The Viberzi drug taken for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may be among acute pancreatitis causes, according to an FDA warning.

Patients who no longer have their gallbladder are at an increased risk of pancreatitis from Viberzi, the FDA says.

Acute pancreatitis causes symptoms such as abdominal pain, back pain, a fast heart rate, fever, loss of appetite, nausea, sweating, vomiting and weight loss.

Approved to treat irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) in May 2015, the Viberzi drug by Allergan allegedly has been linked to at least two deaths caused by acute pancreatitis. The FDA warns that as few as one or two 75 mg doses of Viberzi (eluxadoline) can lead to an onset of pancreatitis in patients who have undergone cholecystectomy, or gallbladder removal.

Even though the Viberzi drug can reduce diarrhea symptoms, it might also cause spasms of the sphincter of Oddi. This valve is a muscular mechanism in the small intestine that controls the flow of bile and pancreatic juices into the duodenum.

What can cause pancreatitis is that these spasms activate the digestive juices from the pancreas before they even enter the small intestine. The result is the digestive enzymes begin to break down the pancreas itself.

Severe Acute Pancreatitis Causes Tissue Damage

Behind the stomach near the small intestine lies the pancreas, which is a large gland that releases the hormones insulin and glucagon into the bloodstream. The pancreas also releases strong digestive enzymes into the small intestine to help food become properly digested.

Acute pancreatitis is a sudden inflammation of the pancreas that lasts a short period of time, with symptoms ranging from discomfort to becoming a severe life-threatening condition. A severe case of acute pancreatitis causes bleeding in the gland, tissue damage, infection and possible formation of cysts.

What Can Cause Pancreatitis?

According to WebMD, nearly 70 percent of cases of acute pancreatitis causes are related to gallstones or heavy use of alcohol. Other causes include medications such as autoimmune diseases, infections, metabolism problems and trauma.

What can cause pancreatitis as a chronic condition is long-term alcohol use in 70 percent of the cases. Chronic pancreatitis also can be caused by gallstones, hereditary pancreatic disorders, cystic fibrosis, lupus, high triglycerides and certain medications.

Doctors may run several tests to find out what can cause pancreatitis in a patient at any given time. Among the possible diagnostic tests are:

• Pancreatic function test to detect the amount of digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas
• Glucose tolerance test to see if there is any damage the pancreatic cells that produce insulin
• Ultrasound, CT scan and MRI to determine if physical changes in the pancreas can be seen
• ERCP to examine ducts in the pancreas and bile via x-rays
• Biopsy using a needle to obtain a sample of pancreatic tissue for cellular study

Because the Viberzi drug may be among the possible acute pancreatitis causes, patients could be eligible to participate in this lawsuit investigation if they’ve taken Viberzi and suffered pancreatitis after having their gallbladder removed.