost of medical care, lost wages, and fees related to the lawsuits.